Myers Mortuary

10/06/2026

Do you still have their voicemail saved?

It's amazing how quickly that question takes us somewhere we weren't expecting.

For so many of us, there was one voicemail we couldn't bring ourselves to delete.

Not because the message itself was important. It might have been something as ordinary as, "I'm on my way home," or "Can you pick up some milk?"

Sometimes it was nothing more than, "Call me when you get a chance."

Here’s the thing…the words weren't what mattered.

It’s their voice that matters.

After he died, I remember playing Rob's voicemail over and over again. I only had one saved and I wasn't really listening to what he was saying. I just needed to hear him.

And for a few brief moments, it almost felt like he was still here.

But then my phone got replaced, and the new carrier deleted all my old messages.

(Technology has a way of moving forward whether we're ready or not.)

All of a sudden that one voicemail I was clinging to forever was gone.

But here's something I've learned.

Even when the recording disappears, the sound of the person we love somehow never completely leaves us.

Sometimes I'll hear a phrase and instantly remember exactly how Rob used to say it. Sometimes I'll be in the middle of doing something, and for just a second, I can hear his laugh so clearly that it almost catches me off guard.

The recording may be gone, but the memories attached to that voice are still very much alive.

Grief has a way of teaching us that love doesn't only live in photographs, videos, or keepsakes.

Sometimes it lives in the echo of a familiar voice and the way they said our name.

Sure…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still miss that voicemail and being able to listen to it, but I also believe that the voice of someone we love still echoes in our heart long after they’re gone.

And nobody can erase that.

Gary Sturgis
Author of: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF -365 Days A Year’

09/04/2026

My loss took me in a direction I never expected to go.

I never imagined I’d be someone that spends the majority of my time talking about grief. Because it doesn’t exactly make me the ‘fun guy.’ You never hear anyone say, “Hey let’s have a party and invite that guy that talks about grief!”

But I think talking about our grief, and our loss, is how we keep the memory of our loved ones alive. I believe that nobody is ever forgotten until the last person speaks their name.

People are afraid if they talk about them we’ll get upset.
But we’re thinking of them every second of the day anyway.
So it actually feels good to hear their name.

So yes, I talk a lot about grief, and I’ll tell you why that’s so hard.

Grief is uncomfortable.

If something is bad we think of the opposite. For example: If you’re sad, you think about being happy. If you’re tense, you think about being relaxed. If you’re angry, you think about being calm.

But grief is like an arrow without a target. There’s no remedy or cure for grief. It’s not something you just get over after the funeral, or when you’ve cleaned out the closet, or even years after it happens.

You just learn to live with it.

You can’t go over it, under it, or around it.
You just have to go right through it.

Grief is just the love we have for the people we lost.
It’s our only way to express how much we miss them.

We talk about our grief…because it’s what keeps us connected to them.

So every chance you get...say their name!

Gary Sturgis
Author of: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year’

05/24/2026

🇺🇸 Honor 🇺🇸 Remember 🇺🇸

05/24/2026

Save the date and mark your calendars! National Wreaths Across America Day 2026 will take place on Saturday, December 19!

05/23/2026

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

🇺🇸 With Memorial Day approaching, we are reminded that each fold of a flag holds meaning. The final fold however, the one right before the flag is cradled and handed to a grieving family, says what words cannot. We pause in silence for the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. We honor their memory, their families, and the weight of every fold that tells their story. We will never forget.

///

Please note that Team Scott will have modified hours this weekend:
🇺🇸 Friday, May 22: Many customer service areas / offices are closed on base. Please call ahead if seeking assistance.
🇺🇸 FSS hours of operation: https://375fss.com/holiday-hours/

Additionally in the area:
🇺🇸 Belleville Memorial Day Parade, May 25, 10 a.m., Starts on North 3rd & West A Street, and travels on Mascoutah Avenue to Walnut Hill Cemetery. A Memorial Day Ceremony will then take place at 11 a.m. there.
🇺🇸 O'Fallon Memorial Day Ceremony, May 25, 11:30 a.m. at the Veterans Monument located on 737 Wesley Drive. Major. Gen. Charles D. Bolton, 18th Air Force commander, is the guest speaker. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the First Baptist Church, located at 1111 East Highway 50 in O’Fallon.
🇺🇸Mascoutah Memorial Day weekend events:
▶️ Veteran’s Ball Park Dedication Ceremony, May 22, 5:30 p.m., at the Mascoutah High School Ball Fields
▶️ Flag Placement at Mascoutah City Cemetery, May 23, 10 AM
▶️ Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony, May 25, Noon, American Legion Post 292

*More events may be added as they are known*

05/10/2026

I'll be honest...I've been struggling what to say and write today.

It's because today is a day of celebration for so many, yet for so many others, this day comes packed with a punch to the gut and heart.

Mother’s Day is about Sunday brunch, flowers, cards and family gatherings. It’s a day that's filled with the celebration of life, love, happiness, gratitude, hugs and joy.

But for some of you...it’s just another day living with a broken heart.

There are so many different reasons (way too many for me to list in this blog) why this one day of the year comes with heartache instead of happiness.

But, regardless of the reason, Mother’s Day can stir up so many different emotions, even for those of you that have lost a child, so I can totally understand if it’s a day you would rather skip.

The problem is...it’s so tough to completely ignore a day that gets so much attention.

It's okay to wish that your circumstances could be different.

Here's the thing...you don't have to pretend you're happy if today is filled with sorrow and pain.

That’s your right, and you get to have a bad day even though other people may not understand that.

If you're grieving today...it's most likely because you're missing someone that mattered.

Your broken heart makes perfect sense. You don’t owe an explanation or apology to anybody. You just owe it to yourself to honor your feelings and your grief.

If you have moments of joy...that’s okay too. Finding a balance is possible and your heart can eventually create space to hold it all. Sometimes, there are things to celebrate at the same time you’re missing someone you love.

I sincerely hope that your day will somehow be filled with love, compassion, kindness and grace.

Mother’s Day may always be hard but finding a way to be okay with that may be all you have to do today.

Your grief matters...and you're not alone.

Regardless of your reason for hurting on this Mother’s Day, remember, we're all just walking each other home.

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year’

03/13/2026

I wrote this because many people discover that grief is very different from what they expected.

And if it helps someone you care about understand grief a little better, feel free to share it.

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF - 365 Days A Year’

03/12/2026

One of the hardest things about losing a child,
is that the world keeps moving.

People go to work.
Stores open.
Children play at the park.
Families sit down to dinner.

And meanwhile…
a parent is quietly trying to survive something that feels impossible.

When a child dies,
the loss doesn’t only live in the big moments.
It lives in the ordinary ones.

Walking past their bedroom.
Seeing a favorite food in the grocery store.
Hearing a song they loved.
Watching other families with their children.

The world may move on…
but a parent’s heart never stops looking for their child.

Because when a child is born,
that love becomes part of who we are.
And when a child dies,
that love doesn’t disappear.
It simply has nowhere to go.

So it lives inside the parent who carries it every day.

If you’re a parent who’s lost a child,
please know that your child mattered.
Your love still matters.
And your grief deserves to be spoken about.

If you feel comfortable,
you’re welcome to share your child’s name or photo in the comments.

Speaking their name keeps their memory alive.

And today…we’ll remember them together. ❤️

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year’

02/19/2026

01/25/2026

The bird stays still on the bare branch,
as if listening for something I can’t hear.
The air feels full,
yet nothing moves.

Love used to fill this space completely,
crowding every quiet moment.
Now what remains is an echo,
soft but impossible to ignore.

Silence isn’t empty anymore.
It carries the shape of what was here.
Your absence presses against the day,
felt more than seen.

I don’t need reminders—
the stillness does that for me.
Every pause speaks your name,
without sound.

Grief doesn’t shout,
it resonates.
It lingers the way love does,
long after the moment has passed.

I listen carefully to what remains,
learning how silence remembers.

—Angels Are Near