A new public splash pad in memory of Owen Abbott is making its way to Winamac this spring.

Owen was a Winamac Community Middle School student, killed in a truck / school bus accident December 5, 2018, at a railroad crossing near Argos on U.S. 31. 

It's being donated by Owen's mother and step-father, Britni and Nick Fritz, Britni says, the 70-by-50-foot splash pad is their way of giving back to the community that supported them after the tragic accident. 

Two years may have passed, but that fateful December day is something that will be imprinted in Britni's memory forever. 

Coping with grief and everyday life since the accident has been a struggle, but keeping Owen's name alive pushes her through the hard times. 

The Splash Pad isn't the first or last memorial in Owen Abbott's name. 

They hope to have the Owen Abbott Memorial Splash Pad up by May. It's set to be located along the Winamac Parkway, west of Logan Street, between Adams and Jefferson streets, previously the location of an old grain elevator. The Town of Winamac is looking to provide restrooms, benches, sidewalks, parking spaces, and landscaping.