While it is members of the police and courts who bring criminals to justice, those who serve in law enforcement are not the only ones who demonstrate courage in the face of tragedy.

In fact, it is the strength and conviction of the spouses, the children and grandchildren, and others who are left to mourn a member of their family who died at the hands of criminal that serves as an example to others. From hearing from officers the news their loved one was killed to reliving the horrors afflicted upon their families through testimony in the courtroom, the survivors of crime victims demonstrate immeasurable courage, said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz.

“The strength and resilience does not come from us [in law enforcement,” Fitz said, addressing a crowd of crime survivors Wednesday. “It comes from you, the survivors, who have been victimized, who provide us with the strength and motivation to go forward with what we do.”

The families assembled inside the Cass County Law and Courts Building that afternoon for the annual flagpole ceremony as part of the 2017 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s event took place inside the halls of the courthouse due to the poor weather outside.

In spite of the change of venue, the spirit of the ceremony remained the same, as the officers with county law enforcement agencies joined survivors to remember those who lost their lives to crime. As in prior ceremonies, officials and survivors read off the names of nearly 100 victims in Cass County, placing roses on a table that served as a makeshift monument to the fallen.

The theme of this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Strength, Resilience and Justice.” The prosecutor’s office organized several events to commemorate the week, the largest of which was Wednesday’s flagpole ceremony.

While nearly everyone has experienced the pain of losing a loved one at one point in their lives, for those who lost family members due to crime — be it a stabbing, shooting, beating, choking or car crash — the pain is especially potent, Fitz said.

“That pain for you is as intense today as it was the day you first experienced it,” he said. “We can’t fully appreciate that, but we can do what we can to help support you.”

Among the names listed off during the ceremony was Dowagiac’s Laura Stineback, who was shot to death by her husband, Terry, in 2015; Edwardsburg’s Makayla McKenzie, who died after her vehicle was struck by a distracted driver in 2016; and Edwardsburg’s Robert Stasiak, whose shooting death in 1977 was recently reopened for investigation.

Also listed were Niles’ John and Carolyn Tarwacki, who were murdered in their home in 2010. Remembering the late couple Wednesday was John’s father, John Tarwacki Sr. and his wife, Carol, and Carolyn’s mother, Sharon McKnight.

The three have participated in the flagpole ceremony for the past six years, Tarwacki said. For them, not only is it a chance to ensure the memory of their children live on, but also a chance to reconnect with members of the prosecutor’s office who helped them through the difficulties of the investigation and trial of their family’s killer.

“It’s a really nice thing they do for us,” Tarwacki said about Wednesday’s ceremony. “It’s kind of bittersweet. These kinds of tragedies never go away. There is no such thing as true closure.”