This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Jason Cramer who was born in South Carolina on November 17, 2000 and passed away on July 19, 2006 at the age of 5. We will remember him forever. 

A memorial scholarship has been established in his honor at the school he would have attended in 2006, Cathedral Academy. To learn more about this school, refer to http://cathedralacademy.org/. To contribute to the fund, please make checks payable to:

C.A. Jason Cramer Scholarship Fund

and mail to:

Cathedral Academy
3790 Ashley Phosphate Road
North Charleston, SC 29418
Attn:  Headmaster


Jason had a zest for life. People and animals he met were drawn to him. He knew everyone in our neighborhood including their pets. If Jason's friends were not around to play he would go to the neighbors houses to ask if their pets could come out and play once at 6 in the morning!

We have no doubt about Jason's connection with God. He prayed every night for his friends in crisis, that no one would get hurt. With his boyish enthusiasm he would also pray for a  bungee cord and a rope. He watched his daddy tie landscaping equipment to his trailer with these items and he wanted to be just like his dad. Jason's brothers, Tyler (age 6 at the time of Jason's death) and Zachary (age 4) prayed that Jason would not get a bungee cord and a rope. Jason would constantly ask me (him mom) questions about animals, about God, about the world around him. He also understood "cheerful giving" and would be eager to explain this to the other children at church. He understood that God made the trees, flowers, animals, and himself and that because of this we needed to give something back to the God that is so good to us. He loved to sing praise and worship songs. One of his favorites was "Zacceus was a wee little man". He knew all the hand-motions and would sing at home and church. He taught other children this song. Jason liked to perform for others, standing straight and tall. He also liked "God is an Awesome God" and we would play this over and over in the car, all of us singing as loud as we could.

Jason loved the outdoors and one of his favorite hobbies was catching frogs and toads. He caught his first toad at the age of 3 and named him "Ribbit". One day grandma bought all the brothers bug catcher boxes. They were small boxes with a wooden surface and screen covering so you could see what was inside. A small swinging piece of wood would reveal a hole where bugs could be inserted and maintained. One day, Jason managed to squeeze about 12 toads into this little bug box. We had no idea how he managed to get them all in!

As with most 5 year old boys, Jason had no fear. He was fearless since he could take his first steps. He had stitches when he was 18 months old for balancing on 2 by 4s in daddy's shed. He did not cry when the doctor administered the stitches which were close to his eye.
 
Sometimes Jason would spend time indoors and watch TV. Usually when it was raining and there were no friends to play with. He loved cartoons - especially Scooby Doo and Sponge Bob Square Pants.

I realize all parents say this about their children, but we always knew Jason had an above average intellegence. He would compete with his older brother in reading books. He quickly learned to write his name and wrote it everywhere: in small notebooks, on pieces of paper, and in permanent blue paint on the driveway. He was a leader and frequently lead his brothers and friends in play. They all followed him because he was such the entertainer and made them laugh. One day Jason stood on a pile of sod in our yard and belted out "ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages". I thought he would be part of Ringling Brothers Circus before he graduated high school! He had this maturity unlike most children. He never minded losing a game. He appreciated games as being fun and not an objective for winning. He was putting together 100 piece puzzles before he turned 5 years old.


Jason was a free spirit. He was active and had a difficult time adjusting to a classroom structure. He had a temper, like all my children. His first year of Kindergarten, he would break pencils if he did not want to participate in classwork. Twice he threw his chair across the room in protest. This temper did not diminish the love he had for all people including his teacher, Ms. Doris. Hugs were given daily and he filled a place in the hearts of all those he met.

Jason's favorite color was "onange" (orange) since he could tell us. We thought that very unusual since children are usually drawn to primary colors. To please him, I attempted to paint his room orange. The color was so hot I had to decide to limit the orange to accessories. I finished his room the year before he died. It was done in a tree frog theme with Haitian metal frogs hung all over his room, frog valances, frog sheets, frog border, stuffed frogs, and of course, a bright orange comforter. While it took a while to complete his room, he did like it very much.
 
Jason's favorite holiday was "Crimpus" (Christmas). I knew someday we would need to correct his speech, but I always thought the way he said "Crimpus" was so adorable. He believed in Santa but also understood the true meaning of Christmas - about the birth of baby Jesus. He enjoyed both giving and receiving. He helped us one year purchasing Christmas gifts for one of his friends that was less fortunate than we were. Jason's favorite superhero was Spiderman. He would frequently dress up in his Spiderman costume and play in the neighborhood with it on. The costume was one of his favorite “Crimpus” (Christmas) presents. He also liked to dress up as a fireman and as Bob the Builder. He could spend hours playing with his fire trucks and was proud to wear his fire hat. The first time he climbed into a real fire truck, his face lit up. When he smiled, his eyes would smile and his eyebrows would rise. It was like he was smiling mentally, emotionally, physically and spritually. It was a joy that could not be suppressed.

Jason was what you would call a "morning person". He woke up every morning with a grin on his face. He would pretend to be sleeping so Daddy would come in and wake him up. At night, he slept under at least 5 blankets, even in the middle of the summer and liked to be tucked in tightly. So orderly was Jason, that the blankets would need to be applied in a certain order - first the frog sheet, then Madagascar, then batman, then cat in the hat, than the orange comforter, etc. Jason sometimes tiptoed in our bedroom at night and just stood there watching us. Almost like he was watching over us like an angel. 
 
Not long before my boy died, he used to cut up blue "paper diamonds" as gifts. We had bought Jason a train table for Christmas 2005. He removed the trains and made the table his "work desk". I should have known. He had always been the most artistic of all our children. We bought him fingerpaints and playdough the year before. We bought him a kitchen set the year before that. He loved to help me cook. It was a real privilege to break an egg into a bowl. He loved to draw and create. I only wish I knew how important those diamonds would be to me later. Why is it that I couldn't appreciate him as much than as I do now that he's gone. He used to always tell us that he loved us (dad and I) without any prompting. He would come in my bathroom in the morning while I was getting ready for work and tell me I looked beautiful.

In Christmas 2005, my husband bought me a piano. I hadn't played in many many years but wanted to learn how to play again. One of the first songs I learned was Fur Elise. Jason would watch me play and tell me how beautiful the music was to him. The piano is digital and has a lot of features and gadgets. Jason would like to play with the sound effects. One he found was of a little girl screaming and he thought it was funny to play that over and over. He would often ask me to play something  - a song he knew. I had a childrens songbook and we would go through some songs together. Jason's favorite song was "Zacheus was a wee little man; a wee little man was he". He used to sing this to anyone that would listen and use hand movements to illustrate.

Jason's favorite food was chicken nuggets and french fries. McDonalds was the first "outside" place he recognized. Someone really understood marketing when they decided on the golden arches. He started out as a picky eater but got better over time. He was somewhere between his older brother who will eat anything you put in front of him and his younger brother who used to seperate tri-colored rotini when he was a baby so as not to eat the green ones.

When Jason was born and we first brought him home, his older brother Tyler said "I like him". They were buddies ever since being 14 months apart. Jason was the link between Tyler and his younger brother Zach who was 17 months apart in age. Its so hard to look at them now without their brother. Tyler and Zach have such strong faith in God and in Heaven that they can miss Jason without being overwhelmed with grief. Now I know why the bible says you must be like a child to enter the kingdom of God. 

One of the last memories I have of my boy Jason was holding hands with him on the way to school. The boys would take turns every morning to sit with me in the front seat. That Wednesday was Jason's turn. He loved holding hands. I will always remember the feel of his hands. They were delicate and small. The were always slightly sweaty. When Jason's brothers would do (and still do) almost anything to get out of holding hands, he was content to do so. The only exception was when leaving school, he would get so excited and would run to and out the door by himself. As much as I've punished, yelled and screamed at him - because sometimes cars pull up under the canopy by the door - he had a mind of his own. I lectured all the boys about holding hands in parking lots and streets and cars. I still do. Little difference it made at the end. . . Anyway, that day when we got to school, he and Tyler bought a soda from the soda machine for Ms. Doris or Ms. Jessica, their teachers. They would do this everyday. One had a superman or spiderman on it (I can't remember which) and Jason was real particular about getting that one for her.

Jason was looking more and more like his father each year. He had the brightest shiniest eyes and longest lashes of all his brothers. He knew his smile could brighten your day and make you smile back no matter what.

One day when we went to Applebees for lunch and got a balloon, Jason let go of it by accident. Dad told him that he was giving the balloon to God. Now we release balloons to Jason up in heaven. 

Jason loved to fish with his brothers in the ponds around our cul de sac. He was doing this the day he died. That frightful Wednesday on July 19th, 2006 was a perfect day for our little Jason until our Lord took him home. He was run over by a trailer right in that cul-de-sac. It was the day my life will have changed forever. I miss him so much and look forward to the day I can see him again. I LOVE YOU JASON!

P.S. I never blamed God for what has happened. I believe that because sin has become part of the world, bad things happen, but God is still in control. If Jason's story inspired your relationship with the Lord, please share your story by lighting a candle or paying a tribute. There is no greater gift than to know Jason is helping others in spite of his death.

2-18-07
Vanentines Day last year was so special. Each boy brought me diamond jewelery (past, present and Future jewelery - necklace and earrings). The diamonds did not significy past present and future but rather Tyler Jason and Zachary. My three boys. I was so proud of them. The jewelery they selected had to the the most "powerful". Daddy convinced them that the diamonds were much more powerful then the huge heart shaped rubies. Yes, it was powerful in so many ways. It was the last Valentines we had together. I remember them all in my bed anxious for me to open the gifts. So proud of themselves for picking it out. I will still wear this jewelery someday and know that Jason will reside always in the middle. I love you beyond beyond beyond, Jason. Jason, you know now what is the most powerful: the WORD of GOD. Help us that are still here on earth to further the kingdom of God. I will listen for a time that you might whisper in my ear. I love you so much!

3-24-07
Your brother Zachary turned the age of 5 on the 16th. We just had his birthday party yesterday at the bowling alley you loved so much. I found a picture of you holding a bowling ball and just scanned it. This is the time of the year when you and your brothers would be consecutive ages. Ages 5,6,and 7. I always took your pictures with your age numbers and I don't know what to do this year because I'm missing my 6 year old. Jason, I am praying to our father in heaven to give me some guidance now. Its the little things we used to do that I miss so much. There is such a hole in my heart and my life since you have been gone. I wish you could come back, just for a minute, to tell me you are ok, to make me smile again, to erase all doubts, to let me tell you I love you one more time. I love you beyond beyond and beyond.

4-10-07
Easter was another difficult holiday to endure without you. I keep remembering what we saw on the refrigarater door the week of your death. It was July, but we still had an Easter card on the fridge. It had no name on it and I couldn't remember who made it. The card says "He is not here, He has risen". It was held up by a magnet with a picture of you. I truly think that that was a message from God. That He was telling me that, like Jesus, Jason has risen. 
Last year we went on an egg hunt together with your brothers at the amenity center. Everyone caught a bunch of eggs. We also "caught" a butterfly. For almost an hour that butterfly walked up our arms and shoulders like a pet that feels comfort in our presence. It wasn't harmed and we could not understand why he didn't fly away. We had fun for nearly an hour doing nothing but allowing the butterfly to flit from one of our hands to another with a gentle grace. When you and your brothers were ready to leave, the butterfly took flight and disappeared into the wetlands beyond. Another experience I will never forget. 
I went to the masoleum where you rest on Sunday. I get no comfort there. Sometimes I sit perfectly still inside on the couch waiting for some feeling of your presense to come over me - but there is none. Only your body remains there, your spirit has risen. I love you Jason, forever to eternity and beyond.

The Littlest Angel Fundraiser Pin 
(Ask me how to order one - see the story below)


A little boy died and went to heaven - he was the littlest angel there. But he couldn't do anything right and he was sad and lonesome for his old home and friends. One day the "Understanding angel" asked him what would make him most happy in Paradise. The littlest angel thought for a moment and whispered in his ear. "There's a box. I left it under my bed back home. If only I could l have that" A messenger angel was sent at once to retrieve the treasured box. The littlest angel was the happiest in all of Paradise.

Then it came to pass that Jesus was to be born and all the angels prepared gifts for the Blessed Infant. The littlest angel was at a loss to know what to give the Christ child. Finally, he brought out the little box he treasured so much and decided that would be his gift. When the Day arrived, the littlest angel placed his gift before the Throne of God. It was only a small, rough, unsightly box, but inside were all those wonderful things tht even a Child of God would treasure.

When the littlest angel saw his gift among all those glorious gifts of radiant splendor and breathless beauty, he wanted to reclaim his shabby worthless gift. But it was too late - the Hand of God moved slowly over all that bright array of shing gifts, then paused and dropped His hand on the lowly gift of the Littlest Angel. Inside the box was a butterfly with golden wings, captured one bright summer day on the high hills above Jerusalem and a sky-blue egg from a bird's nest in the olive tree that stood to shade his mother's kitchen door. There were two white stones found on a muddy river bank where he and his friends had played, and at the bottom of the box was a limp, tooth-marked leather strap once worn as a collar by his mongrel dog who had died as he had lived, in absolute love and infinite devotion. The Littlest Angel wept because he though he had been most blasphemous.

Then, suddenly, the Voice of God spoke, saying "Of all the gifts of all the angels, I find that this small box pleases Me most. Its contents are of the Earth and of men and My Son is born to be King of both. These are the things My Son, too, will know and love and cherish and then, regretful, will leave behind Him when His task is done.

Then the little box began to glow with a brilliance so bright that it blinded the eyes of all the angels. None but the Littlest Angel saw it rise from its place and stand and shed its light over the stable where the Christ Child was born.

There it shone on that Night of Miracles, and its light was reflected down the centuries deep in the heart of all mankind. Yet, earthly eyes, blinded too, by its spendor, could never know that the lowly gift of the Littlest Angel was what all men would call forever "THE SHINING STAR OF BEHLEHEM".

By Charles Tazewell.