Article and Photos by Wendy McCarty
When embracing your own mortality, it is natural to react with fear and a wave of uncomfortable emotions. As humans, we each understand the fact that one day, we will no longer be alive. There is, however, no certainty as to when our lives will come to an end. There are a select few individuals in our society who are equipped to be surrounded by death on a regular basis. They are our morticians and funeral home operators. These fellow humans help us to process, accept and grieve the losses of those around us.
I recently spoke with the staff at Seawright Funeral Home & Crematory, located at 26 East Main Street in Inman, South Carolina. Founded in 1925, “Seawright’s”, as it is locally known, first began as a furniture store and funeral home. Furniture was sold downstairs and caskets were sold upstairs. In 1929, Seawright’s moved into their current building, which was once a residence built in the late 1800’s.
Seawright Funeral Home serves all of Spartanburg County and surrounding areas, including Easley, Campobello, Pauline, Greer, Cherokee County and beyond, and offers regular burial services as well as on-site cremation (A Crematory was built in 2001). Seawright’s features a cremation show room, offering different styles of urns, necklaces for holding ashes, and other cremation options. At one point in time, a showroom of caskets was once an option, but Seawright’s now offers a digital system of display for vaults, urns and American made caskets. A television sits in two separate meeting rooms, one for small groups and another for large groups. Each television is surrounded by a gold picture frame. Family members sit with the staff and view each option, digitally, one at a time.
Seawright’s welcomes individuals of all faiths, religions and respects traditional rituals of burial for all families. Religions such as Buddhist, Hindu and Seik/Indian often choose Seawright’s for this reason. Families from these religions have the option to enter the crematory and be the ones who push the final button. The wishes of the deceased and their families, religion or not, are respected. For example, some may not wish to be embalmed, and this is accepted.
During a visitation service or “Viewing”, the same television screens which helped the family to make decisions about the funeral can be used to present a remembrance slideshow. The small meeting room may also double as a children’s room, where children have the option to watch cartoons or draw while the adults mourn.
Seawright Funeral Home handles the needs of your family during your time of loss, even before the time is needed. “Pre-Need Funerals” are becoming more and more popular with the public. With this option, anyone may choose how they would like for their final wishes to be known. Clothing can be stored, caskets chosen, etc. One of the benefits of this method is that once you have paid for the funeral, even if you live for another 50 years… the price of the services is frozen, that is, there will be no price increase at the time of your death. Guaranteed.
One assumption that many may make is that once you own a burial plot owned by a certain funeral home or mortuary that you will have to use that specific mortuary when the time comes. This is not the case. No matter which funeral home owns the burial plot, you have the right to choose the funeral home you would like to handle your services. The same fact goes for those wishing to be buried in yards, pastures or churches.
Seawright Funeral Home & Crematory has an open door policy, welcoming anyone to come in and talk, have a tour, or receive a general price list. Special services are offered for veterans, with flags lining the entrance walkway and the seal for the veteran’s specific branch of the military displayed prominently, among other specialty displays and decorations.
Visit Seawright Funeral Home & Crematory’s website at: http://www.seawright-funeralhome.com/, where the header reads, “Celebrating Special Loved ones since 1925”, for more information.
The 29349 Inman Times 