What began as a simple desire to clear overgrown vegetation turned into a full restoration and a poignant memorial at the nearly 50-year-old Craig Doster Footbridge in the Vermillion Hills neighborhood in Falls Township.
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The project was spearheaded by Manor Elementary School music teacher Marta Grothman and culminated in a ceremony last Thursday evening.
A large crowd gathered to honor the lives of Craig Doster, and more recently, Kera Gordon and her mother, Karen Murphy-Gordon.
Grothman initially hoped to remove brush from around the footbridge, which was installed in 1976 to honor Craig Doster, a 23-year-old who died after battling cancer.
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Grothman, who grew up in Vermillion Hills, recalled Doster, an all-star athlete 12 years her senior, zooming by on a unicycle.
Her vision expanded significantly with the support of numerous community figures and organizations. Pennsbury School District officials, Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith, teachers, and the PTO joined forces with Falls Township Supervisors Chairperson Erin Mullen, Falls Township Public Works Department officials, Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito, Parks and Recreation Director Brian Andrews, Falls Township police Chief Nelson Whitney and Lt. Chris Clark.
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The bridge and area around it includes a newly installed flower garden, a new sign for the footbridge, and a memorial bench.
The memorial bench honors Kera Gordon, 13, and her mother, Karen Murphy-Gordon, who were murdered in March 2024. The two lived down the street from the bridge and Kera attended Manor Elementary School.
Family members and friends of Craig Doster, of the Gordons gathered to honor their memories and unveil the new sign and bench.
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Among those present was Andre Gordon Sr., husband of Karen and father of Kera, along with his surviving teenage daughter and other family members.
The ceremony came just a week after Andre Gordon Jr. received three consecutive life sentences for the murders of Karen and Kera and Taylor Daniel, his girlfriend and the mother of his two children.
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Grothman led students in singing songs during the ceremony, while speakers shared memories of Craig, Kera, and Karen.
Andre Gordon Sr. thanked the community for their support and for coming to mark the occasion.
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As one Pennsbury teacher stated during the ceremony, those commemorated by the bridge “touched our lives forever.”
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