Tennessee funeral home fined for reusing caskets

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A Tennessee funeral home and its director have been fined more than $3,000 for reusing caskets without reupholstering them after they were rented.

WMC-TV reported Monday the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers found that E.H. Ford Mortuary Services violated state law by not changing the lining.

Former employee Jeremy Harris filed a complaint against the home in January, saying he’d been ordered to reuse one casket for more than 20 services or visitations in less than six months, without changing the lining at any point.

The home’s director, Edmund Ford Sr., said the caskets were rented as part of cremation services. He said the process gave families with limited means an option to receive more dignified services.

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Information from: WMC-TV, http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/