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Stories about the lives of real Montanans after they die. Young journalists reinvent the obituary, creating a form that explores universal truths, legacies and reckoning with the memories of those we love. Coming April 2, 2026.Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Jule Banville

Obituary for a Small Town

The Obit Project

Dagmar, Montana, is way up there in what’s almost Canada and almost North Dakota. She was very Danish and had a rebellious youth – at one point, she was kind of a Communist. Mostly, she was the town where the farmers came to buy groceries, go to church and pull up to the bar. But over time, those institutions closed or burned down. If a newspaper ran her obit, Megan Torgerson would be among those listed as loving survivors. She goes back home to find out: Is Dagmar really and truly dead?

Reported and narrated by Megan Torgerson, UM alum and creator and host of Reframing Rural

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