Gavin was invited, as a sophomore, to the Warsaw High School Prom, by junior, Steph Ison, and this picture was taken on April 30, 2011, Prom night!
This is the mock-up of the front of the stone. Each \"app\" picture is photographed and descriptions and explanations added in the images following.
The apps on Gavin\'s memorial monument all have special meaning, sometimes double meaning, to us. Working from the top left to the bottom right, we will describe them. #1: The boys\' step-grandfather bought the larger than life poster prints and framed each of them, because the photographer, Danny Critser, of Cameo photography said he didn\'t photograph six month olds, and tried, with great success, each time. He was so proud he put the first in his window in Keokuk for advertising. All follow.
The apple on the back of the stone shows the family in a sort of Partridge Family/Brady Bunch grid, with the Lord\'s \"I am\" (iAM)where \"iPod\" would be, and GR16 where 16GB would be on the back of an iPod Touch.
2006 Chevy Cobalt, the family car Gavin liked to drive.
Unfortunately, this is the car where Gavin took his last breath. It rolled three times, and with five teens buckled up inside, it performed amazingly well, to only have the two on the left side killed instantly, and the three others treated and released that same evening. Gavin was in the back seat. Kathlina (Kathy) Reinig, the 18-yr-old driver, also lost her life that night.
Gavin\'s Sophomore Picture, Sept. 29, 2010.
Gavin at the Brackensick reunion, June 5, 2011. Our last family time together.
School Picture, Sept. 13, 2000
June 23, 2002. We piled into the van and chased the Challenger all the way to Kansas City! We were trying to \"rail fan\" the final run of this steam train, and the schedule kept us on the go, never quite able to get there in time to see it in motion, and it stopped for the night, so we took a family picture by setting the timer on our first digital camera and put it on the track to get us all in the picture. We saw this engine again by chance, in Colorado, backing in for the night after a run.
Christmas 2004 at Uncle Bruce and Aunt Jane\'s.
The view, overlooking Lakeshore Drive, and Adler planetarium and Shedd Aquarium, from Gavin\'s favorite place, The Buchingham Plaza (Condo building) on Randolph Street in Chicago. Thank you Roger & Mary Ann, for allowing us the chance to give the boys a taste of life in the big Windy City!
Halloween, 2005 Aunt Jane helped him become a spider web.
Gavin in 2006, on the green team in Warsaw Soccer, throwing the ball back into play. He was fast and fun to watch!
Gavin dribbling the ball, on Warsaw\'s green 5th & 6th grade soccer team in 2006.
Christmas, 2006
Gavin\'s entourage on the 2007 People to People (PPL 2 PPL), Student Ambassador trip to Australia. Gavin is in the back row, with a fisherman\'s hat and glasses.
Sydney Opera House toured on People to People (PPL 2 PPL) Student Ambassador trip to Australia, June, 2007.
Michaela Land and Gavin were People to People (PPL 2 PPL) Student Ambassadors from Warsaw in 2007. This was an experience of a lifetime, and one we know Michaela treasures. We depend on you, Michaela, to be that connection with him for us.
Confirmation Day, with Grandma Roskamp.
Gavin was confirmed with six others, 2 each from 3 other families, on April 4, 2009. His memory verse was John 3:17 \"For God did not send His Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.\"
Gavin\'s Memory verse for Confirmation, John 3:17, follows one of the most well-known verses, John 3:16. 16 \"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.\" 17 \"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Gavin\'s Confirmation Day, with some of Deb\'s family there that day. Uncle Bill, and Grandma and Grandpa Dennis.
Halloween 2010 in Nauvoo with friends. Yeah, Gavin is dressed in street clothes, not in costume.
Gavin stated in Eighth Grade, that Steve Jobs was influential in making him who he was today. Steve Jobs was born Feb. 24, 1955, forty years and a day older than Gavin, and they both passed in 2011, Gavin on June 6, and Steve on Oct. 5, just a day short of four months after Gavin. Steve lived 40 years and 4 months longer than Gavin.
This is the side view of the replica of the iPod Touch (blended first, second, third & fourth Generation) with power button, and volume control.
This is the front of the monument, with twenty apps, each described in the following set of pictures. The vases have Gavin\'s G-Tech symbol, the power button turned on its side, made into a G, and the colon/close parenthesis, smiley face.
The back of the Monument includes the Christian fish symbol where the Wi-Fi receiver is on iPod Touches, the Apple collage of our family, in a Brady Bunch & Partridge Family concept, iAm, where they say iPod, and GR16, where an iPod Touch has reference to its size, for example, 16GB. The vases have a Quiz Bowl symbol, and the Drama Happy/Sad faces. The Apple collage details follow after the front apps.
Gavin at six months old! Our Professionl wedding photographer, Danny Critser of Cameo Photography of Keokuk, learned how to take pictures of babies when we started having children!
Gavin was baptised at Bethany United Church of Christ, by Rev. Bharat Booshan on April 30, 1995. \"Aunt\" Barb Stoll baked his cake for us.
I <3 Ketchup. Translates to \"I (heart) love Ketchup\" Gavin liked ketchup so much, he dipped fries in it as much for the ketchup as for the fries. He had a reputation with his friends such, that he entertained them by dipping rice krispie treats in ketchup. We\'ve tried it. Feel no obligation to do so. It really isn\'t good. Rice and tomatoes are great together, but you add marshmellow creme to the mix, and it just isn\'t a good combination.
Gavin and Savannah Huston played against each other here in \"Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr.\" Gavin was in musicals from 2001 to 2011. He attained lead roles by the time he was in 8th grade, and co-accompanist by his sophomore year. They included \"You\'re a Good Man, Charlie Brown\" 3/01, \"Hello Dolly\" 3/02, \"When In Rome\" 3/07, \"Luneya\" 3/08, \"The Elves and the Shoemaker\" N-CJrHigh 3/09, \"Bah Humbug\" 10/09, \"Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr.\"3/10, and \"50\'s Radio Show\" to name a few.
Gavin and Vince Bognot played a little random game one evening, having the title of the next random song that played \"say something about each other\". Well, they both agreed it got it wrong when Vince\'s song popped up \"Piano Man\" by Billy Joel. That was obviously Gavin, as here he is making a video of himself with his camera, playing \"Taylor the Latte Boy\" for Vince. This song was the one Gavin enjoyed watching performed the most, backstage in his Kardiac Kapers pit band experience April 2010
Gavin was in chorus at WHS, but to do it all, some of the kids met before school, hence, the term, \"Early Bird\" chorus. He also was on the social media service, \"Twitter\", so we combined the Twitter bird and the early bird here.
Gavin traveled to Australia in June, 2007 as a student ambassador with People to People. The Sydney Opera House, pictured behind him, was once of his favortie tours on the trip.
Gavin refered to himself as a \"Computer Geek\" on social media, and a \"Nerd\" to his friends, to not tie himself to the Best Buy franchise, but we decided he was a genius, and our experience with him on a Florida trip, in an Apple store, indicated not only was he very knowledgeable about Apple, but also Microsoft, as he helped the Mac Genius work on John\'s iPod Touch connected to his Gateway laptop.(WIU Marching Leathernecks shirt he sports is from WIU homecoming alumni halftime recognition w/Deb)
Gavin\'s memory verse for confirmation was John 3:17. Justin found and explained that the example on iPod Touch\'s and iPad\'s to show highlighting beginning and ending verses for readings and scrolling, starts with John 3:16 and ends with John 3:17. We think this may have spurred Gavin\'s choice for the memory verse. The Bible app. is a good one to have on your iPod Touch, iPad, and cell phones!
Gavin was confirmed at Bethany United Church of Christ, Joel Schlatter, the minister who worked with youth, officiating, on April 4, 2009, two months, two days, and two years before Gavin passed away.
Facebook was social media most used at the time of Gavin\'s high school years by young people. Gavin\'s facebook account is still active, and maintained by his family, where they post thoughts to him, even in chat sometimes, as do some of his high school friends.
You Tube is a web site of videos, 107 of which were uploaded by Gavin, under GTT and most recently his new \"G-Tech\" design. He composed background music in Garage Band for his later videos as well. His Mom likes to say he was a budding \"techno geek\" because of the music and technology that he used in this on line work he did.
Mrs. Gabel awarded Gavin a math award in May of his sophomore year. Deb caught the photo after waiting two hours though awards between his perfect attendance and honor roll, at the beginning of the assembly and this one at the end. Gavin\'s family were all taught by Mrs. Gabel for High School mathematics, and she is one of their favorites!
Gavin was invited to Prom his sophomore year by his friend Stephanie Ison, a junior. He enjoyed the whole Prom and After Prom experience, April 30, 2011. Thank you Stephanie for being such a good friend to us all!
Angry Birds was possibly the most well-known, identifiable game people played on iPod Touch and cell phones during this time, and chosen simply to randomly show popular Apps of the day on Gavin\'s Memorial Monument. Gavin had played Angry Birds, but not to any great extent, and the last game he played was \"Stickman Golf\".
Gavin\'s last school picture was of him at the beginning of his sophomore year, which he had completed just days prior to his death.
Gavin played trombone in 1A Jazz Band, pep band, marching band, and concert band. He won several I ratings playing trombone solos and in ensembles at contest . He sat first chair in all of his years at Warsaw and Nauvoo, and also in the Nauvoo Community Band, which rehearsed the evening of his death, his absence excused by director, Dennis Dowell, for him to be a juror in teen court. They were missing a couple of tuba players and their lead saxophone player that dreadful evening as well.
John and Gavin Roskamp in June, 2001, were part of the mini league team champions in summer softball, on the Rockford Ball Association team, pictured here with their trophies, coached by their Mother, with baby brother, Justin holding a trophy as well.
Gavin was one of four Woodstocks in \"You\'re a Good Man, Charlie Brown\", with Austin Hardy, Abby Thill, and Stephanie Mulch, and Zach Travis as Snoopy.
Gavin\'s brother John graduated from high school in 2009, the year Gavin graduated from Eighth Grade. The graduation party in the farm shop included a little recognition for Gavin as well, and his \"Aunt\" Barb baked a cake for him that says, \"Congrats Gavin You\'re in High School!(Is there an App for that?)\"
Max, Deb, John, Gavin, and Justin pictured in the first two rows, the final family portrait, as a family of five, pieced together in the patchwork look of the always joked about Partridge Family bus needed to travel with band instruments, enjoying each other in a similar fashion as the Brady Bunch. The boys stacked was taken at a Christmas gathering in 2004, and the family picture was taken at Gavin\'s confirmation in 2009.
A close up of the sandblasted power button.
A close up of the sandblasted volume control.
This homecoming 2012 WHS Senior Class float was an unexpected tribute and so thoughtful of Gavin\'s classmates. It caught us off guard, but we love it.
The WHS Senior Class float at the 2012 homecoming parade in Hamilton, IL.