Family, friends mourn Janette Maples

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Family and friends are still reeling from the death of Janette Maples last week.

They gathered Wednesday at the Major Family Funeral Home in Springfield, Ore., to remember the life of the 15-year-old girl.

Around 100 people came to say their final goodbye. Family, friends, classmates, former teachers -- even people who met Janette at the hospital the night she died -- attended the memorial.

The focus was not on her death or the sad circumstances around it but on the person she was -- and the short life she lived.

Friends shared their memories of Janette, and the officiant read some of her poems and writing:

"The final place I would use my wings to go to is to go really high and even higher to heaven," Dianne Rush read from one of Janette's writings. "I would visit the angels and I would visit my grandma Nancy and everyone else in the family ... and after I would go to Hawaii and France and Portugal and the beautiful heaven. I would use my wings to fly home."

The family put together a slide show with pictures of Janette at different ages, at which point many people became very emotional. Janette will never grow older than 15, graduate from high school or live to see her dreams of being a librarian come true.

It was raining Wednesday, which was not lost on many of the people who came to the memorial service. A few people who spoke to KVAL News noted the raindrops and said they were falling from the floor of heaven. 

Janette's close friends said that the beautiful and emotional service helped them feel better.

Janette's family members are asking for privacy in the wake of the tragedy and the indictment of her mother and stepfather on charges of murder. A family friend said they are having a tough time.