Earl Wooten

Mr. Moorer
English 1113
9 Oct. 2022

Shepherds of eternity

The clock reads 9:30 on a Friday. I get in my truck and drive to my job at Southern
Funeral Home which is tucked snugly away in a fold of Mississippi called Lexington. Usually
my boss, Jeffie, who is really my co-worker, is there. I walk in the door and greet him, he greets
back. I ask if anything is going on or if something needs to be cleaned. Sometimes we have
things to do, sometimes we do not. But otherwise, he says to clean, and I do my business and get
things done. And sometimes in the midst of it, I hear an accursed sound to my ears: the sound of
a business phone ringing which typically means we have a death call.
Most of the time someone is calling about a payment or death certificate or question
about a funeral home policy; but times like this, the worst is imagined, someone in fact has died.
And in a sense, being “Shepherds of Eternity” if you will, it is our job to see that the family is
honored and the deceased respected and prepared to present at the services.
After the phone rings I listen for a moment to Mr. Jeffie as he asks about the location,
name, and family of whomever. The phone hangs up and he comes and finds me working. He
tells me, “We got a body, Hawk.”. I ask who it is, and he tells me everything he knows. He
knows my real name is Jack, but he calls me nicknames all the time. We get in the hearse and
ride to pick up the body. We then make general arrangements with the family, what time of day
to plan everything, and ride back to where we set the body on our table in the embalming room
ready to be prepared.
Soon our boss, Mr. Dudley Farmer gets there, and with gloves on, embalms the body;
which takes about an hour depending on the condition of the body. Normally we deal with those
who have passed away from old age, or were old in age but had a condition. We rarely deal with
people who died in car wrecks and the like, and so far as I have worked there (which will be
three years in 2023) we have not done funerals for those who have been the victim of a homicide
or suicide. We might go and pick them up, but the Corner deals with them in Jackson,
Mississippi.
After Mr. Dudley finishes embalming, Mr. Jeffie and I, while wearing gloves, finish
preparing the body. Then we roll in the casket, which the family chose, to the embalming room
and get everything ready. Once that is done, we roll the casket up to the “State room” where the
family will gather for visitation the next day.
When it comes time for the funeral, we roll the casket into the chapel and have the
service where the Pastor gives the obituary and honors the memory of the deceased. Music is
played and songs are sung, and after the closing prayer we roll the casket out and into the hearse
where it awaits the cemetery. Once at the cemetery, we have the graveside service where the
pastor gives a last word of honor to the family and gives comfort and wisdom. Most of the time
everyone lingers for a little while before leaving. Mr. Jeffie and I wait back until everyone
leaves, and then help our gravedigger Mr. Walter bury the casket and go home.
I interviewed my head boss, Mr. Dudley Farmer about the Funeral business and his take
on it. When asked about what this business means to him, he said, “It is honorable work, but
after all these years, I’m just burned out.” When asked about the most important aspect of this
job, Mr. Dudley said, “Family satisfaction. Being sure that the deceased that they have trusted
you to take care of, looks their best and they are 100% satisfied with it. That’s the part of it I like
at least.”
Works cited:
Farmer, Dudley. Personal interview. 28 Sept. 2022