Branch Davidians, their friends and relatives gathered Saturday at the charred remains of the cult's former compound. For many, it was their first time at the site. For others it was a chance to return to the only home they had known.
Many of the 150 people at the service carried wreaths and Bibles, symbols of their faith and support.The cult's fortress burned to the ground April 19 when federal agents started bulldozing it to end a 51-day standoff. At least 85 people died inside the compound. Some had been shot.
Gladys Ottman's eyes welled with teared as she looked out over the sprawling 77-acre prairie.
"This place was beautiful before. Now it's a mess." Ottman said.
Ottman and her daughter, Ruth, left the compound shortly after the Feb. 28 firefight between Davidians and federal agents that triggered the siege. Six Davidians and four agents were killed in the shootout, which erupted as agents were serving search and arrest warrants for federal firearms violations.
Jean Holub clutched a picture of her grandson, Branch Davidian leader David Koresh, as she peered through the chain-link fence surrounding the scorched site.
For Koresh's mother, the service was a chance to share her grief with others, who, too, had cherished her son.
"It was time for us to be able to come out here and do this memorial," said Bonnie Haldeman.
Although she says she doesn't accept the government's reasons for raiding the complex, Haldeman said she believes her son and his followers died for a reason.
"They did not die in vain. I believe I'll see them again. I know I'll see them again," she said. "So, that's my hope. That's what I try to dwell on."
Dallas radio announcer Ron Engelman, who organized the service, read the names of the more than 85 Branch Davidians who perished. Also named were the four bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents killed in the initial raid.
"It's time for us to heal, and I hope this is a step that will help us in that direction," Engelman said.