A local church gathers community members that lost a loved one to COVID-19

HAMILTON, Miss. (WCBI)- A little over a year ago, few people had ever heard of the novel coronavirus, now known as Covid-19, but in no time the diagnoses and the daily numbers of cases rose. While many recovered, there were families who lost loved ones to illness brought on by the virus.

“Until you go through it yourself you really forget what it means to lose your life partner,” said event coordinator Evelyn Thompson.

For a group at Hamilton United Methodist Church, that loss came from Covid-19; now they’re finding it easier to cope with that loss together.

“Our church wanted to support this as a mission because we found it necessary we just have a lot of people in our community that has lost their loved one,” said the church minister Roger McGrew.

“After my husband died of Covid the end of January every word, every action, every touch from others was such a great comfort to me that I promised the Lord that I would pay it forward,” said Thompson.

Thompson lost her husband to Covid 19, and so did several women around her, but they say their loss can also be a teaching tool.

“From this, we feel like that Covid certainly helped us to push forward,” said Thompson.

About 30 people met to remember their loved ones through songs and sermons, they ate, and play games to take their minds off of their loss. Hamilton United Methodist church lost 14 people within their church family to COVID-19 so the speaker wanted to detail five strategies in which they along with other people cope with the pain.

“Denial and then there is an anger time that comes and even a bargaining time as we try to find balance with life again. We’ll go into a time of depression which is the fourth stage
and as we go through that the good days outnumber the bad and we begin to accept the fact that our loved one is not with us, but they would want us to go on,” said McGrew.

Life can throw all sorts of curveballs, but Thompson said she and her church family plan to continue and help others.

“We know that death is still a part of us every day but we are all committed to doing what we can to make sure that we help others in our community,” said Thompson.

The church plans to host more gatherings and encourages anyone that is grieving a loss to reach out.