Friends Create Facebook Pages in Memory of Ariana Larsen-Skube, Pacific Cascade Student who Died March 3

Friends and classmates of Ariana Larsen-Skube have flocked to two Facebook memorial pages to pay their respects, bid farewell and let their emotions flow following last week's news of her death.

Larsen-Skube, 12, died March 3. She was a seventh-grade student at Pacific Cascade Middle School in Issaquah. She previously attended Pine Lake Middle School in Sammamish.

The Issaquah girl was found March 6 by people walking on a Klahanie trail in a wooded, residential area of King County, officials reported.

One Facebook memorial page had 319 "likes" as of late Wednesday morning. The other page had 21 "likes."

Her death shook the Sammamish area, with parents asking about a candlelight vigil for her and counselors discussing the need for people to grieve.

In their Facebook messages, young people talked about missing a classmate and friend, as well as dealing with depression. Their notes are honest.

The person who created one page uses a "?" symbol in place of a profile photograph or avatar. "I didnt know her very well, but i felt like this had to be done," that person explained on March 7 as to why the page began.

"i went to our humanities class today, it just isnt the same seeing ur desk empty. i would always peek over ur shoulders to see wut u were doing. ill miss u and wont forget u ari. rest in peace. ill c u wen my time comes," one boy wrote on the evening of March 7.

One girl said in her message from March 10 that they were best friends: "Everything I see reminds me of you... there is so much I wanted to tell you and never got the chance to say. When you went to pcms we had less and less time together. Now that your gone I have a deep pain that will never go away. When I do absolutely nothing and stare into space, I think of the greatest moments of my life, when I was with you."

From another girl who wrote on March 9:

"I never knew Ariana, but i had problems with some depression my self and bad thoughts and it makes me sad how i got help but Ariana did not. She has so many people that love and care about her and its sad. its such a tragedy that her life had to end this way, but RIP Ariana. ♥"

A neighbor remembered Larsen-Skube as someone who was cheery: "You always had a smile on your face on a rainy day." 

One person encouraged others to act with kindness to others--because that gesture might have future benefits:

"For Ariana, Let's each make a pledge... to smile at a stranger, to say hi to the kid we see a lot, but don't really know, and to make the most out of each day we have, and know that each act of kindness we put out there has ripples far beyond our imaginations."

In a note to Sammamish Patch on Wednesday, one person said a balloon and flowers are on the trail where Larsen-Skube was found.

"While I do respect the right to privacy, I felt I had to do something right in her name. I gently placed a green butterfly ballon on a tree and pink rose petals throughout the trail. But it is not enough!" the person wrote.

Editor's note: Sammamish Patch is sensitive to respecting people's feelings given this death. It should be noted that Facebook can be used and read by members of the public. It also is one of the largest social networking sites in the country. Comments on stories are welcome. Please keep in mind that Patch has terms of use regarding comments. They need to be free of libel.