THE family of a local young man tragically killed in a car accident have expressed their gratitude to other locals for helping maintain his roadside memorial site.
Beaudesert local Jimmy Bowie died age 17 on May 28, 2023, in a crash on Beaudesert Beenleigh Road when he was driving home from work as an apprentice chef on Tamborine Mountain.
You cannot miss the vibrant garden Jimmy’s older brother, Billy, built at the site to keep his little brother’s memory alive.
Family and friends regularly visit the garden to remember Jimmy, who was the youngest of six children. His Beaudesert High uniform is draped gently from a tree beside the garden to remember a life lost too soon.
In a recent gesture praised by people far and wide, local water deliverer Simon Martin filled the water container beside Jimmy’s garden when he noticed it was empty.
Mr Martin, in a widely shared post on a local Facebook community group, said he was happy to refill the tank for Jimmy’s garden anytime.
Jimmy’s older sister Mallora Bowie said the family continued to be blown away by the depth of humanity shown by people who did not even know her little brother.
“I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your kindness in tending to my brother Jimmy’s resting place. As his eldest sister, Mallora, I speak for our entire family when I say how much your efforts mean to us,” she wrote in response to Mr Martin’s post.
“We regularly visit Jimmy’s grave, ensuring his memory stays alive by watering and caring for his garden. Your contributions will significantly help us maintain its beauty, and we’re deeply thankful for your ongoing support.”
Ms Bowie told the Bulletin Jimmy’s memory lived on.
“People’s kind, random gestures really show how much Jimmy touched the community. Even after Billy put the garden together for Jimmy, a man put a chair there and carved a kookaburra in it as a random act of kindness,” she said.
“He’ll never be forgotten. If you hear the kookaburras, know it’s Jimmy.”
