I can’t believe how much time has gone by. It seems to have gone so quickly and so slowly at the same time. I think about you all the time. You will always be my best friend, no matter how many years pass. I miss you and I love you – I always have and I always will <3

Birthday Wishes

Today is your birthday! I remember spending several of your birthdays up in Canada. I remember always having dirt cake on your birthday and hearing Margaret tell us about the day you were born. I even remember the birthday tradition of not being able to talk while eating cake on your birthday or you’d have to sit under the table until your cake was done; of which you quickly decided that you would rather sit under the table and talk…

Emily “McCartney”

Emily, I know how much you love the Beatles, and Paul McCartney. You even painted your name on the tree at church as Emily “McCartney” Culver. This week Paul McCartney release a new song, My Valentine, I am pretty sure he wrote it for you. I love you! I miss you! Greta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4dzzv81X9w

Miss You

Looking through pictures of Grandmum, I can’t help but think about how much better this would be if you were here to help me with it. Zoe is so much like you, it’s uncanny. I miss you more than you can imagine. Love, E

Flower Girl

Emily, I remember on our way to winter formal you asking me if you could be the flower girl in my wedding (Granted, I think you thought I was going to be marrying Kyle… that surely did not work out 😉 But I am getting married this March and around the flowers that my flower girl carries will be a charm with your name- I just wanted you to know that you’re still in my wedding because you’re still in my heart. Your Sister Forever, Jamie

Always on my mind…

Hello my beautiful! I miss you and think about you all the time!- I really wish you were here with us. I thought of you the other day when i heard that your Husband Paul was getting re-married!Very sad and im sorry!…I just wish I could have one more day with you, and one more smile!! I love you and miss you more than you can know!! keep an eye on us down here, we deff. need it these days- Take care my love!!

XOXO

I love you and I miss you – Colleen

Thinking of You

Hey Emily: I have been thinking about you a great deal. I miss you. You made me stronger and your laugh always reminded me not to take myself to seriously. I miss it. Love, ~Kate

I love you

Emily, I think about you every day. I miss you so much. There are so many days when I just want to give you a big huge hug, or call you on the phone and talk with you for hours or have you help me shop for some really fabulous shoes. I miss spending time with you and being goofy. I just want you to know that you are the greatest sister in the world and I love you. I miss you Emmie! Greta

Hello my love

Thinking of you today and every day. I love you more than ever. I’m trying to be grateful for the time we had together instead of thinking of how much more wonderful my life would be if you were still here with me. I miss the way your laugh sounds. I miss you. C.

JDRF Walk 2009

Emily- we just finished the walk today… it’s amazing to see all of us in our bright pink shirts, how large a force we’ve become. The weather was great this year and your family still joins us- your Mom with pink roses in hand 🙂 There are girls that have never met you but are still as much your sister as those that knew and love you deeply. It’s so bitter sweet- we are so happy to honor your memory and be so inspired by you- but so sad…

happy birthday!!

Happy Birthday Emily!! Today you would be 24 and I am sure demanding you usual dirt cake. Yesterday Colleen, Steve and I went and saw the new Harry Potter movie, the half blood prince, at an IMAX in Madison. The first 15 minutes were in 3D and it was very cool. You always knew how to pick good friends. Colleen is a good friend, but you have many more who miss you, along with your family. Today is Emily’s birthday, happy birthday dear…

Miss My Emily Filled Summers!

Hey Em, I miss you so much! I can’t believe it’s been so long since our summers driving around and camping in your TT. I just finished moving into my condo and have the Chihuahua candle you gave me sitting on a shelf already? It is such a wonderful reminder of you, your laughter, your smile, and your gift for always thinking of others. I cherish every time someone asks me about it because I get to talk about you and how much you have…

emmy

One of the many great memory of me and Emmy was when we were at the lake and her and I slept in grandmums bed and I wet it!!! I was really little at the time and we washed them before grandmum found out! She was a great sister, always there to help me (clean my wet sheets)

so long

I can’t believe it’s been so long. So impossibly long since I seen you, heard your laugh. And yet I still think of you everyday. In my dreams, it’s still some kind of cruel joke – but then I wake up. No words can express what your friendship always meant to me. I hope you realized that. — To say that I am forever changed for having known Emily sounds so cliche’ but it’s true. I’m so thankful to have known Emily.

Emily

I still miss you, I still love you, you’re still my best friend. I still have your pictures and notes, things you left at my house and I still remember the little things, like your 70s mix CD for the truck, your favorite perfume, our song. My family misses you too; my mom loved your big appetite and your joke with Patti about how she was always in pajamas when you came over. Michael misses you. I don’t really know what to say, I just…

I miss you!

I love you Emily. I miss you so much!

Thinking about you always Stylz

Emily, I will never forget you and I am so thankful that you came into my life even though it was brief, you affected me more than anyone could ever know. I learned to appreciate the oppurtunities that come my way and to never take myself too seriously- When you passed away I couldn’t make sense of it- and all I could vow to do was take advantage of the life I do have and be the best person I can be to make up for the life you didn’t…

Oo la la

“wish i knew what i do when i was young.” i dont remember when i exactly met emily, im sure through Grant and Colleen, but i could of been anyone that was unconventionally friendly to me entering ehs. i do remember when she impressed me and i think i her, when she asked me whom sung the mentioned song. Faces. that was the moment i fell for her, talking the closest table to the food during a free mod. its unbeleivable how your still…

You are missed, always!

Four years ago you physically left us, but your strong spirit is with us every day. Your niece Emma Louise arrived in March and I know you would adore her. As I spend time with her, we always talk about her Auntie Em. Your memory will always live on. I miss our talks, our hugs, your opinions on everything. You are in my thoughts and actions everyday. And I know you are not very far away. I will always love you. Mommy

4 Years

I’ve been dreading today for weeks now. It’s especially difficult because my Grandpa Bill also passed away today a year ago. I say it everytime and I will say it again. Emily, I think about you everyday, you’re my best friend and you always will be. I love you with all my heart and I miss you so much. <3Colleen

Happy 22nd Emily

I didn’t forget your birthday…I’ve met a lot of different people, lived in another country and tried some new things since I last saw you but you’re still my best friend and I still think about you everyday and that will never change. Love you Em!

Happy Birthday Emmy !!!!

Emmy, every now and then, as I just did now, I’ll visit your website and view all of the photos. Your smile and antics overpower the more somber and sad moments and I always come away smiling and feeling better. Your spirit just jumps off the screen and it lifts me up. It makes me realize how truly blessed we were to have you in our lives for those 18+ years. For your birthday I want to thank you for giving us your smile, your frown…

Happy Birthday!

Today is your 22nd birthday. I remember the day you were born so vividly. You came into the world so quickly and were a force to be reconed with! Every year since you were 3, you insisted that I make you a Dirt Cake as a birthday cake. Early on it was hard to find the gummie worms but you made it OK to have gummie bears or whatever gummie we could find!! One year I even had to use Swedish Fish and you loved it. It was the sweet with…

Memories of Emily

Emily will always be in my heart. She has shown me to be strong and to “keep on truckin'”. I now work for Kohl’s Corpoation who helps raise money for Juvenile Diabetes and I have now been the team captain for two years for the Child Development Center. Emily has given me the ambition to be a leader and to show others how important Juvenile Diabetes is. I will forever miss Emily and will always remember her happy and strong personallity. Love, Jackie

Painting on the porch

Emily loved to paint out at the lake. She would paint anything including stones, pegs, signs….anything, always on the dining room table on the porch. Recently I had to resurface the top and knew there was a wee spot of orange paint from her art work that was very precious to me….so I worked around it and it remains as a reminder of how much she loved to paint. It is a wee work of art!!!!!!and I treasure it!!!!!Grandmum

Emmy and Yogi

Emily said “Pappy, the next time you pick-up Sophie and Lorenza after school let me know and I’ll make time for them because its been awhile since we’ve seen one another”. When the next time arrived I called Emmy and she dropped everything and we were on our way to a mini-reunion. As usual I brought along a few snacks and drinks to ease the hunger and thirst that creeps in around 3:00PM. Along the way, Emmy spotted the bag of goodies…

December 13th, 2006

I’m sorry. I didn’t forget. I still think about you everyday. My Grandpa Bill passed away this December 13th. Weird. I miss you, you’ll always be my gest friend and I wear your ring everyday. I love you Emily.

I Miss You

There hasn’t been a day in the last 3 years that I haven’t found myself thinking about Emily. Her influence on all of us is beyond words and beyond time. I cannot bring to words the anguish that I felt then and continue to feel to this day. I miss her so much, I do not know words with which to express the full meaning that I palce behind them besides these.

I miss you so.

Each and every day I miss your laughter, your smiles, your phone calls!! The loneliness does not go away, but I know you are with us in so many ways. You have left such a beautiful legacy of caring and love. I think of you when I see the sun rise, when I hear a Beatles song, when I taste a delicious meal. You are with me forever, and that is what helps me get through each and every day when that hole in my heart seems too big to live…

legacy of the heart

It’s been 3 years since Emily left us in the physical sense of the word. A lot has happened: people have gotten older (not me), moved on, moved away. Yet there is still a connection to those we love even when they are not physically here. It’s a sense of presence, a memory of a special quality, a feeling that somehow they know it too. “Emily’s Fund” was started by Margaret and Steve here at Emily’s church. It is truly a fantastic gift…

Happy Birthday

Your 21st birthday! I know we would have had so much fun together. I think about you everyday and I miss and love you deeply and truly. Happy Birthday Emily! XOXO, Colleen

Still

I still can’t believe it. How is it possible? Every day I catch a glimpse of you in twenty different people; a person’s hair, their face, even the clothes they wear – always bright because you would never wear black. There’s something about a person, but what’s missing is your infectious smile- the (sometimes maniacal) laughter I see you in these people and every time my heart jumps. Every time. Still. A split second later rationale…

We miss you Emily

The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. Emily, I hear your voice in the hooting of an owl. I feel you with the snap of cold in my nose or the warm breeze through my hair. I test you every time I eat dirt cake. But my eyes yern to meet yours and my arms hurt to hold you once again. Every day I do the dance around the hole in my heart. Somedays are better than others, but no matter…

2 Years

Sometimes it feels like a second Sometimes it feels like forever But it hurts always… I love you so much Emily I think about you everyday You will always be my best friend Love Always, Colleen

2 years

Its been exactly two years since I saw Emily last, I’ll always wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t passed away, what would have been.

everyday

I look at pictures of Emily every day. They are in my studio and in our breakfast room. I talk to her; a little hello, I love you, a passing thought or a quiet song. Through them, Em continues to be part of my everyday life. Every so often I visit this web-site and look at the volumes of pictures posted. For a while this was hard to do, but now pictures of Em comfort me and move me. She fills my heart with warmth. I can feel it…

On the day you were born

A tradition that we have is on Ian and Emily’s birthday I would tell them the story of their birth. It becomes part of the celebration. I had been having false labor for weeks. Emily was not due until August 10th but as usual, she could not wait. On Monday the 29th I went to the doctor and he told me that it could be any day or for that matter 2 more weeks. Just be patient he said. That evening, at 9:00 like usual, the false labor…

Phoenix

Unfortunately, we did not get to know Emily very well as we met Margaret and her kids shortly before we left Wisconsin. But we did get a chance to meet and know her better when Margaret, Steve, Ian and Emily came for a short stay at our house in Phoenix, AZ. We had a great visit, but one thing I do remember about Emily and would always remember is she began a new tradition at our house. In Phoenix peope don’t typically swim in their…

missing emily

“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.” -Calvin and Hobbes Being so far away its hard to stay in touch, I would just like to offer Em’s whole family a hug . I have never met a friendlier more loving family, I am in no way suprised that they created a daughter like Emily. I hope today can be a day that forever brings good memories, although it will…

Thanks Em

As if she was looking down and laughing with me today, Em just gave me the best present ever. Obvioulsy I was looking at this day with a pretty sad mood, but Emily had a different idea. It’s been snowing all day, which I acredit to her, and just like we did a few years ago in my back yard, today my friends and I went outside and played football in the snow. It was so much fun, and I can only think that Emily was watching over me and…

My memories of Emily

It’s been almost a year now, and I figured it was time that I should share my memories of Emily. I remember the first time I ever met Emily. It was in PH’s acting class our freshman year. She was so excited about going to New York and the Carson Daly show. I was kinda making fun of her for it, as I often did to Emily, and kidded her by telling her that I saw her on TV. She got so excited about it. That acting class was made a lot…

Emily’s E-mail

I have kept Emily’s last E-mail and periodically look it up and with the anniversary of her death… it is a great comfort as she tells me she hadn’t written because…….her sorority was very important to her and I am so pleased she had that experience, etc.. She also said she hadn’t been feeling the best…but she ended telling me she loved me and that is wonderful to be able to call up…I love you too Emmy…love Grandmum

Lyrics

I just thought I’d share a few verses from a song that reminds me of Emily and what we are all going through. It’s a very good song, I recommend listening to it. 🙂 “MY OLD FRIEND”–by Tim McGraw My old friend, I recall The times we had hanging on my wall I wouldn’t trade them for gold Cause they laugh and they cry me Somehow sanctify me Their woven in the stories I have told And tell again… My old friend, this song’s for you Cause a few…

One year

I can’t believe it has almost been one year since Emily left us. Some days it feels like longer, that it was so long ago that I last heard that laugh of hers. And some days the memories just seem like yesterday. Thanksgiving break was especially difficult for me this year, b/c the Friday of that exact weekend last year was the last time I saw Emily. I was at a party with a bunch of friends, including Megan and Colleen. There were a lot…

Emily’s Honda Prelude

one sunday night i was at youth group and i was worried because emily hadnt shown up yet….but about 15 min. later she comes running into the church, i go up to talk to her and all she could talk about was her new prelude that she got….she went on and on about it, first i thought she was really odd because when i saw it i didnt see anything super fantastic about it but i was happy for her, but her happiness grew on me because now im in…

Last year

All I could think about today, is that it has been one year since I last saw Emily. I realised that almost nothing about how I have/had felt has changed in that entire year. I sit back and I think and through everything, and I can still smile at the good times, and when it all comes down to it, thats all that matters in the end i think.

one last thing

i think after she left us she made a deal as a promoter for the beatles, i can’t hear a song without feeling sad, cranking my sterio and doing the best i can to sing along. i can only apologize to the ears i’ve hurt along the way. rock on emmy dan

thanks for giving

this is not an english paper, and im am going to blame all errors on my poor typing. getting started Ian has been my best friend since 6th or 7th grade when he walked into our health class and like a dumbass i was the first to point out to him that it was not a 5th grade class. only to my dismay he was not in 5th grade, and he now sat right next to me. (talk about learning lessons about first impressions early) but not only had i found…

emily

I have been checking up on this site every once in awhile but never posted and I decided it was about time. Emily and Colleen were my best and only friends when I moved to Madison. We used to ride around listening to the beatles all day everyday. I just wish I could thank Emily and say sorry for not keeping in touch with a good friend.

Meeting Emily

This is my first time writing a story about Em. I have visited this page several times before, but didn’t know what to write. Today I saw a girl on campus that looked just like Em. I wanted to run up to her and give her a huge hug, but reminded myself it was not Emily. I am one of Ians close friends. So naturally I met Emily through him. I remember the first time I met Em like it was yesterday. She had the personality everyone dreams…

Pictures

As we get closer to Emily’s birthday, I am filled with memories of past celebrations. Even when it was her day she made sure everyone else was having a good time…which meant a lot. Just a few days ago I was in the hospital for something minor, but sitting there I kept thinking about how strong and courageous Emily was…no matter how she felt sitting in the hospital, she could always crack a smile. She is an inspiration! I think about…

imagine

ok emily, you can stop now 🙂 now imagine by john lennon is on my launch cast radio at work, hi em!!

let it be

i just heard the song ‘let it be’ by the beatles and it made me think of em, we miss you hun!!

The Pepper Pump

Emmy observed that none of my pepper mills were working very well so she gave me a beautiful pepper pump for my birthday. Instead or turning a crank or twisting the top, you just press the top down with your thumb or palm of your hand and it spews out cracked pepper. It was a very generous gesture on her part and you could see she experienced the joy of giving as she saw me experiencing the joy of receiving. Just a few weeks ago the…

Where’s The Butter?

When Emmy was a toddler in a highchair,it was noted that if the butter was placed within her reach, she would help herself to copious quantities of it. Greasy little fingers, gouged out sticks of butter and a buttery grin on her angelic face, all seemed to indicate that Emmy liked butter. Fast forward a few years. Ian and Emmy were at our place and it was decided we’d have some popcorn. Since I was the designated popcorn maker in our…

in my garden

A few days ago I was cleaning out my garden, removing old leaves and sticks, uncovering and cutting back plants that had been buried in snow all winter. I spotted a tiny piece of weathered paper under a big maple tree in the groundcover. I picked it up and looked it over. Written on it was Emily’s name, in my handwriting. I held it in my hand and closed my eyes.

tulips

As spring approaches us, I notice the flowers. Tulips were Emily’s favorite flowers. The day after Emily died I opened the door to a deliver person who brought me a large vase FULL of red tulips. I thought of Emily immediately. The flowers were from her dear friend Margaret and I will never forget the feeling of Emily being so close with those tulips. So today, and throughout the spring, as you see tulips remember Em. Her spirit is…

Everything going to be alright

I dont know why, but recently i realised that Emily had always made everything seem like it was going to be alirght, that everything was going to work out. She was really my light on a dark night.

Summer

I only met Emily 3 times, but at each meeting she was as sweet as could be. I have read many of the other stories on this site and see how much all of you really loved and cared for this wonderful person. I felt I needed to share because Emily’s mom is a very special person to me and I know that these stories help to keep Emily’s memory alive. The first time I met Emily was the day Margaret was taking her to college. She was very…

Day by day…

That’s all I’ve really been trying to do lately…take it all day by day. There are days when it’s tough to know that she’s really gone…it’s a hard thing to accept. There are days when I swear I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye…but I don’t let myself believe it. Emily was one of the greatest friends I ever had. I didn’t have many friends at Edgewood because I was opinionated…but Emily made me embrase it. She made me…

TGFE

This is Grant Gorman, I haven’t entered anything on this page yet because even though it has been a quarter of a year, I am not totally ready to let go. Emily was such a great person. I remember giving her rides to many different places sophomore year. She was always a liason between Colleen and I. If it were not for her we may not be together today. I miss Emily every day and tear up/cry whenever I hear the Beatles on the radio. I…

3 months

It has been three months. Some days it feels like three years and others, like three days. As spring approaches and we begin to come out of winter’s seclusion, it is impossible not to feel that while Emily’s body is inexplicably gone, her indominatable spirit is present. Absence has been her way of appearing. May we be renewed by spring and remember that giving to others in the spirit that Emily gave to us is the lesson of her death.

Emily’s Joy

That’s how I remember Emily, pure JOY. I knew Emily through my advisor role at Covenant Prebyterian’s High School Youth Connection program. Every Sunday she would bring her smile and spirit to the group and light up the evening. I got to know her better on our mission trip trip to Ft. Apache where she would always step in to lend her helping hand. She was not a shy person at all. As those who have posted here have said, she easily…

Our God Sky

There are so many wonderful memories I have of Emily it has taken me a long time to think of one I would like to share. Besides Emily’s birthday party in the TT with her and Colleen another favorite memory includes food…something we all know Emily loved so much!! I was supposed to go to work but once I got there I got to leave, so I had 3 hours to burn. I called Emily and she was all about me coming over to her apartment and then we…

The Casey’s

When Emily was diagnosed with diabetes in 1998 we became joined at the hips. This is not fun for any parent and child and Emily and I were no exceptions. She was in 7th grade when she was diagnosed and for the next 3 years whatever Em did I did it with her. She was on swim team, so I went to her practices and of course the meets. She was on the tennis team in high school. I went to the practices and all but one of the meets when she…

My Sister for ever…

I have to start this by apologizing for not coming on this website earlier. I guess I was afraid to because I still find it easier to live in denial. I always find my self talking about her in present tense, as though she’s just on vacation and then some moments I’ll be driving and just start crying because I remember that she is gone. I remember the first time that Emily and I really hung out, we were at a party and I was joking with…

Emily and Colleen

I have so many memories of Emily and Colleen. Memories of them coming to our house after school, rummaging for food, talking about the days events, laughing. I remember the dances and the dresses and the pictures. Emily bravely let Colleen color her hair beach blonde. (I think her mother took her somewhere to get it fixed after that). Emily was very easy to talk to and seemed very comfortable with us. I noticed that the first time…

camping buddies

This website is excellent. It’s touching to read stories from so many of Emily’s friends. I was closest to Emily when she was very young, and over the last few years, only saw her occassionally. I’m discovering more and more that she truly did grow into an amazingly special, loving, fun person. One could certainly see all those qualities early on. I remember one camping trip with Wells, Ian and Emily, when she was only around six years…

candles

Our freshmen year of highschool, Emily and I would talk on the phone a lot. We would spend hours talking about the most random things. In one of these conversations, I vaguely remember mentioning that I’ve always wanted a “set” of white candles to display in my room, but it was too expensive to buy a lot of them. Well, the next week the doorbell rang yet no one was at the door, only a box filled with white candles. When I called to…

Which to pick….

There are so many memories I have of Emily that they all combine to form one incredible friend that I will never forget. Whether we were in choir making fun of Mr. M, complaining about Mr. Tahany, or quoting movies like Analyze This/That, we were always having fun together. I will never forget Emily and her memory will always be with me.

THE Dress

Over the years, for Emily’s birthday in late July, I would take Emily to a store called The Fashion Bug for her to pick out some new clothes for school. When she was 13 we left the island for our clothing spree. As soon as we arrived she spotted this one dress which was long and covered with very tasteful subdued blue sequins. As we completed the sweep of the store she still had the dress on her arm. So I asked her where she would wear…

The TT

I was thinking about the time Emily, Maria, and I spent Emily’s birthday in her mom’s TT. We split anywhere from 6 to 10 energy drinks between us and had a buzz for about and hour, maybe even two before we ended up conking out on the bed. There are actually pictures of it on Maria’s website. I’m not a computer person, so if you visit http://community.webshots.com/user/smurf23984 you can see some of Em’s high school pictures. Love you Em.

Goosebumps from Emily

Yesterday I was sitting at the breakfast table looking out over the vast concrete patio outside the window. I sit there every morning, and every night as I eat. I play with the dogs out on the patio every day. I noticed, for the first time, a tiny, gold-wrapped present sitting in the middle of the patio. It was impossible not to see it. It was shiny and had a bow on it and a miniature tag. I stared at it in amazement. We had taken the…

See Emily at Sears

When you go into any Sears store and go to the hardawre department, you’re likely to see a small display of newsletters aimed at kids. The newsletter is called “Woody’s Workshop” magazine. In it you’ll find, among other things, a cartoon of a project that kids can build with their parents. When we started this magazine for Sears 10+ years ago, Ian and Emily were small kids. If you look at the characters in the cartoon, you’ll see that…

Grandma’s house

When my brother and Emily were gonig out, she came with our family to my grandparents hosue in Illinois. I didnt have anyone to hang out with because none of my cousins are my age, but Garrett was busy with a football game or something. Anyways, me and Emily spent the whoel day talknig standing in my grandma’s hallway and reallly getting to know each other. It was relaly fun. She told me a story about how she used to tell people that…

The Truck

I remember walking home from the bus after school one day, and Emily was going to my house. She pulled over and offered me a ride. Em was going to see my brother who she was gonig out with at the time. My house was only two blocks away, but I accepted. When I crawled up into the cow covered seats there was trash all over. McDonald’s cups, candy wrappers, ect. She apologized for the mess, but I didnt mind. We talked in those two blocks…

shoes

Emily had a thing for shoes. It started when she was very young and would not let me put anything on her feet. If I could even get past her ability to curl her toes making it impossible to get shoes on her feet, she would whip those shoes off as soon as she could. Once when I was driving her to daycare, she was under 18 months, I was suddenly hit by first one shoe and then the other. When I finally stopped the car to turn and look at…

Collita y Emolita

I’ll never be able to say enough or fully express how I feel about Emily. The littlest things remind me of you. When I make scrambled eggs for breakfast, I think about how I made them for you. When I hear the Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Cher, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, and our song “Diane” by Fleetwood Mac I think about you. When I see hot pink (your summer color) or tulips. When I wear my Birkies (same kind) and…

her impact on me

emily showed me the kind of person that i really want to be. Someone strong, loving and caring like she was. I only met emmie this year at college but she has forever made an impact on my life. I loved emmie so much, much more than i thought i could love a friend, or someone i just met that year but she was just that kind of person i guess. She always made me laugh and was always there when i needed someone to talk to. I cant even…

my lil lamb

emmie was such an amazing person that when i needed help studying for my yoga final she spent like 4 hours helping me learn everything. she was convinced by the end of the night i would know everything. granted in those 4 hours we ordered pizza, watched OC it was a first for emmie(the show) and then walked down to the gas station to get her everyday water and to buy my some energy water to help me for the big test the next day. we…

Her wisdom

Emily came from a line of strong women. Emily’s grandmother (my mother), Mimi was the smartest woman I ever knew. She had the extraordinary ability to make sense out of the worst situations, to make the world right again. Mimi’s words could heal. Emily’s mom (my sister), Margaret has the same gift; to think things through and impart wisdom. I have for many years been awed by Margaret’s heart and mind. Margaret’s words have taught me…

Car Rides

From about the second semester of my sophomore year until about november of my junior year i was “in charge” of driving emily. It began because she couldn’t drive yet and i lived less than ten minutes from her. The drives were always interesting. We had some of the best conversations that i had ever had in my car. I like to think that i got to know her a way that was different than most people knew her during those times. She…

Emily’s affect on me

I went to high school with Emily for all 4 years. Although Emily and I were friends freshman, sophomore and junior year, we became GREAT friends senior year and the summer before college. I often hung out w/ Emily, Megan and Colleen together. Us 4 had a bond. There are so many memories and good times that I don’t just have one story to tell. From going to the N’ Sync concert w/ her, to being w/ her at Las Vegas Night…the memories are…

Odds & Ends

Russian…Word had it that Emily spoke Russian before she spoke English as she had a Russian baby-sitter. Jewelry…When Emily was very little, we heard that she loved jewelry. Some of us Chicago relatives collected our gaudiest costume jewelry & sent it up to her. Hats…Margaret sent me annual school pictures of Ian & Emily. In at least one, Emily wore a hat. When I commented on it, Margaret told me Emily was “a hat person”. Sug, Emily’s…

The W.V trip~!

Emily and I went on the WV trip with our youth group 2 summers ago. (like in every story that has been shared here about her) Emily knew how to make your dayand show you a real good time! Well I remember sitting in our bedroom while a couple girls did eachothers hair, some colored, well Emily was sitting with my notebook drawing our leaders from Youth Works, they were….interesting drawings to say the least( I guess you had to be there…

the shoe

When Emily was about five, I often visited Wells and Margaret, played with the kids and stayed a bit after they went to bed. After a beer or two or three, it was time to leave. I went to get my shoes, but one was missing. We scoured the house, blaming the dog, the cat, my bad memory – but couldn’t find the shoe. Finally, we were forced to wake up the kids to see if they knew where it was. Emily knew. She had taken it and hid it under her bed.

santa

When Em was in about 3rd or 4th grade she asked me very intently about whether or not there was a REAL Santa. I told her that there was DEFINITELY a spirit of Santa that involved giving to others. She asked who filled the stockings. I said I did in the spirit of Christmas. From that point on she wanted to help. Every Christmas Eve we would fill all the stockings. She made sure we went shopping for the right things to put in the…

Full Contact Mini-Golf

One of the greatest memories that i have of Emily is a mini-golf game we once had. It was in the middle of the week, and pretty late at night when we walk into this in-door mini-golf place. We get our putters and golf balls and start a routine game. Well, on the second hole we start to knock the others ball backwards and block shots. By the third hole we are running into eachohter trying to knock the others ball away. At the fourth…

Unique-ers

I met Emily when she moved to McFarland. We were good friends in middle school. I have so many great memories that I shared with her. One in particular day, we were when playing in her back yard on her swing set. We were talking and horsing around. All of the sudden she ran away and found two rocks. She came back and gave me one and told me that they fit together perfect because we were best friends. (I still have my rock, which she…

Hanging Out

I went to Edgewood with Emily for all four years, and we hung out a lot during freshman and sophomore year. One of favorite memories (besides her surprise birthday party at the cottage during sophomore year, that was an amazing time!) with Emily is one time when I was at her house with I think it was Colleen in either freshman or sophomore year, and we were in the basement watching movies and pigging out on snacks. We went upstairs for…

Summer fun

I had the privilege of knowing Em and spending time with her at the cottage. It was so fun to see her each summer and see how she had grown, from birth on up. I have many pictures in my head of adventurous Emily swimming, running off the pier and jumping in the water, sailing, walking in the woods, checking out the goodies in the garden, and playing flashlight tag. I remember during one game we held hands as we ran to hide behind our…

basketball

when i scored my first points in basketball i still remember emily running up to me and giving me the biggest hug…she was more proud than ever…even though i had only played the last couple minutes of the basketball game and the points had no meaning in the outcome of the game(we had been up by 30) she was still more proud than ever…and her cheers and comments after i rode the bench for an entire game would always make me crack a…

Always Smilin’

I knew Emily for about 4 years, we both went to Edgewood, and we had diabetes in common so we related to each other quite well. I don’t really know if you could have considered us “friends,” but every time I say her in the hallway she’d always say “Hi, How are ya?” and if you ever saw Emily in the commons surrounded by her friends you could always hear her laughing and having a good time. I can’t remember a time when Emily wasn’t…

The Ski Trip

My name is Brett Riemersma. I live in Sheboygan, WI. Most of Emily’s family and relatives don’t know me. I raced bikes in WORS for many years and gained friendship with Ian Culver, Dan Ajer, and Dan Manthe. We had some good times together. I realize we don’t associate with each other anynmore because its been years since we’ve seen each other. But when I heard the news from my brother about Emily’s death last week, it was quite a…

quotes

I met Emily in Middle School, at the youth group at Covenant. I am so glad that I could have met her because she really did affect my life. emily could always make me smile. she could always make people feel better and brighten their day. remembering all the inside jokes and quotes that she had always bring a smile to my face. there was this one day, when we were driving to some place in Arizona, and we were all just goofing off and…

tomatos

One day in the summer of 1995 I was showing Em my tomato patch. Me: Em, look at that. We’ll have more tomatos than we know what to do with. Em: Well, my mouth is always open.

Birthday presents

Since Ian and Emily were little, I’ve made a point to write down the funny things they’ve said. It’s in a book we refer to as “The Book of Lines”. Here’s one from July of 1993: Emily and I are discussing her upcoming birthday and what she might get as a present. She said that her mother had promised to get her something “beautiful to look at.” “I can’t imagine what it could be besides a mirror” she said.

Absolute Radiance

As I piled through the photos for the memorial service, I was struck by Emmy’s incredible magnatism. There are no bad photos of her. She’s always bright, and in every picture the energy is always there. Even in a photograph, you can look in her eyes and feel the direct connection she made with eveyone she touched.

Eulogy

My name is Steve Royalton, and I have been the Youth Ministries Coordinator here at Covenant since July of 1996. That fall Emily became a part of our Middle School Youth Connection. She was an active and vital part of our Middle School and High School groups here for the years that followed. I was honored when Margaret asked me to speak today about Emily. After I hung up the phone I was also a bit intimidated. How was I going to…

Perkins All-Nighters

Emily and I used to go to Perkins alllll the time. Our excuse was that it was a good place to study and do homework. (Sometimes we got stuff done.) We basked in Perkins 24-hour glory. Once or twice during our senior year at Edgewood we even attampted al nighters at Perkins. I think we left our record at 7pm – 5am. Emily!! Who am I supposed to go to Perkins at all hours of the night with now!?

A hockey game with Email

Emily was a very special girl to me. Not only was she my first girlfriend, but my first kiss, well she kissed me anyways. But that’s Emily. (I hope Ian isn’t reading this) I remember once Emily and I went to a Madison Monsters game. It had to be the most boring hockey game I have ever seen. Emily and I spent the whole time talking and not even paying any attention to the game. It turns out that we so into what we were talking about…

the short terry cloth shorts

this summer em and her friend colleen came to 30 north orchard strutting their stuff in those short white rainbow side stripped terry cloth shorts, she was so proud of those shorts, just like everything else, you made me laugh and someday im gunna search for a pair just like yours, wear them, and i know you’ll be laughing too 🙂 i didn’t know em as well as i would have liked, but everytime we were together is a memorable experience, ill miss you em!

that good old “sex retreat”!

When i put the words funny, and Emily together, i get MANY stories and great times! One story that sticks out in my head was a little convo that the girls on the sex retreat a couple of years back that was held in the bedroom. Well we were laying on the beds in the girls room talking about what else then, BOYS and maybe its just me but when i think of boys, and Emily, i think of Paul M. RIGHT AWAY. so we were talking away, and the…

Appreciation

Odette went shopping with Emily for her prom dress. She sent us a beautiful picture of her in the dress, all smiles, with her date, Tyler. We gave her a nice silver necklace for her graduation and she sent us a picture of her with it and the big smile. You can’t forget that kind of appreciation. When you loved Emily, it always came back bigger and better.

the boots

Emily had a thing for shoes and I think this started at a very young age. When she was little she could take her shoes off quicker than I could put them on. She hated wearing them and preferred bare feet. When she was about 2 and 1/2 there was a big snow storm and she wanted to go outside. I tried to put on her boots but she kept saying, “NO Mommy” and took them off as soon as I could put them on. I finally said fine go out without…

First time i met emily

I first met emily a long time ago..probably 1996 or so…We met at a bike race she did..and i also did at the time. I was friends with Ian, and “the dans” She seemed to brighten up everything and make everything fun. We then met again when went to there house for a weekend a couple years later for a ski trip. The weekend was really fun and emily and i starting calling eachother every night getting to know eachother and she made time fly…

Mission in Arizona

I remember Emily from when she was a freshman in high school. The first time I had a conversation with her I could tell she was going to be a character and I was right. I remember our trip to Arizona the summer of 2000 and how much energy Emily. We went to an Indian reservation to help paint houses and run a day care center. I didn’t get to work with Emily a whole lot during the week but everytime I saw her she either had two kids…