It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of April’s passing last Monday, April 13, after a long and courageous battle.
April came into our lives in 2012 as a weekly regular in the Farm Store. Who knew that by the time we said goodbye 14 years later, she would be family.
After many years of supporting the farm as a customer, she started volunteering to help with animal chores on the weekends. She fell in love with the farm and our animals, and we fell in love with her contagious optimism, unwavering loyalty, and beautiful example of how to live life to the fullest.
Thankfully, there are countless pictures and videos of her time on the farm, many of which she took herself during sunrise and sunset chores. She was incredibly supportive of the work we do here and deeply believed it is the future of American agriculture.
This page will be a memorial to an amazing woman and friend. We'd love for others to share stories of April or send notes to be added to this page. Please send notes, stories and pictures to nick@grandviewfarming.com
Dear April,
I felt something was up; you had not stopped by for some time. Winter had its last hurrah, another short spring then 90° day lingers on and my coat remained untouched.
Last Monday evening, I could smell you, he must have been close to you. But you were nowhere in sight.I could sense a change in Wil's step this sunrise, a little slower, his face heavy, I'm sure from tears. We looked into each other's eyes with a sadness I never saw before as he pet the top of my head. Then he told me with a tear in his eyes, "April won't be coming by anymore Mauser, she has gone to heaven. You can visit her there someday. Memories will have to do for now."
April, you were at the farm the day I arrived. My dearest friend. You held me, brushed my coat, cleaned my butt and gave me the biggest smiles. I could always depend on a treat, my favorite is April's Liver Treats. Thank you for taking such good care of me for so many years.Until we meet again, I love you forever.
🐾 Mauser
My friend, April -
April was a gift from God that none of us deserved. Just like all the best gifts, it's more of an experience than a thing. Sometimes you know when it starts, but you never know when it's going to end.How could they have known when she was born, how perfect her name would be?
As a farmer... I can tell you what happens each April...
The sun gets a little brighter... Little higher in the sky.
That sky is a deeper blue. The grass turns bright green and grows tall.
The wind is warmer and the air just has a different feel to it.
And of all those beautiful things, the best part is the way it makes us feel.
After a long, cold winter, we're surrounded by that new warmth. It motivates us, brings us joy. We have a newfound hope that didn't seem to exist just a month prior.
While we'll never be able to experience her again on Earth, next year April will greet us with that same familiar promise.
Luckily, she left us with a field manual so that we could experience life like she did.
1. Get up early.
2. Be grateful for the new day and be joyful.
3. Watch the sunrise. Be still for a few moments.
4. Go out and do something that matters.
5. Be kind and loving but don't take any shit.
6. Be strong and courageous.
7. Laugh loud and often.
8. Never hold back.
I thank God every day for the time that she was in our lives. That He allowed us to witness how she lived hers. I pray that we'll be reunited again one day and until then, I'll go out there and live a life that she would be proud of.
- Nick
April was my dear friend, and a bright light on our farm. She fought with much strength, grace, and positivity.
She inspired me in so many ways, especially in how she kept going no matter what was in front of her. Her dedication to, learning, growing, and continuing her love of education is something I will always carry with me.
Some of my sweetest memories are of her with the boys during evening chores and on farm tours. She had such a special way about her. And her laugh — that contagious, full-belly laugh — could echo across the farm and make everyone around her smile. Even in stressful moments, she knew how to lighten the mood and bring joy.
She will truly be missed, and I feel so thankful to have known her.
- Brittany
Hey April,
Thanks for the reminder to be kinder,
To love more and love hard,
To see life through the glimmers.
We’ll see you in the shimmers, feel you in the sunshine when it lingers.
We’ll all remember to be strong, to love more and love long, appreciate Life, no matter what’s going on.
Forgotten never, we’ll all miss you forever.
Love always,
- Nadia
Sweet April,
I will long remember your loyalty to this farm and to our family. You are loved very much and will be missed. Thank you for always taking the best care of Mauser, Maddie, Midnight, and all the animals on the farm. I will miss your sunrise farm Instagram posts. I hope that you are experiencing unimaginable happiness in heaven surrounded by lots of animals and everything else you love.
- Elizabeth
April was the kind of person who left a mark on everyone lucky enough to know her—hardworking, funny, fiercely loyal, endlessly kind, and always ready for her next adventure. She had a rare gift for turning anyone she met into a friend. She was so wonderful with my girls, meeting them with the same warmth, patience, and playfulness that made everyone around her feel instantly at ease.
There are a million little things I’ll miss—her morning texts from the farm with video updates, the way she was the only other person in the world who could give my dad just as much sass as I do, and the countless inside jokes that only we understood. But more than anything, I will miss her laugh.
It was the kind of laugh you could hear from across the farm—the one that carried from the fields all the way to the shop, the one that instantly told me she was there. It was loud and joyful and completely hers, and it had this way of making you smile the moment you heard it.If you knew April, you knew that laugh. In my mind, it will always be part of the farm—echoing through the fields, even in the quietest moments.
- Caroline
April is light. I speak in the present tense because April’s light shined far too bright to just suddenly dim. It will shine on forever; I will carry it, and so will everyone who loves her.
April embodied everything beautiful. Strength, perseverance, wisdom. Love, understanding, patience and compassion. I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to know and to love Ape; I’m a better person because of her.
Love you babe ♥️
- Amanda
