The table graced with photos of loved ones who will be missed this holiday season. A few attendees even brought in photos of their pets.

East Chicago, Indiana- The holidays are often a difficult time of the year for many who have lost a loved one. In fact, today many funeral homes offer some form of remembrance service to the community they serve as a way to help families cope with the holidays. Ivy Tech mortuary science program chair Rick Soria states, "The service allows families to come together and offer support to one another during this holiday season. Remembrance services expose families to various ways to cope with the holiday season without that special person."

Thus, the college's mortuary science club sponsored their first holiday remembrance service. Club president Dana Kelly-White, an associate with Smith - Bizzell & Warner Funeral Home, Gary, states, "We recognized the need for a service of this kind. We invited all of Ivy Tech Northwest's-- consisting of East Chicago, Gary, Michigan City, and Valparaiso-- to the service."

Attendees were invited to bring in framed photos of their loved ones to the Service. A few people even brought in photos of their pets signifying that they, too, were family.

Club president Dana Kelly-White lights a candle in remembrance of grandfather while adjunct professor Arthur Lax places an ornament on> the tree. The ornament had the name of Dana's grandfather on it.		Ivy Tech's Director of Career Services Chandra Gary lights a candle in Remembrance of her grandfather.