Survived By: Surviving are her life partner of seven years, Donna Van Dyke of Mt. Zion; two daughters, Sabrina Van Dyke and Jillian Van Dyke, both of Mt. Zion; her mother, Doris Hall of Raytown, Missouri; her father, Robert Higgins of Shawnee, Kansas and her grandparents, Dean and Kay Hall of Morton and Marvin and Elsie Higgins of Shawnee, Kansas. She also leaves her god-daughter, Brianna Hull of Kansas City, Missouri; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A graduate of Hickman-Mills High School in Kansas City, Missouri, she attended Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2006, she graduated from Bradley University in Peoria with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Print Making. Rachel worked for the State of Illinois Department of Child and Family Services as a caseworker at the Pekin office, last working Tuesday. Previously, she worked at Lutheran Child and Family Services in Decatur as a caseworker. She was a longtime volunteer with Central Illinois Riding Therapy. She was involved with the Heart of Illinois 4-H Horse Show in Springfield, since age 11, and presently was superintendent of the horse show. She was a past president of Common Ground while at Bradley. Rachel enjoyed photography, crafts, scrapbooking, computers, and especially helping kids.