The coronavirus is upending just about all aspects of life as we know it, even funerals.
Wyuka Cemetery and Funeral Home Director, Michael Williams told KLIN News his business is still conducting funerals, but, in many cases, the families of the recently deceased have to plan around the county’s directed health measure banning gatherings of more than 10 people.
“For the lack of a better word, it’s just an uneasy feeling not being able to have those types of services that people wanted,” said Williams.
Williams said that some recently deceased had been talking about their ideal funeral their entire lives.
Even so, Williams notes that families have been understanding about their limited options.
He describes open grave services he’s attended as more spaced out and with less people.
“I think the public is understanding what we’re going through, what the country is going through,” said Williams.
Williams said things aren’t helped by the fact the pandemic has left him short-staffed.
“We have some people that are home self-quarantining because of family members’ health, their age, those types of things,” said Williams.
Other staff are working reduced hours.
Williams also said that the pandemic has forced him to look into adding streaming capabilities to their services.
“It’s not anything you would have dreamed of, you know, in your wildest dreams that something like this would happen where we need the live stream capability.”