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Tine was the first of our class to pass away. She was an amazing student and even a better friend. She's still in the thoughts of those that knew her. Below are reproductions of Tine's obituary and an article about the accident.
OBITUARY: from Wenatchee World
TINE NOLLMEYER COX
Orondo
Tine Nollmeyer Cox, 17, Orondo, died Saturday, Oct. 25, 1997, in an auto accident.
Tine was born on July 16, 1980, in Chelan to Dan and Joy Cox. She was baptized and confirmed in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church.
She attended Lake Chelan middle and high schools through her freshman year, where she maintained a flawless 4.0 grade point average. Tine then attended Wenatchee Valley College in the Running Start program and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She was in the process of completing her associate degree and was to transfer to the University of Washington to finish her undergraduate degree with the goal of gaining her bachelor of science degree in the same year that she would have graduated from high school.
She was a student of the Early Placement for Gift Youth math program through Stanford University and attended Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and Duke's Talent Identification programs during summer sessions.
While in the Chelan school system, she served as her class's eighth-grade graduation speaker, freshman class president and Pep Club vice president. She enjoyed playing volleyball, basketball, softball and competing in Knowledge Bowl, Math Counts, high school math team and history day contests.
Tine was a ballet dancer for Ballet Theatre Northwest and danced in various productions of The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and recitals. She had taken piano lessons for nine years from Tami Carey Lopushinski.
Tine was an outstanding citizen. She volunteered full time as a pianist at Holy Cross Church in Withrow and Our Savior's in East Wenatchee. She was a page for the Washington State House of Representatives for Rep. Clyde Ballard, served the community on the Teen Awareness Program and produced audio/visual media regarding teen pregnancy and abstinence.
Tine's quest for academic and personal excellence took her around the world, in your back yard and in your heart. She strived for happiness by making every person she touched happy. Her enjoyment was watching your enjoyment.
She is survived by her parents, Dan and Joy Cox; her brother, Daniel Cox; a sister and brother-in-law, Cari and John Tschetter; her grandparents, Betty Nollmeyer and Bill and Marie Cox; her godparents, William and Shirley Nollmeyer; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Arrangements are by the Waterville Funeral Home, Waterville.
ACCIDENT ARTICLE: from Wenatchee World
Classmates mourn Chelan honor student
By MARLA PUGH, World staff writer
Posted October 27, 1997
CHELAN -- Students and teachers at Chelan High School gathered at an assembly this morning to mourn the loss of 17-year-old Tine Cox, a talented honor student who was killed in a car accident early Saturday morning.
Washington State Patrol Lt. Ken Irwin and Sgt. Mike Dingle were at the assembly to answer questions about Cox's death. Irwin said the students were quiet and reserved and many seemed to be in shock.
After the assembly, the troopers sat in the cafeteria and met with smaller groups of students.
"You can explain to them how it happened," Irwin said. "But you can't tell them why."
Cox was killed when her vehicle crashed head-on with a semi-tractor trailer five miles south of Chelan on Highway 97 at 4:47 a.m. Saturday. Troopers said Cox was driving south on the highway in a 1997 Ford Expedition when her rig drifted over the center line and hit a truck carrying wood chips.
Investigators still do not know for sure what caused the crash. But Irwin said that because there were no skid marks from braking and because there were no signs that Cox took any evasive maneuvers, chances are that she fell asleep.
Authorities believe she attended Friday night's Chelan High School football game, drove home to her parents' house near Orondo, and then left again to go to a small gathering of friends. Irwin said there was some alcohol at the gathering, but there is no evidence that Cox had been drinking. She was thought to have been driving back home when the accident occurred, troopers said.
Chelan County Coroner Jerry Rappe was scheduled to do an autopsy today.
The collision caused the semi to catch on fire. The Department of Transportation closed the highway between Wenatchee and Chelan for several hours Saturday night.
The Canadian truck driver, John Spenst, 37, of Penticton, B.C., was not hurt. A passenger in the semi, Erdman E. Nikkel, 44, of Vernon, B.C., was treated for second-degree burns at the Chelan Hospital and released.
Troopers said both Spenst and Nikkel were wearing seat belts, but Cox was not.
Cox is the daughter of Joy and Dan Cox, who own Rocking Arrow Fruit Co. in Orondo. She is also survived by a brother and a sister.
She had been taking classes at Wenatchee Valley College as part of the Running Start program and was close to completing her associate of arts degree. She had previously attended both Chelan middle and senior high schools, where she was active in school politics, sports and academic programs. She had already been accepted at the University of Washington, where she hoped to finish her undergraduate degree in science the same year she would have graduated from high school.
She was also a dancer in Ballet Theatre Northwest and volunteered her time as a pianist at two churches.
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Cheyenne Stocker
I remember Tine from way back when we were in Transition. My heart truly fell to my feet when I heard about the accident. How sad for someone that was so enduring to everyone else! -CheyenneJennifer Lee
I was just thinking of her the other day... with the election and debates going on, I thought out of all the people I knew in my life, who would have made the best first woman President? :) Happy to see her remembered here.-Jennifer
Amber Talley (Corrigan)
I think about Tine, and talk about her, all the time. My husband is currently doing a huge job for her father at her home and everytime we go up there I think about her and how amazing she was. She really would have made an amazing difference in this world. I can't wait to see her again in Heaven!