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ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis branch of Death Cafe, a group that gathers regularly to discuss death and end-of-life issues, has launched in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/28Xzm4e ) reports that 32-year-old Tracy Gomillion started the St. Louis branch. Death Cafe was founded in London in 2011 by Jon Underwood, who wanted people to feel comfortable talking about the event of death.
Gomillion started the branch after experiencing the contrasts of dealing with her parents' deaths and planning their funeral. Gomillion's father died unexpectedly when she was 22, and his wishes for his funeral were not clear so she and her brother had to assume what he would have wanted. Finding affordable options for his funeral was also difficult.
According to Gomillion, her mother's wishes were known for her funeral plans.
Gomillion said it's important to discuss issues surrounding death.
"Have we told our loved ones what we want, and how do we have that conversation?" Gomillion said. "It's a really important conversation that too few of us have with our loved ones (in order to) not worry that you're not making the choice they would have made for themselves."
The meetings are attended by people mourning, caregivers, people who work in the funeral industry and those who are interested in the right-to-die movement.
Ann Mandelstamm said she joined the gatherings because some of her friends told her it was depressing and even rude to talk about the practical issues related to the end of life. Mandelstamm has also started a local chapter of Final Exit Network, an organization that advocates death with dignity.
Beyond the Death Cafe, Gomillion wants to create more affordable funeral alternatives for families. She has started The Willow Foundation of St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that aims to sell environmentally friendly and affordable caskets and urns, as well as rent artificial flower displays for funerals. Gomillion hopes to eventually host funerals.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
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