On August 12, 2012, Claire Veseth received a devastating call from her son that forever changed their lives. In Episode 5 of the Grief in Progress podcast, Claire shares her deeply personal story about the death of her daughter Anne, a courageous wildland firefighter who died in the line of duty at the age of 20.
Claire reflects on the impact of the suddenness of life-altering events, saying, “One minute you’re in the middle of your life, and the next minute your daughter isn’t there anymore.” She reminds us of the importance of human connection by highlighting the invaluable support she received from a Forest Service liaison—and the deep bonds formed with other mothers who have lost a child.
Listen to Claire’s story on Grief in Progress or your favorite podcast platform.
Anne loved her family and friends and she couldn’t hold a grudge. She could do anything she set her mind to, whether it was learning to break dance, fixing cars or riding horses. She was non-judgmental and loved being generous with her time and energy. She didn’t want to do the same things her siblings did; except for the activities they did that she wanted to do, like wildland firefighting, which her brother also did. Anne was kind and her beautiful smile warmed a lot of people.
