Karen Juday wasn't supposed to be at work the day terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001.

But her appointment for the day was canceled and she went in to work on the 101st floor of Tower One. She was the administrative assistant for Cantor Fitzgerald. According to what her family found out, Juday was on the phone with the company chief executive officer when the first plane hit.

For the 9/11 Memorial Service this year, members of Juday's family traveled to New York to remember and reflect, including Warsaw's Dawn and Roger Ransbottom and their children, Cheyenne Albertson and Daren Ransbottom.

Thursday, they, along with Dawn's brother Brad Hamilton, talked about their Aunt Juday, New York and the memorial service.

"She was a happy-go-lucky person," said Dawn of Juday. Her hair style and color changed all the time.

"Some of them you had to look at twice to make sure it was her," said Hamilton. The last time he saw Juday, Hamilton said, Juday's hair was kind of brownish with a lot of red tint.

Juday moved to New York in 1997, Dawn said, after meeting Richard Pecorella.

The Ransbottoms' trip to New York Sept. 9-12 was their first to the Big Apple.

"We saw pretty much all of New York in a day," said Daren, including Times Square, Battery Park, Coney Island and Central Park.

The foursome stayed with Juday's fiance Pecorella, an Italian, in Brooklyn, said Roger. They ate at Juday's favorite restaurant, La Palina, and had breakfast at her favorite spot, Stella's. Dawn said she had one of Karen's favorite meals for dinner. "It was like a glorified spaghetti," said Dawn.

Some of Juday's remains eventually were recovered. Dawn said the remains were cremated and scattered underneath the Berrazano Narrows Bridge. "That was her favorite place," said Albertson.

For the Sept. 11 memorial this year, Dawn said, they parked in a parking garage and had to walk to Ground Zero. On their way to the site, the family tried to imagine what that day had been like.

"There was nothing left to tell what happened," said Albertson of the walk there. But once they got to Ground Zero, she said, it was "numbing."

Parents and grandparents of the 9/11 victims read off the names during the service. "It was pretty moving because they would read off 10-20 names and then would say, 'my son or daughter,'" said Roger. Though he said he met Juday only a few times, the emotions still were there. In that spot, he said, he could still feel the more than 2,700 people who died three years ago.

"It's a solemn place," Roger said.

The reflecting pools are seven floors down from the street level and the ramp down to them is very steep, Dawn said. Around the pools, people could write messages on the sides and throw flowers and memorabilia into the pools.

"It did get pretty crowded," said Dawn of the memorial service. "We got there pretty early."

Only family members of the victims were allowed into the pit. Each had to wear a ribbon to get down there, but even outside the fenced off area, more people stood for the service.

Dawn said being there was a help to the family because it brought closure.

Pecorella had 64th Street renamed for Juday. It was unveiled Aug. 22 in a one-hour ceremony. Juday's photo and flowers still are on the street sign post.

Roger said Pecorella did a lot for the victims and their families when 9/11 first happened, and makes an effort to make sure no one forgets the terrorist attacks.

"Each neighborhood has its own memorial of people they've lost in their own neighborhood," said Cheyenne of New York.

Dawn said, "For me, it won't be hard" to not forget. When they were in New York, she said, it felt like it just happened. People around here are getting to where they're forgetting about 9/11, becoming more lax. For her family, she said, they will never forget.

Hamilton said he remembers that day "just like it was yesterday. ... There's some things you forget with time, but something like this, you never will."

Roger said the attacks and going to New York this year have changed him. "For me, it's made me closer to Dawn's Uncle Pat and Brad." He now appreciates his family more. Instead of working overtime a lot at his job at R.R. Donnelley & Sons, as he used to, he said he would rather just spend more time with his family.

Everyone takes their family for granted; they don't always think of their aunts and uncles, said Dawn. That has changed for her. "You just appreciate them more."

"It makes you think of things more," said Daren. "You never know what could happen from day to day." He said it's too bad something like the attacks had to bring families closer together, but now that it has, they stick to each other more.

Albertson said, "It is just (about) family. Just being together and just knowing it could be tomorrow. Being there just brought closure."

Hamilton said, "It really makes a person look over their shoulder a lot more than they used to."

In the travel industry, Hamilton said, he's always been used to security measure. Now, wondering if they are doing any good, if everyone has stepped up to prevent it from happening again, he said, "My personal answer is 'no.'"

But, Dawn said, there's only so much one can do about it. "When it's your time to go, God's going to take you." People can't live in fear or the terrorists win.

Roger said, "I'm glad I went not only to see New York for the first time ... but it's also closure."

Dawn said, "And, yes, we probably will go back again." [[In-content Ad]]