Calgary memorial service held for 3 family members killed in Texas highway crash

A special service to honour aCalgarygrandmother, son and grandson killed in a head-on crash in Lubbock, Texas, was heldWednesday.

Nirmal Kaur Minhas, 68, her son, Upinderjit Minhas, 38, and his son, Meharpratap Singh Minhas, 6, were killed the morning of July 14 about37 kilometres northwest of Amarillo. Theminivan they were riding in collided head-on with a tractor-trailer.

The "very special" Sikh religious ceremony tookplace Wednesday afternoon at Dashmesh Cultural Centre in the northeast Calgary community of Martindale.

Harcharan Parhar, a relative, said the service was planned to take about an hour and then there would be food for everyone

The funeral service took place onthe weekend in Texas because Upinderjit's wife, JasleenMinhas, was too injured to travel back to Canada, Parhar said.

More than two dozen members of the family travelled to the United Statesin order to attend.

The grandmother,Nirmal,was pronounced dead at the scene while her son and grandsonwere taken to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, where they later died.

JasleenMinhasand her eight-year-old daughter,Japuleen Minhas, werealso taken to hospital suffering serious injuries.

Anotherdaughter,MekekdeepMinhas, 10, wasairlifted to United Medical Centre in Lubbock.She was in serious but stable condition.Parhar saidthe girl suffered spinal injuries and likely willundergo several surgeries and spend up to six months in hospital.

Intelligent, happy father remembered

Pahar said he will remember UpinderjitMinhas as very intelligent andhelpful.

Another relative, Avi Jaswal, has saidthe father was nicknamed "Happy" and that Nirmal was a "wonderful lady" and Mehar was "a cute kid" who adored his sisters.

The family was in Texas to visitJasleen'sparents in Houston, Pahar said.

"It's very hard to accept this," he saidlast week.

"I believe their plan was to fly over there. But then they decided instead of flying, why don't they go by van and then they can visit other places, because they had two weeks."

The truck driver, identified as a 57-year-old man from Amarillo, was taken to hospital in non-life-threatening condition.

A police spokesperson has said the weather was clear and the minivan the family were travelling in crossed the centre line.

• MORE CALGARYNEWS|Joy and judgment: Allowing kids to explore Calgary without an adult
• MORE CALGARY NEWS|National Music Centre defends its for-profit King Eddy live music venue
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Ex-PM Stephen Harper to doorknock for conservatives in spring Alberta election
• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance.

With files from Dan McGarveyand Dave Dormer.