Imagine ...

So senseless, so preventable. Beyond understanding.

A bright, happy future is gone.

To read about the Night of the Pursuit, click here.

Kristie possessed a beauty that showed she was destined to care for others. With sparkling hazel-green eyes and a smile to match the sunshine, Kristie was already making a difference at her small high school. She volunteered for nonprofits, served on the student council by participating as a helper on many projects. She loved playing basketball, selling hot chocolate for the year-end trip to Six Flags, and cheering on the sidelines for Champion Christian School's awesome volleyball team. She broke a school track record as a freshman and spent school mission days with Habitat for Humanity or doing yard work for elderly widows. In eighth grade Kristie learned that third-year Spanish students ventured into the real world of mission work. She was determined to do that in her sophomore year! With great anticipation, Kristie, along with other dedicated students and parents, helped plan and raise money for a mission trip where the students would care for children in an orphanage in Costa Rica. In fact several of her fellow students say it was Kristie's tenacity that convinced at least one other student to participate in the trip. With heartfelt sadness for those left behind, Kristie never did realize her dream. We, Kristie's mom and dad, received her passport in the mail just weeks after the deadly pursuit that took Kristie's life.

Many of the junior high students wrote about how they looked up to Kristie because she was always friendly and reached out to them. She sometimes reassured the younger students that high school was a lot more fun than junior high. Everyone talks about her smile. Yes, her smile was beautiful. But it was Kristie's warmth and tenderness that could light up a room. She was always bouncing, always excited about what was going to happen next, always happy. Champion Christian School gave us a video tape of a Chapel celebration. With friends beside her, Kristie is singing with all her heart to her Lord. Just a couple seconds on that tape reveals a young woman full of life, full of love. This is how we will remember "Our Kristie."

Kristie continues to be an inspiration to others through her faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in her own giving way as an organ donor. Family and friends still love and miss Kristie. Certainly, those who loved her the most miss her "spark plug" personality.

See more pictures of Kristie and her family & friends HERE!