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your homegrown newspaper July 17, 2024
Vol. 20, No. 44
Last Slice: Hometown woman returns as author Delisting pg. 6
Hospice nurse who grew up in Ronan shares touching stories about life and death in latest book By Kathi Beeks Valley Journal
Research pg. 8
Glacier bats pg. 12
POLSON — On Saturday, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m. at the Lake County Public Library, RuthiE Neilan, (yes it’s spelled RuthiE), returns to her hometown community for a reception and book signing event introducing her latest book and memoir, “A Sweet Taste of the Last Slice.” Each chapter in her book tells of her unique experiences with hospice clients when she worked as a hospice nurse and volunteer. Neilan’s book title reflects her belief that “Hospice is like being invited to a banquet (with) the very best choc-
COURTESY PHOTO
A Ronan High School graduate and current resident of Ohio, RuthiE Neilan returns to the Mission Valley on Aug. 2 for a reception event for her new book.
COURTESY PHOTO
In “A Sweet Taste of the Last Slice,” RuthiE Neilan shares stories of her time working as a hospice nurse and volunteer.
olate.” Death represents but a slice of life and it can be made sweet by hospice. She further explained, “Hospice is very holy and very sacred,” providing an avenue for really living until you die.
Growing up on a farm outside Ronan, Neilan graduated from Ronan High School in 1960 and then became a registered nurse attending a program at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula. Later, w w w.va l le yj our na l.net
while attending the University of San Francisco to earn her BS in nursing, she met and married a military man whose career required frequent moves. She did not actually work as a nurse for 20 years but did continue adding to her knowledge and education. Her interest in and study of hospice, as well as writing stories about her experiences, began when she lived in Stei-
lacoom, Washington. Her hospice training took her to Switzerland and a seminar by famed psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, an advocate for end of life dignity and identifying the stages of grief. After moving to Tucson, Arizona, Neilan began work on a master’s degree in Expressive Art Therapy. Her thesis, “Living with Dying,
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