Laurel E. Erb

Laurel Erb, a 2003 graduate of Wheaton Academy, died in a late-night collision in Grant County, Indiana. Laurel had deep faith in God and loved ceramic art. She also loved photography and making hand-made dolls. She displayed her love for God through her art. She was among a group of students and employees from Taylor University traveling back to campus in a van that was hit by a tractor-trailer about 10 miles north of campus. Taylor is a small evangelical Christian school of 1,900 students in Upland, Ind., northeast of Indianapolis. Those who knew her described her as a quiet but warm person who always wanted to help. She was studying art and planned to be a graphic designer after graduation. Laurel was the eldest of three children. She has a younger brother, Dan, who is a senior at Wheaton, and a 12-year-old sister, Alexandria.