Saginaw Funeral Home To Offer 'Drive-Thru' Viewings Of Loved Ones

SAGINAW (WWJ/AP) -- In what has become a drive-thru world, a Saginaw funeral home will now offer drive-thru funerals.

Paradise Funeral Chapel Director Ivan Phillips said that the concept started when an elderly woman was unable to attend her husband's funeral. He is now offering the option to family members who may not be available during the daytime.

"This is, more or less, an after hour viewing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.," Phillips said. "The standard visitation hours inside the sanctuary would be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. It's only requested by the family, this is a choice that families will be able to have."

The chapel has installed a window that displays a body inside the building. Curtains over the window automatically open when a car pulls up, and mourners get three minutes to view a body as music plays overhead.

Phillips said that reactions to the idea have been mixed. The drive-thru service allows a three-minute viewing window and will be available starting in mid-September.

"There is no additional cost, it's just part of the service that we are providing for those who are unable to enter the building for visitation or those who are working to have the opportunity to still visit the loved one," Phillips said.

At least three other U.S. funeral homes offer drive-thru service.

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