Día de Muertos is a time to celebrate life by remembering those who came before us. Families honor their loved ones through ofrendas — altars filled with photos, favorite foods, candles, papel picado, sugar skulls, and marigolds — welcoming their spirits home to reunite with their loved ones.
Rooted in ancient Indigenous traditions and blended with Catholic influences, Día de Muertos is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America that reflects a deep respect for the cycle of life and death. Celebrated on November 1 and 2, it’s an expression of love and remembrance meant to recognize that those who have passed remain with us in spirit and memory.
This year, St. Louis Public Radio invited our community to share memories and photos of the people and pets they continue to hold close. Here, we honor those stories — a collective ofrenda filled with memories and messages. Hover over each image to read the messages.
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Barbara Banta
Barbara Banta
My mother impacted my life in so many ways! The biggest of which was that people are deserving of your compassion. My mother struggled with mental health issues most of her life, but it also motivated her to become a mental health worker and help others find resources to help them. In my own life as an LGBTQ person, I’ve used that lesson to both celebrate and appreciate diverse groups of people in my own community. If we as a group of people can’t help each other out regardless of our uniquenesses, I don’t see how we can call ourselves human beings.
Cadence Benoit
St. Louis -
Sean
Sean
[Sean] has made me be more empathetic to people…I miss him so very much and I am sorry that I didn’t realize the depth of the internal chronic pain that he suffered everyday of his life.
LaSaun Johnson
Florissant -
Mike Ahl
Mike Ahl
Mike taught me so much about life and how to be a better version of myself…Mike, you were curious, generous and kind. I hope I can live up to those attributes. I miss you so much, every day.
Jonathan Ahl
Rolla -
Reyna Muñoz
Reyna Muñoz
Siempre están presentes cada día de nuestras vidas en nuestros recuerdos y viven en nuestro corazones. No fue un adiós, si no un hasta luego.
Genaro Muñoz
Fairmont City -
Zoraida Silva Bayron
Zoraida Silva Bayron
My grandma was the best person to ever come into my life. Although I didn’t have a choice of who my maternal grandmother would be, God I’m so happy he chose her for me. She’s been a second mother to me my whole life. Whether that meant picking me up from school, taking care of me on weekends, feeding me, nurturing me or arguing with me, she did it with so much love. Everything I do reminds me of her; everything around me sparks a memory of who she was. She was a stubborn, strong willed, strong minded individual and many say I’m just like her (that’s why we argued so much). I think I’m just like her because I looked up to her and if I can one day be even half of the grandmother she was, then I am so lucky. Abuela, querida, te extraño tanto.
Zoryan Perez-Ortiz
O’Fallon, MO -
Dr. Sarah Frei, DVM
Dr. Sarah Frei, DVM
I was in love with [Sarah]; I never felt so closely matched with someone…I will always cherish our brief time together; you will always be precious to me.
Tom Noerper
South City -
Shawn Browning
Shawn Browning
She showed me how to be a person in every way. She taught me gratitude and kindness. She wasn’t just my mom, she was the mom I needed every step of the way…Thank you for everything. I’ll see you again someday.
Mila Wofford
Dogtown -
Hossam Hamdan
Hossam Hamdan
My uncle was like my second father and one of the best people in my life. He had such a light-hearted take on life, and everyone who met him couldn’t help but love his humorous takes on everything. He was also a journalist and a big inspiration for me to continue on the same career path. He immensely impacted my life, but also the lives of so many others and strived to make the communities around him better…I never took for granted the amount of joy you brought to our lives, and everyone who ever met you and loved you will carry your spirit with them forever. You’re one of one 3mo, and I’m so lucky to have had the honor of being your niece.
Lara Hamdan
Florissant -
Zee & Al Edgell
Zee & Al Edgell
My parents were my friends, my allies, my champions. They married each other against prejudice, disapproval and even ridicule. They put their children at the heart of everything they did. They showed me how to strive and do my best…I miss my parents so much. I apologize to them for the pain, worry and disappointment I caused them at various points in my life. I believe I am making them proud now and I know they are with me all the time.
Holly Edgell
Shaw Neighborhood -
Refugio Marquez
Refugio Marquez
Uno solo se muere cuando se olvida y nosotros te llevamos en nuestro corazón siempre.
Mariela Marquez
Fairmont City -
Angel Rodriguez Rivera
Angel Rodriguez Rivera
[My dad] was the most influential person in my life… I miss you every day.
Angel Rodriguez Arce
Maryland Heights -
Bertha Kitchen-Heimberge
Bertha Kitchen-Heimberge
She believed in me at a very early age. I remember stories my mother told me of how my grandmother raised her three children as a single mother, living in the Soulard area of St. Louis City. She was a seamstress in the garment district on Washington Avenue. She fought during the great depression to keep her children under her roof. Although I know this history primarily through my mom, as a child and young adult I saw evidence of the strength and loving dedication for family she imparted to all three of her children, and to her many grandchildren. I admire her beyond words… Thanks, Grandma, for encouraging me to become a strong woman, mother and grandmother.
Wanda Kennedy-Kuntz
Kirkwood -
Judy Asberry Randle
Judy Asberry Randle
She was my mother but she was the one who needed nurturing and guidance… There’s no more trauma and no more pain. You’re free.
Anisa Curtis
Jefferson County -
Marcela Darris & Edward Williams
Marcela Darris & Edward Williams
Doll- cuanto te extraño. Miss you Bae.
Gabriela Ramirez-Arellano
O’Fallon, MO -
Jesus “Chuy” Ramirez
Jesus “Chuy” Ramirez
Sometimes when you’re young and you see the adults in your life, you’re trying to understand the decisions that they’re making. Now that I’m an adult, I understand. I understand the pressure that you had and the way you were trying to lead our family to survive this challenge. Thank you for trying to be gentle and I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven. I hope one day I’ll get to see you on the other side.
Cehualli Rodriguez
Carondolet -
Francisco Muñoz
Francisco Muñoz
Siempre están presentes cada día de nuestras vidas en nuestros recuerdos y viven en nuestro corazones. No fue un adiós, si no un hasta luego.
Genaro Muñoz
Fairmont City -
Sofie Mulcahey
Sofie Mulcahey
Sofie has made it my mission to support domestic violence survivors and make Missourians aware of the need for red flag gun laws in our state… [Sofie,] your family loves you.
Tanya Bohlken
Maplewood -
Flavia Garcia Mirabal
Flavia Garcia Mirabal
Mi vida, Mi mariposita, Mi vieja: Te adoro, te amo y te extraño cada dia. The days have not been as bright and warm since you left us, but I have peace of mind knowing you’re with Papo y tus hermanos. I kept my promises of finishing graduate school with honors and now I’m back home with mom just like you wished for. We are taking care of each other. There is not a day that goes by where we don’t think or talk about you. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your love. Thank you for being the abuelita I needed. I hope to be a fraction of the woman you were. Until next time, mi Yayi.
Paola Rodriguez Alvarez
O’Fallon, MO -
Lorena Lafont Schnuelle
Lorena Lafont Schnuelle
Lorena, your laughter and light still shines on in our hearts. You lived and loved to the fullest! We are grateful for the joy you brought into the world. May your children and their children know what a gift you were, and be inspired by how you loved and fought so fiercely for your life, and for their sake. Your time was cut short, yet as it did you radiated God’s love. We will never forget! May the angels bring you a thousand kisses each day until we meet again.
Earline Lafont Fletes
Covington, La. -
Ella Borman
Ella Borman
Unfortunately, I have no memory of her - I don’t even know what she looks like. However, I want to honor the pain she endured during slavery and I hope that her final years in St. Louis were comforting for her…Please guide me and show me the way to my ancestors. I love you.
Tasha Burton
South City -
Marcia Levin
Marcia Levin
Love you.
Flowing
University City -
Clare Katherine
Clare Katherine
Hi Sissy, you are loved and I miss you so much. Every time I see a hummingbird, I know you’re close by!
Sarah Heege
Clayton -
Pat Fisher
Pat Fisher
I never met my grandmother (pictured) as she was killed in a car crash by a drunk off-duty police officer in Racine, Wisconsin, when my mother was 5. My grandfather, Fred Esser (pictured), later married Mimi Jeffries, loved Susan Stamberg and hooked me on NPR…My mother, Dee, died five years ago ( just before her aunt, Pat’s sister died ) in Mazatlán, Mexico, where she had retired. I am here now to retrieve her possessions. These two beautiful photos I am not packing up until after Día de los Muertos. As more family pass away, fewer of the next generation keep in touch, so my mother’s last possessions are all I have, reviving in me more cherished memories… I feel the light you gave to the world around you.
Crystal Elinski
Dutchtown -
Thea Ward Robichaux
Thea Ward Robichaux
Thea, I am somewhat at a loss for what to say because I still can’t comprehend your loss. It’s surreal that someone so strong and vibrant is no longer with us. I never got to tell you, but you were a role model to me growing up. A walking contradiction, you were a fierce warrior woman wrapped in the shell of a petite Southern belle. You demonstrated what it meant to be a confident, intelligent woman in a male-dominated field, yet also a devoted wife and mother. You paved the way for me to push forward with my dreams even if there were very few that looked like me. You showed me that I didn’t have to choose between a career and a marriage/family. I now have all of these things in no small part because you showed me that I could. Thank you for unwittingly paving the way for those of us following in your path. It’s been a beautiful journey. May your journey to the other side be even more beautiful.
Cristina Fletes-Mach
Webster Groves -
Raul and Michelle Fletes
Raul and Michelle Fletes
Two beautiful souls gone much too soon. We miss you both so much, but are carrying on in your memory as best as possible. It’s hard to believe, but your little girl is not so little anymore. She’s learning to drive and spreading her wings as she looks to college. We’re also still dearly caring for your cat that has somehow defied the aging process. He is living out his old age eating homemade meals and sleeping on every available lap. You are both in our hearts forever.
Cristina Fletes-Mach (and the rest of the Fletes/Lafont family)
Webster Groves -
Debbie Quesada
Debbie Quesada
We are picking up where you left off.
Harlow Fowler
Carondalet -
Cocoa
Cocoa
Darling Cocoa, every day without you is so hard. It’s been over a year and I’m still not the same, none of us are. You were the perfect dog. You gave us so much. I hope you’re catching all the balls and swimming in the ocean and playing with all of your doggy friends on the other side. I hope you have lovely people giving you the best treats including fried chicken livers and steak - your favorites. I’m so sorry you got cancer but I’m glad you didn’t suffer long. I wish I could have had more time with you.
Liz Casmier
University City -
Buddy Spencer
Buddy Spencer
Buddy patrolled Maplewood three times per day, ensuring no treats, crumbs, or pats on the head went undiscovered. He earned his B.A.R.K. Ranger badge at four different NPS sites, befriended countless neighbors and strangers, and tolerated multiple cats. He was the sweetest little dog.
Kristen & Jonathan Spencer
Maplewood -
Teddy
Teddy
Teddy came to us in 2020; he’d been a stray and was now an amputee. He became a wonderful part of our family!! We love you, Teddy! We miss you so much.
Agnes May
Dogtown