Lyla Jeanette Pete was born on September 15, 2013, and passed away on May 10, 2026, at just twelve years old.
She left behind a community still struggling to make sense of a loss that came far too quickly.
A twin, a granddaughter, a teammate, and a friend to many, Lyla carried a spirit that made the people around her feel it deeply whenever she walked into a room.
In her final days, Lyla was airlifted to Masonic Children’s Hospital after suffering a medical emergency.
Her heart, which had stopped, began beating on its own again, a brief moment of hope for a family gathered in fear and prayer.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, her lungs remained weak, and oxygen deprivation raised concerns about brain damage.
Her grandmother, Muriel, shared updates with a community that rallied around the family, offering prayers and financial support during one of the most frightening stretches any family can endure. Lyla did not recover. She was twelve years old.
The Girl Behind the Smile
Everyone who knew Lyla seems to reach for the same words: fast, spunky, full of life. She was the kind of kid who made an impression simply by being herself.
People who crossed paths with her, even briefly, remember her smile. It was the kind that stayed with you.
Her mother, Nevaeh Hartland, called her “my baby,” a phrase that said everything without needing to say more.
Lyla was a twin. Her sister Lola shared not only her birthday but her love of hockey, and the two played together through the Minnesota winter in a way that made their grandmother Muriel beam with pride.
At a tournament held in International Falls during a stretch of brutal weather, the long drive up in the cold and the difficult conditions made the day feel heavy before it began.
But Lyla and Lola played well, the team won, and by the time the ride home came around, the mood had lifted completely. That is how Lyla seemed to work. The energy she brought had a way of turning things around.
A Family Left to Grieve
Lyla is survived by her twin sister, Lola, her mother, Nevaeh Hartland, and her grandmother, Muriel Deegan, who kept her community informed throughout the ordeal and has leaned on that same community for support in the aftermath.
The outpouring of love from friends, teammates, and neighbors has been immediate and genuine. Messages describing Lyla as a beauty, a joy, and a child taken far too soon have filled social media in the days since her passing.
Services are being held at the Vermilion Wellness Center in Tower, Minnesota.
A wake is scheduled for the evening of May 14, 2026, followed by Tribal Rites on the morning of May 15, 2026. Bauman Family Funeral Homes is handling arrangements.
Those wishing to support the family financially can do so through Venmo at @Muriel-Deegan. Flowers and memorial trees can also be sent through Bauman Family Funeral Homes.
Lyla Jeanette Pete was twelve years old. She played hockey in snowstorms, made her grandmother proud, and left a mark on everyone who knew her. That is no small thing.
