Disconnected 'Wind Phone' lets loved ones connect with those who've died

    BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin (WISN) -- If you've ever wished you could have one more phone call with a loved one who has passed, a Brookfield cemetery is now offering a way to start the conversation.

Between the rustling of trees and the hum of tires winding the paths of Wisconsin Memorial Park comes a new sound on an old device.

A vintage phone booth sits in a hall, refurbished and on display at the park's Family Reception Center.

Inside is a 'Wind Phone.' It has no dial tone, but perhaps has a clear line to the afterlife.

"You can go inside, slide the door closed, the light comes on magically, and you can sit down, pick up the phone, and talk to your loved one," said Bridgette Kidd, assistant manager of family service at Wisconsin Memorial Park.

The first Wind Phone was created 15 years ago by Itaru Sasaki in Japan. He wanted a way to talk to his cousin who had passed. Now, there are hundreds around the world, and Wisconsin Memorial's is the first in the Milwaukee area.

"The phone booth came here from my family, our house, and it's in here now," said Garrett Rose, president and general manager of Wisconsin Memorial Park.

Rose's father worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, and had the booth as a working phone in the basement of his childhood home. When Rose learned of the Wind Phone phenomenon, he knew exactly what to do.

"We're going to use it, in my opinion, to better serve families and give them more of a service," Rose said.

It's not always easy talking to a loved one who has passed. Sometimes, it can feel like you're shouting into the void. Now, Wisconsin Memorial's Wind Phone can act as a vessel to start the conversation.

"This phone will give people a chance to say something that maybe was left unsaid," Rose said. "Things that are weighing on them that they might want to say to a loved one."

"I think when you've lost someone, it can be really hard to connect, and to finish saying those things you didn't get to say," Kidd said. "However you can right that, and get through your grief, is important. It's worth maybe trying something a little bit different, and being open to whatever you need in that moment while you're going through something tough."

It's been said that grief is love that has no place to go. Perhaps this old phone booth can be a rare, safe place to express those feelings and stay connected to those we miss.

The wind phone is a part of an extensive renovation of Wisconsin Memorial Park's Family Reception Center. Anyone can stop by to use the phone during business hours Monday through Saturday.