Departing Gesture

[camera clicking]

[Trey] It happens more than you think.

I can think of maybe about 10 or 12 deaths a year,

where their family would abandon them,

and never come back.

[somber instrumental music]

I love that every day is different.

Every family is different.

Every situation is different.

Every day is different.

It's one of those professions

that once you're involved in it,

you feel like you're serving.

You feel like you're helping families.

Even if I did not love working for myself,

I still would be a funeral director and an embalmer

at another funeral home in Mississippi.

It can be stressful.

You can become immune to being around death.

When you hear bad news,

particularly in your personal life,

it's not as shocking because you have

a little bit more perspective

on what's goin' on in the world.

But myself and every one of my employees

feel like we make a difference,

because we treat people here

like they are a member of our family.

[somber instrumental music]

Most of the people that we see,

about 70% are experiencing a death that they're expecting.

Another 30% would be people that it's a sudden death,

which is more traumatic.

But the heartbreaking thing for me

is when you have a family

that just doesn't want anything to do with

the person who's deceased.

There was a funeral home in this area

that a gentleman was dying,

and his partner went into the funeral home

to make arrangements.

The funeral home found out

that that was his partner.

When he died, they wouldn't pick the body up,

and the body was left in the nursing home.

I don't know how someone could judge someone

based on their sexuality,

or because they have a disease.

What I think it stems from is ignorance,

just pure ignorance.

Back when I first started,

AIDS was not really well-known.

There was no education.

It was somewhat scary,

but now we know so much about AIDS

that we didn't know back then.

It's personal for me.

I have a cousin that has AIDS.

Luckily he has a family that loves him very deeply,

and would not abandon him.

No one should have to go through that,

no matter what they have.

Some of my best friends are homosexuals.

It wasn't always that way.

I was a very rigid conservative

and didn't agree with that type of lifestyle.

I probably would've been a big fan

of Donald Trump 10 years ago.

But now, I've changed in my life.

[soft orchestral music]

We started this funeral home in 2009

to assist families with funerals,

with more affordable prices.

When we opened, Grace House called us

and asked us if we would help 'em,

and we said, of course.

Grace House has a wonderful mission,

because they help people who have AIDS

get a place to live and get a place to feel safe.

They absolutely do take people in

who are the least wanted,

and some of these people they take in may be homeless

and don't have anybody,

or they might be abandoned by their family,

just because they have a disease.

Most of the individuals are cremated,

and that's by their choice.

The family literally has to sign that form

saying that it's okay to cremate.

And as long as they'll do that

and know they're not financially responsible for anything

they will do it,

but they do not want the cremains.

Grace House has a scattering garden

that they will place those cremains in,

and they take care of 'em pretty well.

Everybody is going to die of something.

I would hope that when my day comes

that my family, no matter what I have,

doesn't say, Get him out of this house.

Put him somewhere.

I don't want him anywhere around me.

You wanna help the person who's deceased

that may have lived a very rough life.

[footsteps tapping]

[door clicking]

[air conditioner whirring]

[door clanging]

Step up. [wheels squeaking]

Grab the handle, then you'll lift.

Give us a chance to get the truck out from underneath.

All right, let me get out of the way.

If you would, lift.

Place it on that first set of rollers.

[wheels jangling] Okay, transportation please.

[casket thudding]

[soft orchestral music] Thank you guys.

I reckon you all are.

[device squeaking]

[crickets chirping]

[Trey] Every situation calls for something different,

and every different situation

calls for different kinda help.

But more importantly,

when someone's deceased,

we should come together and help people.

That's what people are supposed to do,

and that's what the funeral business should do.

[handle whirring] [insects buzzing]

[velcro crackling]

[metal pinging]

[insects buzzing]

[somber orchestral music]