ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A family gathered Thursday on their porch in pain as they mourned the loss of their matriarch.
Jasmine Harland and her nine siblings lost their mother 49-year-old Crystal Fowler in a head-on collision Monday night.
Fowler along with her close friend and coworker 57-year-old Sherry Person were traveling north on New Halls Ferry Road when a car headed in the opposite direction crossed the center line and struck their SUV, according to St. Louis County police.
The family was told 56-year-old Helene Seper, driving a Ford Fusion, had a medical condition that caused her to swerve into the oncoming lane.
Fowler was a mother to ten children -- five boys and five girls, with the youngest being six years old.
“She always instilled in us that, if anything was to ever happen, we have each other,” said Harland, Fowler’s eldest daughter.
Harland told 5 On Your Side her mother was dedicated to helping families bury their loved ones at the Serenity Funeral and Cremation Service in St. Louis. She graduated from University City High School and earned her associate degree at St. Louis Community College.
“She loved being a funeral director. She loved working with different families and just helping them through their process. She was very compassionate about that,” Harland said.
Her family echoed that she lived a life of service in and outside her home.
“She looked out for all different kinds of people. She fed kids that weren't even hers and instilled in them kind of what they were supposed to do in life, where they were supposed to go,” Harland added.
That life of service will live on through her eldest daughter.
“My momma made sure to remind me that Jasmine as a little girl you had this vision of being able to create your own mentorship program and pour into kids,” Harland said.
Fowler's 18-year-old son just graduated from McCluer North High School. The sign sat in the family's yard.
Her six-year-old was set to cross the stage Friday, and the family had recently celebrated Mother's Day together.
“We made sure to celebrate her all the time. We just celebrated her on Mother's Day by redecorating her room. Her favorite color was purple, so we did that for her. That was one of our last gifts to her,” said Maisha Harland, Fowler's daughter.
The family has organized a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and future support.
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