Hundreds Mourn Slain Siblings
Posted by Terry White on November 20, 2006
This report from Fox News Channel 28 in South Bend, Indiana, details some of the ministry Brian Baughman (pictured) and his wife have had to a family in crisis. Brian is Hispanic pastor at the Grace Brethren Church of Osceola, Indiana (Greg Serafino, pastor).
Hundreds Turn Out To Remember Slain Siblings
Plenty of tears and tissues, as hundreds turn out to remember four young children allegedly murdered by their own mother in their Elkhart home last week.
Monday night, visitation services were held for the slain siblings at Grace Brethren Church in Osceola.
Angelica Alvarez and her kids spent a lot of time at that church. Angelica attended an English as a second language class there once a week.
While in class, her children attended a youth Bible study group. It was during Bible study, that many people in the small congregation got to know the four children.
Rays of sunlight break through the dark clouds above Grace Brethren Church in Osceola. However, they did very little to brighten the spirits of people inside.
Brian Baughman, Pastor at Grace Brethren Church says, “Cries of agony you might say.”
The reaction from mourners Monday as they passed by the bodies of Jennifer Lopez, her brother Gonzalo, their step-brother Daniel and step-sister Jessica.
A family friend, Tammy Baughman describes each of the children.
As for Jennifer, the 8 year old, “She was a girlie girl and she loved princesses.”
6-year old Gonzalo, “He loved superheroes and he loved to eat.”
4-year old Daniel, “He liked to play chase, loved to watch cartoons.”
And the youngest, 2-year old Jessica, “She would play and run around until her little exhausted self would crash with her blanket.”
Tammy Baughman was with all of the children just hours before their deaths.
Baughman says, “Helping them do fun things at home, reading the Bible with their mom.”
Baughman, whose husband is the Hispanic pastor at Grace Brethren, bonded with the children over the years during Bible study. She says things seemed pretty normal inside the family’s home when she left last Tuesday.
Baughman says, “I don’t know what normal is exactly, but nothing was concerning me.”
While the question of why still remains unanswered, family and friends turn to their faith for guidance as they prepare to bury these four young children.
Pastor Brian Baughman, Grace Brethren Church, says, “We’ve spent some time reading the Bible, realizing although some things happen we don’t understand that doesn’t make sense to us that God lets happen, we just have to trust He has a plan and a purpose and hopefully we can understand what that was.”
Until that happens, people here will find some comfort in their memories of the kids.
Baughman says, “The cuteness of the things they did make you smile. It’s just a sad thing.”
The children’s funeral will be Tuesday morning at 11 a-m at St. Vincent de Paul Church on south Main Street in Elkhart. It’s expected to be standing room only. They will be buried at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Mishawaka.
The children’s mother, Angelica Alvarez, is in police custody at Elkhart General hospital where she was taken after being found with her children last week.
The Elkhart County Prosecutor has until Wednesday to formally charge her in connection with their deaths.
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