SOAP LAKE GIRL REMEMBERED
A candlelight vigil Sunday evening outside of Soap Lake High School honored 17-year-old Sheila Rosenberg The high school student was pronounced dead at the scene after she was ejected from a car that struck a driveway The wreck survivor, a 17-year-old boy, remains in critical condition at Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane.
MOSES LAKE - Sheila Rosenberg had an infectious smile, loved life and always cheered others up.
"She was my idol," said her cousin, Emily Allen. "She was always happy and always doing something. She was friends with a lot of people."
On Sunday evening, Rosenberg's mother, aunt, cousins and friends gathered in the fields of Soap Lake High School and held a candlelight vigil honoring the 17-year-old high school senior.
Rosenberg died Saturday morning, after she was ejected from a 2001 silver Pontiac Sunfire after it hit a driveway culvert.
The candlelight vigil was organized by Soap Lake High School students and quickly spread by word-of-mouth and social media outlets like Facebook.
"I think there were close to 100 people there," said vigil organizer Savanna Korolak. "We felt we needed to be together and needed support from each other."
Students brought instruments and sang in honor of their friend.
Korolak said the vigil provided a chance for attendees to share memories of Rosenberg, who played volleyball, basketball and participated in track.
"People should never take friends for granted because you never know what could happen," said Korolak.
Rosenberg's family was impressed by the students' efforts.
"We have a wonderful community and a great group of children. They put together a candlelight vigil by themselves, they sang and it was so beautiful," said Rosenberg's aunt, Hope Ellsworth.
Family members said there was never a dull moment with Rosenberg.
"I remember a couple of summers ago when I was living with Sheila, we were messing around with her dog and the dog ran into the bathroom door and broke it. We used glue and nail polish to try to put it back together," recalled her cousin.
"My niece was a beautiful human being. I keep seeing all these pictures on Facebook of her and all her friends and they are amazing. She had an infectious smile and she was always upbeat and happy," said Ellsworth.
The other passenger in the car, 17-year-old Pavel Turchik remains in critical condition at Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane, according to Ellsworth.
Family members have set up a donation account at US Bank called the Sheila Mae Rosenberg Memorial.
The fund will pay for funeral services, according to Ellsworth.