Family and friends said their final farewells Monday to a substitute teacher killed in a shooting at a private religious school in Wisconsin last week, describing her as a devout Christian with Southern roots who made copious notes in her personal Bible and planned to take her children to Disney World next year.

Erin Michelle West, 42, was killed on Dec. 16 when 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire with a handgun at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. A 14-year-old student, Rubi Vergara, also was killed and six others were wounded before Rupnow turned the gun on herself. Rupnow was a first-semester student at the school. Investigators are still trying to piece together her motive.

Scores of people attended West’s midday funeral at Doxa Church in Fitchburg, a Madison suburb. West’s casket was set up before a stage decorated with Christmas trees adorned with golden lights. A giant photograph of her was displayed on a screen above the stage throughout the hourlong service.

Rob Warren, the church’s pastor, fought back tears as he welcomed people.

“In a sense, no one wants to be here,” he said. “But in another sense I believe we’re all supposed to be here right now, to hurt and heal together. As painful as it is, I believe we really all do need this moment.”

According to West’s obituary, she was born in St. Charles, Missouri, and graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2005. She married her husband, Jack, in 2005, in Powder Springs, Georgia. The couple has three daughters.

Warren read several verses from West’s personal Bible, remarking on all the handwritten notes and underlined sections throughout. He said that after Jack West gave him the Bible, the first page he turned to had the phrase “the Gospel is for everyone” written in blue ink.

“This is what Erin West was about,” the pastor said, adding later: “Erin is in heaven right now with Jesus and she’s more alive than she ever has been and that’s the truth.”

Nate Kaloupek, Doxa Church’s director of leadership development and equipping, gave a short elegy, describing how Erin met Jack in an online Christian chatroom and how Jack’s company, Cardinal Glass, moved the couple around the country, first to Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest before they settled in Wisconsin about six years ago.

Struggling at times to find his voice, Kaloupek said Erin loved the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A and she showed her Georgia roots often by quipping “love y’all” or “hey, y’all.”

He joked that Erin was “really bad” at hiding her emotions and felt God had called her to work at ALCS. She led prayers for people in their church group and tracked what prayers were answered, he said.

She loved camping trips with her family, wine-tasting trips with her husband and was looking forward to taking their daughters to Disney World this spring, he added, before concluding the elegy with: “She’d want me to say ‘love y’all.’ Thank you.”

Wisconsin transfer outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele committed to Michigan State on Sunday.

The former four-star recruit joins a growing list of former Badgers to find new transfer destinations, joining OLB Leon Lowery (Illinois), CB Amare Snowden and S Braedyn Moore (Toledo), CB Jonas Duclona (South Florida), S Justin Taylor (Wyoming) and TE Riley Nowakowski (Indiana).

 Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Lafaele entered the portal last week after one year with the Badgers. He was one of the highest-rated commits in the program’s top-ranked class of 2024, ranked as the No. 601 overall player in the class and the No. 27 edge rusher.

The Hawaii native did not see the field as a true freshman and transferred out with four years of eligibility remaining. Along with CB Xavier Lucas, DL Hank Weber, and QB Mabrey Mettauer, he is one of four members of Wisconsin’s class of 2024 to depart.

Lafaele joins a Michigan State program that went 5-7 in year one under new head coach Jonathan Smith in 2024. Smith is working to return the Spartans to the level of success they sustained during the 2010s — just as Luke Fickell is trying to do at Wisconsin.

https://twitter.com/LafaeleAnelu/status/1871019969112330256

The Badgers will face Lafaele when they host the Spartans in 2026. Wisconsin is likely to have new faces at edge rusher by that date, with seniors Darryl Peterson, Aaron Witt and Mason Reiger (transfer) set to lead the room in 2025. Rising junior Sebastian Cheeks and class of 2024 signees Thomas Heiberger and Ernest Willor Jr. appear to be next in line at the position. Lafaele would have competed for snaps with that second group. Now, he’ll be on the opposing sideline looking to rush the Badgers’ quarterback.

For more on where former Badgers are headed, including several to Big Ten destinations, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal departure tracker.

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The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2024, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 9-3-4

Evening: 3-6-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 7-7-1-9

Evening: 5-1-7-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 01-03-04-07-10-12-14-15-16-18-19

Evening: 02-03-06-09-10-12-15-16-19-20-21

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

06-12-19-30-31

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

05-06-08-27-29-34, Doubler: Y

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

• Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
• Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
• Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
• Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
• Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
• Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
• Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
• Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
• All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
• All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
• Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
• Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.