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Page 16 ■ Monday, Jan. 22, 1996 ■ The BrownsvR* HeraldGirl whose abduction touched region is eulogizedBy TERRY WALLACE Associated Press WriterARLINGTON — Thousands of mourners overflowed a downtown Arlington church Saturday to hear Amber Hagerman eulogised as a child of the nation, whose abduction and murder touched the hearts of millions.The services at First Uniled Methodist Church came a week after the 9-ycar-old girl was grabbed, screaming, from her bicycle in the parking lot of a shutdown grocery store. Her nude body was found in a creek lntc Wednesday, her throat cut. 'The Rev. Ann Stevens, associate pastor of iho First United Methodist Church of Arlington, said Amber is survived by a nation stunned and saddened and enraged that once again such unspeakable and fiendish evil hns stricken one of ouv childrenAn eslimated 2,500 people crowded into the church'.* mam sanctuary and an auxiliary chapel.Among those attending were Arlington mayor Jlichard Greene, members jf the L’ily Council and svhrei' board, and teachers and many of the $tu-dc:us from Barry Elementary School, where the girl was enrolled.President Clinton called Amber’s parents to offer bis con-dderKY.s ar.xt thousands of ethers at tended a six-hour wake at ar. Arlin.rtoa sun oral home. :i!-;ti-7 slow'.y past her blue cuske: surrounded by vic-l f.era. sprays. Her body was j .ad tv. a pink satin dress and she was diiichAr*: a te-idv rearMany of those at tho funeral had no direct connection with Amber, her church or her school.Josie Mendoza of Grand Prairie wag one such mourner.I have n grandhnby, 4 years old, and she’s the kind of child who would open the door to any-biKly, she said. I feel anger foi whoever did it”Ms. Stevens, in her eulogy, said Amber's death leaves lye-hind follow students at an elementary schon’. who arc now bewildered and frightened by what they see and hear. She is survived by a neighborhood thrust into a lime of wondering and searching and crying.”The church made special accommodations to handle a crowd about twice the size of the 1,300 worshipers ii was designed to hold.Amber’s blue metal casket was surrounded by floral arrangements From mourners, including' single flowers brought by children.Among the tluweis was an arrangement front country singer Tracy Luvivnce.Along with tlx4 roses, marigolds and daisies, more teddy bears continued to come in as they have, since Ashley’s abduction Jan. 13.“We have taken them all. said Bill Baker, managing director for an Arlington funeral home.Some ef the bears, along with me menu's provided by well-rti-hcrS. were ir.duded in Ashley’s casket. With a blue crepe Vlr.iag. :t was an adult sue u ,'s',v“r,*.dste the mementos.AP phwoDonna Whi’.son, mother of Amber Hagerman, hugs her son Richard Chad Hagerman during Amber’s funeral in Arlington Saturday, Amber's funeral came a week afier me 9-year-old girt was grabbed, screaming, from her bicycle. Her body was found Wednesday.Investigation shifts from search to finding killer3* WS-SS* »!L!J,*JWS LSiOSUOhr ft'-furfume rj-uic.i ir -iris p. uge-rr.iui. Tvngidj' anils it vr_i. inr mems. iumh\ uni tti*•n- vrtu ixuumt*- jr:niH*i in iM*-juigL. luxtrurrrtiEf tuiiH n ih m. ItH trai nr Ini grV» uiJie:Vo i»iv« i vnuiik- or leiirb luce nr* itiiif: ii: urimijnMif, mr.n:c.r.;:“i£ we are roady to goi.oto: ArUngwr. police?Ci!5ZLLZ. IC*C AodeTSOn Si*id Triihy lw*e it*, iikc die trail is ’wiiitrt' tt e.Tn£ to lead us to i. SiiSpil^.'Pniiu*- JoziashiS :«aLiUi i .ps ir.ti: ci)Tt.-Tlt;afc ic- cctnb tt w nriii vtiert .Amber’s E~aip Dnci. iiii iiir:iE ww fhunc :jtt* ii b talking his dog outside an apartment complex. The site is about eight miles north of the working-class neighborhood where a witness saw a man drag Amber off her bicycle 86 she fought and screamed.Exactly one week after she was crunched, mourners were set to bid her farewell. A funeral was scheduled for Saturday afternoon, to be followed by a burial at Moore Memorial Gardens. The girl’s parents want Amber to be buried along with about 30 other children in an area of the cemetery called Babyland, which overlocks a small body of water.The case quickly captured the hearts of the community, as well as much of the country.The emotion continued pouring back to the grieving family Friday, much of it froQi people who never know the brown-hairod, blue-eyed Girl Scout.Pres ideal Clinton called Amber’s parents to ofier his condolences and thousands of others attonded a six-hour wake at an Arlington funeral homo, fil-ir.g slowly past har blue casket surrounded by pink floral sprays.
Newspaper Details
Brownsville the Herald
Brownsville, Texas, US
Mon, Jan 22, 1996
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
La C.
WI, USA 15 Dec 2023
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