This is without a doubt the most difficult email message I have ever sent.

 Sunday afternoon November 15th around 3pm we lost 18 year old Jessica Lynn Gresham, the victim of an automobile accident.

 For those of us who regularly attended the Saturday evening vigil Mass each weekend, we watched Jessica grow up right before our eyes.  She and her grandmother, Mrs. Pat Laine attended Mass regularly (right side, row 3) and as soon as Jessica was old enough, she became an Altar Server. She really enjoyed serving with new servers and helping them ‘not to be nervous’ and enjoy their first true Catholic Ministry.  Jessica never stopped being an Altar Server showing her fellow classmates that it was very ‘cool’ to be a server at 17.

 For those of us fortunate enough to know Jessica personally, we witnessed one of God’s brightest stars!  When Jessica was in the room there was always bright light and laughter.

 I was fortunate enough to work with Jessica through various stages of our Religious Education program where she excelled not only in her studies but most importantly in how she lived her life.  She was not afraid of her faith; rather she embodied it and shared it with everyone she met.  The examples she demonstrated went far beyond our parish building on Germantown Road.

 Even after being Confirmed, she returned to help start up our first “Senior High Youth Group”.  She, Sarah and Abbey took on leadership roles and worked together to help create and grow this very powerful group of Catholic men and women.

 She also mentored to other students studying for Confirmation who struggled with questions about their faith.  Jessica did what all of us strive for – She made a difference.

 The Youth Group is sponsoring a Pizza Dinner tonight starting at 6:30 in her honor.  There we can share our stories about Jessica and celebrate her life. 

 We ask those who would like to attend to please let us know by replying to this email with your intentions or call Gary Cail at 901-605-0742.  If you are unable to attend but have some ‘Jessica stories’ to share please send them to us.  We would like to include them in her Rite of Christian Burial Mass.

 Please keep the Laine and Gresham families in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this most difficult and faith straining time.

 In speaking for me and my bride, Sheryl, our lives have been changed forever because we were graced with the friendship and the powerful faith of Jessica Gresham.  Sheryl said this morning "I will miss seeing Jessica's bright eyes & smile.  We watched her grow up from a fresh faced little kid to a beautiful (sometimes mischievous) young woman.  The world will be a little dimmer without her in it."

DCHS senior killed in car crash
Second teen to die on road in days
By CYNTHIA BULLION
Times-Tribune News Staff

Published: Monday, November 16, 2009 10:26 PM CST

DESOTO COUNTY - For the second time in recent days, a one-car crash in rural DeSoto County claimed the life of a teen Sunday.

DeSoto County Coroner Jeff Pounders said Jessica Gresham, 18, was likely killed instantly when the compact car in which she was riding rolled several times along Red Banks Road just south of Lee Road shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday.

The DeSoto Central High School senior was ejected from the car's back seat, according to Sheriff Bill Rasco.

He said the car's driver, an 18-year-old male student at Lewisburg High School, and another female passenger, 18, also were injured.

The driver was airlifted to The Regional Medical Center in Memphis, where he reportedly remained in critical but stable condition on Monday.

The condition of the female passenger, who was transported by ambulance to the Memphis hospital, could not be confirmed Monday.

Rasco said investigators are currently working to reconstruct Sunday's crash in hopes of determining a cause.

The same is true in the case of another one-car crash Friday near the intersection of Star Landing and Baldwin roads that killed 17-year-old Lake Cormorant High School student Sandi Mayfield, he said.

Three of Mayfield's siblings also were injured when the truck in which they were riding left the roadway and hit a tree.

Katherine Nelson, spokesperson for the DeSoto County School District, said counselors were made available to students at Gresham's and Mayfield's schools in the wake of the fatal crashes.

DeSoto Central High School teacher Elaine Tentoni said on Monday that Gresham was involved in the school's vocational nursing program.

Gresham also explored acting, performing in the DeSoto Family Theatre's presentation of "A Christmas Carol" two years ago, and made a mark in her church.

"Jessica was actively involved with Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Olive Branch as a leader in the youth group, taught religious education on Sunday morning to pre-schoolers, was a scripture reader in church and helped assist the adult leaders preparing students for confirmation," said Hank Babin, deacon at Queen of Peace and counselor for DeSoto County Schools. "Everyone loved her."

A fund for Gresham's family has been established at BancorpSouth Bank. Donations can be made any of the bank's branches.

Cynthia Bullion: 429-6397, cbullion@desototimestribune.com