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In 2003, my life was forever changed when I sat at the bedside of my dear friend, Freddi, as she took her last breath. That moment marked the beginning of my journey into the world of death and dying—one for which I am eternally grateful to Freddi. I knew I had witnessed a sacred transition, and I felt deeply called to sit with others as they, too, approached the end of life.

 

After Freddi died, I helped organize her home funeral, despite having no formal training and no clear idea of what we were doing! Yet, more than a hundred people from our town attended, and in that moment, we understood—what was once "the old way" needed to become "the new way." I knew then that I was being called to end-of-life work, and that I was destined to be involved on some level for the rest of my life.

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Following Freddi’s funeral, a small group of women came together, determined to educate ourselves so we could care for our loved ones at home after death. In 2006, we co-founded the Threshold Care Circle (TCC), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to rediscover the traditional folkways of home vigils and family-directed funerals. We were fortunate to learn from mentors such as Geri Grace Lyons, Linda Bergh, Marianne Dietzel, Nancy Jewel Poer, and Sharon Lukert. Our next step was to share this knowledge—to help others reclaim these sacred traditions. To support this mission, we published My Final Wishes, an end-of-life booklet designed as a fill-in-the-blank guide, allowing individuals to record their preferences for their final journey and what comes after.

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A few years later, I helped spearhead the Driftless Green Burial Alliance, an initiative of TCC dedicated to promoting and expanding natural burial options in Southwestern Wisconsin. Through this work, we have led dozens of workshops and supported hundreds of individuals and families in countless ways, helping to restore a sense of connection, dignity, and sustainability to end-of-life care.

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While these projects deepened my engagement with death and dying, my passion for end-of-life care truly expanded in 2005 when I became a hospice volunteer. Spending hours at the bedside of those nearing death—offering comfort to both the dying and their loved ones—taught me the power of deep listening and the importance of being fully present. This journey remains one of the greatest gifts of my life.

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In 2019, I pursued formal training as an end-of-life doula at the Conscious Dying Institute in Boulder, CO. I then continued my studies at the Sacred Art of Living and Dying Center, completing The Art of Living and Dying one-year program, followed by a two-year Anam Cara ("soul friend") apprenticeship. Through all of these experiences, I have honed my craft, embarked on a profound spiritual journey, and learned to be a compassionate companion through the various stages of living and dying. It is an honor and a privilege to do this sacred work.

 

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​​Education and Training

• University of Wisconsin, Madison – Bachelor of Arts in Afro-American History (1989)

• Chicago School of Massage Therapy – Certified Massage Therapist (1994)

• Viroqua Healing Arts Center Cooperative – Certified Massage Therapist & Co-owner (2001–2020)

• Hospice Volunteer (2005–2021)

• Conscious Dying Institute – Sacred Passage Doula Certificate (2019)

• Sacred Art of Living Center

  • Healing the Healers (2021)

  • Anam Cara Apprenticeship (2022–2024)

• Redesigning the End – Green Burial Master Class (2022)

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