TREMONTON, Utah — A local carpenter is using his art to honor heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty.
At the funerals of Tremonton-Garland Police Sgt Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada, wooden badges will sit next to their caskets, thanks to Nate Eye with 710 Custom Woodwork.
For almost 10 years now, Eye has been making badges for fallen officers.
"When I see it in the news, I know what my job is.” Even if it’s a job that breaks his heart. "Sometimes the call is, he's not going to make it, and then I wake up early, and start the process. It takes a lot of work, to show up to these funerals and have them ready,” explained Eye.
It was no different when he heard about two police officers who were killed when responding to a domestic violence call in Tremonton on August 17.
"Sometimes, you’ll do these, and it’s a lot, it takes a toll on you. The families, meeting with the widows, seeing the children,” said Eye. "The badges is for people who really need it,” said 9-year-old Amelia Eye. “And my dad teaches me to spread kindness, and I know I should pass it on."
As tough as the work is, Eye said he does it for his daughter. He wants to show her what it means to show up for people on their hardest days.
"The best way to teach kindness to her is to show it and lead by example,” said Eye. “So everything I do, I do it for my daughter."
So, this art is more than just a piece of wood, but a love letter from a dad to his daughter.
"When we do things like this, these angels, they stay around my daughter,” said Eye. “I see it and I feel it. It’s important to me that she has angels around her.”
