Community All-Stars: Love and support through music with Wilks

CHUBBUCK, Idaho (KIFI) – Grieving the loss of a loved one is hard at any time of the year, but those feelings are even harder during the holiday season.

Deanna Rashke said, “I don't like December anymore, just because it's supposed to be a time of joy and a time of families and loved ones getting together, and it's not always easy.” 

After losing loved ones, the Christmas season for Deanna seemed anything but bright, but a special Christmas concert put on by the funeral home that took care of her family turned a silent night into one filled with love, understanding, and the music of Christmas.

This week's Community All-Stars want to help brighten spirits like Deanna’s.

“Oh. It's absolutely amazing to have support, to know that there are other people out there that have gone through the same thing that I have,” said Deanna.

Wilks Funeral Home Owners Brock and Laci Wilks say many funeral homes have a holiday program with speakers and even counselors, but they wanted to do something different.

“There's no better way to experience the season than through music, and so we decided to launch a concert, a memorial concert that's a unique and specific opportunity for families who've lost a loved one over the past year to come and be together with one another,” said Brock Wilks owner of Wilks Funeral Home Chubbuck.

The music and the memories have become a part of the Christmas season for many families,

Bobette Richmond said, “Just to remember the holidays with our loved ones, my mother passed away in September, and my father passed away in 2020,

She says this concert will help her get through the season and help her feel the love from her parents.

And the performers feel that love too. It's a way of giving back that they look forward to every year.

Professional Musician Lyndsay Jackson is one of the talented cast that performs at the concert. She says this is one of her favorite performances of the year. "So I love doing this particular concert at Wilkes, because I personally have felt a lot of loss through the years, and I know the holidays are one of the most difficult times of the year,” She says that helping people work through their grief through music is a special thing to be able to do.

"It really can be, and Wilk's reaches out and does something phenomenal by bringing people together."

David Bowman a vocalist and keyboard player said, “Yeah, we always want to make connections with music, and I think that's why anybody plays music. They want to share something and make a connection with them. And it's all about giving people joy.”

Another special remembrance is the gift of a beautiful Christmas ornament with a picture of the family's loved one. 

“It's through experiences and coming together with friends and loved ones that are still here that we can promote healing and promote sharing those memories and remembering because that's an important part of healing,” said Laci Wilks 

Thank you to this week's Community All-Stars for making spirits bright through music.