Waukesha Funeral Home Owner On How The Pandemic Changed Funerals

WAUKESHA, WI—Ted Larsen, co-owner and operator of Church and Chapel Funeral Homes, counts his blessings given what he witnessed in his line of work during the pandemic.

"There are people that we serve that their life changed on a dime," Larsen said. "When there is a sudden death, everyone's life changes on a dime."

Larsen had several hundred customers who experienced a COVID-19 related deaths in their families.

"The pandemic is a year old, but we lost a lot of people," he said. "When the pandemic was at its peak, families didn't get a chance to say goodbye. People ended up dying alone."

It was not the best time to plan a funeral, he added. Some families choose not to allow guests. Others opted for a virtual funeral. He commended everyone in the funeral industry for the work they did over the past year.

"Everyone's staff was running thin and worked long hours," Larsen said.

Unlike other industries, working from home wasn't an option for his employees. Staff members needed to be in the offices and the facility where the equipment was located.

Banks and restaurants had drive-thru services to keep businesses going. But the funeral industry had to keep going in person, he said.

Fewer funerals took place in person, but staff members still tended to those who died. There were gravesite services for immediate family only. At one point, only 10 people were allowed in a visitation room at a time.

"Everyone was learning," Larsen said. "There was no textbook on how to deal with this."

Funerals A Year Later

Funeral homes were busy during the pandemic and remain busy now, Larsen said. His funeral homes have experienced more people calling to plan a way to honor loved ones.

The two things that did not increase during the pandemic were funeral planning and cremation. Larsen predicted that more people will preplan when they feel comfortable now that the pandemic is waning. But he still hasn't seen an increase in cremations.

"People stayed with their traditions. They stayed with what they wished for," Larsen said.

"The pandemic was not going to change your form of disposition," he said.

What People Want In Funerals

The pandemic created a need for livestreamed funeral services, photo slideshows, special music and other personal touches.

"The streaming is a big request lately just on the foundation of how many people live out of the state," Larsen said.

A family of four would have a difficult time making travel arrangements to fly out for a funeral during the pandemic, he said. Larsen plans to keep the streaming service, especially for out-of-town guests, he said.

The needs of customers have shifted. Families now want to be more involved in planning a funeral, especially when it comes to sharing personal items, he said.

"They are showing off mom and dad's collections," he said. "If we serve a veteran, there are a lot of memorabilia from the war. It is about the story."

Sometimes a family will even display a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the lobby.

"There is much more personalization as to what the person who passed really enjoyed in their lifetime," he said.

Newly passed federal coronavirus relief laws provide help for COVID-19-related funeral expenses after Jan. 20. For more information, visit the Church and Chapel's website.