Not every parent can say their son has created a mural to honor those who provided rescue efforts during the 9/11 attacks.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Ray and Jean Webster, Warsaw, are proud of their son, David Webster, who in November 2001 painted a 9/11 mural on the side of Berean Christian Book Store, Peoria, Ill.
There are artist renditions of the mural displayed at Walnut Creek Methodist Church, and the Presbyterian Church, both of Warsaw.
“I am not only proud of my son, but the men and women who paid the ultimate price and put their lives at stake during 9/11,” Ray said.
David’s mother said she is proud of the witness her son has been to the Peoria community in painting the mural. The title of the mural is “A Rescuer’s Moment.”
The mural is a remembrance of the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, but also a tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to help their fellow man in time of need.
The rural depicts a scene at Ground Zero, days after the attack on the World Trade Center.
Two firemen raise an American flag amidst the rubble, as a police officer stands at attention saluting the flag. In the foreground, an exhausted fireman buries his face in prayer.
The focal point of the mural is a welded beam in the form of a cross. David chose the John 15:13 Bible verse, “Greater love has no other than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” to put on the mural as its theme. David, 57, lives in Washington, Ill., with his wife, Betty.
David said when he was painting the mural, a woman explained that she had a family member killed at the World Trade Center and the mural brought a sense of healing to her and her family.
David said he and his wife painted a different mural for a restaurant they were part owners of in Washington, Ill. When the then-owner of Berean Bookstore saw the mural he asked David to do a Biblical-themed mural on the side of his store.
David said he completed the mural in November 2001, and it took two weeks to complete.
He had the help of his wife and artist friends Evelyn Prather, Martin Klein and Laura Phillips-Gray.
David said one day when he was painting the mural alone, he felt the presence of someone.
“I looked around and saw a gentleman watching me from 10 feet away, and I nodded to him and he said thank you so much for doing this, my nephew is buried there,” David said.
David said he had tears flowing down his face and the impact of 9/11 hit him full force.
“It was now personal in a way because I met someone who lost someone due to the tragedy, and my heart was pierced with pain for all the families who were suffering,” David said.
Besides the 9/11 mural, David also has painted murals at a business in Washington, Ill., and seven other murals. He currently is working on a mural on the store front in downtown Peoria of Peoria Awning.
Joliet Illinois Fire Department presented a framed mural rendition in 2002 of the mural to Ladder Company 8 of the New York Fire Department.
