Witness Stories

After a traumatic loss, it is important to find ways to process and cope with complicated emotions and reactions regarding the death and the trauma. We believe in the therapeutic value of writing, but we also know that writing about painful experiences can be intimidating!

The irony, of course, is that telling others your Witness story can improve things like motivation, outlook, and well-being. We want to invite friends/family members to tell the story about their Witness. Here we offer individuals an important opportunity to share with others your grief...to heal and to also help them.

If you would like to tell us about Your Witness, please click here Tell Us Your Story. After approval, your story will be posted to this page for viewers to read.

Monica Nielsen Olson, (44)

A devoted mother of two young girls, a sister, a daughter, and a friend to anyone she met. She was an animal lover and helped get animals in the Plentywood community to spay clinics, volunteered for her church and community and worked hard. Monica was a good cook, a prankster, loved to laugh...she was taken from us far too soon and we are struggling to understand why. It's almost been a year but the loss we feel is still so great.

Arie Arlynn, (37)

On Sunday, June 7th, 2015, Michael (Augustine) Bournes 59, shot and killed his wife Arie Arlynn 37, Arilee 1, Woodrow Lee 4 and Augustine Lee 5 before taking his own life. Michael called a friend and told him that Arie had been “mocking him and riding him” all day so he killed them all. He then set the house on fire and shot himself. No one knows why he did it.