Kimberly Emmert put her family first, spending the past few years caring for two of her grandchildren during the day.

The 49-year-old Brooklyn Park woman was on her way home from a walk with one of them about 1:40 p.m. Friday, pushing her grandson in a stroller, when she was hit by a vehicle backing out of a driveway on the 2800 block of 94th Avenue N.

Emmert died en route to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, police said.

The 1-year-old boy was not hurt, police and family said.

Brooklyn Park police said they are continuing to investigate, and that the driver, a 46-year-old man, is cooperating.

His name was not released Friday night.

Emmert worked in day care for 20 years, her daughter Jennifer said Friday night. Kimberly Emmert and her husband of 32 years, Clinton, also ran the House of Java coffee shop in Brooklyn Park.

"She was always the one to point out the positive," Jennifer said. "She was always smiling, always laughing, always the one with the crazy ideas that would always work."

But she was at her happiest when she was surrounded by her family, Jennifer said of her mom.

Kimberly Emmert usually had two grandchildren with her, but on Friday she was looking after just the one, the son of one of Jennifer's sisters.

"She loved her grandbabies," Jennifer said.

Emmert was a longtime member of Brooklyn Park Evangelical Free Church, and was active in the church's adult fellowship, senior pastor Rick Ensrud said Friday night.

"She was a wonderful mother, wonderful grandmother, very committed to her family and who lived her faith," Ensrud said.

The Emmerts owned property near St. Croix Falls, Wis., and were making plans to retire there in the next five to 10 years, Jennifer Emmert said.

Services were being planned as of Friday night.

Along with Clinton and Jennifer, Emmert is survived by three other daughters, Alicia, Heidi and Melinda; and four grandchildren.

Vince Tuss • 612-673-7692