Friends, Family Plan Ride for Biker Slain in Accident

Friends and family of a 33-year old Springfield woman killed in a June 21 motorcycle accident are planning a memorial ride to raise funding for her children.

Barbara Thomas of the Ascutney Farm Stand said the Memorial Motorcycle Ride for Jennifer Lee Bixby will take place on August 10. All the proceeds raised during the August event will go into a trust fund (established at the Heritage Family Credit Union in Ludlow) for the two children she leaves behind.

"Not only being a relative, but being a single mom raising her kids, the family wanted to make sure the kids got something so if they wanted to go to college later in life, there would be money for them to do that," said Thomas, whose husband is related to Bixby. "We sat here as a family and decided a memorial ride would be a great tribute to her and also help her children."

Bixby died suddenly when the motorcycle she was a passenger on collided with a 2010 Ford Fusion just off Route 131.

The event will begin at 10 am, with kick-stands going up within the hour. The suggested donation for the ride is $20, but participants can choose their amount.

Riders will head up Route 5 to White River Junction, veer west onto Route 4 in Bridgewater Corners before heading south on Route 100A to connect onto Route 103 in Ludlow. From there, riders will travel along Route 131 to Downer's Corners and have a brief memorial service for Bixby at the site of the accident.

Friends and well-wishers who do not have a motorcycle may stop by the Ascutney Farm Stand, located at 5585 Route 5, the same day for a barbecue and refreshments after the ride.

Born in Claremont, NH on April 23, 1980 to Debra (Considine) Bixby and James F. Bixby, Jennifer attended school in Springfield. She received her associates degree and was most recently a teacher at the Springfield Area Parent Child Center.

Friends describe her as charasmatic and full of life, impacting the lives of others with her warm smile. A Celebration of Life service for Bixby will take place this Saturday beginning at 11 am at the Precision Valley Baptist Church on Route 116 in North Springfield.

On the afternoon of June 21, Bixby was the passenger on a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle, heading west on Route 131 in Weathersfield when it collided with another vehicle, according to the Vermont State Police. Both Bixby and her fiance, the operator, were taken to Springfield Hospital. She died from her injuries after arriving at the facility.

For more information, visit the stand's web site at facebook.com/ascutney.farmstand