Death takes us all, but saying good-bye is extremely hard.

Bismarck Tribune business reporter Crystal Reid, 29, passed away from a yet-to-be-released cause, after being admitted to the hospital on Thursday. Those who knew her would heartily acknowledge she had much to live for - and Tribune employees weren't ready for her to leave.

She was a leader in the newsroom as a reporter and managing editor of Business Watch magazine. She was active in the community in groups such as Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network and Capitol Shakespeare (founder). And she was married, less than a week before her death, excitedly becoming a new wife and mother.

We will never completely understand the reasons for the tragedies in life, but we will always recognize them. What helps in emotional times are the memories, and there were plenty of those, as well as tears and hugs, at the Tribune on Friday.

"Crystal was a wonderful person and a terrific journalist," said publisher Brian Kroshus. "She was incredibly passionate with everything that she involved herself in and always set her sights high. 'Good enough' was never acceptable; she was always looking to improve. She will be deeply missed and our condolences go out to her family and husband, Rod."

Steve Wallick, city editor and Reid's immediate supervisor, said: "Crystal was a dedicated journalist. She was a firebrand at times … wanting the chance to tackle the 'big' story. A true reporter, she always wanted to be first with the news. Her enthusiasm spread throughout the newsroom."

Ken Rogers, opinion page editor, worked with Reid on several projects. "Crystal took on the biggest of challenges," Rogers said. "No one worked harder or cared more."

"The first thing you'd notice about Crystal was her style," said religion reporter Karen Herzog. "She always looked good. And then it was the softness of her voice, even when she had to wrangle with people on the phone when doing stories."

Reid, however, was most impressive, Herzog said, in "her sweetness with her fiance's two children, how she referred to them even before she and Rod were married quite naturally as 'our kids.'

"Too soon and not fair and this can't be real is all we can say right now."

Reporter Jenny Michael called Reid one of her best friends and said they shared the common interests of finding the truth, writing and laughing.

"Crystal was a great colleague," Michael said. "We worked together on stories regularly, talked through ideas, watched co-workers come and go, laughed and organized office potlucks. She was a great sounding board and a gifted writer. I believe I improved as a journalist just working with her."

Michael stood up as a bridesmaid July 11 at Reid's marriage to Rod Austin, the Tribune's online editor. "It was a beautiful day, happy, wonderful and perfectly organized as anything Crystal touched. Her friends and family watched as she married the love of her life, all while bouncing on a sprained ankle. It was a great day - and one I hope I remember more than the way we all felt when we heard the news on Friday."

Michael said she always hoped she and Reid would end up as the two old-timers at the Tribune, "sharing wisdom and wisecracks … It will be a long time before I come into the office and don't expect to see her and exchange remarks that were witty, if only to us. I will always treasure the memories I have of Crystal and strive to live my life to the fullest, just like she did."

LeAnn Eckroth, government reporter, acknowledged Reid as a sincere person and reporter who, when needed, knew how to ask the tough questions. "Her passing is such a tragedy … less than a week after her wedding. My prayers go out for Rod, the children and both their families."

"She was passionate about her business coverage, and to writing detailed stories about the locals here," said columnist and copy editor Kelly Hagen. "There was a flame burning in her that they don't teach in college, that not nearly enough working journalists have kept alive in themselves."

Political reporter Brian Duggan said: "No words will change what happened yesterday, but we can use them to remember the beautiful person, friend, colleague, wife and mother that Crystal Reid Austin embodied. It was just last week we celebrated Crystal's wedding. Today, we are shocked and heartbroken.

"Crystal introduced me to Bismarck and helped me get my footing in this community when I moved here last fall. Things will never be the same. Crystal's death has torn a hole in all of our hearts at the Tribune, as I know it did with countless other people in this community. We should fill that hole with loving memories of our dear friend and comfort the young family she leaves behind."

Reid was selected as an international center for journalism fellow (Arthur F. Burns Fellowship) in 2008 and spent more than two months working for the Associated Press in Berlin, covering entertainment, energy and business. She was a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

She was also a 2008 Bismarck-Mandan Leadership graduate and received the Teddy Roosevelt Award for Persistence from the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network. She also received numerous journalism awards in Nebraska and North Dakota.

Service and other details are pending.

- John Irby, editor

Crystal's family has asked that any donations be made to the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation in her name:

http://www.ednf.org/

or

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/Ehlers-DanlosNationalFoundat/OnlineDonation.html