Larry and Coraethel McConnell met 10 years ago and were married soon after, their love story sparked by a passion for playing dulcimers. Their blended family includes five children and 13 grandchildren. According to a press release, Larry’s first dulcimer was made from a kit given to him by his son during the time Larry was recuperating from a broken leg. Coraethel began playing on the urging of a neighbor who soon became her music teacher. While attending a dulcimer festival in Owensboro Ky., they met a hospice nurse who played the dulcimer for her patients. When they returned to Warsaw, they contacted Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice Inc. to volunteer. Coraethel is a survivor of polio. She was 9 years old when she was stricken by the disease. This was before the polio vaccine was available. According to the release, both Larry and Coraethel experienced tragedies in their lives through the loss of family. They have also personally experienced the benefits and support of hospice care with Larry’s wife and Coraethel’s daughter. They have been hospice volunteers for over seven years. During that time, they have played for patients in their homes, in nursing homes and also during the annual hospice memorial service. Larry made bereavement visits with a family for a year and they both help in the office which is easier for Coraethel with her difficulty moving around due to the effects of polio. Larry and Coraethel said, “People would be more open to hospice care if they realized all the support and comfort it would bring to their loved ones.” Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice said in the release that it appreciates the help of the McConnells in providing this support.
