McHenry County Blog

Friends of the little girl who was killed riding her bicycle on Crystal Lake’s West End following her older brother across North Avenue have sent up a fund to help her family cover funeral and other expenses. What they have sent me you see below:

The families of West Elementary School have set up a memorial fund in honor of Rachel Miller and to help the Miller family.

West Elementary School on a snowy day.

Rachel, a 7-year-old Crystal Lake resident who had just finished first grade at West Elementary, died Friday from injuries she suffered when her bicycle collided with a car.

Rachael Miller

She was trying to cross North Avenue near Millard Avenue in Crystal Lake about 7 a.m. Wednesday when the bicycle she was riding struck the side of a 2004 Acura TL that was traveling east on North Avenue. 

The driver was not ticketed, and police say no charges appear likely.

A Rachel Miller Memorial Fund has been established at First National Bank of McHenry, and donations will be accepted until June 30.

Checks made out to the Miller Family may be sent to First National Bank of McHenry, P.O. Box 338, McHenry, IL 60051.

For information, call 815-385-5400.

Her obituary follows:

Rachel Therese Miller, 7, of Crystal Lake passed away Friday June 10, 2011 at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. She was born November 13, 2003 in Barrington, Illinois to Jerry and Christine Miller. She attended school at West Elementary in Crystal Lake and just finished 1st grade. She was very active and participated in Tae Kwon Do at Ha’s Tae Kwon Do Academy.
She is exceptionally generous, very affectionate, and was very proud of her family. Rachel was always happy to see everyone and enjoyed sharing her artwork and loved being with her brother and sister.

She is survived by her parents Jerry and Christine Miller, brother Alan Miller, sister Heather Miller, paternal grandparents Ginger & Al Miller-Strom, maternal grandparents Rory M (Debra) Hunter and Mary T (Tom) Cooper, Uncles Charles Hunter, Troy Strom, Aunt Casey Hunter, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

A memorial visitation will be held from 12:00 -7:00 pm with a memorial service at 2:00 pm on Saturday June 18th at Querhammer & Flagg Funeral Home, 500 W. Terra Cotta Ave. Crystal Lake.

Donations to the family may be made through West Elementary in Crystal Lake, The General Store by West Beach in Crystal Lake or Ha’s Tae Kwon Do Academy in Algonquin. Additional donation are being given to Lutheran General in Park Ridge on behalf of Rachel Miller.

West Elementary School, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Parents of District 47 children are receiving phone calls about an attempted abduction of a 9-year old girl at the corner of Briarwood and North Avenue on the west end of Crystal Lake.

The girl was walking to school when a 20-40 year old male with tan skin and dark brown hair asked her if she wanted a ride to school.

She said, “No,” and ran down the street several blocks to West Elementary School.

The intersection of Briarwood and North Avenue long after the 13 police officers, mainly Sheriff's Deputies, had left.

The man, driving a tan 4-door sedan, was described as wearing as clean shaven and wearing not glasses or jewelry.

The abduction attempt occurred between 8:35 and 8:47 AM.

Lori Parrish, the Crystal Lake Grade School Communications Director, made the phone call. She asked that parents discuss with their children the problem of “stranger danger.”

No wonder so many parents insist on driving their children to and from school.

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Apparently, the crime took place outside of Crystal Lake’s city limits, because the Crystal Lake Police Department is reporting that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department has primary jurisdiction.

When I took the photos I measured the distance from North Avenue to the school.  It was two-tenths of a mile.

Last year after I got my Golf Road

“Hey, what are you complaining about? Your ticket only costs $10 and you don’t have to go to Woodstock”

Crystal Lake parking ticket dropping off my son at South School, I was going to do a follow-up story about drop-off arrangements at other District 47 Crystal Lake elementary schools.

Unfortunately, the Crystal Lake Central High School boys’ bathroom mirror Virginia Tech threatener got in the way.

Saturday, I showed you the improvement to West School. Here it is again.

At Husmann Elementary School, District 47 not only bought the splendid old pump house and tore it down to make an employee parking lot, but it also purchased the two houses east of the school and tore them down. You can see the parking lot and drive-through lane created for picking up lanes in the photo above, taken from the library side of the school.

That does not stop people from parking on Franklin Street across from Crystal Lake Central High School in a no parking zone (click and you can read the sign in the foreground) while waiting their turn to pick up their kids, but it is so much better than the situation at South Elementary School.

I think I’ll drive past some other schools and see if there are worse pick-up problems than exist at South.

Last year after I got my Golf Road “Hey, what are you complaining about? Your ticket only costs $10 and you don’t have to go to Woodstock” Crystal Lake parking ticket dropping off my son at South School, I was going to do a follow-up story about drop-off arrangements at other District 47 Crystal Lake elementary schools.

Unfortunately, the Crystal Lake Central High School boys’ bathroom mirror Virginia Tech threatener got in the way.

Saturday, I showed you the improvement to West School. Here it is again.

At Husmann Elementary School, District 47 not only bought the splendid old pump house and tore it down to make an employee parking lot, but it also purchased the two houses east of the school and tore them down. You can see the parking lot and drive-through lane created for picking up lanes in the photo above, taken from the library side of the school.

That does not stop people from parking on Franklin Street across from Crystal Lake Central High School in a no parking zone (click and you can read the sign in the foreground) while waiting their turn to pick up their kids, but it is so much better than the situation at South Elementary School.

I think I’ll drive past some other schools and see if there are worse pick-up problems than exist at South.