On 9-10-2000, a young divorced father in our agrarian area (from Argyle, Wisconsin), took his life. He was found on Sunday (9-10) by his uncle Randy, who happens to be an employee of my husband. Today (9-13), Randy returned to work, and unfolded the heart-breaking tragedy to my husband......I found it extremely upsetting and felt it was appropriate to share it here with those of you who can understand it most.

The young father's name was Jeffrey Notter. He was 33 years old and divorced. His uncle Randy, (also divorced) accompanied by Randy's three pre-teen children, stopped by Jeff's home to visit and make plans about going hunting in the fall. Approaching the house, one of the children discovered a hose going from a running pick-up truck into the house. Upon entering the house, they (including the children) found Jeff dead on the couch, blue and cold. It was estimated that he had been dead 16 -18 hours.

A note was found as to how he wanted to divide up his belongings amongst his kids, along with two other pieces of paper......a receipt from Monroe (WI) Ace Hardware dated 9-9-2000 for the hose which ran from his pick-up to the house, and a letter from an attorney, demanding additional child support be paid from the overtime hours he was working. Jeff's family members think it was that letter that pushed him over the edge. Only days earlier, his relatives heard him say "it just wasn't worth it anymore", and had no idea what he really meant. You can imagine their grief now at not understanding what he must have been trying to tell them, a situation which he must have felt he had no control over.

How many other untold tragedies like this occur across the state, across the country? Jeff's story won't be told in his obituary and it certainly won't be acknowledged by the "family" court or the child support laws of Wisconsin. (I believe the words "family", "law" and "court" don't even belong in the same sentence.) Thank you for reading this, and please say a prayer for Jeff and the family members he left behind.