About 1000 mourners paid tribute to the life of Jess McLennan in Wodonga and Albury on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Rutherglen woman was remembered as determined, energetic and someone keen to help others.

Miss McLennan, who had worked as an emergency and critical care nurse at Wangaratta Hospital, died on June 4 surrounded by friends and family.

She had been involved in a car crash at Lilliput three days earlier.

Thursday’s moving funeral service heard the accident had devastated her family, friends and work colleagues.

Her fiance Jarryd Hatton said his life would never be the same.

“On June 4 at 12.42pm, an angel grew her wings,” he told mourners.

“So rest easy my gorgeous baby until we meet again.

“Keep smiling. I love you.”

Mr Hatton said he believed in love at first sight for the first time on December 1, 2014, after meeting Miss McLennan.

Her mother, Vicki, said her daughter had “warmed our hearts and our lives” and thanked her friends who had supported the family since the crash.

“I love you my darling daughter,” she said.

“You will forever be in my heart.” Ms McLennan was born in Albury and first lived in Lavington, where she attended primary school.

She formed a keen passion for horse riding at age three and had a small pony named Gypsy, who she rode every day.

Her family moved to Barnawartha, where she finished grade six, before attending Wodonga High School.

Her two main goals in life were to own a sports car and to live in a two-storey house. She became interested in real estate at a young age.

In the months before her death, she had been going over plans for her and Mr Hatton to build their first home.

“This sort of determination was one of Jess’s characteristics,” service conductor Barbara Kruse told mourners at Wodonga District Baptist Church.

“She was driven and determined to achieve her goals.”

Ms Kruse said the random nature of her accident had left those closest to her in a state of disbelief, shock and anger.

One positive to come from her passing was her organ donations which had given the gift of life to six people.

Mourners were also urged to sign up as organ donors.

They were also asked to donate to her CSU nursing scholarship fund instead of bringing flowers to the service. 

In a moving final farewell, hundreds of balloons were released at Glenmorus Gardens cemetery.