I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 25, 1988. Growing up in a Christian home, I accepted Christ into my life at the age of five. After gaining more knowledge over the years, I recommitted my life to Christ at the age of sixteen.
I attended Heritage Christian Academy through 8th grade and graduated from Armstrong High School. Through the years I experienced many joys and also faced hardships. These experiences have shaped who I have become. God has always been there for me, even when I struggled.
Throughout high school I went on four missions trips to Mexico, Colorado, Nicaragua and Kansas City. These experiences were life changing for me as I saw God answer so many prayers. These experiences impacted me so much that I have considered going into the mission field.
Working since the age of fifteen, I have always been determined and strive to achieve goals. I have an outgoing, caring personality. I love to reach out to others and encourage them. I know that God has given me these gifts and I want to use them for God.
As a student at Bethel University I am pursuing degrees in business and psychology, and hope to eventually receive a masters degree. I am interested in a career that involves helping others. I am attending a Christian college to help me continue to grow closer to God. My desire is to represent God's love to others on a daily basis.
(This was written by Danielle for one of her assignments in college shortly before her accident.)
Talk given by Jon Overlie at Danielle's funeral
It was my privilege to be Danielle’s Youth Leader through all four years of high school, here at Plymouth Covenant Church. As with all of you, I am grieving the loss of a wonderful child of God whom I loved.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told not to grieve. In fact, the Bible is filled with many images and stories of grieving people. However, the Bible encourages us not to grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. As a Christian follower of Jesus Christ, hope makes all the difference at a time like this. I know that Danielle has crossed from death to life. She is lying in the arms of her savior. I know as a fact that she chose to accept God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I know as fact that Danielle loved God, and strived to know him more. She’s with God in eternity.
I've been blessed to work with a lot of wonderful students through high school youth group. Sometimes a student comes along who captures a piece of your heart. You get them, and they get you. For me, Danielle was one of those kids. Within our annual program, one of the most important things that we do is our annual mission trip. In 3 of the 4 years that Danielle was active in our ministry, she was on my small group team. On the one year that I did not go, she was in my wife, Michelle’s group. It was amazing to see God show her who she was in Him on every trip, and to see her take big steps toward God each time.
When I remember Danielle, the first thing that always comes to my mind is her smile. I simply cannot picture her in my mind with any facial expression other than a big toothy grin. Danielle smiled when she was joyful, when she was anxious, when she was sure of something, when she wasn’t. She probably even smiled when she was angry. I believe that smile of hers drew others to her – and it happened wherever she went. As a youth ministry, one of our principles is to include everyone. Danielle could do that like no other. She saw the best in everyone – saw their potential – no matter what they looked like on the outside. She loved inviting other students to youth group and was a wonderful example of reaching out to others.
Jesus calls us to minister to the “Least” – the poor, hungry, thirsty, sick, & imprisoned. I can honestly say that Danielle was at her best when she was serving “the least”, carrying out the mission of Jesus. In every mission experience, Danielle could always be found holding the dirtiest, grubbiest kid, playing tag with older kids until she could no longer stand, boldly entering people’s homes to pray with them, holding babies, and not wanting to leave.
She was at her best when she was serving in the mission field and at home, serving the “least”. She was who God created her to be. We talked of it often.
I really want to encourage everyone that the best way to honor Danielle is to reach out to the “least of these” no matter where you are. Hug a dirty kid. Smile warmly at everyone you see. See others how God sees them, not how they look on the outside. I can imagine her smiling from heaven at you.
Danielle, I love you, and I’ll miss you. We all will miss you terribly. I am so glad that one day, when I die, I will see your joyful, shining face again.
Note from Danielle's mom
I am so thankful for the hundreds of emails/letters I’ve received from Danielle’s friends sharing memories as well as the impact Danielle had on their lives. I'd like to share one letter written by a friend of Danielle's...because it was given to me at a moment where I was feeling incredible grief and I desperately needed to be lifted up by God.
The letter was written to Danielle and highlighted the many ways Danielle impacted her life. Here is one paragraph: “One of the memories that I will hold closest and dearest to my heart was last June – almost one year ago. I was making a lot of bad decisions in my life, including... I trusted you and had confided in you about everything that was going on in my life from the very beginning. You told me about some of the mistakes you had made in your own life, and how God had recaptured your heart over the past year and had helped you to realize that He had bigger plans for you. You had always had an evident love for Jesus, but that day at Starbucks you talked about Him with such conviction. God was doing amazing work in you! You were there to listen, encourage, and pray for me. You didn’t agree with the choices I had made, but were there for me 100% to help me, pray for me, and urge me to listen to God’s voice...
Thanks everyone for sending me your memories of Danielle. These notes are so very precious to me, and often arrived just at a moment when I needed encouragement.
