Those who knew Alyssa Sladek say she embodied selflessness.  

“She was always looking for ways to make things better -- not for credit, not for anything else -- just because she wanted that for the world,” said Sierra Claridge, a close friend. 

Sladek, 37, was killed in the early hours of New Year’s Day after being struck by an alleged drunk driver near Bigfork. 

As family and friends prepare for court proceedings with a trial set to begin next spring, they share a common sentiment: Sladek’s life was more than one moment.  

“She had a life, values, things she was contributing. Alyssa’s contributions to the world were not small,” Claridge said. “The person lost ends up being lost in the shuffle, we end up remembering the aftermath.” 

ON DEC. 31, 2024, Claridge joined Sladek at one of her sister's homes to celebrate New Years Eve. Before meeting up with family and friends, Sladek delivered dinner to the Flathead Warming Center in Kalispell -- something she did often.  

The Sladek family gathered in Kila, enjoying each other's company. At the time, two of Sladek’s sisters were pregnant. Nieces and nephews ran around as Sladek laughed alongside the people she loved.  

Later that night, Sladek and Claridge went to a friend’s house in Evergreen to play games and ring in the new year. The group played the card game spoons -- using potatoes instead of traditional spoons, Claridge recalled with a laugh. It was a great night, she remembered.  

Afterward, the pair drove back to Claridge's house in Kalispell. Sladek then departed south toward her home near Bigfork.  

“She left my house,” Claridge said, her voice breaking. “She left my house to go home and didn’t make it.” 

At about 1:25 a.m., Kala Knaus, 31, allegedly crossed the center line on Montana 35 while driving drunk and struck Sladek’s Kia. Sladek died of blunt force trauma, according to court documents. Knaus was found conscious behind the wheel of her Subaru.  

A toxicology sample taken at a hospital reportedly showed Knaus’ blood alcohol content at 0.188 -- more than twice the legal limit, court documents state. She also allegedly tested positive for dextromethorphan, an antidepressant and an antihistamine sleep aid.    

Knaus pleaded not guilty on July 31. Her trial is set to begin on March 9, 2026, in Flathead County District Court. 

SLADEK LIVED a life of kindness, adventure, empathy and forgiveness, Claridge said.  

She grew up in the Flathead Valley. One of five sisters, she was the only redhead -- a testament to her trailblazing personality, Claridge recalled. 

The two grew up attending the Kalispell Church of Christ and were involved in the same homeschool community. Sladek always dreamed of more -- of seeing the world and loving the people she met along the way. 

“She didn’t have roots, she had wings,” Claridge said.  

Claridge said she was constantly on a grand adventure. Sladek spent years in China teaching English, she lived in Texas and New Zealand and traveled to Honduras.  

She formed meaningful relationships across the globe. Her funeral was even livestreamed so those she touched could join the celebration. 

Earlier that December, before her death, members of the Kalispell Church of Christ were renovating the church's auditorium floor after flood damage. Before finishing the floor, the congregation wrote messages on the wood.  

Sladek’s note, written inside a hand-drawn heart, was Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

The Wednesday after her death, church members gathered during their usual Bible study time. The night turned into a night of worship, tears and storytelling -- a community joined in honor of a life they loved.  

On June 3, what would have been Sladek’s 38th birthday, the community gathered again to celebrate her life. 

WHILE SLADEK LEFT behind a legacy of love in her community, she also tangibly left behind a story that mirrored her life in the form of a children’s book that her loved ones found after her death.  

Titled “The Kindness Sower,” it tells the story of a little boy who performs acts of kindness, often without receiving gratitude. In one scene, the boy tries to remove wire from a dog’s paw but is bitten. He goes to talk it over with his mom.  

“His mom’s kind of giving him the perspective that it still is worthwhile to do kind things to people even when it seems like it didn’t work out well,” said Michael McEuen, Sladek’s boyfriend. “Even if no one appreciates it, God sees it.”   

The mother takes the boy into her garden, where they plant seeds to see that acts of kindness can grow into beautiful things over time.  

It’s a testament that kindness sows flowers in heaven, regardless of how one is treated on Earth, Claridge said.  

McEuen is working to illustrate and publish Sladek’s book this fall.  

“She loved much,” McEuen said. “Everyone quickly became a friend; she made friends easily. She just loved people.”  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].