Caregivers, families and friends gathered August 12 at Jamestown Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to remember loved ones during a hospice memorial — a time to grieve, connect and reflect, concluding with the planting of a maple tree in JRMC’s Kornovich Healing Gardens, symbolizing the enduring impact of those who have passed.
Maren Radi, JRMC Hospice Coordinator, opened the service with words of comfort.
“Grief is the price you pay for love,” Radi said. “Your love does not go away when someone you love dies. It lives on.”
Pastor Tamra Wiedenmeyer, one of JRMC’s hospice chaplains, shared a message on grief, growth and trees — an homage to the tree planted to conclude the service. She drew a parallel between the growth of a redwood root system and the process of mourning and healing after loss.
“Redwoods have a very shallow root system — rather than depth, their roots spread out horizontally, intertwining with the root systems of the trees around them. This is the source of their strength and stability,” Wiedenmeyer said. “We see this truth in the grief process as well — connection with others makes us stronger and helps us heal faster.”
Following the service, attendees gathered to plant a young maple tree in the JRMC Kornovich Healing Gardens. This addition to the garden stands as a living tribute, representing both remembrance and renewal.
JRMC Hospice’s mission is to guide and support individuals and their loved ones through end-of-life journeys with compassion, dignity and peace. JRMC Hospice provides holistic support — addressing physical, emotional and spiritual — to patients and their loved ones.