Local College Students Remembered By Many

On Saturday afternoon, October 22, 2011, two local college students were killed in a motor vehicle accident on I-75. A group of Oakland University College students were driving in a caravan down to Detroit for a book fair around 3pm in the afternoon when a sudden traffic jam caused a multi-car collision. Rachel Ring and Jenna Balabuch, both 19 years old, lost their lives in the wreck, and the driver was listed in critical condition after their car was struck from behind. Rachel Ring had spent this past summer as an intern at Faith EPC in Rochester Hills, the church she had been raised in. The Youth Pastor, Jason Sewell, commented, “Rachel had a huge impact, not only as a youth, but as a leader in our church and in this community. We held a memorial Monday night for those she has impacted in the youth group and about 60 kids came. It was a time to grieve and mourn, as well as to remember and honor a life well lived.”  Rachel is survived by her mother and father and two sisters.

The funeral service for Rachel Ring is planned for Friday October 28, 2011 at 10am at Faith Church, located at 160 West Hamlin, Rochester Hills, MI.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Rachel Ring Memorial Scholarship Fund and mailed to Faith Church. The online guestbook is at www.modetzfuneralhomes.com.

Visitation for Rachel will be held 3-9 p.m. Thursday at Potere-Modetz Funeral Home, 339 Walnut Blvd., Rochester.

Funeral arrangements for Jenna Balabuch are being handled by Roth-Muir Funeral Home, 296 S. Main St., Romeo. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Romeo United Methodist Church.

Memorial donations may be made to an English scholarship at Oakland University in Jenna Balabuch’s honor.