Tragic Family News

Dear Blogging Friends,

I will be absent from my blog for a week, perhaps longer, due to a family tragedy. On Wednesday, July 21st, sometime between 10:30 am and 2:00 pm, my younger brother, Todd Getgen, was shot and killed. Todd, who was an avid gun collector and hunter, was at a shooting range near his home in southeast Pennsylvania, apparently for some target practice, when he was murdered. The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating and have ruled the incident a homicide. We don't know who has done this terrible thing, or why. That someone would take his life in such a horrible way is beyond understanding. He was a good man, a loving husband and father, a compassionate lawyer, a gentle son, and an amazing brother. His loss is deeply and widely felt.

Our family needs your prayers. Todd was married and had a 6 year old son. He and his son were the "dynamic duo" and you almost never saw one without the other. Also, we have an 80 year old mother, 3 other brothers, and a sister, plus numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Our grief is is devastating.

I have the comfort of the Lord in these days, but some of my family do not, and this is very difficult for them. I pray that God's peace will descend over them and hold them close. This is a fallen world and terrible things happen to wonderful people. We have trials in this world because this world is not our home. We will need all of the prayers of the Faithful in the coming days. My heartfelt prayer is that my brother has joined our father and another brother in Heaven with our Lord.

The funeral services will be early next week. I will try to update this post with more details as I get them. For those of you who want to express condolences to the family or if you wish to contribute to a memorial fund that has been set up by my dear friend Lauren, proceeds to go to my nephew, Ethan, click THIS link.

If you wish to contact me, you can use the email on this blog, but be aware it may be some time before I get back to you, and there is always the chance that my box will overflow. I will be traveling from California to Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 24th, with a tentative return on Friday, July 30th. If you are a DT buddy or a blogging buddy, you can also contact Rose Miller. She will be able to give you my contact information privately.