During her 21 years of life, Brittany Zimmermann loved many things. She loved spending time with her family and friends in her hometown of Marshfield, Wis. She loved her fiancé, Jordan Gonnering, whom she lived with as they both attended UW-Madison. And each spring, she loved returning home to spend Easter weekend with the people she cared about most.
""Easter was like the best holiday in the world for Brittany because it meant that she was coming home and Mom was making a big 'ole beast of a ham,"" Kim Heeg, Brittany's aunt, said.
Last year's Easter weekend in late March was a particularly special time for Brittany. She announced her recent engagement to her family and gushed about plans for everyone to watch her get married in Hawaii after graduation. And, of course, in between congratulations and excited family chatter, Brittany feasted on her mother's Easter ham, her favorite food.
It was the last time Brittany's family would see her alive.
""A Small Town Girl""
Brittany grew up in Marshfield with her parents, Kevin and Jean, younger brother Matt and a bevy of other family members who live in the area. From an early age, her cheerful disposition and go-with-the-flow personality made Brittany stand out to everyone who knew her.
During her freshman year at Marshfield High School, Brittany immediately threw herself into extracurricular activities and joined the marching band as a flute player. Heeg, who also played flute in MHS's marching band, passed her instrument down to Brittany to use during her four years in the band.
Brittany also took academics very seriously, joining the National Honor Society and taking several Advanced Placement courses in hopes of being accepted to UW-Madison, her dream school. The appeal of a bigger city and the university's prestigious reputation made her determined to become a Badger.
""She wanted to go there because she was a small town girl and that was all she knew,"" Heeg said. ""She wanted the best, and she worked hard and she did it.""
""Oh, The Places You'll Go!""
In 2005, the Zimmermann family held another one of their signature family gatherings to celebrate Brittany's high school graduation. They showered her with Badger gear, and Heeg gave her a copy of the Dr. Seuss book ""Oh, The Places You'll Go!"" in preparation for her starting college at UW-Madison that fall.
She instantly developed a fascination with science courses and chose to major in medical microbiology and immunology. Like many students, Brittany juggled her studies with a part-time job.
During her junior year, Brittany moved into a downtown apartment with Gonnering, her first serious boyfriend. The pair lived with their cats, Boo Bear, Martin and Felix, a stray Brittany rescued and spent a pretty penny on in veterinarian fees to make sure he was healthy. Heeg described the trio of felines as the couple's ""pseudo-children.""
As she approached her senior year, Brittany knew she wanted to continue her education and become a doctor, but she was debating between practicing medicine and researching in a lab. However, Brittany would never get the chance to share her talents and potential with the medical world.
""Those days are very empty""
This year, the Zimmermann family's Easter celebration will be short one very important member, as will many holidays to come.
""None of the holidays are the same, because those family functions were so important to [Brittany],"" Heeg said. ""She always made time for everyone, and she's not there to do that. All those days are very empty.""
Even though the last year has not been easy, Brittany's family and friends continue to remember her as an intelligent, kind and loving young woman—true to form in the way she lived her life.
""Everything that you hear about what she liked to do and what she did is truly what she was,"" Heeg said. ""You don't have to make it up or not look at the bad pieces of it, because it's just who she was.""
