People Crossing This Bridge Should Know The Love Story Behind It

by N/A, 9 years ago | 2 min read

When Larry Payne's wife passed away from breast cancer, he commemorated her in an unusual way.

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Meet Larry and Pat Payne.

They were married for over 50 years, raised a family, and lived happy lives together in Bushnell, Illinois.

Recently, Larry and a few of his good pals built this covered bridge. You may be wondering why the roof is pink. Let's back up a bit.

The bridge crosses a small creek that separates two sides of Bushnell cemetery.

After a difficult battle with breast cancer, Pat passed away. Larry and his pals built the bridge to commemorate Pat.

Until the end, they were deeply in love with one another.

The bridge has been affectionately nicknamed "Payne's Crossing" and serves as a totem to undying love.

Larry's daughter is incredibly proud of her father for building the bridge, and she knows he put every bit of his "heart and soul" into building the memorial, continuing on to say "it's an awesome tribute to my mom and everyone else that's lost their fight to cancer." I wholeheartedly agree.

People unfamiliar with the story have noted that pink is a strange color for the roof of the bridge.

The pink roof is meant to symbolize the struggle of those affected by breast cancer–both the victims and their loved ones. It's a perfect way to remember Pat's struggle and the love she and Larry shared.

"You know, she's smiling, I know she's smiling. And she had one of the prettiest smiles," said Larry, when commenting on what he believes his wife thinks about the bridge.

No doubt there, Larry.

The base of the bridge is made of the 40-foot bed of a semitrailer, and the bridge's structure is made from natural oak. It's a beautiful memorial for a beautiful relationship.

It will help the love the two shared for years to come, and it will also help people reach their loved ones across the creek. It is both a symbol of love and a literal means of conveyance for revisiting loved ones.

See the full story here.