Tatyana

Tatyana was a beautiful young girl. I can't quite remember exactly how she met our family, only that she and her brother and sister went to school with my brother and sister. Tatyana, her sister Nadia, and my sister Whitney became best friends. It wasn't long before Tatyana, Nadia, and Vladimir (their brother) were honorary members of our family.

On their one year anniversary of being in the United States my parents bought their parents a cake to celebrate and our families became one. There were BBQs, birthdays, holidays, sleep overs, etc. Nearly every morning Nadia, Tatyana, and Vladimir would climb the fence between our two houses to come over, eat breakfast, and  watch cartoons with us.

Tatyana went camping with us nearly every summer, she even went on a family vacation to Disneyland with my parents and siblings. Even after Tatyana's family moved to the other side of town we remained very close with her family. Even after they moved to another town in southwest Washington we remained close.

Sadly, we did lose contact a bit, people grew up, got jobs, became responsible adults. Tatyana and Whitney were working on rebuilding their friendship when the unthinkable happened. On Wednesday May 9th Tatyana disappeared. On Thursday May 10th her sister, Dina, came to my parents' house asking if Tatyana was with Whitney or if Whitney had seen her. No one had. You couldn't help but think of the worst.

On Friday May 11th, 2012 around 3pm a body of a young woman was found in a ditch on the side of highway 503 just north of the Battle Ground Cinemas. This was right near where Tatyana was supposed to be the day she went missing. Instantly we all knew it was her, but it wasn't until that evening when it was confirmed. Our dear sweet Tatyana was gone, the victim of a hit and run driver.

Wednesday May 16th at 7pm a funeral service was held. Tatyana's sisters thought she should be buried in a wedding dress as she had never gotten the chance to get married. Tatyana looked beautiful in her white wedding dress with a green flower in her hair. On Thursday May 17th at 11am we laid Tatyana to rest.

Tatyana was born June 9th, 1989 to her loving parents. Tatyana had 9 sisters, 4 brothers, and many nieces and nephews. Tatyana was taken from us May 9th, 2012.

Tatyana will forever be missed. Her beautiful smile, her wonderful personality, a little quirky, but so full of love. I don't think I've ever seen Tatyana not happy. So many lives were forever changed by knowing Tatyana, and those lives will forever be effected by her sudden and tragic loss.

I love you Tatyana. Not a day will go by that we wont think of you and remember what an amazing person you were. In the words of my 5 year old daughter, Brooklyn, "Tatyana is an angel now watching over us and keeping us safe." I think that's a very accurate description of where Tatyana is now. And I know she's smiling.

If you, or someone you know, knows anything about Tatyana's death, please come forward and contact Battle Ground PD. Detectives are seeking witnesses who might have seen any suspicious activity at around 9 p.m. Wednesday just north of the Battle Ground Cinemas.

Anyone with information about a suspect vehicle can call Detective Joshua Phelps at 360-342-5254 or email him at at Joshua.Phelps@cityofbg.org. There is also a tip line at www.cityofbg.org/tips where an anonymous tip can be sent.

https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForTatyana