An old friend

Chelsea was always such a fun and happy person to be around. She made everyone around her laugh. I will always remember all the fun times hanging out with her, Emily, Steve and Rex.

Thanks for always being such a sweet and genuine friend.

Brian Barton

Full of Life

Chelsea and I became fast friends on our trip to Africa. I remember being excited when I learned she would be coming on the trip and looking forward to getting to know her. She had an inviting energy about her. An uplifting and adventurous energy. She was so fun and easy to be around. We would all talk for hours and hours as we hiked each day on our way to the top of Kilimanjaro. I remember looking for opportunities to spend more time with Chelsea and taking the opportunity when I could. I remember one specific evening by the campfire when we talked for hours. I loved hearing her stories and seeing what a deeply genuine person she is.

I remember so vividly sitting on my bed in the mission field in Chile when I read the news, and it broke my heart. This dear friend who had so much LIFE about her nature and was so gifted in her abilities to uplift and enjoy life was taken so quickly. I remember just feeling stunned and crying throughout the day but deep inside feeling a sense of peace all the while. I thought of all the good work I knew she was doing on the other side of the veil. I felt inspired and connected to her as I knew that we were engaged in the same work. To this day, I know that Chelsea continues on with her gifts and passions on the other side of the veil. And it is exhilarating to remember that her lovely, fiery, passionate, kind, fun personality continues to serve and uplift.

I was also particularly impressed with Chelsea's family by the way she would talk about them and then by meeting them after we got back from Africa. I am inspired by their strength and perspective. And thank you Hale family for raising such an upright and wonderful woman.

We love you Chelsea and continue to be inspired by you.

Love, Noah Eyre

Thanks for the memories!

I was lucky enough to grow up across the street from Chelsea. I remember the day I first met her: It was the summer before 5th grade and Emily Yeates and I were playing in my front yard trying to pretend that we weren’t spying on the family moving into the house across the street. We had heard rumors that there was a girl our age in the family. We were trying to figure out who she might be when Chelsea ran across the street and asked “Are you Kim?” I remember how impressed (and a little jealous) I was of her bravery.

I have so many great memories of Chelsea. Here are some of my favorites:

- Rollerskating in my driveway.

- Playing the track game on the Nintendo running pad in the Hale’s basement. We strategized for hours on how to cheat our way into winning.

- Summer nights when we’d get together with all the other kids in the neighborhood and play sardines.

- Singing Unforgettable with Harry Connick Jr in the Hale’s kitchen.

- RESPECT – lip sync with Chelsea and Whitney J. First place winners!

- Spying on each other when we had dates. She once asked if she could “borrow” the streetlamp in front of my house because it was the perfect place to kiss someone in the snow.

- Sneaking out of sunday school to drive over to Catie Hinckley's house.

- When she brought over a pint of Haagen Dazs and a card that read “Boys suck!” after I broke up with a boyfriend.

- Long talks sitting on my front porch at night.

The last time I saw Chelsea was when I was home visiting during a college break. She got out of her car and ran across the street with the biggest smile on her face and gave me a huge hug. She really did make you feel like you were the most important person in the world.

I’ll love you forever Chelsea!

Kim Lambert

A perfect example.

Our family loved Chelsea like she was our own.
We miss her and think of her every day.
Kirk and I are so grateful our girls had someone so wonderful to look up to.
We could say so much, but we'll just put it simply...

C-Cheerful, Contagious, Caring
H-Hopeful, happy, hilarious
E-Energetic, Everything to Everyone
L-Love, Laughter Light
S-Service, Spiritual, Service, Sister
E-Effortless, Easy to be around
A-Adorable, Adventurous

We love our Chelsea and can't wait to see her again and receive one of her perfect hugs.

Love,
Kirk, Nata, and Allie Schneider

My First Love

The moment Chelsea came to pick me up on our first blind date to take me to “DG’s in the Hood,” we had an instant connection. We spent the entire night talking to each other and didn’t care about anyone around us. It was like we were long lost friends catching up as opposed being on a first date. We never had any of those awkward first date moments where it gets silent and you consciously have to think about things to talk about. I think Chelsea had this effect on everyone who was lucky enough to cross her path. I’m sure anyone who ever met her would tell you that she was such an easy person to talk to, but we had something special. We wandered around the Galavan Center talking, laughing and flirting the night away and couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. I remember calling Emily Cook the next day to tell her everything about our date and how wonderful it was and asking for advice about how long I should wait to call her. Little did I know that half of the conversation I had with Emily that day was actually with Chelsea. I’m still not sure if it was Emily or Chelsea who told me to call her that same day. I’m sure that was the first of many times that the two of them fooled me over the phone.

I have so many wonderful memories of Chelsea that I will cherish forever. I am especially grateful for the little memories I have of her. Like the way she would look at me sometimes with those puppy dog eyes of hers and not have to say a thing, or the way she’d simply smile and it would brighten up my day. I will never understand why Chelsea was taken from us that night and why I was not. Every day I feel like I’m living on borrowed time and that Chelsea gave that to me. I am forever a changed man after having met Chelsea and I know it is for the better. You are gone from us now, but you will never be forgotten.

Love always,
Chase Chandler

Long Runs

I met Chelsea during London Study Abroad and knew right away we were going to be friends. We both figured out from the first day we met that we loved to run and having a huge park right across from where we lived was the perfect way to start the day for the both of us. A lot can be said when you spend every morning putting in as many miles as you can without being too late to class! Many conversations on our run I can remember centered around how much she loved her family. I think by the end of the semester I had heard so much about her mom that I felt like I knew her and wanted to be just like her!

I loved the fact that I could always count on Chelsea to go on a run with me no matter what time or where we were at. I remember staying in a hostel in Scotland and we had to leave pretty early in the morning. She was the only one that would go running with me that morning and we had the best time exploring the city just as the sun was rising.

One thing I loved hearing about from Chelsea was her experience serving in Africa. It really made me look at my life and try to set goals on serving others. I contribute a large part of why I served a mission to Chelsea. I still want to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro because of all the great stories she told me about that day.

The most memorable experience I had of Chelsea was the one week when they fanned all of us kids out to different family's houses all around the country. The only person that went to the same area with me was Chelsea. Oh how I wish we had gone to the same family!! My experience was awful and one afternoon I somehow was able to slip out of the house for a few hours. I remember just wandering the city miserable and wanting to go home when who appears out of no where but Chelsea. She took one look at me and gave me a huge hug. We spent the rest of the afternoon together and she totally helped me get through the week by setting up times to meet up together and just make me laugh about my whole experience.

I am so grateful for the short time I was able to know Chelsea. I wish it was longer but am so glad I will see her and hear her infectious laugh again. Miss you Chelsea!!!

Kim (Edwards) Rodela

A light in Darkness

The way that I would describe my relationship with Chelsea is that she was a light in a dark time for me. Like a lot of youth, I had a tendency to make things a lot more difficult on myself and by so doing I would go to a darker place.

Then there was Chelsea. She did things so different to any understanding of what I had. I remember at school there was a fire alarm or something that everyone was leaving the school at the same time. A girl was talking to her friend and didn't see a garbage can left in the middle of the hall and she tripped and fell right on her face.

A large group of people stood there and pointed and laughed. Chelsea came running in between the girl and the group. She fought with the laughers calling them losers and she helped the girl up. I was amazed that someone had the courage to go out of their way to stand up for someone that she was not even close to all because she believed it was right.

Another thing that I always think of is that she expected peoples best. No matter what the situation was you had to give good insight or do something great. You couldn't just be there. I didn't have a real high self esteem and this really took me out of my comfort zone.

We talked about the most random things and I can't remember them all but one that I do remember was we discussed our favorite Christmas movies. She wouldn't let me give an easy answer. When I did there had to be substance with it. Nothing was simple. When it was simple I would get a "Duh Kurt. That's dumb." That sentence was uttered often but I soon learned and I came out my shell a bit.

I have since heard someone say that in order to change the world you just need to change your attitude. Chelsea did that for me. She is still a light and inspiration to me. I now see the world so differently than I once did and that light will go on forever. I am happier today than I have ever been because I continue to build on that light.


-Kurt Anderson