Angela Martin reflects back on the day that her husband, Derek Martin, died fighting a fire in St. Louis in 2002. She was sitting with her daughter, Kayla, 11. A photo of Derek is at left. (J.B. Forbes/P-D)
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/25/2009
ST. LOUIS — Anne Sebold remembers only two things from the day she learned her husband, city police officer Louis Sebold, 45, had been killed in the line of duty:
The looks on her six children's faces, and the visit from two men who called themselves the BackStoppers.
At the time, she didn't fully realize all that they would do for her. But now, 34 years later, she doesn't know what she would have done without them.
"You felt like you had support," Sebold said. "Like you could do this."
For 50 years this year, the St. Louis-area agency — the only one like it in the country — has filled the financial gap left by fallen heroes.
Because of it, widows have been able to remain in their homes.
Children have achieved college dreams.
Families have stayed together.
In all, 119 St. Louis-area public safety workers have died in the line of duty since BackStoppers' founding in 1959.
Continue reading "Families of the fallen reflect on BackStoppers' legacy, 50 years" »
