Today I was moved by words at a Memorial Day event. Local dignitaries told stories of military deaths and the importance of those stories, not just to the family, but also to the community of each fallen soldier. The stories can instill pride in the communities and inspire others to put their lives on the line. I heard that few Americans have served in the military, so not everyone can remember someone who chose to serve their community and country, knowing that they might risk their lives in that service. Finally, one veteran declared that the death of a soldier without remembrance of when and why they served, makes their sacrifice meaningless. I think I am now ready to tell Selinde’s stories, so that her death is not in vain.

Some people seek a career for fame, others for fortune, and some, like Selinde, to serve. In Lindy’s junior year she started the long and complicated process of applying to the Naval Academy. While she ultimately didn't get accepted, Selinde was nominated by Representative Stivers, invited to visit, and interviewed for the elite program. When her application was declined, Selinde wandered a while at OSU, seeking another way in which to serve. Several factors lead Lindy to Wildland Firefighting: her love of forests, her passion for all things fire- from candles to bonfires, and ultimately the huge, destructive wildfires out West and in Australia. In the fall of 2020 Lindy identified and applied for an all-women's firefighting boot camp. The program paid her to attend and learn basic skills. She was happy that she could use her new skills in Ohio on prescribed burns, which improve oak woodlands and thereby increase biodiversity. Feeling confident in her calling, Lindy applied to transfer to the University of Idaho Fire Science program.  Selinde had found her path: to serve the forest community she cherished by protecting and improving them through fire.

Lindy was not a member of the military, but she had chosen a life of service. She was not fighting people, but aspired to fight destructive fires. She was not protecting our freedom, as many Memorial Day speakers mentioned, but she planned to protect and defend not just the forests in which she grew up but also those elsewhere. She was driven by the climate crisis to act, not to sit in despair, but to dedicate her life to the vast forests that give us the oxygen we breathe and absorb the carbon dioxide we pollute. Selinde was bold, brave and determined throughout her life. She was willing to put her life on the line to have an impact on the earth’s climate, protecting the people and places she loved. May we all be so inspired.

I was deeply saddened to read about the death of Selinde in the Columbus Dispatch this morning. She was a student in my Chemistry 1210 class at The Ohio State University. Such a vibrant, curious, kind and hard working student. I have over 600 students each term - Selinde stood out. She attended each office hour at 8 am. Always prepared. Always full of questions. Few freshman students are that dedicated. A joy. I remember our conversations. She often spoke of her family. She was so full of life wanting to make a difference. I offer my deepest condolences to her family.

Rosemary Loza (Sheldon D Shore Distinguished Lecturer, OSU)

posted 04/07/2021
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbus-oh/selinde-roosenburg-10689038
reposted by Kate Kelley

Selinde was one of the first friends I ever had. I will always remember her as someone who inspired adventure and passion about the world around us.

Lindy always was her own person. I remember her fiery uniqueness throughout elementary and middle school. Her overalls, the trapeze in her room, her laugh, her humor. For one of her birthdays, we made sushi. I remember noticing and laughing with her about the genius of the "ribbon drawer" in her kitchen. Today, I have my own ribbon drawer and always think of her when I open it. For one Christmas, she gave me an ornament made out of one of these ribbons tied around a shell with a glitter-glued letter 'S' that my family hangs on our tree every year.

When we were in third grade, Lindy started a club around the World Wildlife Fund for Endangered Species. I remember going to the bank for the first time with Kate and a few of our friends to start a bank account for the club. The bank showed us a vault where money is kept, and I recall feeling this immense sense of responsibility and ability to make an impact on the world, all sparked by Selinde's passion at such a young age.

When I moved across the country for 5th grade, Selinde was one of my friends who made me feel less alone. She sent me countless letters I still have, in envelopes handmade out of pages from National Geographic magazines, or cartoons from the newspaper. In one letter, she described showing her rabbit, Mimi, at the fair and winning Champion in several categories (it was her "first year showing rabbits and [she] was very proud"). She circled some of the words of the letter and marked dots above the words so that I could solve it as a code. In a letter sent in middle school, she sent an origami panda she had made.

I'll never forget her love of Totoro, the beloved Studio Ghibli character. She had Totoro images and things around her room and showed us Ghibli movies when I visited her house. When I moved into my dorm my freshman year of college, I was so excited to tell her I got a Totoro poster to hang up in my room. She made me love and appreciate so many beautiful things I would never have heard about without her.

In college, I was lucky enough to get to see her again after 4 years apart. That year, we lived in dorms near each other and met up for a surreal night of adventure. I remember running towards each other, finally reuniting after so long. We walked down High street, stopping at a little pizza place and catching up about all that was going on in our lives. I remember listening, wide-eyed, as she told me about her experiences double (or triple?) riding on the electric Lime scooters around campus. She showed me her room and her college Totoro things. We visited a music store and a massive thrift shop, and I remember feeling like a young child again, like nothing had changed and I was with my friend again after so long.

I am so blessed to have been able to be your friend and see your light and passion up close, Lindy. Miss and love you so much.