HAMMOND | In her 16-year life, Amanda Joy "Panda" Vignere touched the hearts of many people with her bright smile, her singing, her hard work and her love of God.

On Wednesday morning, hundreds filled the auditorium of the First Baptist Church of Hammond to say goodbye to the Cedar Lake teen who died Thursday evening after she struck a tree while skiing in Michigan with her church singing group. They were on their way to a youth rally in McMillan, Mich.

Prior to the service, video screens throughout the auditorium displayed photos of Amanda with family and friends But, it was the teenager's legacy of kindness and faith that brought classmates, family, friends and strangers to honor her, said her pastors.

During her funeral services, fellow ensemble members sang "About the Cross." Amanda was part of a trio preparing to sing that song at the youth conference, said Johnny Colsten, a longtime associate pastor at First Baptist Church.

"She loved that song," Colsten said. "She was a good girl from a good family."

Jack Schaap, pastor of First Baptist Church, said Amanda's life and her sudden death have inspired many young people to find their own faith.

"Please develop an appetite for God like Amanda did," Schaap said to the youth who attended the funeral, adding that Amanda soaked up all that God could give her like a sponge. "She was rich in her relationship with God."

Letters of condolence and remembrance have poured into the church office since Amanda's death, Schaap said.

"There has been an outpouring of love not only from the church and the community but from around this nation," he said. "This is 16 years of a well-lived life."

Scott Vignere gently stroked his daughter's hair before addressing those attending her funeral. It was something he did with all eight of his children every night, he said.

"She was a precious girl and I am thankful for those 16 years," he said. "One memory I'll always have is when I'd poke my head in her room at night, she'd be reading her Bible. When you leaf through her Bible, nearly every page had a passage underlined. This book was important to her."

Vignere also shared his memories of Amanda spraying on perfume "and stinking up the car on the way to school." On the morning she boarded the school bus for the trip to Michigan, "Panda" hugged her father three times and said "I love you, Daddy," Vignere told those gathered at the church.

The fourth of eight children of Scott and Connie Vignere, Amanda was a junior at Hammond Baptist School and a member of the high school singing ensemble, worker in Blue Denim and Lace and part of Teenage Soul Winning. She was also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Hammond and attended the high school Sunday school department.