January 8, 1979 - July 13, 2001
January 8, 1979 - July 13, 2001
Minna was my housemate in Synergy and fellow traveling soul, biker, singer, farmer, and forest activist. She was vibrant, beautiful, heartful, and endearing. People would meet her once and remember her. She rarely showed signs of depression, but rather put forth a loving, glowing energy as much as possible. She never asked for help and, like a candle burning at both ends, finally burned herself out. After a somewhat aimless year off from school, and just before she was to be the Resident Assistant at her co-op, she disappeared on Friday the 13th by bicycle from the farm where she was staying.During the 3 weeks between her disappearance and the discovery of her suicide, hundreds of friends and strangers joined together in a search of the Santa Cruz mountains and the Bay Area. Finally a bird watcher found her body hanging from a tree in Foothills Park, well hidden and with a gorgeous view of the bay.
In spite of the grief and shock, it taught us the danger of silence. Many in the community have become more open about their personal struggles and have gone through profound spiritual explorations.
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