Elijah Wolfenbarger

There are times in life where there are no explanations for the tragedies that surround us and when a young life full of so much promise is cut short, the questions that echo within the depths of our souls are deafening. Although young Carlos Elijah James Wolfenbarger was the heartbeat of so many lives around him, we are reminded that death has no sting for those who believe in Christ and if there is one thing we know for certain, it is that we will see our precious Elijah again. No matter where he was people were drawn to Elijah as he was so easygoing and always so much fun to be around. A true gift given to us for such a short time, Elijah will be deeply missed while his memory remains forever near and dear to the hearts of all who knew and loved this special boy. During a year in which the 300 millionth United States resident was born, Carlos Elijah James Wolfenbarger drew his first breath. We remember this year as the year when our country was fixated on the bird flu, MySpace was a household name, and Nintendo released their much anticipated Wii. There was nothing that occurred in 2006 that was of greater importance to Elijahs mother, Contessa Ramos, than the birth of her newborn son on August 12th in Denver, Colorado. His mother was living in Colorado with her family while her father, Carlos, was attending school to become a pastor. During the first year of his life Elijah and his mother traveled quite a bit including back to Muskegon where Contessa was originally from when he was just 22 days old. They also moved to Florida for a short time but his grandparents, Carlos and Yvonne, later brought him back home to Muskegon where he was soon joined by his mother. From the time he was born Elijah delighted everyone around him, and he was the light of the lives of his mother and her family. He showed great promise even as an infant and toddler as he not only advanced through the typical milestones quickly, but he was also as smart as a whip. It comes as no surprise that Elijah learned to ride a bicycle with training wheels all by himself when he was just two years old and that by the time he was three, he was riding a two wheeler without the training wheels by himself, too. Elijah was a regular attendee at the First Free Methodist Church where his Grandfather Carlos is the pastor. He was also a favorite of the Sunday school teachers there. Even at such a young age Elijah could work the computer and was a whiz at computer games, and he could also handle his mothers camera and cell phone with ease. When Elijah was two years old his mother started seeing a young man by the name of Shawn Hysell. It wasnt long before they were all living together and Elijah had a father for the very first time. They eventually settled into a home on Evanston Avenue in Egelston Township and had some property where Elijah loved to play. He learned to play golf in the backyard just like his mother and father, and it quickly became a favorite activity. He also spent a lot of time at his grandparents house, always announcing, Im home, when he walked in the door. Elijah loved the family bike rides they frequently took on the Muskegon bike path near their home and when they went out for dinner, one of his favorite places was Bob Evans or The Big Red Place as Elijah called it. There were so many things Elijah loved to do. He had so much fun as a member of a bowling league at Northway Lanes where he already mastered the sport enough to be able to bowl well without using the bumpers. Elijah was a student of life and also of those around him as he simply liked to talk to people wherever he went. He was always eager to learn new things and wanted to know why things were the way they were and how things worked as well. No matter where he was Elijah spread his special sunshine to those around him as people seemed to gravitate toward him whether he was at church or at the play area in the mall. This past school year Elijah finished the Head Start program through Oakridge Schools and was looking so forward to beginning kindergarten this fall. A motivated learner, he was so proud of the fact that he could already recite the alphabet like he had been doing it all his life. It is amazing to see that in the short time he was here, Carlos Elijah James Wolfenbarger made such a profound impact in the world around him. He was vibrant and lively and full of so much promise with what would seem to be decades left in which to create his lifes song, but this was not to be as God had other plans for him. We will remember Elijah for his inquisitive mind coupled with his insatiable thirst for learning more about the world around him each and every day. It was easy to see that he was wise beyond his years and that he loved those around him with a deep and meaningful love that will uphold his friends and loved ones during this time of great sorrow. Elijah will be forever cherished by those too numerous to count. Carlos Elijah James Wolfenbarger died on Friday, July 1, 2011. Elijahs family include his parents, Contessa Ramos & Shawn Hysell; sister Leticia Ramos; grandparents, Carlos & Yvonne Ramos; great-grandmother Elisa Ramos; great-grandfather, Jose Ramos; aunt, Danika Dillon; uncles, Jose Ramos, Carlos Ramos Jr.; and special friend, Chalio. A service will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at Lakes Community Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Tom Parks officiating. Visit with Elijahs family and friends on Thursday, one hour prior to the service at Lakes Community Church of the Nazarene. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book. Memorial donations may be directed to the family.