44INAROW
12-23-2008, 11:56 PM
This is just horrible, God bless all the families involved in this horrible situation. Once again, Please be careful out there especially when firearms are involved. Here is the story and the link (notice there is a Celina connection)
Yoakum teen killed
16-year-old student loved cheerleading and her family
BY SONNY LONG - SLONG@VICAD.COM
December 23, 2008 - 10:33 p.m.
YOAKUM - Kirstin Wenske loved being a cheerleader.
"She loved everything about it. She loved being in front of people. She loved competing. She was so full of life," said Karen Washington, Kirstin's cheer sponsor from junior high school.
Kirstin, a 16-year-old member of the Yoakum High School varsity cheerleading squad, died late Monday night in an apparent hunting accident in rural DeWitt County.
Washington and her triplet daughters have known Kirstin since the girls were in kindergarten. The girls all took dance class together. Kirstin also cheered competitively for K&L Tumbletown in Sweet Home and played on the tennis team.
Elorine Sitka, Kirstin's aunt, agreed with Washington.
"She simply loved cheerleading. She also loved her friends and family and she loved the elderly," Sitka said.
Both Sitka and Washington told the story of Kirstin regularly visiting an elderly neighbor.
"She would go over and watch soap operas with her if she wasn't in school. She'd go to the store with her. She'd go to Dairy Queen with her," Sitka said.
"She would go out of her way to do nice things for people," Washington added. "She truly cared about people and she loved her family."
Sitka said that during Kirstin's 16th birthday party on Dec. 8, during which aunts and uncles came to town from miles away, Kirstin said the party would be perfect if her dad was there.
Kirstin's father, Sitka's brother Alvin Wenske, died from cancer six years ago on Dec. 30, Sitka said.
"They are together now," Sitka said. "And he's got his arms wrapped around her."
Kim Norman, Kirstin's older sister, arrived in Yoakum from Celina about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and spoke fondly of her.
"She wanted to be everyone's friend," said Norman. "She was an amazing aunt to my kids. She loved them and they loved her."
She is also survived by her mother, Sharon Wenske, and a brother, Kevin Wenske of Houston.
The Yoakum community, too, is feeling the pain of loss.
"It is devastating. This community and the Yoakum school district are devastated," said Tom Kelley, school superintendent. "I'm in shock. We're a family here, and we've lost a member of our family."
Washington said by phone Tuesday afternoon, "She is one of those people who is so loving and sweet. I can't say enough nice things about her."
Sitka said Kirstin was "the baby in our family and the apple of our eyes."
"She was very polite. She did well in school. I'd be very surprised if she ever said anything bad about anyone," Sitka said. "She was never in a bad mood and always had a smile on her face."
Monday's 911 call came in to the sheriff's office about 11:15 p.m.
Kirstin was hog hunting Monday night with four companions on a ranch southwest of Yoakum off Farm-to-Market Road 3010 when the accidental shooting happened, according to a news release from the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office.
DeWitt County Justice of the Peace Bill Robinson has ordered an autopsy by the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office. The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting.
Link (http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/847/story/381125.html)
Yoakum teen killed
16-year-old student loved cheerleading and her family
BY SONNY LONG - SLONG@VICAD.COM
December 23, 2008 - 10:33 p.m.
YOAKUM - Kirstin Wenske loved being a cheerleader.
"She loved everything about it. She loved being in front of people. She loved competing. She was so full of life," said Karen Washington, Kirstin's cheer sponsor from junior high school.
Kirstin, a 16-year-old member of the Yoakum High School varsity cheerleading squad, died late Monday night in an apparent hunting accident in rural DeWitt County.
Washington and her triplet daughters have known Kirstin since the girls were in kindergarten. The girls all took dance class together. Kirstin also cheered competitively for K&L Tumbletown in Sweet Home and played on the tennis team.
Elorine Sitka, Kirstin's aunt, agreed with Washington.
"She simply loved cheerleading. She also loved her friends and family and she loved the elderly," Sitka said.
Both Sitka and Washington told the story of Kirstin regularly visiting an elderly neighbor.
"She would go over and watch soap operas with her if she wasn't in school. She'd go to the store with her. She'd go to Dairy Queen with her," Sitka said.
"She would go out of her way to do nice things for people," Washington added. "She truly cared about people and she loved her family."
Sitka said that during Kirstin's 16th birthday party on Dec. 8, during which aunts and uncles came to town from miles away, Kirstin said the party would be perfect if her dad was there.
Kirstin's father, Sitka's brother Alvin Wenske, died from cancer six years ago on Dec. 30, Sitka said.
"They are together now," Sitka said. "And he's got his arms wrapped around her."
Kim Norman, Kirstin's older sister, arrived in Yoakum from Celina about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and spoke fondly of her.
"She wanted to be everyone's friend," said Norman. "She was an amazing aunt to my kids. She loved them and they loved her."
She is also survived by her mother, Sharon Wenske, and a brother, Kevin Wenske of Houston.
The Yoakum community, too, is feeling the pain of loss.
"It is devastating. This community and the Yoakum school district are devastated," said Tom Kelley, school superintendent. "I'm in shock. We're a family here, and we've lost a member of our family."
Washington said by phone Tuesday afternoon, "She is one of those people who is so loving and sweet. I can't say enough nice things about her."
Sitka said Kirstin was "the baby in our family and the apple of our eyes."
"She was very polite. She did well in school. I'd be very surprised if she ever said anything bad about anyone," Sitka said. "She was never in a bad mood and always had a smile on her face."
Monday's 911 call came in to the sheriff's office about 11:15 p.m.
Kirstin was hog hunting Monday night with four companions on a ranch southwest of Yoakum off Farm-to-Market Road 3010 when the accidental shooting happened, according to a news release from the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office.
DeWitt County Justice of the Peace Bill Robinson has ordered an autopsy by the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office. The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting.
Link (http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/847/story/381125.html)