I held my son in my arms and his sister and girlfriend held him as well. Our funeral home was amazing. They made our horrible grief a little more bearable.
My baby died at 2 weeks, she was a preemie. The funeral home said we couldn’t touch her and had to have a closed casket, but let 6 of us see her first. We hugged and kissed her anyway I never questioned why. I was friends with the owner of the funeral home. At the end, she gave us our bill, with the quote, “all expenses paid.” I miss the owner. She went to our church and as a little girl, I’d walk to her house, for milk and cookies and a hug. I found out, that after my parents were killed by a drunk driver (I was 3 months old), she cared for my mom. I know that my moms body was truly taken care of. She asked if I had anything I’d like done. I asked her to paint her nails light pink. She did. It was so hard picking out that casket and tiny cloths. I brought a pink outfit from the hospital gift shop that said, “angel”, it was footed, a onesie and preemie diaper from the hospital. Our baby looked beautiful. People may not always come back to thank or appreciate you, but trust me, they do. Our daughters procession even had a police escort. Instead of a bad last memory, it was beautiful. I tucked her in one last time and said goodbye. Bless you for what you do. 💝
It sounded like you were surrounded by good people in a horrible time. The loss and emptiness of loosing a child is uncomprehendable unless you are the one that lost it! Sorry for your loss! May God bless you and get you through this horrible time.
when my wife passed away I gave her one las kiss and i held her hand well i touched her hands without disturbing her and our director was so nice and understanding about my grief . it's been three years now and i still miss her terrible.
Kari; You are a credit to the profession. I have been following you for a couple of years, and although not in the profession, I do help those struggling with Grief (I'm a Chaplain). You remind me of the funeral director who cared for my grandson when he passed away in 2012. Often I have contemplated entering the profession, but I'm only 3 years away from retiring, so doubt it would be beneficial....I do have a passion for your profession and appreciate each of you.
I had a friend who was killed in a car accident and she was mangled up badly but her husband insisted on an open casket. The deceased face was reconstructed with clay putty to resemble her as best as possible. They did the veil thing so nobody could undo the fake reconstruction by touching or kissing the clay.
Great job Kari. I have to say I have to give props to the Hospice Center on how they told me my mom had passed. Her nurse called and realized I was driving. She just said they needed me there. I dropped what I was doing and was on my way. I didn't know it at that time but my mom had already passed. When I arrived, Security had been on the lookout for me. I stopped to sign in and they told me not to sign and go ahea. As I got off the elevator, my mom's nurse was watching and came up from behind me as I rounded the corner to her room. She asked me to please stop. I did, she told me, then asked if she could hug me. Then she escorted me to my mom's room. I remember holding my mom's hand, I did it without even thinking. I looked at the clock and it was 3:40, the nurse said that they pronounced her exactly an hour ago. I only stayed about two minutes. Then we made sure all of the Funeral Home information was correct. I don't believe in touching a body in the Funeral Home. I didn't even want to attend the viewing because I was afraid of having bad memories. I remember busting out laughing when the Funeral Director told me my mom had purchased a locking casket. Then he asked me if I wanted the key after the casket was locked. That's an explanation for another time. I still want to laugh every time I think about it.
I wanted to be mortician and to go to Gupton Jones Funeral Service College in Atlanta but had kids who needed me to come back home to care for them. I learned so much working in ED and viewing the DOA's and ED Deaths and gathering info for Medical Examiner, helping families make decisions, taking to morgue. Just the honor of caring for a life that used to be was an honor.
I will never forget being in the 4th grade and my mom coming to check me out because my brothers best friend ( they were both 13 n had the same birthday) he was murdered by his own mother. She stabbed him 30 or 40 times. Cut his throat and removed fingers.. It was heartbreaking and down right I stilll hear my big brother sobbing in the bed in my mom's arms. So many people were at the funeral. School staff. From every school he went too even our bus drivers.. the funeral home done an amazing job because family really wanted a viewing. He was dressed in a tux. And had gloves on. They laid a lace material over him and it had a card asking not to touch him. A couple years later Alex's aunt also murdered her baby and left it on church door step. She claimed she heard voices says to harm child. And then they" told her to take the baby to God's house to be heald.
My thought is, our society has gotten more violent towards each other & alot more work is having to go into to trying to get a body to look halfway presentable. I think some funeral directors are not as trained or don't always stay up to date on the latest techniques for how to make a body stable for presentation. As you know sometimes it's just unavoidable with the trauma a body endures. What's your thoughts?
@@ashleighvinson5801 That's awful, but I'm glad the funeral home did a great work with restoring his body. Sounds like his family & friends were left with a positive last memory by being able to pay their final respects to him in an open casket. 🥀🕊 Some people may not agree with me when I say this, but it sounds like the "voices" the sister heard, could've been the "voice" of 👹 evil.
Girl was killed in a car wreck from when I was in High School in a terribly violent car accident had a veil over her, this was 1989 and I still can picture it
I am from boston. I lived in SC. My accent is very Boston. I adopted ‘ y’all’ and still have it back in Boston! Love SC. Miss it ! Not those summers!, the People and the rest of the year. Good talk ladies 👏🏻🌹🌹
I'm in South Carolina. While I do not, many people often touch or kiss loved ones goodbye. I feel the funeral director was out of line. These are our loved ones, the service is for us and our deceased loved one. To deny this can prevent loved ones from saying goodbye in the way that is right for them. If it had been the family's wishes that the body not be touched, the director should have stated so.
The sign stated so & after she gave the 1st kiss, he gave her a heads up. What more do you think he should've done? My thought is, sometimes there's always that 1 family member who think the rules don't apply to them, that's their cousin or whatever & they're just going to do what they want. They have no thought as to what that body has undergone to make it presentable. It's up to the funeral director & his staff to ensure it stays that way so all funeral attendees get the opportunity to remember that person in the best way possible. If 1 attendee ruins that, a funeral director doesn't have the ability to halt the funeral & fix it. It's possible the funeral would become closed casket.. That's not fair to the people paying for the funeral & they're the ones who had the say. Seems rude I get it, but it's also rude for that family member to think they're the only person who loves the deceased & wants to say goodbye as well.
My sister died in July and when we had her viewing I kissed her on the cheek, held her hand and ran my hands through her hair while talking to her. It really helped! I would be horrified if I was told not to touch her 🥺 that would have been so hard for that person.
When my grandfather died I also kissed his forehead so many times, I believed when people dies they come to visit when we're sleeping. The next day after we buried him, he did. When I try to open my eyes to see if it's really happening I froze. It happened to me twice, with my ex then my grandfather. I could not move, I could not open my eyes.The next morning, my tv was off, I know my mother didn't turned it off she also sleeps with her tv on. My grandfather would do something like that.
I've never heard of a don't touch order either! That's really weird. If it WAS the family that requested that that should have been made VERY clear. To throw people out? I sure wouldn't plan on using that place ever again. How awful.
The family technically owns the body right?...not the funeral home..I don't feel the funeral home legally could tell someone not to touch. Or kiss the body...I don't know it just seems like that is a horrible funeral director....
stardustgirl, it does but that was God’s way of protecting his people from perhaps getting a disease or something. The Israelites didn’t embalm their dead. And their priests were to remain as clean as possible back then. Nowadays the majority of people have their bodies embalmed. We don’t have a group of priests as they did back then. And too...this was a requirement that was given to the Israelites before God’s Son came to earth and gave his life as the finest and final ransom needed to replace those rules and rules and rules that they had to follow back then. Anyway, to touch a dead body today is fine. And to touch a dead body of a loved one that’s been prepared for burial is the option of the living loved one...not in any way, shape or form, up to the funeral home. It might be THEIR building, but it is the loved ones of the person who’s being buried who are paying the bill to the funeral home who can say what’s to be done with their loved one’s body! That would include the fact that some may want to lean in and kiss that person goodbye or pat, even hold the hand for a moment, of that person.
Hi from England. Not heard off not touching your loved one. With the covid a loved one died we weren't allowed to touch it was heart rendering. Stay safe and well everyone ❤️❤️❤️
Kari, your educational videos have really allayed my anxieties and fear of after death process. The one thing I have learned through you, is just how respect and compassion places loved ones at ease. You are amazing!!
The funerals I have been to have had lots of touching and kissing of the deceased. Never heard of the "do not touch" issue. Kari, you would be an excellent instructor ❤
I think most of us touch our loved ones in a casket. I've NEVER heard of this before. Interesting. If they didn't want him touched, they should've kept the casket closed.
I am an RN and have a fear of being near a casket; have not decided whether it is because of the death topic or whether I have seen too many movies! My father passed at 53 unexpectedly and looked perfect but I didn't get closer than the first pew of the church to his casket. My sister, on the other hand, stood by the head of the casket and would brush her fingers through his balding hair. 🤷 To each their own.
08AshleyR : I am an RN to and afraid of caskets as well, my father died when I was a child and that side is ingrained in me. I have never touched a body in a casket, I as a nurse don’t even want to touch them after they die in the hospital. I know they are not going to sit up and get me, but I am just so afraid of dead people. FYI; sometimes after death they have been known to sit up but on very rare occasions. Thank god I have not seen it or had it happen to me.
@@jerriedenham2320 I have been around the deceased as a nurse, involved in revival of the dead, and even birthed tiny humans into the world but death in general is too mysterious I suppose. Since my grandfather (whom I was close to) passed when I was 7 I have never been calm about death. I can remember every thing about him lying in a hospital bed and lifeless. My father's passing has taken such a toll on me that I have become even more anxious about death. It is so intense, I get upset even driving the highway near the gravesite. I am working on becoming a psych nurse practitioner with hopes of understanding my own psyche in addition to helping that vulnerable population, of course.
That’s a family request. My First Lady passed, and because she was dressed in all white, the family did not want her touched until the day of the funeral.
I was able to get closure and see my dad privately at the funeral home as my mom didn't have him embalmed and tried to prevent me from seeing him (he died from MS) she wanted me to remember him alive but I needed closure but I didn't touch him.
When my father in law died, there was a man we didn’t know walking around, finally an uncle went up to, casually ask the stranger politely ask how he knew joe.... he said he just comes to funerals that obituary was in the newspaper.....I believe that was a casket crawler is
Years ago my cousin was killed in a car accident by a fence post through the windshield. His mother was told not to touch him especially the chest area or it would collapse. I don’t recall how extensive his wounds were,obviously pretty bad, but that’s the only time/reason I’ve heard of not touching a person 🤷🏻♀️
One of my friends was killed when he was 14 back in 2004 and he was African American, he had a viewing but he also had a sign that said "do not touch" and he had a white tule over the top part of his casket... 😣😔 so we were able to see him, just not kiss him or hug him good bye
I'm African American I've never seen a dont touch sign. I seen veils on tv funerals but none I've attended. The funerals ive been to if they didn't want u touching it was a closed casket.
There are times when decedent's come from the medical examiners office burned, mutilated or anything that requires extensive reconstruction that will require the rope barrier with a sign attached per the families request. I hope this helps
The strangest thing I’ve seen is a funeral director who bought a cheaper line of caskets that looked more expensive; but carrying the body up the stairs of the church the bottom fell out and the body rolled down the steps. There was no recovery from that disaster and it ruined that funeral director’s business.
I personally have experienced this do not touch. I had a female friend who was in domestic violence and her boyfriend decapitated her, cut her hands off . She had to be glued together, they used a veil over her,but by the next day they had to close her up because the glue didn't hold.
I've seen both the veil and the sign. In one case, the person had been murdered. In the other case, the person had been in a horrific motorcycle accident.
My father in law owns a funeral home (12 hours away from us) and years ago I was in nursing school but had not seen a deceased body yet. During one of trips my (now ex) husband and his dad thought it would be a good time for me to see a dead body. I watched from a distance as he embalmed someone and it was so crazy to see their skin go from paper white to a pink hue. I got over my fear of death..... until a couple days later my (now ex) husband thought it would be interesting for me to see a body that had been autopsied- wrong idea. The persons skull was open and the cavity was empty and the organs including the brain were sitting off to the side. I was physically ill at that point and a little traumatized because I wasn’t prepared. I admire you and see how strong of a person you are to take care of a loved ones family member who passed away. My father in law is an amazing artist and he also does a brilliant job of restoring a body when in really bad shape for the family to be able to see them one last time. Thank you for answering so many great questions!! ❤️😊
I went to a private school, and in 5th grade we went on a field trip to a funeral home. It scared the hell out of us. I am now 37 and I am volunteer water rescue and recovery, I have pulled kids out of lakes and body parts out of rivers, but to this day I’m still afraid of funeral homes and caskets.
I haven't forgotten that my uncle told me that I can kiss my Grandpa's forehead in the casket "good bye ". I missed him so much. He had a wonderful long life. I learned about death.
Couldn’t catch you when video came on. I have a question. Is it safe to go in a funeral home right now due to COVID-19? I have several health conditions and stay home most of time now trying to be safe. Thanks for all you do:
To me I believe strongly that the deceased is still the for lack of a better word, the property of the next of kin and not the funeral home. The director can make suggestions but they absolutely should have no right to deny a family being able to touch their loved one. With her story we definitely do not have enough information about the situation to make a decision on it one way or another.
I have a question for you Kari-my aunt passed last December at 102 years old, and she had an open casket. There was not a single wrinkle on her face. How was the mortician able to do that?
Lord I’ve seen people hug, kiss and hold the hands of the deceased in the casket. I personally don’t do it but it’s kinda of what I see all the time so I’m shocked they had a sign like that. A veil would’ve been so much better like Kari mentioned.
My brother was killed at 28 in a car accident and because he was internally injured so badly that for some reason every time someone touched him with any type of pressure fluid came out of his nose so they put the veil around him to keep anyone from touching him 😥 I was 10 and will never ever forget my mom's reaction to not being able to touch him
I recently had to ask the family not to touch the decedent's face because of the heavy amount of cosmetizing performed but we've never had a sign and this was a rarity.
When my sister died she had been in a accident she was hit by a bus.. She was on life support for 11 days and had 4 brain operation and a bolt put in to measure the brain pressure so they had shaved most of her hair off... Her eye was extremely swollen to.. She passed on the 23rd of December and we could not go to see her till late January.. It was not nice they had to use a lot of makeup as she had been dead a while.. They covered the top part of her head with something.. Obviously the eye never healed but it was not a nice experience at all.. When my grandad passed they made him look amazing
My family and I were with my mum when she died in hospital. We stayed with her for about twenty minutes afterwards and said our last goodbyes. Then the nurses came in to 'see to her' (laid her out). We went back to see her again for a few minutes and then left. Here in the UK we
Sorry I sent it accidentally! Here in the UK we don't tend to embalm people very much because it's very unusual to have an open coffin at a funeral. I had no intention of going to the funeral home to see Mum, and she didn't want anyone to see her anyway. However, Dad did want to go which was, of course, his right. Now, my nephew (age 21) had been staying with Dad (Gramps) while Mum was in hospital, and he said that he wanted to take Dad to see her, and to go in with him. I knew that Mum would have hated that, for his sake, not hers. I tried to dissuade him but no, he wanted to support Gramps. I was desperately looking for a way to put him off, and the only answer was for me to go and see her first, and if I didn't think he should go, I'd say so. He reluctantly agreed. So, with my friend, I went. It was three weeks after her death and, not being embalmed, it was not pleasant, to say the least. Although she was only 72, she was virtually unrecognisable and it was very upsetting. We only stayed a few minutes for both mine and Mum's sake. I knew that not only should my nephew not go, Dad shouldn't either. I told him - without going into any detail, and he was upset at first but reluctantly agreed. So, although I hadn't wanted to go (and really wished I hadn't!) at least I'd spared both of them the trauma. And I know that Mum would have been happy with the way I'd handled it. This was seventeen years ago now and Dad joined her six years later. So, going back to not embalming and open coffins, that's probably the reason. Sorry this is so long! 😊
@@lynnewayne6898 yes.. I'm in the UK to so fully understand what you are saying.. I did not want to be there when they turned her life support off.. I don't cope very well in those situations as my daughter had passed 4 months earlier ( she died in the delivery room after 12 minutes) so I made the decision not to go.. I don't regret it.. I am glad we don't have open caskets I think it should be a personal choice to view your loved one.. I did however go to see my paternal grandad and he looked really good to be honest.. My dad passed 4 months later and I didn't go to the hospital or to the funeral home.. My dad passed due to alcohol he couldn't cope with losing his daughter my sister.. So I didn't want to see that again... But apparently he looked OK.. My nan passed during the 1st lockdown so I did not have to decide it was not allowed.. But what upset me was they said they was washing or dressing her
@@lynnewayne6898 not washing and dressing sorry.. I was waiting on a call an my phone rang as I was finishing off.. I meant I didn't like that they where not washing and dressing so she has her funeral 8 6 weeks later due to covid and she's still in the nightdress she passed in
My brother committed suicide by shooting himself in the head,for obvious reasons we were not allowed to see his face,but the people from the funeral home knew the importance of saying goodbye for closure,so they covered the head part and allowed us to touch and kiss his hands.If not for that I would never have found peace in his passing.To some this might sound gruesome, but to our family it provided comfort and closure.
I have been to plenty of funerals with signs like that back in the day .. it’s just the funeral home being extra cautious .. and in case there was any extra chemicals lingering around the body
My brother's hair was done wrong when he died. I asked our director who was a family to get me a comb and water so I could fix it. He said due to the autopsy he would have to fix it. Because if I pulled it the wrong way his head could fall apart. I've seen the netting you mentioned twice. Once with a former classmate. And when my son's Aunt passed away. They were both 18 and had been in car wrecks.
Kari, if a person dies in their own home is it mandatory to do an autopsy if no foul play is suspected. When my son passed a few years ago I could not bear it to have been autopsied after his unexpected death and the medical examiner got permission and they did not have to do it
I've been to a vigil where I been told by family not to touch the body. One was for nephew of my friend who died of cancer, they had to use a quite a bit of make-up. The other was because he was hit by a car. Not like I was going to try move anything,
Maybe you can help me. My Uncle died while in the Army. He was a cook and based nearby to our home in North Carolina. When we went to the viewing he was dressed in full dress uniform but for some reason he was under glass. This happened around 1974 or so. No one has ever told me why he was under glass. It was your normal open casket military style viewing and funeral. I believe he died because of liver failure as he was a heavy vodka drinker for decades. I really would love to know why he had to be under glass. He looked fine and I don't think he died and wasn't found quickly. So what do you think? Thank you, Mrs. Mickie Minton
My cousin who was killed in Vietnam was under glass, but he was really torn up and it took a while to get him so, that made sense for him to be under glass
My paternal grandfather was an alcoholic and his body smelled like liquor badly. They had to put netting over him in his casket due to gnats & flies flying around his mouth. This is what I was told by my mother. I was 11 and never saw a dead body until I was 22 years old.
Sounds like he may have had severe Cirrhosis of the liver,and not being found quickly as you said...he would maybe be swollen and the gases would be more likely contained with the glass maybe glued in...if the family really ,really wanted a viewing instead of closed casket...
@@teresajeffries7611 my Brother was like this one but he’s was shot by one of his own people he’s was having trouble hearing he’s wrote my mom a letter and was telling hers it’s not good went them men in they suit come to tell u they pass is that’s why he’s was seal in glass please answer this for me
i live in Malta if the person dies in hospital and causes are known the death certificate is released within one hour and a hospital pastor is there to give the last rights and sighn any papers the person in charge of the ward then asks the relatives to bring clothes within a short period of time we wash dress and close any holes like mouth and nose with cotton wool.we make it very descreet so the family will not have to see it.the same goes in an old people home a nurse and a careworker wwork on the body and then put in a cold room before being transported for funeral.when there is an autopsy relatives cannot touch or see the body untill he is autopsyed that is done free by the goverment.the body is dressed by the person who did the autopsy free of charge employed by the goverment and very neetly done and is released for viewing and funeral.By the way Malta is a very small island under Italy it baffles me how different things are. usually the funeral is held within 3 days if relatives have to come from an other country an injection is given to the body and is kept free in a goverment hospital.Malta is Cristian country
We were always told we could touch their hand. In fact they said if we just touch the hand then we want have bad dreams later. They said don't touch the face because of the makeup they use. Sometimes the skin will tear because it is like paper now.
When my father died and was in his casket I was kissing his hand and the funeral director asked me not to do that because it would mess up the cosmetics that had been applied.
I remember as a small child, when one of my uncles died, visiting the funeral parlor with my family, asking if I could touch him in the casket...given permission to do so...remember that the body seemed to be cool...no problem with the funeral home...
Unfortunately, my family does own a black funeral home & I've lost many family & friends 😢 The funeral director did exactly as he should've. I have personally been to a funeral where my childhood (all the way to adult) friend was murdered & there was a veil put over him. So you're exactly right, I'm sure it was to try to preserve the work that was done to make that body presentable. The public (family included isn't always made aware of everything it takes to make that possible). A family usually wants to have an open casket if at all possible. Unfortunately, when ppl are disrespectful & they believe they're more important than anyone else at the funeral, they tend to think the rules don't apply to them. It was disrespectful for that cousin to blatantly go against the wishes of the family & the sign. Signs are posted for a reason. Better yet, a body is protected by such things for a reason.
Always thought that too but when they're dead, the disease/virus dies also. Even something as deadly as aids, after so many hours it can no longer survive. The host dies, it dies too.
I touched my mother ,I touched her hand and stroked her cheek .she was very cold and rigid .but i actually knew it would be like that .in my eyes her soul had left but her wonderful body that she inhabited for the past 85 years deserved my greatest of respect and thanks .I had her dressed in her best with earrings ,scarf ,necklace ,bracelet ,and her glasses .I even took her perfume and handbag shoes and underclothes .the last gift I could give to her shell .do understand in U.K. if it is a cremation ,glasses ,shoes and jewellery cannot be left on .you can either have them returned to you or donate ........
Certain items cannot be placed with the deceased in the UK but they won't go into the coffin so there will be no need to remove...as for "donate", i don't think that will go down well.
I live here in the northeast of America. I have never heard of or seen a sign or restriction on touching body. I have myself, and have seen others who respectfully have touched the body of a deceased friend or family member in the casket. Nothing unsafe or unethical about it. Also never seen a veil or plexiglass covering either. Of course I have seen closed casket wakes but those were in cases of terrible trauma to the body either from accident or desease.
With this God-forsaken Coronavirus, the plexiglass shield is one of the best ways to have an open casket viewing/service & to have it outdoors in the portico/parking lot of the funeral home or church, but indoors is totally unacceptable, or even graveside, period.
I've been to many viewings friends and family and no one ever touched the person except for one "coffin crawler" at one viewing, which totally surprised me. I want to know why we bring a photo of them if they always comb the hair like Dracula? When my mom died my younger brother wanted an open casket, my older brother and I would have passed because they never look the same as when they're alive and we were all with her when she died at home on her birthday. we agreed since he wanted it. When I got there, sure enough mom had the Dracula hairdo. They had dyed and cut her hair, that was fine. She always hated her forehead and widow's peak. So I told my son to stand guard and watch for his uncle while I fixed it! The lady from the home got a comb and we redid her hairdo with her hair on her forehead the way she always wore it, while my son had fits of laughter watching for his uncle. The look on my 18 year old son's face was priceless, it's the only funny memory I have of a very difficult time. We managed in time, my brother was still upset but it would have been so much worse if he'd seen the original hair. I never told him and I'm glad I did it.
I touched my sister hand and kinda held her hand one last time. She didn't feel real her hand felt like wood to me. No signs saying anything like that. I remember walking up on her laying there I remember thinking sissy that don't look like you. It was very hard for me.
@@jeanreece3143 When a person is dead they do not look the same. Just a shell. It looks like there essence of who they were is no more. I think that is your soul that has left the body.
@@amysands2413 Yes, Amy, I know what a dead person feels and looks like. Part of my job was to examine and make reports for Medical Examiner. I saw all kinds of death.
I’ve seen other mortuary people on other social media laugh about families kissing or touching the deceased explaining that the body was a harbinger of disease or that they had used the same sponge on multiple bodies. It was disrespectful, but it made me wonder.
If I know the person and the family I put my hand on the sleeved arm to properly say farewell I don't know why but it helps me to have last contact with them
My friend was electrocuted in a bath tub by a hair dryer . The funeral home did tell the family prior to the viewing that rub her hand to much might show the purple coloring from being electrocuted, her Grandmother did list that by rubbing her hand and low and behold you could see the purple probably from the make up rubbing off.
We here in Canada,Newfoundland,we touch ,kiss ,talk to them and we try and hug them if we can , why not it’s our loved one that’s not going to be seen again by us .
Nothing wrong with kissing the dead if want. I kissed my mother. Later found one of her hairs on my coat. It was the worst kind of pain but she was in peace. My heart goes out to all.
I will never forget being in the 4th grade and my mom coming to check me out because my brothers best friend ( they were both 13 n had the same birthday) he was murdered by his own mother. She stabbed him 30 or 40 times. Cut his throat and removed fingers.. It was heartbreaking and down right I stilll hear my big brother sobbing in the bed in my mom's arms. So many people were at the funeral. School staff. From every school he went too even our bus drivers.. the funeral home done an amazing job because family really wanted a viewing. He was dressed in a tux. And had gloves on. They laid a lace material over him and it had a card asking not to touch him. A couple years later Alex's aunt also murdered her baby and left it on church door step. She claimed she heard voices says to harm child. And then they" told her to take the baby to God's house to be heald.
My cousin is being buried Friday. He had cancer ( as well as possible Covid 19). His Mom, two of his Sisters, his 3 year old daughter and a Brother have tested positive for Covid 19. Should I contact the Funeral Home and make sure them know ? My Aunt/the deceased’s Mom is insisting on a normal funeral service.
Dawn taylor thank you for the kind words. My Aunt was buried yesterday. Covid pitted her lungs and she didn’t make it. We buried her yesterday. Please wear a mask every one
I have seen please do not touch signs in the casket up in the corner on the pillow and it will be signed the family of so and so,never saw a veil or netting used.The reason given was exactly that,that there was a lot of reconstruction or make-up used.The immediate family members were allowed to see them before distant family and friends and that any touch ups were done before the service.That way it was able to do open casket funerals/visitations in a situation that they may not have been able to before.I live in Minnesota and yes here I have seen a please don’t touch sign is used.💖
Over the years I’ve seen numerous situations where people do touch the body, especially a kiss or soft touch. In some situations where emotions are very high people can cause movement, and I suppose could even upset the casket. I think the most radical I’ve seen is where someone tries to put their hands around the corpse and lift them up which can be of course very dangerous; but that’s rare in my experience;
