Grim Work
FUNERAL HOME HANDLES ITS SHARE OF YOUNG HOMICIDE VICTIMS
In his office at N . H . Owens and Son Funeral Home , Ron Taylor soothes a caller anxious about burial plans . This call is about a death from natural causes . But as of late , that has not been the case .
The Binghamton funeral home at 421 Scott Street has buried six of the city ’ s 110 homicide victims , including three teens who didn ’ t live to see their 18th birthdays .
“ We usually get two or three homicide victims , but we ’ ve already had six victims . We are not used to that many homicides ,” Taylor said , operations manager at the funeral home .
“ It is unusual because of the circumstances in our society now .”
Preparing the bodies of the deceased can be grim by nature , but preparing the body of a teen killed by gun violence is among the grimmest of them all . In one case , the police kept the young victim ’ s body lying outside on the hot concrete so long that the skin started deteriorating . The family veered from the traditional suit and tie casket attire and opted to bury the teenager in jeans and a polo shirt to commemorate youthfulness .
These are the moments that give Taylor pause .
“ We cry with the families . We go to the repast and sit with them . We hold their hands and are there for them ,” said Taylor .
Taylor , a Northside High School graduate and former deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff ’ s Office , has long understood the emotional trauma of violence . His two decades at the funeral home has revealed the financial toll as well , with funerals averaging around $ 7,000 .
He said they work with the families and turn no one away because that is part of the funeral home ’ s history .
The business is one of the oldest funeral homes in the city . It was founded by Noble H . Owens Sr . and his son Noble H . Owens Jr ., and has been anchored on Scott Street since 1912 . The small funeral home with a chapel on site is still owned by the daughters of Noble H . Owens Jr .
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