Delaware troopers carry woman's casket to grave

In this job we get to see the very worst of what goes on in our state on a daily basis.

Kids getting shot and killed in our cities.

Children suffering abuse at the hands of adults, sometimes fatal abuse and sometimes abuse that will scar them for years.

The devastating effects of drug abuse on our friends, our families and our communities.

And then there's the other side of life that we get to see.

People showing concern for their fellow human beings in times of need. Feeding someone who's hungry. Giving shelter to someone with none. Speaking a kind word to a broken soul. Sometimes it's as simple as having the ability to see worth in others.

And that's what happened here in our state on Friday as six members of the Delaware State Police Honor Guard showed up at the funeral for Valeria V. Mayer and acted as her pallbearers.

The same Valeria V. Mayer who just two weeks ago was the subject of a a two-sentence burial notice requesting relatives or friends come forward to claim her remains.

The same Valeria V. Mayer who was featured in this column a little over a week ago. It was then that I shared with you that some of the people involved in her medical care had seen the burial notice and took it upon themselves to find a place for Ms. Mayer. They were able to get a plot donated from All Saint's Cemetery. In the column, I shared that the funeral was set for Friday, Jan. 23.

Among the readers of that column were members of the Delaware State Police Honor Guard. According to Sgt. Jeff Whitmarsh, the troopers were moved by the story and chose to volunteer their time so that "this Delaware resident could be laid to rest with dignity."

So a half dozen members of the DSP Honor Guard, troopers who routinely service funerals for fallen troopers, retired troopers and dignitaries, served as pallbearers for Ms. Mayer and attended the graveside service.

Also in attendance were those who helped arrange for the donated plot and casket as well as others from the medical facility where Ms. Mayer had been treated over the years.

Family members may not have come forward to claim Ms. Mayer's remains, but Delaware sure did.

Share in the Only in Delaware conversation 24/7 on delawareonline. Contact Jeffrey Gentry at jgentry@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeffreygentry. Friend him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jeffreygentryTNJMG