Missouri cemetery representative honored for saving distressed veteran’s life

HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) - A woman who recognized a veteran in distress is being honored by the State of Missouri for saving his life late last year.

According to the Missouri Department of Public Safety (MDPS), Jennifer Rehmsmeyer is an 18-month employee of the Missouri Veterans Commission, serving as a Cemetery Representative for the Higginsville Veterans Cemetery.

On Dec. 4, 2024, Rehmsmeyer took a call from a man who said he was calling on behalf of a friend. The man wanted to know if a veteran who took their own life would still be eligible for burial at the Higginsville cemetery.

Realizing the man was asking for himself, Rehmsmeyer tried to keep him on the line and suggested calling the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline number. MDPS said the man yelled that he was not interested and just wanted to be with his wife, who was buried at the cemetery.

Rehmsmeyer told the man she could check for his prequalification to the ceremony if he gave her his name. He gave her his name, then hung up.

With permission from the cemetery’s program director, Rehmsmeyer called the 988 lifeline to report the incident while another staff member ed the man’s next of kin. The person listed was able to make it to the veteran’s home within 20 minutes to intervene and calm him.

In honor of her quick thinking and comion, Rehmsmeyer is being honored as Missouri State Team Member of the Month for May.

Missouri Veterans Commission Executive Paul Kirchhoff said he is proud to have Rehmsmeyer on their team.

“When you answer the phone, you can never know what is going to happen, and Jennifer handled the tenuous situation with composure and grace,” Kirchhoff said. “Our team make a difference in the lives of Missouri’s veterans every day, but it is not often that a life is saved.”

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