Funeral Details Released for Carson Vandeventer; Parents, Educators Discuss How to Prevent Deaths

As funeral plans were announced for a Valley Southwoods Freshman High School student who committed suicide last weekend, parents and educators gathered Thursday night to talk about warning signs in youths.

According to an obituary in the Des Moines Register, services for Carson Scott Vandeventer, 14, of West Des Moines will be Monday and Tuesday at Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines. 

Vandeventer ran cross country and track, and also swam for the men's swim team. He participated in the mime troupe, theater, and the Boy Scouts of America.

According to the obituary, Vandeventer is survived by his parents, Brian and Susan; brothers, Craig and Conner; and other relatives.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 23, at Waveland Hall in Plymouth Congregational Church on 42nd and Ingersoll in Des Moines. There will be a Celebration of Life Ceremony at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the sanctuary of Plymouth, the obituary said.

He will be buried during a private committal on Wednesday, April 25, at Jordan Cemetery on Fuller Road in West Des Moines.

A scholarship will be set up in the family name. In lieu of flowers the family requests checks be sent to Dollars For Scholars C/O Cindy Todd 4928 Cherrywood Place, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265.

Meeting Monday Tells Parents How to Talk to Teens

Parents and others gathered Thursday night to talk about ways to prevent teen suicides, the Register reported.

West Des Moines psychologist Jeff Kerber, one of the meeting's speakers, urged adults to understand the affect social media can have on changing a teen's state of mind.

Depression, mood swings and attempts to isolate themselves from friends and family are warning signs teens may in danger of harming themselves, Kerber said. Increased risk-taking or use of drugs and alcohol can also be a cry for help, the newspaper reported.

Several parents at the meeting encouraged district officials to find more ways to talk about mental health and suicide prevention with students.