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Gretna teen killed in summer wreck honored by the community

Posted at 6:45 PM, Aug 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-15 23:42:27-04

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Students are back in school in Gretna, two months after the crash that took the lives of four teens. For many, it will be difficult to walk the halls of Gretna High without thinking about that tragic crash. This morning, the community gathered to remember those lives, before starting their day.

Early Thursday morning, as birds and crickets were still chirping...family and friends gathered outside of a Gretna home.

"I'm just going to fiercely try to keep her memory alive so nobody forgets--or my kids or anyone else--who she was," says Addisyn Pfeifer's mother Wendy Pfeifer.

Since losing her 16-year-old daughter in a crash, Wendy says she's been dreading the first day of school...all summer.

"She was super excited to go and be an upperclassman. She had a lot of good, fun things planned that she was looking forward to."

To keep her daughter's memory alive...Wendy invited friends, family and former teammates over for donuts before they headed off to school.

"It's just going to be different, for like the rest of high school because you won't see all them walking the halls, laughing in class...it's just gonna be really different than how it was before," says Liliana Kinnan, who knew Addisyn their entire lives.

"She just loved making people laugh and she was just friends with everyone--she could go into any group at school and just talk--and she would be welcome there," she says.

Notes filled with memories of Addisyn covered the hood of her blue Chevy Impala and friends reminisced about times spent together.

"I don't want her to be just like...a lesson you know...a lesson or an example or whatever. People often just say I want her to be remembered for her she was," says Wendy.

On days like this, Wendy says it's the firsts that hurt the most.

"It's all the first that are hard that I keep saying...she was our first kid so she usually takes us through the firsts...and now we're doing all these firsts without her."

Before everyone left for school...blue balloons filled the air in memory of the Gretna four. As the school year goes on, the community is sure to remain...Gretna Strong.