Aurora Central community mourns Ally Bradford, Seth Egger
Seth Egger was a vibrant teen who loved to talk and make friends wherever he went.
Allison “Ally” Bradford was a fierce competitor in sports who could always find time to flash an “infectious smile.”
Both left us far too soon.
Those were just some of the memories hundreds of friends, family members and classmates shared Monday during separate funeral services for the two 16-year-old Aurora Central Catholic High School students who lost their lives in a March 10 car crash along a fog-covered road in Rochelle.
Mourners packed St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurora to remember Seth and celebrate his life. So many people attended the service that some had to sit outside the sanctuary doors and others listened to the service while in the gym one floor below.
“He was that guy that was loved so dearly by everyone,” said Angela Meeks, his first-grade teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School, where Seth attended preschool through eighth grade. “That's the type of person he was. He loved everybody.”
A slideshow before the service included childhood photos of Seth and pictures of him with friends.
Friends and family members who spoke recalled Seth as the kind of teen who would haggle over the price of a smoothie and wouldn't hesitate to set up a friend with a date.
Meeks said Seth was “full of life” with a laugh that made others do the same. He was, she said, the kind of kid who would ask to go sharpen his pencil and then stop at each classmate's desk to visit along the way.
“Life will never quite be the same because our lives intersected with him,” the Rev. Jock Ficken told mourners. “Nor should it be.”
The service ended with the congregation singing “Amazing Grace.”
Hours later, many of the same mourners remembered Ally's life during a service at St. Rita of Cascia Catholic Church in Aurora, where speakers were set up outside so those who couldn't find a seat could still hear the service.
Aurora Central Principal the Rev. F. William Etheredge conducted the service and reminded mourners that Ally had grown up while attending kindergarten through eighth grade at St. Rita of Cascia School.
“What a beautiful girl,” he said. “What a loving child and student and friend.”
He said Ally put her heart into everything she tackled, but especially in sports where she participated in softball, volleyball, basketball and track.
“And it's that that we ought to celebrate,” he said.
The service ended with the hymn, “On Eagle's Wings.”
Seth, of Montgomery, and Ally, of Aurora, were killed when the SUV in which they were riding did not stop at a red light in foggy conditions and collided with a semitrailer truck en route to a regional basketball game at Rochelle High School. The crash occurred about 5:55 p.m. on Route 38 at Dement Road in Rochelle, state police said.
The driver of the SUV, 17-year-old Jared Friedrich of Aurora, is being treated at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.
Three other Aurora Central Catholic students — Liam Doyle, Cori Dahl and Hannah Bradford — escaped with minor injuries.
Aurora Central held a prayer vigil for both students Sunday night and classes were canceled on Monday.
The Daily Herald requested and received permission from both families to cover the funerals.
Friends and relatives of Ally and Seth set up separate fundraising websites to help pay funeral expenses. Both can be found at gofundme.com by typing “Ally Bradford” or “Seth Egger” in the search bar marked with the magnifying glass. As of Monday afternoon, Ally's fund had raised more than $25,000 while more than $38,000 has been collected on Seth's behalf.