One loved space and the northern lights. The other loved cats, dogs and wolves.
The two girls who died Saturday in an ATV accident in Afton were remembered Tuesday for their bright smiles, infectious laughs and love of family.
Alexis “Lexi” Gibson, 10, of Mahtomedi, got to spend Saturday afternoon with her best friend Savanna Koeckeritz, 10, at Savanna’s house in Afton. The girls went ATV riding and planned to go to a movie that evening.
When the girls didn’t return in time to leave for the movie, a relative went out looking for them, sources said. They were found trapped under the ATV.
Relatives were able to push the ATV off the girls, sources said, and started CPR. Another relative called 911.
Deputies and first responders arrived at the Koeckeritz property in the 1000 block of Neal Avenue around 5 p.m. Saturday, according to the Washington County sheriff’s office. The officers and responders also attempted life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful. Both girls died at the scene.
Neither of the girls was wearing a helmet, and no adult was with them on the ATV, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said. The Koeckeritzes live on an 8-acre property in northern Afton.
Girls attended New Heights School
Both girls were fourth-graders in the combined fourth/fifth-grade class at New Heights School in Stillwater. Both had been enrolled in the K-12 charter school since kindergarten, said Principal Tom Kearney.
Lexi and Savanna’s deaths “have left a giant hole in our school community,” Kearney said. “Lexi and Savanna were both good students and friends to many throughout the school, but especially to those in their classroom.”
Each of the girls has a sibling who attends New Heights, which has only 110 students, Kearney said.
Kearney asked that the girls’ families, friends and school community be given “appropriate space and time … to mourn the untimely and unimaginable loss of these precious young girls. They will be long remembered as members of the New Heights community.”
‘She loved space and the northern lights’
Lexi was known for her infectious laugh, sparkling brown eyes and brilliant smile, a family spokeswoman said.
“She loved space and the northern lights,” the spokeswoman said. “She was an old soul. She was ahead of her time, an adult in a kid’s body.”
Lexi shared an undeniable bond with her older sister, Haley Collmar, 19, and loved spending time with her mother, Casey Lewis, the spokeswoman said.
“Lexi possessed wisdom beyond her years,” her obituary states. “Her family knows the hole left by her absence will be impossible to fill.”
Funeral services are pending. Bradshaw Funeral Home in Stillwater is handling the arrangements.
‘She made friends wherever she went’
Savanna was a “sweet-hearted and loving child who was adored by everyone she met,” according to her obituary. “She always had a smile on her face, a hug to give, and always wanted to snuggle up to watch a movie or read a book.”
Savanna, the daughter of Lance and Jennifer Koeckeritz, loved going camping, riding ATVs, boating, knee-boarding, riding her bike, driving around in the golf cart with her brother, going on motorcycle rides with her father and doing art projects with her sister. She loved animals, especially cats, dogs and wolves.
“Savanna was fearless,” her obituary states. “She would ride any ride at the amusement park – even the biggest roller coasters. She loved the thrill and the wind in her hair. (She) loved to try new things, especially different foods.”
Savanna loved her friends and would spend hours chatting and playing games with them on her phone, according to her obituary.
“She was so outgoing and friendly, she made friends wherever she went,” the obit states. “Savanna truly enjoyed life. She was always wearing a smile and wanted everyone to be happy. She would tell jokes, make funny faces and do silly dances just to make people laugh.”
In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sister, Vannessa, and her brother, Devin, and her half-siblings, Tyler, Austin, Shantel and Shayla Koeckeritz, and her grandparents, Jeanne and Robert Marquet, and Sydney and Rose Harwitz.
Savanna’s funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Afton, with visitation from 4-8 p.m. Friday at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home in Woodbury and at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church.
Two online fundraisers for the Koeckeritz family have been organized by family friends. As of Tuesday evening, the fundraisers combined had raised more than $3,000.
“Lance K. and Jen K. lost their 10-year-old daughter and her BFF over the weekend to an accident,” read one of the posts on GoFundMe. “Our hearts are with these two and their family and friends as they figure out how to deal with an impossible situation. In the meantime, as you can imagine, this community, family and friends need to show how strong we are and show them our support.”
“The Koeckeritz family was devastated by the loss of their 10-year-old daughter Savanna and her best friend in an unfortunate ATV accident,” read the other. “There are no words to truly describe the unimaginable loss of one’s child.”
A 13-year-old Chisago City boy also was killed in an ATV accident on Saturday. Authorities in Chisago County were called to the scene of an ATV rollover accident involving Mason Lee Demenge in Lent Township around 12:20 p.m.
Mason, who was wearing a helmet, was flown to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he later died.
Mason was a student at Chisago Lakes Middle School.
