CCS junior remembered as ‘beautiful person, always smiling’

    Ashley Camacho-Murillo always had a smile on her face.
    A former employer called her “happy and fun-loving.”
    Imperial is remembering the junior at Chase County Schools   after she died at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado last Thursday from injuries suffered in a Feb. 13 accident near Haxtun, Colorado.
    CCS Supt. Adam Lambert said a lot of CCS students took advantage of counselors on hand at the school last Thursday and Friday after the news was learned.
    Mike Sorensen, 7-12 Principal, said the 17-year-old always had a smile on her face and seemed to have a lot of friends.
    “She was a personable young lady, never in trouble. She was a good kid,” he said.
    Teacher Sandy O’Neil had Ashley in her personal finance business class at CCS.
    “She was happy and carefree. There never was a day she wasn’t smiling,” O’Neil said.
    She said students are definitely sad and shocked by her death.
    “But they are doing a good job talking with someone if they need to,” O’Neil said.
    Ashley worked part-time the past two and a half years for Marcy Nesbitt at M & M’s Natural JAZ, starting her freshman year there.
    Her mother Rosa also works part-time at the restaurant now operating as Grace’s Kitchen Table.
    “She was a good worker and dependable. She was my after-school smoothie girl,” Nesbitt said.
    Ashley was also one of the “little girls,” as Nesbitt called them, who worked Tuesday nights when Mexican food is served.
    Nesbitt added that she had learned so much over the years, and had taken on additional responsibility.
    “It’s always fun to watch these kids grow up. She was just a beautiful person,” Nesbitt said.
    Supt. Lambert said anytime there is a crisis situation such as this one, the CCS Crisis Team is enabled.
    In addition to the CCS counselors, the school’s clinical psychologist Dr. Luke McConnell was also at the school both days last week, along with local pastors and a school counselor from Dundy County Stratton.
    There was also an offer from Hershey Public Schools to send a counselor.
    “We appreciated those local communities reaching out to us,” Lambert said.
    Ashley’s parents are Ramon and Rosa Murillo. She has four siblings.
    The Colorado State Patrol is investigating the accident in Phillips County, but had not provided a report by deadline.
    Services for Ashley will be held this Saturday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church at 10 a.m. with Fr. Lothar Gilde officiating.
    Visitation will be held Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. at the church, followed by a 7 p.m. rosary.