On the first anniversary of Marin’s passing, we asked everyone who ever had any opportunity to meet Marin to share their stories with us. Thank you, Val, for allowing us to share it with others.

How did you know Marin: Friend

When I changed jobs and became the librarian at Countryside, Marin became one of my students. But for a first grader, I was Heidi’s mom and the close family friend who now happened to be a teacher. So she called me Ms. Val at school without giving it a second thought- to everyone else, I was Mrs Baartz, but I still hear Marin’s 6-yr-old voice calling out “Ms. Val!” ❤