A group of eight uniformed members of the Weld County Sheriff’s Office stood on stage, some holding each other for support, wiping a tear away with a tissue, or taking a painstaking breath as they tried to get through the words they prepared in remembrance of Deputy Alexis Hein-Nutz.

She was everyone’s “instant best friend,” Cpl. Anna Erickson said.

She had a special ability to break down people’s walls and show them “true love.”

It was her superpower, something “that we need more of in this world.”

Her colleagues’ remarks were but some of the many stories shared about the person Hein-Nutz was during a 90-minute funeral service on Saturday morning, where an outpouring of grief, reverence and love for the young deputy was palpable through the service’s livestream.

Her loved ones gathered at Foundations Church in Loveland for a private funeral service, which was available for the public to view online. Members of the community were also invited to line the processional route. The deputy will be laid to rest in her hometown of Bismarck, N.D. in a private burial service.

Hein-Nutz, 24, died in a Sept. 18 hit-and-run incident in the area of Colorado Highway 392 and County Road 37, east of Windsor. Just one week from her 25th birthday, the deputy was riding her motorcycle to work at the Weld County Jail when the crash occurred.

The suspect in the case, Norberto Garcia-Gonzales, 36, has been formally charged with leaving the scene of an accident, careless driving, failure to yield the right of way, driving under restraint – an alcohol related offense, and obstructing a peace officer.

Hein-Nutz’s funeral and procession is the second for a fallen Colorado peace officer in less than two weeks. Arvada Officer Dillon Vakoff was shot and killed in the line of duty and laid to rest on Sept. 16.

Hein-Nutz joined the sheriff’s office at the age of 21 and was assigned to work in detentions. Serving in law enforcement was a lifelong dream for Hein-Nutz, according to a statement Sheriff Steve Reams issued the day after her death.

In a Facebook post announcing her 2018 graduation from the jail academy, the deputy wrote that serving in law enforcement was “what I was meant to do.”

Hein-Nutz’s mother, Tammy Hein-Nutz, and her sisters, Kylee Hein-Nutz and Alisha Iverson, took deep breaths Saturday morning and fought through tears as her sisters spoke about the hole left in their lives following her death. Her father Sherwood Nutz sat in the audience as the women spoke. It won’t be easy to say goodbye, her sister Kylee said, but it’s important to remember the good memories they share with her.

She was a good listener, funny and intelligent. She would bend over backwards for anyone, the family said.

“Alexis, thank you for being part of our lives,” her sister said.

An emotional Deputy Andy Wilson, Hein-Nutz’s partner, said she “took great pride in being part of the Weld County Sheriff family.” She was a long-time fan of the movie Lilo & Stitch and lit up with a smile when she talked about sharing her love of the movie with her mother, he said.

Wilson broke down when he started to explain what Hein-Nutz meant to him.

“She was my gift from God, and my dearest friend,” he said as Cpl. Erickson stepped up to hold him by the arm. “I am thankful for the time I was allowed to have with her.”

And he wishes it was more, he said.

Several people spoke during a portion of the service dedicated for anyone in attendance to share stories and memories of Hein-Nutz. “She was one of the most powerful young ladies I ever met,” said one friend of roughly a decade, adding she had a maturity that was hard to fathom for a person of her age.

Another friend and deputy said she aspires “to be half of the woman and deputy she was.” A tear-stricken woman thanked Hein-Nutz’s parents “for raising such a beautiful daughter.”

The pastor who led her funeral service spoke often of her deep faith and shared some of the devotional she read the week of her death.

The devotional she would have studied on Sept. 19, the day after she died, was already marked with her bookmark, he said, and spoke about seeking solace from God in the wake of death. “Father, thank you for destroying the power of death. I need no longer fear its shadow,” the devotional read.

Inmates at the jail would ask her for a verse of the day, the pastor said, and that she had compassion with everyone, including the people over which she held a position of authority.

Sheriff Reams, who also spoke at the funeral, said he met with Hein-Nutz in his office three months ago to talk about her career path. Within seconds, he picked up on her drive, her confidence and her vibrant personality, traits he said anyone who was close with her knew she possessed.

She was eager to pursue the certification she need to advance from detentions and hit the road, he recalled. When he asked her about her ultimate career path, the deputy said, “I’m going to be sheriff.”

“She was just a kid. We’re all going to miss her,” he said. “Thank you for your service, Alexis.”