Oklahoma Funeral Homes Innovate To Honor Loved Ones During Pandemic

Funeral homes across Oklahoma are adapting to the pandemic and social distancing requirements.

At Resthaven in south Oklahoma City, loved ones can send in notes that are printed and put out in the seats of the chapel.

“We take these and place them in our chapel, so that the family can see how many people who have left a remembrance,” Resthaven funeral director Michael Kelly said.

Services are still being held at Resthaven, but Kelly has had to adapt to keep gatherings under 10 people.

“People still want to have services. Families still want to remember and that’s important. So, to facilitate that we’re using a lot of technology,” Kelly said.

While Resthaven has had video streaming options for years, Kelly said it has become a much more popular option over the past several weeks.

“The last service that we did in the month of March had 171 people tune in online and then 287 went back watched it and recorded,” Kelly said.

Resthaven isn’t alone.

According to the Oklahoma Funeral Board, services are being changed around the state.

“Some funeral homes are holding services and only allowing eight individuals to come, and they’re handing out tickets,” Oklahoma Funeral Board Executive Director Chris Ferguson said.

Ferguson said funeral directors are preparing for all possibilities.

“We are concerned about the possible influx of deaths, but we are watching that closely, and we are doing everything we can to protect consumers and funeral homes in the process,” Ferguson said.

For funeral homes like Resthaven, it’s best to call ahead for questions or services, rather than walking in.

“We’re open to suggestions that families have but we remind them of the times we’re in and they understand,” Kelly said.