Good Grief

Who says it’s too late to be talking about horror? 

In this month’s episode, Pete and Amber explore how death, dying, and funerals are depicted in the media. Amber, with her penchant for horror movies, offers a unique …

In this episode, Amber and Pete shed light on the topic of hospice care, sharing their insights and debunking common misconceptions. Amber starts by explaining how she chose this topic for the episode, drawing from her …

In this episode, Amber and Pete dive into the topic of body and organ donation, debunking myths and addressing common concerns. They begin by highlighting the importance of discussing donation throughout the year. Pete …

In this episode, Amber and Pete delve into the world of embalming and cremation myths. They discuss the fate of jewelry, metallic teeth fillings, and implants during these processes, debunking misconceptions along the …

In this month's episode, Amber and Pete explore the often-misunderstood topic of funeral costs and the crucial role of funeral directors in managing …

In this episode, Pete and Amber are joined by Mike Miller of the Willow River Cemetery in Hudson, WI. Mike shares his personal journey, recalling how his fascination with the cemetery began when he worked there as a …

In this episode, host Pete Waggoner and Amber Miller of O’Connell Family Funeral Homes discuss the role of pallbearers in funeral services. They …

In this episode, host Pete Waggoner and O’Connell Family Funeral Homes’ Amber Miller discuss the importance of remembering and honoring moms on Mother's Day. They highlight the various ways people can pay tribute to …

In this episode, host Pete Waggoner and O’Connell Family Funeral Homes’ Amber Miller welcome Stress Awareness Month by discussing the different aspects of stress. From its usual symptoms to how it relates to grief and …

In this episode of Good Grief, Amber Miller and Pete Waggoner discuss local resources that can help those going through a difficult period of grief. …

In this episode of the Good Grief podcast, Amber Miller sits with host Pete Waggoner to discuss the topic of funeral personalization and how it can help people grieve. They explore why personalizing a funeral—from the …

O'Connell Funeral Homes' Amber Miller and host Pete Waggoner welcome the new year by discussing preplanning expectations in this episode of Good Grief. Amber shares her first-hand funeral experience with families whose …

In this episode, Mike O'Connell and Amber Miller sit down with Pete Waggoner to discuss how one can be of assistance to those who are grieving. They explore the different ways a grieving person may behave and how we as …

In this episode, Dr. Kirsten Severson along with Mike O'Connell and host Pete Waggoner explores the concept of advance directives and how they work. …

In this episode hosted by Pete Waggoner, Mike O'Connell and Amber Miller discuss the process of preplanning one's funeral and its multiple benefits. …

In this episode, host Pete Waggoner goes in-depth with Kathleen Helgeson and Amber Miller about the topic of secondary loss and caregiver grief. They discuss the smaller subsequent losses that happen after the death of …

In this ‘scintillating’ episode of the Good Grief podcast, Mike O'Connell and Amber Miller of O'Connell Funeral Homes join Pete Waggoner to discuss funeral etiquette. They get into the nitty-gritty of the do's and …

In this episode of The Good Grief podcast, Mike O'Connell and Amber Miller get into cemeteries' important role in providing a final resting place for …

In this episode of The Good Grief podcast, host Pete Waggoner sits with Mike O'Connell and guest, Lori Christopherson to discuss how tattoos can be used as a form of memorializing and honoring a loved one. Mike shares …

There is no other job like a funeral director. In celebration of National Funeral Director and Morticians Recognition Day on March 11th, we would …

To better accommodate Western Wisconsin communities, specifically Pierce County, as well as to offer a complete range of grief services, the locally owned and operated O’Connell Family Funeral Homes are merging their …

Obituaries are not only used in death – they can also be a guide to a purposefully lived life. In this podcast, Mike O’Connell reflects on the …

The most wonderful time of the year, might not be the most wonderful time of the year for some people.

Everyday stuff is overwhelming us and the …

Celebration of life vs. funeral and memorial service. How these terms have evolved as well as some ideas on how to blend these types of service, as a …

How to help a grieving friend. 

In today's episode, Kathy Helgeson, a certified funeral celebrant at O’Connell Family Funeral Homes, joins us to …

Mike O'Connell talks about pre-arranging for your funeral. Why should you pre-arrange? What are the benefits?

In this episode, we also answer some …

Getting what you want, even after death.  

Mike O'Connell & Pete talk about how to make a funeral personalized to not only pay tribute to your loved one, but help the family.   

Hear some personal stories about how …

In today's episode, we discuss what questions and information funeral directors will ask you when planning a funeral.

Many people have told us, "We …

A Difficult Decision

Picking a funeral home is one of the greatest decisions that you'll make in your life, one which will significantly impact your …

Memorial Day is right around the corner so we created a podcast episode dedicated to the brave men and women that give so much to our country.

On this episode, we share an event we have coming up on May 27th - …

Funeral etiquette isn't something that most people spend a lot of time thinking about, but the truth is that it can help grieving families have the best possible experience throughout the deep pain surrounding the death …

Body donation is a mysterious topic for many of us, despite its essential role in saving lives, and in today's episode we'd like to change that. 

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Funerals without flowers... sounds weird, doesn't it? Most of us haven't been to that many funerals where flowers weren't a part of the decoration... and for good reason.

In today's episode, Shelli  Erck, from Hudson …

Grieving over the loss of a loved one is already an unimaginable painful experience. But to go through it during the holiday season feels even …

Hospice Care is a sensitive topic for many of us. As with pre-arranging a funeral, talking about hospice care can make us feel very uncomfortable; some of us might feel we are "giving up" on our loved ones when we begin …

Estate planning is one of those topics that often come up as we grow older, but, contrary to what many people might think, this is something that …

Suicide deaths define complicated grief. The stigma surrounding suicide and the complex feelings of guilt, shame, and anger that many grievers experience when a loved one kills themselves, makes it that much harder to …

Different types of loss and grief children and adolescents may experience and how we can help guide them.

Joining us, we have our friend and …

Meet Finnegan, our new grief therapy dog. Learn how he helps in processing grief, and healing in today's podcast.

Learn more on our website. 

You can’t push pause on grief.

COVID-19 has brought much distress to families all over the country and changed our daily lives tremendously. In these …

Death & your financial stability

Dealing with the death of a loved one is stressful enough. But not knowing what to do with someone's finances …

Self-Care

What is self-care.

How self-care works.

Tips on what you can do about it.

What you can do about it

1. Be kind to yourself. Love Yourself. …

Mike O'Connell talks about guiding you through the pre-arrangement process of a funeral. 

FREE PDF Download: 10 things to think about before your funeral. 

http://bit.ly/10thingsPreArrange

Learn more on our website: …