‘The school year will be rough’: Friends mourn Kansas teacher, teen son who died in crash
Valley Center’s Hornet family is reeling from the loss of two of its own after a mother and son — a third-grade teacher and incoming senior — died in a crash.
Erin Moreno, 42, and her son, Anthony Barrera, 17, died July 28 when the SUV in which they were passengers rear-ended a semi-truck on the Kansas Turnpike in Lyon County near Emporia.
Moreno was a third-grade science teacher at West Elementary School in the Valley Center School District; Barrera was entering his senior year at Valley Center High School.
Friends and family remembered them for different reasons: Moreno as a lover of Christmas, so much so that she would decorate for it at Halloween; and Barrera as a gregarious teen who made straight As.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of two members of our Hornet family,” USD 262 said in a statement. “We offer our sincere condolences to Erin and Anthony’s family and to all in our community who have been impacted by this tragedy.”
Passion for kids and teaching
Kelly Knoblauch met Moreno in 2019 after moving to Valley Center from Kingman. The two entered the school district at the same time, but initially taught at different schools. A tragedy brought the two women close in January.
“One of our students that I had in second grade passed away and [Moreno] was his current teacher,” Knoblauch said. “And so sadly, a tragedy brought us together. That kind of has bonded us in a way that we hadn’t bonded before.”
Jason Jones, 9, had a great relationship with Moreno in the classroom. In January, he came home from school with a severe headache and died days later from bacterial meningitis, his mother, Jennifer Jones, told The Eagle.
Jones recalls the support she and her family received from Moreno after her son’s unexpected passing.
“The love she had for my son, but all of the other kids, shined, “Jones said. “I truly can imagine what a sweet reunion [in heaven] that was, I can see my son running up to her.”
Knoblauch, who has taught for over 30 years, said Moreno was dedicated to her profession and was working toward higher education. She also helped create the curriculum for West Elementary.
“[She] always wanted to learn more about what she was teaching and share that knowledge with her peers, and instill that knowledge in her kids,” Knoblauch said. “That’s a big thing we’re going to miss.”
Michelle Truman taught third grade alongside Moreno and echoed Knoblauch’s sentiments when it came to Moreno’s passion for teaching. She said her colleague disliked Halloween and loved Christmas.
“Every year at Halloween, she would decorate her house for Christmas,” Truman said. “She worked throughout the year buying Christmas gifts for loved ones and would usually have everything ready to go by November so she could enjoy the holiday. You could even hear her starting her days with Christmas music.”
Truman plans to play Christmas music in Moreno’s honor, just like she did.
“The school year will be rough without her,” Truman said.
Smart, quick-witted and humorous
Moreno’s son will also be missed.
Teacher Aaron Miller said that during Barrera’s sophomore year, the teen would sit next to his desk in homeroom to chat and share videos and pictures of clothing he wanted to buy.
Barrera had a quick-witted humor and loved to make those around him laugh, Miller said.
“He had such an infectious personality, and I think that he always just made an effort to get to know anybody that he was around,” Miller said. “And that’s not every student.”
Miller and Barrera had something in common: Their mothers were both teachers.
“He was doing something ornery and I jokingly said, ‘Anthony, if you don’t stop, I’m going to have to email your mom and tell her what you’re doing,’” Miller said. “Without skipping a beat, he says, ‘Do it, and then I will email your mom and I’ll tell her that you’re being mean to me.’”
Just as he was personable, Barrera also excelled in academics. He had aspirations of becoming a dermatologist.
“As funny and quick-witted as he was, he was also so smart, a straight-A student and cared about his grades,” Miller said, adding that Barrera’s favorite subject was science, which was what Moreno taught.
Barrera’s girlfriend, Kennedy Crain, and her twin brother, Braedon, also shared fond memories of him.
One Friday night, Barrera and Kennedy Crain had finished working and were making dinner. The two decided on grilled cheese sandwiches.
“He decided to try and scare me by putting the spatula on my leg thinking it was cold; turns out that wasn’t the case,” she said. “It was definitely hot, but made for a funny accident. The burn will leave a scar to be proud of, and I will never forget this memory as it is what will always be a reminder to me of what a genuine person is like.”
Braedon Crain shared the sentiment.
“Whether it was eating dinner with the family at my grandma’s, being outside, talking at the gym, or seeing him at school, he always had the energy to make everyone around him happy,” he said. “My prayers go out to the family and to my twin sister, who was Anthony’s girlfriend. Thank you for being a light in our family, our community, and in everyone’s life who you were a part of.”
A GoFundMe has been established to help pay for funerals and medical expenses.
A celebration of life for Moreno and Barrera will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Riverlawn Christian Church, 4243 N. Meridian Ave.