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OGDEN — Family members of Katie and Taylor Marcus spent time picking out flowers Monday in preparation for the siblings’ funeral.
Katie, 16, and her 12-year-old brother, Taylor, were killed in an Apr. 3 traffic accident on U.S. Highway 6. They were on spring break, coming home from visiting their grandfather, when their Nissan Maxima was broadsided by a Jeep at the Thistle Junction.
“They’re babies, they’re just babies,” said Brandi Cunliff, Katie and Taylor’s aunt. “They just started out, and it’s not supposed to be this way.”
Cunliff said the two were inseparable. Taylor was a huge football fan, she said, and Katie was a sports fanatic.
“They were together all the time,” Cunliff said.
No parent expects to bury their own child, let alone two. Katie and Taylor’s parents will do just that on Thursday, when a double funeral will be held at the Lindquist Mortuary in North Ogden.
“It’s human nature to think ‘this could never happen to me,’ ” said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce.
But the reality is, it can.
“If you ask the majority of people out there in the public, ‘Do you know someone who has died in a traffic accident?’ They’ll generally say yes,” Royce said.
In 2013, 220 people were killed in a car accident on Utah roads, and the majority of those could have been prevented if only drivers stayed focused.
As for the reason Katie and Taylor were killed, investigators just don’t know. They’re still working to determine a cause.
“Love your kids, and love your family, and hug them tight,” Royce said.
The Marcus family is finding strength within circles of family and friends as they try to move on from losing two children.
Despite donations of services from Lindquist Mortuary, the family now has $20,000 in funeral expenses. For those who would like to help financially, a fund has been setup at America First Credit Union under the name “Katie and Taylor Marcus Memorial Fund.”*
*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
