A Mississippi State University student died Feb. 16 after being hospitalized for a strep throat infection. Freshman Ariel Brown Brasher, 19, of Charleston died at Grenada Lake Medical Center from complications of pneumonia. Burial services were held Sunday at Bethel Methodist Church in Enid.
Brasher is survived by parents Sam and Brenda Brasher of Oakland, younger brothers Brigg and Blaye, and older brother Brett, who is a senior agricultural engineering major at MSU.
Brasher’s mother said she was dedicated to her academic achievements.
“She never met a stranger. She was very friendly,” Brasher’s mother said. “She loved the Lord and the outdoors. She was 100 percent Bulldog fan all the way. She was very smart and worked hard to keep her grades up. She had three broth ers that she loved and would do anything for.”
According to a letter written by John Howell, a close friend of the family, Brasher was a graduate of North Delta School in Batesville, where she was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame when she graduated in 2006.
Howell said he is proud to have known Brasher.
“Ariel leaves a beautiful and powerful legacy. Her impact on her family is her strongest testimony,” he said.
Her grade point average earned her historian distinction in her class.
Brasher was awarded scholarships from the Batesville Junior Women’s League and Mississippi State.
Howell said Brasher enrolled at MSU in the fall where she combined her lifelong love for animals and the outdoors by beginning a pre-veterinary study.
Brasher became heavily interested in veterinary sciences after assisting her father with the birth of a calf, Howell said.
Brasher earned a 3.5 grade point average in her first semester at MSU. University President Robert “Doc” Foglesong and other administration members attended the visitation for Brasher’s family in Charleston.
Vice president for student affairs Bill Kibler said Ariel was an outstanding student with a bright future at MSU.
“We extend our regrets to all her family and friends,” he said.
Foglesong was unable to be reached for comment.
Freshman geosciences major Mitchell Fowler said Brasher was a truly great person who was always smiling.
“We always had a great time going to see the Benjy Davis Project together. She really loved that band,” Fowler said, “You never heard her complain about anything. She was always positive and very easy to get along with. She will be missed greatly by her all of her friends.”
Brasher enjoyed many other interests, mostly connected to her family’s traditions, as well as art, Howell said.