We Remember Dan

Dan Zamlen

Today is Daniel Zamlen's birthday.

Dan was born on April 8, 1990 and disappeared on April 5, 2009 while walking back to his residence after a party on the St. Thomas University campus.

When his old friends from high school and other friends and neighbors from his hometown of Eveleth, Minn. heard he was missing, they arrived by the busload--after a five hour drive--to join other searchers from the Iron Range, St. Paul, and the university. More than 400 people turned out to help. This is because Dan had touched the lives and hearts of many, many people. He was a special young man.

"He was just a good guy...a stand up guy, like the kinda guy you wish everybody was," friend Greg Scharine told Joe Henke of ABC News.

Dan was found May 1, 2009 in St. Paul.

Reading about Dan's life reminds me of the popular children's book, "On the Night You Were Born," in which author Nancy Tillman writes,

"On the night you were born,

the moon smiled with such wonder

that the stars peeked in to see you

and the night wind whispered,

'Life will never be the same.'

Because there had never been anyone like you...

ever in the world."

All of us are in a better place for having had Dan Zamlen here, if even for a brief while.

Today we celebrate Dan's life and the kind of guy he was.

Dan had a kind, gentle manner and enjoyed participating in activities that he felt could make a difference for others. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of Resurrection Catholic Church, where he was an altar server and catechism teacher. In 2004, at the age of 14, he became a devoted DFL campaigner. The following year, he traveled to Biloxi, Miss. with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He was a student representative for the school board and a peer mediator. He also joined the student leadership organization Iron Range Youth in Action (IRYA), where he was a writer and lead editor of its newspaper, Generation W, the largest youth-run newspaper in Minnesota.

He had a lifelong love of learning and a thirst for knowledge in all areas. He was a World War II history buff, an accomplished pianist and orchestra and band member, and an excellent athlete, having lettered in three sports--cross country, track, and Nordic skiing. When he started college, he already had enough college credits to begin as a sophomore, and once there, he continued to participate in organizations and activities and excel. He was a member of the National Collegiate Scholars, a Tommie Ambassador, and he was awarded six college scholarships and at least four awards.

Dan immersed himself wholeheartedly in everything he did.

Every time Dan took on a new challenge, he did so with the idea that there was always more to learn, always more ways to grow. It is little wonder why Dan's favorite holiday was Easter, a time of year to appreciate new life, new beginnings and the joy of new possibilities.

This spirit is alive in each one of us. The gift Dan gave us is that we can always have a new idea or learn a new way of doing things, appreciating life and all it has to offer. Nothing is ever the end, only the beginning of something new.

Happy birthday, Dan. We miss your smile, but we thank you--wholeheartedly--for touching our lives.

Footprints 10-year anniversary

February 27, 2003--the day that Chris Jenkins was found--was the ending of a four-month long search for a beloved son and the beginning of a battle for answers. It marked the day that Jan and Steve Jenkins had to begin asking the sort of questions that no parent should ever have to utter. It was also the day that the public began to question how we could better protect young adults.

Jan and Steve Jenkins
at press conference in 2006
(Credit: Minnesota Public Radio)

Chris's story and the tenacity of his parents, sparked an outcry in La Crosse, Wisc., national media coverage and a book and international speaking campaign on safety by Jan. This is but one part of the Jenkins family legacy; this remarkable family has touched thousands of lives, including mine.

Chris's story marked my own call to action to help the missing and the beginning of the Footprints site in 2003. In the months that followed, I began to pick up on some of the challenges that face families in the search for a missing young adult, particularly if he happens to be male. This site was one small way to help.

I want to thank all of my readers for sticking with me for the last 10 years. You are such a caring, loyal bunch. Many of you have been here since the beginning--the early days when I was teaching myself code to make the site more user friendly, and when I was simply amazed to receive a few comments. You helped spread the word.

For those new to the site, thank you for signing up, for getting involved and showing people you care. I think you'll like it here. Over the years, heartbreak and frustration has been met with compassionate thoughts, kind and encouraging words, or even advice, not only to me, but amongst yourselves. We truly are a great community, and we care.

I am eager to see how the site evolves and, together, I hope we can continue to raise awareness and enact some real change.

Thank you all!