A linchpin of the Ludlow community who took detailed notes during Town Meeting just weeks before falling ill. An immigrant from rural India who worked to retain her culture while seeking a better life for her kids and grandkids. A high school basketball star who traveled the globe as a federal agent but stayed rooted in Proctor. These are just a few of the dozens of Vermonters lost in the first weeks of the coronavirus outbreak.

Those who die from Covid-19 typically take their last breaths with only health care providers by their side. Due to hospital restrictions, family members may experience their loved one’s final moments through a phone or video connection, in many cases calling from just miles down the road. Gathering for in-person memorial services, especially to honor those who were avid churchgoers, has become impossible for the time being.

But those obstacles haven’t stopped family members from remembering and celebrating their most cherished moments with those who have died. In recent days, VTDigger has begun collecting stories about these Vermonters’ lives. We’re compiling them here.

If you’ve lost a loved one to the virus and would like to share a remembrance, please get in touch. Interviews with family members have been edited and condensed.