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On April 14, 1971, Patrick, age 11, wrote a note and stuffed it in a bottle. He
released the bottle in the river. And probably never gave it another thought.
It's something almost any boy might do. But what makes this story amazing is the
fact that the bottle survived for 25 years-Intact! And that it was returned to Patrick's
parents, just like he asked in his note.
When Patrick Brost, son of Myrna and Vernon Brost, died in 1979, he never knew that
the message he placed in the bottle years earlier would mean so much to the family he left
behind.
An interview with the Vernon and Myrna Brost Family, Medford, Wisconsin
This particular location on the river was familiar to Patrick. It was behind his
grandmother's house and a favorite spot for all seasons. It was here he fished with his
friends. And explored the river with his brothers and sisters.
Pat was the second of the Brost's eight children. They talk about him and reminisce
about him as though he is still coming in and out of the door. That's what has kept him so
special in their hearts.
I could feel the joy that Pat's parents felt. And how amazed they were about this
wonderful event that happened to them. Nearly 24 years have passed since Patrick wrote
this message on a fine spring morning. But it brought back the feelings of yesterday. In
mid May, this year the bottle was retrieved by Bradley Kmosena of Medford. Bradley's
parents, Dave and Karen Kmosena, contacted the Brosts. The message dated April 14, 1971,
asked the person who found the bottle to let him know where it was found, the date it was
found, and the name of the finder. Pat listed his address so the "finder" knew
how to contact him. At the bottom, he wrote: "Thank you for your kindness." The
bottle was found about 2 weeks before Patrick's birth date of May. 22. He would have been
36 years old.
Gary (my husband) and I couldn't wait to visit with the Brosts when we heard about this
story. On a warm summer evening, we sat on the patio with Pat's parent, Myrna and Vernon,
and their daughter Kathy Messman. Her is their heart-warming story.
Tell us about Patrick. What was he like?
"He was different than the others (sibling)," his mother said. "He was
shy and quiet in school. He was sharp in car mechanics. His dad was a mechanic too. He was
a good car-fixer." They described him as well-liked in school and a joy to be around.
"He was a good kid!"
"Patrick often played near the river with his cousins. They had Tonka trucks they
would race in a big oval. They'd paint rocks and use those for trophies. During the
summer, the kids were there (by the river) everyday."
"Pat's younger brother, David, was his shadow. They used to watch Scooby Doo
(cartoon) all the time. And we called his brother Scoob. Pat didn't like the name Patrick.
We asked him once what he would like us to call him. He said 'Bob.' So we called Pat
'Bob'. He had two friends with the name Bob and we called them the 3 Bobs. Scoob is a lot
like Pat."
"All the kids were close. Patrick's youngest brother and sister, Dennis and Jenny,
are twins. They didn't get to know him much. They only remember him from the funeral. But
they do remember that Pat and his girlfriend would take them for ice cream. The other
memories are ones we've told them about. Jenny and Dennis were 6 years old at the time.
For the 20 years Pat was here, he was a great kid."
We're anxious to hear your story. Tell us what happened.
"Bradley Kmosena (a resident of Medford) was fishing on the river. When he was
walking along the other side, he saw a bottle lying on the bank. He picked it up and saw a
letter rolled up inside. He couldn't get the top off the bottle. It was a screw top,
aluminum and rusted shut. So he broke the bottle," Kathy said.
Myrna showed me the thick piece from the green bottle that she has. It looked like a
large quart bottle from soda pop.
"The bottle had washed up on the bank. Bradley said the bottle wasn't there the
year before." Myrna told us. "It's an area that floods often in the spring.
Bradley didn't think it was any big deal, at the time. Bradley took the message home and
showed his parents. His parents recognized the Brost name. They knew another brother (of
Pat's), Mike. Bradley's father called Mike and told him about the bottle. Then he took it
over to Mike where he works."
"The message was rolled up with a rubber band around it. The band broke. It just
disintegrated. But the note was bone-dry in that bottle. Mike brought the note to
us."
I looked at the note that Pat's mother has in a frame. Next to the note was a picture
of a bright-eyed, eleven-year-old boy. Pieces of the note had fallen away. But the
scrawled date and the message itself were well preserved despite the number of years.
"We are glad the date is on it. I'm so pleased that he (Bradley) didn't just throw
it away. He could have. We talked about it later and said the bottle could have been in
the Mississippi River by now. The Little Black River joins the Mississippi in the southern
part of the state. The bottle traveled about 20-25 'river' miles downstream."
" We never had a clue that Patrick put the note in a bottle. Even if we did, we
would never have expected to find it after 24 years. We went to that spot near the river.
Bradley showed us where he found the bottle and where he broke the bottle open to get the
note. It felt good to be there."
How did you feel when you heard about the bottle and the message?
"Oh!," Myrna sighed, " I can't actually tell you. It was just such a . .
.we laughed! We cried. It was such mixed emotions. At first it didn't seem like a big
deal. The Medford Star News printed a short write-up about it. And people started calling
us. Kathy also contacted Channel 7 TV who aired the story."
"People asked me: 'Do you believe in guardian angels?' And I said, 'I sure do! I
really do!' (pause) It's like a message from the past. The bottle was found not too far
from his best friend's house."
What kind of message did you think this was? Does it have
special meaning for you?
"Like Kathy said, he's here and he's still watching over us. It's a good omen, we
thought. It's like he is telling us he's still around. Yes, it's a comforting
feeling."
"You know how hopeless and lost you feel when someone dies. To just all of a
sudden have something like this happen. . .It's like he's here! It's been 16 years . . .
16 years (since pat died). But nothing's changed. You feel the same."
That brings up something I wanted to ask you. Time goes quickly. How has your grief
changed over the years?
"It get easier, but not better. You learn to handle it better."
"It helps to talk about him," Kathy said. " We talk about him all the
time. We include him like he's still alive. That helps a lot."
When we left the Brost family that evening, our hearts were a little lighter too. Their
joy was contagious. Listening to them tell their story, we sensed their pride and love for
Patrick. Myrna and I hugged and shared an unspoken thought from one mother to another who
had lost their sons. Life was too short for our sons. But we are blessed by the time we
had with them.
Life is unpredictable . . . and so is the river.
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