Funeral Home angry over ‘dead’ battle

The Everready Funeral Home has had enough of the public taking advantage of them and they are putting a foot down and doing something about it.

Member of the administrative staff, Cornelius Blugh told SEARCHLIGHT that on Sunday, February 4, they took the body of the late Veronica Lewis to Barrouallie to be buried and all hell broke loose.{{more}}

He said the funeral home sealed the coffin and did not open it for viewing as the body was in a decomposed state. Blugh stated that it is company policy not to have an open coffin when a body is decomposed.

Blugh said that the relatives and friends of the deceased displayed aggression and hostility ordering that the coffin be opened. He said persons used knives and hammers to attack the workers while trying to open the coffin. The police had to be called in to help settle the matter.

Blugh said that the family is accusing the Funeral Home of causing the decomposition of the body, and claim that they had delivered the body in proper condition to the funeral home.

A statement signed by pathologist Dr. Ronald Child and obtained by Searchlight states that when the post mortem was carried out, Lewis’ body revealed “moderate decomposition with blurring of facial features”. The notes further state that the distortion of facial features presented some difficulty in identification by the relatives.

Blugh said that New Democratic Party (NDP) caretaker for Central Leeward, Norrell Hull had contacted the Funeral Home and informed them about the family’s financial status, and asked for some relief to be given to them.

According to Blugh, the funeral home agreed to do this, and cut the fee in half. “We are fed up of this nonsense, we are tired of people abusing the funeral home and it needs to stop as of now,” said Blugh.

He said that they would be taking legal action in the matter and he is requesting a public apology from the family.

Lewis’ body was discovered in an abandoned building at Morgan’s Bay in Barrouallie on January 24. She is said to have died of a heart attack.