Community gathers to honor the life of Blake Unger

Members of the New York Mills baseball team received balloons that were later released on the field with Blake Unger’s #24 number on it prior to the start of Thursday’s baseball game.

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

Blake Unger’s classmates created memorial crosses and a tribute heart at the location of the accident on Wednesday afternoon.

Within 12 hours of his death, the New York Mills and Bluffton communities heard the news that one of their own, recent high school graduate Blake Unger, was gone. As families, friends, and neighbors read about the circumstances surrounding his passing and shared the bad news with those around them, the grieving community united in support around mourning the loss of their son, brother and friend.

The NY Mills School Superintendent, Adam Johnson, shared a post on the school’s Facebook page shortly before the news broke. Without naming Unger, he shared that a recently graduated senior had been killed in a motor vehicle accident.

“This is a devastating time for our entire community,” wrote Johnson. “Counselors will be available on campus today and for the rest of this week to support any students who may need help processing this news. Please join me as we keep the student’s family and friends in our thoughts.”

While Wednesday was the final day of school for most students, between the shop classroom and fellow students’ garages, a group of Unger’s friends and classmates created several crosses to adorn the side of the road where he passed away. A large laser-cut metal heart with Unger’s name, birth and death dates was made at the school and installed on the ditch bank.

Other memorial tributes includes a cross with messages written by friends and classmates, several baseball bats, a football with his number 62 painted on it, a wrestling jersey and his homecoming crown from last fall sits together with bouquets of flowers along 370th Street in rural Bluffton.

A fellow NY Mills alumnus, John Ronning, set up a GoFundMe page in memory of Blake to help cover funeral costs for his family. The original goal was set for $10,000. It was surpassed in less than five hours. Extended to a $20,000 goal, it had been exceeded in 24 hours with over 300 donations.

Unger was a passionate member of the NY Mills Eagles wrestling, football and baseball team and had finished what would be his last game of baseball just hours before his sudden death. The rest of the Eagles baseball team wasn’t sure if they could carry on with Thursday’s game after the news of their fallen teammate. With a feeling that Unger would have wanted them to play anyway, the team decided they would play that night.

Countless members of the NY Mills community attended Thursday night’s game to join Unger’s family, friends, teammates, classmates and others who had been touched by his life and his story. In the first inning the Eagles scored two runs and then four more in the second inning, so for a brief period of time, the scoreboard showed 24—Unger’s number on the team.

Another tribute shared by the school early Thursday afternoon was a visual tribute for Blake called #BatsOutForBlake. The Facebook post asked community members to place a bat on their porch, window sill, near the baseball field, or wherever and to share the photo with that same hashtag on social media. Within a few hours, photos of baseball bats sitting in front of people’s doorways, yards, ball fields, businesses, and the school flooded Facebook. 

Finn Creek Museum also dedicated their Friday afternoon chapel service in memory of Unger and lit a candle in his honor.

Unger’s funeral is being held today, Wednesday, June 4 at 1 p.m. at the New York Mills School with visitation prior to the service.