Many thanks to everyone who attended Ella's memorial service, or sent their condolences.
The program for the service is available here.
Here are the texts of (most of) the speaker's remarks:
Denise Brown, director of the Montclair High School Dance Company where Ella danced all through High School, dedicated this year's performance to Ella - see the dedication in the program.
The Macalester Theatre and Dance Department Spring Concert Program also dedicated the performance to Ella, and donated proceeds to her fund.
Everybody who knew Ella knew what a gentle, humble soul she was. How a sweet smile would eventually spread across her face into an enormous, beaming grin. She gave off this sweet, subtle vibe. But there was another side to Ella. A strong, determined side.
Sometimes Ella did things that her parents didn't really want her to do. And one of those things was getting a tattoo… She spent weeks upon weeks brainstorming ideas with me and creating her own designs. She so badly wanted to capture the spirit of how she felt when she was dancing. She finally came up with her perfect design, and we took the next, very real step of going to the tattoo shop.
She was completely petrified. She could barely speak. But she was still SO sure she wanted to go through with it. I was so glad to be there with her to hold her hand, as she had been there to hold mine two years earlier. I was so proud of her for doing exactly what she wanted to do. It made me realize how strong of a person she was. She was so courageous in that moment, and I loved her for it. And I will always love Ella for being Ella.