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REDLANDS - There are recurring words in people's memories of Melissa Joy Dietzel: amazing hugs, a smile and joy. The same was said many different ways Saturday afternoon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Pioneer in Redlands.  Marnie Reynolds sang, "Scatter sunshine all along your way. Cheer and bliss, and brighten every passing day."

Dietzel's sister, Amber Taylor, spoke of Dietzel's love of the color lime green.

"In high school there were times it was all she wore, and she encouraged others to wear it, `because that is the best color in the world."'

So it was that friends and family filled the sanctuary wearing lime green and black, each with a lime rubber bracelet given out with the programs, and inscribed in white with one word: Joy.

Lisa Hatch, Dietzel's roommate at Brigham Young University, came to California to share memories at the service.

Their friendship began when Hatch asked on a whim if Dietzel wanted to drive to Las Vegas on break, and Dietzel surprised her by saying yes. They shared secrets the whole way.

"From that point on, we were the best of friends," Hatch said.

They came to spend so much time together they would joke, "You're ruining my social life and my school work."

Together they built cheap furniture, using high heels as hammers, and weathered some sad times.

"She set the example of how to stay strong when you're given one blow after another," Hatch said.

"She was a willing ear and a solid shoulder, and countless burdens were made light because of her."

Once they had an argument, but when Hatch awoke the next morning, there was heart made of cookies next to her bed.

Hatch said Dietzel was humble about her successes student teaching.

"She loved the children she taught with all her heart, especially the fourth-graders," she said. There had a been one hard-to-reach boy Dietzel bonded with over paper

airplanes. Afterward, he wrote her a letter thanking her, but she said to Hatch, "All I did was tell him he was doing a good job."
Their years together were full of adventure, Hatch said.

"We learned what having a puppy means. If you leave it in the bathroom while you go to church, you can kiss your towels goodbye."

After graduation, Dietzel took a job with disabled adults, because they made her uncomfortable, Hatch said, and Dietzel wanted to better herself.

"I'm honored to speak about my friend today. I'm a better person for having known her," Hatch said.

Lisa's husband Tyson Hatch read Facebook comments from Dietzel's page: "You were the most uplifting person I knew;" "She said `Hi' to me every day of my freshman year;" "You made this world a better place every day."

He said one night he was at the Melissa and Lisa's apartment playing Chubby Bunny, stuffing marshmallows in their cheeks, and another night they made a bet about something, he didn't remember what, but he lost. He had to shave his armpits and let them take pictures.

"The point," he said, "is the one thing about Melissa was, even if there was nothing to do, you still had a wonderful time, because she was so fun."

She loved to play Mario Kart on Wii, go bowling - and she was good, play air hockey before the movies, shoot pool and play Rock Band - and she was great.

She made fabulous Indian food, and enjoyed watching Lisa and Tyson drink milk because of the food's heat, while she ate easily.

Taylor said Dietzel loved music, and could pick up and learn any instrument. At Redlands East Valley High School, she wanted to join band, and their mom had her make sure she wouldn't cramp Taylor's style.

"It was really my thing, but I told her it was OK to join on two conditions," Taylor said. "You can't say anything bad about (band director) Miss Glass, and you can't have any of my friends."

Her sister soon learned the second was impossible.

"Her personality is contagious, and people gravitate toward her," she said.

Dietzel graduated early with a Bachelor's Degree in elementary education and a minor in family life while working two jobs and having a social life.

"Anyone who has a conversation with her knows she has incredible wit," Taylor said. "And she was incredibly persuasive. I went to Utah for 45 minutes because Melissa convinced me to." She said she left on the spur of a moment for a 10-hour trip to a friend's reception and came right back.

"May we all strive to share the joy we have in our lives. That's the best gift we can give Melissa."

In both the opening prayer led by her uncle, Larry Gunther, and the closing prayer led by her father, Jay Gunther, God was thanked for the years of happiness the family and community were given with Melissa.

After the service people wrote messages on lime green balloons and released them to the heavens.

Reach Toni via email, call her at 909-793-3221, or find her on Twitter @ToniMomberger.

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