The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-07
SUNDAY FUNERALS
ARE DISCOURAGED
Alliance and Undertakers
Join in Condemning
the Practice
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
Held That Minister Needs
Day for Services and
Others for Rest

D.scontlnuance OF the practice of
holding funerals on Sunday is urged
nv the ministerial alliance and un-
dert,kcrs OF the city in resolutions
sdortcd by the alliance Monday
morning on the ground that the
nrsrtfcc Is undesirable and is uni
yersa!v abolished by law in east
"It is the sentiment that the hold
ing OF funerals on Sundays be dis
courarcd, except in cases OF emcrg-
ency or unavoidable causes" the
resolution stated. Reasons given
were. because Sunday is n weekly
commomoratiou OF our Lords res
direction, and It is Inappropriate
fo hurry any one on that day; be-
cause the minister's time on that
dav is C.ngested, and he must be
In GOOD condition for his own church
services. and to hold a funeral in
addition to other services Is too
much " physical and nervous
strain: because the undcrtakers and
their help deserve one day In seven
rs a day OF rest: because the labor
ers OF the cemeteries have protested
about working on sunday
Undertaking companies indOrsing
the resolutions were stan. y-Mc-
Cuue MItChcll-Fleming, Mowbrays.
Robert McBirney and Tulsa Under
Ahkug company. -. w. Swisher,
manager Of Rose Hin burial park,
expressed hearty approval in the fol-
lowing letter addressed to Rev.
Rolfe L. Crum, chairman of the
alliance committee:
We heartily approve OF the res
olution by the Ministerial alliance
inrcgard to the disseminating of sun
day funerals. We have used every
atcmpt TO discourage Sunday fun
erals. but at the same time we We're
not In posi- ion, unless with the CO.
oyerltl0n Of the Ministerial alliance
and undCrtakers to discontinue sun
day burlals i'm Rose Hill without
perhaps much criticism on the part
OF some Of the citizens of Tulsa. IL
seems that the Sunday funerals have
been on the increase rather than
decrease. usually necessltating that
we employ from five To seven men
at manual labor throughout the
greatest part of the Sabbath day,
which also with the usual number
Of week day funerals means the con-
tinuOus labor of these men seven
days out of the week. This, OF
course becomes a very monotonous
position as Il means that these men
have practically no day of rest. Ii
has been our observance that ma
jorty OF the Sunday funerals are
cases that the death has occurred
four to five days previous to the
Sabbath day and there is really no
reason why this funeral should be
held on Sunday rather than any OF
the other six days of the week.
There Is another fact in regard
20 Sunday funerals which should be
Objectionable to the average family.
If the weather is permissible, the
cemetery is usually visited by a
large number OF people ON Sunday
afternoon, and we have noted that
IN many cases where funerals ar
rive at that time many of the people
perhaps have never seen or heard
tell Of the bereaved family and
make II a point, perhaps through
morbid curiosity, to attend these fun
erals, and In many cases these Wis
TORS have a tendency to take away
the privacy and soiemnity Of the
occasion.
There are very few cities in the
United states having the popula-
tlon Of Tulsa that have not lona
ago discontinued Sunday funerals
Minneapolis has not had Sunday
funerals in the last fifteen years
Even our neighbOrins city, Okla
homa City, passed a resolution about
eight months ago discontlnuinl
Sunday funerals. and as stated II
your resolution there are very few
states but what this disContinuanc,
mas been made, and in many casel
Syears ago. We wish to state that VIZ
are ready, just as soon as the public
mas been informed of your resolu
ZION, to absolutely discontinue al
Preparations for Sunday funerals II
Rose Hin burial park, should tn,
demand be from the citizens OF the
Clty or Tulsa or any surrounding
towns o. county, with the sole eX
eepuons Of such contagious case
OEhIlTNJ nnrnIHl lot