A Chesterfield (Missouri) woman is dead, killed in a fall along a popular scenic road in Hawaii. Susan Stephens was a member of the Chesterfield Presbyterian Church (PCA)

46-year-old Susan Stephens was on the Bamboo Forest Trail along the Hana Highway, when she fell 25 to 30 feet off a waterfall. She was about to jump into a pond below the waterfall but slipped and fell about 25 feet. She landed on some rocks and suffered massive head injuries. She died on the way to the hospital. An autopsy earlier this week ruled the death was an accident.

The family was very involved in the Chesterfield Presbyterian Church (PCA) and Susan taught pre-school there. She was also involved in missionary work, in Africa and Haiti.

Pastor Hugh Barlett says, “She just cared for everyone she came in touch with and you could see it not only in what she said, but how she said it.”

Friends describe her as gentle and generous, the kind of person who inspired others.
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Melissa Tarantino, the church’s pre-school director says, “She was loved by everyone. We all loved her. The kids loved her. She was really a picture of the love and grace of Christ.”

They say Stephens was most proud of her family, her daughters Rachel, Kristen and Grace, and her husband Bob who was her childhood sweetheart. The family had been in Maui to celebrate Bob’s 50th birthday.

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Editor’s Note: The Church website reports that services will be held at the church on Monday morning, January 9. Visitation from 9:00 to 11:00AM and the service will begin at 11:00AM. [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]