Atlanta Daily World

Pack Small Church Of Drowning Victim

BY SAMUEL L. ADAMS

Young children sobbed softly and older mourners wept in more audible tones Saturday afternoon as hundreds packed small St. John AME Church for the funeral of Wilbert Ricks, this summer's first drowning victim in an Atlanta public swimming pool.

The 11-year-old youth was pulled from the Pittman Park pool Monday after a mystery-shrouded drowning. No one knew how long he had been there or saw him come to the top of the water. His head and elbow were bruised.

FIFTH GRADE PUPIL

It was the last rites for a Crogman Elementary School pupil who had shown great potential as an artist, a youth who had garnered both the love and respect of his fifth-grade classmates and friends.

This was the final service for a boy who two days before his death recruited another youth for Sunday School -- a juvenile whose life was snuffed out before he reached maturity.

A choir of pre-teenage children from the deceased's church and his fifth grade class from Crogman School rendered musical tributes and his classmate, George Prather, 11, and his Sunday School co-worker, Mary Franklin, 11 voiced the sentiments of their respective groups and the community loss Rick's death causes.

Strains of hope and faith in the sustenance of God rang forth in the music chosen for the service: "Jesus Shall Reign:" "Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past:" "Sweet Hour Of Prayer:" "My Hope is Built:" and "Be Still, My Soul."

Flowers bedecked the church altar and funeral bier, and the one-hour service proceeded as scheduled, at 2:30 p. m., with the pastor, Rev. H. A. Davis, officiating.

The small church, located on a hill on Coleman Street near University Avenue in Pittsburgh afforded little standing room as hundreds stood in ante-rooms, aisles, doorways and outside.

Little Miss Franklin described Wilbert as having been an active member of the Sunday School and church: and his classmate, Prather, said young Ricks was interested in others and very good in Art.

Rev. Davis recalled that Wilbert had brought his cousin to Sunday School and church the Sunday before he was drowned. He said "Wilbert is sort of like Jeter Peter brought his brother Andrew to Christ, and Wilbert (the deceased boy) brought his cousin."

While admitting that "death is a painful and agonizing separation," he uttered words of comfort - Let not your hearts be troubled "We have loss a lovely child," the minister said.

The interment was held at South View Cemetery.