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Manning Family Pays Homage to a Lost Gift from Heaven
Sojourner’s Truth Staff
About 30 family members
and friends of Cethus Jerome “Jay” Manning II gathered on
Tuesday August 8 at the Historic Woodlawn Cemetery to
celebrate the 20th birthday of a young man who
would have been with them had he not been gunned down by
persons unknown last February 21.
“It’s not easy losing a
gift from heaven,” said CJ Manning, Jay’s father, as he
opened the afternoon dedication ceremony. “There is so much
trouble in the world – we as adults have to lead the next
generation into something positive … no parent should have
to go through what we have gone through. I miss him every
day.”
“This would have been
Jay’s 20th birthday,” added Glenda Ellis-Manning,
his mother. “We implore anybody, with any information,
please call Crimestoppers … he was a good son – he was just
becoming a man, but he didn’t get a chance.”
After the remarks,
balloons were passed out to the attendees so that they could
write messages to Jay and release the balloons together.
Jay Manning was a 2016
graduate of Rogers High School and was a track star during
his time there. He worked for Fed Ex and was also attending
Penta Career Center under an apprenticeship program for
welding. He loved to work on cars, welding crafts and was
considered the “Playstation King.”
Jay was an affiliate of
several different committees. He was an officer of the
Wardrobe Committee at Calvary Baptist Church; a member of
the Youth Advisory Committee at Calvary; on the Advisory
Committee for Robinson Elementary.
Jay was shot in the early
morning hours of February 21 as he sat inside a car in the
100 block of Everett Street. There are no leads in the case
according to the Toledo Police Department.
The family has opened a
GoFundMe account to raise money for the case. If anyone has
information regarding the fatal incident, the Crimestoppers
number of 419-255-1111 can be called anonymously.
Sister LaToyia Redman |
