Area gathers to honor Walorski

Aug. 5—JIMTOWN — Hundreds of people gathered in the parking lot of Jimtown High School Thursday night to honor former U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and the three others that died in a car crash Wednesday afternoon.

Walorski, 58, represented Indiana's 2nd District since 2013. Zachery Potts, 27, Mishawaka; Emma Thomson, 28, Washington D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, Nappanee were also killed in the crash.

Tim Henke, the Director of Wellness for Hubbard Hill Living Wisdom Community in Elkhart, was the one who organized the prayer vigil, which began shortly before 8 p.m.

"If you're like me, you come with a broken heart and broken pieces," said Henke, addressing the crowd. "And so the best thing we can do as a community is come together, and I trust that everything is done and said will bring honor to those lives who were lost."

A couple of songs were sang, and there were different times of group prayer throughout the evening. The proceedings lasted about an hour before heavy rain forced the crowd to disperse.

Multiple people spoke at the vigil, including Walorski's husband, Dean Swihart. The Mishawaka High School teacher opened up about how he met Walorski and how they lived their lives guided by their lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

"I am proud of the life my wife has lived," Swihart said. "She lived her faith. She knew who she was. She wasn't going to be talked down. She wasn't going to be backed down."

Susan Brooks, who served alongside Walorski in Congress as the representative from Indiana's 5th District, spoke about the friendship the two formed during their combined eight years working together in Washington D.C.

"I have received more messages from people around the country who knew we were sisters in Congress," Brooks said. "We were two Hoosiers that stood together on almost everything — or we tried to talk each other into something if we ever had a disagreement about something. She loved this District; she loved her home."

While most of the tributes came for Walorski, Brooks also made sure to honor Potts, Thomson and Schmucker in her speech.

Tim Wesco, who replaced Walorski in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2010 and still holds the position, credited Walorski for believing in him when he decided to run for office at just 23 years old.

"I called her and I said, 'Jackie, I'm thinking of running for your seat,' and she said, 'Tim, do it. We need more Christians in government,'" Wesco recalled. "She believed in me as a 23 year old kid, and because she believed in me, I believed in myself."

LIFE BEFORE POLITICS

Walorski was born and raised in South Bend, graduating from Riley High School in 1981. From there, she found her way to Taylor University, where she completed her college degree in 1985.

After college, Walorski returned to the area and became a television reporter for WSBT-TV. In 1989, she would move from her journalism role into a position with the St. Joseph County Humane Society. Two years later, she took a leadership role at Ancilla College, which she served in from 1991-1996.

Following five years at the Donaldson (Ind.) campus, Walorski returned to her hometown area to be the Director of Membership for the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce. She wouldn't last long in that role, as she'd quickly become the Director of Annual Giving at Indiana University-South Bend.

In 2000, Walorski embarked on a four-year stay in the country of Romania, doing missionary work. While there, she launched Impact International, which was a foundation that helped impoverished kids and provided medical supplies for those who needed them.

ENTRANCE INTO POLITICS

When Walorski returned to the area in 2004, she decided to run for the 2nd District seat in Indiana House of Representatives. Walorski easily defeated democrat nominee Carl Kaser in the general election, then won reelection again in 2006 and 2008.

In 2010, Walorski decided to make a run at the U.S. Congress District 2 seat in Indiana. In a tight race against incumbent Joe Donnelly, Walorski lost by less than 3,000 votes.

When Donnelly decided to run for U.S. Senate in 2012, though, Walorski ran again for the congressional seat and won. Once again it was a close vote, as the Republican nominee held off Democrat nominee Brendan Mullen by just over 4,000 votes.

MAJOR POLITICAL CAUSES

Walorski never forgot her northern Indiana roots, despite nearly nine years of time spent in Washington D.C. as a member of the U.S. Congress.

With companies like Lippert, Thor, Forest River and Jayco all having major operations in Elkhart County, Walorski was vocal about making sure the RV industry continued to be as successful as possible. Because of all the production of RVs, Elkhart County had become known as the "RV Capitol of the World."

That's why when news of her death broke Wednesday afternoon, the RV Industry Association issued a statement.

"As the Representative for the RV Capitol of the World, Congresswoman Walorski had a deep understanding and passion for the RV industry and the people in it," RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby said in part of the statement. "She championed numerous RV-related endeavors on Capitol Hill, including founding the House RV Caucus, sponsoring and introducing key legislation on behalf of the industry, and delivering positive testimony during congressional hearings. Jackie not only lit up a room with her passion for Indiana, she commanded any room with her incredible intellect and understanding of how business and manufacturing drive the US economy.

"She has left an indelible mark on the RV industry and we are very grateful for her service to her district and the country."

Walorski was also adamant about improving the wellbeing of U.S. veterans. She was the primary sponsor of the Veterans Mobility Safety Act of 2016, which ensured that, "an eligible disabled veteran provided an automobile or other conveyance is given the opportunity to make personal selections relating to such conveyance," per the Act's summary.

During her time within the Indiana House of Representatives, Walorski was one of the key politicians in having Voter ID laws passed, which requires people to show a government-issued ID when voting in-person. After the legality of the law reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled in favor of it passing. This led to many other states in the U.S. to pass similar voter ID laws of their own.

Austin Hough can be reached at austin.hough@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2360. Follow him on Twitter at @AustinHoughTGN.