2007 Marion grads face loss

MARIA STEIN - Tragedy has visited the Marion High School Class of 2007 sending shock waves through the closely-knit community.

Jordan M. Diller, Jordan M. Moeller, Jordan Goettemoeller and Bradley Roeckner died early Saturday morning in a traffic accident near St. Sebastian. They were among 77 students who received diplomas last spring.

"We're getting through it," Marion Local Superintendent Carl Metzger told The Daily Standard this morning.

"We're getting through it," Marion Local Superintendent Carl Metzger told The Daily Standard this morning.

"Counseling will be available for those students needing assistance. Many of our students had an opportunity to grieve over the weekend with their families, but now they are coming together and sharing memories with friends."

Buses are scheduled to leave the high school at 1 p.m. today bound for calling hours for Roeckner and Goettemoeller at funeral homes in Coldwater and St. Henry, respectively. The same schedule will be in place Tuesday for Diller and Moeller at funeral homes in Minster and Coldwater, respectively.

"The families are allowing us to bring the kids over prior to the regular calling hours," Metzger says. "Classes will be in session but students, teachers and staff wishing to attend funeral services will be permitted to do so."

He said the tragedy affects everyone in the school district. Not only did the four victims, whom he described as "outstanding young men" graduate from Marion, but they have siblings still in school. Additionally, Moeller's mother June is an elementary school secretary.

Diller, Goettemoeller and Roeckner shared a house with four other area men while attending Columbus State College and all had been members of the state champion Marion Local football team. They were to take finals early this week and then come home Wednesday for spring break.

Goettemoeller, a business major, had not decided on a particular career while completing general courses. He went to dinner with his parents Friday night and reportedly was more talkative than usual.

"My son was excited about going out with his friends later that night," Tim Goettemoeller told The Daily Standard. "They were ornery but all of them were good kids and not troublemakers."

Diller, who was majoring in landscape architecture, went by the nicknames "Dirt" and "Mr. Country Boy." He helped his stepdad unload trees for the lawn before dashing inside to shower and dress for a fish fry at another friend's home.

June (Diller) Heitbrink remembers her son calling out "Mom, I'm leaving." She replied in usual fashion - "Be careful. I love you."

"That's the last thing I said to Jordan," she told the newspaper. "If I had known this would be the last time I ever talked to him again, I would have said a whole lot more. For six years it was just Jordan and I. I lost a son and a best friend at the same time."

Roeckner was studying accounting in hopes of becoming a certified public accountant. He talked of moving back to the school district at some point and becoming a full-fledged firefighter like his dad. The apple of his eye was his 1988 Cutlass - built the same year he was born.

Moeller attended Sinclair Community College in Dayton but talked frequently via e-mail with his buddies in Columbus.

"You very seldom saw one of the boys without seeing the other three," Rick Roeckner said. "They were good kids ... ornery but good."