Dear Friends:
I don’t recall any article being similar to this. I only learned this information Friday night and since time is of the essence, much of what I write must be written somewhere. Please everyone, bear with me, There are messages for each of you. I’m trying to give information to numerous people in about three or four different communities throughout the U.S., about a wonderful woman I never had the pleasure to meet, but have read about in the last 24 hours. Clearly, it was my loss to not have read her work or met her.
I didn’t want to publish this information here until I saw it in the Post Register. After all, Laraine has friends and family in Idaho as well, and I have no way to know if any of them log on here. It’s not my purpose to tell difficult news to people who should have been told by now. It is my purpose to help.
Laraine was one of three passengers in an very bad car accident near McCammon, ID on Saturday, August 26, 2006. She was severely injured. I was very sad to learn that Laraine had passed away yesterday morning, September 2, 2006. There was almost no media coverage of this terrible accident, which is why a family friend, Brian, found Idaho Fallz.com when trying to research more about what happened.
For whatever reason, Archy and I were also in the chat box, when Brian asked us for information and our help. We both willingly said we would do whatever we could do to help. Writing this as a place for people to obtain information about Idaho Falls and ask specific questions based on their needs, was part of what I agreed to do. To those of you who are Laraine’s relatives, friends, former or present neighbors or worked with her in any capacity, I offer my most sincere and deepest condolences losing your family member, neighbor, colleague and friend.
To Laraine’s child in a different hospital, I will not write your name, as only you, a family member or family representative should post your name in this site. But, I’ve learned a lot about you, your injuries, surgeries and prognosis. I am extremely sorry for each of your losses. Losing a parent is so difficult no matter what age one is when this happens, but it is especially hard at your age. And now you have so many new challenges and what may feel like unbearable days ahead of you.
Your family friend, Brian from Boston, told me about your injuries and then updated me when you lost your mother. He also sent me a picture with you in it, so I could think about the person who may read or hear what I have writren here. I want you to know that I cannot hold back my tears as I write this, because I feel the most important words I write are for you. I am proud of you and I feel like your mother is too.
Remember, tears are emotions turned into liquid and there is nothiing to be ashamed of for sharing your feelings, your fears, your tears and the other feelings you have with those you trust. Also, please remember that this web site is available to you, should you want to check in with people from Idaho Falls during your next two phases of recovery, or at any time. It makes my day better to sometimes read about the silly things Channel 3 did with the weather, or which road is torn up now, or ask someone when will the Olive Garden will be completed.
I also want you to know about this site because Joe Vandal has collected the largest set of web site links for Idaho Falls and has also listed several important ones for state of Idaho, along with other useful links. You may find very helpful information, given the changes in your life, at some point by visiting the State of Idaho links. And you may enjoy looking through the webcam at our greenbelt. I’ve suggested to Brian that perhaps someone could ask if you could have access to a laptop in your hospital room. You can hear about and see parts of eastern Idaho any time you want to on this site. Familiar things do help when we hurt the most.
My words are meant to help start some of the healing process, as it is a very, very long road. This article is partially being written for the residents of Boston who may want to know more about specific goods and services in Idaho Falls. Please feel free to ask either in the chatbox, or by posting a comment following this article, whatever questions you have. I can tell you from personal experience on both sides of the coin, anyone who can, will answer your question or suggest you leave a comment below, so others might add additional information later, if they have any. Sometimes it helps to ask local residents where to find something, or the latest update about West Nile Virus, as we are having a major problem with it presently.
If any of you decide to travel out here for Laraine’s funeral, there are two links to the local airport web site. Delta, Northwest and United all fly direct flights from one of their hubs to Idaho Falls. They are the only airlines that fly east of Idaho Falls to Idaho Falls.
This is the link for Wood Funeral Home, the funeral home helping Laraine’s family and friends through this next week: www.woodfuneralhome.com. Â Please note that after you enter the site, there are two rows of buttons at the top of the page. You can see the buttons to read obituaries, dates and locations of services and also an area to write an e-mail message for those who may want to do so.
Anyone from Boston, or other location, who is is not familiar with the Idaho Falls, ID area, PLEASE ask your questions here – the people in Idaho Falls are very friendly and will try to answer anything that they can.
Let me be very clear, there isn’t any additional information about the accident or those details here. Rather, there are good people who want to help and can give you telephone numbers, advise anyone traveling here about hotels, taxis vs. rentals and those types of questions. I was sent a couple of the e-mails several of you received. This must be a terrible shock to all of you. I know from personal experience that it sometimes can help to ask someone who lives in the area even about Idaho’s many temperature changes and other small details you may not want to ask Laraine’s family or people who attended her church, because you don’t want to be a burden. It also helps just to know there are people who care.
To my fellow “e-friends” at Idaho Fallz.Com, pleae join Archy and me in doing what we probably do the best on this site: provide information and help for those guests who ask us questions about our city, our temperatures, our transportation, restaurant, hotels floral shops and where or how to obtain other goods and services they may need. Perhaps this week when we have new guests log on, it may be useful to ask in what region of the country they live. Boston is on EST, which is 2 hrs. earlier than our MST. Even information about the time change can help people better prepare and pack.
Making sure all of our guests have an opportunity to ask their questions and us answering them with what we know about our local favorites, local resources, chain stores, bakeries, cleaners, florists and then give the name, a phone number or whatever information is requested by our guests, would be greatly appreciated. It can be hard to understand how many people live in such a small space as Boston and try to explain our much wider spaces to our guests. Often, we think about driving measured by miles. Our guests may be more accustomed to hearing about distances using how many minutes or hours it takes to travel to a location.
Additionally, I’d recommend to anyone who has a question or wants to share information to use the comments section after this article instead of the chatbox. The chatbox can ony hold about 35 messages before they are cleared. If you can see an active chat in progress, please feel free to join in. You may change the subject at any time. Some of us are on here at some very odd hours, given work or other situations. Don’t wait until the daytime to ask a question, if you want to know something during the night, and especially with our time difference.
One request I have of everyone, and have worked to make sure I abided by this request as well, is I am asking EVERYONE who posts anything on this web site to be mindful that one child, currently in a hospital may read or hear, the words that have been written here. This is one of my professional areas of expertise, which is the only reason I’m being as bold to make this request. It’s my understanding that this child is very injured and ill. After such tragic accidents, especially if a person has not only lost a family member, but has also had his/her own life plans change so drastically, as a result of the same accident, healing occurs in stages over a long period of time. It may be that in one year this child reads some of what is written here for the first time or the 30th time. Please, be thoughtful of Laraine’s entire family and please take sensitive subjects or other questions that not all of us should be reading, to private e-mail correspondence, or personal telephone calls.
To all who have lost Laraine as an important person in their life, I want to once again express my deepest sympathies for the many losses in one family. Let us help you if we can. If you believe it’s appropriate, please feel free to leave comments about your friend and relative so we might know a bit more about the person you lost. Also, if you believe it’s appropriate to share more information about the accident, other family members that were involved and what some of your concerns may be, that decision is up to you. Specific personal information is not mine to tell. With so little media coverage, those who are hurting in Boston, UT or Idaho Falls all have had little information. After all, that’s why Brian found this site, searching for someone or articles that could tell more.
Laraine chose to leave Boston to move back home to Idaho Falls, with a stop in Salt Lake City. I’ve been impressed, given the length of time since she moved, how many people in Boston have been notified and started doing what they could do from their location. We all have the opporunity to make something positive emerge from this tragedy, as we interact with new people. We may make new friends or learn more about what life is like in Boston, Wisconsin or other areas of the country. For visitors reading this and any comments that follow, perhaps you’ll learn new things about Idaho or more importantly, the people in Idaho Falls. Maybe we may all be reminded to be thankful for those people we have in our lives each day and those who have tried to help us over the years. Perhaps, we will be a little kinder and remember to thank those we love a little more often and tell those people who are precious to us that they are precious to us, as we remember Laraine.
God bless all of you who are mourning, those who try to help Laraine’s family and friends, and God especially bless Laraine’s child dealing with all of this from a hospital bed.
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I’ve just looked at Wood Funeral Home’s web site. Laraine’s name is listed. Information for her services should be available soon. For anyone who needs that link again, it is:
http://www.woodfuneralhome.com
I hope everyone is as well as can be expected today.
I didn’t know Laraine but I am quite familiar with the ward in which her services are scheduled. These are some of the most awesome people I have ever met and will do anything and everything they can to help anyone who asks. I had to travel out of state once for a family crisis and learned quickly that people are wonderful if you give them the chance. Whatever you need, just ask. Our deepest sympathies, prayers and condolences are with all who have been touched by this.
Hello OK4Now and Inside Observer,
Thank you for your kindness. Laraine was a good woman and has many friends around the country. The funeral home information you posted was especially useful. Please accept my thanks to you and good people like you who take the time to help strangers in need.
this is making my eyes water from reading this. i wish there was something I could do to help. I guess when we say a prayer before dinner we will enclude Laraine in them and her family. This is very tragic.
http://www.legacy.com/DeseretNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=19124957
Thanks for all the kind words. The friends here in Massachusetts have been helped by The Idaho Falls Community Site, but more so by the kindness of the Idaho Falls community.
I can see from our logs we are getting many visitors searching for information on this funeral. Unfortunately our local paper has a subscription requirement for their online access.
Here’s the information from the Wood funeral home:
LARAINE WILKINS
2 p.m. Friday, September 8th
Idaho Falls LDS Templeview Ward (1450 Mtn. View Ln.)
Visitation: Thursday 7-8:30 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home
(273 North Ridge) and one hour prior at the church
Burial in Grant-Central Cemetery
Wood Funeral Homes Mapped location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=wood+funeral+home+idaho+falls&ie=UTF8&cid=43466667,-112033333,13808757742531734162&li=lmd&z=17&om=1
Basically if you can find Broadway in IF (a major road on the west side), go east on it, cross the railroad tracks (you’ll see the Museum of Idaho), follow the road as it takes a slight twist, and Wood Funeral home is about another two blocks on your left. Can’t miss it.
Thank you for all your kind comments about Laraine. She was my niece. I’ll miss her so much. Imagine how much her family and her daughter will miss her.
She has obviously touched the lives of many, many people in her travels. She was a warm, kind and extremely intelligent woman and those qualities are reflected in her daughter as well.
I would imagine anything that can be done to help her daughter would be greatly appreciated. If there is someone who would care to set upu a fund for her daughter to help with medical expenses now and down the road, please leave a comment and we can see what needs to be done to accompish that.
Thank you all!
Dear Mr. Wilkins,
Thank you for leaving your comment, as Laraine’s uncle. It is nice to have a family member write about Laraine on this site, since so many of us never met her. I’m not sure how you found the site, but please know that you and any other family members are welcome to post your thoughts and feelings at any time. This site is open 24/7.
The comments of Mike M. and Brian in Massachusetts have been appreciated. Hopefully all who have visited have seen that people really do care from Insider Observer and kewl’s very gentle remarks to Joe’s extra work to make sure a map was of how to reach the funeral home was available.
I wanted to put a map in and forgot to do it. So I appreciate Joe adding it and picking up where I inadvertenly forgot to add a map. Wood Funeral Home provides directions, but I’m not certain about a map, so it is a help to have it here. Joe’s actions, Inside Observer and kewl’s remarks hopefully show visitors that we do try to help each other and those who visit this site.
Our local newspaper, The Post Register, requires a subscription to access the entire online newspaper. However, from what I’ve read, the Post Register will send an obituary, if requested, at no charge to the one requesting it. This is the link for the Post Register online: http://www.postregister.com. The information about obituary requests is in the lower left hand side of the home page. There may be others who visit IdahoFallz.Com who know far more about the Post Register’s policy for a copy of an obituary than I. If so, I would appreciate you leaving any clarifying comments about how a copy of Laraine’s obituary may be obtained.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue of how to set up a fund for Laraine’s child. But, I think any bank or credit union should be able to give you some suggestions, as I know many banks and credit unions have established these types of funds for others.
My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with Laraine’s family, friends and mostly her child at this time.
Ok4Now
Dear Mr. Wilkins,
Since my previous posting, I have received an e-mail alerting me that some of the church members, where Laraine and her child attended church in Salt Lake City, have established a memorial account at Washington Mutual Bank for her child. Apparently, donations can be made at any Washington Mutual Bank in the U.S.
The link to Washington Mutual is:
http://www.wamu.com.
There were no other specific details included. I hope this information is useful to you, other family members and others who may be interested in making a contribution. I need to refer all other questions to Washington Mutual,
Please feel free to post more information about this memorial account, if you wish, or any other information others need might benefit from knowing. I can honestly say people throughout the U.S. are visiting this web site to read any new information about Laraine and her child. I hope her family is receives some comfort knowing how many friends she has throughout the U.S. who are all very sadden and wanting to do what is appropriate for everyone involved.
I hope this information helps you.
Ok4Now
Thank you for this web page for Laraine. She was a dear, dear friend of mine for twelve years, in Salt Lake. The shock of her untimely passing has left me in a state of inconsolable grief.
I met Laraine in 1993 at a religious studies conference in Salt Lake, when she approached me with a desire to share her feelings and hear mine. She was a deeply intuitive, kind, gentle, intelligent, gifted and beautiful person. Our souls immediately struck a sense of connection.
I associated with Laraine in a variety of groups–related to writing, feminist, scholarly and religious interests, in Salt Lake, from 1993 to the present. We were also friends, sharing our journey, joys, struggles, loves, lives along the way.
I have many precious memories of my relationship with Laraine. We did radio shows together, shared our writing, editing and works-in- progress, compared private struggles and dreams, attended lectures, parties, and events together, comiserated about dating, and encouraged each other.
One of my favorite memories was one afternoon when I came home and found a loaf of her homemade zucchini bread on my doorstep along with a lovely personal note, thanking me for liking her bread so much, and for being her friend. I was so moved by her thoughtfulness, I called her right away and thanked her, telling her that I was lucky to have her as a friend.
Laraine was so unique and precious, so unlike anyone else. She was at a high point in her life, happy, successful, editing a literary journal, Irreantum, and taking it to a new level of sophistication and respect.
It slays me that she would be taken from us, at such a young age, and such a high point of her life. The loss leaves us all bereft of an extraordinary, singular soul, a rare, fine spirit who improved every person she met and sensitized every context she inhabited. Her life held the kind of quality we read about in the lives of literary figures. She left an unforgettable impression upon all whom she knew.
Laraine and I had many interests and friends in common, in Salt Lake. Yet we shared common backgrounds and influences as well. I was born and raised in Idaho Falls area, worked in Salt Lake for 25 years, dividing time between Idaho Falls and Salt Lake. I recently attended grad school at Harvard, and looked forward to comparing my Boston experiences with Laraine, as we had compared so many other experiences over the years.
When I heard about her accident, I drove to Idaho Falls, hoping to visit her bedside, arriving on Saturday, Sept. 2. I was told by the IFRMC staff that she had been “released.” I was cheered, thinking that she had been sent home to recouperate.
Upon arriving back in SLC, I learned that she had not survived.
This has impacted my soul with such a heaviness that I lack the words to express my sense of loss, tragedy and grief.
Rather than travel to Idaho Falls, again this weekend, I plan to attend the memorial service for her herein Salt Lake. However, I wish to be available to her family, her daughter, and her other loved ones, for whatever they may need. I am in Idaho Falls every other weekend.
There is a memorial service for Laraine in Salt Lake on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the LDS Ward where she attended church, on 100 South and 9th East.
Each year, I say a vespers service for Sophia on Sept. 8, so I will be saying a special prayer for Laraine at the Sophia vespers service this Friday, Sept. 8 in Salt Lake at Holy Cross Chapel, 1050 E. South Temple. It starts at 6 p.m.
My love and prayers go out to all who knew and loved Laraine
Dear Ms. Hanks, Thank you for trusting us enough to share some of your special memories of Laraine. It does help, at least for me, to learn more about her from various people who knew her well. One thing I’ve heard repeatedly, is she was so kind and good to others. And, those around her wanted to be better given her influence on their lives.
Given the location of the Chapel where you say the Sophia vespers, you are probably familiar with HIPAA and why more information could not be released. I just wish you had the opportunity to talk with some of Laraine’s family on Sat. But, I am very happy you found this web site and have been able to leave your message for her family and other friends.
Please feel free to visit this site at any time, and post your thoughts , if you wish to do so. Many people work in both Idaho Falls and SLC, so it helps to stay connected through a central location.
If there is any other information you would like to add about Larane’sSalt Lake service, while I believe it was briefly mentioned in her obituary and in a link here, not many details are known, except the location of the church.
Thanks again for making our lives richer by sharing what you have told us. I find your heart-felt words comforting and reassuring. I believe her family and friends will as well.
Ok4Now
Excerpt from chatbox:
# Joe Vandal : yeah, i will no problem
# Guest_293 : so you remember who helped us… pass it on to that person for me? Thanks Joe.
# Joe Vandal : yeah, i was surprised at how many visitors we got for people seeking information on Lorraine, it was nice to see the site used to help so many people
# Guest_293 : yes… you remember now. : )
# Joe Vandal : yeah, do you know that girl, looks like she’s doing better
# Guest_293 : yes… did you click on that link?
# Joe Vandal : oh ok yes and Laraine, how could i forget that
# Joe Vandal : oh yeah, was that accident here in e.id?
# Joe Vandal : i’m sorry guest293, it escapes me right now
# Guest_293 : Joe, Do you remember all the posts from me? It was that bad accident we had trouble getting info about… just passing a nice link on to you kind folks.
# Guest_293 : Hey Joe, I was on here 3 months ago getting info. Can you pass this on to the wonderful person who spent so much time helping me? «link»
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=648826
# Joe Vandal : guest293, do you remember the person’s name?
# Joe Vandal : guest293; what did they help you with?
# Guest_293 : Hey Joe,I was here 3 months ago getting info… can you please pass this on to the wonderful person who spent so much time helping me?
Joe, That was a really nice way to honor a kiddo who has overcoming a lot. And, to remember not only her mother, but everyone here who gave of themselves to answer the questions of those we did not know.
This is a really nice piece. It is great to see the various remarks of people who probably didn’t know Laraine.
And, now this new news about her daughter.
Thanks all of you for preserving part of history for some of us.
Grateful
Technically, it will be one year tomorrow the first post of this thread was posted. However, the events that happened and those who asked for our assistance happened one year ago today.
Many, many new visitors and guests have visited IdahoFallz.Com since this thread was started. Not only did I believe it was appropriate to remember this day, given those who relied upon IFz.Com for information, but for those who still continue to read this thread, periodically, for what comfort it does bring them.
I could have posted nothing, without the never-ending help, of Joe Vandal. Thank you, Joe!
Physically, I was too exhausted when I finished writing what I had to research and then wait for the Post Register or Wood Funeral Home to officially publish online, before this thread was printed here.
It was not my goal to break news, only be a resource to coordinate interests from around the world about a woman I never had the pleasure of meeting.
And, I’m not sure I ever really told anyone how totally inadequate I felt to write anything about a woman who was a professional editor. I wasn’t nearly as intimidated by her advanced education at Harvard, as her current work.
Part of that work was raising her daughter, one of the survivor’s of this horrible accident.
I owe you Joe for cleaning up my typos, making sense of what I tried to write and my eyes were too tired to clarify any further. I know the Wilkins Family and so many people who had Laraine in their lives have appareciated you allowing this thread to remain.
I have had several e-mails over the last year thanking me for this thread and I’ve always told those people my role was small, the real thanks goes to you. It’s not popular of fun to read about the pain our neighbors, relatives and survivors are enduring. However, you have chosen to allow this thread about Laraine Wilkins to remain.
It seems fitting that a follow up post be placed today. Besides, odd as it may seem, my path indirectly crossed paths with Laraine’s daughter this last year.
I hope to link some posts, for those who want to read them. I hope Lena’s story, which perhaps deserves a new thread on IdahoFallz.Com – how Lena not only survived but has become what she has become (and the international media has picked up what the regional press wrote/broadcasted), as a source of comfort. Some of you may have read or seen a halftime video at a Jazz game and not realized the young lady highlighted was Lena, Laraine’s daughter.
Thanks again to all who participated in discussions this time last year, while realizing a grieving family, many friends and “adopted friends or family” as many have described themselves in person e-mails to me, was reading what was available on this site.
I was NEVER embarassed or more PROUD of how the members who posted at Idaho Fallz.Com treated our guests! Thank you all for showing good taste about a very delicate matter. I thank you all for what you did to help and show local residents don’t have to know someone to be willing to help others.
Idaho Falls and Idaho have had many breaking stories on the national, state and local level this last year. Some to announce great news and new developments and some to announce careers that are now over and other confusing or sad news.
Regardless of how positive the headline is, Idaho Falls would be nothing without the good, caring and kind people who write passionately in this blog, representing the larger population who lives in the Idaho Falls area.
Thank you, Joe, for helping me get this information printed. Only today, as I’ve re-read this thread after many months, did I see you left some words I felt to be very important in what I sent you.
To clarify the above-statement, I sent what I wrote to Joe, to “edit” what I had written, as I really did need the help given my fatigue, and there were complex issues concerning a minor and IFz.Com not being an official media source in Idaho Falls. He accepted that job without being asked and for no pay. Quite genorous, IMO.
I asked Joe to post what he thought was appropriate, given that I trusted him to do so. I was headed for bed after being up for nearly 40 hrs. straight.
Also, because sensitive information, from my POV, should always be reviewed by more than one person before it is printed, I asked for his help.
I must also thank Jeremy, Paula, SkitterKat, Inside Observer and many others for your support, along with those who chose to write their comments in this thread.
To the Wilkins Family and Laraine’s Extended Network of her family and friends worldwide, I hope each of you have have found some peace as you’ve had to adjust to life without Laraine and the life-threatening, life-altering injuries to Lena.
My thoughts are with you and have been for the past year. My thoughts and hopes for your healing will not stop today.
Thanks to all who helped with this thread, directly or indirectly. I sincerely appreciate you putting others, suffering with so much personal pain and loss, ahead of some issues regular posters wanted to discuss at the time.
I hope this next year brings greater healing and peace not only to Laraine’s family and friends, but all who mourn the loss of a loved one.
Ok4Now
I wanted to post some links for those who followed this thread last year. As most know from the earlier link Brian posted, Lena did survive several surgeries, but unfortunately is paralyzed from her waist down.
These posts are to show you how a community, individual people and others just wanting to help have given her a chance to be as successful in her new, changed life, as she use to be on the basketball court.
Lena, should you ever seen this thread, I’m sure your mother and all in your family (and extended family – including those Boston Beanheads that still like the Celtics [just teasing about the Celtics - these people care so much about YOU], that all are proud of everything you’ve accomplished.
Although we’ve not met, know you have friends in Idaho who have followed your recovery very closely.
You are welcome to post on this site at anytime. These links are to honor both your mother and you.
Ok4Now
http://gameswappin.com/hm/files/Download/Utah%20Home%20Make-Over%20Info%20March%202007%20overview.pdf
The same link Brian posted above, but perhaps will make more sense to some now, who didn’t know the extent of your injuries: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=648826
http://www.idahoexaminer.com/state/1120/community-spirit-volunteers-equip-crash-victims-home-for-wheelchair
and this one for now.
(Nicole Stricker, the journalist who wrote this article wrote it not long after she moved from the Post Register in Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City and the SL Tribune).
I am aware there are other articles – I have been sent some; however, I do not feel it is appropriate for me to post those articles.
I invite family members and close family friends to post additional information, if they would like to do so.
Also, the Utah Jazz film, is proprietary. I wish I could post a link showing how you were highlighted and honored by thousands. But, I can’t. If someone else has access to a copy they can post with violating the terms with the Utah Jazz, please do.
I know you have impressed millions, as international sources picked up the media releases and printed your victories in their countries. There is something about us NBA nuts (yes, I am one) that makes the world a smaller place when we are all cheering on someone like you.
Suddenly, we don’t have our favorite teams with different jerseys and coaches with different strategies. Many countries, proud to have one or more national resident make it to the NBA suddenly heard about you and cheered for your progress too.
I am in your corner and continue to cheer what you have done this last year. Your mother was connected with some of the brightest minds in her area of literature, plus her work at Ririe-Woodbury. Many people checked on you, not wanting to disturb your father, grandparents or others, often through this website.
I am certain your mother is very proud of you, Lena. May your healing continue and the acts of kindness shown to you by strangers somehow uplift you and let know many people do care. We all have bad days. Idaho Fallz.Com is open 24/7. Not many of us knew your mom, but as you can see, some did.
Nonetheless, you have many who are proud of your progress to date.
Lena, if you want to post here, you may do so at anytime.
Ok4Now
Thank you for remembering our friend. So many kind words from people who didn’t know Laraine. It means to so many of us.
OK4NOW – The Laraine I knew would not have changed one word of what you wrote. You captured what I believe was the heart of Laraine and tried to explain some of her gifts to others. She would have considered you a friend and a jewel to try to help all that you did. The words you wrote to Lena sound like Laraine herself was at the keyboard.
Mr. Vandal, you are a good man. In looking at other articles here, this site doesn’t focus on tragic accidents. Yet, in looking at the posts in this thread, people contacted you or continued to post on this thread throughout the last year to thank you.
What has always been missing from this site, which I hope to post – or may have to send to OK4NOW or Mr. Vandal to Post is a picture of Laraine. I hope I can add that now.
Thank you all for your kindness and especially for remembering a year later the journey of the past year.
I’m grateful as well.
Mr. Vandal,
I can’t share a beautiful picture of Laraine here. I don’t know how to post a picture here, it seems.
I sent the photo to OK4NOW, since Brian and others knew that address. Would you please try to post her picture here? It would be a wonderful addition to this tribute. So many people didn’t know Laraine, but this picture says so much.
Thanks again all of you for everything.
Not a problem, email it to me at idaho fallz *at *gmail*.com (without spaces or asterisks) and I can post it, please make sure it’s a photo that the family approves of posting for public.
Just a tip for all of you, including OK4now who did a wonderful thing for this woman’s family…there is a website called http://www.caringbridge.org that will host a site where information can be exchanged among friends and family when an accident or other serious situation arises and information needs to be passed around to people all over……
Thanks, Babs, for the site info. I may e-mail some of the main people involved some of those who cared so much and stayed in background so not to detract in anyway. I’ve met some remarkable people this last year, via e-mail. They may or may not know of the site you shared. It sounds great and it is new to me.
There is another local one that I will probably post at another time as I’ve not seen Laraine’s name on that local Idaho Falls one.
Guest 4923, I have to agree the picture you e-mailed me is quite striking of Laraine. I also must agree with Joe in Post #19 when he said, “please make sure it’s a photo that the family approves of posting for public.”
We’ve tried to be sensitive at Idaho Fallz.Com to and for the surviving family members and close friends of Laraine Wilkins for over a year. After all, as you can see above different people have added their tributes and some day Lena may read this as well.
Joe has enforced that the posts in this thread be in good taste when adding comments or other factual information about Laraine. I’m not saying your post good taste. It seemed appropriate from my POV. And you are right, a picture would help make this a little more real for many who weren’t even reading Idaho Fallz.Com at the time of Laraine’s tragic accident.
However, what I am saying is I have to support Joe in making sure it is approved by her family to post a picture of her on Idaho Fallz.Com. As you can see in earlier posts, her uncle even visted the website and left some comments. Some of her friends from Boston have posted and I know, via e-mails I’ve received, that friends from universities throughout the U.S. and some abroad have visited as well. So I believe it is important for our thread and our tribute to Laraine continue to show the good taste and approval of Laraine’s family. It can be difficult for a family to want to add something like a picture to a website where a lot of users didn’t know their daughter, sister and mother.
If you can get in touch with her parents, as her next of kin and get a written release sent to Joe, then he can let me know and I’ll forward the picture only to Joe.
What I’d like to offer is a different idea which I believe would remind many what a striking woman Laraine was and not have to potentially disturb her grieving parents as they may not understand how we got involved on thie website. It is not my wish to disturb them or bring any more pain in their lives.
I don’t know if you are aware of this or not, but if you go to the website of Wood Funeral Home at: http://www.woodfuneralhome.com, then double click at the top the Obituary Section. If you look at the bottom of the page, you can click on the year of the a person’s obituary, who died prior to 2007.
Specifically, for Laraine, the first thing to click on is 2006 then scroll through the obituaries to hers, posted on 9/2/2006. There is a nice picture, her obituary and what look like dozens of tributes and comments from those who loved Laraine.
I can’t find a way to directly link to her pictures and obituary as a direct URL- I always get taken back to the home page of Wood Funeral Home. However, what is really nice, to see how many people responded with such nice messages.
I believe tributes and messages for her family can still be written on the Wood Funeral Home website. All one has to do, is go back to the top of the page after her obituary appears. At the top of the page there is a section to click for “Condolences.” I believe there are directions to walk anyone through the process of leaving a message. It appears as Wood Funeral Home does ask for your e-mail address.
I know I’ve sent messages a few to other funeral home pages and they asked what my relationship was to the person for whom I was writing a tribute as well as my e-mail addree. Messages are reviewed for appropriateness.
Obviously, visitors are welcome here and can always find this thread about Laraine by using the search engine option at the top of this page.
Just write her name on the Google search and then instead of using the entire Google search, click the other choice to search only Idaho Fallz.Com. That limits your search only to articles here.
A couple of different lines will appear, but what you are looking for will be the name of this article: “Laraine Wilkins: The Lady Who Brought Boston to Idaho Falls.”
Hopefully, being able to see Laraine’s picture and all the nice tributes written to her family on the Wood Funeral Home Website will help.
To see her nice picture on the Wood Funeral Home website and know you still have the opportunity to share your thought and special memories of this lovely lady seems healing to me. Few of us here ever met her prior to her horrible accident and untimely death.
Nonetheless, we hope what has been written here and the history that has been preserved for Lena and others will help those who are grieving and haven’t found peace yet.
I want to once again send my deepest empathy to all the friends and family of Laraine Wilkins. There are some moving tributes on the Wood Funeral Home Site, as well as the picture her family decided to use for her funeral.
The link is:
http://www.woodfuneralhome.com
Ok4Now
I apologize for my goof, Guest 4923. I wrote a post it note and stuck on my computer sceen to make sure I got your Guest # correct. Let’s just say I got confused and I’m sorry my username didn’t get posted in the previous thread!
There are so many who visit the site that use the name “Guesst xxxx
that it is very easy to get confused which guest is which.
It appears I focused a bit too much on your number since I posted it inadvertently as me.
I hope this makes sense and I sincerely apologize for the confusion.
We didn’t always use to have so many guests with different numbers to remember visit the site compared to now. Most use to use their usernames. Peronally, it’s just harder for me to make sue I get the numbers accuate. So I hope you’ll understand my error.
Also, I hope you were able to see Laraine’s picture on the Wood Funeral Home Website. Like you suggested, pictues do add comfort and help with the healing process, IMHO.
Good luck to you and others as you travel down this difficult road
Ok4Now
It is good to have that picture and time to remember.
Thanks OK4NOW! I couldn’t remember if Laraine’s picture was in the paper (SLC, or IF) or funeral home.
Thanks a lot from many of us.
Do any of you know where I can find the document “A Tale of Two Deaths”? It is written by Cheryl Pace of SLC, Utah. She mentions the wonderful funeral service of Laraine and I would love a copy of the article.
Thanks
Elna
Try Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com
I found myself thinking about this thread as Labor Day Weekend was approaching. I rarely visit this site any more; consequently, I hoped the old way of looking up threads would allow me to find this one. I was happy both Joes have left the ability to search for threads the same as it was two years ago.
Thank you Joe Eagle for allowing this thread to remain. It’s tone, need and purpose seem very different than what appear to be the most popular articles written after you purchased the site. I’m sure all who look via general search engines can still find the thread, although they may be surprised with the site’s name change.
It seems keeping this thread is truly a community service, service to a specific family and hundreds of people spread throughout the world. Perhaps the thread also serves as a reminder to some people involved with Idaho Fallz.Com at the time what we each were trying to contribute to others. Thanks to both Joe Vandal and Joe Eagle for allowing as many people to post and reread their thoughts here.
This is still a difficult thread to read, for me. I wonder how Lena is doing and what she is doing. I also wonder how all of Laranie’s friends from Boston, those abroad, in UT and Idaho are. Recovery from a loss takes as long as it takes.
My personal belief is a person never gets over losing someone; rather, a person learns to adapt.
It is good to see various people have visited this site throughout the year. I do hope the work Joe Vandal assisted me with to start this thread, will be kept for those who need and want to read again what has been written over the years about a woman who was cherished by so many.
Elna, if you haven’t been able to find what you were looking for, “A Tale of Two Deaths,” I’d recommend you contact Cheryl Pace directly. From the various other posts here and the newspaper tributes, it appears she was involved in the Salt Lake City Memorial Service. Perhaps contacting some of those who wrote in this thread they would attend the SLC service would be helpful. Additionally, writing directly to the publication Laranie edited or contacting those who worked with her may be useful.
I sincerely hope some healing has come to Laraine’s family and friends this last year. As is noted in earlier posts, it is good to have a place to come and remember regardless of we knew Laranie, or even if we didn’t. Somehow, the world became a little smaller two years ago when friends searching for information asked for our help.
We each have different memories. I hope reading what others have shared and remembering your own unique relationship with Laraine, or how you may have tried to help her family or her friends after her death, will help each person who has participated in this thread .
While many at this site didn’t know Laranie, I’d encourage you to read the words her relatives and friends have written here. Most of us have lost family members or others we’ve been close to. Perhaps some of the thoughts expressed will help others dealing with their own grief.
I hope this next year brings more healing, and understanding for those who lost Laraine. Please know I am thinking of you.
Ok4Now
Hi OK4Now,
Just read this entire post. What a wonderful way to utilize this technology: actually reaching out to help others in a difficult time. Thank you for the reminder of how this site (and others) can be used in a positive, purposeful way.
How come you don’t visit IFLZ anymore?
Thanks again for the post and the positive note. . .
I am Laraine’s aunt and just happened across this web site and read the nice comments about her. She was a remarkable, capable, kind young woman. Two years having passed now, her daughter, Lena, is living with her father in Salt Lake City, starting her sophomore year in college, competing in different wheelchair sports & racing events and amazing everyone around her. It’s still hard to realize Laraine is gone, but I’m sure she’s as busy as ever on “the other side” and continuing to do much good. I can’t speak for her immediate family, but I believe time is a good healer and that they are all closer because of this trial. Thank you for your kind thoughts and words.
I attended a conference that Laraine organized at Harvard during her last year there. I had been out of touch with her and, curious what had become of her, searched and found this.
I’m deeply saddened to learn of her death. She was an intense, intelligent, and engaged person who left a lasting impression on me, though I knew her only briefly.
Matt
Just remembering the night we learned about Laraine and how busy it was.
I’m very glad to read additional posts with updates about Lena. Glad she is doing so well.
Thanks to both Joe Vandal for helping me a few years ago get this thread started. It was more difficult than most could understand, all factors considered. And thanks to Joe Eagle for allowing this article to remain. I
have had emails from friends who remember and come here to read again. As I believe someone posted last year, it is good to remember.
Take care everyone.