March 28, 2024

A celebration of life

Erick Reyna was 10 years old when his mother, Evangelina Perez, moved her family to Osceola. Erick and his two sisters, Adriana and Linda, flourished in Clarke Community Schools, making friends with other students and with their teachers. Erick graduated in 2012, but still came back once in awhile to visit with his favorites.

“He was friendly with everybody,” said sister Adriana. “You asked him a favor, he wouldn’t say no. He would do anything as long as you put gas in his car or gave him food.”

Erick was known for his infectious personality, earning him the nickname Bobblehead and many friends.

“Erick was a wonderful person,” said local mom Nancy Watson. “He was very good friends with my children.”

Noe Flores came to Osceola from New Mexico a few years later, meeting and marrying Erick’s cousin, and starting a family.

“Noe and Erick were really good friends,” said Noe’s widow, Alicia, adding the young men would often get together to listen to music, drive around and hang out together.

The two shared an interest in Spanish music, with bands like Los Tucanes del Tijuana, Los Inquietos and Pegaso, and in treating life like a celebration.

“We would spend all summer hanging out, cruising around Osceola,” said friend Cierra Lewis. “[It] was always an adventure.”

“My teenage years had nothing but good memories with them. They were great to be around always making jokes and just messing around,” she said. “You can’t really put into words how much they meant to alot of people.”

For all the fun the pair managed to have, they were also serious about their roles as family men. Noe’s twins – a boy and a girl – were 9 when he passed away. His youngest was just three years old, and Noe had been her stay-at-home dad.

“He’s the one who potty trained her,” said Alicia. “Noe was really dedicated. He would help with anything.”

The week before he was killed, their family had gone on a vacation to Omaha together. They often went out to movies or for quick trips to Des Moines.

Erick had a child as well, a little boy.

“His main thing was his son,” said Adriana. “He’s five right now.”

He never stopped looking forward to visits with his son.

Noe and Erick often acted like the young men they were. They loved dancing, music, cars and playing video games.

“He was 22, like a teenager,” said Adriana.

While this short chapter of their lives coming to an end, it’s clear it’s not the end of their stories. Both both have plenty of loved ones to carry on their memories — and their examples of how to create lives worth living.