'I couldn't have asked for a better sister'

Laura and Amanda Engelhardt weren't typical sisters.

"You never stole my stuff, even though I wore a lot of your clothes, which I know drove you nuts (especially your sunglasses), and we never really bickered or fought," older sister Amanda, 23, wrote in a letter printed in Thursday's funeral program. "I couldn't have asked for a better sister."

The 18-year-old didn't get a chance to attend her senior prom or attend the University of Missouri like she planned. Friends said she aspired to be a veterinarian. She excelled in science classes, but still maintained interest in the humanities.

She graduated from St. Peter Lutheran School in Schaumburg from a class of 32 students in 2005 before enrolling in Conant High School. She kept in contact with her friends from elementary school, and the St. Peter clan planned a reunion this year with high school graduation in the rearview mirror. They still plan on meeting, but friends say Engelhardt's absence will leave an irreplaceable void.

Engelhardt wore her floor burns and bruises from playing sports like badges of honor. She proudly displayed her scrapes with a sense of toughness, much like the professional wrestlers she spent hours watching on television with Amanda and her older brother Jeff.

Softball, volleyball and hoops kept her busy, and she enjoyed a loving relationship with her father, Alan Engelhardt, who attended her games and coached her on the St. Peter basketball team in 6th grade and the Schaumburg Blizzard softball team.

"You were my best friend, and you were his," Jeff Engelhardt wrote.

Laura embraced being an aunt to Amanda's 9-month-old daughter.

She loved to talk about pop culture. The "Idol" tour, a concert featuring contestants from the show, was an annual staple for her.

Classmates fondly recall her sense of humor and gregarious presence at school.

"Anyone who met you would quickly understand just how powerful a smile can be," her brother wrote.