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Ogden man creates heartwarming memorials for families of fallen police, firefighters and service members

Posted at 10:08 PM, Dec 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-04 00:08:20-05

OGDEN, Utah -- One man in Ogden creates wood panels for fallen officers, firefighters and also for those families who wish to honor their loved ones.

Nate Eye takes blank boards and chops them down to 4-foot lengths before carving designs and burning life into them.

Eye’s most recent project is working on a police badge board and Marine Corps board for fallen Officer David Romrell’s family after Romrell was killed by a burglary suspect in November.

“I feel like these families should have something to remember their service by,” said Eye.

Eye said the boards he built for Officer Romrell will be displayed at his funeral on Wednesday.

“It'll have the casket in the middle and then It’ll have his honor guards to the side,” said Eye. “Then It’ll have the South Salt Lake badge to the left and his Marine’s Corps logo to the right, representing all aspects of his service.”

Eye said he sympathizes with families and their losses, pointing out he understands the feeling of grief because his father died of a heart attack in 2005.

“He was a woodworker,” said Eye. “I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps.”

Eye said he doesn’t always know the people he’s built boards for, but seeing their family’s faces are enough.

“Just an indescribable feeling,”  he said. “It’s a feeling of love. It’s a feeling of giving. It’s a humbling feeling.”

Eye said he created a board for Draper Fire Chief Matt Burchett who died while fighting fire in California this year.

Eye also gave two boards to Jennie Taylor and her family of seven after her husband, Major Brent Taylor, was killed by an inside attacker in Afghanistan.

“It’s very special for me to be a part of that healing process for them,” said Eye.

Working 20 plus hours on one board alone, Eye said it’s all worth it for the 10 minutes he spends with the family.

“It’s the most humbling experience you’ll go through,” said Eye.

Along with his business, Eye said he put a GoFundMe up to raise money for fallen officers and firefighters.