Neighbors of a local farm family are putting their own wheat harvest on hold to supply some harvest help in that family's hour of need after two deaths within a few days of each other. The volunteers are working together to help out on the Simon family farm just north of Garden Plain in Western Sedgwick County.

"This is what you'd call a harvest of love and a harvest of remembrance for Emily Simon," said Phil Klein, neighbors of Ron and Sarah Simon. "We wouldn't even think twice about this."

The Simon's neighbors brought their own combines, grain carts and trucks to bring in the Simon harvet this year. The neighbors shared in the time of grieving in the morning funeral for 19 year-old Emily Simon. By afternoon, they were hard at work.

"We're out here to show our support more than anything," Klein explained.

Emily's parents say their daughter smiled despite battling cystic fibrosis, the disease that claimed her life last weekend.

"For everything she went through, throughout her 19 years of her life dealing with cystic fibrosis and all the trials and tribulations... she never complained," said Emily's mother Sarah.

"She taught everybody how to have faith and how to fight," said Ron, her father. "She was a real fighter."

Emily was confined to the hospital much of this month. Once the family wheat was ripe, her dad split time between harvesting and visiting his daughter in the hospital.

Also on Sunday, a sister-in-law of Ron's brother died suddenly. 45 year-old Alex Spexarth, an Andale school teacher passed away last weekend.

"We're blessed to have such good neighbors that I really didn't have to worry about the wheat cutting," said Ron. "It's taken care of itself. I was able to be with her."

"We know that Ron and his family are more than capable of getting this job done, but it's more about him knowing that we're trying to share some of the pain that he's going through."

The Simon's say before Emily's lungs got bad she'd be helping with harvest.

"You couldn't keep her away," her mom said.

As Ron and Sarah Simon would say, Emily is looking down on this harvest and smiling, wishing she could be a part of it.