Thousands come to say good-bye

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By AUTUMN GROOMS La Crosse Tribune
Thursday, October 20, 2005 1:49 PM CDT

Alisha Craker clenched a white angel bear in her 16-year-old hands as she waited to say good-bye to her friend.

“It’s for Morgan’s sister, Alexis (Greenhalgh),” she said, pointing to the guardian angel pin that sparkled with Morgan Greenhalgh’s blue March birthstone.

“I knew it would be a hard time for her (Alexis), and thought she might need someone to watch over her since her sister is gone.”

Morgan, 11, and her grandfather, Doug Greenhalgh, Chippewa Falls High School band director, and grandmother, Therese Greenhalgh, died Sunday on their way home from a high school marching band competition at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The chartered bus they were riding in struck the undercarriage of an overturned semi on Interstate 94 near Osseo, killing the Greenhalghs, the bus driver and a student teacher.

Hundreds of community members, friends, co-workers and students — past and present — waited in a line that stretched through the Chippewa Falls High School parking lot and down the side of the school Wednesday night to attend a joint visitation for the Greenhalghs. About 20 members of the Antigo High School Marching Band attended, dressed in their band uniforms.

Inside the gymnasium was filled with flowers and the trophy cases were covered in letters and well wishes, while outside attendees took time to remember the man simply known as “G,” and the family he loved.

Being girls

Craker first met Morgan when the little girl with curls would come to her Chippewa Falls home to attend day care with Craker’s mother.

The girls remained in contact, becoming closer friends as they grew-up, Craker said.

“Morgan was like the little sister I never had. We were really close,” Craker said, squeezing the bear a little tighter.

Morgan and Craker would spend their time together talking about boys, watching movies, going on trips and eating all kinds of junk food, Craker said.

There was even a time when the duo filled Doug and Therese’s Jacuzzi with a little too much bubble bath.

When the bubbles started forming, the girls panicked and began running between the hot tub and shower trying to reduce the amount of foam, and keep the adult Greenhalghs out of the loop, Craker said.

Becoming family

“Before you met G, there was so much anticipation,” said Michelle Southworth, a 1997 Chippewa High graduate.

Students talked him up and worried the underclassmen about “death camp,” a midsummer band practice, Southworth and 1999 alumnus Adam Liedl said. “G” would walk into the room, stare, smile and then it was time to play, they said.

“After you get to know him, he is like a father and a big kid,” Liedl said. “You could talk about anything and he would treat you the same.”

For those who weren’t on task, Doug would distribute punishments that helped with strength.

“Pushups were always the punishment,” Southworth said, pointing to the arm muscles she developed during her three years as a Marching Cardinal.

Liedl recalled when he was a sophomore and older students told him to push a button. He did and nothing happened, or so he thought.

A time later, “G” came out to the field and inquired as to who pushed the emergency bell. Liedl was identified as the culprit by his friends and ordered to do 50 pushups.

During band trips, Therese, or “Mom G” and “Mrs. G” as she was affectionately known, was always there, Southworth recalled. “It was her family too,” she said.

Showing support

The New Richmond High School Marching Tigers black trailer with an orange tiger was among the first to arrive. As a sign of respect to Doug, Don Donaldson and his son Nels, 15, drove about 65 miles to bring it to Chi- Hi.

Donaldson, a band parent, said many bands have been on similar trips, recalling when New Richmond took a coach bus to Florida. “This brings it pretty close to home,” he said.

Donaldson said he liked something Doug once said about living life to the fullest.

“That is what band directors do,” he said.

“It’s hard to put together trips and taxing (to do) schedules, yet they do this all the time because they know it will make the kids lives better.”

Nels, a 15-year-old snare drummer, said he couldn’t imagine what students are going through in Chippewa Falls. At his school, the band director keeps the pep rally going and gets the band together, he said.

“Without him, I couldn’t imagine,” Nels said.

Teaching too

Lucas Risinger, a 1998 graduate, brought a scrapbook and cards for the Chippewa Falls students from his students at Eau Claire North High School. He said he’s been trying to keep them up-to-date on the tragedy.

Risinger said he spent much of his high school career in the music room and got to know Doug by participating in musicals and show choir.

Risinger’s mother, Toni Risinger, said she was always impressed by how Doug attended so many school functions.

Doug took his job seriously and had fun, he said, adding that is the type of teacher he aspires to be.

Autumn Grooms can be reached at (608) 791-8424, or agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.