TAMPA, Fla. — Joyce and John Katainen were high school sweethearts and married for over 74 years.
John joined the Air Force and was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in the 1950s. While in Tampa, Joyce became pregnant with their first child, a son they planned to name Bryon Dean. But on the day of the delivery, something was very wrong.
“Joyce gave birth to a stillborn baby, Bryon Dean, on Oct. 7, 1954. And, you know, back in the days, things were different. In the military, Joyce didn't even get a chance to hold her baby,” said Brad Morton, Joyce and John’s nephew.
Morton said back then, the military thought they were helping by quickly burying the infant and telling John to remove all items in their home that would remind his wife of their lost baby boy.
“The military had instructed John to clear out the nursery at home. You know, get everything out of there, while Joyce was still in the hospital. And John, devastated, you know, he had to make all the arrangements,” said Morton.
Soon after that, John was transferred to another base, and the couple never returned to the Tampa Bay area.
Morton never knew about the baby until the couple retired and moved to Nebraska, where he lived. Over time, Morton became like a son to them.
“We became very close. Me and my wife going there all the time, either visiting or for assistance. And we got to the point where we could talk to each other about everything,” explained Morton.
And the closer they got, the more Joyce opened up about her tragic loss.
“We talked a lot about losing baby Bryon, and, you know, a lot of tears and hugs. And you know, then it came to the point we asked if they knew where Bryon was, where he was buried at. And at that point, you know, they're up there in age, they couldn't even remember,” said Morton.
So Morton’s family started looking for answers and discovered The Good Cemeterian, Andrew Lumish online.
“My hobby is restoring gravestones, predominantly for veterans to their original condition and recalling their entire life journey from the day they were born until their last day on earth," said Lumish.
Lumish got his nickname, The Good Cemeterian, after Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan’s former colleague, Brendan McLaughlin, profiled him over 10 years ago.
After many years in the industry, his contacts in the field were vast, so it didn’t take him long to find the burial records.
“I actually found the original 1954 articles describing where the baby was buried. And then I found that it actually had the cemetery details in the newspaper articles,” Lumish.
Lumish showed Wendy Ryan where baby Bryon was buried inside Orange Hill Cemetery in Tampa. Now, a temporary marker was finally in place, but Lumish still wanted to do more.
“I was just so touched by the story, and in speaking with the family, I just couldn't let it stop at a temporary marker. It's been a mound of dirt for 70 plus years,” Lumish.
So he shared the story online and asked the public for help.
“Put together a fundraiser on social media, and I told the story. And I shared some screenshots. And I showed all kinds of detailed pictures and information, and the universe responded. And we raised all the money, plus some to pay for the tombstone, to pay for a brand-new granite tombstone,” explained Lumish.
When Morton told Joyce they found baby Bryon’s grave site and raised money to create a permanent tombstone, she became very emotional.
“She was so pleased that, you know, this is being done. And then she started crying and giving me hugs,” said Morton.
Jermaine Williams, the owner of The Headstone Place in Plant City, was honored to help.
“I've always wanted to do something like this to be able to give back to the community. So this was, I guess, the opportunity that I was able to provide my services to do a great deed. And I was fortunate enough to get that call from Andrew, to be able to participate and such,” said Williams.
Williams designed and created baby Bryon’s headstone with care.
“Andrew's call gave me the story, and I pretty much put everything together. He told me it was a stillborn baby, and I just came up with something that would probably resonate with the story,” explained Williams.
And Williams feels grateful he gets to be part of so many families' history.
“It's like the last thing, the last closure that the family gets to have in order to honor their loved one. So I actually find it honorable, you know. And I actually appreciate the opportunity to be able to fulfill that void,” explained Williams.
Recently, Williams finished the headstone and delivered it to the grave-site.
Finally, baby Bryon Dean Katainen’s life is now honored with a beautiful, permanent black granite tombstone revealing the day he was born and passed away, Oct. 7, 1954.
“It's been a long time coming. So right now, it's just a moment of happiness, and hopefully, you know, closure, final closure for the family,” said Williams.
“She's 94 years old, and hopefully this will give her some closure. Finally, after all of these decades,” said Lumish.
Unfortunately, Joyce’s husband, John, passed away just before the grave was found. But Joyce is still grateful she knew it was located and her baby boy was honorably laid to rest.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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