Warick T. Daugaard

People who know me know that I’m obsessed with bees. One of my favorite tales of bees is the poem called, “Telling of the Bees.” The poem is about a custom where people would tell the bees when someone died. The bees were believed to be able to sense the loss and would become sick if they were not told. Many beekeepers believe that they could bring someone with great sorrow to the beehive so that the bees would absorb and share the grief of that person. I’m writing this to share the loss of one of our family members. It is my hope that you pray for my family and share in our grief so that we don’t have to bear it alone.

On August 7th, my nephew, Warrick Daugaard, was overcome by the mental illness he had, schizophrenia. He attacked his father, Eric Daugaard, with a knife, stabbing him several times in the neck. Eric tried to defend himself without using deadly force, but in the end, it was what he had to do to protect his wife, myself, and my husband. The loss of a child is beyond any pain a parent can bear. But the loss of a child in this way is beyond grief.

This is something that is never expected, so I ask my community to help in any way they can by helping them lay their son to rest in peace. Funeral services will be on August 19, 2023, at the Wallsburg LDS church.