As the funeral procession for Watertender 2nd Class Edgar D. Gross traveled down Alabama 99 Monday, something caught the attention of Gross’ family members — the sight of a young girl holding up a sign welcoming him home.

The girl was 8-year-old August Pearl Benson, a student at Sugar Creek Elementary School. And though Edgar Gross died 70 years before she was born during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, she shares a connection to the war hero.

August’s mom, Page Benson, said the name Pearl came from her Great-Aunt Pearl Marbut Gross, who was married to Edgar Gross at the time of his death.

“She kept me quite a bit as a little girl,” Page Benson said. “We had known the story of her first husband getting killed at Pearl Harbor and had made that a part of (August’s) life.”

The Benson family, which also includes August’s dad Brad Benson, had previously visited the memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. Gross’ name can be found on both.

“When this came out about bringing him home, we made it a family memory,” Page said.

The Benson family knew the funeral procession would travel up Alabama 99 on the way to Cherry Grove Baptist Church for Edgar Gross’ funeral. When the procession passed, August was front and center with her sign, which also included a small picture of Edgar Gross.

She had something else, too — a lemonade stand adorned with American flags. Those who decided to quench their thirst with a cup of cold lemonade on a hot Memorial Day also benefited the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives. August donated her proceeds to the facility, which is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to expand.

August raised $58 for the museum. Page Benson said the idea for the museum donation came about because it was Memorial Day and also as a way to honor their former neighbor, Ralph Green, a long-time museum volunteer who passed away May 24.

“His obituary requested donations be made to the museum instead of flowers,” she said. “People were very generous and my house smelled so good because (the lemonade) was homemade.”

August closed her lemonade stand in time for the family to attend Edgar Gross’ funeral. When they returned home, she reopened and made a few more sales.

She delivered her donation to the museum Wednesday and was told to come back soon for a tour.

“Everybody talks about children not knowing to do the right thing, but our children are being raised right,” said Museum Director Sandy Thompson of August Benson’s donation. “She was so sweet. It really restored my faith in young people.”

Page Benson described August as being “very shy,” but she described Edgar Gross’ homecoming as being “very cool” to see. She doesn’t remember much about her previous trip to the Pearl Harbor memorial because she was younger, but she looks forward to seeing it when the family visits again later this year.

August said she also enjoys learning about history and the military. When asked if she believes more children her age should brush up on history, she answered with a shy and polite, “Yes sir.”

Page Benson said she was glad the family got to be a part of Edgar Gross’ homecoming because of the connection to her Great-Aunt Pearl who passed away in 1997.

At Monday’s funeral, Edgar’s great-nephew, Tom Gross, told those in attendance he believed Edgar had “married up” with Pearl. Page laughed at Gross’ remark, but added her aunt could also “make a mean batch of biscuits.”