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“Nathaniel was the greatest gift Our Lord could have given me. I told him that when he was alive. Now, there’s an added extra blessing.”
Mariana (Mari) Kuhlman reflected on her husband as she sat between her in-laws, Heather and Gordon Kuhlman, in their Oldsmar, Florida, home to share their poignant story with the Register on a video call.
There was a natural easiness between them and, despite their deep, deep loss, a gentle joy and unwavering faith in God.
It was Nathaniel (Nate) Kuhlman — Gordon and Heather’s only child — who brought them together as a family. He and Mariana met at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, in October 2021 and were married on Oct. 28, 2023. Tragically, on the first morning of their honeymoon on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Nate, 23, died in a water-skiing accident, a mere three days after their wedding.
Their last-minute splurge for a video captured their fairy-tale wedding day, and the newlyweds could never have imagined how brief their earthly marriage would be. However, the fruits of their brief sacramental union echo through eternity: Mariana, 22, is joyfully expecting their baby. Her due date is July 17.
“Happy birthday, my angel,” Mariana wrote on Instagram Jan. 14. “Clearly, God had a plan bigger than anything we could have ever imagined. He answered our prayers, and prayers of those around the world, just in a different way than we had expected, but still the GIFT OF LIFE, the miracle we are so overjoyed to finally share with you all.”
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
Mariana (Mari) Kuhlman reflected on her husband as she sat between her in-laws, Heather and Gordon Kuhlman, in their Oldsmar, Florida, home to share their poignant story with the Register on a video call.
There was a natural easiness between them and, despite their deep, deep loss, a gentle joy and unwavering faith in God.
It was Nathaniel (Nate) Kuhlman — Gordon and Heather’s only child — who brought them together as a family. He and Mariana met at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, in October 2021 and were married on Oct. 28, 2023. Tragically, on the first morning of their honeymoon on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Nate, 23, died in a water-skiing accident, a mere three days after their wedding.
Their last-minute splurge for a video captured their fairy-tale wedding day, and the newlyweds could never have imagined how brief their earthly marriage would be. However, the fruits of their brief sacramental union echo through eternity: Mariana, 22, is joyfully expecting their baby. Her due date is July 17.
“Happy birthday, my angel,” Mariana wrote on Instagram Jan. 14. “Clearly, God had a plan bigger than anything we could have ever imagined. He answered our prayers, and prayers of those around the world, just in a different way than we had expected, but still the GIFT OF LIFE, the miracle we are so overjoyed to finally share with you all.”
Continued below.
‘Gift of New Life’ Brings Heroic Hope After Newlywed Tragedy
Three-day marriage of Franciscan University graduates witnesses beautiful blessing of a baby after groom’s death.
