Friend: Losing Brooke Like Losing Part Of Herself

RANDOLPH, Vt. -- Family and friends filed into Randolph Union High School on Tuesday night to pay their respects to Brooke Bennett.

Brooke, 12, disappeared on June 25 after she was last seen with her uncle at a convenience store in town. Her remains were found a week later alongside a street near her uncle's house.

Friends and classmates mourned their friend during calling hours Tuesday night.

"She's just a good friend and I loved her, I'll always love her," said Jacquelyn Lumbra, Brooke's classmate and friend. "We used to go swimming. She'd spend the night at my house, I'd spend the night at her house. We just always had fun together."

Another friend and classmate Kira Mason moved to the area eight months ago.

"She just made me feel like I belonged and she just treated me as nicely as she could, like I was one of her best friends all the time," Mason said.

Both girls said they will always remember Brooke's smile.

"She was always happy and grateful and thankful for what she had," Lumbra said.

"She was just an amazing person, always happy. You know, she lit up a room," Mason said.

Brooke just finished seventh grade -- her first year at the high school. She played basketball and lacrosse inside the same auditorium now full of collages and remembrances of Brooke.

"People will have more of a chance to, actually as they're filing by, get a story of Brooke's life and visit with the family and pay their respects," said Randy Garner from Day Funeral Home.

Friends said Brooke was a strong-willed girl who stood up for herself.

"She was very confident about herself, and if she didn't get her way, she would throw a fit. But if she didn't, she's straight back to being happy," Mason said.

Brooke made a big impression on a lot of people and many said things will not be the same without her.

"Losing Brooke is like losing part of myself," Mason said. "You know, she was like my best friend and it's really hard."

Memorial Fund

A memorial fund has been set up for Brooke's family for funeral costs and other expenses. If you would like to donate, you can do so by making a contribution to the Jim and Janet Bennett Fund at any Randolph National Bank branch.