Snow sculpture pays tribute to Yorkton father

A Yorkton woman isn’t alone as she grieves the loss of her husband thanks to a massive snow sculpture on her front lawn made in his memory.

“My husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last October – October 2014,” Shelly Puckett explained. “And he had a year of chemo and radiation and treatments. And he passed away on Dec. 10, 2015.”

Losing Jason so close to Christmas was difficult for Shelly and their two young children. A few days after they returned to Yorkton following his funeral, family friends showed up at the Puckett’s home with a request.

Stan and Tricia Reed have always built a snow sculpture in their own yard in Yorkton.

“They just asked if they could build it for us this year in tribute to Jason,” Shelly said.

The Reeds didn’t tell Shelly and her children what the sculpture would be. They transformed the snow on the Puckett’s lawn into a 12-foot-high fish being held up with waves – a tribute to Jason’s love of fishing.

“I just thought it was perfect,” Shelly said. “Especially for our two families because that’s what, as families, we did a lot together.”

Shelly said as the sculpting began, warmth and healing was brought to Jason’s family and friends trying to cope with their loss. The sculpture has also brought hundreds of people by the Puckett’s home to see the creation.

“Over the Christmas holidays was a difficult time to lose somebody but it’s also a festive time. And it felt like the perfect time for it to erupt on our lawn because it brought a smile to a lot of people, whether they knew the story or not.”