HOLTON ? The town of Holton is rallying to support relatives of a Scott City family who died in a plane crash.

The funeral for Richard and Amy Spencer and their daughters, Chase and Ansley, is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. They died when the airplane Richard Spencer was piloting crashed Friday in a field near Topeka. The family was on its way to visit Amy Spencer’s family for Easter at the time.

Holton residents are vowing to shield the mourners from picketing by members of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Holton Police Chief Gale Gakle says his phone has been ringing non-stop since Westboro announced on Monday it would be picketing the funeral. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Gakle is asking people to avoid the area where the picketing will occur.