A 'Powerful Source Of Love' And 'Beacon Of Light': Services Set For Manhattan Woman, 24, Killed In Crash

MANHATTAN, IL — Funeral services have been set for a 24-year-old Manhattan woman killed last week in a crash with a school bus.

Makenna Maurisak, 24—named as Kenna in her obituary listing—died Jan. 15 in a crash on Manhattan-Monee Road near Kankakee Street. Maurisak, family said, left "an indelible mark on those lucky enough to have met her and a more beautiful world for those who hadn’t."

Maurisak was a beloved daughter, sister, aunt and niece, the obituary reads.

"She was the life of our family parties—dearly loved by her aunts and uncles," family wrote. "She was the favorite cousin...

"To everyone that has ever met Kenna, she was simply a beacon of light."

Her pet Dobby was "the most spoiled bearded dragon in the world," family said, and she "found beauty in the misunderstood creatures of the animal kingdom and believed that all life was deserving of compassion and love."

Maurisak was passionately creative, they wrote, having finished her first novel and working on its sequel.

"Kenna was a profoundly prolific creative," her obituary reads. "She was a musician, filmmaker, writer, photographer, proud DND dungeon master; there was no artistic discipline too complex or difficult for her to try. With a deep appreciation for the world of fantasy, she was endlessly imaginative."

Maurisak was a long-time cherished team member at the Mokena location of Creamery, the business shared on social media.

"...she will be deeply missed," the business shared. "If you visited the Mokena Creamery, you likely experienced her cheerful and helpful presence.

Her family said Maurisak treated everyone with kindness.

"She was a powerful source of love to her friends—the Zoo Crew, the Creamery family, and so many others," they wrote. "She treated every person she met like family and was everyone’s little sister. ... She had endless love to give."

Maurisak was an inspiration to others, family said, "proving that you can truly accomplish anything if you put the time, work, and love into it." Her first novel, titled "Flames: The Elemental Saga" is available for purchase on Amazon in all formats.

"She would have loved for everyone to read it," family said.

Visitation for Maurisak will take place on Friday, Jan.23, 10 a.m. until the time of her memorial Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, 241 W 2nd Ave., New Lenox, IL 60451. In lieu of flowers, the family asks people to make a donation to the JED Foundation, a nonprofit that Kenna passionately supported, in her name.