IU student remembered

EMINENCE, Ind. -- Meaghan Ann Buis was one girl, but she was always in a huddle with people extremely close to her. People touched by Buis became not only her good friends, but great friends.\nBuis, a biology major as a freshman at IU was killed in a one-car accident on State Road 142 on July 4. She was driving to work at the Eminence Dairyland.\nThe loss has made life difficult for the Buis family.\n"(I feel) empty," said Gene Buis, Meaghan's mother. She said the family had planned a trip to Dale Hollow Lake on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky and to visit Washington D.C., where some of the other family members reside.\n"Every day's different," she said.\nPeople who knew Buis expressed how much they loved her.\n"She was special," said Amy Pruett, manager of the Dairyland. "She was well-loved around here."\nSome even considered her family.\n"We're like twins," said Becky Rominger, who described Buis and herself as best friends.\nBuis was a beloved friend as well to Emily Hendrix, her IU roommate in Teter Quad.\n"She's the best friend I made," Hendrix said. "She's one of the sweetest, nicest, most outgoing, fun and beautiful (people) inside and out. No one would have anything bad to say about her because she was the sweetest person you'd ever met."\nHendrix also appreciated Buis' help in starting her college career at IU. \n"She was inseparable," Hendrix said. "She made my transition (to IU) so easy and fun."\nHendrix also said Buis called her when they were told about being roommates and later visited her at home.\n"She's always in my heart and thoughts. She's such a huge part of my life, so I'll never forget her."\nBuis will also be remembered as a thoughtful and energetic girl.\n"She was a great person, (she) made everyone smile," said Ashley Houston, a friend of Buis since Buis was in the ninth grade at Eminence Senior High School and co-worker at the Dairyland.\nBuis enjoyed both outdoor and indoor activities. She earned some awards on the basketball court when she played in high school. She earned All-Metro West team honors in her junior and senior years. She was the team's leading scorer in both years.\n"She's fun-loving," Gene Buis said. "She was very athletic and could do just about anything."\nHendrix said she knows exactly what she and Buis would be doing if she was still here. \n"We would hang out and have a long conversation, watch movies or go swimming," said Hendrix, who also noted that they had talked on the phone a few times a day throughout the summer.\n"We played harmless jokes on other people," Hendrix said. "We're pranksters on our floor."\nRominger said Buis had been pursuing a career as a pediatrician, something that would have connected her to children.\n"She loved children," Gene Buis said.\nIn the wake of Buis' death, several organizations have been created to establish her memory.\nThe Meaghan Buis Scholarship Fund will be established in care of Community Foundation of Morgan County, and donations can be sent to 250 N. Monroe, Mooresville, Ind.\nA donor program will also be established for Buis. The Tree and Limestone Bench Donor programs are available. If you are interested in making contributions, you can call Sue Duewel at (630) 584-0852.