Dearest Friends & Family,

Our hearts are broken by the sudden loss of my mother, and my best friend, Renae Wangsgard Barnhart. She was a loving mother, wife, sister and friend to all.

Her passing was sudden and unexpected, and utterly devastating to us all. She was not prepared to leave us, nor were we prepared to lose her. There was no life insurance, no savings, no plan in place. However, my mother and I often discussed what her last wishes were, even as recent as last week. We were not able to say goodbye, there was no last hug, no "I love you". There was no closure. But what remains is my promise to her. To honor her in all the ways she hoped for and truly deserved. To honor her last wishes and desire to be put to rest with her son, Michael Dee, and with her mother, Edna. She always told me she wanted to be cremated and she wanted me to spread some of her ashes with her son, and with her mother who are laid to rest in Ogden, Utah, her home.

Renae was not blessed with an easy life. She has lived the most difficult and painful journey I have ever known anyone to be on. She deserved much more than this life gave her.

It would mean the world to me, and to her husband, Clayton, and to his children, who she loved as her own, to honor her last wishes and to give her the memory she so deserved. So I am reaching out for help in hopes that this community can come together in assisting in honoring her wishes as well as ours.

Death never comes at a convenient time. It doesn't come when our bank accounts are full or when our bills are already paid. It often comes when we are struggling to get by. Just as I am now, just as her husband is. Life has not been too kind to us either.

I always knew that this burden (financial and planning) would fall onto me when the time came, I just thought we had more time and that I would be in a better and more stable place to be able to handle it all.

We have received the bill for the cremation as well as estimated travel expenses for me to get to Ogden with her ashes to honor her last wish. Ideally, I would love to make it to Ogden by Mother's Day to honor her in the way I need and in the way she deserves.

I am humbly asking any and all who see this, anyone who knew her and cared for her, to consider donating. It is not easy to ask for help, not even when we are in dire need of it. But for my mom, I would do anything.

Any dollar amount, big or small, will be greatly appreciated and helpful with these expenses. If you are not able to donate, please consider sharing this page. This is our only hope and chance in honoring my mother they way she wanted. Thank you for taking time to read this, and for considering to help us honor her and thank you to all those who loved my mother.

May God hold her in the palm of his hand.

Below is a breakdown of our financial goal. There is always a chance that more things come up as we navigate this process, and we may have to adjust our ending goal amount. I will always be clear and transparent along the way. 

Although this total amount may seem high, I tried to get it as low as possible to cover the bare necessities. Of course there are things no one tells you about, like how my mother’s husband now will only rely on one income, and that won’t be enough, or how he might not be able to turn around and get right back to work. Grief is different for everyone. So If we go above our donation goal, I would like the remaining balance to go to her husband as he is now alone, and relies solely on himself from here on out, and I need him to be ok. We all do. 

 Thank you.

Goal: $6,000

Cremation & death certificate cost: $2,635

(this was the cheapest cremation and plastic box deal we could get)

Travel expenses to Ogden, UT and Memorial Service for family and friends 

(flight, rental car, and memorial service ) $ 2,000 *

*(could be more or less when officially booked)

Other potential expenses:

- Expenses back & forth from Portland to Newport for remains retrieval, family support, and packing/moving her belongings. 

- Financial support for Clayton Barnhart, Renae’s husband, who will need a grieving period in which he shouldn’t have to worry about working to pay for rent on his home and shop, bills and caring for their animals. 

GofundMe fees per donation:

This platform charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation. These fees add up each time a generous donation comes in, and those fees are taken out of the donations themselves. It is important to include these fees in our total goal amount so that we are still on track to get the funds needed to fulfill her last wishes. 

Please consider donating and/or sharing to help us through this difficult time. Any memories or stories about my mother are also greatly welcomed and cherished. Thank you for your love and support.

This is an Irish blessing that my mother loved deeply and in which she had inscribed on my brother's tombstone, and now I leave it for her...

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.