“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou~

What do I say about the woman who raised me and taught me so much? I don’t think my mom knew how much she brightened people’s lives. As much as she would say she didn’t like people, mom never let that stop her from being compassionate towards others. Mom was also feisty, smart, sassy, and one of the strongest women I knew. She spoke her mind and blazed a trail for herself by going after what she wanted. She worked hard and got an education all while raising me to the best of her ability. She touched the lives of so many people, more than she ever realized. I even had someone confide in me recently that she saved his life. Her legacy might be unknown to most of the world, but to those who knew her, Starr will be remembered for the amazing woman she was.

She was preceded in death by her parents Wilbert and Lucille Boettcher, her sister Melody (Boettcher) Gross, several aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Brandi (VanderHaeghen) and Christopher Swalm, her grandsons David and Alexander Hill, her granddaughters Olivia Swalm-Bailes (J. Parker Bailes IV) and Vittoria Swalm, her brothers Randy and Bruce Boettcher, several nieces and nephews, and cousins. Per her own wishes, there will be no services. However, a celebration of life will be planned at a later date.