The following article was posted on www.todaystmj4.com
Students Remember Administrator, Two Daughters
OCONOMOWOC - Students paid their respects Wednesday night to the Oconomowoc High School administrator who was killed along with two of her children in a car crash last week.
More than 1000 people came to the Pagenkopf Funeral Home.
Wednesday night's visitation was designed for classmates who knew 10-year-old Courtney Bella, and it was for Oconomowoc High School students who knew Jennifer Bukosky.
Bukosky's students waited in line as long as an hour to get in. They said she had an uncommon ability to connect with teens.
"She understood kids. She understood what we needed and how to do it right," Elizabeth Seip said.
Others pointed to Bukosky's bright smile. They said she lit up even brighter when talking about her pregnancy.
"Everyday we'd see her walking down the hallway. She had a microphone and an arm over her stomach and she'd have a big smile on her face," Michael Britten said.
"I'm so glad I'm going with friends. It's going to be really hard. Seeing all my friends cry who had her as a teacher is going to be really hard," one student said.
Wednesday night, students saw something most of us never have: a visitation with three caskets; a woman and her two kids.
People mourned the loss of Jennifer Bukosky and her unborn baby Sophia and her 4th grade daughter Courtney Bella. Jennifer was an associate principal at Oconomowoc High School.
Courtney went to Summit Elementary School.
Adult friends and family will have their chance to grieve Thursday, but Wednesday night's visitation was for the students.
"It will be really, really tough. I know I'm not going to stay for a long time. I'll just go say a prayer and say something to the family, because it's going to be tough for me and I don't want to be there that long," Oconomowoc High School student Karly Schultz said.
Other students at the visitation were thinking about three lives, and the impact Jennifer Bukosky made at Oconomowoc High.
"She goes around and interviews people and asks students questions about their teachers, and she had interviewed me and given me some advice on life because she knew I was stressed with school and family stuff, and it meant a lot. I treasure what she said to me," Oconomowoc High School student Mika Franceschi said.
