She may have put a hand up to protect herself, because the tip of one finger was blown away, he said, but she couldnt have had time to do more. Cassie Bernall was a victim of the Columbine High School shooting. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Cassie's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Bernall family tree. Cassie accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior that weekend. Her character was transformed, the girl said, even though Cassie didnt understand religious terms like being saved or born again. [9][17] However, the book ultimately leaves it up to the audience to make up their own mind about what happened. George Kochaniec, Pool, The Associated Press. Friends and family of Laura Townsend used markers to cover her casket with handwitten memories before her funeral service Monday afternoon, April 26, 1999. He said that a young woman had greatly inspired the country sixteen years ago by facing a gunman at Columbine and had thus declined to deny God while being challenged about her faith. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. One gunmen asked her, Do you believe in God? She paused, then uttered her last word, Yes. Why?, the gunman said as shot her in the head without waiting for an answer. According to her parents, who lovingly called her Bunny Rabbit, Cassie liked rock climbing in Breckinridge. This is a carousel with slides. Erics legs turned. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Cassie Bernall (5742897)? Cassie rallies with fevered altar calls erupted around the globe. Cassie Ren Bernall (November 6, 1981 April 20, 1999) was a student who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre, where 11 more students and a teacher were killed by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide. The March was organized to address "the ills of black communities and call for unity and revitalization of African American communities". The church is going to stick to the martyr story. cemeteries found in Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 1 death record, 2 followers 54 favorites. She was Rachel's teacher. One of the first students to escape from Columbine High School is questioned by police. LITTLETON, Colo. As Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, Cassie fed the world with one word, Yes,' said Dave McPherson, youth minister at West Bowles Community Church, Littleton, Colo., the Sunday after Cassie Bernall was slain at Columbine High School. Briefly. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. She paused, like she didnt know what she was going to answer, and then she said yes. Cassie Bernalls faith at gunpoint reverberates nationally, globally, By Art Toalston, Baptist Press, April 28, 1999. But a key change in her life occurred in March 1997 after a friend from the Christian school she was then attending invited her to a mountain retreat. Prices as low as $895. It led the Bernalls to take extraordinary steps to rescue her from the influence of negative friends, including moving to a new neighborhood. She looked into Cassies brown eyes. [9], Bernall's presentation as a Christian martyr has led to her serving as the inspiration for several songs, including Flyleaf's "Cassie"[18] and Michael W. Smith's "This Is Your Time". He joined The Post as a photo editor in 2012. Jared Anderson, a 1995 Columbine Alumni, grieves after giving a speech and prayer in memory of Lauren Townsend who was shot and killed in the Columbine High School shooting. They just blew her away. A sheriffs department investigator who attends the Bernalls church later found Cassie lying under a table. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Columbine High School senior Lisa Kreutz, in wheelchair, is hugged and presented her diploma by school administrator Barb Monseu, left, during graduation in Greenwood Village, Colo. on Saturday, May 22, 1999. Joshua Lapp, another witness of the library shootings, mentioned that the question of whether they believed in God was asked by the perpetrators to many people and the responses received did not seem to have made the perpetrators decide whom to shoot and whom to spare. Castaldo needs to shift his weight periodically through the day to prevent skins sores and increase circulation. Article content. In September 1911, Angus McAulay and Harry Suters opened what eventually became McAulay and Wallace Mortuary. Rachel, a fun-loving participant in drama and forensics, had told friends she was considering graduating early to travel with a Christian drama team and perhaps later to become a missionary or to work with troubled youth, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reported. Cassie's life was rightly centered on Jesus . Patrick Traylor is Senior Editor for Photography and Multimedia at The Denver Post, a position he has held since 2018. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Coxey was in class when shooting broke out at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, but managed to escape. [16], In October 1999, Bernall's mother, Misty Bernall, authored the book She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall. The Rocky Mountain News, which had been investigating the story for months, followed the next day, with a much more detailed account. Roy Miller, Jefferson County School Security Patrol Officer, stands guard outside the still sealed off library. What is Cassie's ethnicity and where did her parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Many people have come to Clement Park to place flowers at the many memorial sites in the park, April 28, 1999. Anderson gathered 20-30 Columbine alumni at Clement Park on April 22, 1999. This memorial has 15 crosses, one each for the 13 victims and two more for the shooters, Harris and Klebold. A rescue worker rests on the back of an ambulance on while working the scene at Columbine High School in Littleton on April 20, 1999. Instead, Cassies death has landed them in a never-ending jungle of conflicting emotions. Incidentally, Cassie was not the lone Christian killed at Columbine High April 20. Media from all over the world has descended on Littleton after Tuesday's shooting at Columbine High School. We're dedicated to helping you through this stressful time with a simple, easy process that takes the burden off of you. Cassie's friend Emily Wyant, who was next to her in the library when she was shot, also told the family that the question had not been asked. It was strong. People around the world have heard about this, the girl who died a martyr, he said. Everyone believed it. Tom Mauser, whose 15-year-old son Daniel was murdered during the Columbine High School shooting, speaks along with other families affected by gun violence, urging Gov. Learn more about merges. Cassie liked spending time outdoors. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. A young girl did profess her faith in God at gunpoint, but she lived to tell about it. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Ellie Elmore, age 21, a CCU (Denver) student, writes a positive message on Klebold's cross. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. See the events in life of Cassie Bernall in Chronological Order, (Victim of Columbine High School Massacre), http://emo1212.blogspot.com/2010/10/she-said-yes.html, https://www.spotern.com/en/people/4445/cassie-bernall. Share what Cassie did for a living or if she had a career or profession. The parents of Columbine shooting victim Cassie Bernall are still morning her death 20 years later. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/cassie-bernall-43398.php. The biggest . Considered a martyr to the cause of Christianity, Cassie continues to inspire people across the world. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. 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People talk about her smile, ability to listen, selflessness and caring character, but Bernall also points out her stubborn daughter was equally capable of selfishness and behaving like a spoiled 2-year-old. Daniel Bateman, pictured at far left, viewing the crosses is a former Lakewood resident that had many friends that attended Columbine High. Kreutz was shot during the shooting rampage at the school on April 20 that left a total of 15 dead. Cassie spoke of her faith in a youth group video just two days before her death. Bernall family member is 70. Who is Cassie Bernall to you? When you share, or just show that you care, the heart LITTLETON, Colo. (BP)Cassie Bernalls mother believes her daughters life proclaims it is better to die for what you believe in than to live a lie. Her parents resolved to enrol her at a new school, the Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, to help her start afresh. Site by Mere. The blast was so loud, it temporarily blew out most of Emilys hearing. One traumatized young boy made a simple mistake, and the story spread like fire. She made a full recovery, and her story never varied. Select the next to any field to update. She also enjoyed fishing and rock climbing. Cassie was killed in the April 20 massacre at Columbine High School after one of the gunman asked her if she believed in God. Unfortunately, in spring 2016 the website went offline and was nowhere to be found again. President Bill Clinton and students applaud as Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis, left, is introduced at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton, Colo., Thursday, May 20, 1999. According to the Internet site ReligionToday, Rachel Joy Scott, 17, who was also killed in the library, had led a weekly prayer and Bible study group of fellow teens the past year and a half at Orchard Road Christian Center, an Assemblies of God congregation. She died because of one little word, "yes.". The story was reported virtually everywhere, by every legitimate outlet. On April 20, 1999, two perpetrators, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, twelfth grade (senior) students of the school, killed twelvestudents and a teacher, and injured twenty-four others, before they took their own lives. Biography ID: 80209726. Investigators later brought Craig back into the library, where he indicated where the voice had come fromwhere Val had been, the exactly opposite direction of Cassie. Try again later. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Vice President Al Gore along with his wife Tipper, place flowers at a memorial at Clement Park Sunday afternoon, April 25, 1999, to honor the families and victims of the Columbine shooting. [7] Her family had no knowledge of her death until April 22, when they were notified. [12], Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Scott, was a student also in the library during the massacre who told investigators that he had heard one of the shooters ask a victim whether or not they believed in God during the shooting, and that the victim answered, "Yes." Thats why she waited so long. Cassies family also came up with a statement backing the accuracy of the memoir, mentioning that they had spoken to four witnesses who had told them that Cassie had defended her faith before being gunned down. 26 reviews 3 followers. Friends and family of the victim of the Columbine High School massacre signed the . Students are bused away from Columbine High School after they escaped from the school with police assistance. In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. It was reported that Bernall had been asked whether or not she believed in God, and she said "Yes", before being shot during the massacre. Despite this, the Bernalls issued a statement standing behind the accuracy of their book, saying they had spoken to four witnesses who had told them that she had defended her faith before being killed. The casket for Cassie Bernall is carried out of West Bowles Community Church after the funeral on April 26, 1999. But she knew that if she said yes, she would die, Koeniger said. For three generations, the McAulay family owned and operated the funeral homes in Fullerton and Yorba Linda. Her name is Valeen Schnurr. Cassie Ren Bernall was an American student who was shot to death during the 'Columbine High School' massacre. McPherson told The Post he well remembers meeting with the sullen youth who spoke in monosyllables. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. We have set your language to Participants in memorial for Cassie Bernall carrying 13 crosses in memory of Cassie & 12 other victims of last April's massacre at Columbine High. Failed to delete memorial. It was believed for a long time that Cassie was the victim who had faced the fateful question "Do you believe in God?" Who were the people in Cassie's life? Yes, I believe in God, Cassie, 17, told the gun- and pipe bomb-wielding gunman. The story persisted even decades later. Friends can be as close as family. Cassie became known worldwide for courageously affirming her faith as she faced death. Brad keeps saying that if there is one thing that makes all of this bearable, its the fact that Cassie is in heaven, Bernall writes. A member of the estimated 70,000 person crowd raises a sign with the message 'There Are Angles Among US' during the Memorial Service for the victims of the Columbine High School shooting, April 25, 1999, at the Mann Theatre on Bowles Ave. in Littleton. Nielson eventually dropped the phone to take cover, but it continued recording, and the FBI lab enhanced the tape. One of the earliest reports of her fateful affirmation was on CNNs Larry King Live. In addition to the NPR segment, she was described on ABCs 20/20 newsmagazine April 26 as a modern-day martyr who refused to renounce her faith. The headline of a story about her death in The Boston Globe April 24 read, A martyr amid the madness, while The Washington Post also employed the concept of martyrdom in an April 27 story. 15 crosses honoring those that died in the Columbine High School shooting rest on a hill at Clement Park, April 30, 1999. By Sunday, it was being reported by major media and proclaimed from pulpits around the world. Her mother found letters in her bedroom discussing her thoughts of killing her parents, and they decided to send her to a new school, Columbine High School, for a new start. The book reached No. Cassies Yes came in response to the question, Do you believe in God? posed by one of the two deranged classmates who shot her to death, along with 11 other students and a teacher, and wounding nearly two dozen others, before taking their own lives in a April 20 melee at the 1,900-student school. Another witness, Joshua Lapp, said the question was asked to many and the answer probably did not dictate the fates of the victims. Val's table was on the inside edge of the library, near the hallway. CASSIE BERNALL APRIL 19, 1999I WILL DIE FOR MY GOD. Cassie was still praying. Schnurr had shouted "Oh, my God, oh, my God, don't let me die." We share yesterday, to build meaningful connections today, and preserve for tomorrow. when she died at the age of 17. Rohrbough, 15, whose April 26 funeral was at Littletons Grace Presbyterian Church, was shot in the back while holding open a door to let others escape from the gunfire. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. The churchs pastor, Dwight R. Blackstock, said Rohrbough might still be alive if hed have made a little different choice. Try again later. It is just that I have personally received great strength and new faith, since I have known of Cassies story for the first time, by reading her mothers book, and I have focused some parts of my religious life about her. Her April 24 funeral was attended by nearly 2,000 people. Im sad that she had to go in the way that she did with two killers, but Im happy that she went dying for Christ.. She began to smile. Naturally, her parents are comforted by the thought of her being in heaven. dissection of the rise and fall of the myth. Cassie Bernall, a 17-year-old killed in the massacre, was an international sensation for about five months. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. This video is a tribute to Cassie Bernall, one of the Columbine High School shooting victims, who died along with 13 others, in what became the biggest and most tragic massacre at a school in. Not our kind of hope.. Emily didnt have toshe was facing perpendicular to Erics stance, so she could look straight at Cassie and see Eric just to her left at the same time. Some days they make headway, and on others they get tangled or fall down, she writes. It was widely believed that Cassie was the girl in the library who was asked whether she believed in God, to which she had answered Yes, before being killed by Eric Harris, one of the perpetrators. Victims Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott were both heralded for their faith after the shooting. Cassie had planned to have it cut really short, her aunt said, quoting Cassie as saying, I want enough hair for two or three kids, as many kids as possible.. Please enter your email and password to sign in. She could see the light flashing out in the hallway. In She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall, Misty Bernall writes that she still struggles with the question of why anyone would kill her daughter. Do you believe in God?, She wavered. [9], The deaths of Bernall and fellow student and Christian Rachel Scott during the Columbine massacre led both to be subsequently depicted and remembered by groups of evangelical Christians as Christian martyrs. Which explains why 16 years later, a presidential candidate is still repeating it. Cassies family was informed about her death after a couple of days of the massacre. Along with her brother Chris, she was brought up in a Christian home. Bush who was seeking his second term. Plough Publishing is also marketing a 25-minute video about Cassies life. The letters were addressed to her friend Mona and mentioned Cassies idea of killing her parents and committing suicide. BY ANCESTRY.COM, Golden Cemetery 755 Ulysses St, in Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado 80401, United States. Cassie went to a martyrs death, pastor George Kirsten told the mourners, and were going to celebrate that because shes in the martyrs hall of fame., McPherson, the youth minister, said in his message, What the church has talked about for 2,000 years, what every church in this world has talked about on a daily basis, Cassie, you did it., Several years earlier, Cassie had been a troubled middle-school student who, as The Denver Post put it, was enthralled by witchcraft, suicide and a view of life so dark that her desperate parents dragged her to meet with McPherson. She Said Yes includes two chapters about that rebellion. Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park -- again, Family gets unexpected bill after Kaiser Permanente Colorado software error that resulted in refunds to thousands, Skygazers will have a great view Wednesday of two planets that look like they are almost touching. You really cant live without Christ. A Columbine High School shooting victim is brought to St. Anthony Central hospital by helicopter. Resend Activation Email. They made it and Danny didnt, according to an account of the funeral in the Denver Rocky Mountain News. For her funeral yesterday morning, friends of Cassie Bernall had stitched together a video, interspersing their remembrances of the Columbine High School junior with photographs of the young. It was the first time students returned to the school since the April 20 shooting spree that killed 12 students and a teacher, ending with the gunmen, both students, taking their own lives. [13][14] Christian churches used the martyr narrative of Scott's and Bernall's deaths to promote themselves and recruit members. Columbine High School teacher Sue Caruthers placed carnations at each cross. Sixteen years ago, he said, this country was tremendously inspired by a young woman who faced a gunman in Columbine and was challenged about her faith and she refused to deny God. Shrines include flowers, notes, signs, teddy bears and sports jerseys. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. An estimated crowd of 70,000 were on hand for the event. The book by Cassie's mother, Misty Bernall "She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall" was . Sanders, 47, who had taught at Columbine 24 years, then went upstairs to aid other students, dragging one who had been wounded in the leg to safety, before being shot twice in the chest. A controversy evolved around the claims that Cassie was a martyr, as several witnesses claimed that the question was asked to another student, Valeen Schnurr, who survived the massacre. The average age of She was rebellious, involving herself with witchcraft, drugs, drinking, and cutting herself. One of them asked her if she believed in God. IT'S HARD AND SCARY,BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT." Its a comforting thought, sure, but it doesnt lessen the pain of missing her. July 16, 2012. Theres no hope for that girl, he admitted thinking afterward. Tulip is a partner of Ever Loved, and while we may receive compensation if you call or engage with the business, we only partner with businesses that we would recommend to our own loved ones. And she definitely doesn't want to be known as the girl who punctured the myth of Cassie Bernall. Dave Cullen is the author ofColumbineand the upcomingSoldiers First. Your Premier Provider for Low Cost Cremations Cremations as low as $ Low-cost cremations Low price guaranteed Call Us Today 844-550-7897 About Accu-Care Cremation & Funerals Accu-Care was launched in 1992 and has provided over 27 years of The Biography piece is collaborative, where we work together to present the facts. So, whatever it takesI will be one who lives in the freshnewness of life of those who are alive from the dead., Cassie had planned to cut her corn silk-colored hair that hung halfway down her back and give it to someone who makes wigs for kids who are going through chemo, her aunt, Kayleen Bernall, told The Denver Post. She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall is a memoir by Misty Bernall about the life of her daughter Cassie Bernall who was killed during the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. In a statement issued at Cassie's funeral, her parents said:"Her life was rightly centered around our Lord Jesus. I don't begrudge anyone telling the myth in 1999. Cassie R Bernall of Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado was born on November 6, 1981, and died at age 17 years old on April 20, 1999. Unlock the mysteries of your family history and explore the rich tapestry of your past with AncientFaces.