KERRY SHANE SHECKLES

Born September 11, 1973, Winchester, Indiana  

Died February 4, 2005, Avon, Indiana

Palmer’s Prairie Church of Christ in rural Sullivan County, Indiana, is no longer, but the church graveyard is, a testament to the congregation that once worshipped there.  Several hundred tombstones mark the graves of former congregants, but one stands out above all the others, the unusual and unique gravestone of Kerry Shane Sheckles dubbed the “Candy Kid” by his Grandparents.

Sheckles’s gravestone, which stands over five feet tall and as wide reproduces the Monopoly gameboard, a best-selling game familiar to nearly all Americans since it was first introduced by Parker Brothers in 1935.  But instead of the traditional spaces marked by street names such as Boardwalk and Park Place, the spaces are marked with events straight out of Sheckles’s life, such as his attendance at Fairbanks Elementary or Fulton Junior High or Ben Davis High School.  The railroad spots on a traditional board are replaced by modes of transportation from his life, including a Muncie Bike, a red Hyundai Excel, or the Mack Trucks which he sold. According to Find a Grave, Sheckles was an avid and champion Monopoly player, and his gravestone is a tribute to his devotion and love of the game.

What is apparent is that he was a person adored by his family.  He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, his daughters Karley and Riley, and numerous other relatives.  What also survives is his outrageous humor and sense of fun for which is Sheckles is lovingly remembered. His gravestone is going to make all that see it smile, even if they didn’t know him, but wish we could have.