How to Die in Montana

Erwin and Ethel Byrnes. Photograph by Kurt Wilson of the Missoulian and used with permission.
Erwin and Ethel Byrnes. Photograph by Kurt Wilson of the Missoulian and used with permission.

This story about death is more hopeful than sad. That’s because Erwin Byrnes, who had Parkinson’s, and Ethel Byrnes, his wife of 63 years, figured out how to die with dignity in Montana. Of the five states where physician-assisted suicide is legal, Montana’s the only one to get there through the courts. Ethel Byrnes tells the story of the last party her husband ever threw to Tess Haas when Tess studied audio storytelling at the University of Montana. It’s narrated by Jule Banville.

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