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Dozier Burial Marks the Start of Healing for Victims

January 30th, 2019 by Jake Stofan

The bodies of five teens and two adults were returned to their graves in a cemetery known as Boot Hill at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna Wednesday.

They died in a fire more than a hundred years ago.

Survivors of the boys school, known for its abusive past, said their final farewell to their brethren.

The eight coffins were unloaded one by one, each brought in their own hearse.

Two contain former staff members at the dozier school for boys, five hold boys who attended the school and the eighth mixed remains.

All lost their lives in a fire at the school in 1914.

At the funeral, were men who attended the school years later.

Mark Engelsen, who attended Dozier from 1973 to 1974 drove all the way from Texas.

“A lot of things happened to a lot of people at this place and I’m one of them,” said Engelsen.

The remains were recovered as part of an investigation into the abuse at the school.

In total, the remains of more than 50 boys were unearthed.

The reason the seven are being buried on former school grounds is because they were originally laid to rest there.

Also nature of their death was not related to the abuse that plagued Dozier for more than 100 years.

The Florida Legislature formally apologized for the atrocities at dozier in 2018.

Charles Fudge who spent 1960 and 1961 at Dozier says the abuse both haunts and unites those who experienced it.

“We need love and kindness,” said Fudge. “Not torture.”

However, this ceremony was part of the healing process says James “Harley” DeNyke, who attended the school from 1964 to 1966.

“It helps the healing for a lot of us guys that are up there in our years now and brings peace,” said DeNyke.

More than 40 boys who’s bodies were also recovered in 2015 will be buried far away from the school grounds in a Tallahassee cemetery starting this weekend.

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