One last goodbye

SPARTA-Some witnesses said the grief was palpable everywhere. For a few minutes last week, Sparta came to complete stop as three hearses carrying the members of the Stassi family made their way though the center of town on their way to the local cemetery. Hundreds of area residents came out on Thursday to pay final tribute to Anthony, Beverly and 10-year-old Samantha Stassi killed in a car accident over the holiday season. The tragedy traumatized Sparta's close-knit community and mobilized its members in efforts to show their support for 12-year-old Stephanie Stassi, the only survivor of the crash. According to school officials, Stephanie is expected to visit her classmates at Helen Morgan School before relocating with relatives outside the area. After a mass at Our Lady of the Lake Church, friends and relatives accompanied the caskets carrying the three members of the Stassi family. People along the route wept as the procession took Anthony, Beverly and Samantha to their final resting place.