EYOTA, Minn. 鈥� The three Minnesota residents killed in an car crash are being remembered as people who loved family and overcame many obstacles, according to their obituaries.
Esther Linda Joy Peters, 47, and her two children Christopher and Shayla Peterson were killed in the early morning hours of Aug. 2 after a car traveling the wrong way on Interstate 90 hit their car head-on.
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A mother of three, Peters was described as a "strong and compassionate woman" who survived breast cancer.
"She will be remembered as a loving, caring mother and grandmother who loved her children and grandchildren more than anything," her obituary says.
Christopher Michael Peterson, 26, is remembered for his "love of animals and family, his politeness, and intelligence." He moved to Rochester for college courses in business management.
"He had such a kind and gentle soul and would never hurt anyone or anything," his obituary reads. "Chris was a strong individual who overcame many things in life, including Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (a rare heart condition.)
Shayla Jean Peterson, 23, is remembered for her "love and compassion towards children," whom she enjoyed spending time with, especially her nieces and nephew.
"She had such a kind heart and bright personality that shined through to anyone that met her," her obituary says. "Shayla was a strong person who overcame many things in life, including life-long Type 1 Diabetes."
A service for the three is planned for Thursday in Willmar. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home, Willmar.
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A page started by Peters sister, Rachel Peters Goldsby, was started on Sunday to help cover the costs of funeral expenses.
"The sudden and unexpected deaths of my sister Esther and her dear children Christopher and Shayla have stunned all of us that loved them. In a time when the unthinkable happens, many of us do not have the means to cover such a massive expense," the page read. "Esther and her children are not a family of means for such a tragedy so there鈥檚 not much in the way of extra funds."
Preliminary reports from the Minnesota State Patrol indicate that the driver of a 2008 Ford Focus was going the wrong way, heading eastbound in the westbound lanes, when it struck a 2005 Chrysler Sebring heading westbound on I-90 near mile post 223 about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 2.
Sheila Eagle, 54, and her passengers, Tamara Lynn Eagle, 29, and Nyobee Eagle Richardson, 11, all of of Waukesha, Wis., were in the Focus. The three were related.
This is the deadliest single crash on Minnesota roads since 2010 when six people were killed in a crash.
