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Family Remembers 'Free Spirit' After She Was Killed By Falling Tree Branch

By Jamie Leary

LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4)- Family and friends of a Louisville woman killed in Tuesday's wind storm are finding strength in each other as they come to grips with her shocking death.

Lucinda Spencer, 62, was killed Tuesday after a wind gust caused a tree limb to come toppling down on her.

Lucinda Spencer
Lucinda Spencer (credit: Spencer Family)

"Everybody is just stunned. It was completely like a fluke accident," said Dan Spencer, Lucinda's brother.

Lucinda stepped outside Tuesday morning to smoke a cigarette, watch her dogs play and take a break from moving into her new apartment on the corner of Walnut and Garfield.

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She sat down next to her friend, Lucas who was helping her move in.

"Lucinda was sitting in this chair here, Lucas was sitting in this chair here. An enormous part of the tree had fallen and hit Cinda… they were sitting two feet apart and it missed him entirely but hit her pretty directly on, " Dan said as he walked over and pointed to the area where it happened. "Lucas held her and comforted her, as far as we know I don't think she ever regained consciousness but we were comforted knowing she was being held in those last moments."

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Lucinda's family says she was the free spirit of the bunch. Her five siblings flew to Colorado Wednesday to remember her and while finding support in each other, they said they also found it in the Boulder community.

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"In the two days we've been here I think just overwhelmed with kindness with everyone we've met," Dan choked up, "We have been touched by extraordinary generosity. People have been so kind."

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Despite the fact that Lucinda did not survive, her family is praising everyone from the first responders, to the Boulder County Coroner to the surgeons at Good Samaritan Hospital and the friends who held Lucinda's hand in the hospital.

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Lucinda Spencer (credit: Spencer Family)

"She didn't always have an easy life but that vulnerability she turned into an ability to just touch other people and we've been meeting so many different friends here and the way they speak about what she meant to them, means a lot to us," said Dan.

Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.

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