Browse all Death & Taxes content by date.

COLUMN: In 2020, I Had Three To Five Years To Live

area poet and writer, Charlie Schaefer, reflects on a life-altering diagnoses – and his body's remarkable defiance

I met with an oncologist on Nov 16, 2020. He said I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized throughout the bones in my pelvic region, putting me at state four in cancer’s progression. He told me that I had three to five years left to live...

ECCF Funds Project To Create New, Centralized Grief Services

Lutheran Social Services has been awarded three-year grant funding to develop regional grief support services, resources

After launching a competitive proposal requests process last fall, ECCF identified LSS as the best organization to help bring expansive regional grief support services to life. The project is succinctly titled the Grief Services Project and is funded by the Monsignor Klimek Healing Presence Endowment Fund ...

End-Of-Life Doula Services & Collective Grows In The Chippewa Valley

meet Dawn Briskey and Deirdre Jenkins, two community members who bring a voice to death doula care through emerging nonprofit

Compassionate, accessible, and deeply personal end-of-life planning has become an increasingly available resource in the Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin. While some families may view this transitional period with grief, two end-of-life doulas in the region see it with curiosity and responsibility: a need to invest in oneself and show up with preparedness for...

Planning For Taxes In Retirement

strategies to help your money last longer

Retirement should be a time to enjoy the fruits of your labor – not worry about taxes. Yet, how you plan today can significantly impact how long your retirement income lasts tomorrow. At River Prairie Wealth Partners, we help clients navigate the complexities of retirement tax planning with clarity and confidence. Here are three key strategies to consider ...

You Need A Tax Planner, Not Just A Tax Preparer

Keystone Tax isn't just looking back on your last year of finances; they look forward, at the bigger picture

Like clockwork, the fifth (and often unsung) season of the year is here: tax season. Like most folks, locals typically put a pin in their tax preparations until the spring season rolls around. That routine is rarely in your best interest. Still, life is busy, and why add stress to your day-to-day when you can call up your tax person just once a year? As Eau Claire’s Keystone Tax President, Jesse Becker, explains, planning ahead makes for better outcomes ...

'Dignity in Death': Helpful Hearts Has Offered Financial Relief to Over 100 Families

area nonprofit aids those who need support in order to lay a loved one to rest

In 2013, Randall Mundt and the employees of Cremation Society of Wisconsin recognized a significant need in the Chippewa Valley: for some individuals and families, a lack of funds was affecting the kind of care they could give to those they had recently lost. The Helpful Hearts Foundation was formed in response to that need ...

COLUMN: Advice About Death From Someone Who Has Never Died

'An important thing to note if you're hosting a funeral for a loved one is that it’s going to be OK. Cliche, I know, but it’s true.'

If you’re worried about something going wrong at the funeral, family drama, or if it’ll all go as planned, rest assured: I have never been to a funeral where people complained about anything. For example, the pastor’s eulogy for my grandpa included factually incorrect information, like how he was a die hard Vikings fan (grossly false). After the funeral, my family only talked about how well everything went ...

TALK TAXES TO ME: UWEC Students to Offer Free Income Tax Help

appointments are filling up fast for the free support sessions

In need of some face-to-face, free income tax assistance this spring? UW-Eau Claire accounting students are offering their help through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a service of the IRS and Wisconsin Department of Revenue ...

LENDING A HELPING HARP: Music Therapist Sarah Ohr Uses The Power of Music in Hospice Care

Ohr supports over 30 people in hospice care throughout Chippewa Valley

Sarah is indeed petite. She appears even more so when seated next to her large harp. Yet, the sounds she plucks on her harp strings are colossal, sky-high, and heavenly. Dubbed the hospice harpist, Sarah is a harpist and more ...

PART OF THE CIRCLE: Grief Circle Aims to Put Participants on Path to Healing

six-week group is a space for bereaved to talk about losing someone they love

No matter where we are on life’s journey, there is one path we will inevitably travel – likely repeatedly: the path of grief. Whether it’s the loss of a parent, a spouse, a child, or some other loved one that puts us on the path, it will be an emotional journey that may ...