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Missouri Concerns of
Police Survivors Newsletter
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Missouri 2018 Law Enforcement Memorial
May 5 at 10am.
Meet and Greet May 4 at 5pm to 7pm.
Candle light Vigil 8pm on May 4
Invitations will be sent out in March!
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APRIL 7 Molly’s Miles
Register Early!
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APRIL 14 Black and Blue Ball
We still need silent auction items. Seats are limited so buy your tickets now!
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2018 Board Meetings
MAY 5 – 12 Noon
CAPITAL PLAZA HOTEL, JEFFERSON CITY MO
AUGUST 25 - 11AM COLUMBIA TRAINING CENTER, COLUMBIA MO
NOVEMBER 17 - 11AM COLUMBIA TRAINING, COLUMBIA MO
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Hannah Skirball: Sister In Law
Officer Blake Snyder
EOW: 10-6-2016
Shock, terror, angst, pain...These were the feelings coursing through my body the morning of October 6, 2016. I was in the car with my little sister and my nephew, racing to the hospital as fast as my brother's police cruiser could go. Blake had been shot. It was bad. That's all my sister and I knew...so all we could do was pray, pray, pray. Then came the moment of my brother getting the call. Blake was gone. They had tried to save his life, but he was already with Jesus.
In that moment, my one thought was for my sister. What was she going to do? Her husband had died and she has a two year old. How can this be? I immediately went into survival mode. My sister needed me and I had to help her get through this terrible day. My tears I was crying were more for her than for anything else. Yes, they were for my sweet and brave brother who was now dancing with his Savior. But oh, my sister. I knew in my heart that I would devote the next months of my life to her and my beautiful nephew.
The weeks that followed are now a hazy fog for me, but I clearly remember meeting Annette Jansen, a fellow survivor and president of MO C.O.P.S. at Blake's wake. She softly told me that as a survivor, MO C.O.P.S. would be there for me. When she mentioned the possibility of connecting me with another sister-in-law survivor, I knew I had to take her up on it. I had not stopped to think about my grief until that moment and I wondered if talking with someone who knew EXACTLY the pain in my heart wouldn't help me along the healing process.
A day or two after my conversation with Annette, I received my first text from Megan Fortner. It was an encouraging text about how she would be there for me, day or night, and that she understood my grief. That text was the seed that has blossomed into a unique and special friendship that can only be described as a direct gift from Father God. Megan is also a follower of Christ, and has sent me an encouraging scripture nearly every single day since that awful day more than a year ago. When I met her last spring at a memorial for fallen officers, I hugged her like I had known her my entire life. She has become a friend that I reach out to for prayer and one I know will understand my heart.
I thank my God continually for Megan, but also for MO C.O.P.S. They linked my life up with this beautiful woman who had just experienced the same exact pain one year before I did. She was able to comfort me with the comfort she had received from God, just as His Word says, Because of MO C.O.P.S., I survived the last year and learned to grieve for myself as well as for my sister. This organization will always hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you for everything MO C.O.P.S.
"Praise be to God and The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ."
-2 Corinthians 1:3-5
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Megan Fortner: Sister In Law
Officer Brett Hawkins
EOW: 09-13-201
I was asked some time ago to write about what C.O.P.S. has done for me during the loss of my brother in law, and thereafter. I have decided to do just that and I hope more.
On September 13, 2015, I lost my brother-in-law, Brett, to a heart attack coming off of a stressful shift. I don't need to go into great detail of how he passed or what we were doing at the time because that is all a blur for the most part. Within a few days, I was able to meet a few of the staff from the C.O.P.S. crew (Wend Guthrie Viers and Staci Taylor-Brakhage). Let me just tell all of you this... they were absolutely amazing. These people have gone through what you are going through. They have experienced the loss of a brother, sister, father, mother, son, daughter, husband, aunt, uncle, and friend. They have had many sleepless nights trying to put it all together, been fighting the darkness from taking over their minds and emotions. They have stood right where you are standing right now. They greeted us with open arms, hearts, smiles and tears. Just a hug from them meant everything. Just knowing they have been through what we have and they are sill smiling meant everything. They came right in, shared their stories, and shared in our grief. There is nothing better than having people that know what you are going through right there to comfort you. They instantly gave us their phone numbers and were there anytime that we needed them. There were days that they would reach out to us just to see how we were doing
When it came time for paperwork, they did most of it for us. That association put on a Christmas party that helped my sister and her boys have an amazing Christmas that year. In Jefferson City, thank you Janet Haynes-Evans or holding my daughter as she cried, they helped us with being able to go to Washington D.C. for the Police Week. I have to thank C.O.P.S. for all they have done. I have to thank Wendy Guthrie Viers, Renee Cook, and Staci Taylor-Brakhage the most of all for being there and sharing their stories with us. Those three never left us and were always there.
This association will get you in contact with people that are going through what you are so you have a support system. Let me just say that when you meet some they are no longer strangers, they are family..
I had the pleasure of speaking to Hannah Rebekah Skirball (Sister-in-Law to Officer Blake Snyder) to help her deal/cope with the loss of her Brother-in-Law. It was so nice to be the one to help reach out, and be there for her if and when she needed me. If it wasn't for C.O.P.S. we would have never met. Hannah and I now build each other up and we have a relationship like sisters. We have cried together, laughed together, and prayed together. Up until the Fallen Officer Memorial in Jefferson City, last year we hadn't even met face to face. I have met some amazing people through C.O.P.S. I give an huge thanks to Annette Jansen for putting us in contact with one another. I wish we had met another way and for a different reason but God always has a plan.
C.O.P.S. has blessed me by their members and by others that are dealing with the loss of a loved one. I pray non of you ever have to meet this association, but if you do, let me tell you this... you are in the best hands. They will do whatever they can to help you make it through all the hard stuff and hard times. They will never leave your side and they will never let you down. Thank you so much C.O.P.S and God Bless You All !!!!!
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2018 Hawaiian Luau was a great time!
Our first Hawaiian Luau held in Kansas City was a huge success. We had over 100 attendees. We had Eric the Magician, real authentic Luau dancers, food catered Johnny’s BBQ, and little visit from Santa on his way to vacation. This brought a bit of happiness to the many survivors that attended. We met new survivors to the state, 2017 survivors, and mad new friends. We are so happy we could give everyone the opportunity to come together and “rest” – just think about you! Looking forward to the next one!
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The following HEROES will be honored during
National Police Week
Master Sergeant Carl Thomas Cosper, Jr.
Police Officer Gary Lee Michael, Jr.
Marshal Kevin M. Dziejma
We pray for safe travels and healing
for the families and their escorts
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Our Mission
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As the Missouri Chapter of The National Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (C.O.P.S.), The Chapter, provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of Missouri law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Line of duty deaths are determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB), National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) or Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) criteria.
Furthermore, C.O.P.S. provides training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors.
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SUPPORT
Let us help!
MO C.O.P.S. would like to help you support your hero. We want to know what you are doing to help remember your hero – 5k, fundraisers, toy drives, golf tournaments, anything, etc.
We have a calendar and we would be happy to put your event on our web site calendar.
Send the information to us at
ajansen202@gmail.com
or call Annettte Jansen at 636-299-3772 with the information.
You can contact us the following ways!
Our President is always happy to help ajansen202@gmail or 636-299-3772.
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life
to something bigger than oneself”
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Mark your Calendar for other fun dates with MO C.O.P.S!
April 7
th – Molly’s Miles – sign up now!
April 14
th – Black and Blue Ball – get your tickets now!
April 30
th – LEU Ride in St Louis
May 1
st – LEU riders depart St Louis
May 4
th – MO Candle Light Vigil
May 5 – Missouri State Memorial
June 16
th – MO C.O.P.S. at the St Louis Zoo
August 31
st – Boating for C.O.P.S. in the Ozarks
Details to follow for all our events – Don’t miss out!
Click Here to
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Annette Jansen - President
Dwayne Baumgarte - Vice President
Staci Brakhage - Treasurer
Janet Haynes-Evans - Secretary
Wendy Viers -
Immediate Past President
Trustees:
Chris Baumgarte, Larry Cannon
Dave Thomas, Bev Thomas
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ANNETTE JANSEN, PRESIDENT (636) 299-3772 ajansen202@gmail.com
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