| M.V. Mourns Loss Of Two Youth In Car Accident | |||
| By Vernon Robison Moapa Valley Progress Published June 17, 2009 The Moapa Valley community mourned the loss of two of its youth last week. Local residents were shocked and saddened on Tuesday as the tragic news began to come in of a serious auto accident on Interstate 15 in Mesquite that had claimed the lives of 17 year old Lysha Marshall and 16 year old Heather Wallace. Both girls were upcoming seniors at Moapa Valley High School. Upon hearing the sad news, |
 About 300 people attended a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, June 10 to remember local girls Heather Wallace and Lysha Marshall who were killed in an automobile accident in Mesquite earlier the same day. |
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| Moapa Valley High School Principal Grant Hanevold and his staff immediately recognized a need to provide comfort and an outlet for grief to the tight-knit MVHS student body.
They quickly organized a candlelight vigil in the memory of the deceased girls for Tuesday night in the MVHS quad. With such short notice, and with many of the facts of the tragic accident still not fully known, the MVHS staff used telephones, email and text messaging to get the word out. Other preparations for the vigil were also quickly made. “We went out and bought out every candle that we could find in all the stores in town,” said MVHS Vice Principal Hal Mortensen. Over 300 people gathered at the school at 8:00 p.m. for the solemn vigil. The atmosphere was hushed and solemn. “It is a very sad day,” Hanevold said to the crowd. “We wanted to give you a chance to express your feelings tonight and to share your fond memories of Lysha and Heather. We encourage you to do that now and take that opportunity.” |
 Lysha Marshall |
 Heather Wallace |
Slowly, and one by one, students and faculty members began to come to the microphone to express their deep sadness and to reminisce about their lost friends.
The MVHS girls volleyball team tearfully came to the microphone together to remember Marshall who had been a fellow teammate. “A lot of us have been together as a team since we were in the sixth grade,” said Britney Hughes. “We are almost like a family. We love Lysha and she will be greatly missed.” |
| Another student recalled being new to the school, feeling uncomfortable and receiving kindness and help from Heather Wallace. “That meant an awful lot to me,” she said.
“I know that there is not much that we can say or do for the families to ease the pain of this,” said 2008 MVHS graduate Nick DeLaFrance who attended the vigil. “But for what it is worth, you should know that we will be right behind you to hold you up.” Early in the evening, one person requested that the crowd join in singing the well-known LDS hymn “I Am A Child Of God”. To close the evening, Hanevold led the crowd in a final recitation of The Lord’s Prayer from the New Testament. After this, the crowd quietly disbursed back to their homes. A single funeral service was held for both of the girls on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in the LDS Logandale Stake Center. Over 800 people were in attendance. Tributes to each girl were given by family members. During his tribute to Lysha, grandfather Ron Marshall, read from an extensive life timeline that had been completed by Lysha some years ago. It anticipated events far into the future including her future marriage, having many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, being the first woman president of the United States, becoming the richest person in town, and dying in the year 2100 having been “greatly loved”. “Life’s bitter experiences offer us a choice to respond with bitterness or with love, caring and forgiveness,” Marshall continued. In a tribute to Wallace, brother Christopher Wallace, went through a list of life accomplishments that, “while admittedly less than the ‘normal’, would have most likely made Heather most proud”. Wallace spoke of her roles as an exemplary daughter, sister, grand-daughter and, finally, as a daughter of God. He told experiences of tender memories that highlighted Heather’s kindness, sense of humor and spiritual strength. Remarks were given by LDS Logandale Stake President Ace Robison. “There are many trials through which we pass that we wonder ‘why?’ but no answer comes,” Robison said. “Sometimes we just don’t know why and we may not ever know in mortality. But, amidst these tragedies, we sometimes feel nevertheless that we have been witness to very sacred things with important purpose.” “Mortality seems such a long time while we are here,” Robison continued. “But in the eternal scheme of things it is just a small moment. We can rest assured that a loving Father holds these things in His hands and that, in the end, all will be made right.” Robison concluded by referring back to an item on Marshall’s life timeline which stated the intention that she would be the richest person in town. “That is true of both of these girls,” Robison said. “They are the richest ones in town. And we are all richer for having known them.” |
