Community comes together in memory of Deckers

Last week, four people died in a car wreck in Petersburg. Among them were two Wrangellites, Siguard and Helen Decker, 21-years-old and 19-years-old. Their deaths shook the community, which has come together in a variety of ways to express their grief and support for the Decker family.

A GoFundMe page was put together by the United Fishermen of Alaska, to raise money in their memory. As of Tuesday morning, Aug. 4, $161,273 has been raised.

"The initial $10,000 in funds raised will go towards funeral costs and related expenses," the GoFundMe page reads. "We are looking to raise $50,000 to fund the rest of the brand new Wrangell Mariner's Memorial where Helen and Sig will be the first names on the wall. Additional funds raised after that will be used to start a Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of Helen and Sig Decker."

Wrangell resident Lucy Robinson also organized a Meal Train for Gig and Julie Decker, Sig and Helen's parents. Support was also offered for the wider public, as well. Wrangell residents Addy Esco and Laurie Hagelmen stationed themselves at the middle school for several afternoons in a row to make themselves available for anyone who needed someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.

A Gathering of the

Fleet was held on the evening of July 29. Approximately 50 vessels congregated off of

City Dock in memory of Sig and Helen, who were active members of the fishing community. They were joined by many members of the public who stood on the dock itself. As the sun set, candles were lit, flares were shot off, and flowers were thrown into the water. On some boats, people sang.

The Mariners' Memorial lighthouse was lit for the very first time in honor of Sig and Helen, too, on the evening of July 29.

"Although there is still plenty of work to accomplish at the site, we light it today in honor of Sig and Helen, all the Decker's work and other hands that have helped go into this project, our progress thus far, and as a next step forward to serve as a place of remembrance," Jenn Miller-Yancey, with the Mariners' Memorial Board, wrote on Facebook. "We would like it to stay lit from this day on."

The community gathered again on Aug. 1, for a celebration of life. The friends and family of Sig and Helen, along with many other Wrangell residents, gathered in front of the Mariners' Memorial at Heritage Harbor. For those who could not attend in person, the Wrangell School District streamed the service on their Facebook page. The celebration of life was filled with music, stories, and memories of Sig and Helen.

"Helen was the love of my life while she was here," said Max Reifenstuhl, speaking at the service. "She told me the same, but hearing she thought you were the one echoed from her friends in these last days gives me more confidence in something I never doubted ... I fell in love with Helen many times, not just once. Every time we looked deeply into each others' eyes, each time I witnessed her phenomenal strength or heard her bubbling laughter, and every time she showed me her boundless compassion."

"Sig was a very, extremely, intelligent young man," said Jeff Rooney, wrestling coach for the Wrangell School District. "Know he was not just a wrestler. Growing up in a fishing family, playing music for the band in Wrangell, playing basketball, team member, graduating valedictorian, attending college, living and so full of life. Sadly, leaving us all way too soon."

"They would just attack every day with a purpose and a plan, and they would just take a hold of things," said Bobby Thorsenson, Jr. Sig and Helen's skipper. "They just had this charisma and this, they were just extraordinary people ... They didn't just come out of a bubble, you know? It takes a family, it takes parents, it takes a village. The coaches, the teachers, everybody is a part of Sig and Helen's story. This whole community."

Other speakers at the celebration included Mayor Steve Prysunka, Frank Roppel, Pastor Matt Gerald, and Jenn Miller-Yancey. Many of their friends performed music at the service, as well, and threw flowers into the ocean in their memory.

Following the service, everyone was invited to City Park nearby. A potluck lunch was held where people could share food and more stories of the siblings.