Wendem Daniel Herzog

SEPTEMBER 26, 2004 – JUNE 3, 2024

Wendem Daniel Herzog, age 19,  passed away on Monday, June 3, 2024. Wendem was born in Ethiopia and was raised in Montana and spent the last few years of his life in San Tan Valley, Arizona.

Wendem is survived by his parents Daniel and Jamie and siblings Taylor and Chase. 

Note from family:

Daniel and I are finally catching our breath and are trying to put words to what has taken place in this last week. On June 3rd, Wendem and his two best friends were in a horrific car accident. A horse jumped in front of their car on the highway. Unbeknownst to us, this is actually a common occurrence in Nevada. All three boys were transported to the hospital. Wendem went in for emergency surgery due to his injuries and did not survive. We have zero way to reconcile this unimaginable tragedy.

Wendem and his two best friends were working at an outdoor education camp here in California, near the Nevada border, for the summer. He was so excited to meet and pour into the campers there. We were so blessed to have gotten rich, quality time with him over the last few weeks. Since we moved to California two years ago, he visited often, and we made such priceless memories together. We never missed the chance to enjoy authentic Ethiopian food, listen to his latest song drop, and experience his infectious, joyous spirit. 

We had the supreme privilege of being his parents for 13 of his 19 years and our hearts are cracked wide open that we didn’t get to do it longer. But his legacy lives on in the lives of his siblings, friends, extended family and music. If you knew him, then you have experienced the residue of his love and intentional positivity. Years ago, our family had decided to get matching tattoos. We planned to get the word “family” in Amharic, which is Wendem’s native language. Two days after the accident, in the midst of our deep grief, we finally did it.

There are no adequate words to share who our son was and the impact he had on our family and community. If you ever got to be in his space, then you already knew.  He was the most loyal, creative, hilarious, generous, and passionate young man you’ll meet. Even through his daily FaceTimes, he was always reminding us to stay positive, be present, and be spread the love and light which so radiated from him. We will spend the rest of our lives honoring his legacy this way in our own lives. 

An end of life celebration for Wendem wAS held on August 16th in Bozeman, Montana. 

https://youtu.be/9YPlc73WJYE?…

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