A funeral service will be held at First Lutheran Church in Lake City on Saturday, January 14 at 10 a.m.
WABASSA, Minnesota — As cold water descended the Mississippi River in downtown Wabasha on Thursday afternoon, memories flooded in and warmed Renay Himle’s heart.
Reminiscence, which captures the essence of everything she says, is embodied by her nephew, 12-year-old Blaze Himle.
“He loves to be outside, he loves to fish, hunt and drive a truck, which is his thing,” Himmler said.
The boy enjoys the activities and behaviors common to children, including a curious disposition.
“He asked a lot of questions and always wanted to know something,” Himmler said.
Blaze Himle was a warrior from birth.
“He was in the NICU for a while and he had a stroke,” his aunt added. “He was a fighter and he tried to prove people wrong.”
Undeterred, Blaze was determined to reach his potential.
Himmler explained: “So he had a bit of a problem with his right side after the stroke, but you never knew the boy, he did everything anyone would do and more.”
But that all changed Sunday, Himmler said, when he was with his grandfather at a family friend’s farm near Wabasha.
“He’s out, on a snowmobile.”
According to his aunt, he is no stranger to the activity.
“He’s wearing a helmet that you know, the safety precautions are there,” Himmler said.
Realizing another moment of youthful joy, not realizing it will be his last.
“He just…maybe just pushed a little too hard, maybe just panicked and hit a tree. He flew, he flew a long way.”
Himle said Blaze died on impact.
“He didn’t feel anything and that gave us some comfort,” Himmler said. “He meant a lot to his family, he meant a lot to his family, and now we have a piece missing that can never be made up. .”
Blaze’s visit is scheduled for Friday, January 13, from 4-7 p.m. at the Abbott Funeral Home and Crematorium in Wabasha.
A funeral service will be held at First Lutheran Church in Lake City on Saturday, January 14 at 10 a.m.
In honor of his love of trucks, a convoy of nearly 300 truck drivers will drive him from the church to the cemetery for burial, Blaze’s family said.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help the family pay for the funeral and to support Blaze’s mother, Marie Himle.
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