Rachel Nesseth should've turned 20 this month.
Since they can't celebrate with Rachel, who died in a car crash two years ago, the Nesseth family now marks the occasion by helping others.
On Saturday, two days before her birthday, they will hold a food and blanket drive at the Zumbrota trailhead building next to City Hall.
For Laura Nesseth, Rachel's mother, the park there brings back a flood of happy memories. In the midst of the pandemic, while Rachel was attending Kenyon-Wanamingo High School via distance learning, she would often load their dogs in the car and pick her mother up from work for a pleasant stroll in the park — giving them both a break from their routines.
Laura remembers her daughter as someone always on the lookout for the needs of others, quick to volunteer or just lend a word of encouragement when someone was having a bad day.
"Her smile could light up a room. When she looked at you, you felt seen. Her hugs were amazing, and she just took life in both arms and went forward. She just gave it her all," said Laura.
In just 18 years, she grew into an accomplished athlete, also participating in band, choir, theater and 4-H, among many other activities. She was the first K-W student to earn the Region 1A Triple A Award.
"She did everything. She was a very busy girl and she loved it. I didn’t make her do anything. I often felt like I let her do too much because she was so busy," said Laura.
Rachel died in August 2022, not long after graduating from K-W. The year that followed brought many painful reminders of her absence.
As Rachel's birthday approached, Laura knew it would be a challenging day. She suddenly thought of holding a food and blanket drive in Rachel's memory, an idea she credits to divine inspiration.
When Rachel was young, the family began a tradition of praying around the dinner table, each person offering a quick prayer of their own. Rachel occasionally expanded on her part, when there was something specific on her mind, but she never failed to say, "God bless those who don’t have a warm place to sleep tonight or any food to eat."
"Those prayers have been silenced because she’s not here to speak them. I’m like, 'well, maybe it’s my turn to put hands and feet to those words,'" said Laura.
The first drive collected 1,422 pounds of food and 412 blankets. Distributing carloads of food and blankets proved surprisingly easy, thanks to the many volunteers who stepped in. The event reminded Laura not only how widely loved Rachel was, but also what the community can achieve when it comes together.
On top of all that, it brought joy on a day that was otherwise laden with grief.
"Many of her friends are still struggling with this loss. I thought it would be a way we could be happy, just be together doing something that was so meaningful to her, and it was. There were lots of tears, there were lots of laughs, there were lots of smiles," said Laura.
As she prepares for the next installment of the charity drive, Laura said the second year without Rachel hasn't necessarily been easier. There are fewer unknowns — she can better anticipate how it will feel to cross annual milestones without Rachel — but that doesn't diminish her grief.
While she's full of praise for her daughter, Laura acknowledges that Rachel was, in many ways, an ordinary teenager — someone who experienced ups and downs like everyone else. What made Rachel so inspiring, however, was her ability to persevere through challenges and disappointments.
When Rachel fell at a track meet that would've qualified her for state during her senior year, she just "smiled through the tears."
"I want to be like her when I grow up, I don’t know that I hold a candle to her. I stood in awe of her myself, and I watched her grow up from a baby. She just had a special light. She had a very special light and she shared it with everyone," said Laura.
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