Melissa S. Street, 27 Sep 1995 - 16 Feb 2010

STREET BURT DYE ELMORE NEVERMAN SWINEY CLAYPOOL SHARP MANNS

Posted By: Stephen D. Williams (email)
Date: 3/13/2010 at 18:51:44

Melissa Sue Street, was born September 27, 1995, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Richard & Karen (Burt) Street. She attended Williamsburg Jr. High School where she was in the 8th grade. She enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball, swimming, track, show choir and spending time with her friends and dog “Copper.” She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Williamsburg. Melissa died on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, at the U of I Hospital in Iowa City, following an automobile accident, at the age of 14. She is survived by her mother Karen Dye of Williamsburg, IA; father Richard Street of Queen Creek, AZ; 3 brothers Rick (Melody) Street of Tucson, AZ, Steve (Amanda Elmore) of Webster, IA and Michael (Rachel Neverman) of Williamsburg, IA; her step father Kevin Dye; a stepbrother Jacob Dye and stepsister Tiffany Dye all of Williamsburg, IA; her grandparents Earl & Shelby Swiney of Williamsburg, IA and Don & Pat Claypool of South English, IA; a nephew Ricky Street of Tucson, AZ; and 2 aunts: Rhonda (Steve) Sharp of Mansfield, OH and Kim (David) Manns of Tucson, AZ. She was preceded in death by her grandfather Richard Burt, grandfather Dwight Street, an uncle Kenneth Street and step grandparents Earnest & Shirley Dye. Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Williamsburg, IA. Pastor Carl Cloeter will officiate. Burial will be in the Sorden Cemetery, near Keswick, IA. Visitation will be on Friday from 4-8 PM at the Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Williamsburg, IA. A general memorial fund has been established. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries.

Powell Funeral Home
(Williamsburg Journal Tribune 25 Feb 2010, p03 & Marengo Pioneer Republican)

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Street was a ‘bubbly’ girl

By ANDREA FURLONG
A 14-year-old Williamsburg girl died and three others were injured in a car accident on Interstate 80 near Oxford Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Three vehicles were involved in the crash. A van, driven by Karen Dye, 52, Williamsburg with Dye’s daughter as a passenger, Melissa Street, 14, was eastbound on I-80, as was a truck driven by Dan Earhart, 59, Solon, and a truck driven by Jorge Ortiz, 43, Washington. All three vehicles passed the car of a Johnson County deputy sitting on the left shoulder with its emergency lights on to
[photo, Melissa Street]
warn of an accident ahead. Earhart and Dye stopped for the accident, while Ortiz’s vehicle did not slow and struck the rear of Dye’s van, pushing it into Earhart’s truck. The vehicles came to a rest in the right lane.

Melissa was airlifted to a hospital for immediate medical attention, but died from injuries.

In her friends’ words, Melissa was a bubbly eighth grader who loved to rollerskate. She was adorably clumsy and always had a smile on her face.

“One time she had just gotten stitches out from falling and (being cut) by a stick, and she was trying to wake me up by pulling my leg. She fell backwards and fell almost all the way down the stairs. It was pretty funny. She fell off a chair the same day,” recalled eighth grader Ben Weldon.

Melissa’s clumsiness also extended to her driving, which her brother Steve started teaching her last summer at Belvadeer.

“She was getting ready to make a turn too short, so she had to back it up and Steve helped put it in reverse. But, instead of easing off the break, she pushed on the gas and the truck flew into a dirt pile. The tailgate (which had been down) folded back up into the truck. It was a learning experience that neither one ever forgot,” said Amanda Elmore, Steve’s girlfriend.

A great sense of humor is something Melissa always had, even when she was little, recalled her mom, Karen Dye.

“When she was young she loved to dress up her brother Mike and Grandpa Earl. One time she put hair barrettes in Grandpa’s hair. Grandpa went out to mow the yard forgetting that they were in and passersby were looking and pointing at him. Grandma and Melissa came home and told him he still had the barrettes in his hair and Grandpa laughed,” Karen recalled.

In the eyes of her mother, Melissa was beautiful, inside and out, with her long brown hair, big blue eyes and big heart.

“She had a bubbly personality and she really cared about
(See Street, page 3)

(page 3)
STREET: Memory honored by balloon release

people,” Karen said.

Melissa’s love for others was very evident in her friendships.

“She was really trustworthy. She kept all our secrets,” said eighth grader Crystal Northup.

She was someone who kept her friends very close to her heart, like family.

“She was pretty like our sister,” Ben said.

Last Friday, many Williamsburg junior high students honored Melissa’s memory by releasing balloons with messages for her.

Crystal, who met Melissa through a Catechism class, said she reminded Melissa that one day she will be reunited with her friends.

“I told her I loved her and missed her and to wait for me by the gates,” she said.

Melissa is survived by her parents, Karen Dye and Richard Street; brothers, Rick, Steve and Michael; stepfather, Kevin Dye; stepbrother Jacob Dye and stepsister, Tiffany Dye. Please see her obituary on page three for further information.

Williamsburg Journal Tribune 25 Feb 2010, p01 & 03 & Marengo Pioneer Republican