District officials from the Brunswick Community reported earlier that two students committed suicide over the weekend. Both boys, one 14 and the other 17, attended Brunswick High School and died on separate occasions. To show respect to the grieving families of both the students, the media was mandated to not release the names and pictures, as well as any other personal details of the children. It was Fr. Bob Stec who officially presided the gathering, provided encouraging words, and spiritual advice to emphasize how important it is for parents to be involved in their teenager’s life. Grief counselors from the school and other support groups were also present to provide the families and loved ones of the departed a shoulder to lean on. You can read the entire story here.

For most families, the holidays are a joyous time to celebrate, get together and make some new fond memories. Unfortunately, some individuals and families may not feel the same way as many find this supposedly festive season to be a reminder of the good times they once shared with a lost loved one. That is exactly exactly what Lurie Poulsen dreads this year. It will be her first Thanksgiving without her husband who lost his battle with cancer in February. To fight the loneliness and grief, she’s choosing to spend the holidays with family members. She also decided to join a group therapy as well as individual counseling. According to her, she made the right decision. “It made it feel easier because there were going to be more people around, people who cared,” said Poulsen, who called Judy Thye, bereavement

Last November 24th, an out of the ordinary funeral procession was witnessed by people who were along the Oxford Plains Speedway in Otisfield.   A procession composed of dozens of trucks lined up on the speedway on their way to the Community Hall where funeral services were held for Kelby Day. A 39-year-old logger, owner and operator of Day Brothers Logging, Kelby passed away last November 12 after undergoing numerous surgeries to correct his deteriorating condition. He left behind two children. “[The procession] means a lot,” said his friend Dan Knight, who helped organize the tribute, which brought together family, friends and men and women who simply knew of Day Brothers. “We are all friends of the Day Brothers,” said Bradley Crowell of Buckfield as he and scores of others talked in small groups outside the trucks, waiting to proceed onto

Death is a painful experience, particularly for those loved ones left behind. However, when the one taken away is gone too soon and money for funeral expenses are hard to come by, this can only add to the heartbreak. This is the predicament the family of six-year-old Jamerica Ragsdale,who was shot to death last week in Vicksburg, are going through. Fortunately, her church is helping out by accepting donations for funeral costs. To find out more and learn how you can help, click here.

When choosing a funeral home and preparing for the actual funeral, there are many factors to take into consideration and several steps to follow in order to ensure your loved one is honored the way he deserves. That is exactly what Melinda Gaulden, who operates Sullivan’s Funeral Home in Marshall with her husband, Richard Gaulden, discussed in a Marshall Lions Club meeting last November 12. According to Melinda, numerous things come into play like the location, facility, staff and tradition. She even spoke about it not being unusual for individuals to make arrangements for their own deaths through “Pre-Need” Funerals. This includes making decisions beforehand on whether to be buried or cremated, what type of coffin or urn will be used, even what flowers, photos, and the like will be displayed when the day comes. For more, click here.

People do various things to preserve the memory of a loved who has died – some even come up with their own way of preserving their memory when they die. As traditions fade and more modern and technological manners of doing things emerge, it’s not surprising that people now find easier and more convenient ways of mourning and remembering their  loved ones. Here’s an article on how the social media can be used in keeping the departed loved at your reach all the time – click here.

Robert L. Bagosy, a former detective takes the case of his son’s suicide. “When you become a suicide dad, a survivor, you go into detective mode,” he said. “I kept pushing the envelope to find out what happened.” For military suicide survivors, it’s not uncommon for them to look at records of a loved one’s work performance, medical history, and combat experience about how and why their death occurred, but for Bagosy, these records are very important. These records made him understand the reason behind his death and what kind of a man his son Tommy had become. Bagosy continues to mentor other fathers who have lost their children due to suicide. Bagosy’s journey in dealing with his son’s suicide was very touching. To learn more about his experiences in investigating his son’s death, click here.

Grief over the death of a loved can often lead to anger. However, unlike grief that can simply be defined as the result of a loved one’s death and person’s way of coping with the event, anger commonly stems from deeper and more complicated factors. For instance, the anger that an individual is feeling may be pointed at the person who has recently died – thinking that the person has left him/her with no one else in life. It may be self-anger, or anger to other people who he/she may think to be responsible or somewhat involved in the person’s death such as doctors, family and friends. Click here to have a better understanding of anger and how you can cope with it.

After losing someone dear, some people may eventually feel that most of their friends and family have moved on and recovered from the event, and that they are the only ones left mourning over their loved one’s death. Telegraph in Coventry finds that the best solution to this dilemma, to help the continually mourning community members, is by establishing a bereavement center. Click here to know about The TLC Appeal.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a very fatal brain disease. Exposure to victims who died of the disease can also be very risky. This high risk is what is causing many funeral homes to refuse victims who died of the disease. These refusals are made even though it has been said that proper handling of the bodies will make it safe. According to JoNel Aleccia of NBC News, “Across the country, funeral homes and crematoriums are routinely refusing to accept the bodies of CJD patients out of fear of infection, despite health guidelines that say that with standard precautions embalming and burial is perfectly safe.” If you want to read the full article click here. If you are looking for a funeral home Brooklyn then click here.