Last night I received the awful news that Sarah LeFoll, a member of the Newington High School Class of 2001 and an old friend (indeed, an old crush and prom date) of mine, died tragically and unexpectedly in Utah on Friday. She had just turned 22 on Monday.
The wake and funeral are set for Wednesday and Thursday in Connecticut. Details are below.
Sarah was a wonderful, beautiful, talented person. She was fun to be around, easy to admire, and great to have as a friend. What else to say? How to pay tribute to this earthly angel? I’m at a loss for words… so let’s try pictures. I’ve created a photo gallery of my pictures of Sarah. A few favorites:
And here is our official prom portrait, from her junior prom:
Sarah and I became friends when I was a senior and she was a sophomore, so I was already a freshman in college when her junior prom rolled around in May 2000 — but I flew home from California for the occasion, having not-so-subtly hinted months earlier that if she asked me, I would happily make the trip. We went as friends (in the interim, Becky and I had started dating), but I think Sarah rather enjoyed having me there as her trophy college-boy date :), and I certainly had a wonderful time going with her. Many of the photos in my gallery are from that memorable evening.
My happiest memories of Sarah, though, stem from a summer day in June 1999, the day this picture was taken. We were at the Country 92.5 Fest as part of the NHS Chamber Choir — that’s how we became friends, through Chamber Choir — and we had a fair amount of free time in between a brief on-air radio gig and our big on-stage performance of the national anthem. The details are fuzzy now, but I just remember generally frolicking with Sarah at the Meadows, where the concert was being held — hanging out, talking, walking around, lying in the grass and simply having a grand old time. We were like peas in a pod that day. I didn’t think it was possible to be any happier.
Now, all my wonderful memories of the good times Sarah and I had together are sorely bittersweet. If the horrible reality of what’s happened had fully sunk in — which it decidedly hasn’t — I’m pretty sure I’d be crying right now, instead of typing.
I went away to college just as our friendship was really blooming, and though I saw Sarah a few times after that — including, of course, the prom — we eventually fell out of touch, as so often happens with old high-school friends. We briefly got back in touch last fall, when inquiries about her whereabouts on this very blog produced this comment from Sarah (and this post about said comment). I responded to her comment via e-mail; we exchanged a couple of messages; I promised that “I will definitely write back more later”… and then, we fell out of touch again. Predictable and hardly unusual, but now, tragic. When I wished her a happy 21st birthday just over a year ago, that was, as it turns out, the last contact we would ever have.
It’s inconceivable to me that she’s gone — that she’s dead — that I’ll never be able to write her another e-mail and ask how she’s doing, or see her one last time, or even just tell her how much it means meant to me to have her as a friend.
This is just awful.
But enough about me. This isn’t about me. Sarah was a friend, a person who meant a lot to me, a wonderful girl who will always have a special place in my heart and a special page in the story of my life. But there are dozens or hundreds of people who were closer to her than I was, and whose grief is therefore all the more acute and horrible right now. Those are the people who y’all should keep in your thoughts and prayers — not me. I’m grieving, but I’ll be OK.
Above all, my thoughts and prayers are with Sarah’s family: her mom, her dad, and her numerous brothers and sisters (I forget exactly how many she has, but there are quite a few, and I believe she was the oldest). The LeFolls are devout Mormons, and I sincerely hope that their faith will help them get through this tragedy. I can’t even imagine the pain and anguish that they are feeling right now.
Anyway… I promised more details about the wake and funeral, so here you go. This is what Sarah’s mom wrote to me via e-mail:
Right now, it looks as though the wake will be this Wed. from [5]-8pm at the Newington Memorial Funeral Home, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington. We hope to have her interred at the West Meadow Cemetery on Willard Ave. It is right between the Kellogg Eddy House and the High School. These arrangements will be finalized tomorrow, so I’ll get back to you to confirm. The funeral service will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on South St. in Cromwell at 11am Thursday morning.
I’ll update this information as I know more. Also, Steve Kenny is serving as a sort of point person for getting information out to the NHS alums. You can reach him at 860-539-0276 or stephenkenny1[at]gmail.com. [UPDATE: Times and locations confirmed.] [NOTE: The start time for the wake is 5pm, not 6pm as stated earlier.]
Flowers can be sent to the Newington Memorial Funeral Home, 20 Bonair Ave, Newington, CT 06111. Donations in Sarah’s memory may be directed to the Newington High School Music Fund, 605 Willard Ave., Newington, CT 06111.
If you believe in prayer, please pray for Sarah and her family and friends. Even if not, please keep them in your thoughts.
Rest in peace, Sarah.
P.S. Erin (pictured with Sarah here) puts it beautifully: “I know I will forever hear her singing in my heart.”
Speaking of which, a few minutes ago it hit me that there’s a song we sang in Chamber Choir called “A Welsh Lullaby” (a.k.a. “Suo Gan”) that’s rather apropos. A line from the song, “looking on your smiling face,” struck me while looking at the pictures of Sarah — and I realized the whole song fits. The lyrics are below. The audio clip is a recording from a Chamber Choir album made in, I believe, 2000 — which means Sarah’s voice is among those singing:
Hush, my dear one, sleep serenely
Now my lovely, slumber deep.
Mother rocks you, humming lowly
Close your eyes, now, go to sleep.
Angels hover ever nearer,
Looking on your smiling face.
I will hold you close, enfold you
Close your eyes, now, go to sleep.
Lovely darling, I will guard you,
Keep you from all woe and harm.
Softly, gently, I will rock you,
Resting sweetly on my arm.
May you slumber e’er so softly
Dream of visions wondrous fair.
I will hold you close, enfold you
Close your eyes, now, go to sleep.
May you slumber e’er so softly,
Dream of visions wondrous fair.
I will hold you close, enfold you
Close your eyes, now, go to sleep.
Baby, go to sleep.
P.P.S. I’m in the process of trying to organize choir alums to possibly sing “A Welsh Lullaby” at Sarah’s funeral… if the family wants. I’m trying to see if there’s enough of us who can do it, and if so, I’ll suggest it to the family.
UPDATE: Here’s more on our planned musical tribute.
And here is Sarah’s official obituary, including this more recent picture:
NOTE: I would ask everyone to be respectful in the comments on this post, and refrain from any inappropriate speculation or commentary. Thank you.
LATER UPDATE: Click here for the Sarah LeFoll memorial page.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:03:35 am
I’m very sorry to hear that. My condolences to her family & friends.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:12:59 am
Very sorry for your loss Brendan.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:16:43 am
May her family take comfort as God welcomes her into his loving embrace.
Even though I only knew you through Brendan Sarah, know that you will be truly missed.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:38:48 am
I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. It is hard enough to lose someone after many years, but it is terrible when she is still so young.
My prayers go out to you and her family.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:49:59 am
This is beyond sadness. Knowing Sarah only indirectly through Brendan, and in the way parents watch their own children’s peers come of age and accomplish wonderful things, the words that come to my mind were spoken by Abraham Lincoln of his gifted and sweet son, Willie. To paraphrase: She was too good for this world.
September 19th, 2005 at 5:12:42 am
Too soon, all too soon.
A Dieu, Sarah LeFoll. May He, who watches over us all, receive you into the eternal unimaginable Love which, unlike us, knows No bounds.
We will miss you most bitterly ~ until we Meet again, therein.
September 19th, 2005 at 6:14:15 am
So sorry.
My condolances to you…
September 19th, 2005 at 6:52:25 am
I too sadly lost contact with Sarah. She and I met the summer before she started going to NHS at The Hartt School of Music where we discovered we were neighbors and would prove to be wonderful friends over the next few years. Sarah was one of the most giving, loving, thoughtful, and most of all talented women I have ever known. I know I will forever hear her singing in my heart. She will be very sadly missed!
September 19th, 2005 at 7:51:07 am
My heart is broken.
May the LeFoll family know some measure of peace.
Heaven is brighter today with having Sarah’s soul swelling their ranks of goodness and untarnished beauty.
But what a horrible loss here on earth.
God’s peace, Sarah.
September 19th, 2005 at 8:01:14 am
I know I didn’t know her as well as you did, but this saddens me … It just doesn’t seem right that this has to happen to folks that we went to high school with …
My thoughts and prayers are with her family.
September 19th, 2005 at 8:37:40 am
Brendan, you have my condolences. The loss of a young person is, I think, the saddest. (This is from “an old guy” perspective - Sarah was born the year I graduated from high school.)
September 19th, 2005 at 8:54:08 am
My prayers go out to you my friend.
September 19th, 2005 at 8:56:24 am
Beautiful tribute, Brendan. I think getting everyone together to sing one of her favorite songs is a great idea, both for her family’s memories, and for all of us to get together and say together what we always used to “say” together, with her there. (It’s too bad we never sang the Randall Thompson “Alleluia,” that would have been apropos too.)
September 19th, 2005 at 9:10:27 am
To add to my comments above:
I think it would be truly wonderful to say goodbye to Sarah in song. I guess on a more selfish note it may also help some of us greive. If you need help organizing the singers anyone can contact me at cedardee1021@yahoo.com or instant message me at cedardee26. I would be more than happy to help.
September 19th, 2005 at 9:42:59 am
Thanks, Brendan, for posting the choir clip. “Suo Gan” is one of my favorites, both in Welsh and in English, and it’s the perfect song for singing Sarah into Heaven. I hope you can get your group together. What a wonderful friend you are to have thought of this. My prayers are with you and Sarah’s family.
September 19th, 2005 at 9:59:23 am
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. *hugs*
September 19th, 2005 at 10:22:41 am
What a terrible loss. My condolences to her friends and family
Brendan, this is a lovely tribute.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:45:01 am
B~ I’m sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with her family and friends. I think death is hardest for those left behind.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:47:43 am
Gosh . . . I’m just so sorry. My sympathies, of course, and prayers offered.
September 19th, 2005 at 11:03:36 am
That’s a horribly sad story. Hopefully her family can find comfort in each other and their strong faith. What a loss.
A nice tribute as well, Brendan, I’ve never heard of her before today, but I’ve got a pretty good idea of the type of person she was.
September 19th, 2005 at 11:18:33 am
My sympathy goes out to you, Brendan, and her family.
September 19th, 2005 at 11:38:38 am
A terrible loss. My condolences to her friends and family.
September 19th, 2005 at 11:38:39 am
Sorry to hear about your high school friend, Brendan. Itis very unfortunate that several of your high school classmates have already passed away at such early ages. I hope you get to sing at her funeral, it will make the family cry even more, but it will really show them how much the people she knew cared for her :)
September 19th, 2005 at 11:55:06 am
This is such a sad thing for one so young to die. My prayers with her family and friends.
September 19th, 2005 at 12:01:23 pm
I’m sorry for your loss, Brendan. It’s so hard to lose a friend so young.
September 19th, 2005 at 12:30:31 pm
{quietly supportive thoughts}
September 19th, 2005 at 2:19:38 pm
Thank you Brendan. You have made a beautiful tribute to Sarah. I know Sarah’s family from church. I have known Sarah for 7 years - and always admired her. I was one of her youth leaders. I always imagined Sarah doing so many things in this life, it’s hard to beleive she is really gone. Her passing is so heart wrenching. Please pray for her family.
September 19th, 2005 at 3:02:16 pm
One of the saddest things at my recent high school reunion was who wasn’t there. And yes, sometimes it really is the best and brightest who go first. I don’t know why. That’s God’s business.
For whatever small measure of comfort it may bring you, remember that Sarah will now remain forever young, forever beautiful, forever untouched by the ravages of time and tragedy.
Your memory of her will never be tarnished by infirmity or bitter experiences– either hers or your own. Both her spirit and her memory will remain in a safe place, forever free of time’s cruelty which can turn even the best of us into shriveled things whose friends no longer remember when we were beautiful and could dance all night.
Sarah is safe forever. And it is only the limitations of our clumsy bodies that keep us from seeing that our loved ones still stop by to pay us a visit now and then.
September 19th, 2005 at 3:27:55 pm
Hey Brendan - So sorry to hear about your friend. Please let me know if you need anything. I’ll hold things down at work - - I’m not sure we can function w/o you. =)
September 19th, 2005 at 4:42:17 pm
The Welsh Lullaby is a beautiful choice to sing for Sarah, Brendan. Just having you think to post the audio, will bring comfort to those who love her.
“Angels hover ever nearer,
Looking on your smiling face.
I will hold you close, enfold you
Close your eyes, now, go to sleep.”
What more can any of us hope for?
Be well.
September 19th, 2005 at 6:28:47 pm
For some reason, my clearest memory of Sarah is a story my sister told me of a time they were having a silly high school fight. Eventually, she just got exasperated and shouted, “Why can’t people just be more like Jesus!” I might not know her as well, seeing as I didn’t make chamber choir, but that quote just kinda encapsulates her, doesn’t it?
September 19th, 2005 at 6:50:36 pm
I happened to witness that particular incident, as I was visiting the high school that day (it was our freshman year in college, Sarah and Michelle’s junior year at NHS). I believe the exact quote was “Why can’t we all be more like Jesus,” but regardless, yes, it was a classic Sarah moment. Entirely genuine, absolutely straightforward and serious. I don’t pretend to know the inner reaches of her soul, but so far as I could tell, she was a person of great and genuine faith, which is, in my book, pretty awesome.
September 19th, 2005 at 6:51:11 pm
Hi. My name is paul and i am currently a sophmore at newington high school. I go to school with sarahs sister, rachael, and new sarah personally. two years ago, i participated in the school play at mkms in newington along with rachael and other friends. sarah was our coreographer. she struck me as such an amazing person, partially for her talent. we share the same love of music. (i am currently in the chamber choir at NHS) I wanted to acknowlege your tribute to sarah because it shows how much you cared. you seem like an amazing person yourself. May sarah forever rest in peace.
-Paul
P.S. if you ever wanted to contact me, my screen name for instant messenger is lemurstew302
September 19th, 2005 at 7:42:13 pm
The entire Newington H.S.faculty sends its symnpathies to all who knew Sarah.
She was a wonderful young woman.
Mr. O’Connell
Newington High School
September 19th, 2005 at 11:59:41 pm
i found your entry when searching for her name (i was looking for her obituary actually). I’m sorry that you just found out–I have been missing her very much as well.
I just wanted to say thanks for putting up that gallery. My photo albums are all in storage and I have been living off one photo for the past few days. Looking at all of those really helped remember her in the times when she was happy.
Take care,
Kathryn
September 20th, 2005 at 2:16:00 am
My thoughts and prayers are with you and the Le Foll family.
I am so sorry for your loss.
W.
September 20th, 2005 at 3:07:26 am
sarah god has you now, rest in peace your cuz dereck
September 20th, 2005 at 2:45:55 pm
I’m so sorry Brendan. Sarah was amazingly talented and such a nice person. My prayers are with you, Sarah’s family, and all Sarah’s friends back from NHS.
September 20th, 2005 at 8:46:25 pm
Brendan, so sorry for the loss of sarah.
September 20th, 2005 at 9:30:45 pm
I’m so sorry Brendan. Sarah will be very missed - my thoughts are with her family, and all of Sarah’s NHS friends.
September 20th, 2005 at 10:19:11 pm
It’s difficult to loose a friend, tragic to loose someone so young, full of promise. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Sarah’s family.
September 21st, 2005 at 9:28:23 am
i am veryy sorry for the loos of sarah I knew her and i looked up to her, she will be missed dearly and thought about often
September 21st, 2005 at 2:41:34 pm
My condolences, Brandon. I respect the fact that, even in such a time of strife, you have the passion to keep doing what you do with this blog. Thoughts and prayers are with you and all who knew Sarah.
“Think of all the good times, Instead of wish we could times” - Lose (Grassroots), 311
September 22nd, 2005 at 12:37:04 am
I just wanted to thank you for what youve done on your site. I graduated a year after sarah did and was really involved in the music program myself. My heart goes out to the music alum of NHS because she had such a huge impact on all of us. She will be missed.
September 22nd, 2005 at 12:52:50 am
I barely knew sarah back when she was at NHS, but i remember meeting her, in the basement of a church which was sponsoring a music concert, and we wacky danced and swing danced and flirted, and after that we exchanged a few phone calls. I was interested in theatre, same as she was, and she seemed so driven, and i saw her in evita (along with other friends). Though its been years since i last talked with her, and she barely touched my life, i feel the world has lost a light, and is less brilliant for her loss. My condolences to all her friends and family.
September 22nd, 2005 at 12:57:10 am
Sarah had the most innate ability to brighten anyone’s day or lighten any room she was in with her beauty, smile and personality. Her talent was immeasurable.
I’ll remember those intangible qualities and two very nice memories we shared while in high school at our Annapolis music trip: 1)Her sleeping on my shoulder on the bus trip home 2)Us dancing at a social gathering with a live band on that same trip.
My condolences to you, Brendan, and others who knew her and loved her.
My deepests sympathies,
Ben Fairclough
NHS Class of 2000
September 22nd, 2005 at 4:48:14 pm
I just wanted to thank you for your beautiful tribute to Sarah. Although we weren’t close, she always seemed to be a beautiful person with a bright future. My sympathies to the family and friends she left behind.
Jessica
NHS ‘01
September 22nd, 2005 at 9:27:44 pm
I lived in Newington for several years and student taught at NHS and was a coach. I have many fond memories of the town and the students I worked with. I didn’t know Sarah, but I’m sure I know many who did and I grieve for their loss. God bless you.
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:22:17 am
Truly, what a beautiful tribute. I do not know you, or the young lady, but i feel like i do now. Your sorrow is all of our sorrow.
“In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound forever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory.”
Aragorn, The Return of the King
J.R.R. Tolkien
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:45:15 am
Thanks for the Lord of the Rings quote, Mark! And thanks, everyone, for all the lovely comments. Know that Sarah’s family is truly moved by the outpouring of tributes and condolences they have been receiving.
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:52:05 am
May God Bless your friend.
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:38:19 pm
Brendan,
I didn’t know you in high school, but I graduated with Sarah in 2001. I became good friends with her jr-senior year. Like so many others from our town, I did not see Sarah very much after we graduated. I knew I’d never forget her, I just wish that this didn’t have to be my last memory.
I have a question for you. Is there anyway I can download the version of the ‘Welsh Lullaby’ you have on your website. It was beautiful at the funeral yesterday, and a reminder of how I truly remember Sarah from NHS. Thank you very much.
September 23rd, 2005 at 7:10:20 pm
The thoughts and prayers of myself (and I’m sure much of the Notre Dame family) are with you, and Sarah’s friends and family as you grieve your loss.
“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand.”
September 23rd, 2005 at 7:56:56 pm
Thank you for posting all of these pictures. Sarah an i had become close over the summer, here in utah, but it’s neat to see this other part of her life. Though i have actually already seen the prom picture, in her collection.
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:18:46 pm
I miss you Sarah. you, your family and your friends are forever in my prayers.
September 23rd, 2005 at 11:35:35 pm
Kansas, you have no idea how much it touches me to know that the prom picture was still in her collection. :) Thanks for that.
September 24th, 2005 at 11:18:44 pm
Dear friends and family,
I can NEVER repay you the kindness and the comfort your comments have given to Rachel, Dan and I. We have read them all and printed them out. It is my hope that in assembling a book of these events and tributes to our precious Sarah that we will have a fuller picture of her life to share again and again with her little brothers as they grow. Sadly their memories of her will dim with time. But we feel certain that such an outpouring of love and appreciation for her will cement in their minds and even, perhaps, in the minds of my grandchildren yet to be, the amazing person she IS and they will get a sense of the light she carried within her that she so readily shared with others.
I send my love and “big squishy hugs” out to all of you. For those who were able to attend her services, we are grateful to you. For those who sang in tribute, please know in our hearts we humbly offered a standing ovation. We hope you will take from that day a remembrance of the spirit that was present (perhaps you felt it too) and seek for an understanding of it.
Sarah’s brother Zack, though on his mission in Norway, can receive e-mail. For those who knew him and would like to write him a personal line of comfort and encouragement, his address is zlefoll@gmail.com. For those who want to stay in touch with me (or share a personal story about my Sar) I am at only1chrissie@yahoo.com.
Again, we want you all to know that every word, every memory you’ve shared with us has strengthened us, uplifted us, and helped us to see the “ripples in the pond” of Sarah’s life. (I’m beginning to think maybe it was more like a tsunami!)
I love you all. I cherish your friendships with my little girl. I thank you for loving her.
Fondly,
Sarah’s (Scout’s) Mom
September 24th, 2005 at 11:59:59 pm
Ms. LeFoll, you already have repaid us. You brought your wonderful daughter into the world, giving us the opportunity to have our lives brightened by her presence. That’s a greater payment than all the gold and jewels in the world.
September 25th, 2005 at 3:25:48 pm
Although it was years ago, there was this night Sarah, Erika, Ali and I had a sleep over and watched “Now and Then”. It was one of those nights that you don’t really appreciate until youÃÂre a little older and everyone has gone their own way. We each picked a character we were most like and joked about how we would turn out when we were ìadultsîÖ. Sarah and I went to elementary school together, but I remember playing after school together all the time. Sarah was always the mediator between us 4 girls… so funny and always entertaining. We lost touch after she moved here and there but we always managed to find each other again and every time we got together it was like old times, like not a minute had passed without talkingÖ Friends like that donÃÂt come along too often. Sarah will be missed but never forgotten.
September 25th, 2005 at 4:51:11 pm
Madame LeFoll j’ai dÈcouvert votre fille ‡ travers le memorial que brendan lui a consacrÈ et de tous ces tÈmoignages et photos on sent une fille trËs attachante.
La mort de Sarah me bouleverse et je vous souhaite beaucoup de courage pour surmonter une telle Èpreuve.
September 28th, 2005 at 1:08:13 am
Hi, I dont know you or your friend Sarah. But through the things I have read on here by her family and friends I feel I do know her. How sad to have lost such a great young lady. She is in a far better place, looking down on all those she loves and cares for. As I told my children when they were little when their grandfather past away, ” if you look to the sky on a pretty day and you see a little rainbow, it is PA looking down on you to make sure you are doing right”. Now as my children are at the ages of 14,17 and 19 they still to this day say that about the small rainbows you see.
I see how Sarah could touch the lives around her, she has a great smile.
May God bless you all and may his love always be with you.
In Gods love
Mikki
October 19th, 2005 at 12:28:56 pm
I am so sorry for your loss. I am a two-time Trojan and was sent your blog for the Notre Dame victory highlights. I loss my best friend at a young age, and was drawn to this memorial of Sarah. You do her great honor, and I weep for your loss and the loss of her loved ones. I wish you peace during this difficult time.
October 26th, 2005 at 11:15:24 pm
I am so saddened and shocked to hear of Sarah’s passing. Just had to share that she wrote in my senior yearbook one of the kindest, most thoughtful notes anyone has ever to written me. That message will stay with me for a lifetime.
My thoughts and prayers are with the LeFoll Family.
October 28th, 2005 at 1:36:06 pm
Brandon, you honored Sarah in a truly beautiful way and in a way that only you could have done. Sarah was someone who you only had to meet once to remember for a lifetime and I am glad that you are letting more people get to know her through your site. She truly will be missed.
My thoughts are with you, all of her friends, and her family.
(PS. I’m glad to have found this site even though it is well after I knew about Sarah’s passing….it let me have some happy memories to honor Sarah with after the initial shock wore off. Thanks, Brandon)
October 28th, 2005 at 10:12:52 pm
Hello everybody…i don’t know if anyone else comes to this site anymore but i sure do. I miss Sarah, and grief…isn’t my word, i would prefer the term prolonged anguish. Well thank you to everybody who came it was really nice. I would trade it in though back for her. I would have done anything even given my life to save hers as i am sure most reading this message would. She was everything a little brother could want, she protected me from Zach. She helped with my “fasion sense” she also helped to bring a smile to anyones face. When i am older and look upon the face of my deceased sister i will know not whether she could have lived if by some chance somewhere someone with a strong enough hold on the gospel were to walk in, and save her life. If there are any more “sarahs” out there, i want to be that man with a strong enough hold on the gospel so that i can prevent this horrible disaster from ever effecting any more “LeFolls” I hope that i can one day teach the gospel in order to become closer to the now perfect being, sarah. Please feel free to email me, i am always up to chat. For all those who still check this site i would like to express a heartfelt thank you, and may your days be filled with happyness.
October 29th, 2005 at 2:24:46 pm
Thanks for the lovely comment, Daniel. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your siblings and the rest of your family.
To answer your question… quite a few people still come to this site. It is still getting an average of 33 visits per day, and 93 pageviews.
October 31st, 2005 at 8:11:33 am
Daniel,
I still come to this site about every 2 or 3 weeks. Sarah is an amazing person…and I come to look at pictures of her and read and reread all of these stories. I know that I will remember Sarah forever and that she will continue to bless my memories and my life. However, this site helps to make me feel closer to her. I hope that this site provides the comfort to you that it does to me…God Bless.
November 5th, 2005 at 2:32:55 pm
I have to admitt i come to this site every couple of days to look at the pictures and read everyone’s beautiful words, yet i have never said anything myself. words can’t express what an amazing soul sarah is. i spent my high school career singing and dancing and laughing with her, and i must say it makes me happy to think about those times, because i know she was happy too. i did sarah’s hair for prom and took many walks with her since i live around the corner from her and i must say the hardest thing for me is going home, knowing i will never see her wandering the neighborhood ever again. the only place i can see her now is at her gravesite which is a surreal event in itself. i guess i just want to say to daniel and everyone else, that you’re not alone. we are all grieving and thinking of sarah and the hundreds upon hundreds of happy memories that we have of her. she will be forever missed, and forever loved.
November 6th, 2005 at 9:57:38 pm
Wow–I don’t know what to say. That’s…really awful. It’s been a while since I last came by, and now I’m sorry that I didn’t do so sooner. You have my deepest condolences, Brendan.
November 20th, 2005 at 3:52:52 am
Daniel,
Moi aussi je viens sur le site de temps en temps voir les photos ou lire les commentaires et je trouve toujours cela aussi triste.
November 28th, 2005 at 1:42:25 pm
Dear Brendon,
Sarah’s Nana & Pepere wanted to thank you a thousand fold for this most incredible tribute to our magnificent grandaughter. We are so touched by your aparent love for her. I have read every word written to you and about her and have watched her picture tribute over and over again. Still I cannot believe I will never look into those spirit filled eyes nor hug that gentle fragile soul. It’s almost too much for one to take at times. You have helped us grieve and allowed us to know even more about our angel.
You will always have a prayer of gratitude in our hearts right next to our memories of our beloved “Scooch”. I pray the tribute is allowed to stay a while as it selfishly fives me a moments peace each day.
Thank you so much Brendon and if I can do anything to help keep this website here please let us know.
February 5th, 2006 at 4:39:11 am
I just wanted to thank you for what youve done on your site. I graduated a year after sarah did and was really involved in the music program myself. My heart goes out to the music alum of NHS because she had such a huge impact on all of us. She will be missed.
March 9th, 2006 at 10:36:09 am
Yes, God Bless..
July 11th, 2006 at 7:49:25 am
Sarah and I are distant cousins. I don’t think she took her own life. She was swaying from the mormon ways and was killed
by them.
Someday, we will find out who did it and why. Also, How….. did u drug her?
we’ll find out!
August 27th, 2006 at 11:05:47 pm
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. I just wanted to thank you for posting the lyrics to welsh lullaby. I too sang it in Choir and I couldn’t remember all the lyrics to sing it to my son. Your site is the only one that has the lyrics to the version I know. Thank you also for sharing the beautiful recording.
December 4th, 2006 at 4:25:06 pm
I stumbled across your site while looking for music for A Welsh Lullaby. Felt compelled to write and say something. I am sorry for the friends and family of Sarah for the loss of such a beautiful and talented girl. Brendan, you have done Sarah proud with a lovely tribute site to her.
December 24th, 2006 at 6:19:07 pm
I’m sorry for your loss. I was looking for Notre Dame blogs regarding the Sugar Bowl when I came across this post. I doubt that a year can numb the pain of losing someone from your life. My prayers to you and her family.
January 21st, 2007 at 7:37:05 am
hi brandan.
first: my english is not very well, but i would say that i´m so sorry. i had searched an amazing grace song by google an so i come to your page. if i undersand right, sarah sing this song and if i read her story, tears fill my eyes. because my english is so bad, now
in german (i hope you can find someone who translate the following sentences in english):
leider kann ich in engisch nicht geanu sagen, wie leid mir das mit sarah tut. darum in deutsch. mein herzliches beileid an dich und sarahs familie, auch wenn ich niemanden von euch kenne, bin ich sehr bewegt von deiner seite. ich finde es herzzerreissend, dass so viele leute einen kommentar geschrieben haben.
den fotos kann ich entnehmen, dass sarah ein herzensfroher mensch war. auf allen fotos strahlt sie nur so vor freude. so nah ist mir der tod einer unbekannten noch nie gegangen.
somit wünsche ich dir für die zukunft alles, alles erdenklich gute.
best wishes
patrick