Emily Jane Hilscher was the beloved daughter of Eric and Elizabeth Hilscher, best friend and sister of Erica and granddaughter of Gilman and Mary Carlson and Carl and Merle Hilscher. She was born 2 June 1988 at Georgetown University Hospital.
From the moment Emily came into the world, she was strong, stubborn, loving, intelligent and beautiful. She had a sensibility way beyond her years. She wanted people to be happy. Emily searched for justice and worked to right wrongs without regard to her popularity. She collected friends of any age and any race and any talent. She loved them for their diversity and the gifts that each had to offer. She loved her sister beyond words and while Emily was the younger of the two, Emily was Erica’s protector. Emily had a love in her life, Karl Thornhill, and the mere mention of him made her eyes sparkle.
Emily was raised in the beautiful rural community of Rappahannock County, VA where a day did not go by that she did not stop to take note of the beautiful mountains, the rolling fields and the wildlife and farm animals that fill it. It inspired her and she planned on returning to the county after graduation to make it her permanent home.
She was a graduate of Rappahannock County High School as a member of the Class of 2006. She was a skilled horsewoman, animal lover, enthusiastic cook, and imaginative artisan. She also had a tremendous sense of humor that brought forth much laughter at the dinner table.
Emily had a passion for horses. She learned a great deal about riding and many other life lessons from her mentor, instructor and friend, Moody Aylor. In the fall of 2006 Emily began what she hoped would be an eight-year journey at Virginia Tech that would have culminated with her becoming a veterinarian specializing in equine reproduction. She became a member of the Virginia Tech equestrian team in spring 2007.
Emily was murdered on 16 April 2007 along with 31 others on the Virginia Tech campus. Her family will mourn her loss forever, but celebrate the wondrous, yet short time, they had with her.
This article is printed with the permission of the author, Elizabeth Hilscher.