Morgan County Charter Schools officially dedicated the Rabern-Jackson Memorial Garden on July 30 with a public ceremony after more than a year of planning.
The Thursday morning ceremony took place in the newly dedicated space, adjacent to the Morgan County Middle School front entrance.
The memorial garden was created to honor the lives of former Morgan County Middle School Students Avett Jackson and Bennett Rabern, who lost their lives in a tragic ATV accident in January 2025. The students were in the seventh grade at MCMS along with Bryson Hammond, who survived with injuries.
To open the dedication, former MCMS Principal Hillary Meeler shared a statement on why she found it was important to honor Rabern and Jackson with the project.
“There are moments in our lives that we know we will never forget. For the many staff members and me among us, returning to school after losing Bennett and Avett was one of those moments,” Meeler said. “As difficult as those days were, I will also never forget how proud I was to be the principal of Morgan County Middle School. “I saw our teachers show up on one of the hardest days, not just to teach, but to love, support, and care for our students. I saw our students show incredible strength and compassion. I saw family, staff, and our entire community come together to carry one another through tragedy.”
Meeler emphasized the memorial as a representation of “the lasting impact” of the two students, as well as a symbol of “love, strength, and the bond of the community.”
Morgan County resident Allen Sheneman shared a speech about his experience pitching the idea to Meeler, noting that he felt it “placed on his heart” with the loss of his son, Stevie, in 1984. Sheneman’s daughter, Stacey Lancaster, read the speech aloud on his behalf with him in attendance.
“I felt God, through the Holy Spirit, place something on my heart, and I knew I was supposed to do something that would honor these boys and preserve their memory,” Sheneman said. “At first, I thought about creating scholarships in their names, but I never felt at peace with that idea.
“Then I met with Hillary in her office, and Sarah Robertson, the school counselor, was there as well. As we looked out the window at this open space, Sarah said, ‘What if this became a memorial garden?’ and the moment she said it, I knew she was right.”
In his statement, Sheneman explained that with implementing the project, he and Meeler agreed that if the school lost any students in the future, the memorial garden would honor them as well. Therefore, they also placed a footstone in the garden, honoring former MCMS Student Andrew Deneicki, who passed away in an accident six months after Rabern and Jackson.
“Today, a footstone bearing Andrew’s name has been placed in this garden, and I want his family to know he is loved, included, and will always be remembered here,” Sheneman said. “From that first conversation in Hillary’s office until today, it has taken about a year and a half to raise the funds and bring this vision to life; Today is the culmination of that journey.”
Shortly before cutting the dedication ribbon, Sheneman presented a scholarship to Hammonds.
“Bryson, I want you to know that you are remembered here, too. We love you, we care about you, and you are part of this story,” Sheneman said. “We thank God that you are standing here with us today. This scholarship is a small reminder that you are loved, you are remembered, and we continue to walk beside you.”
To conclude the ceremony, Lancaster shared her father’s words on his hopes for the garden in the future.
“I hope that people will come here often, walk these paths, sit on a bench, say a prayer, share a memory, tell a story about these boys,” Sheneman said. “May this always be a place of remembrance, healing, and hope. May it remind every young person who visits to look out for one another, on the back roads, in the woods, on the ball field, and everywhere life takes them.”