Stenshoel-Houske Funeral and Cremation Service is hosting a Grief Support Group on the third Monday of every month, starting April 20, at the Crookston Public Library/Lake Agassiz Regional Library from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm.
The goal is to partner with as many local resources as possible to provide a nice breadth of voices and experiences, and it is open to everyone. “Stenshoel-Houske’s, years ago, offered local support for grief care and somewhere along the lines, just kind of dissolved with turnover. And now I’m in the aftercare coordinator position and bringing back grief support to the region,” said Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home and Cremation Service After Care Coordinator Megan Pederson.”And they’re not just for individuals who used Stenshoel-Houske services. It’s really for anybody who needs grief care in the community. So we’ll be partnering with several other entities in the region, including Lake Agassiz Regional Library. They’re donating their room space to us, which we greatly appreciate. And Alluma will be helping out, HIA Hospice, some local clergy, and then the staff at Stenshoel-Houske and maybe some other entities along the way.”
There aren’t currently any group grief programs offered in the Crookston area. “It’s definitely a necessity in the area. I spent the first little bit trying to understand what was even available in Crookston and found out, unfortunately, there really isn’t much other than private care, which is great,” said Pederson. “I do want to suggest that people use those services too. But many communities in the region offer free services. Grief support and Crookston were lacking in that department currently.”
Grief can come and go throughout the year. “Grief is one of those things that’s not linear. Um, it’s, there’s not really an endpoint. It changes over time. You carry it differently over time, and people need different amounts of support. Periodically throughout their time with it,” said Pederson. “This will be really, really good for people in all stages of the grief cycle to find a place where they can come feel comfortable and be with people who really understand what they’re going through.”
Mark your calendars for the Grief Support Group, held on the third Monday of each month at the Crookston Public Library, meeting room, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm. The dates for 2026 are below-
April 20
May 18
June 15
July 20
August 17
September 21
October 19
November 16
December 21
