beenie

Kate...

They had the street closed most of the day on Saturday and a detective asked us if we heard anything. Mom was awake, but only heard the sirens & helicopter, but nothing from before.

Very sad.

Church was really bad. From 2nd hand info, the children's mass (at 9.30am-where she was the choir director for the children's choir) was bad. All the children were crying and a mess. Deacon Ken ('nother deacon at St. Jude's) got all choked up during Sunday mass. Father Baidoo announced it at the 11am mass. Mr & Mrs. Kruk (owners of Roma Funeral Home on Wm. Floyd) will probably be handling the wake and stuff!

I hope they find this person soon!

Renee

Thanks for the info. The detectives knocked on my mom's door too, but she hadn't heard anything - she was in bed when it happened. I can't even imagine how there might have been a dry eye at the 9:30.

Hi, I just wanted to say I knew her too and she was a sweet and special person. It's a terrible tragedy and I hope they catch the person who did it.

she was my chior teacher and i miss her soo much people say although she was young she lived a full life but that was her full life she could have had a mid life crisis at 14 or 15 because that was the middle of her life i do not understand why these things happen and all i can do is cry. i had to be a alter server at her fuenual (note that i can not spell) and i did not want to be because i had another world in my head that she was not dead and i still feel this way. the jerk that killed her better pay because i do not no what ill do if he does not. he killed an angel!!!!!!!!!!

Hello,

I came across this site by mistake. I truly hope that by now, almost three months later, they have located the evil that did this. God bless you all, and especially her family and friends and children who knew her. It's obvious from your words about her that she was a special person. We've had our share of hit and runs in my city recently, and I just don't understand it.

Cowards.

God bless you all.

Jennifer

Joanna was my aunt. i miss her so much. i can barley sit through a mass anymore. when they sing the songs she used to.. all i hear is her voice. i pray to her every night. i just wish she would come back...

I was a student of Mrs. Berggren's at Boyle Road and i was in her Chorus class.
I still think about her a lot and remember a lot of good times in her class. She had a song that I think she made up calledd "I'm in the mood for singing." She would make us sing it in the beginning of every class and i still remember every word of it and i sing it to myself sometimes. I also know she loved betty boop!! and i once gave her this ring with a ball on it. betty boops face would spin in it. She had this big book with lots of songs in it, and sometimes at the end of class we would gather around the piano and she would pick someone to tell her a number..then she would look for that page # and what ever the song on that page was she would play it and we would sing. When we came back to school after the summer, she told us her new name, Mrs. Berggren. She would say mrs. berrrr griiinnnnn! and when she said grin she would make a big smile and put her fingers at each end of her mouth. There are so many other thing i can remember. I loved her class and of corse her! Mrs. Berggren is and will ALWAYS be remembered.!

RIP <33

I was a student of Mrs. Berggren's at Boyle Road and i was in her Chorus class.
I still think about her a lot and remember a lot of good times in her class. She had a song that I think she made up calledd "I'm in the mood for singing." She would make us sing it in the beginning of every class and i still remember every word of it and i sing it to myself sometimes. I also know she loved betty boop!! and i once gave her this ring with a ball on it. betty boops face would spin in it. She had this big book with lots of songs in it, and sometimes at the end of class we would gather around the piano and she would pick someone to tell her a number..then she would look for that page # and what ever the song on that page was she would play it and we would sing. When we came back to school after the summer, she told us her new name, Mrs. Berggren. She would say mrs. berrrr griiinnnnn! and when she said grin she would make a big smile and put her fingers at each end of her mouth. There are so many other thing i can remember. I loved her class and of corse her! Mrs. Berggren is and will ALWAYS be remembered.!

RIP <33

Thank you Nicole and everyone for remembering Joanna, she is missed so much, the 5th anniversary is approaching and it still feels like just yesturday. Everyday it still feels unreal.

I was one of Mrs. Berggren's students at Boyle Road Elementary School. I was in chorus in 4th and 5th grade, and in drama for those years as well. I remember coming into school, and being so excited that i would get to sing, and have fun in chorus. I remember that no matter what was going on with you, she would make you laugh. She was a kind and loving person, who loved to sing, play the piano, and get music involved in children's lives. I remember the 2nd season of American Idol, she would always chant "Clay all the way," she was so much fun, and it was always a blast to be around her. She loved Betty Boop, and she decorated her room with betty, but in subtle ways. I also remeber that one day we were singing and when we stopped we heard a chirping noise, and to our surprise, there was a bird's nest in the bookshelf. I also remember the day that Billy had proposed to her. We were all singing for our winter concert, and then we started singing frosty the snowman, and one of the student's dad's dressed up as frosty, usually, to give out candy canes to the kids in the audience, but this time it was Billy, we had no idea, he did everything normal, giving out candy canes and waving to the kids, and then he got down on one knee, and took of the frosty head and proposed. We were all so excited, of course, she said yes. When i had heard the terrible news, i started to cry, and i didn't stop crying until the wake, and when i finally saw her all peaceful, i thought to myself, there was no way that she was no longer here, she had to be asleep, but it wasn't so. I miss her dearly, and everytime i sing i think of her, knowing that i have to give it my all, otherwise i feel i'm letting her down. May she rest in peace, and i hope that she is watching over me, and all of her family, and students.

all i could say is i miss my aunt jojo.
its been five years and i still cant beleive she is not here.

aunt angela i also love you!< if you read this which you probally will.

I grew up with joanna i lived accross the street and was best friends with her sister annmarie, There are really no words for her she was beautiful inside as well as outside always there for her family and she always made me feel like a little sister to. She was honestly one of the sweetest people i ever met and a voice like an angel she is in my prayers every night as is her family who i hope to see one day again

ok i just came across this site.. Jojo i think about you every single say i miss you so much words cant even express upon how much i absolutely miss you..i wish you were here able to talk because there is so much that id like to tell you. going to be six years i cant even even think about it because i cry all the time. you are with me always. to the family if you read this i think about you guys also love you jojo

I still think about Joanna every day. She was such a bright light in this world and was taken from us far too soon. The sorry excuse of a man who did this deserves to remain in prison and should not be given parole. What he did has impacted so many people and continues to do so on a daily basis. He is a coward who should not be given the opportunity to do this to someone else. He showed no remorse after the accident and should spend his time - time that Joanna does not have because of him - in prison - he needs to remain locked up and should be haunted every day by the knowledge of what he did. He is a murderer.