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Grief grips East Troy; residents find support in each other

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Shanna Kuznicki

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Lauryn Mustain

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Steven Wosinski

EAST TROY — East Troy is a community in mourning.

Within about a month, five East Troy natives died unexpectedly.

Lt. Bret T. Miller, 30, was a basketball star when he attended East Troy High School. He died while serving in the Navy. His body was recovered in late October after his training aircraft disappeared off the Texas coast.

Steven T. Schedler, 23, died Nov. 25 when he lost control of his vehicle on a sharp curve and crashed into a tree in Lyons Township. He played soccer for the East Troy Soccer Club and for Mukwonago Roller Hockey.

About a week later, two cars carrying six East Troy High School students crashed during this winter's first snow, leaving three seniors dead and three other students injured.

Shanna L. Kuznicki, Lauryn K. Mustain and Steven J. Wosinski died last week after the driver of the car they were in lost control and hit another vehicle. They were 17.

The three were passengers in a Toyota Corolla driven by Andrew A. Bohmann, 17, who remains hospitalized. His family Tuesday said Bohmann was in critical condition.

Handling grief

Experts say handling grief is especially hard during the holidays when families and friends gather to share moments of joy.

Mary Elizabeth Allen, a chaplain at the University Hospital in Madison, said grief is the internal experience about the loss of someone, and mourning is the externalization of grief.

"It's very important that people express grief," Allen said. "I'm afraid that our society isn't real good about encouraging that. We need to offer support."

Allen said it's important to offer companionship and to let those suffering talk about their loss.

That's what officials at the high school have been doing since last week, school counselor Mike Weygand said.

"At the high school, we set up the library as a mourning room for kids to go and talk about their friends," he said. "They made posters, had a chance to talk to each other."

"You just try to give them an opportunity to explore emotions."

Community support

Weygand described losing the three students as a horrific experience, but he's thankful for the community support.

About seven area high schools sent counselors, social workers and psychologists. Parents and community members donated snacks and drinks for those who gathered at the high school Saturday.

Carol Guequierre, a volunteer with non-profit GriefShare, is organizing an East Troy seminar on how to handle grief.

Healing is a journey, she said.

"They have to first of all accept that this loved one is gone," Guequierre said. "Sometimes they're in denial. They still have that hope that they're still somehow going to walk through that door one day.

"And then the realization that it's not just a loss of someone, but the hopes and dreams and plans and all of the things that would have come."

Guequierre wants East Troy residents to work together and support each other in a time of pain.

"Give them a hug; ask if you can help them with something," she said. "Reach out to them, call. Respect that it's going to take time. They're not going to get over it right away.

"If they need to cry, let them cry."