Pastor Tim’s article which appeared in the Evening Leader on July 19, 2021
Throughout my career, I have always thought of myself as being appointed to the community where I serve, not just the church. I feel like something that pastors should do is be involved as possible in the local community. That is why you will see me doing so many things here in St Marys, including write this newspaper article. I appreciate all of you who read my articles, and I appreciate the Evening Leader for running them for me.
One thing about being part of a community in a job like this is the relationship I have with the local funeral homes. Here in town, I have an excellent relationship with the Miller Funeral Home. I have spent quite a bit of time with them during my three years here and as a result have gotten to know them pretty well.
My purpose with this article is that I want to say publicly how much I appreciate the Miller Funeral Home. They are one of the best I have ever worked with, and they offer a wonderful service to the St Marys community. As you can imagine, when the minister and the funeral director get together, it means there is a family grieving. The staff at Millers does a wonderful job in consoling and walking through the funeral process with the families. They are an asset to this entire community.
I have done funerals with them where the Wayne Street Sanctuary is nearly full, and I have done funerals with them where we are at the graveside with less than a half dozen people. The seriousness and respect that the families are shown is 100% the same in both situations, and this is the greatest testimony to the care and professionalism Millers put into their work. They have a clear understanding that the families are grieving and nothing else matters.
All funeral directors are compassionate, but there are some funeral directors who go above and beyond, and you have just such a situation here in St Marys. I know that no one ever wants to be involved with a funeral home, but as much as we all don’t want to think about it, the truth is, sooner or later, you will be. It should be a great comfort to know that you have such a quality outlet here in St Marys to guide you though a time of great loss. It doesn’t make the grief any less, but it is a load off of your mind at a difficult time to be able to count on a hometown connection from a funeral home that is St Marys through and through.
Now, with all of this professionalism and praise I am giving them, I also have to say that I always ride out to the graveside in the funeral van simply because we have a pretty good time on the way out. Because of the Pastor-Funeral Director confidentiality agreement, I cannot disclose details except to say I often enjoy those rides.
To be honest, this article is an endorsement that almost none of you need. If you are from St Marys, you have most likely already interacted with Millers and know exactly what I am describing. I just wanted a chance to tell you what a blessing it is that when we come to one of life’s most trying times (meaning the death of a family member) we have dedicated friends and neighbors at Millers to walk through the situation with you. That should be some small consolation at a very difficult moment.
Small communities like St Marys draw their strength from the organizations we rely upon and in this town; Miller Funeral home is one such cornerstone. Thanks to all of the people over there for the great work you do. Know that we all appreciate the quality work and support you provide.