Stephanie is loved and missed by
Her loving mother and step father, Becky and Gene Schickel
loving brothers - Curtis and Jimmy, step sister Candice Schickel,
Precious Mama Drinnon, Uncles David, Larry, Gary, Greg and Bill, Aunt Gail
Webb, Step father Ron Phillips, Grandma and Grandpa Phillips, Papa and Nana Weaver, Grandma Jackie and many great aunts uncles and many cousins.
Special cousin Dane Warwick who spent her whole life close to her.
In special rememberance of cousin Debbie Smith who joined her in heaven on Dec. 1,2002





There Will Always Be A Place
Down Deep Inside My Heart,
A Special Place Where Only You
Will Occupy That Part.

I Will Always Remember
All The Beauty And The Grace,
Your Smile As Bright As Sunshine
And Your Beautiful Angelic Face.

The Way Your Body Felt
As I Held You Close To Me,
In My Heart And In My Soul
Is Where You'll Always Be.

God Gave Me An Angel
To Call My Very Own,
Now We'll Always Be Together
From This Moment On.

Authur Unknown





It was October 18, 1983, and a clear crisp morning when my Beautiful daughter,   Stephanie, decided it was time to come join me in the outside world.   I was 18, pregnant, unmarried, and living with my very supportive Mom and Daddy. (He was my stepfather but I always felt  like his precious only daughter)    I had no idea the sex of my baby or the awesome effect that she would have on my life, I just knew I loved "it" and I couldn't wait to see and touch my baby.   My child was due on September 30th so needless to say I was ready.   My brother took me for a long walk to try to start my labor which he had been doing for weeks.   The doctors were going to induce me soon if I didn't go into labor on my own so I was trying every "old wives tail" remedy I could find.   I got home from my walk and grabbed a big bowl of ice cream and was going to sit down in a kitchen chair when my water bag broke.   I got to the hospital, went to the labor room and watched Monday night football while my contractions came closer and closer.   At about 12:30 AM on October 18th, 1983 they moved me to the delivery room and by 1:36 AM  Stephanie Jean Drinnon was born.    She just glided into my world and changed everything forever.    She weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and was 19 inches long.   What a beautiful baby she was.   A head full of hair and the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen.

  Stephanie was a challenge from the beginning which wore me out but I loved being her "Mommy".  First she had Jaundice and almost had to stay in the hospital longer than me but was released at the last minute.   I had to take her back and forth for blood tests that first week.   She had colic and I couldn't breast feed her, before long we found out she was allergic to cows milk and we had to feed her soybean oil based formula.   Yuck it smelled bad going in but was even worse coming out.   LOL  She had tummy aches a lot and we had to put her on a pillow, tummy down, across our laps and sway her while patting her bottom.   This was a full time job? She ended up spoiled rotten.

  My Mom had me, Stephanie, Sharon, Dane, David, and my dad all in a 1100 sq. foot 3 bedroom house, but it was such a happy place.   Sharon and Dane are my cousins, Sharon is five years older than me and Dane is seven weeks older than Stephanie.   (Dane holds a special place in my heart.   His birthday is the day before Stephanie was killed and they had been together the night before to celebrate Dane turning 19.)  We were one BIG happy family.   Then on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in July, tragedy visited our happy home, my daddy had a heart attack as we were watching TV and died instantly.   He was 42 years old.   I thought my world was crashing down on me.   What were we going to  do?   How were we going to go on without him?   It was what I thought at the time was the most painful thing that could happen.   I know now what the hardest, deepest sorrow a person can know is, the death of your child!

  Soon after  my Daddy passed away I met the man that would be the only Daddy Stephanie ever knew.   His name is Ron Phillips and he is the father of my two living children, Curtis who's 15 and Jimmy who's 13.   My Mom moved from Streamwood IL. to Knoxville Tenn. less than a year after Ron and I were married.   We were all alone except for Ron's Mom and Dad and brothers.   Stephanie, Ron and I were happy.   We lived in a condo in Schaumburg IL for about two years before Curtis was born.   Stephanie was glad to have a baby brother. (most of the time LOL)  She would take such good care of him.   We were happy but Stephanie didn't like leaving her Mama (my Mom).   When we went on vacation, she wouldn't want to leave.    She loved her Mama so much.   Later came Jim and he completed our perfect family.   Ron and I were under lots of different stresses that young couples have.   A mortgage, car payments, not enough time together, families in different parts of the country.    Also, we were growing apart.   We tried to save our marriage and moved to Tennessee to be closer to my Mom and very large family.   Stephanie was so happy about living in Tennessee.   She went about 4 months before us and stayed with Mama and went to school till we got moved.   She loved living right down the street from Mama.   Sometimes she stayed there at night and rode the bus from my Mom's house instead of mine.   Once again life was good.   Somehow, Ron and I weren't looking and troubles came calling.   Our marriage ended for lots of reasons but that's not something that we can look back on, we go forward.

  I seen an old very good friend soon after my ex - husband and I split and I have been married to him for five years now  We got together over eight years ago, Stephanie was 10.   Gene is wonderful to me and has always wanted the best for our children.   My three and his one.   Needless to say it has been a hard road trying to blend families and we have our ups and downs.    Stephanie gave Gene a hard time from day one.   It wasn't that she didn't like him but she didn't like him with me.   About a year into the relationship  Stephanie went to live with her Mama because I was taking the boys to go live in Chicago till Gene could finish college and get us on our feet.   Stephanie lived at Mama's for over a year but came back to live with me, finally.   I always wanted her with me but didn't want to force her and couldn't have if I wanted to.   Mama is not a small girl and she could kick my butt if I didn't behave.   LOL  You see Stephanie was her inspiration and her sweet baby girl.   They had a love and bond as strong as mine and my mothers and as strong as mine and Stephanie's.

   Over the next 2 years Stephanie lived in Chicago and moved to Florida with me.    She was a very bright girl but was much more social than academic.   Her grades were not good and I moved her to an alternative school.   I used to drive about 20 miles  round trip to and from school every day so she didn't have to ride the bus.   She didn't like walking to it while it was still dark.   I didn't want her to either.   For a short time Candice (Gene's daughter) lived in Florida with us and it was hard to try and raise four children but we finally had our dream, all four kids living with us.   It turned out to be a nightmare.   We love them but the girls were out of control.   One 16 and one 14.   Stephanie was the older of the two.   Candice was homesick and left soon after she came.   Stephanie dropped out of school and started going to the local college to get her GED.  I drove her and her boyfriend there 3 times a week.   She was doing very well and got a job working for our local grocery store.   Right before she was supposed to start was our vacation.   We went and when it was time to leave to go home Stephanie refused to go with us.   I begged her to go start her new job and get her life together.   She wouldn't go though and stayed with Mama for what would be forever.   Stephanie didn't do much in the months that followed, she didn't want her license because she was sort of scared to drive and said it was too big of a responsibility.   She went to school off and on but Mama is a big softy and let her get away with a lot.   We moved to a two bedroom apartment and Stephanie came to visit us twice.   She said in the airport he last time she left Florida, "Mom maybe I will just stay here with you", She couldn't stay then because she had her boyfriend with her.   I wish now I would of made her stay right then, but that's all those "what ifs" creeping into my mind.  

Stephanie was put into Juvenile 2 weeks after she left Florida.   We were due to go on vacation on the 28th of July and she was locked up on the 23rd.   She had gotten into some trouble with some kids she didn't even know.   Mama let her give a statement with no attorney present.    My Mom had never had trouble like that before and she just didn't know any better.   By the time I got to Tennessee, they were talking about keeping her in adult prison for 15 to 25 years.   It was a nightmare.   They didn't want her they wanted the kids she was with.   They were willing to sacrifice her life to get them.   It was my birthday, the last that I would see my Stephanie, when we took a plea deal.   She would serve 14 months in a juvenile and then be free.   No record and no probation.   It was much better than a trial and prison term.   The system is so screwed up.   The people that committed the crime haven't even went to trial yet.   It's so screwed up.   Stephanie had never been in trouble before that.   Tennessee has one of the most screwed up judicial systems that I've ever seen.   Anyway she did her time and Mama went to see her every weekend.   I only got to go three times before I hurt my neck at work.  It is still hurt but for the first 6 months I couldn't even hardly get up to go to the bathroom.   The pain meds  keep it under control now, but Stephanie was so worried about me having them.   She would always say "what if something happens to you ?"  She was worried about me having the surgery too.

  Stephanie did her time and received her GED and was working for the boys and girls club in Johnson City Tennessee when she was released.   She was saved and baptized 5 weeks before her release.   Oh what a glorious day.   Gene and I started buying a house in June so when she was released she would have her own room.   On August 7, 2002 I'll never forget how happy she was when she called and said I'm back at Mama's are you going to come see me?   I told her that I had to close on the house on the 16th and that I would bring her home now or then.   I had Jimmy flying from his dad's in Tennessee that Saturday and told her I would get her a ticket too.   She said she wanted to stay in Tennessee for a couple of weeks before she came here.   The closing on our house was moved to August 23, 2002 so I told her just to wait till after I closed to come here.   She hated moving, it was almost as bad as beans to her.   Stephanie hated beans more than anything.   She never really said yes to moving here but she was going to.   She was looking forward to seeing her new room.   Through the whole time she was locked up I talked to her almost every day and wrote to her at least once a day.   I made her cards all the time.   Anyway I had been telling her all about the house since we put in the offer.   She was excited to come and see it.

  My Mom got her a car and she got her license on August 27, 2002.   She was so proud of her new 94 Nissan Altima.  It was cherry red and she just couldn't brag enough about how pretty it was.   Candice got here on August 29th, 2002 for a visit during Labor day weekend.   After I got home from the airport picking Candice up, she called  Stephanie and told her to come to Florida while she was here.   It was almost labor day weekend and so Stephanie my brother and her two best friends decided to come for the weekend.   If Stephanie wanted to, she knew we could take them home and then she could come home with me.   I talked to her at least 10 times the afternoon of the 29th.   She went to get oil for her car so uncle Sguig (my brother Larry) could change her oil.   She went to Manardville to pick up her friends while Mama finished washing her cloths for her trip.

  On the way back to my brothers house to pick up her suitcase, tragedy beyond my belief struck.   I got the call from my ex-husband at 7:10 PM.   He said Stephanie had been in an accident on Raccoon Valley Road but didn't know where.   He said they were trying to cut her out of the car and were air lifting her to University of Tennessee Medical Center.   I called her cell phone frantically and called my Mom and Dad and brothers.   No one answered.   I knew that their phones would be at the scene and I just needed to know something.   Ron had told me she was alive but not good.   I can't remember much about the next few minutes except praying.   Just praying please don't let her die God PLEASE DO NOT TAKE HER!!!  My husband had got on the phone with UT and I'll never forget the look on his face when I asked did she die?   He shook his head yes.   OH GOD NO  Not Stephanie.   What about my brother?   Is my brother alive.   Yes he was but critically hurt along with the other two girls.   They didn't know if any would make it at that time.   I prayed again all the way to Tennessee.   I knew Stephanie was gone.    She was now with God.  

Come to find out later, she was hit head on by a forty one year old man who was drinking and racing on a no passing road.   There were two cars other than hers involved.   The man that hit her head on died instantly.   They had to remove him in three pieces and there was a beer can imbedded in his chest.   The other man is still saying he had nothing to do with it.   He said he was speeding but the other guy had just passed him at the wrong moment.   I have hired a private investigator because there are witnesses to them racing.   We will do whatever it takes to find justice for my Angel Stephanie.

  She made it through the extraction from her car but died in the helicopter in route to the hospital.   She just got up so close to heaven and God took her hand and called her home.    I will dedicate my life to Stephanie's memory and to keeping drunk drivers off the road.   Please remember Stephanie and how important it is to have a designated driver if you choose to go out drinking.   It was a senseless accident and could of been avoided.    That man was just as dangerous as someone shooting at random.   Greg Welsh murdered my baby and I pray that God will deal with him accordingly.   Stephanie will always be loved and I cannot begin to make you understand how this has effected my family.   My sons are devastated as am I.   Such a senseless act of a grown man with five children of his own.   He was old enough to know better and I feel no sympathy for him or his family.    I do however  miss my beautiful daughter Stephanie every minute of every day.   That man not only took my daughters life, he changed mine and my families lives forever.  

The person I was died that day in that helicopter too.   Part of me is buried in that small cemetery on Raccoon Valley Road.   Stephanie lived, died and is buried on the same mile of that little stretch of road.  

As long as I live I will do everything I can to keep her memory alive.   We won't ever forget you Stephanie.

I Love you forever, Stephanie !!!
                                    Mom  B.F.F  (Best friends forever)
Stephanie used to write B.F.F. on all my letters and cards.   I hope she knows now how true that is.



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Midi Selection:One Sweet Day