Father Chooses to dig son's grave
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Posted By: Aaron Williams on July 24, 2009 source: The West Side Journal newspaper in Port Allen, La. Baton Rouge, La. - The entire Baton Rouge area and much of the United States mourned with the family of a dead Baton Rouge boy after news broke of their financial situation and how the boy's father dug the grave in which his son would be buried. Melvin Critney, 15, of Baton Rouge died unexpectedly of cancer earlier this month after being diagnosed only five month before, in February. Critney's mother, Rosalind Critney, went to a funeral home, Hall Davis and Sons, to discuss something every mother dreads - funeral arrangement for her son. According to reports, Critney was told they could save money by digging the grave themselves - so the father, Melvin Stewart picked up a shovel and began to dig. As news of the family's misfortune began to spread through Baton Rouge, surrounding areas, and even throughout the country, people began to blame the funeral home, saying the funeral home director, Hall Davis IV, should have had compassion on the family and had the costs dropped, because it was a mere $300. One blogger commented on the story by WAFB (click here for WAFB's story) in Baton Rouge, saying, "For the funeral director to suggest such a thing is unheard of. Why not do this as a good deed? This man has money. . . and this just goes to validate that he has no compassion for others. If I had to dig his grave it would be in the city dump where all the other trash is. Mr. Davis turned his back on this family, turned them out to the streets with no regard." Hall Davis IV, owner of Hall Davis and Sons Funeral Services said that it was a choice the father made to dig the grave - a choice that had nothing to do with the funeral home. In a July 17 interview, Davis said he did everything he could to help the family, and said they didn't seem as though they needed help financially. He said he showed the family the options they had as far as funeral arrangement packages, with prices ranging from $2,495-$3,995, and after much contemplation the mother chose the most expensive option. "When a family goes through three different prices, and picks the most expensive one, that means they know where to get money from," Davis said. Davis, who is from Port Allen, said the Critney family asked how they could cut costs on funeral expenses, as many customers do according to Davis, and he explained to them all of their options. He told them they had the option to change the funeral procession to take place in West Baton Rouge Parish instead of East Baton Rouge Parish. A law exists in the city of Baton Rouge that says a police escort must be present through the procession, which costs $200. The family chose to have the procession in WBR. He also told the family that some choose to dig the grave themselves, or hire someone to do so at a price under $300. Hall Davis and Sons Funeral Services do not actually dig graves, but rather they hire a company that digs the grave at a cost of $300. "We show (our customers) as many options as possible," said Davis. "My job is to tell them everything." Davis, who is the President of the National Funeral Director's Association, said that he not only represents his funeral home, but all funeral homes across the nation. "I would never do something to be cold-hearted toward a family whatsoever," he said. Davis stated that the mother of the deceased ordered the funeral arrangement package of her choice, and decided to have the funeral outside of Baton Rouge, saving $200; and also decided to not purchase the digging of the grave, saving $300. Rosalind Critney and Melvin Stewart did not return the West Side Journal's phone calls at the time of press. The total price of the order came to about $5,000, which unknown to the funeral home at the time, the Critney's did not have according to reports. On Friday July 10, the day before the funeral, Davis said the funeral home received three checks, totaling nearly $10,000, and Davis refunded one of the checks for about $5,000. One of the checks came from the Louisiana State Troopers Charities out of State Troopers headquarters in Baton Rouge. The troopers gave $3,600 toward funeral costs because they heard that the funeral service would not allow the family to have the funeral without receiving payment. On June 27, The Make-A-Wish foundation granted Melvin Critney's wish after they heard that his illness was getting worse. Critney died days later. The state troopers have a "grant-a-wish" program much like the "Make-A-Wish" foundation that grants the wishes of terminally ill patients. The Troopers Charities brought a check to the funeral home once they heard about Critney's untimely death and the family's inability to pay the bulk of funeral costs. The Critney's have five other children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, and Melvin did not have life insurance. A Trooper spokesman said they are still gathering donations for the Critney family. To donate, contact Louisiana Trooper Headquarters at www.LATroopers.org If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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