Every Veterans Day, and lots of days in between since 2005, the Derks family finds its way into my thoughts. Twelve years ago, I covered the funeral of Army Spc. 4th Class Brian Derks for The Muskegon Chronicle. He was only 21 when he was killed in a roadside bombing while on patrol in west of Baghdad. I remember how the small town of White Cloud collectively mourned with his family.
When I first talked to Kevin and Meghan and their wedding plans, Kevin said something about having a quiet, small family and Meghan said, “and mine is large and loud!” The one thing that was the same was their love of the University of Michigan. Meghan is a graduate of U of M and Kevin’s family had been lifelong fans. The couple now lives in Boston but wanted to bring all their wedding guests together in a town and campus they cherish.