Social distancing limits and recommendations for residents to isolate at home prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic have made conducting funeral services difficult, but representatives of local funeral homes say they are coping the best they can.
"We are attempting to do as much of the arrangements via telephone as possible," Robyn Sheets, a funeral director at Gross Funeral Home, said. "For viewing, we are suggesting it be family or by invitation only, and we are, of course, offering to do memorial services at later dates."
Sheets noted Gross has been offering video broadcasting of services "for a while now," but can now arrange for mourners to "virtually attend" services. "You can sign the guest book online, give us a call and we can save you a seat in the chapel."
The funeral home will print the mourner's name and a brief message for the family, and even a likeness if available, and "seat you in a pew," she said, noting, "This allows the families who attend in limited number to still feel the impact the life of the loved one had on their community."
Sheets said they have had several families who have rescheduled memorials for "closer to the fall months," noting families can choose cremation or have a traditional burial with the immediate family and the memorial at a later time.
"For example, a private family burial followed by a memorial service in September or a day with importance to them, like their birthday or anniversary, etc.," she said.
Chester Carrigan, owner of Carrigan's Memorial Funeral Services Inc., said Friday they "have definitely seen an increase in cremations" since the coronavirus crisis began, noting "we've had a lot of people putting off the services, too."
He said they held a visitation last week and only allowed 10 people in the room at a time to comply with distancing requirements and provided masks, gloves and even shoe covers to the mourners as needed.
Carrigan said they have also seen an increase in graveside services and encourage customers to go that route because it's been deemed safer to have outdoor events where it's easier to maintain distance.
He noted they handled the arrangements for the funeral Wednesday of Joshua Severns, 20, where friends and family held a memorial walk from Valley Hill Skate Park to Hollywood Park where a memorial service was held. Severns was shot and killed at Hollywood Park on March 14.
Carrigan said the memorial walk and outside service "was a neat idea" and suggested others might want to do something similar.
Asked about storage options for a traditional burial, Carrigan said once a body is embalmed it is possible to refrigerate it and store it "for quite some time," but he noted no one has requested that option yet.
Carrigan said he also offers video and livestreaming, but hasn't had any requests for that yet either.
"In 40 years I've never had anything like this happen," Tony Smith, owner of Davis-Smith Funeral Home & Crematory, said Friday. "Every day they are readjusting the policy and what you can do."
He said he remembered when HIV and AIDs cases first began to appear and "we lived through that," but noted, "I've never seen anything like this."
On March 16, Smith had posted on their website that Davis-Smith would be suspending public services and public visitation until April 1 "at which time we will reassess this decision," but they continue to provide private and small services for families until then.
"We understand that this decision will put a hardship on families we serve, as well as a financial hardship on our funeral home. It is a decision of heart and conscience on what we must do to protect our families and the American public. Personal hardships must not get in the way of doing what is right," he posted.
"During this time, we will have a private service for immediate family only, spouse, children, grandchildren and siblings, and the family's minister. There will be no charge for the use of our facilities and staff for this service. When we have this serious threat behind us, we will schedule a public memorial service in our chapel or your church, again at no additional charge. As this situation changes, our procedures will also change."
Smith said Friday he worries because "you're not giving the people what they want," but noted they don't have the personal protective equipment required for larger groups and it was difficult to "even get hand sanitizer right now."
While they are offering larger services later, Smith noted he had done a small graveside service for a family that day and "they couldn't be happier with it. They don't plan to do another service later. They got the closure they needed."
But another service he did last week, where only a few attended, would normally have had "200 plus" so they will have a larger service later at their church for that family "when all this finally goes away."
Smith said they are now "talking about" adding livestreaming, especially if the situation continues for much longer, but noted, "It's just not the same. An important part of a funeral is the social aspect. Shaking hands, hugging, being there for each other. It's just not there (with livestreaming)."
Local on 03/29/2020