To know Mikelle Hendrickson was to love her, according to her many friends and family at her memorial yesterday.
About 600 people packed into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to remember the popular 18-year-old who was killed last week in a Washington state car crash that also claimed the life of her friend Kylie Doxtater and left two others in hospital.
While Hendrickson’s parents didn’t speak at the funeral, her grandmother, uncle and cousin described what a loss it is to the family. “I may be Mikelle’s cousin, but she was more like my little sister. There is just so much to say about her,” Nyle Hartley said, as he fought back tears.
“She always brought peace and always had a smile. She was the best person I ever met. She will truly be missed.”
Hendrickson’s close friend Tyler Dryden spoke about the loving teenager during the eulogy that had many people passing around tissues as she was remembered for touching so many lives.
“Her love extended beyond those she knew and it was hard for us to understand how she loved people without knowing them,” Dryden said explaining how Hendrickson had a quote on her wall, ‘I love you without even knowing you.’
“This is so hard for so many people for so many reasons,” Dryden added.
