By Sara Beth Williams–
A smartphone QR code with archived information about the tragic deaths of two children in 1964 has been placed on the Children’s Memorial in Rusch Park.

The lone stone-carved monument stands at the entrance to the playground near the softball fields at Rusch Community Park. A plaque reads: “This playground monument is dedicated to those children who have been struck by tragedy. ‘Grieve not, for they rest in heaven.'”

Recently, Tracy Ferris, who has spent nearly two years raising awareness about the unexplained death of 7-year-old Jimmy Gaul, received permission to post a QR code with historical information about the deaths of Gaul and 5-year-old Linda Huebler, who both died within weeks of each other. The QR code, embedded in a red clay heart, was placed on the corner of the Children’s Memorial on August 8, 2024.

Ferris said the purpose of the historical information in the QR code is to educate the public about the original purpose of the children’s memorial. Ferris said gathering the information and paying for the clay heart was a “community effort” of those who grew up in the same neighborhood as Gaul.

Viewers can now scan the QR code with a smartphone camera, click on a link, and gain instant access to historical information about the deaths of the two children, including photos of archived articles from the Sacramento Bee and Press-Tribune, video links to current local news reports, and links to true crime podcast episodes related to the unsolved Gaul case.

In May 1964, 7-year-old Gaul was murdered, but his killer was never caught. The story of Gaul’s murder was reported across the state, from the Chico Enterprise-Record to the Hanford Sentinel.

According to an archived article in The Press-Tribune, Huebler was accidentally struck and killed by a truck while playing in her front yard. Although her tragedy was not nearly as well known or publicized, her death, along with Gaul’s, caused the entire Citrus Heights community to come together.

After Huebler’s death, three family friends founded the Citrus Heights Children’s Memorial Fund with the goal of creating a “living memorial for the children.” The Children’s Memorial Fund was then a standing committee of the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce, operating on a volunteer basis.

In 1977, an article in the Sacramento Bee announced the dedication of the children’s memorial, which took place during the 14th annual Citrus Heights Children Memorial celebration.