Casey Dettman

Casey L. Dettman was always full of love for his family, cousins, and best friends. He was an adventurous, intelligent young man who found enjoyment in all things from the Discovery Channel to his moped. A prankster with a great sense of humor, Casey will be remembered for his frequent laugh and his familiar smile.

The year 1988 marked a number of changes for America’s entertainment industry. Nearly every household now had at least one television, and MTV was becoming a more and more popular station. This was the first year that CDs outsold vinyl records. Seattle bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam would soon kick off the grunge music era. Casey entered this world on December 15, 1988, the second child to Dann Dettman and his wife Peggy Nehring. His birth, which occurred two weeks later than expected, was a long, hard day for Peggy, but it was also one of the happiest occasions for her and Dann.

Casey was born in Pine Hurst, North Carolina, but during the early years of his childhood, his family moved around a bit. As Casey approached his first year of school, the Dettmans settled in Rockford, Illinois. Though Casey loved preschool, he never got as much enjoyment out of real school. He thought he would love daily school, but the structure of his classes didn’t always agree with his method of learning. He was a very curious child who loved to read from the moment he learned how. He was always looking forward to the next thing. He would study a book conscientiously, and then happily move onto his next selection. However, school was also sometimes difficult for Casey because of his severe migraines.

When the Dettmans moved from Rockford to Naperville, Illinois, Casey continued to do his best learning outside of the classroom. He remained the curious boy of his earliest days, always eager for a new piece of information. He enjoyed watching the Discovery and History Channels. He would have loved school if he could have enlisted these educational channels as his teachers.

After living in Naperville for a few years, the Dettmans moved again, this time settling in Carmel, Indiana. A new student in junior high, Casey often felt that he didn’t fit in. He never got involved in team sports, because he feared that he would let someone down. But he enjoyed his role as a member in film club, and he also loved his computer and enjoyed playing his X-Box. Casey was skilled at customizing things, whether it was his room or his computer. He paid an attentive eye to e-Bay, always looking for a good deal. Casey was a bit of a mess-monger—his room was rarely tidy and he was often spacey about cleaning it up. With his friends, Casey enjoyed to hang out and play a game of poker. He loved to listen to music, and his favorite possession was his iPod, which he carried with him wherever he went. To pay off his e-Bay bills or to buy new games for his X-Box, Casey worked as a bag-boy at O’Malia’s Grocery Store.

Casey loved to open presents, and so his two favorite days out of the year were his birthday and Christmas. The Fourth of July was also a fun day, because he loved the fireworks. For a while he even wanted to move to South Dakota, the state where anyone can legally buy fireworks. Special days were all the more special when pizza was on the dinner menu. Casey once said that didn’t think he could live without his dad’s homemade pizza, a treat he always looked forward to.

Though for many adolescence is a time of conformity, Casey was always comfortable being himself. He did not spend a lot of time worrying about what other people thought of him. He was a unique boy with interests that most of his peers didn’t share. He had lots of pets, like turtles, a frog, and fish, as well as two dogs, Beasley and Vic. They were his favorites. Casey always loved his older sister Amy, but like most brothers and sisters, they fought a lot. But when they ganged up on Mom, they got along very well. Once he and Amy were on the same side, they made a very good team.

Casey loved to experience new places. Going on vacation was always very special for him, and he also loved the camping trips he and his family would make together. In general, he simply loved adventure. His face was lit with a smile whenever he was on the water or parasailing, skate-boarding, or riding his moped. He even broke the throttle on his moped while trying to go faster! Though Casey enjoyed solitary activities, his favorite place in the world was among his cousins. They spent a lot of time together, calling their group the “Cousin Club.” He was especially close to Buster. Casey would hang out with him and his friends and always feel very accepted.

From his earliest days, Casey demonstrated a great sense of humor that would follow him throughout his life. As a toddler he would skip around while improvising songs, and as he grew older you could count on him for a witty joke or a funny observation. He was always very affectionate with his family and close friends, and he often told his mom that he loved her. Casey was always very polite, the sort of boy who makes a great first impression.

Though Casey’s life was short, he accomplished so much because he was always active. He was never bored or idle, and he was always looking forward to the next thing to do. He will be greatly missed and frequently remembered by his family, friends, and cousins.

Casey died January 24, 2005. Survivors include his parents, Dann and Peggy Dettman; sister, Amy Dettman; grandparents, Lloyd and Irene Dettman of Rock Falls, IL; great grandfather, Rudolph Dettman of Sterling, IL; many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. You are invited to visit Casey’s personal webpage at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a personal memory, sign the guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to any mental health organization or suicide prevention agency.