But he does have a home.

On Tuesday, residents of Middletown laid the baby - born to unknown parents, found by a dog, named by a coroner and loved by a town - to rest.

"In Smalltown, USA, we don't think things like this can happen. But they do," said Allan Dean, pastor of Middletown Presbyterian Church.

"Some say Isaiah Mark's life was too short and that he got nothing accomplished. But he did. He brought unity to our community, and we need to keep this in mind. ... Maybe we can spread the light to other communities and to the world. What a great memorial that would be to Isaiah Mark."

About 60 people gathered at Middletown Bible Church Tuesday morning to say goodbye to the baby with no last name. His small white coffin was displayed at the front of the church with a blue-and-white spray on top, surrounded by other flower arrangements and stuffed toys.

Local churches and businesses donated a headstone, the coffin and a burial plot and agreed to have a service. On Tuesday, local residents gave of their time and their tears. Sniffles could be heard throughout the memorial, and people dabbed their eyes.

The pastors of the Middletown churches, including Dean, Dave Pepperell of the church where the services were held, and Henry Cox, pastor of the United Methodist Church, agreed that the child needed to be remembered in a special way.

The infant's body was discovered March 19.

Bobbi Cooper returned home and saw something in her front yard. Their dog, a St. Bernard-mixed breed, was always dragging things into the yard and she didn't think anything of it.

Her husband arrived home two hours later. By then, the dog had dragged the object around to the side yard, near the house, and the family discovered that their dog had found a dead infant.

They called authorities immediately.

Cooper attended Tuesday’s service. Afterward, her eyes were glassy with tears.

“It was very touching,” she said. “ He may not have been very old, but he’s being treated like a person. ... The little casket was hard.”

Logan County Coroner Chuck Fricke announced last week that he would give the baby the name Isaiah Mark. Some people have said he overstepped his authority in doing so.

“As a Christian, I felt it was extremely important,” he said. “This baby has a personality. You can’t have a life snuffed out and not take anything away from that.”

Deputy coroner Warren Rogers said he and his wife had come up with the baby’s name based on two Bible passages - one from the Book of Isaiah that talks about the path God sets for people, the other from the Gospel of Mark about Jesus taking children into his arms.

Illinois State Police Capt. Kenneth Yelliott said Tuesday there’s a “distinct possibility” the mother of the baby is still in the Middletown area, but he couldn’t say much else about the case.

“We’re moving forward with the investigation,” he said. “It’s like any death investigation that we conduct, and our full intention is to work it to completion. The investigation will not close until it’s solved.”

Middletown, with some 400 residents, is about 20 miles north of Springfield.

Fricke fought back tears while addressing those at the service.

“For just a brief moment, heaven was hushed and the angels fell silent, and then a neighbor stepped forward - the angels lifted their heads. An applause from heaven was heard when God whispered to the child on his lap, ‘Welcome home, Isaiah,’” Fricke said.

“He is survived by an adopted family - you and I - who claim him as the catalyst to a better way, to more options for those who cannot, or will not, accept the responsibility of a child.”

Sarah Antonacci can be reached at 788-1529 or sarah.antonacci@sj-r.com.