Tragedy can strike when it is least expected, and sometimes it is what people do in the wake of a tragedy that will come to define them, their loved ones or the even the ones they have lost.

Eastern students Joe Miglio, a senior marketing major, and his sister, Jenna Miglio, a junior kinesiology and sports studies major, know this from experience.

On May 5, 2009 their cousins, Sheri Coleman, 31, Garrett Coleman, 11, and Gavin Coleman, 9, were murdered in their Columbia, Ill. home while they slept.

There is strong evidence to suggest that the person responsible is Chris Coleman, Sheri’s husband and the boys’ father.

“(Chris) has been charged with three counts of first degree murder and is currently incarcerated and awaiting trial,” Joe said.

Fundraiser

Almost 10 months later, the effort to establish a memorial for Sheri, Garrett and Gavin continues to make a slow but steady progress.

Those involved hope to erect a pavilion within a park in Columbia.

The address of the site is yet to be determined.

“We’re trying to raise money for a memorial to be erected in their honor,” Joe said. “Right now we’ve raised a little over $30,000; our goal is $300,000.”

The Miglios said even a modest contribution would be cherished.

“A donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s just a dollar,” Joe said. “We’re just trying to do this for them because they played an instrumental part in our lives.”

The Miglios, from Orland Park, said they felt so extremely close to the Coleman’s, despite the physical distance between them.

“It’s a good five hours from Orland (Park) to Columbia, so we didn’t get to see them physically as often as we would have liked,” Joe said.

Both Joe and Jenna acknowledged that Sheri Coleman always tried to keep the family close together despite the distance.

“We’re split apart a lot,” Jenna said. “We have relatives in Arizona, St. Louis and Chicago.”

The Miglios agreed that Sheri’s commitment to family made a big impression.

“It was always her dream to have a family reunion, and now, this summer, we’re going to make that a reality,” Joe said. “We’re having our first ever family reunion in her honor.”

Both Joe and Jenna are active in Greek life at Eastern.

Joe is a member of Beta Theta Pi and Jenna is a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha.

“It’s fun and cool to see his fraternity and my sorority being so generous and all of Greek life wanting to help,” Jenna said. “I’ve been contacted by several other sororities that want to put together different fundraisers and different activities on campus to get the word out, let people know what happened and hopefully raise a lot of money.”

Corey Norton, president of Beta Theta Pi, said the fraternity has, and will continue to, make every effort to help the Miglios’ cause.

“Beta (Theta Pi) as a whole has supported Joe through this since day one,” Norton said.

Norton organized a fundraiser in Weller Hall last semester called ‘Balloons for Charity,’ which raised $125 for the memorial.

In April, Beta Theta Pi will hold its second mini-golf fundraiser. All the proceeds will be split between breast cancer research and the Coleman memorial. The fraternity is currently seeking sponsors for the tournament, as well as teams of four to compete at $50 per team and $50 per sponsor.

Norton reiterated Beta Theta Pi’s commitment to a member in need.

“Joe is a great brother and has been strong through this,” Norton said, “he knows that we as Beta family will be there for him anytime for anything.”

The Miglios aren’t going it alone.

Shortly after the murders, the not-for-profit Web site Sheriandherboys.com was set up for donations.

Meegan Turnbeaugh, a close friend of Sheri’s, is leading the fundraising effort based in Columbia.

Another of Sheri’s close friends, Kathy LaPlante, spoke on Meegan’s behalf.

“Meegan Turnbeaugh has done an outstanding job with the help of the community of Columbia in raising funds for the Memorial through several fundraisers,” LaPlante said.

Others who have made significant contributions include Top Shooters, a bar and grill located in Columbia.

An organization called Biker’s Save Lives and Kevin Hutchinson, the Mayor of Columbia have also made contributions.

A silent auction will be held in Columbia on Feb. 10, and a portion of the proceeds will go toward the memorial.

Miglios’ words of advice

The Miglios offered words of advice to those who may find themselves in a troubled relationship.

If a person senses a problem with their significant other, they should get help at the first signs, Joe said.

Jenna encouraged women not to be blinded by emotion.

“Sometimes (love) fogs your vision, and you don’t see things clearly, and you don’t want to believe that your spouse or someone that you love that much could possibly physically or emotionally or verbally harm you in any way,” she said. “But the truth is that they can.”

Joe made a point to encourage everyone not to take their families for granted.

“Call your loved ones on a regular basis, talk to them, even if it’s just to say ‘Hi,'” he said. “You never know what can happen tomorrow.”

Jenna Miglio encourages others to learn from her family’s suffering.

“Don’t let your family be another story on the news,” Jenna said. “You never think it could happen to you or your family, but when it does it hits hard, and it’s something that you have to live with every single day.”

Jason Hardimon can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].