Jacob's Story

On May 31, 2011, the small tractor that Jacob was driving was struck from behind by a truck.  The impact destroyed the tractor, and Jacob suffered a severe blow to the back of his head.  His father James and brothers Jason and Jeremy arrived at the scene within minutes.  Jacob quickly slipped into unconsciousness.  He was life flighted to Tallahassee Memorial where he underwent over two hours of surgery to assess his head injury and relieve pressure from swelling in his brain. 

This site was created to provide a central location for updates as they become available.  Jacob and his family need your prayers as he attempts to recover.  If you are interested in more details, the local news station covered the original accident and followed up with video coverage (You may have to watch an ad before the actual story video plays).

This post will remain at the top of the update list for first time visitors.  Updates are listed from newest to oldest.  If you want to communicate directly with the Suttons, please use the address howisjacob@gmail.com.  There is also a Facebook page/group created for sharing your prayers and comments.

Messages from Jacob's Parents

It's been a month now since the wreck that eventually claimed Jacob's life.   The details of the wreck and the days that followed are found here in this site.  Communicating thanks to so many people has been a challenge.  James and Ellen placed an ad in the local paper as a thank you to the community.  They also mailed a letter to those who contributed gifts.  You can view these here using the links below.

Thank-You Ad (PDF)
Thank-You Note (PDF)

We Say Goodbye

Normally, the number of people who turned out for Thursday's visitation and today's funeral would be surprising.    This week, it's what we've come to expect from our community.  I asked the staff of Baker Funeral Home if the visitation crowd was their largest ever.  Their response -- "By far."  Today, the grounds of Buck Creek Baptist Church were covered with those who came to say goodbye to Jacob Sutton.  We arrived forty-five minutes before the service was scheduled to begin, early enough to secure a seat in the social hall.  The sanctuary was already filled with family friends.

The service included words from both present and past church pastors.  What we heard from them continued the list of praises and fond memories of Jacob that we have built over these past two weeks.  A fire truck was on hand as a reminder of Jacob's involvement in the volunteer fire department.  Jacob's fellow FFA members attended in uniform to honor him.  Jacob's casket was taken from the church to the grave site on a flatbed trailer pulled by a large John Deere tractor.  This last detail was particularly fitting for Jacob.

I remember the first night in Tallahassee talking with family members.  It was no surprise to hear fears of the worst and questions about whether Jacob knew how they really felt about him.  In the days since the accident, we were given the opportunity to not only say but show how we felt about him.  With every prayer, hug and kind deed you more than made up for anything left unsaid to Jacob.

A stranger who witnessed the events of these two weeks might draw the conclusion that we just lost a hero.  Anyone fortunate enough to have known Jacob could have saved the stranger the time and told him that from the start.

A Poem for Jacob's Family by Sister Pam Lagrange

For Jacob’s Family

There are no words of consolation I could write,
A word cannot replace his name.
There are no songs of deliverance I could sing,
A song could not ease the pain.

Click to read more ...

A Word of Caution

The weather forecast for this afternoon's service at 2PM predicts temperatures above 90 degrees.  Buck Creek Baptist is a very small church, and the seating inside the building will be quite limited.  I understand that there will be sound equipment installed to allow those outside to hear the service, but there's a chance that you will be standing for the duration of the service.  The combination of extreme heat and prolonged standing can be very dangerous if you are unaccustomed to doing this.  Please be mindful of this if you are planning to attend.