Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s niece, Anne Marie Gieske, died in a Halloween crowd in Seoul over the weekend, the Ohio Republican said in a statement Monday.
“Monica and I, and our entire family, are mourning the loss of our niece Anne Marie Gieske. He was a gift from God to our family. We loved her so much,” Wenstrup said in the statement.
Wenstrup also released a statement on behalf of her parents, Dan and Madonna Gieske:
“We are completely devastated and devastated by the loss of Anne Marie. She was a shining light that everyone loved. We ask for your prayers but also for the respect of our privacy. Anna’s final gift to us was death in the state of sanctifying grace. We know that one day we will be reunited with her in the kingdom of God,” they said in the statement issued by Wenstrup’s office.
Gieske, a nursing student at the University of Kentucky, was studying abroad in Seoul this semester, according to a statement from university president Eli Capiluto.
“We have been in touch with Anne’s family and will provide all the support we can – now and in the days ahead – as they cope with this indescribable loss,” the statement said. “We will be there for those in our community who knew and loved Anne. We also have nearly 80 South Korean students in the UK – members of our community – who will need our support.”
South Korean authorities are investigating a crowd surge that killed at least 155 bystanders in Seoul, as the troubled nation tries to come to terms with one of its worst disasters.
At least 26 foreign nationals, including two US citizens, are among the dead. More than a dozen embassies around the world have confirmed casualties from their countries.
South Korea has begun a week of mourning as officials try to figure out how the devastating crash happened.
