Ashley Marie Pederson
Written by her Father, Alan Pederson
Ashley Marie Pedersen was born May 16th, 1983 in Denver, Colorado during an unusually late spring blizzard. Holding my first born child that blustery day was a remarkable and beautiful experience. Ashley loved songs from the time she was very little, I can rarely remember a time when she wasn’t listening to music, or talking about her favorite songs. She loved music with meaning and it didn’t seem to matter the genre as long as the song told a story that interested her or made her think and feel. She was blossoming into a talented writer in her own right when she died August 15th, 2001 at the age of 18 in an automobile accident in rural western Colorado.
She was daddy’s little girl, and my biggest fan. A protective and nurturing big sister to her brothers, the consummate advocate for the underdog and underserved she would encounter on her brief journey here on earth. Ashley was a beautiful young woman with so many gifts and talents to share with this world. She continues to live on, in our hearts and in the life of the handsome grandson she left behind for us to love. I miss her every day. It is my privilege to celebrate her life and to honor and remember her as I fill in these empty spaces of time until I can once again hold Ashley in my arms.