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The Citizen, 2019-09-05, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019. Last week, the Blyth Festival welcomed a panel to discuss “What is a Good Death?” ahead of a matinee performance of In the Wake of Wettlaufer at Memorial Hall. On the panel were: Dr. Agnes Kluz of Seaforth, a family physician with the Huron Community Family Health Team and Chair of Rural Senior Wellness at the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health; Jay McFarlan, Chair of Rural Nutrition and Exercise with the Gateway Centre and a board member of the Huron Residential Hospice; Eugene Defour, a psychosocial spiritual care clinician, member of the Huron Perth Palliative Care Outreach Team and also a board member of the Huron Residential Hospice and Dr. Marie Gear, a retired family physician from Teeswater who served as the panel’s moderator. It began with the titular question, asking the panelists what constitutes a good death. Kluz was the first to speak, though all the panelists would agree with her that a “good” death is one that conforms to the wishes of that particular person. A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work in cases of death and terminal illness. The Seaforth doctor compared it to women giving birth and all of the preparation and consultation that goes into that process. Women are asked how they would be made comfortable, what kind of music they’d like played in the delivery room and who they’d like to join them there. When it comes to a terminally-ill patient, for some reason, she said, none of those requests are factored in. When death becomes an immediate inevitability, she said, those discussions need to take place. However, because of the current culture’s denial of death, many are unprepared, which is why those discussions need to star earlier. As a local physician, Kluz said she begins conversations with patients about their future goals, plans and overall health once a patient turns 40. Being proactive, as opposed to reactive, she said, is crucial in so many aspects of life and good health. Defour said it’s crucial to focus on the four rooms of life when death is on the horizon: physical, emotional, social and spiritual. He said that involving young people when someone is terminally ill goes a long way to preparing them for loss and knowing how to handle a death when it happens. Defour cited numerous examples of people taking their death into their own hands and arranging assisted death and keeping it from their family members, only for them to find out after the fact. There is a tremendous amount of grief counselling that has to occur as a result, he said, as opposed to properly preparing someone for the imminent death of a loved one. McFarlan agreed, saying that when people are asked where they would ideally prefer to die, the number-one answer is always at home. Kluz said there was a culture around death for years, but as time has progressed, death has become medicalized and distant and, as a result, many people have become sheltered from it. In the old days, she said, when someone would die, their body would be cleaned and prepared at home and community members would come to the house to pay their final respects, share some happy stories of the deceased’s life and help comfort the grieving family. That no longer happens and generations have grown further and further away from the grassroots death experience. Kluz said she frequently discusses death with her husband and those conversations, she said, are very healthy and create a clear and concise dialogue surrounding someone’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. If she were to fall into a coma or be hit by a bus, Kluz said, she would want her husband to know exactly what to do to follow her wishes. She joked about asking her husband to stuff her, but she said that having comfortable, casual conversations about death will help destigmatize death and help people handle it when the time comes. The Blyth Festival’s Deeper Roots series, which includes talk-backs, panel discussions and lectures, continues through September. The next panel discussion focuses on entrepreneurship in the LGBTQ community at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 14, followed by a live interview of Bed and Breakfast playwright Mark Crawford and actor Paul Dunn on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 4:30 p.m. to round out the season’s program. KATHE ERNA SEEGER Kathe Erna Seeger passed away surrounded by family at Huronview, Clinton on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019. She was 91 years young. Kathe was the daughter of Hilda Glaser and Karl Baur. She was predeceased by her husband Carl Seeger (1998). She is survived by her children Klaus (Rhea), and Margrit Vegter; grandchildren Peter (Marilou) Seeger, Sarah (Chris) Clarke, Jocelyn (Joe) Ruzicka, and Eric Vegter and great-grandchildren Julien Charlebois, Elizabeth Seeger, and Andrew and James Clarke. Kay and Carl packed up their family in 1957 and moved from Germany to Canada. Both hard- working, they found jobs and in a few years were able to buy a house and settle in Scarborough. Carl was a trained bearings mechanic who had two successful businesses and Kay was a trained seamstress and worked in a high-end ladies fashion shop. When faced with an empty nest and two children turned professionals, they thought it might be time for a change, a quieter pace, and a different challenge. The Seegers purchased the Medd farm, south of St. Augustine. The rolling land to the river caught their eyes. The old house had been empty for a year, but the Seegers were undaunted. Their goal was to renovate the house themselves and seek out revenue-generating crops they could handle on their two acres. They grew apples, pears and plums. The old barn was renovated and they raised rabbits to sell. Kay was raised in a city and while she enjoyed visits to her grandparents’ farm, it was a different matter when the farm was yours! Kay and Carl planted a huge vegetable garden and Kay learned to raise roosters and, later, geese for sale. Her geese would let her pluck down from them and she made feather pillows and comforters for her grandchildren. It was a busy time for them and they worked hard. They enjoyed jazz, rock and roll and blues. Kay loved clothes and made some wonderful dresses when she was younger. She was talented with her knitting needles and crochet hook and grandchildren were kept warm and stylish with her handiwork. Food was a constant source of pleasure and her recipes are still used by her family and will continue to be passed down. Kay and Carl managed to get away every winter for a few weeks in Florida and if they could have moved their farm there, they would have. They loved the water and the lull of the waves. There will be a celebration of life on October 7 at 2 p.m. in Goderich at the Bluewater Chapel of Falconer Funeral Homes. Kay will join Carl’s ashes in Maitland Cemetery in Goderich. Donations to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Alzheimer’s Society or the Huron Women’s Shelter would be greatly appreciated. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Falconer Funeral Homes. Condolences may be placed for the Seeger family at www.falconerfuneralhomes.com 401 Albert Street, Box 340, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Phone: 519-887-6336 ~ Fax: 519-887-6438 email: riversidefuneralhome@hotmail.com www.riversidefuneralhome.ca Nominate someone you know who doesn’t have a subscription to The Citizen but should! Promoting our Community CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, December 13, 2018 Volume 34 No. 49 RESPONSE - Pg. 3 Morris-Turnberry Mayor calls for autonomy CONCERT - Pg. 6 Brussels Ministerial comes together for show FUNDING- Pg. 2 Education Minister in Blyth to hand out grants Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0 INSIDE THIS WEEK: Seaforth’s Fisher elected Huron East Deputy-Mayor 4-H Clubs awarded Seaforth Councillor Bob Fisher is Huron East’s new deputy-mayor, besting two others who put theirnames forward at the inauguralmeeting of Huron East Council on Dec. 4. Fisher, Tuckersmith CouncillorRay Chartrand and Grey CouncillorAlvin McLellan all let their names stand for the municipality’s second- in-command position. This came after Huron East eliminated the at- large deputy-mayor position,reducing the size of council from 12members to 11 just ahead of October’s election. It was Fisher who nominatedChartrand for the position. Chartrand then paid the favour back by nominating Fisher. FormerDeputy-Mayor Joe Stefflernominated McLellan for the position. Fisher told his fellow councillorsthat he has lived in the community for over 40 years. In addition, he has been a councillor for 12 years andspent nearly 40 years in business, allexperience he felt would aid in being the deputy-mayor. Fisher also listed a number ofprojects he’d like to see undertakenor continued both in Huron East and in Huron County.In Huron East, Fisher said hewanted to see the municipality’s community centres better utilized and to promote a harmoniousrelationship between residents of all of Huron East’s five wards. At the county level, Fisher said hewanted to see a greater focus ontourism, saying that Huron County could easily be the Prince Edward County of southwestern Ontario. Healso said that while the county’saccessibility advisory committee has done a lot of great work, there is still more to be done.Fisher also said that, as someone who is legally blind, he also hoped that being named deputy-mayorwould inspire others with disabilities saying that if they “get [their] ass off the couch and do something” like hehas they can accomplish anything.McLellan said that his decades of experience as a councillor and on numerous boards and committeeswould make him an ideal choice forthe deputy-mayor position. He said that being self-employed would ensure that he wouldn’t missany meetings, adding that he hates to miss any council meetings. He said he had been asked if he The Huron County 4-H Leaders’Association Awards Program was recently held at the Seaforth Agriplex, recognizing 4-H membersfor their efforts throughout the year.COUNTY AWARDS Loretta Higgins won the Murray Cardiff Award for Top All-RoundMember.The Don Pullen Award for highest overall score in the county went to Evy Verschaeve. She also won theDedication Award for dedication to the club. The Warden’s Novice Award for first year competitivemember with the highest score wentto Emily Datema. The Ben Lobb Award for the junior member with the top essaywent to Kayla Drennan.Emily Franken won the Ontario Plowmen’s Association Award for outstanding agricultural 4-Hmember as well as the LongstandingGraduating Member Award. She also received her graduation seal. The Citizen-Rural Voice Awardsfor press reporter book competitionawards went to Dugald McIntosh (first) and Mercedes Prout (second). The Huron County 4-H Leaders’Association Award for clubsecretary book competition were awarded to Emily Bieman (first) and Kayla Drennan (second).The winning team for the county Go for the Gold Competition was the South Huron Sheep Club Teamwhich consisted of Amanda Bos,Rachel Gras, Grace Hallahan and Evy Verschaeve. The Top Gate Sign Award for the White Christmas The snow was falling on Friday night as Clinton held the final Santa Claus parade of the Huron County season, bringing residents and visitors out to the town to help celebrate the holiday season. One of the main attractions of the parade every year is the Clinton Pipe Band, seen here appealing to the ears of all in attendance. (Nick Vinnicombe photo)Continued on page 12 REALIZE YOUR DREAM IN IT TO WIN IT: brought to you by the Libro Prosperity Fund, Wingham BIA, North Huron Economic Development Committee, Huron County Economic Development and Community Futures Huron. Enter the In It to Win It contest to Win! $10,000 Prize Package. Receive invaluable (mandatory) business training to give you a good foundation in your dream to expand an existing business or establish a new business on Main Street in Wingham. Full details at www.northhuron.ca Contest opens December 12Applications will be accepted until January 25th, 2019 at 4:30 pmForms are available online or at the Township of North Huron office at 275 Josephine Street in Wingham Email: inittowinit@northhuron.caor call the Project Co-ordinator at 519-441-7629. Continued on page 15 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Recipient will be announced in the last paper of the month. Riverside Funeral Home will sponsor one new subscription per month. Call, email or fax your submission to Riverside Funeral Home - include person’s name, complete mailing address and your name and number. Citizen-To-Citizen ➨ Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster! ➨ The Citizen reserves the right to limit the number of items or ads per person. Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca “One person’s junk is another’s treasure” “SWAP SHOP” ad Let us help you turn that junk into $$ FOR SALE – AC/DC welder, $500. 519-440-3706. 35-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – two end tables with solid drawers and coffee table (oak) $30; bath seat, $20; queen-size blue patterned quilt, hardly used, $100. Phone 519-357-1908. 34-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – four 225 50 R17 tires. 519-335-6998. 34-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – aluminum truck tool box, double mid lid $125; chrome running boards, fit 1999-2007 Chevrolet pickup, regular cab $75. Call 519-887-9104. 33-3 FOR SALE – oak hutch, 78" x 47", $250. 519-523-9855. 33-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – large variety of books, hockey magazines, etc., cheap. Phone 519-523-4738. 33-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – custom wheelchair, used only four months, $800. Call for details, 519-887-9417. 33-3 ------------------------------------------ FOR SALE – antique upholstered loveseat, $30. 519-887-9417. 33-3 ------------------------------------------ Obituaries Panel One of the new additions to the Blyth Festival calendar this year has been the Deeper Roots series. The collection of panel discussions, interviews, exhibitions and special events has proven to be very popular with Festival audiences. Last week, the Festival welcomed best- selling author Lawrence Hill, followed by a trio of professionals to speak on a “good death”. From left: Dr. Agnes Kluz, Jay McFarlan and Eugene Defour. (Shawn Loughin photo) By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Creating Memories in Stone for Over 95 years Goderich/Clinton Michael Falconer Memorial Counsellor 519-524-8457 | Cell: 519-525-2281 www.stratfordmemorials.com Blyth Festival panel asks ‘What is a Good Death?’