Emily Brown
Six children have been tragically lost their parents after mum Sara Nowak passed away just hours after attending her husband's funeral.
Sara, 42, was killed in a car accident in Palmyra, Wisconsin just before 8:30pm local time on 1 April, when police responded to the single-vehicle crash in a ditch by the road.
Sara had been travelling as the passenger in a car just a few hours after attending the funeral of her husband, Louis, who died on 19 March after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
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Sara's mother and father told CBS 58 that the family had gone through a tough six months, noting Louis 'fought really hard'.
The parents, Patricia and Randal, praised their daughter for remaining positive through all of the ups and downs, saying: "Whenever there was something that somebody needed, she said, 'Don't worry we got this'."
Paul Milbrath, Jefferson County Sheriff, said the police department's preliminary investigation into the crash involving Sara indicated that the driver had lost control of the vehicle before overturning in the ditch.
Both Sara and the driver died at the scene.
Addressing the tragedy of the day, Randal said: "It's really hard because you get done and then five and a half hours later, you get a call saying that your daughter was in an accident."
Patricia said that Sara and Louis were a 'true match', having been happily married for nearly six years.
"Where one was, the other one was. What the other one didn't think of, the other one did," she added. "I don't think she could be without him. So, she is with him."
Sara and Louis shared six children between them and spent a lot of time in the outdoors camping and travelling, as well as simply enjoying each other's company.
An obituary for Louis remembered the 54-year-old as someone who 'enjoyed spending time with family and friends, tinkering on engines & motors, going to swap meets, camping, classic cars, and classic rock music'.
"Louie would always be there to lend a helping hand, or to have a great conversation," it continued.
As for Sara, Patricia hopes everyone will remember her as being 'full of life' as they cherish the memories of their family.
A family friend has now set up a GoFundMe page to support Louis and Sara's six children, with a goal of raising $50,000 (£39,900) to help cover funeral expenses and household expenses. You can donate here.