• Minnesota Public Radio
  • Stations
      Cancel
    • NewsMPR News mprnews.org
    • The CurrentThe Current thecurrent.org
    • ClassicalClassical MPR classicalmpr.org
    • Minnesota Public Radiompr.org
  • MPR Information
    MPR Information
    Cancel
    • Give Now
    • Archive
    • Events
      • Tickets
      • Events Calendar
      • MPR Custom Travel
    • Shop
    • About us
      • Radio Heartland
      • Wonderground Radio
      • Company Information
      • Stations
      • Public Insight Journalism
      • Contact Info
      • Press Room
      • MPR People
      • Career Opportunities
      • Partners
      • Educational Sponsors
      • Minnesotans for MPR
      • Tapes & Transcripts
      • Tower Rental
    • Members
      • Member Benefits
      • Sustaining Membership
      • More Ways to Give
      • Contact Us
      • Become a Member
    • Give Now
Search MPR
Cancel
NewsCut

MPR News Reflections and observations on the news

Tag: The art of the obituary

This or That

Death of a storm chaser

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 25, 2018, 7:13 AM May 25, 2018
3

NPR’s Morning Edition made a brief reference this morning to the obituary of storm chaser Jim Sellars, who died in Missouri at age 64 this week. But it did not mention much more than his plan to have his remains rocketed into space. Let’s rectify that: I was born March 3rd 1954 to John and Read more →

Health

‘Enjoy what you have, and eat Oreo cookies’

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 16, 2018, 12:00 PM May 16, 2018
1

Kelly Pflanzer, of Milwaukee, posted a video to YouTube today (language warning) , which is something when you consider she died two weeks ago. Read more →

Arts & Culture

Obituary advice: ‘Hug a baby sloth. Ride an elephant’

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 9, 2018, 11:30 AM May 9, 2018
12

‘Remember: Jesus loves you, but Virginia was his favorite.’ Read more →

Wisconsin woman misses turning 100 by one day

Bob CollinsBob Collins March 20, 2018, 3:42 PM Mar 20, 2018
1

Since this is a day to honor 100-year-old women, we’ll waive the 100-year-old requirement to take note of Betty Trimberger Smith, who died last Wednesday, hours short of her 100th birthday, the Milwaukee Journal’s Jim Stingl writes today. Read more →

Arts & Culture

The wisdom of a dying man

Bob CollinsBob Collins February 21, 2018, 7:05 AM Feb 21, 2018
1

‘One life can give so many gifts,’ Jim Walsh writes, “a sad fact that we realize profoundly when death comes calling.’ Read more →

Arts & Culture

At 102, Minn. native was the oldest reporter in Kansas

Bob CollinsBob Collins February 12, 2018, 7:02 AM Feb 12, 2018
1

Bonnie McGhee was never the pride of Dilworth, Minn., but she could have been had her mother not died when she was 3. She went to live with her grandparents in Buffalo, Ok., met Rufus Brown, married him, and spent the rest of their years in Protection, Kansas. For the last decade, she’s been a reporter. Read more →

This or That

Indiana man ‘died knowing the Blues Brothers was the best movie ever’

Bob CollinsBob Collins January 26, 2018, 8:11 AM Jan 26, 2018
21

Terry Wayne, of DeMotte, Ind., died on Tuesday. He is survived by an obituary that makes us wish we’d known him. Terry Wayne Ward, age 71, of DeMotte, IN, escaped this mortal realm on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018, leaving behind 32 jars of Miracle Whip, 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper and multitudes of other random Read more →

Arts & Culture

Who defines us?

Bob CollinsBob Collins December 15, 2017, 2:27 PM Dec 15, 2017
13

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a good obituary to ponder but Mariel Kinsey has provided us with one, even if she had to go to extreme lengths to do so. She died in Ashfield, Mass., last Friday, but not before writing her own obituary. Read more →

This or That

In obituary, a call to forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it

Bob CollinsBob Collins November 7, 2017, 8:02 AM Nov 7, 2017
2

Debi Berger, of Moorhead, didn’t get the last look at Christmas lights that her daughter and friends tried to arrange before she succumbed to liver cancer on Saturday.

Britney Berger had desperately tried to get people to put up Christmas lights early to ease her mom’s anxiety and fulfill a last wish.
Read more →

This or That

Obit: A reporter’s last byline

Bob CollinsBob Collins October 7, 2017, 1:21 PM Oct 7, 2017
2

Mark Mooney has made his last post to his blog ‘Closing in on -30-‘ Read more →

Health

In obit, a call to recognize a mental health & addiction crisis

Bob CollinsBob Collins September 28, 2017, 3:12 PM Sep 28, 2017
4

Sergei Neubauer’s obituary doesn’t say so specifically, but his struggle, like most against depression and mental illness, was brave and courageous. His short life was amazing. And so too, obviously, were the two people in Iowa who agreed to be his parents when he was 11.
Read more →

This or That

Obit: The truck farmer’s wife

Bob CollinsBob Collins September 27, 2017, 8:34 AM Sep 27, 2017
1

A good obituary not only reveals the person who has died, it also provides a regional history lesson.

That’s the case today with the obituary of Harriet Lazaroff, which appears in today’s Star Tribune. Read more →

This or That

Baseball is life and death

Bob CollinsBob Collins September 21, 2017, 12:43 PM Sep 21, 2017
2

In lieu of flowers for her father, a daughter recommends people buy baseball tickets instead. Read more →

This or That

Todd Waters’ mission was to make people ‘homesick for their freedom’

Bob CollinsBob Collins July 13, 2017, 12:45 PM Jul 13, 2017
3

Todd Waters, 69, has died, or, as hoboes say, ‘he caught the Westbound.’ Waters was a hobo who proudly noted in 2012 that he’s been arrested about 70 times jumping railroad cars out of St. Paul for parts unknown and known. He was also a millionaire.
Read more →

Arts & Culture

The perfectly written obituary

Bob CollinsBob Collins May 19, 2017, 6:32 AM May 19, 2017
6

Over the years we’ve provided plenty of examples of the perfectly-written obituary, in which we are invited to grieve the loss of someone we may not have known. One such obituary appears today in the Star Tribune.
Read more →

‹ Older Previous 15 posts
Newer › Next 15 posts
  • Member Supported · Join Now ›
    “MPR is there when I wake up, throughout the day, and every evening.” —Ray from Rochester, MN
  • Sponsor
  • Latest from MPR News Blogs
    • NewsCut

      Good night and good news

    • Capitol View® - MPR News

      Politics Friday: Should we stop trusting pre-election polling?

  • Sponsor
Sponsor
More MPR News
  • Listen Live
  • Audio help
  • MPR News on iOS
  • MPR News on Android
  • MPR News blogs
  • iOS Streaming app
  • Android Streaming app
  • Podcasts
  • RSS feeds
  • Program schedule
  • Station directory
  • About Minnesota Public Radio
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Become a Member
  • Volunteer
  • Fundraising Credentials
  • Terms of use
  • Your privacy rights
  • Public Inspection Files

Minnesota Public Radio ©2022. All rights reserved.