By Lola Magazine with the Perdue, Reed and Watkins Families
Nearly twenty years ago, a tragedy of unimaginable measure shook the North Bossier community. The bustling halls of Airline High School grew quieter. So did the sanctuaries and youth rooms of local churches where three of our brightest lights—Emily Perdue, Molly Reed, and Katy Watkins—had served so faithfully.
On a Friday afternoon in 2006, a caravan of student athletes, spirit groups and fans paraded south on I49 as the Airline Vikings were set to take on the Natchitoches Central Chiefs in perhaps one of the most beloved southern fall traditions. That fateful night, stadium lights could not brighten the darkness felt when news spread of an automobile accident claiming the lives of Emily, Molly and Katy. A community shocked, families shattered, and every parent’s worst nightmare come true for the Perdues, Reeds and Watkins.
These were the girls everyone remembers as joyful, kind, faith-filled, and full of life. The kind of young women who led by example, noticed people others might overlook, and made every room warmer simply by walking into it. Their loss was profound, but not in vain.
In the days after the accident, they became known as the Airline Angels– symbols of hope and love. Each girl was distinctly herself, but their lives shared a common thread. They understood that people matter. They knew faith was more than something to profess– it was something to live. And when they saw an opportunity to make a difference, they did just that.
Twenty years later, their families still hear stories of kindnesses they never knew their daughters had extended. Friends continue to call, share memories, and introduce the girls to a new generation. Homes are built in their honor. Tennis players serve at a tournament carrying their legacy. Volunteers give their time because three teenage girls once showed a community what it means to love God by serving others.
These are their stories, and the lessons they’ve left us, shared by their parents.
Molly Reed
Emily Perdue
Katy Watkins
The Girls They Remember
When Danny and Terry Perdue picture Emily, they see her surrounded by people. She loved being with family and friends and rarely wanted to go anywhere alone. Quiet and tenderhearted, she possessed a sweetness that made others feel comfortable almost immediately.
Naturally funny, Emily could find humor in most situations and had a gift for making others laugh. She didn’t need much to be happy, had little patience for drama, and was never overly focused on herself. Relationships—with God, family, and friends—were at the center of her life.
Molly Reed loved life in a big way. Her father, Bryan, remembers the sparkle in her eyes, her generous smile, and what he affectionately calls “the world’s worst poker face.” Whatever Molly was feeling, everyone knew it. When she was happy—and she usually was—her joy reached everyone around her. She never met a stranger. Whether she encountered another student, a teacher, an adult, or a child, Molly made a point to say hello. She wanted people to know they had been seen.
She also laughed easily, especially at herself. Sports did not always come naturally, and if she stumbled or fell, she was often the first one laughing. Winning was never the most important part. Being with her teammates and friends was.
Steve and Robyn Watkins remember Katy as a sweet, gentle soul—welcoming, intelligent, mature beyond her years, and just goofy enough to keep everyone laughing. She could fit in almost anywhere and had friends of every age. Whether she was talking with children, classmates, church members, or grandparents, Katy had a way of making people feel included.
She also loved to plan. Family activities, church events, and time with friends, Katy enjoyed thinking ahead and bringing people together. Her family can easily imagine her organizing today’s Angel Build projects–the non-profit established to carry their girls’ legacy– carefully considering every detail while making sure everyone felt part of the effort.
All three girls loved deeply, but none of them treated service as an occasional activity. It was woven into who they were.
Faith Lived Out Loud
Emily & Jamie Perdue
Emily grew up surrounded by people who demonstrated their faith through service. Terry worked on the church staff as the pastor’s assistant, while Danny served in the children’s ministry. At church and at home, Emily watched people give their time, attention, and compassion to others.
She made her own priorities clear. Although she loved soccer, Emily chose not to play on teams that practiced on Wednesday evenings or Sunday mornings because she wanted to be at church. No one forced that decision upon her. It came from her own heart.
During the summer of 2006, Emily attended a church camp where she kept a journal. A year after the accident, her parents found it tucked inside the pocket of the sleeping bag she had taken with her. Inside was a prayer:
“Dear God, give me strength today and help me serve others in a way that will please You. Help me be more open-minded and not so selfish as I go through today. Lord, help me be nice to others and let them see the Light from You come through me. Let me be a servant to You. Amen.”
There was no announcement and no expectation of recognition. Emily simply saw a small need and met it.
Molly’s understanding of service deepened during a youth mission trip to Juárez, Mexico with her church. Before the trip, the students read Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. In her journal, Molly copied a sentence that became a kind of compass for her life:
“You were created to reflect His image and to fulfill His purpose.”
Bryan believes the trip helped Molly understand something many people spend a lifetime learning: life is not about being the center of the universe. It is about serving others. That realization did not become a slogan Molly merely repeated. It became a way of living.
Katy’s servant heart was also shaped early by her family, her church community, and youth leaders who modeled the importance of giving their time and energy to others.
After Hurricane Katrina, when youth trip possibilities were being discussed, Katy strongly believed the group should travel to New Orleans to help rather than choose a destination based solely on fun. While many teenagers may have preferred recreation, Katy focused on the place where people were hurting and work needed to be done. She was not opposed to fun—far from it. She simply understood that some of life’s most meaningful moments begin when we place another person’s needs ahead of our own.
The Quiet Impact of Being Seen
In the days following the accident, the families began hearing stories that revealed how far their daughters’ influence had reached.
A friend came to the Perdue home and shared that she had become a Christian because Emily had spoken with her about faith. One of Emily’s teachers remembered asking a class, “Who is afraid to die?” Every student raised a hand except Emily. When asked why, she answered with simple certainty: “When I die, I’m going to heaven.” That was Emily—never loud or attention-seeking, but quietly confident in the One she trusted.
Several weeks after Molly’s funeral, one of her teachers wrote Bryan about a student who had been standing alone in the hallway, visibly upset. When the teacher asked what was wrong, he answered, “I miss Molly. She always said hi to me in the hall and made me feel special.” A greeting may have seemed small to Molly, but it meant everything to someone else.
Even now, people approach Bryan and say, “You don’t know me, but I knew Molly,” before sharing a story the family has never heard. Those moments remind him that kindness leaves footprints we may never see.
Katy Roofing on a Mission
Katy’s family has experienced that same continuing influence through the many people who have served in her memory. Steve and Robyn believe Katy would be dumbfounded to know how many people have done extraordinary things in honor of her, Emily, and Molly.
Their family has also made an intentional choice to keep Katy present in their everyday lives. They laugh about her often, cry sometimes, and tell their grandchildren stories about “Aunt Katy.” Through those memories, Katy is still loved, still spoken of, and still shaping a generation she never had the opportunity to meet.
The Reed family has experienced that continuation of life in deeply personal ways as well. Bryan and his family now have four granddaughters. One is named Molly, and another was born on the anniversary of Molly’s death—a reminder, he says, of God’s ability to bring life from loss and hope from heartbreak.
A Legacy Still Building
Beginning in 2011, the Fuller Center for Housing of Northwest Louisiana partnered with local churches to establish legacy builds in memory of Emily, Molly and Katy. What began with a single home grew into Angel Build—a community effort that gives families a hand up toward affordable homeownership while continuing the girls’ shared legacy of faith and service. This summer, three more families received the keys to new homes—three front doors opened to new beginnings.
The Katy Build Tennis Tournament, which launched in 2016, became the primary source of funding for the build projects. Today, it continues with the support of more than 100 volunteers, along with sponsors, players, business owners, churches, and friends who believe in what the girls’ lives represented. For their families, every tournament and every completed home is another reminder that the girls’ lives still matter.
A registration becomes a piece of lumber. A sponsorship helps raise a wall. A volunteer hour becomes a front porch, a place to gather, or a bedroom where a child can feel safe. Eventually, keys are placed into the hands of a family beginning a new chapter.
The Perdue, Reed and Watkins families are deeply grateful. They also recognize that a small and faithful group has carried much of this legacy for many years. Our shared hope is to inspire others to join and serve as we continue the work these families have carried for so many years.
Three Lessons for the Next Generation
Molly & Bryan Reed
If Molly could speak to teenagers today, Bryan believes she would tell them to stop trying to become everyone else and discover the person God created them to be.
Life, she learned, is not about getting. It is about giving: See a need. Meet a need.
Danny and Terry believe Emily would urge young people not to wait to live faithfully and purposefully. They believe she would remind parents to model service, keep their children connected to faith, and never miss an opportunity to say, “I love you.” Those were the last words exchanged between Emily and her parents. “I love you.” “I love you too.”
Emily’s prayer remains her invitation: Let His light shine through you.
Steve and Robyn believe Katy would encourage young people to find something meaningful and give it their all. To parents, she would offer an equally important challenge: model the qualities you hope your children will one day possess.
Her message is simple: All moments matter. Live large.
The Next Twenty Years
Twenty years ago, three young women quietly showed our community what it looks like to live with purpose. They never imagined their names would become connected to homes, a beloved tennis tournament, or a legacy that continues to grow. They simply loved God, loved people, and served wherever they saw a need.
Perhaps the greatest way to honor Emily, Molly, and Katy is not only to remember their names, but to follow their example. Today, their legacy lives wherever someone chooses compassion over convenience, service over self, and kindness over indifference. It lives on tennis courts, at build sites, around dinner tables, in church pews, and in the quiet decision to notice someone who needs to feel seen.
For nearly twenty years, a faithful community has carried their light. Perhaps the next chapter belongs to all of us. Now it is our turn to carry it forward.
Ways to Serve
Each year, volunteers gather in honor of Emily, Molly and Katy to serve their communities in a number of ways. Learn more by visiting here:
Katy Build Tennis Tournament
kbtennistourney.org
Angel Build Projects:
fullercenternwla.org