Farewell, My Friend
An Interfaith Conversation on Caring at the End of Life
written by Jackie Cohen & illustrated by Susie Risho

Dear Friends,

This booklet was created by the Life's End Institute: Missoula Demonstration Project’s Faith Community Task Force. We have learned that most people believe a sense of spiritual well-being is important at the end of life. Too often, however, people­­ for a variety of reasons­­ do not receive the spiritual care they want. We decided that one way to help people gain access to end-of-life spiritual care would be to give them a “taste” of differing practices. During our first year working together, we shared faith stories revolving around the themes of illness, death, and bereavement. This process was so enriching that we decided to make an interfaith conversation available to others through this book.

These stories reveal the experiences of families who participate in various Missoula County faith communities. They do not express the complete system of beliefs for any individual religious tradition. Instead they illustrate how individuals have gained comfort from spiritual, religious, and cultural practices as they have faced life’s end. We hope that some portion of the experiences spotlighted here will assist you as you reflect upon your own spiritual needs during times of illness, death, and bereavement.

A few sample stories are linked below. Copies of Farewell, My Friend can be ordered from Life's End Institute for $8.00 (plus $1.25 shipping and handling). Write to us at 320 East Main Street, Missoula, MT 59802 USA, or e-mail

Read about Charlie Page's mother, Peg, and her friendship with Father Jim Hogan in Peg Page's Story

Read about the roles of the Chevra Kadisha, the Jewish burial society, and the shomer, or watcher in The Cohen Family