Trudy and Norrison

It's been a hard weekend... I heard that Sardine canyon had closed due to a fatal accident. We were watching the news, and found out that it was our nieghbors from across the street. This is the article from the Deseret News.

SARDINE CANYON, Box Elder County — A West Valley City father was the only one to survive an accident Friday evening that claimed his wife and 12-day-old infant and also took the life of a cyclist. The chain-reaction accident occurred just after 6 p.m. up Sardine Canyon on the border of Box Elder and Cache counties where U.S. 89 and state Route 91 merge, troopers said. Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Blaine Robbins said a vehicle carrying the couple and infant was heading north when a bicyclist traveling along the side of the road turned out into the path of the car. Robbins said the driver was unable to stop in time and struck the cyclist, causing the father to lose control of his vehicle, which veered into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a truck. Troopers say the cyclist, 37-year-old Robert Bennett of Brigham City, was pronounced dead at the scene. The car's driver, 37-year-old Michael Middleton of West Valley City, suffered serious injuries.
His wife, 38-year-old Trudy Middleton, was killed, and their 12-day old infant, Norrison Deschner, who was in a car seat, was flown by helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center in extremely critical condition. The baby later was pronounced dead. The couple was in the process of changing their family name from Deschner to Middleton, according to the Highway Patrol. Robbins said both husband and wife were wearing their seat belts.

I know everyone says this about people who die, but Trudy was such a good person. She really was almost too good for this world. She was a fantastic piano player, and was due about the same time as Ange. Her baby came early, and he was so cute. She always used to say that Lincoln was the cutest little boy in the ward, and was always so kind to us. She also had a great sense of humor. To say we're going to miss her would not be enough.

Her husband Michael is a great guy as well. It will be hard for him, but I'm sure he'll find the strength to carry on. I am reminded of a lesson I taught a couple of months ago in Elders Quorum. Michael added some great comments to the lesson, and I hope his testimony can carry him through this difficult time. A quote from that lesson by Spencer W. Kimball, has stuck with me for a while:

"If we say early death is a calamity, disaster, or tragedy, would it not be saying that mortality is preferable to earlier entrance into the spirit would and to eventual salvation and exaltation? If mortality be the perfect state, then death would be a frustration, but the gospel teaches us there is no tragedy in death, but only in sin. "...blessed are the dead that die in the Lord..." (D&C 63:49)

Of course, tomorrow marks the 11th anniversary of my mom's death, I hope Trudy can find her, because I'm pretty sure they'd like each other. I know Trudy and Norrison are ok, I pray that Michael will be.