Remember loved ones and support Hospice program
Published on November 13, 2023 at 11:39am CST
Publisher’s Perspective
By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune
My family lost my Dad to cancer just over a decade ago. He was a recipient of Hospice services at the end of his life and our family was grateful for Hospice and will always remember the loving dedication of Hospice workers and volunteers in the program.
We aren’t alone. Many have lost love ones and have used Hospice services.
Again this year, loved ones who have passed away are remembered at the Glacial Ridge Hospice Tree of Life ceremony. The Tree of Life Ceremony will be held Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood.
The Tree of Life has roots in the community, reaching back almost 30 years. The event offers a time and place to honor and remember loved ones. The ceremony evolved from two Glacial Ridge Hospice ceremonies; one was the Remembrance Tree – a large, lighted Christmas tree in front of Glacial Ridge Hospital. Those remembered, with a $5 donation to Hospice, were represented with the lights, and their names were posted on a wooden Christmas tree cutout in the hospital lobby. That tree eventually became known as the “Tree of Lights.” Another Hospice ceremony, the annual candle-lighting memorial service, was traditionally held each spring. The two traditions were combined over 15 years ago, and the new ceremony was named “Tree of Life,” reflecting the healing nature of remembering the many influences loved ones had in their families’ lives and the world around them.
The ceremony on November 16 includes musical performances by local talent and a message from a Glacial Ridge Hospice representative. During the candle-lighting ceremony, the names of loved ones are read, and family members are invited to step forward to light candles in their honor.
The Tree of Life ceremony is open to the public and is for anyone who has lost a loved one, and you do not need to RSVP your attendance. Donations are accepted to help Glacial Ridge Hospice continue to help families in Pope County and the surrounding areas.
