Dear Editor,

To our friends: On May 1, about 100 Lutes – just a few of the many in our PLU community that would have liked to come – traveled to Tonasket to honor the life of one of our own, Brady Cooper Freeman. What we quickly learned was that Brady was not ours alone – but Brady was a beloved member of a large family, with deep roots, in a small town full of wonderful people.

We are grateful for the warm welcome and opportunity to “freshen up” we were given at the Tonasket High School; Uncle Lloyd’s tour; the wonderful people that met us in trucks to drive us to the cemetery; the opportunity to be fully involved in the graveside and memorial services; the dinner provided prior to our departure; and the snack of cookies and apples to take with us for the long bus ride home. In your time of grief – we thank you so very much for caring for all of us.

One of the hallmarks of PLU is the “community” and based on the sense of “community” we found in Tonasket – it is easy to see why Brady was “home” in either place. Brady was a very bright student athlete and we arrived in Tonasket appreciating the gifts he brought to the university – we left with a greater understanding of how those gifts and talents were developed.

Thank you to all of the individuals and local businesses in the area that contributed to a day that we will all remember for a lifetime.

Fondly,

Lauralee Hagen for

Brady’s PLU Community