KENT COUNTY — There are hundreds of cases of missing and unidentified people in the state of Michigan, but after the human remains of Kevin Graves were identified Thursday, hope has been reignited for one Ionia County woman after her childhood friend went missing four decades ago.
It was on Feb. 5 nearly 44 years ago that Deanie Peters disappeared from Forest Hills Central Middle School. For Kathy Weeks Kingma, a childhood friend of Peters, it feels like yesterday.
"We met at school and just became fast friends," said Kingma Friday. "I know there's 10 people that would say that her personality was truly a ray of sunshine. ... No mother, brother, sister should ever, ever have to go through that, ever."
This week's discovery of the remains of Kevin Graves in Rothbury has spurred renewed hope for Kingma.
"You have to hold on to hope, and that's where your faith comes in, because without faith, you have nothing," said Kingma. "My hope is the same. Deanie's family deserves that; 44 years is way too long."
It's a sentiment echoed by Kellie Boers. She became an advocate for families with missing loved ones after her own cousin, Richard Hitchcock, disappeared in 1990.
"If we can share those experiences with people and it helps them even, it just helps them cope, even [if] it might not bring answers," Boers said. "If we're able to bring awareness and keep the story alive of a missing person who deserves to be looked for and found, that's the goal."
It's something Kingma never plans to stop doing with Peters.
“There's so many people; we will never give up. We love you; we care about you. And there is always a part of us that is going to be that 14-year-old. I'll always carry it with me," said Kingma.
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