Cassandra Larsen

A beautiful person with spontaneity and an unforgettable smile, Cassandra “Casey” Larsen always found something in life to be excited about. She was active and energetic, always laughing or finding ways to make others laugh. Her greatest happiness was to make the people she loved happy.

The decade that gave us MTV, “New Wave” and Nintendo was the same one that gave us Casey. It was a fast paced period in our nation’s history, when trends changed from minute to minute and you never knew what computers were going to be able to do next. It was into these exciting times that Cassandra “Casey” was born on May 28, 1989, to Tony and Linda (Ledlow) Larsen of Plainwell, Michigan. The oldest of two girls, she and little sister Toni undoubtedly filled the house with their share of laughter, arguments and memories.

Casey really made her presence known for her first two years of life. As a baby, she had colic and croup, which made her cry quite a lot. The family took turns comforting her, especially her dad who was constantly rocking his sweet baby girl. However, by the age of two, Casey became a happy, playful little girl with a boatload of energy. She loved to play games, especially hide and seek. As she grew older, Casey unleashed her boundless energy playing sports like softball, volleyball, basketball and soccer, though bouts with asthma caused her to have to slow down a bit.

Although she was exceptionally caring and mature girl for her age, Casey also bore the mark of a typical teenager. Spicy Mexican and Chinese food, dancing at teen clubs, loud music, roller-skating with friends and boys were just some of her favorite things. A real social butterfly, Casey had the type of personality that everyone loved to be around. Her family and friends delighted in her sense of humor and were entertained by her antics. Casey loved to make people laugh and better their spirits when they were feeling down. People Casey met usually walked away with a smile because of her loving humor and kind heart.

There was always a special something twinkling inside of Casey. She had a very mature nature and enjoyed time with her family. Although Casey and Toni were not without their moments of sibling rivalry, lately they became even closer and looked forward to doing things together that all teenage girls do. Casey’s loving, compassionate nature reached out to every member of her very large family. She fostered very special “sisterly” relationships with her many cousins, especially Katie Harder. Her family was always first in her heart and after facing some difficult years, Casey was especially happy that her family was doing so well again.

Casey was a dedicated and bright sophomore at Plainwell High School. She was excited about her future and was looking forward to going to college. Her family is actively involved in racing and Casey’s adventurous spirit looked forward to joining the family team with her own race car one day. Although Casey’s life was all too brief, she was a person who lived her life to the fullest. Seeing the joy in every situation allowed her to appreciate every moment, and her friends and family will always remember the joy Casey brought to their lives.

Cassandra “Casey” M. Larsen of Plainwell, MI, died as a result of an auto accident in the early morning of Monday, January 17, 2005. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandfather, Lowell Larsen, in 1976. Casey’s family includes her parents, Tony and Linda Larsen; sister, Toni Lynn Larsen of Plainwell; maternal grandmother and step grandfather, Sandra and Norman Jennie of Irons MI; maternal grandfather and step grandmother, David and Nancy Ledlow of Tyler TX; paternal grandmother and step grandfather, Bessie and Basil Andrees of Plainwell; many aunts, uncles and cousins.

To learn more about Casey’s life, friends may visit with her family on Thursday, January 20, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Rupert, Durham Marshall & Gren Life Story Funeral Home, Plainwell Chapel. A Life Story Service will be held on Friday, at 1:30 p.m. at that same location. Please visit Casey’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to the family.