A speech for Kelsey by Lindsay Holleran

Photo by John Strickler/The Mercury

It’s been one year since our beloved Kelsey left us. One year of sadness and wondering why. That day will forever be burned in my memory as one of the worst days I’ll ever experience.

As you all know, Kelsey was an amazing girl. She had the ability to break any awkwardness and could befriend anyone. She was the type of friend you only get once in a lifetime. If you needed something, she would drop anything for you.

I consider myself very lucky that I had the chance to be a part of Kelsey’s time here, as should all of you. She loved with everything in her and had more passion than anyone I’ve ever met. Although I wish more than anything she was here with us today, I find peace in knowing that wherever she is, She is happy and free from any hardships we face down here.

 Kelsey was so very important to me. She was my go-to girl. When I was with her, there was never a dull moment. Whether we were driving around singing songs or going out to every restaurant; we always had a good time. She was the true definition of a best friend. The impact she left on all of us is outstanding. Something we all will never forget. Kelsey, Just know that until we meet again I will miss you with all of my heart. We love you so much.

A speech for Kelsey by Molly Minahan

Kelsey always used to say since Pre-School, “ My little baby” -that is what she always called me.  I met Kelsey way back in preschool and we were inseparable.  Every day she would plead with my mom to let me go back to her house and play.  My mom usually gave in and we then had a great time back at Kelsey’s house with her Oma having tea parties and being silly.

After preschool, Kelsey went off to the Renaissance Academy, and we were separated.  Until one day, in the early  morning on the first day of fifth grade.  The bus pulled up in front of the Kramer’s house and I thought, “this house looks so familiar.”  And then there she was standing in front of me grinning from ear to ear, the way she always did.  Then, I looked up at her and said “I think I remember you” and Kels replied “Duh, we were best friends in preschool.”  From that point on we were stuck like glue to each other.  Sure, we had our issues just like all girls do, but I loved her.  She was my best friend.  She was a great listener and a great person all around.  She was just someone who I enjoyed every minute with.  I’ll always remember our beach trips, long walks, sleepovers, and watching every Disney movie possible together.  We had so many memories over the years that it is hard to count.  I’ll miss her advice, and guidance.  Her smile said it all, and I will carry it in my heart forever.

 I will come to this bridge, and I will think of her.  The past year has been a time of quiet reflection.  I miss her.  I know we all do.  I will never forget Kelsey and the memories I shared with her.  I will keep her smile in my soul as I go through life.  This  is Kelsey’s Legacy-her smile, this bridge, her beautiful memory.


I would like to thank everyone who made this day a reality.  My father, Fred Minahan, my brother, Arthur, Mr. Santangelo and Mr. & Mrs. Wynn.  All of my classmates and anyone who put any time into making Kelsey’s Bridge happen-  I thank you. To the Kramer’s , thank you and especially to Kelsey- thank you.

A speech for Kelsey by Kyle Baker

Her smile. That is what I will remember most. No matter what kind of day I was having Kelsey could always make me smile. She always had that smile on her face as well.

I will never forget the first day of freshmen year standing with Kelsey at the vending machines during lunch. A piece of paper fell out of her wallet and I glanced down at it and picked it up. On that paper was the quote "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end."

Since that day, that quote has stuck with me. The quote has proven to not only help myself, but to help others, which is what Kelsey was all about. I will never forget the times I shared with Kelsey. I will never forget the care free girl with her sunglasses on and her hands out of the sunroof blaring the radio as we just drove. Kelsey has been my best friend since the first day of freshmen year, and she still continues to be. I love you to death Kelsey, and you're always with me.

A speech for Kelsey by Steve Campbell

I was Kelsey’s middle school soccer coach, so I knew her from that fairly narrow perspective. But I could tell from the first week of 7th grade that she was different.  I can’t really define different, but I mean it in the most complimentary way possible.  Kelsey was quirky and goofy and funny, all in a way that seemed to make the other girls want to be around her to share in the fun.  Whatever “it” is that I can’t define, I know Kelsey had more of it than most people I have met.

Everyone talks about Kelsey’s smile.  I think Kelsey’s real gift was that she made people around her want to smile as brightly as she did.   I know that for 2 years she made me smile, most of the time shaking my head as I was doing it, but still smiling the whole time.

It is unusual to think about learning things from a 14 yr old, but that is what happened with Kelsey.  There are many moments in a day, a week, to be thankful for, but Kelsey showed me how not just to be thankful but to be joyous for those moments.

Bill and Lori, I miss your kid.   We won’t forget her

A prayer for Kelsey by Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Welcome, my friends, to Kelsey’s Bridge! 

It is for this moment that we have worked together, cried together and cared together, remembering that that is exactly what life is supposed to be about, working together, crying together, caring together.  Kelsey Kramer’s life reminds us of the truth that we can all be bridges to another precious human heart. This Bridge will continue to remind us of that truth. The Garden reminds us to plant seeds of love and beauty, always. 

In this last year, we have watched the hand of God work miracles uniting us. We have joined with strangers who have become friends. We have heard stories that have become our stories. We have been embraced by unspeakable kindness and generosity that refuse to let us go. There is no doubt that God is with us.

Let us pray - Creating God, we give you thanks that faith illuminates our community this day. In your mercy you have richly blessed us, by your grace you have once again guided us to a place where your promises take root and grow miraculously before our very eyes. Now, Great God, we pray your blessings upon Kelsey’s Bridge which we dedicate to you this day; remind us often of her dedication to you and her steadfast resolve to bridge us to one another. May your presence meet all who enter here. Amen.

We dedicate Kelsey’s Bridge – for the comfort of all who need it, for strength to those who are weak, for light to those who seek the Way. God Bless you all!!

A speech for Kelsey by Nicole Monk

On September 22nd 2011 at exactly 6am I woke up from my house phone ringing. I remember just lying in bed having the worst feeling knowing that there was something wrong. I remember thinking “oh my god Kelsey never texted me back last night”. Kelsey was always on her phone, it was like her prize possession so when she never responded to my I love you text it worried me. I replay the moments over and over again in my head every day.

When I found out who called my house and why they called my heart dropped. All I knew was that she got into a car accident the night before. Mr. Kramer told my parents to get a hold of our friends so we could visit her in the hospital. I will never forget walking back to my room and sitting on my bed, not being able to think of whom Kelsey and I were best friends with.

My mind just went blank. I snapped out of it and contacted a lot of people. Lindsay, Alex and I got to the hospital right after our friend Emily did. When we were close to Kelsey’s room Emily’s mom came up to us really upset and said “brace yourself,” I just thought "what the heck is going on?"

We were realizing that this was a lot worse than we thought. So many people came to the hospital that day to show love and support for Kelsey and her family. I am so lucky to have met and became best friends with someone that made that much of an impact on so many people’s lives.

She accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. She made everyone feel welcomed and loved no matter who you were. Kelsey had so many amazing qualities to her but the one I loved the most was how reliable she was. She was such an awesome friend.

I felt like I could go to her for anything and never feel judged. And I am sure all of her friends could say that. When she first went to heaven I remember thinking to myself , "how am I going to do this, how are we all going to do this." She was normally the to-go-to person.

Two weeks before Kelsey passed away her and I were in my room talking. She said to me “I don’t know what I would do if you died Nicole.” And I said to her “if you died I would probably stay in my room and just cry.” But I know now Kelsey would not want that. She would want us to all to live our lives to the fullest just like she did. Because Kelsey was such a social person she has many friends so we all have each other to lean on.

If I could say anything to Kelsey right now it would be that I appreciate and love her so much. I wish I told her that so much more than I did. Kelsey is such a strong independent girl and I strongly believe that she is okay and at peace. We may have lost Kelsey physically but she is still here. We gained a beautiful guardian angel who is watching over all of us.

A speech for Kelsey by Phoebe Burkes

Seeing everyone who gathered to show respect to Kelsey and her bridge was proof of how much Kelsey cared for her friends. Kelsey was always there to cheer someone up if they were upset. There were countless times that Kelsey helped me through a tough time. What I miss most though is how she could always make me laugh no matter how upset I was. It took me a long time to realize that she is still looking out for me today and can still making me smile.

My sophomore year, I went to homecoming with Cameron and we ended up spending the whole night with Kelsey and Ryan. In the middle of the dance, Kelsey and I decided we wanted to take pictures, so we drug the boys off the dance floor, redid our hair, put our heels on, and were posing for pictures when Ryan's favorite song came on, "Like a G6". We all booked it back to the dance floor and danced our hearts out to that song. From that night on, I considered "Like a G6" to be our song, the four of us. 

Fast forwarding to this summer, Mr. Kramer invited me over to read all the stories and letters he got from people in honor of Kelsey. I ended up spending four hours with him sharing stories. Which means that for four hours, I cried my eyes out. When I left, after hugs and goodbyes and thank yous, I got in my car. As I was pulling out of the driveway, "Like a G6" came on. It was like Kelsey slapped me on the back and was like,"Okay you're done being sad, enough of that, let's party." I laughed out loud and sang along to the whole song.

Even as far away as she is, she can still make me laugh when I have tears in my eyes. And I think that is what all of us have to remember, she is still looking out for us and she always will.
Thank you.

A speech for Kelsey by Lisa Monk

Thinking of you with love

I think it is pretty obvious how special Kelsey was.  Even after a full year, I am still trying to make sense of what happened and this is not the first time that I’ve lost someone that I loved.  I can’t imagine what her family and her all friends feel.  It doesn’t make sense and it certainly isn’t fair.  It’s no one’s fault, not even Kelsey’s.  It’s simply a tragic accident.  There is no answer to the question WHY?

However, I believe with all my heart that Kelsey is ok, that she wants us to know that she is ok.  I’ve seen Facebook posts to Kelsey, saying they hoped she had a great birthday.  And that made me think, maybe God really needed her up in Heaven.  I mean let’s face it, she had a lot of qualities that I would imagine would be very beneficial in heaven.  

Starting with her energy, which was endless.  She practically bounced off the walls.  She didn’t walk into our house, as much as bounded in.  She would quickly say hello and then run upstairs to Nicole’s room.  10 minutes later, they’d be down looking to see if we had anything good to eat.  All we would see is their backs in our pantry door.  We started stocking chocolate milk and Oreos just for her.

During the summer of 2010, we invited her to spend the first week of our 2 week vacation.  Things worked out so well, we told Nicole she could stay for the 2nd week.  She vacationed with us again in  2011.  She was so easy going.   She never complained how quiet our vacations were.  She LOVED LOVED the beach.  I tried to warn her that she would have to unpack the car since Mr. Monk and Mike were away on a lacrosse tournament.  She  held up your arms and said, don’t worry Mrs. Monk, I am really strong.  And 2 years in a row, we packed and unpacked that car and carried everything up 2 flights of steps.

She was a great social planner.  School breaks, birthday parties, the beach, Halloween, road trips to Hershey park, Dutch Springs, and dances and proms – she liked to plan all the details.  What to wear was always a big deal.  I had the pleasure of going on a couple shopping trips with her and her mom, Lori.  Oh boy, some of the dresses that got tried on!

She was good with little kids and adults.   I’ve seen her with my niece’s twin babies at the beach and I’ve heard lots of stories of how she easily talked with adults and was genuinely concerned about their welfare.  Kelsey was never afraid to talk to anybody.  She would just as easily talk to Mike or Brian, or any of their friends.  At an OJR football game, she would say hi to Brian every time he passed by.  His friends wondered who was the older girl that kept saying hi to him.  That was pretty cool.

Her big smile and sparkling eyes were with her wherever she went.  She had a great smile, because she was obsessed with her teeth.  And she didn’t let anybody get her down.  She would get so excited about everything.  The simplest things, she was so happy to be involved.  She loved being busy.  Yes, she was a great student and a great soccer player.  But that is not the part of her life that I was heavily involved in.  What I got to see, day in and day out, was that she was a great friend to my daughter.  She was fun.  She was dependable.  She was reliable.  She was trustworthy.  I saw what Nicole saw in her.  She was a beautiful young woman with her entire future in front of her.

Heaven doesn’t seem far away anymore.  Rest in peace Kelsey.  We love you and will never forget you.  Forever Strong.


Read by Lisa Monk During the dedication ceremony for Kelsey's Bridge

A speech for Kelsey by Lori Kramer

Bill, Kyle & I would like to thank everyone for being here today for the dedication of Kelsey’s Bridge & Kelsey’s Garden.  It is wonderful to see  so many family, friends & members of the community out here today in remembrance of Kelsey.  She would be so honored.   Today is a bittersweet day for us.  We acknowledge & celebrate the accomplishment of the Kelsey Bridge Project but this also is a day that brings us great sadness as we reflect and remember why this project began.

Out of a tragedy of one, many unite together in Remembrance of Kelsey. That has been the theme since that tragic day of September 23,2011. We have seen so many unite and bond together to remember our Kelsey, to remember the girl who was always smiling.  Those that knew Kelsey well, knew that all she ever wanted was for everyone to get along with each other, to be happy and to do good things in life.  Well, I believe Kelsey is definitely smiling today and she certainly is amazed at all that has been achieved this past year.  She would be honored and humbled by the outpouring of love and support from her family, friends and the community.


Today we celebrate the many wonderful things that have happened since that tragic day


It started with a church community clearing a path-Kelsey’s Path -to allow Kelsey’s friends safe passage to the accident site- a place where friends & family needed to gather. A special thank you to Joyce Shutt and Pastor Hines and Bethel Church community.

A husband and wife-Jeff & Linda Wynn were inspired to create a masterpiece -  Kelsey’s Bridge –as a tribute and in remembrance  of our daughter.  For that we are forever grateful


The vision of Kelsey’s garden & landscape design became a reality through the efforts of many but special thanks to my sister, Linda Gumeny, Phil Santangelo, Fred Minahan and Steve Campbell-without you this beautiful garden would not be possible.  The garden is the frame of the masterpiece  thus completing it.

We have seen a community uniting  together to mourn but also to remember and to honor Kelsey and many are dedicated to doing good things to honor and keep her spirit and memory alive.

This year has seen the initiation of many fundraising activities that were led by friends whose lives were touched by Kelsey . A  very special thank you to : Karen Shimer, Heather Getley, Lisa Monk, Amy Gallagher, Dave Greene & the Barretta Family-Kate, Lindsay & Nicole & the Greenblatt Family-Kimberton Whole Foods, Amanda Keck & Pulse Academy, OJR HS Administration and students. Without you and your efforts to raise funds for this project-today would not be possible.



The creation of a website by Virtual Farm Creative in tribute to Kelsey.  A site that tells of the tragedy but more importantly Kelsey’s  life story.
 

The development of Kelsey’s Scholarship Fund through the OJREF to keep the spirit of Kelsey’s memory forever in our hearts and allows us to give back to the OJR community in Kelsey’s name.

The creation of the Kelsey Kramer Memorial Scholarship Award to the Parisi Speed School in Downingtown.  A scholarship dedicated to the memory and eternal spirit of Kelsey.

Fundraising efforts initiated by Kelsey’s Friends to benefit Kelsey’s Scholarship- Special thanks to Amanda Keck & Pulse Academy, Nick Daniels,Aubrey Steuber, Kevin Hoffman, and Ricki Barto.

A High School that united this year- where the walls between the cliques came down and the kids gathered together as a result of a tragedy and where the different groups-diverse group all came together and got a long with one another.  I have heard this from several of Kelsey’s friends as well as teachers and the administration in OJRHS that things are  very different now since the loss of Kelsey on that tragic day.   Kelsey always had so many diverse groups of friends.  She would be so proud to see everyone getting along as that was her greatest wish.   If this could be sustained –what a  very powerful message that represents and certainly that is what Kelsey would want her legacy to be. For everyone to get along and be happy.

Today could not be possible without the efforts and contributions of so many people.  Our heartfelt thanks to all of you as well as to those that are not able to be with us today.  For this tribute to be a reality there are so so many people to thank and it would be impossible to mention each and everyone that had a part in bringing the vision of Kelsey’s Bridge to reality.  However, there are a few people that I need to mention and expresses our sincere gratitude to:


First to Pastor Hines for her ongoing support & guidance-Thank You ,to Bethel Church for allowing Kelsey’s Bridge  &  Kelsey’s Garden to be placed on Bethel Grove.

Thank You, to Jeff & Linda Wynn for your inspiration, vision and creation of Kelsey’s Bridge-it is truly an inspiring work of art, a masterpiece to honor our daughter, Kelsey.

Thank you to Phil Santangelo & Fred Minahan who built the stonewall & walkway and were instrumental in the landscaping creation.

Thank You, to my sister, Linda Gumeny, who created the landscape design for Kelsey’s garden and coordinated the installation.

Thank you to Phil Santangelo for enabling the vision of a landscape design to become a reality.

Thank You to Steve Campbell who worked to get the donations of the trees, plants and flowers from local nurserys for the landscape design.

Thank You and to everyone who was planting at the planting day


This is a beautiful, beautiful gift and  tribute to Kelsey for which we are eternally grateful.  It is an everlasting gift in remembrance of Kelsey.  And to  everyone else whose name I didn’t mention who contributed either by helping with the bridge,walkway, planting  or contributing to one of the many fundraising activities- Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.

We are forever grateful.  We are so very proud to be part of such a caring & supportive community. Thank you for honoring and remembering our beautiful girl……our beautiful Kelsey.

- Lori Kramer