Butterfly Release Ceremony

HSHS Hospice invites community members to join them for a butterfly release ceremony.

Valerie Engelbart, Bereavement Services Supervisor for HSHS Hospice, shared, “This butterfly release ceremony provides a special time for families in our community to honor their loved ones. The butterfly represents the transformation of the spirit as our loved ones transition from this life.”

Family and friends are invited to celebrate and remember the life of a loved one who has passed. The ceremony will include the reading of the names of those being honored in addition to the butterfly release. 

If you would like to participate in the ceremony, please RSVP to Valerie Engelbart, Bereavement Services Supervisor, at 217-685-0702 or email [email protected]. Butterflies will be released for all those honored, but you are invited to personally release a butterfly for your loved one by reserving a butterfly for $15 to be paid prior to the ceremony.

Reserve a Butterfly Online 

You may also reserve a butterfly online by visiting here and paying by credit or debit card.

In the online form, we kindly ask that you perform the following steps:

1. Under the “I want to support” section, select “Butterfly Release and/or Hospice Memorials”.
2. Check “I would like to dedicate this gift”, select type of dedication (In Memory Of), and fill in the name of your loved one under “Honoree name.”