CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Emily Weller thought of Sindi King as a second mother.
"We were real close when I was growing up. And at that time, my mom and I didn't get along," said Weller, still trying to comprehend Friday's loss of the 53-year-old King and King's Utah parents in a car crash.
King's granddaughter, 8-month-old Nevaeh Spicer, was clinging to life until Tuesday, when she died of a severe head injury at Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital.
King and her parents, Robert and Shirliann Schimming of Lehi, both 71, had just come from a garage sale in the Woodland Forest subdivision off 84th Street SE when the 2:45 p.m. crash occurred.
Kent County sheriff's deputies said Robert Schimming pulled onto 84th Street into the path of a Ford Expedition driven by Aaron Pell, 18, of Alto.
Friends knew King as "Gabby" because she enjoyed talking with others.
"She had quite a few friends. And she liked spending time with family and friends," said Weller.
King's parents had driven from Utah to Michigan to see Nevaeh for the first time. They had been in the area a couple days and planned to leave Sunday after attending Mormon church services.
King was a housekeeper at Crowne Plaza hotel on 28th Street SE and had worked there about five years after previously working at the Baymont hotel at Kraft Avenue SE and 28th Street.
"She was a very hard worker. She was just trying to support herself and her daughter with Neveah," Weller said.
King cherished Nevaeh, whose name is heaven spelled backward. Weller said the baby, born with nearly a full head of hair, never fussed.
"Everybody just adored her," she said.
Weller has known King since she was 12 and baby-sat King's daughter, Nicole Hertel. She became much closer to King during her pregnancy 14 years ago. They live in the same Caledonia Township mobile-home park.
"I could talk to her. She was kind of like a second mom," she said. "You could get into an argument with her, and she would never hold a grudge. She would be talking with you the next day."
Weller spent time at the hospital after the crash and said King's daughter, Nicole, is doing as well as can be expected.
"She's taking it pretty hard. She lost her mom and grandparents all in one shot," she said.
Weller's mother, Rita Berens, was a good friend of King. She saw her friend less than an hour before the crash, when the Schimmings and King stopped by for a visit.
"You could tell her parents were just happy people," she said.
She said King enjoyed going to garage sales and socializing. About 10 years ago, she survived a car crash that left her with metal plates in her face and legs.
"Even through all the pain, she continued working at the hotel," Berens said.
Robert Moffatt, another neighbor, simply knew King as a hard worker.
"She was a very busy lady. She worked all the time," he said.
Meanwhile, many are concerned about the emotional well-being of Aaron Pell, the other driver.
"It's just a shame he has to live with this for the rest of his life," Moffatt said.
Other neighbors offered thanks to two good Samaritans who helped at the crash scene, one who pulled the burning Expedition away from the Schimmings' Honda Accord and another who gave CPR to the baby.
King is survived by her daughter and a son, Jonathan, of Utah. Funeral arrangements are pending.
e-mail: jtunison@grpress.com