About This Site

On March 25, 1999 at 10:00 am in the morning my eyes filled with tears, my body went into uncontrollable convulsions, and my heart sank into a bitter pit of hell and pain. It was on this day that a knock at my door became the most overwhelming and devastating moment of my entire life. It was on this day that my boss knocked at my door, entered my office, and closed the door behind him. With the only words that he could find to say, he told me that the coroner was in the conference room and that my daughter Malinda was in a massive van crash. He then told me that I needed to go with the coroner to identify the bodies. I asked him if Malinda was ok. These were the last words that I spoke because the answer stopped my heart and ripped my living soul from my body. He told me that they had identified Malinda by her Wisconsin ID. The words that I heard that day have echoed in my mind and tormented my soul ever since. It is out of this grief that I have found a way to honor and pay tribute to my daughter Malinda and the other children who suffered and died. They will be mourned, they will be missed, and they will be loved, but above all they must be remembered. I dedicate this memorial site to the children who have perished, to the children who have suffered, to the parents who have wept, and to all of the friends and families who have lost these precious children. May God bless and watch over our children, our families, and our friends and may he give us the strength to find comfort in knowing that our children did not die in vain.
Sincerely,
Phil Ellenbecker
June 10, 2000