(Area) Families dealing with a loss are always faced with hard decisions on how to best celebrate the life of a loved one. Those decisions have become even more difficult with COVID-19 restrictions.
Graydon Schmidt, Funeral Director at Hockenberry Family Care, says one of the biggest obstacles is limiting the gathering to ten people.
“That includes us as funeral staff. Take into consideration one funeral director has to be present at any type of service. Even if it is at a cemetery or at a church if the church is willing to have the doors open, we have to take into consideration a limit of ten. That’s what gets to be the hard part.”
Many families have opted to delay services, but Marty Rieken with Rieken Vieth and Rieken Duhn Funeral Homes in Oakland and Griswold says some type of small gathering among family or a burial should still take place.
“I believe it’s important to have some type of acknowledgement of that death now so we aren’t delaying that process. Down the line you can have a public service. Funerals are designed to take that grief of immediate people and extend it to many.”
Rieken has held a drive through visitation and drive up funeral. In one case he said they had over had 300 cars go through and express their sympathies to the family. The methods of passing along condolences have become more challenging.
“I’m fortunate to be a director in a small town where I know so many of the families that come in the door and we are friends with them. Before we sit down and make arrangements with them I like to give them a hug or shake their hand. That physical piece is so important and that’s one thing we are really missing out on now.”
Another way they are reaching more people is through live streams, which have become common practice. Some funerals have reached up to 700 live viewers. In one case a service had over 11,000 views after it was posted online.
Graydon Schmidt, Hockenberry Family Care:
Marty Rieken, Rieken Vieth/Rieken Duhn:
