Friends remember teacher, daughter killed in car accident

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ)- The community is remembering a mother and daughter killed in a car crash in Scott County last week..

Debra Keyser was driving last Wednesday on I-75, with her daughter Emma, when the Scott county Sheriff’s office says she hit another vehicle, went off the road and hit a tree.
Debra died in that crash. Emma passed away on Christmas day.

But that’s not how family and friends want to remember the two. Those who knew Debra and Emma Keyser say they’ll always be remembered for their loving and generous hearts.
Something else they agree on — the two were taken far too soon..

“They loved people and people loved them,” said Nora Conner, Executive Pastor at St. Luke’s. “They brought joy, they touched lives and they brought joy to other people.”

Debra and Emma Keyser attended St. Luke United Methodist Church in Lexington for more than 20 years. Debra worked at Wellington Elementary.
Friends of Debra say she was selfless and kind.

“She was here often helping and serving and just, a ready smile, a ready laugh and pitching in with both hands,” Conner said. “Emma was always here with her as well. Just taking care of people in another way that they always didn’t get to because of their work.”

Victoria Carpenter went to church with Emma. The two were close friends.

“One of my favorite memories of Emma’s is we went to Aldersgate Camp. And that is the camp that is associated with our church, there was one time we were all so dirty, and like ten of us piled into this car, she sat on my lap, and we were just having the most fun time, it was so much fun,” Carpenter said.

Emma was also an organ donor, which Carpenter says epitomizes who she was.

“She’s gonna be able to like share part of her life with other people, like being able to donate the organs that are still functioning well and being able to give that back to someone to give them life, its kind of like everything that Emma was about,” Carpenter said.

“We weren’t ready for them to go. We’re glad that they’re in a better place and there is hope. God hurts with us and there is hope,” Carpenter said.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
The family does have a GoFundMe to help with those funeral expenses..
We’ve linked you to it here.