Victims include athlete, 'chatterbox,' student

(CNN) -- Victims who died in the Minnesota bridge collapse Wednesday included a father nicknamed "Homer," a successful businesswoman, a "chatterbox" who "loved to smile and laugh," and a mother who dreamed of a cosmetics career.

Julia Blackhawk, 32, was "so excited" about the cosmetology classes she was returning from when she crossed the bridge, her ex-husband Khaffak Ansari told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "God can be so cruel sometimes."

Becoming a cosmetologist was "her lifetime dream," he told the Pioneer Press.

Blackhawk -- who was a resident of the Twin Cities area for about 10 years -- also was a Winnebago Indian, Ansari told the Press. He described her to the newspaper as "strong in her convictions, strong in her traditions."

John Blackhawk -- a member of the Winnebago Tribal Council in Nebraska -- told KTIV that he was shocked by the news of his niece's death in the bridge collapse. "I think the thing that she would like to be remembered for is a mother," he told the Sioux City, Iowa, TV station. "She had two boys, of course, and I'm not sure how they're going to survive that."

Julia Blackhawk's funeral is planned for this weekend in Nebraska, where her family lives, her former husband told the Pioneer Press.

People who knew Artemio Trinidad-Mena described the produce salesman as a well-liked, talkative 29-year-old. "People don't always like the guy who collects the checks," said vegetable distributor Julio Alvarado, according to the Pioneer Press. "But with his jokes, everyone who called only wanted to speak to him."

His cousin Filadelfo Diaz described Trinidad-Mena as "a chatterbox . He loved to smile and laugh," according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "When he wasn't working, he was dedicated to his family."

Friends and co-workers told the Pioneer Press that Trinidad-Mena died while returning across the bridge from a personal errand. He and his wife, Abundia Martinez, had a 2-month-old daughter, according to the Star-Tribune. "I feel so alone," she told the paper.

Trinidad-Mena and Martinez have been living illegally in Minneapolis after he traveled from Mexico about 10 years ago, she told The Associated Press. They have three other children who are living in Mexico, she told the AP.

A Mexican flag adorned a makeshift memorial for Trinidad-Mena in front of his Minneapolis home, the Pioneer Press reported, along with a display of white roses and a donation box stuffed with a handful of dollars.

A note at the home said, "Artemio, we know is with God. We will always remember you ... His remains will be sent to his country," the paper reported.

Patrick Holmes, 36, was an athlete and father, described by loved ones as "emotional" and "inspirational." The Winona State University graduate also pitched baseball at the school in the early 1990s, according to the Winona Daily News, and earned the nickname "Homer," said the Pioneer Press.

Holmes worked hard as a physical therapist and played hard as a "power hitter" who led his amateur team in home runs, the Press reported.

"He was definitely the heart of the team -- the inspirational leader, the emotional guy," longtime teammate Doug Amsden told the Press.

A father of children ages 4 and 6, Holmes loved to fish, camp and wrestle with the kids, the Star-Tribune reported. His widow, Jennifer -- described as his high school sweetheart -- told the paper that he was liked by "many, many people."

After a day of studying neck and back pain, Holmes was driving home across the bridge Wednesday when it collapsed. His vehicle crashed onto the riverbank, according to the Star-Tribune.

Businesswoman Sherry Engebretsen, 60, may have been trying to get home early by taking the bridge, her relatives told the AP. As she crossed the structure in her beloved Mercedes-Benz 280, Engebretsen had just an hour earlier spoken to her husband, the AP reported. "It was one of those long, tough days, and she was looking forward to coming home," Ronald Engebretsen told the AP. "I told her I'd talk to her in a few minutes."

Described as a busy mother of two daughters, Engebretsen was juggling parenthood and a successful career, the Pioneer Press reported. A family friend called her a "complete package of a mom," the paper said. Engebretsen cheered her daughters through dance competitions and helped in high school fundraising efforts, according to the Press.

"Nowadays, you hear a lot of stories about parents and kids not getting along," said her 18-year-old daughter, Jessica Engebretsen, according to the AP. "But we always got along." E-mail to a friend

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