MONTCALM COUNTY, Mich. — As family and friends continue to mourn the loss of two Montcalm County teens killed in a crash, one sister is sharing memories of the brother she says never stopped working for the people he loved.
Arianna Hallengren remembers her younger brother, Mark Pettengill, as respectful, hardworking and devoted to his family.
"He was very respectful and kind, and he was soft spoken, and he was like the biggest workhorse you could ask for in a kid," Hallengren said.
Pettengill and his girlfriend, Latrese McFerrin, both 17, were killed in a crash in Montcalm County. The couple leaves behind their 5-month-old son, Jayden.
Hallengren said her brother worked hard for everything he had. He took on side jobs, saved money for his driver's license and bought his own video game systems and shoes.
She recalled one pair of baby blue Air Jordans he had his eye on.
"He mowed like 26 yards in Lansing, and then he went and rode the bus to the mall the day they dropped, and he bought them," she said. "He came home, and he was so happy."
But Hallengren said the memories she cherishes most are the moments that showcased her brother's personality.
"Anywhere you took him, he was making you laugh," she said. "You'd bring him to the grocery store, and he'd just act a fool."
She said that same joy carried into parenthood.
According to Hallengren, Pettengill and McFerrin embraced raising their son.
"As a dad, he was so good," Hallengren said. "You would text him and be like, 'Hey Mark, what are you doing?' And his first response was, 'Oh, I'm sitting here with Jayden.'"
She said both teens were protective of their son and took pride in caring for him themselves.
"If we were at a family function and the baby's crying, usually when it's young parents, it's, 'Give him to Grandma,'" Hallengren said. "Mark was like, 'No, give me my baby.'"
Hallengren said her life changed forever when she received a late-night phone call from her mother informing her of the crash.
"She couldn't even pronunciate what she was trying to tell me," Hallengren said. "I couldn't cry, I couldn't anything. I just sat there and I couldn't breathe."
In the days since the crash, Hallengren said the community has rallied around the family. Donations have poured into fundraising efforts to help cover funeral expenses and support Jayden's future.
She wants people to remember two young parents who loved their son, worked hard and cared deeply about the people around them.
"They were so big on kindness, and they were just so big on love and responsibility," she said.
Hallengren said she hopes their story serves as a reminder to cherish loved ones and make the most of every day.
"It is so important to live every moment to the fullest because this was really one of those instances that proved that tomorrow is really never promised," she said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
