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Twenty-seven years old and full of life. Pictures of Anna Draper show a smile and her trademark “peace sign” up.
“She was just an amazing person,” Jesse Weeks said. Weeks shared many memorable experiences with Anna; he was one of her best friends. “She could hang with the boys but all the girls also loved her, she was just an overall amazing person,” he said.
But her life was cut short the week before Christmas. Oregon State Police say Anna’s car crossed the centerline and hit a tree, she was pronounced deceased at the scene. Her family says she was going to pick up her fiancé after his motor home broke down on his way home for the holidays.
“We're still expecting her to come here tomorrow, you know, be here in the morning or in the afternoon just to say hi or just to have a chat on her way home or something,” Daniela Veilette, an employee of Freedom Burrito and a friend of Draper.
On Tuesday, December 26, 2017, friends and family gathered at Freedom Burrito, one of her favorite restaurants, to make sure that warm smile wouldn’t fade. The restaurant is donating a portion of tonight’s sales to Draper’s family. Those who knew her best say the support they’ve seen has been amazing.
“Seeing the whole community come and kind of just give the family a full hug both mentally and emotionally to them it's really nice to see,” Veilette said.
A celebration of life for Anna Draper will be held Wednesday night at the Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene. Her family says everyone is welcome to come.
To help the Draper family, click here: https://www.gofundme.com/psy2yn/donate
(story: Adam Mayer, KHQ Local News Reporter; photo & video: KHQ.com)