Residents attend visitation

By FRITZ MAYER

NARROWSBURG, NY — As large chunks of winter ice floated through the Big Eddy, residents from the river valley traveled to the visitation or viewing for Specialist Anthony Kaiser.

Main Street and the public parking lost behind the Bank of America were unusually full of cars for a Monday afternoon due to the high number of residents going to the Rasmussen Funeral Home to pay their respects.

Rob Gilbert of Narrowsburg stopped for a few moments outside the funeral home and thought about Kaiser. He said that he grew up with Kaiser, and that he and his friends in the area always had a lot of respect for the fallen soldier. “He was really respected. He worked hard to do what he wanted to do, and he accomplished a lot more than the rest of us.”

Gilbert said it was an open casket viewing, and that the scars of battle were not evident on Kaiser’s body.

A look up Main Street showed that just about everyone in town was aware of the upcoming funeral. More than two dozen flags had been placed on the phone polls in town, along with red, white and blue ribbons. Just about every store on Main Street¾the Arts Alliance, the barber shop, The Main St. Café, River Dog, The 4 Corners gift shop¾all had signs in the window that read in big block letters “In Memoriam,” with shiny red, white and blue ribbons attached to one corner.

Will Geisler, the owner of the coffee shop Roasters, was outside cleaning a signpost in front of his store. He said the Main Street merchants “put up the signs as a way to show support.”

A portable electric road sign had been placed at the intersection of Routes 97 and 52 just outside of town. It read, “Expect delays on 03/27/07.”