This conversation aired live on March 18th, 2025 @ 7:00 PM CST On Zoom.
A Community Conversation with Linda Conroy of Midwest Women’s Herbal and Liz Franklin, Susan Nesbit & Tracey Mangold of Threshold Care Circle
Until the latter part of the 19th century, most people were born and died in their own homes. When they were born, their family cared for them; when they died, their family cared for them. Dying, like birthing, was integrated into living.
Join us for this rich conversation about living and dying. We will discuss options for families that want to direct the funeral for their loved ones. This discussion will include an overview of the work that Threshold Care Circle is doing and the workshops that they will offer at the 2025 Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference on the topic of Home/Family family-directed funerals.
Those who attend this free Community Conversation live will have a chance to win a registration to Threshold Care Circle's pre-conference immersion: Family-Directed Funeral Workshop, held during the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference on Thursday, May 22 from 9am-5pm. You will also have a chance to win an Herb Women Classroom Course - Exploring Liminal Spaces or a Midwest Women's Herbal Apron!
A recording of the community conversation will be sent to those who were not able to attend live.
Susan's passion for end-of-life care began in 2004 when she sat at the bedside of her dying friend, Freddi. The following year, she became a hospice volunteer and co-founded Threshold Care Circle. She trained as an end-of-life doula at the Conscious Dying Institute in Boulder, CO, and completed The Art of Living and Dying program and a two-year Anam Cara (“soul friend”) apprenticeship. Through these experiences, Susan has honed her ability to serve as a compassionate companion through the stages of living and dying. This work remains one of the greatest gifts of her life.
Linda Conroy, MSS, MLSP is a Bioregional Herbalist, Educator and Community Organizer. Inspired by the plants and the feminine, she is the founder of Moonwise Herbs, Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference, & Mycelium Mysteries. Linda has apprenticed with and studied with world-renowned herbalists and is a life long learner. Her passion is herbal nourishment through Wild food/Wild medicine, Community and Women’s Mysteries.
The deaths of my mother and sister in the late 90s highlighted the cultural disconnect around death in America. My own confusion led me to help found Threshold Care Circle, where honoring death and loss and empowering others to participate fully became central to my life. I hope that groups like Threshold Care Circle will become commonplace and, eventually, obsolete as we reconnect with the profound healing work of caring for our dead. For the past 30 years, I've worked in alternative education, including Waldorf schools and initiatives like Threshold Care Circle.
As an herbalist and educator, I've served my community in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and beyond for 20 years with classes, consultations, and hand-crafted herbal medicines. I joined Threshold Care Circle in 2013, driven by a passion to empower others in making informed choices about home vigil and family-directed funerals. I believe that holding the sacred knowledge of death transforms how we walk on this earth. Through my herbal experience, I teach Threshold Care Circle workshops on supporting ourselves and our loved ones through the processes of dying and grief.