Funeral set for Linden teen pulled from Warinanco Park lake – My Central Jersey
LINDEN – Funeral services will be held 11:30 a.m. Saturday for a rising Linden High School freshman whose body was pulled from the lake at Warinanco Park in Roselle earlier this month.
The funeral for Jayanna Rochelle Francois, 14, will be held at Holy Mountain Church, 800 Roselle St., Linden, Mayor Derek Armstead said in a Facebook post.
Burial will be at Rosedale Cemetery, 355 E. Linden Ave., Linden.
A 2 p.m. repass will be held at the mayor’s home, 516 Carnegie St., Linden, the Facebook post states.
A GoFundMe.com page called Jayanna Rosechelle Francois, created by the family, is looking to raise $10,000 for Jayanna’s funeral. As of Sunday afternoon, nearly $2,000 has been raised in that account. In addition about $3,000 has been raised from an earlier GoFundMe page.
Family members said the mayor had no knowledge of the initial GoFundMe.com page created without the family’s knowledge, which has since been disconnected. The mayor was asked to share information about the new GoFundMe.com page created by the family with the community.
“My name is Bayard Francois and I am the father of 14 year old McManus Middle School student Jayanna Rosechelle Francois whose body was found last week in the lake at Warinanco Park in Roselle, NJ. This tragic incident has been very painful for our entire family,” the GoFundMe page states. “We are planning on holding a home going funeral service, for Jayana this Saturday and we are in need of some assistance to cover the funeral cost.
“There is no easy way for me to report to all of you this terrible news. Being the father of three children who attended the same middle school as this young lady makes it even more difficult. It is with deep sadness as your Mayor that I must announce the tragic death of 14 year old, McManus Middle School student, Jayanna Rochelle Francois,” Armstead wrote in a Facebook post.
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“Her body was found in the lake at Warinanco Park in Roselle. Union County Police Detectives and Medical Examiners Office are investigating. It is not being investigated as a suspicious death,” Armstead’s post states.
“She recently graduated and like many of your children, including my twin boys Ryan and Ashton, Jayanna was looking forward to beginning the new school year as a freshman at Linden High School,” the post states.
At about 7 a.m. Aug. 10, Union County Dispatch received a report of a female in the lake.
Members of the Union County Police Department, paramedics, and Roselle and Elizabeth fire departments were dispatched to the scene
A short time after the body was removed from the lake, paramedics pronounced her dead.
Officials said the incident, which was being investigated by Union County Police Department detectives and the medical examiner’s office, was not considered suspicious.
In his Facebook post, Armstead said the sudden, unexpected death of a child has to be the most painful tragedy a parent will ever experience.
“I reassured the family that the Linden community we will stand with them and comfort them,” said Armstead, who asked those unable to attend the funeral to stop and pay respects to the family at his home from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Those who attend the repass also are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Armstead said Jayanna’s family is currently struggling personally and financially. Anyone wishing to send cards of condolences or donations to her parents should address them to: Bayard and Rachel Francois, 1101 Essex Ave., 1st Fl, Linden, NJ 07036.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.