It was her world. And we were lucky enough to be in it.

Happy 22nd Birthday Ce!

We love you!

Sierah meant so many different things to so many different people. I have come to realize that she was truly a gift to us. Here was a little girl who should have been so spoiled from all the attention and love she received and she grew into this amazing young woman that took nothing for granted, loved whole heartily and worked so hard for everything that was important to her. I remember traveling to Bermuda with her when she was only about 4 years old. She had to carry a purse wherever she went at that time, but attached to this purse was all of these keys she had collected. We had just visited a historic church and there were a ton of cement steps leading to and from this church. We were coming down the steps and of course she had to run. Pretty soon down she went and I heard this horrible sound that I thought was her front teeth hitting the cement. So as I ran to her I was prepared for the worst, but it was all of her keys that hit the cement steps and made all of the noise. We laughed so hard and she told everyone the story about "Nonna thinking she broke her teeth on the cement steps." To Know Sierah - Was to Love Her! And a day doesn't go by that I don't think about her and miss everything about this beautiful person that we had the honor of raising, loving and sharing her short 20 years with us. It wasn't enough for me, but I am assured that we will have the rest of eternity together and it will be even better than what we shared here. I Love You Ce and Miss You Every Single Day!

Cathy Shaffer

I decided to share one of my favorite throwback memories. For my birthday, we went on a river trip where we tubed down a river for what seemed like forever. The night we got there started with Ce being dared to sing on the balcony in her bra! I remember us just cracking up laughing the entire time. Once we were on the river we decided it would be a good idea to skinny dip in the lake, where Kelsie lost her bathing suit bottoms and got stuck in the current trying to chase them. When the river was calm, I remember making extremely stupid, but hilarious videos, that we could never find months later. This trip made us a lot closer and brought so many laughs. Ce was the light of the party no matter what. My best memories of her consist of laughing until our stomachs hurt. Because of Ce, I always remind myself to life live to the fullest and say yes to every opportunity I’m given. These pictures aren’t the greatest, but they are the from the drive to the river. They’re the famous moving faces we used to do in every picture. Looking back on my memories with Ce are hard, but make me extremely grateful to have experienced the light she brought to us all.

Bailie Brock

I met Sierah my sophomore year of college while pledging Alpha Kappa Psi. She was a pledge brother of mine. She quickly became a friend and someone I enjoyed spending time with! Her laugh was one of my favorite things about her. It was so contagious and just the best thing to hear when I was having a bad day. Sierah always was full of so much life and had so much going for her at such a young age. She just impressed me so much and was someone I strived to be like. I miss her so much.

Molly Mitchell

Sierah graduated from Evergreen when I was a sophomore there. We had greenhouse class together; with Kelsie and Josh. I remember her always laughing and loving life. She was such a beautiful light to our school. In the weeks following the horrible news, I got an unbelievable amount of support from friends, family and complete strangers. Our wonderful community really came together during this hard time, proving we are truly Viking Strong.

Lauren Hite

I graduated high school with Sierah and I can honestly say she was one of the nicest people in the world. One of my best memories of Sierah was just hearing her laugh in the hallways. It was the most contagious laugh and even though I had no clue what she was laughing about, I would start laughing as well. I also had a dream about her (which I know isn’t a memory), but this dream helped me greatly after everything happened. In the dream, all of the girls from our class got together to go shopping and as we are standing there in the store everyone got quiet. When I turned there stood Sierah at the top of a grand staircase in the most beautiful white dress ever! She just threw her head back and laughed that contagious laugh. That’s what I think about when I think of her. Standing at the top of that staircase, laughing.

Elizabeth Smithmyer

Although we have had so many unforgettable memories, Country Concert has to be towards the top of the list. Sierah and I always looked out for each other and it was never a question whether we would attend year after year. We would talk about it year-round, and it was always a vacation well spent with our crew. This photo was the year tradition started with Sierah, and the concert will truly never be the same without her by my side. Sierah changed my life tremendously when she was in it, and continues to impact it to this day. As an awful decision maker, I went to her for everything – from what I should have for dinner to what boys I should and should not date. She ALWAYS knew what to say and I could trust her with ANYTHING. I have never had a better friend in my life and I am thankful every day that I had a best friend like her.

Kelsie Langenderfer

Ce - Thank you for showing me the importance of love and family. I try to be more conscious to embrace those moments when I'm around loved ones. Being present, living in the moment, and being thankful for the blessings in my life. The strength of your family has shown me that with family and loved ones by your side anything is possible!

Victoria McBean

I never knew Sierah personally, but I really wish I had! I went to Holy Trinity so we had a lot of mutual friends growing up such as Kelsie Langenderfer and Taylor Betz. The stories I’ve heard from them only scratches the surface of what an amazing person she was. I will always be amazed at how fast her story has inspired our community to rally together and work together to make sure this never happens again. Shortly after it happened I was back at school in Dayton and I ran into a guy on the street looking for signatures for a petition similar to Sierah’s Law. Before this I may or may not have signed it, but as soon as he told me what it was about I was all in. Sierah inspired me to go out of my comfort zone and to help others in my own community. I then told him about Sierah’s Law and how we had some amazing people back home fighting the good fight. All in all, I’m just in awe of the ever growing love and support Sierah has gathered, and even though we never met I feel like she’s my guardian angel too. So keep on fighting and, as always, stay Sierah Strong!

Mark Mossing

One of my absolute favorite memories with Ce is playing True American on her 20th birthday. Kelsie and Ce were pretty much obsessed with watching New Girl together, and they learned the game from watching the show. We added our own twist to the game and played until 3 am. I never laughed so hard (pretty sure everyone fell off a chair at least once or twice). That night will always be one of my favorite nights. Ce has changed my view on life in many ways because I realize the value of every memory, and I have a much deeper appreciation and love for my friends and family. I focus more on the time I get to spend with my loved ones and make the most out of that time. I also realize the importance of always bringing a selfie stick, or at least taking lots of pictures (I am so happy we have lots of pictures from her selfie stick). Not a day goes by that I do not miss her, and think about how blessed I was to know her.

Taylor Betz

One of my favorite memories with Ce was the last girl's night we all shared together.

Ce, Kels, Taylor, Bailie, Rhiannon and I all went to Bar Louie for dinner and then we went to the U Bar for some drinks. Ce and I wandered off upstairs at some point and got so caught up in our conversation that one of the workers had to come tell us the bar was closing. We then went back downstairs and realized that everyone else had already left. It is safe to say that Ce has made such a huge impact on not only my life, but in everyone’s life that knew her. She was the most bubbly and outgoing person I have ever met. Her smile was illuminating and her laugh was more than contagious. I’m so glad that I was able to call someone as great as her a friend. I know she’s shining bright up there, and teaching everyone how to gas pedal.

Carly Truckor

Ce brought out the sides of me that I never knew existed. I became a more involved person. I took time out of my day to be thankful for what I have and the people around me. I didn’t personally know her, but she made me want to radiate joy, be generous, be selfless and countless other things. She made me realize the true meaning to life and how we should approach every day that we are given. Ce made me realize so many things about life that I would never have discovered on my own. Because of Sierah, I want to live life to the fullest and want to help as many people as I can along the way. She taught me to laugh as much as I can, cherish every moment I can, and give out a huge amount of love to those around me. I am forever impacted by the soul and spirit of Ce.

Becky Zylvitis

I did not know Sierah personally, but throughout everything that has happened it has really changed my outlook on life. It has opened my eyes to all the horrible people/things that are just right around the corner from us. As a child I thought only these things happened far away and to bad people. I live near by, and have 2 little girls. I attended one of the self defense classes last year with a friend and was able to also teach my children what to do in a bad situation. My youngest who is 8 does not like thunder storms. So, when it storms she says that she thinks about Sierah and that calms her & keeps her safe.

Carey Canfield

Sierah was always up for anything and just an all around good person to be around. I remember my freshman year of college she offered to give me some of her textbooks since we were going to school for the same major. Her acts of kindness and contagious smile is something I will never forget and I cherish her memory. This is one of my favorite memories, Easton Corbin came to the Adrian fair and hardly anyone was there. It felt like he was signing just to us. I remember dancing and singing and looking over at Sierah and she had already made friends with the group around us. That's how I remember her; smiling, laughing, and her general sense of kindness. I'm so thankful to have this memory, and so many more from this group of people.

Taylor Valerio

How do I pick just one favorite memory with Ce? It seems impossible. Do I choose the time we were little and we would pick and tease her until she pouted in the couch and then we'd make her laugh and giggle and she'd come back to life roaring like a lion saying she was pretending the whole time? Or what about every year for Halloween we'd go out house to house trying to get the most candy and without fail she would be the one to trip and fall. Every. Single. Year. Or do I pick the times we'd be swimming in the pond, using the raft to float, talking about boys, college, and our future together. What about when we'd go sledding with the four wheeler until our fingers and toes were so cold we absolutely could not stand it any longer and ran inside to get warm with hot chocolate. Do I choose the memories of us making mini photo shoots that would later haunt us with embarrassment from awkward poses, to the water hair flip, to running on water, to distorted faces. The truth is, I don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't involve us four: Kay, Ce, Tay, and I. That was it. It was always us. As we got older, it never changed. The memories, the inside jokes, and the laughter. My god, the laughter she brought. She was always the smallest, but she had the absolute biggest personality of us all. And that's what I will remember the most. And that is what I will never forget.

Tessa Joughin

One of my favorite memories, of course, would be passing the volleyball back and forth with Sierah. I loved that she spent a moment to play with an old lady like me.

Crystal Watson

It was really hard to pick just one, but I made a decision. Even though we had so many fun memories, what I remember most is the last trip we took to Florida to celebrate Howard & Tara. What I specifically remember is the girl's night out. There was so much laughter and love that whole weekend, but especially that night. As a college kid she could have made the choice to be with her friends or do a million other things with her time, but Sierah always chose family first.

Mindy Fairbanks

I met Sierah through our organizations that we were in together at UT, NSCS and Phi Eta Sigma. Sierah was the easiest person to get to know and truly lit up any group she was a part of. We started carpooling to Boys and Girls Club together to volunteer. The last time we went together before summer started there were only a few kids at the club, but we played with them and acted silly all night. That was one of my favorite memories with Sierah. All the kids loved her. They still remember and ask about her whenever I go back. She left big impressions on everyone she met even if they only knew her for a short time.

Sarah Lawrence

Sierah was just "always around." I don't really remember a time when she wasn't. Josh & Sierah, it became one word, Josh&Sierah. You didn't have one without the other. I remember that her eyelashes were always perfect. She could have done TV ads with those eyelashes. Her laugh, especially when you weren't expecting it. It was loud, explosive, like it "barked" out of her. I remember thinking that laugh out of that tiny girl! Always smiling. I knew a lot about her through my sister and our talks over the years. Sierah's favorite thing was picking out the Christmas tree every year. It was an annual event. Josh & Ce are in the school play, Josh & Ce are homecoming court, Josh & Ce, Josh & Ce... knowing someday I would be going to Josh & Ce's wedding, Because of course, there was no one else for either one. She was the detail-oriented organizer behind Josh. She kept him on the straight and narrow. She pushed him to further his education and then she kept his "schedule." She was always on him about assignments that were due, where he needed to be, what he needed to do, who he needed to call, what class he should be taking, to be successful in school and then in college. Nikki telling me that "Thank God for Ce, she pushes Josh." Epic Halloween Costumes. I remember her at Josh's graduation. Working the tables. Talking to people she had never met on our side of the family. Making sure she talked to EVERYONE. I have cousins that still talk about how she came to their table, introduced herself, sat herself down and wanted to know about THEM. I know she changed Josh's life. I know that he will not leave this earth without having experienced great love for which I am grateful. I know my sister lost a daughter. I miss my sister. I miss who she was before this happened. I miss who my sister and I were before this happened. I was never one who took things for granted, or at least I thought so. Then this happened, and I knew that I did. I knew that I hung up the phone talking to my sister or brother or daughter without saying I love you. I know that I would say, I'll call so and so tomorrow, I know that I would say, we'll get it straightened out tomorrow, next week, next month. I don't do that anymore.

Lynda Kuehn

My favorite memory of Sierah is the Halloween party where her and Josh dressed as Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan. This perfectly shows her sense of humor and how she lived to make others laugh. Sierah always wanted to have a good time and this often motivates me to get out and do something instead of staying home and being boring. When making choices I find myself asking “What would Sierah do?” And it always results in me having a better time than I would have. Whenever doing something that reminds me of her, or something that she used to love, I always say it’s “For Ce!” Words can’t describe how much she is missed and how big of an impact she is having on young women everywhere. We will always make sure her story is known and that she receives the justice her beautiful soul deserves.

Haylie Stevenson

As a cousin to Kendra Boger and close friends growing up with Shawna, and Bailey May, I met Sierah when we were all young. One memory I have from when we were kids; It was Kendra’s birthday party at the Holiday Inn in Wauseon. I already had a friend I had met in preschool, named Cierra. I remember thinking it was so strange for me to meet another girl with the same name. In 8th grade Ashley Tincher and I had sat with each other in the lunch room and Ce would come over and visit with us every once and a while. Something that I always found cool about her, was she could wear her volleyball T-shirt’s with a petal necklace. I always thought how I’d never be able to pull that off. I have many more memories of us drinking at Kendra’s or Bailey's, but one of my favorite memories is probably us sitting by a fire behind Kendra’s barn one night. We just chatted about life. What she wanted to go to school for. How school was for me. That stuff was so minimal and I barely remember it. To the conversation that mattered most; when I asked about her and Josh. At that time I think they were on/off whatever it was, but she didn’t seem to let it get to her. I just remember her saying something along the lines that they would end up together anyway. There’s a lot of songs I’ve associated with Sierah and that time in 2016. There were many times - times that seemed oh so random, but when it happened maybe not - when a song would just pop on at the right moment when I needed to hear it. I have ALWAYS taken those as signs as Ce’s way of putting it there at that moment. I’ll play the radio game a lot (learned from One Tree Hill) where you ask any question and change the station to whatever. Shut up and Dance by Walk the Moon is one of the songs that has been imprinted in my head with a night of us all dancing and trying to celebrate her/drink to ease the pain. A couple months ago after our community lost another great friend I decided to play the radio game while driving home from work one day. I asked: "What’s Mark and Sierah up to right now?” As I turned the dial through all the channels at least twice, the station I landed on had site enough “Shut Up and Dance” was the song playing.

Chelsea Creque

My favorite memory of Cece was when

she had her tonsils out and me and Shyla had to take care of her. We wore masks because her breath was stinky but we made her lots of snack and brought them to her on our princess tray. We got to snuggle with her and watch movies all day. Cece loved to hide and scare me like when we put green masks on our face and she scared me. I wish Cece was still here!

Aliya Ice

Cece would always play with me, she was so fun. She would let me do crazy things to her hair and put lots of make-up on her. I remember the day we built the fort. It was snowing a lot outside and we decided to stay warm inside and build a fort by the fire. We told each other crazy stories and had hot cocoa. I miss her so much.

Shlya Ice

I still remember the day Sierah was born. I was five and standing in the kitchen of our old house when we got the call from my Uncle Tom. I remember holding the big phone receiver up to my ear and listening as my uncle excitedly told me I had a new baby girl cousin. I remember the biggest question on my mind was if she had all ten fingers and toes and was relieved to hear him confirm she did indeed. From that day on, she became ingrained in some of my best childhood memories, all the way up through my twenties. Most, if not all, my memories with Ce are centered around big belly laughs – she just always knew how to make people laugh, intentionally or not. There are so many funny moments and inside jokes with her, I smile just thinking about them all. There really are just too many good ones to recount here, but here are some of my favorites, in no particular order: at the tender age of six, Ce, always with an attitude, reciting, “I’m Sierah, I’m six, and I’m sassy!”; how she perfected the World’s Most Annoying Sound during long road trips; endlessly trying to give Grandpa a painful “snakebite” on the arm; watching Hitch a million times to memorize the dance moves; the endless amounts of photo shoots and “trick” photography; sewing projects with Grandma and finding the stash of hidden sweets; all the adventures riding four-wheelers, the Raider, and the little 50; her famous line, “What’s in the bag?”; helping to move Garrett and I into our very first apartment in Kalamazoo on the coldest day of winter; Aunt Darcie’s 40th birthday party – the painting and the dancing; helping to move us yet again on the coldest day of winter a few years later, this time to Libertyville; Ce yelling at Dad to put on headphones as he watches machine gun target practice at 5am in a room full of sleeping people; hilarious group texts and digging up photo archives; the trip to NYC with the four of us (Ce, Kay, Tess, and I) and the awkward exchange when zip lining that ended with us being coined #sistercousins for better or worse. Looking back, Ce’s birth marked the start of a new life, not just for her, but for everyone who had the privilege and joy of being around and interacting with her. Her full personality cannot be forgotten and through so many ways, her presence is known and most definitely felt. I am forever thankful for the precious time we had together and will always treasure the memories we shared. Ce, here’s to #sistercousins forever and always. I love you.

Taylor Joughin

This. My last memory including Sierah. I had been making plans with Kay on and off, “oh I’m coming up this weekend” then the weekend would approach and I was still in school and between that and work it was hard to figure out time to actually make it up to see her. Then she invites me to come up for the Western vs UT game, I found time to make it and I’m so glad I did. We went and got everyone’s tickets to the game and then we didn’t even go in. It was literally the worst day ever, weather wise.. freezing cold and non stop rain. But the adult beverages seemed to help make it tolerable. Tom, Darcie, Kay, Ce & I STILL had so much fun. We drank and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. I can’t even tell you why it was such a good day, it just was. We ended the night at a local bar in Kalamazoo for food and more drinks and I passed on my fake ID to Sierah, I hope she got some good use out of that! This isn’t the only memory I have of her, but it’s the most recent and we had a great time.. Say hi to my brother for me, Ce. Happy Birthday!

Mercedez McCaskey

Ce and I were on the Siena heights travel team together, and beside all the weekends spent together there, we always seemed to run into each other. The last time I got to see Ce was Fall of 2015 at BG.. that memory stands out. We were in the loudest house all pre-gaming and I hear this laugh, and right then I said “I know that laugh” and everyone looked at me like, "what?" Sure enough in the kitchen was Ce and Josh! I have never been so happy to see someone! I miss her like crazy, and signs of her pop up everywhere! The piece of her I got to be part of with volleyball and parties were something I will forever cherish!

Carly Burke

Ce always had the biggest smile on her face. She was the life of any party and was always there for everyone. She was the sweetest, most kind hearted person. Anyone who had the chance to know Ce is a lucky person! I love and miss her so much!

Kayla Phillips

I have so many fond memories of the times we spent together. It’s hard to even get started because as I think of them, tears are filling my eyes and making it hard to even type. She was & still is this amazing young lady so full of life and love. She always brought this amazing energy to whatever she was involved in. She was just 2 years old when Sheila brought her to Oregon to visit us. She fell down a flight of stairs at her cousin's house & it didn’t even faze her. I would come home a few times a year & she would be my constant companion. I especially remember how she would update me on what was going on in her life and we would literally fall asleep talking and start right back up in the morning. I was so blessed that Sheila would let her spend so much time with me. Her favorite thing was to hang with me & Cathy. I know she thought we were crazy, but that’s what she loved about us. We had a tradition when she was in high school that whenever I would come home she would pick someone’s house to TP. Cathy & I would be the drivers and her and Sam would dress up in camouflage and do their thing. We almost got caught a few times, but the nights would be full of laughter and fun and that’s what Ce loved most. My last time with Ce was when we went to Florida for Tara & How’s 10 year wedding anniversary. Every day we would be doing things together. The last night there was the reception and Shelia, Ce, Josh, Cathy, Nathan & I went swimming in the ocean fully clothed; again there was a lot of fun and laughter so I was blessed that I had that time with her. I could not wait to see what adventure she was choosing next. When I close my eyes and think of her I see her with this big smile on her face. My life will never be the same. I miss her zest for life, her smile and her love for me. She will always be a part of me, every second of every day.

Lalu Ce,

Aunt Jill

The story I have is actually the very last conversation I had with Sierah. Its not really all that interesting, but it is something I will hold onto forever. We were dancing and singing with no care in the world, slightly intoxicated and feeling ourselves. Garrett (my boyfriend) came up and whispered something in my ear and then left and Sierah and I continued to dance and sing, a couple seconds later Sierah asked, “ How long have you two been dating?” I told her, “almost three years now," she looked at me and laughed (a sound I will cherish forever) and said “ haha Josh and I have you beat by a year!," I then said “more like a lifetime, you guys have always been together since like 2nd grade!” She chuckled and said, “yeah, you’re right” and she smiled so BIG. She then went and kissed Josh and looked back at me and winked. She was just so happy and in love, that every time I think of this it reminds me every day to love whole heartedly. It reminds me every time I fight with my boyfriend that fighting isn’t worth it.

Shawna Boger

It is easy to get caught up in being busy with everything that we have to do on a daily basis and sometimes we just put off a phone call or a visit with a loved one because we are exhausted and think, I will talk to or see them tomorrow. Ce has taught me that tomorrow is never promised and tragedy happens when we least expect it. We hear stories all of the time about tragedies of different types and while we are sad and upset for the person and their families and friends not many people sit down and think about the possibility of something happening to us or someone we know. Nobody is immune to tragedy and that is what Ce has taught me. Ce helped me to realize just how precious and fragile life truly is and to always make time for your loved ones. Hold your family and friends tight because you never know when or if you will see them again. Your life can change in the blink of an eye so make sure that you live life to the fullest everyday and live in the moment. There is an analogy that I love and I want to share it with you. There is good in the world but often times we focus on the bad and that happens. That is because the good is like a pebble and the bad or evil is like a boulder. When a pebble and a boulder are sitting next to each other we focus on the boulder. Do you know why? The reason is because the boulder is obvious. It is large and does not take much effort to notice. In fact, it is nearly impossible to not see or to ignore. The pebble is so tiny that if you do not look close enough or if you choose to not put any effort into looking than you will oversee it. Everywhere we turn we see or hear about all of the evil in this fallen world and we usually see or hear of it on a daily basis. When you think about it, it takes effort for you to dig a little deeper to find the good that the world has to offer. With the tragedy that happened to Ce, it is easy to focus on the evil that took place but looking around you will see beauty and good things that came from this tragedy. Those beautiful and good things that came from this includes a community became stronger and came together to help defeat the evil. I see people sharing stories, memories, photos, etc. of Ce. Events are taking place in her memory. Do you realize what is happening? Positivity, a difference in other people’s lives by helping them know how to protect themselves, changing our lives and the lives of others, and keeping Ce’s spirit alive. Through Ce’s story and legacy, she is showing us just how amazing the world can be even in the wake of tragedy and negativity. The good is overpowering and defeating the evil to bring hope into a broken and fallen world. My favorite memory of Ce is when we were little at a family reunion in Swanton, Ohio. Her name is Sierah and mine is Michaela but we could not figure out how to pronounce each other’s name so I began to call her Ce and she began to call me Em. Even as we got older and learned how to pronounce each other’s name, we still chose to call each other by our nicknames of Ce and Em. I am sure that Ce already had her nickname but she gave me mine. My mom told me that we would get to the family reunion and I would always look for Ce and then we would run around and play with each other.

Michaela Armstrong

Sierah was a light that shined brighter than anyone I have ever met. Anyone who came into contact with her was instantly touched by her and that was never more evident than in her demise. It was such a gift to meet people I didn’t know and hear them explain how Sierah had touched their lives. We as family all knew how amazing she was, but to realize that everyone who met her felt the same was amazing. I miss everything about her. I have so many memories its hard to find my favorite. Dress shopping for all the dances was so fun. My mom, Sheila and I would all get together and we would go from store to store to store. As our little girls grew up they would come too. We would make her try on countless dresses and I would always slip one in that was so hideous just to see her famous annoyed face. I made her drink green juice before I did her makeup and took her to get her hair done. I remember these pictures most because it was her senior year.

Nothing was more fun than when she asked me to go on spring break with her and Kelsie. She made us all shirts and hers said “spring break” and mine said “mom break.”

Cookies with cousins was another great memory, we would all try to make something of our own and nothing ever turned out good and we always managed to burn most of them.

She made sure that we did gingerbread houses every year and she would always end up being the only one at the table because it had to be perfect. One Christmas, after our annual Santa party we all took a bunch of candy canes and went “candy cane caroling.” We went all over the neighborhood and put candy canes all over there trees and sang songs.

Tara Ice

In Loving Memory Of

Sierah Catherine Joughin