"It keeps things off your mind," she said. There are 275 students in the Viborg school, 82 in high school. Vasakis said her schoolmates "are trying to move on, but it's really hard. Tatum, both of them, were really well liked. It's shocking."

Viborg Superintendent Patrick Kraning spent much of Saturday at the school, making himself available to students who wanted to talk through emotions that are still raw.

In carrying out its crisis plan, the school district drew on its own personnel and counselors from nearby districts to meet with students Friday. And that evening, "we basically opened the building last night, and we had kids in the building until 9:30 or 10," Kraning says. It provided students "an opportunity to come together in the grieving process, sharing memories of these wonderful young ladies."

In a school as small as Viborg's, says Kraning, "You lose two students, it has a pretty big ripple effect. Both these young ladies had personalities that really attracted other kids. They were good friends, loved by the community."

The girls were heading for school in a 1993 Ford Escort station wagon south on 454th Avenue, about four miles northwest of Viborg, around 8 a.m. Friday.

At the intersection of 289th Street, their vehicle was struck by a westbound 1999 Chevrolet pickup driven by Curtis Hora, 40, of Irene. Hora suffered minor injuries.

No charges have been filed, according to Sgt. Pete Jensen, of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the collision appears to be a straightforward event for reconstructionists to understand, he said.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Hofmeister Jones Funeral Home in Parker. Visitation will take place today from 4 to 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Viborg with the family present. Following the memorial service in the school gym Monday, burial will take place in Beresford.

"We will do exactly what we need to take that next step forward, continuing on as best we can, knowing it's an ongoing process," Kraning says. "This will not go away today, at the end of the week, at the end of the month. We will try to be vigilant to the needs of our families and students. We realize there is no quick fix to this."

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