Townbroadcast columnist “Army Bob” Traxler not long ago made a quality suggestion about publishing death notices by saying they all should provide information about the cause of death.
Some people believe that such a practice constitutes an invasion of privacy of the dearly departed, an assertion that has a grain of truth, but the positive effects of telling people the cause of death can be instructive and could help save others’ lives.
Many have inquired about what killed Pat Staley, 70, the former Globe reporter, Kiwanis Club president and Wayland Township trustee. I learned second hand that it was cancer, which made it more troubling because her younger sister, Nancy Grevenstuk, died of the same disease earlier this year. But rather than respond by wringing our hands, perhaps some of us might seek advice or treatment from medical professionals a little earlier.
A recent death that raised, but didn’t answer questions was that of 18-year-old Delaney Bush, co-captain of the state champion Otsego cross-country team and a biology major at Central Michigan University. Her obituary only reported that she died in her sleep July 19, which only makes the reader and many who knew her wonder what possibly could have happened to such an apparently healthy, successful, smart and vigorous young lady.
I understand there are many who still believe that death by suicide sometimes carries negative baggage, but they don’t seem to understand that reporting these tragedies just might reduce their numbers. And if a young person is cut down in the prime of life by some kind of health glitch, it is important for people to be aware of it.
In my career, I have tried as best I can to determine the cause of death, short of calling the family in their hour of grief.
The tragic story of Kaelee Noble’s death of brain cancer at age 11 brought the community of Hopkins together to grieve. A couple of decades ago, the story of Kathryn Brenner, who died of cystic fibrosis only a few months after she graduated from high school, was a tragedy Wayland people mourned together.
But Army Bob went further in saying that knowing what people die of can help others to learn in order to help themselves. To be sure, observant readers easily can note most deaths are the result of heart disease, cancer or diabetes complications. But there are many other problems.
Just this week, I was saddened to learn that Arizona Senator John McCain has the same kind of cancer that killed Congressman Paul Henry in 1993. This knowledge helps us prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
Death notices and obituaries have been the bread and butter of community journalism over many years, but the process of reporting them is in jeopardy for the future. As newspapers continue their death spiral and print editions less than half as often, it is possible for too many people to miss services in order to pay their respects because they didn’t know until it was too late.
Obituaries too often in the past have been paid notices, which sometimes means poor people can’t afford to tell of their deaths and their lives. And now there are fewer opportunities to let others know.
When I started this on-line news service more than five years ago, I pledged to have obituaries published free of charge because they are too important to be ignored or overlooked. Just ask the good folks at the Then & New Historical Library in Dorr, which continues to chronicle the lives and deaths of people who have gone before us. It’s history. And history, the story of us, is important.
Well done Mr. Editor! A large number of diseases are more prevalent in families and they may be cured if discovered early. Some diseases skip a generation many do not, it is noble to leave a public record of specific cause of death to protect those who are yet to be born.
Good job Dave. Once again, Army Bob’s reply is educational and to the point. As a genealogist once said, ” The date of birth and the date of death are important. But, don’t forget the in-between!” This really holds true in cases of a possible hereditary condition. Sometimes descendants only learn of these through obituaries.
You made your point about the cost of obituaries possibly prohibiting family and friends from offering respect and comfort. Please, don’t forget about the elderly! Too often people feel that the deceased had outlived all their friends and there was no need for an obituary. This shows a total lack of respect. No matter what, there are people who cared. At the very least, give them the respect of printing their date of birth and date of death. There will be acquaintances who will fill in the “in-between” from their own memories.
Your story seems to suggest that the unknown cause of death of an 18 year old student could only be the result of suicide and you state that “short of calling the family during their hour of grief”, you have done “the best you can” to determine cause of death. Had you done ANY research on the passing of Ms. Bush, you would have learned that cause of death had not yet been determined and that foul play had been ruled out. You would have also discovered that Ms. Bush had a solid foundation in her faith and was active in her home church.
http://wwmt.com/news/local/otsego-community-mourning-loss-of-19-year-old-student-found-dead-at-cmu
Shame on you for insinuating the logical cause of death for an “apparently healthy, successful, smart and vigorous young lady” was suicide.
My interpretation of your article is based solely on the fact that the next paragraph, after reporting the passing of Delaney Bush, speaks of suicide and how even though many feel it has “negative baggage” it should still be reported because it may reduce the number of suicides or that if cause of death of a young person is due to a “health glitch” it should also be reported since you feel it is important for people to be aware of it.
No. You don’t have any right to find out WHY someone died who isn’t a part of your family – it’s not your business. You don’t need to know WHY your neighbor died regardless of how old they are. Give your condolences to the family and move on with your life. You are not entitled to anything.
When I read the article I don’t feel anything is being insinuated in the death of the young women.
I do feel however that it would be benificial to our youth and the community to list a cause of death. Right now we are in a heroin epidemic that is killing our college aged young people at an alarming rate. We need to educate these people to let them know what this drug will do to you. Maybe if there was a list of the opioid deaths in the area we could start educating our children to stay away from opioids and save their lives from complete misery.