DE PERE, Wis — Local police have a daunting task moving forward as they try and limit public gatherings to less than ten people. On Tuesday NBC26 learned more about the results of that decision, ranging from Fort Howard Cemetery in Green Bay where they will no longer be hosting witnessed burials, to funeral homes where attendance will be limited to just ten guests.
At Lawrence Cemetery in De Pere, countless headstones of fathers, mothers and loved ones are scattered across the country landscape. These are memorials to men and women who were likely put to rest with family and friends present at the time, which for many people offered comfort.
"Anytime somebody goes through a loss alone, it's more difficult than if you were going through it with the support of a group," says Funeral Director Joe Vanden Avond, of Ryan Funeral Home.
Vanden Avond says his staff is preparing to limit visitations for mourners, to just ten people, all in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"It's a difficult time to navigate through and we're not taking any decisions lightly," says Vanden Avond.
Starting on Tuesday evening the De Pere Police Chief says his department will be attempting to limit gatherings at confined places to less than 10 people as well, a move that the Chief says he has reached out to local funeral homes about.
"We don't want to facilitate anything that would potentially harm people," says Vanden Avond who understands the precaution.
But what the change means for mourning families is that they may have to have some tough conversations about burials and funeral services, in the very near future.
"It’s a pretty big difficulty deciding who gets to attend and who doesn't.... People genuinely care at the time of a funeral for the families well being. They're going to have to be understanding of these limits to occupancy and we'll explain it the best we can, one phone call at a time if we need to," adds Vanden Avond.
For now though, for those who are realizing they can't attend an upcoming funeral, Funeral directors say a phone call or even a card can go a long way to let mourners know that you care.
"Knowing it's coming from a good place, I think people are understanding to that and they can feel it," says Vanden Avond.
Instead of going to a funeral limited to ten people, directors at Ryan Funeral Home say online streaming of funerals will likely be a popular option for many, moving forward.
