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Parents of Slain Children Share Memories At Newtown Funerals

This photo provided by the family shows Jessica Rekos. Rekos, 6, who was killed Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Conn.,
AP
This photo provided by the family shows Jessica Rekos. Rekos, 6, who was killed Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Conn.,

Two more funerals were held in Newtown, Conn., Tuesday, for first-graders James Mattioli and Jessica Rekos. The two children were killed in the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week.

The Connecticut Post reports that James, 6, was born four weeks early — and that "his family would quip that it was because he was hungry."

When he and his family went for dinner at Subway, they recalled, James would order a ham sandwich. But he would always ask when he would be old enough to order a "foot-long."

The Post also reports that James played baseball and basketball, and he enjoyed swimming and arm-wrestling. And sometimes, "he would sing at the top of his lungs and ask when he would be old enough to sing on stage."

As James' funeral was coming to a close, mourners gathered for the funeral of Jessica, 6, held at the same church, St. Rose of Lima.

Jessica was fond of horses — so much so that, according to CBS New York, she had asked Santa for cowgirl boots and a hat.

Her mother, Krista Rekos, spoke about her daughter, saying, "I always felt just so lucky to be your mom."

James and Jessica were two of the 20 children and six adults killed at Sandy Hook on Friday. Their memorial services were some of the first funerals to be held at St. Rose of Lima, where more services are expected in the coming days.

Wednesday morning, the funeral of teacher Victoria Leigh Soto is slated to be held at 10 a.m. at Lordship Community Church in Stratford.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Padmananda Rama
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