The twin brothers from Bloomington killed this week in a crash in northwestern Montana are being remembered as joyful, loving members of their church and work communities.
Ben and David Temte, 20, struck a guardrail about 7:15 a.m. Monday while driving on Hwy. 93 south of Ronan before colliding head-on with a vehicle driven by 66-year-old Audrey Moran, according to the Lake County, Mont., Sheriff's Office. The Temtes had been on a two-week trip out West.
Moran, of Polson, Mont., also died in the crash, said Lake County Sheriff Don Bell.
David Temte was a junior at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, where he was majoring in communications. He also was a resident hall assistant and a member of the university's track and cross-country teams. He twice earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American honors in track and was on the Dordt 4x800 relay team that won the national championship in May.
"Our hearts are broken by this sudden and tragic loss," said Derek Buteyn, director of resident life at Dordt, a Christian school of about 1,500 students. "David embodied joyfulness and sincerely loved and cared for others."
Ben Temte worked as a special education classroom assistant during the 2018-19 school year at Hillcrest Community School in Bloomington.
"He was great with his fourth-grade students," said Hillcrest Principal Calvin Keasling. "He had such a strong grace about him and unbelievable patience. We send our deepest condolences to his family."
As teens, the boys were members of the Bloomington-based Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs. "We will hold on to many memories of two wonderful boys that became men in our program and shared their voices and their kind hearts with all of us," the group's statement read.
The twins are survived by their parents and eight siblings, according to a Dordt University news release.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
