Dawson-Boyd High School community mourning deaths of 3 current, former students within a week
A small school in Dawson, Minnesota, is mourning the loss of three current and former students in just the last five days.
Dawson-Boyd High School sent out a message this week, informing students and parents of the deaths.
"It just hurts that we see people losing loved ones," said Principal Ryan Stotesbery.
On Saturday, 18-year-old Carter Monaghan, a senior football player, died in a car crash near town.
"He's just a really good kid," said Stotesbery.
He said that Monaghan was a hard worker who planned to attend technical college next year. He was also known for helping younger students.
"He drove one of our 7th graders to football practices on the other side of town. He gave him a ride every single day to football practice," said Stotesbery.
At Wednesday night's football game against Lakeview, students from both schools wore "Play for Carter" T-shirts.
"I don't even know how many shirts were bought. A lot of people from Lakeview bought the shirts and wore them last night, which was really cool," said Stotesbery.
On Monday, Katherine Frank, a 2018 Dawson-Boyd graduate died.
She was a sheriff's deputy in South Dakota who was shot in the line of duty.
"That one hit home for me a lot as well," said Stotesbery.
He said Frank made a lot of friends during her high school years.
"Great personality. Got along with all types of other students," said Stotesbery. "It's the type of student, and Carter is the same way, it's the type of student we want to graduate from here and send out into the world."
A GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $90,000 for funeral costs, describes Frank as someone who was more than her badge.
Another graduate, Aaron Gebur, whose mom was a paraprofessional at the school, died on Sunday.
"It's really difficult, anytime you lose a young person, I think it's hard for the whole community. Because we see them all the time. We are at activities all the time," said Stotesbery.
He said a team of counselors came to Dawson-Boyd High School to helps students cope with their grief.
