Jill Kraft Thompson
A native of Weiser, Idaho, Jill Kraft Thompson now lives in the mountains north of Boise. Shortly after the ninth anniversary with her husband, Barton Kraft, he and their two young sons, along with her mother and niece, died in an automobile accident that she survived. Four years later, she married again. Her second husband, John Thompson, never asked her to stop loving Bart. He even created their wedding rings to incorporate all of their birthstones. After much discussion and trepidation, the Thompsons added to their family. Today, at four years of age, Franklin says he’s excited to someday meet his brothers in heaven. Jill’s two families are now combined, allowing her to freely love her past while still having hope for the future. “The loss that occurred is horrible. But that was a split second of my life. The love lasts forever,” says Jill . She remains dedicated to helping women and men of all ages and backgrounds navigate the grief recovery process. " Jill Kraft Thompson is the author of Finding Jill: How I Rebuilt My Life after Losing the Five People I Loved Most. She lives in McCall, Idaho, with her husband, John, and their five-year-old son, Franklin.
Articles:
Loving My Wife through Her Grief
This article was written by John Thompson, husband of Open to Hope contributing writer Jill Kraft Thompson. March 25, 2015, will mark the thirteenth anniversary of the day my wife […]
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Accepting a New Life After a Multiple Loss
When I was only thirty-three years old, suddenly one day I felt my life was over and my only future was my past. Up until then, my life seemed magical, […]
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Living with Fear, Learning to Risk
Twelve years ago, when our family was living in Italy due to my husband’s work, I lost the five most important people in my life. While my mother, sister, and […]
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Remembering Traumatic Events
When I think back twelve years ago to events following the horrific car accident in which five members of my family were killed but I was spared, I recall awakening […]
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Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.
