Every day before she left for school, 11-year-old Brianna Cauley, would stop and say four words to her mom: "Momma, I love you."

That's the memory Cauley's mother, LaShaunda Rimson, of Madison, Wis., has thought of often since Cauley died Oct. 16. Rimson made the decision the day before to take her daughter off life support.

"She was my angel, and I will miss her dearly," Rimson said.

Since late September, when Cauley was rescued from the waters of Kemil Beach after being underwater for at least 20 minutes, she had been in and out of three hospitals in Northwest Indiana and Wisconsin, her aunt Edwina Cauley said.

Cauley's funeral is scheduled for Friday morning in Madison.

Edwina Cauley, of Portage, said Cauley was visiting Northwest Indiana with a friend's family Sept. 21, and playing in the waves about 30 feet offshore of the Porter County beach when she disappeared under the water. Someone at the beach realized the girl was in trouble and called 911.

Rimson said Cauley was an outgoing girl who liked to laugh and make people feel good. A fan of the Disney Channel, Cauley loved to sing and dance like characters on the shows "Hannah Montana" and "That's So Raven."

Rimson laughs as she remembers Cauley cracking jokes or doing silly dances to cheer people up because she didn't like to see people unhappy.

Rimson said Cauley was helpful with her two little brothers and the type of child who only needed to be told what to do once.

"She was really on top of it." Rimson said.

Edwina Cauley said she remembers Cauley as a happy, energetic girl who always was full of energy and had a big smile. She said Cauley was protective of her little brothers, making sure they never were left out.

"It's such a tragedy," her aunt said. "She had her whole life ahead of her. ... She was going to be something."