Carrie Essink, age 44, of Bennington passed away peacefully Saturday, October 23, 2021, in Empoli, Italy, with her husband at her side.

A public memorial service and Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 1, 2021, at Relevant Center, 21220 Elkhorn Dr (212th and W. Maple Rd.). in her honor with a private, family burial to follow at a date in the future.

Live stream of the service can be viewed at http://www.reichmuthfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/permalink/10204151/LTWebcast

Carrie was born in West Point, Nebraska, on November 1, 1976, to David and Suzann (Furstenau) Reicks.

She attended and graduated from West Point High School and then completed her education at Midland Lutheran College with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She practiced as a registered nurse in Lincoln, Omaha, Creighton, and then back in Omaha.

She met her husband, Brandon, when they were both in high school while Brandon was in town for district legion baseball in 1992. They were married in Columbus, Nebraska, in 1999. Three amazing children were brought into the world: Kyler in 2001, Sena in 2003 and Jack in 2007. Everyone who met Carrie knows that her children were the center of her life. She was passionate in every activity in which they were involved and rarely missed an event. She was their rock.

Carrie fought a rare form of cancer (familial paraganglioma) for more than a decade and met every obstacle with grace and positivity. Never wavering, she remained loving, positive, and spread happiness and optimism to everyone she met around the world. Her strong work ethic was emulated and her feelings that everyone should love everyone was meant to be copied. After her diagnosis her zest for life and adventure was insatiable, even traveling to Tanzania and Italy in the last weeks of her life as her strength and health were reaching their final limits.

She is survived by her husband, Brandon, of Bennington, NE; children, Kyler of Wayne, NE, Sena of Phoenix, AZ, and Jack of Bennington, NE; father, David Reicks of West Point, NE; and sister, Cindy Reicks of Omaha, NE.  

She was preceded in death by her mother Suzann Reicks.

If you knew Carrie, you knew how involved she was in the Bennington community and groups our children have been part of.  In lieu of sending flowers or gifts, we are asking for donations that we will give in Carrie's name (#TeamCarrie) to three groups via www.reichmuthfuneralhomes.com/ or https://gofund.me/407a741f. The groups, which have supported activities for her children and community, are the following:

• Bennington High School Booster Club
• Arizona State Chapter Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation
• Wayne State College Baseball

Reichmuth Funeral Home in Bennington is in charge of arrangements.

Source: http://www.myknoxcountynews.com/obituaries/article_e3f3009a-382b-11ec-bc29-efa0ccefd1c6.html