Chenoa Plank Funeral

"Hey Dad, there's some new girl in my class and her parents want us to carpool."  That was the first I ever heard of Chenoa, way back when she was in the third grade.  The next day I met with Lou and Rhonda in my driveway to discuss the details.  They left hours later and we were friends as if we had known each other for years.

Over the years of car pools, dinners, camping trips, and girl scouts I came to know Chenoa and her family like they were my own. 

Chenoa grew into such an incredible young lady with so many talents and skills.  She was a climber, a fiddler (although some would say a violinist also).  She fished, camped, played soccer and spoke fluent German.

She was most passionate about skiing.  Especially telemark skiing.  One time I took her snowboarding and she really picked it up fast, but her love continued to be skiing no matter how hard my daughter and I tried to bring her to the "dark side".  I would constantly inform her that there seemed to be something wrong with her skis as her heel was not secured and she would tell me that snowboarding was for people who couldn't ski.  Our winters together on the slopes were memorable.  Skiing became one of Chenoa's passions and she got to live her dream by working at Alta.  That place meant so much to Chenoa.
Chenoa's father Lou and I would take the girls on camping trips, climbing excursions, and we would have midweek get-togethers at each others houses.  As the kids grew older and went to different high schools I feared that we would lose our friendship as we saw less of each other, but even though Chenoa and my daughter pursued different interests they remained close, as did our families.  Lou is one of my best friends and I feel like we have known each other our whole lives.

Chenoa went on to college, moved to Colorado, and moved back.  Although she was growing up, she was always good old CC every time I saw her.

The one thing I remember most about Chenoa through the years was that she was always great be around.  She was friendly, smiling, and constantly laughing, often at her own jokes.  She was engaging, positive, and pleasant.  She was inseparable from her family, especially her two sisters and her mom. Her family meant much to her and that "family" included many people.  She also had an unparalleled love for animals and that love was special for Hazel, her dog. 



Sadly, Chenoa's journey ended early due to an accidental drowning on Monday, November 12, 2018.  Chenoa and her friend Ben had gone camping and fishing on Strawberry reservoir for a few days and when they failed to return the authorities were alerted.  They found Chenoa's capsized canoe in the water and Hazel on the shore with her life jacket on.  She was vigilantly waiting by where she last saw Chenoa and wouldn't leave until Rhonda and Lou came to retrieve her.  Chenoa was doing what she loved with her friend and beloved dog when the tragic event occurred.  The incredible sadness of this event is based in her love of the outdoors. 

The English language has yet to invent words that describe the depth of grief we all feel when we watch someone like Chenoa leave this earth so young.  Rhonda and Lou are obviously grieving to the core with the loss of their child, but to add to the stress, Chenoa turned 26 just a couple of weeks ago and was removed from her life insurance policy because of that.  To grieve the loss of a child and also suffer the financial hardship of such a sudden cost is just wrong.  I discussed this with Rhonda and Lou and  asked if I could start this account to help with the part that we, as friends and family, could affect.  As a parent and friend I couldn't allow them to go this alone. 

The cost of an unexpected funeral is surprisingly high.  My daughter and I felt that we could help with that by reaching out to family and friends for assistance.