Bellwood Garden Keeper Tends 70 Memorials for Lost Children

Phyllis Duncan works six days a week, six months a year, in a small plot beside the Illinois Prairie Path in Bellwood. She maintains the Moms Memorial Garden, a space dedicated to the children of parents who have lost their lives to gun violence, reckless homicide, and suicide. The garden sits west of Chicago, serving the near west suburbs and the city's West Side.

The site features more than 70 paver stones, each engraved with a name. These markers represent young men and women who died before reaching full adulthood. Among them is Marty Burtin Jr., who was shot 19 times. His mother, Teresa Burtin, states that ten years later, she has not begun to grieve. She describes the process as an ongoing struggle to accept the loss of her only son.

Duncan established the garden 18 years ago after lobbying the village to set aside the land. The name honors her support group, Mothers of Murdered Sons and Slain Daughters. She lost her son Dodavah 21 years ago in a drive-by shooting. She notes that the last time she saw him was on Mother's Day. The garden functions as a place of refuge where mothers can sit, reminisce, and process their loss.

Other parents, such as Tiffany Swygert and George Fox, find the space essential for their grief. Their son Jason died two years ago after leaving a work party. Swygert describes the loss as a disruption to normal life, a sentiment Duncan echoes. Duncan observes that the community is at a point where such tragedies seem to be becoming the norm. She acknowledges the raw emotion of the families who visit, noting that she understands their shaking bodies and tears.

The garden serves as a physical anchor for these families. Fox credits Duncan with providing a genuine, motherly love that cannot be purchased. Burtin similarly expresses deep affection for the garden keeper. Duncan recently hosted a community day of remembrance in Bellwood. Family members brought photos of their loved ones and gathered at the site to honor the deceased. The event reinforced the garden's role as a communal space for mourning and memory.

Duncan’s routine involves seasonal planting and care for the flowers that grow around the stones. She views the work as a way to grow in her own grief while helping others navigate theirs. The garden remains a quiet, dedicated space in Bellwood, maintained by the woman who lost her own son to the same violence that claimed the others.