The obituary notice for Heather Szekeres, posted on the Swedberg Funeral Home web page, lists her date and place of death as May 10, 2014, in the town of Richmond.
That’s when and where she was found nearly a year after going missing, but the real date, as well as the cause, remain either unknown or at least not disclosed by authorities. The case, which is being treated as a homicide, is being led by the state Department of Criminal Investigations.
On Saturday, Heather’s family and friends held a memorial gathering at Arlington Park.
Her mother, Laurie Waddell, said she had wanted to hold the memorial at Huckleberry Harbor but wasn’t able to book it.
“I wanted to have it at the harbor because that’s where she liked to go,” Waddell said. “She used to take Serenity, her youngest, down there a lot. We spent a lot of time down there.”
Waddell said she has gotten a lot of community support since authorities confirmed in April that that the remains found in Richmond last year were Heather’s.
“A lot of people I don’t know stop me and talk to me,” she said.
Confirmation of Heather’s identity didn’t come as a surprise to Waddell.
“I knew it was her from the time they found the remains,” she said.
Waddell said she is frustrated by the lack of information about the investigation into Heather’s death. She said authorities have not shared any details.
“I guess they’re trying to keep the case as air-tight as they can,” she said.
Heather and Robert Szekeres had been married almost six years and moved to Shawano about three years ago, where they lived with Waddell.
“She was a good person, a good mother, a good wife,” Robert said. “I was pretty devastated to think that someone could actually take her away, for being as good a person as she was.”
Heather and Robert have a daughter, Serenity, who will be 3 years old next month. Heather also has a 15-year-old daughter, Santana, with Don Peplinski, who was also at Saturday’s memorial.
“We were together on and off for about 10 years,” he said. “We were really good friends. We were always close. Even after we weren’t together, we were really close still. We remained really good friends. She was a good person; very generous, even when she didn’t have money.”
Heather was last seen at the former Final Lap Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Shawano at 11 p.m. June 21, 2013.
“When I first heard that she was missing, I just had a bad feeling,” Peplinski said. “There were times when she maybe got in a fight with her mom or Rob and she’d maybe be gone for like a week or something, but she’d always call either me or her daughter. After two weeks and my daughter’s birthday had passed, I knew for sure something wasn’t right.”
Peplinski said he hopes authorities will bring further closure for the family by solving the mystery of Heather’s death.
“I hope the police come up with something,” he said. “We haven’t heard anything yet. It seems like nothing is happening. I’d just like for something to happen.”
Numerous friends also attended the memorial, including John Anderson, who met Heather and her mother shortly after moving to Shawano.
“She was an outgoing person,” he said. “She did her own thing.”
Heather’s death, which is being investigated as a homicide, came as a shock, Anderson said.
“This is not a great thing happening here in Shawano,” he said. “It was crazy when we found out. It doesn’t happen to us here.”
Anderson said he was thankful for the memorial.
“I’m just thankful that we can give this time to her on her behalf,” he said. “We all know that she’s in a great place right now. She doesn’t have to worry about anything. She has two beautiful daughters and her mother. It’s a great thing to have this memorial for her.”
Another friend, Mike Lusiak, said he and his family became instant friends with Heather and her mother as soon as they met.
“I loved her presence. She had real good vibes to her,” he said. “She was the type that could walk into a room and she had such a bubbly, upbeat personality. She was real fun to be around. She liked to joke around and was real supportive as a friend. She would be there for you if you’re going through a hard time. She was a good listener.”
Anderson said it was nice to be able to gather with Heather’s family and friends in her honor.
“Being here right now, I can feel her in spirit,” Lusiak said.
