Public outcry over Georgia veteran’s funeral with no coffin

May 16, 2017

A post about a Georgia veteran’s funeral has gone viral, sparking outcry after a funeral home allegedly held a visitation without providing a coffin.

The visitation, which was held at Heritage Funeral Home on Battlefield Parkway, was blasted by members of George Taylor’s family as they shared pictures of the veteran’s body laid out on a gurney with a flag draped over the body, according to WTVC.

The family claimed that the funeral home had refused to provide a casket because there were problems with the life insurance payment.

– Shaq paying for funeral of teen who accidentally shot himself on Instagram Live –

“At first we were okay with it but like I told the guy, I said this was very disrespectful to my dad,” Taylor’s son, James Taylor, said, describing how the family had been giving hardly any notice prior to the viewing that there was a problem. What’s more, the funeral home said that they would not bury Taylor until they had received payment.

“They came to me and told me that unless $9,000 was paid, they couldn’t put him into the ground,” said Taylor. “He would have to sit in the freezer until we paid it or (until) the insurance came through.”

However, the funeral home claims it did what the family asked.

“We were trying to honor the request and let them have some closure by viewing their loved one,” David Cummings, with the home, said.

Taylor’s sister-in-law sided with the home as well, saying that they had come to an agreement with the family and that Taylor had been placed in a coffin and a service and burial had been held.

“We shook on it. The three of us shook on it and then all of a sudden, somebody comes in and wants to stir up trouble,” said Beverly Roe. “These guys haven’t done anything. They were so nice.”