Nicolette 'Nikki' Litchfield, 17, Weippe

On Sunday, March 23, 2005, the gates of heaven opened up to welcome home our Angel Baby, Nicolette. She was 17 years old.

Nikki loved the Lord and life in general. Nicolette M.M. Litchfield was born Dec. 14, 1987, in Pullman, WA to Christina Currin and Daniel Litchfield. Her mother was her best friend and they had a very close and loving relationship. She also loved her sisters dearly. Even though they sometimes had their spats, just let anyone say or do anything to one of her sisters and they had Nikki to deal with.

She loved the outdoors, hiking, camping, going out and just sitting in the woods, enjoying God's beauty. She loved thunderstorms, watching the lightning and the sunsets. Nikki loved driving her Grandpa Huddleston's 4-by-4 Toyota pickup and drove it long before she had her driver's license, with Grandpa at her side. She also enjoyed driving his 4-wheeler.

Nikki also loved photography and music. She loved animals of every kind. Nikki always dreamed of snow boarding and was able to fulfill that dream this past winter after buying her very first snow board. Nikki had a love for literature and read many books in her short lifetime, retaining everything she read. She loved to write poetry and had some of her poems published. Nikki was a very strong willed person and could do anything she set her mind to. She was an excellent cook and loved to cook and bake. There were times when her mother worked and Nikki did the majority of the cooking for her mom and sisters. She could make a gourmet meal out of very little.

Nikki had a special closeness with her Grandma Huddleston. She either lived with or close to her all of her life. She went to her Grandma's two or three nights a week, late at night, when she got home from work or was coming home from a friend's and would say "Grandma, you got any of your chicken noodle soup?" Nikki had many, many friends who loved her. Sam Bolen of Pierce and Elizabeth Warnock of Weiser were two of her close friends. All you had to do was meet Nikki and you loved her.

She had the most beautiful blue eyes and beautiful, infectious smile. She had a kind heart and was always eager to help everyone. At 15, Nikki chose to get her GED through Lewis Clark State College and graduated from there at 16. She went to work at the Weippe Library soon after graduating. She was a children's librarian. Nikki loved her job and loved spending time every week with the little kindergarten and first graders when she read to them.

Nikki's plans for the future were trips to various places with her family and friend, Sam. She and Sam also planned to share an apartment in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. Nikki also planned to attend a culinary arts school in Portland, OR. Her aspirations were to find happiness and have a career that would enable her to take care of herself.

Nikki is survived by her mother and stepfather, Christina and Jesse Braun; father and his wife, Dan and Elizabeth Litchfield; sisters Mikalah, Breanna and McKenzie; half-brother, Jared Litchfield; stepbrother, Josh Braun and stepsisters Kayla Rathbun of Nampa and Tiffany Blankenship; grandparents, Bob and Jan Currin of Boise, Butch and Marlene Huddleston of Weippe, Sidney and Gloria Blankenship of Clarkston, Ken and Gladi Braun of Lewiston, Lois Messer of Tacoma, WA and Joyce Kilby of Clarkston; and many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Nikki will be greatly missed by each and every one of us. We know the Lord welcomed our angel home the day Nikki left us. Until we meet again Honey Girl.

Viewing is from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston. The funeral is at 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home with Pastor Don West officiating. Burial will be at Vineland Cemetery in Clarkston.

A covered-dish dinner will follow at the Lewiston Lions Club, 1205 Eighth Ave. A memorial fund has been established at First Bank in Lewiston and White Pine Credit Union in Pierce to help with funeral expenses.