WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Jennifer Schoffstall had no idea that Indiana legislators were taking steps to honor her late husband, John Schoffstall, with a resolution.
She said she discovered it while scrolling on Facebook.
“I was very humbled. I was shocked. I was surprised. I was honored,” She explained. “I immediately friended Senator Ford on Facebook and sent him a message to let him know how appreciative my family and I were of what he’s doing to keep John’s memory alive.”
Schoffstall said she’s proud of the impact John had on the community and it means a lot to her family for him to be remembered in this way.
“For the community to keep John’s memory alive and honoring him means he accomplished what he wanted to do with his life and that was to serve others,” she continued.
Indiana State Sen. Jon Ford wrote the resolution after speaking with other Terre Haute firemen who wanted find a way to honor the fallen firefighter.
“It’s a great honor in the senate to do this. We don’t do this often and when we do it’s very inspiring to see people take the time out to honor someone they’ve never met,” Sen. Ford noted. “But they understand what they’ve done and the importance of what they’ve done.”
He said he wants the Schoffstall family to know they appreciate John’s dedication to public service.
“I don’t think anything we do can replace their loss but I hope this will let them know that we’re thinking of him and his sacrifice and his family’s sacrifice,” he said. “I also hope that in general this will bring more attention to this covid-19 health epidemic that we’re in. We all need to be careful because it can touch many people in our lives.”
The resolution passed in the state senate and is expected to pass in the house. After it receives signatures in both chambers, the Schoffstall family will receive a physical copy from Indiana legislators.
