By Tanya De Jesus
tdejesus@kcautv.com
A tragic accident has taken the life of a mother and daughter from Sioux City.
Cynthia Piester and her 38–year–old daughter Jennifer died yesterday when their car went off I–80 near Casey, Iowa. Cynthia's husband survived the accident.
The Piester family is probably best known for the time they spent as part of the "STARS" program. Jennifer, who was visually impaired, joined the "Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School" and her parents followed. Now their loss is leaving a hole in the program.
Every Tuesday Jennie Piester would come here to the STARS program to do one of the things she loved most, riding. But her sudden death in a car accident has left a void in this place and in the hearts of everyone here.
STARS head instructor Julie Dorn says, "I still don't believe it. Jennie was supposed to start riding tomorrow actually. It's still hard to believe."
Riding horses. It's a hobby Jennie Piester loved doing for 25 years. Jennie was visually impaired so she came to the "Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School" to do exercises. She would gain balance and coordination and along the way she impacted many lives like her instructor's. But now Dorn is coping with the car accident that took Jennie's life and her mother's Cynthia Piester on Sunday.
Dorn says she was, "So bubbly. She was very, her personality brought you up when you were down. She was very vivacious and she kind of became another daughter to me."
Besides Dorn, Jennie always had her father Johnny Piester, who survived the crash, by her side. He helped the people at STARS as a volunteer. And when Cindy wasn't at any of the church activities she loved, Dorn says she always helped in her own way.
"They would always help with our fund raising. Cindy would bake things for us. They were always very thoughtful and kind and would help us out any way they could."
And while Jennie may be gone, the memory of the happy times she had riding the horses will never be forgotten, especially one special one.
Dorn says, "She would sing "Anything you can do I can do better." She would always sing that song on her horse and as long as she sang her song, she would do anything the instructor would ask her to do."
A song that will be echoing at this ranch for a very long time.
A bank account has been set up to help the Piester family. So if you would like to make a donation, you can submit it to the Pioneer Bank in Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff and Salix.
