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Hospice of the Red River Valley (HRRV) takes pride in providing compassionate care to families across generations. Deborah Fredrickson’s grandmother, Lilian Folendorf, and mother, Helen Olson, both received exceptional end-of-life care from HRRV, in the same home about ten years apart. Lilian Folendorf was born in England in 1889 and immigrated to the United States…
Nutrition and hydration are important in our lives from the time we take our first breaths. Our culture places a significant emphasis on food and drink. Providing something to eat and drink for a loved one is often a way of communicating love, concern and caring in a direct, nonverbal way. Terminally ill individuals don’t…
Glen’s Story Glen Maurer loved to spend time in the company of others, especially his family. A smile would undoubtedly creep onto Glen’s face anytime he had a visitor, whether it was a chaplain, nurse, friend or family. Lee was Glen’s certified nurse assistant (CNA) and someone he looked forward to seeing as his cares…
Navigating end-of-life transitions is one of the most challenging journeys we will all face some day. You may have heard of terminally ill people experiencing an unpredictable, mysterious flash of life and vitality before their passing. You might have witnessed this surge of life yourself while attending to a loved one. This surge of energy…
by Janna Benson Kontz, MDiv Grief and guilt often walk hand in hand. When we grieve the death of someone, our minds go to places we wish they wouldn’t travel. We ask ourselves, “Could I have done more? Why didn’t I do more? Why didn’t I tell them I loved them? Did I love them…
by Kriston Wenzel, LBSW, CT The death of a life partner often leads to loneliness. It’s natural to feel lonely; it’s part of the grieving process. Part of normal human emotion is wanting to feel connected to another person again in a way that is unique to a partner. There is no right or wrong…
Jack Sunday leans back at his dining room table, hands behind his head. The laughs come readily as he shares stories of his late wife Jane Reff. The cherished memories of more than 15 years together pour out. “Jane and I had a saying, and she started it. ‘Isn’t it lucky?’” Jack said. “Isn’t it…
by Jennifer Messelt, LMSW, LGSW Adults often question how or even if children should be involved when a loved one is dying. What do you tell children? Should kids attend a funeral following a death? Death and grieving are natural components of the life process, but sometimes our own worries and uncertainties about dying influence…
For Savanna Hill, cherished memories overflow the time spent at her grandparents’ home in Arthur, N.D. A small, tight-knit farming community about 30 minutes northwest of Fargo, it’s where Edvina “Eddie” and Gale Hill first set eyes on each other at the local bank. From that fateful moment on, Eddie couldn’t stop thinking about Gale,…
When I go, I will return, Mother Earth willing. As human form or animal form, I will be watching over you. Michelle Christianson is comforted by these words—a poem shaped by Native American beliefs, written by her husband Jerry before his passing. Jerry and Michelle shared everything in life, especially a close emotional bond. Together…