Testimonials
Words from the rooms, families, and fans.
On wedding ceremonies, preserved life stories, and live true-crime nights – straight from the people who were there.
Sacred & Spoken — Wedding Officiant
What people are saying.
As soon as I started thinking about wedding plans, I knew I wanted to do things a little differently, so I immediately thought of asking Jonah to be our officiant. His varied experience in public speaking – including a live late-night talk show, multiple podcasts, and community events – proved that he would render an engaging, eloquent, and well-thought-out depiction of our love story. The process began with a questionnaire sent to my soon-to-be husband and I, to help craft a layout. I was pleasantly surprised by the creativity of the questions and how they really made me think.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, he had his speech put together and presented it to us. After some laughs, tears, and slight tweaking, we were all set. Additionally, he offered various ideas regarding the unity ceremony, along with examples of what would be said during.
On the day of, he delivered a perfectly timed (not too long, not too short), beautifully “us” oration that didn’t leave a single dry eye in the house. In fact, we received quite a few compliments from our guests stating how it was one of the most unique ceremonies they had ever attended.
So, if you are looking for someone with a talent for capturing and conveying your story in its pure, raw, truest form, beyond the confines of an empty “cookie-cutter” jumble of words, Jonah is the officiant for you!
— Krista B.
Midwest Memoirs
What people are saying.
Jonah – Thank you so much for this. I’ve also listened to Jim’s and Alice’s. I appreciate your interview style, how you keep them engaged on a topic when you sense there’s more there and you effortlessly sidestep discomfort. It is such a beautiful snapshot in time. Thank you for making it a possibility. My mom’s is my favorite. I’d relisten to it just driving down the highway. I learned a lot in Jimmy’s. And I know how priceless my grandma’s is. Thank you.
— Jennifer K.
Hello Jonah – Thanks again for your wonderful work capturing my Gramma’s story! She started the whole process a little on guard and you melted those walls almost immediately, getting her to open up. The whole family agrees that it was a wonderful listen and we are so thankful to have this recording for years to come! I’ve been recommending Midwest Memoirs to all my friends and coworkers because, as we know, time is never guaranteed! Thank you for this beautiful work you do!
— Erica
Hey Jonah – Just wanted to tell you… I am so thankful we did my grandmother’s memoir when we did. Her 100th birthday party was fabulous – we all had the best day with about 175 people attending. She was a trooper, running on adrenaline all day. So fun!
Then… she unexpectedly suffered a major heart attack in November and passed away a few days later. She had her mind and body and lived at home right up to the end like she always wanted. We are blessed.
Today we are getting together with all of Mom’s children and most of her grandchildren and greats. AND… I get to give them all the gift of her memoir! None of them know we did this! I am so excited! Thanks for doing this! If I hadn’t been listening to Midwest Murder, I probably would not have thought to do this! Thanks to you and to Dawn as well!
— Carolyn L.
I don’t know where to begin… I just can’t thank you enough for capturing some really great stories and memories! I know there were some challenges with my dad’s situation and you treated them both with such kindness, respect and patience. There were moments I heard my old dad again and I can’t thank you enough for that! He was such a great storyteller and had such a way with words — we miss that. While it is hard to see him struggle in those areas, it was so important to me to do our best to capture some of this history. I hadn’t heard several of these stories and I’m so glad we have them preserved. I loved hearing their description of events all these years later, and the ending was superb. Thank you!
— Genelle O.
Midwest Murder
What people are saying.
I was introduced to Midwest Murder when my mother-in-law told me about a live recording. She didn’t have anyone to go with so, as a Mother’s Day gift, I surprised her with tickets to the podcast recording. I had no idea what I was in for because I wasn’t a listener of podcasts. I had an awesome time at the show. I then decided to start listening and have been hooked ever since. Dawn and Jonah do an amazing job at covering all the details of the case while telling the victims’ stories. They’re also awesome humans — kind, and they stick around to meet fans after shows. I’ve been to 3 live shows now. Can’t wait for the next show in Fargo!
— Danielle S.