Patrolman William Stanley Meadows

In June of 1964 I had just finished my junior year at WTSU but I still needed to take a summer course to stay on schedule to graduate in 1965. The dorms were closed for the summer and I needed a place to live. As luck would have it my good friend Todd W. called me with an offer. He was working for a funeral home in the heart of downtown Amarillo and as part of his employment was required to live on premise. The company needed someone to always be present during non-business hours in case a family or loved ones needed to view a body. He couldn’t literally always be there so he needed a roommate to share the responsibility. It was a free room for the duration of the summer so I jumped at the chance.
In the hours after midnight of June 8th, we were awakened with a lot of loud noises. There were doors opening and closing loudly, rolling gurneys, heavy footsteps and loud voices. It went on for a couple of hours or more before all was finally quiet. We had to pass through the embalming room to access the shower and toilet. That morning on my way to take a shower I encountered a gruesome sight. There were two bodies side by side on gurneys with wounds that suggested violent deaths. One was a mature man, older than me but still a young man, the other was younger than me by several years. Of course Todd and I rather quickly learned the details of their deaths.
What I encountered that morning has never dimmed in my memory and I seldom speak of it, mainly out of respect for the two deceased, but also because I’ve always had a nagging doubt as to whether I should have been allowed to see it in the first place, and not least, it’s a bit of a mood killer. It all happened 55 years ago. I’ll soon be 76 and I find myself being more and more philosophical. I think of the scene I encountered that morning as an interesting juxtaposition. Symbolic in the sense that hours earlier they were mortal combatants and now the two lay next to one another with none of life’s accouterments, only themselves and their deeds, awaiting God’s judgment. I find it easy to believe that Officer Meadows quickly entered into the Kingdom of Heaven, but I always wonder just how harshly God chose to judge that troubled young teenager.
I hope my account of these events has not reopened any old wounds, and I sincerely hope that the passage of time has brought solace to all.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kennith Stevens

Kennith W. Stevens
Student at the time

June 22, 2019