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Cremation for my mother

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My 92-year old mother, Grace, died Friday morning. The fact is she didn't have any life insurance or savings for a burial. She lived on a fixed income, her small social security check that paid for her apartment and utlitities. She worked until she was 74-years old as a housekeeper and raised me on a small salary.  My mother had it especially difficult because my father was was shot close range in the heart in a tavern where he worked during an attempted robbery. I was just seven. Times were tough, but we managed.
In case you're wondering why I'm reaching out to you rather than my small fragmented family, they are not interested in contributing. They didn't even visit her when she was in a nursing home and later in the hospital. So in that sense there is no family. 

I've called around and at least one local church is willing to make a contribution toward the cremation. Between that and the small funds we have available, we still come up short. We don't have credit cards or credit to rely on. We are already earning a subsistence wage doing small farming. So, times are tough, you see.  

Neither the State of PA nor social security provides death benefits for the poor. Public assistance has one program but the deceased must have a living spouse or child under 18. 

All of the funds raised here will go to the Bartron Meyer Funeral Home in Montrose, PA, for performing the cremation. There will be no funeral service. My mother's ashes will remain right here with me.  If I can't raise these funds my mother's body will go "unclaimed" and sent to a county morgue where she will be incinerated with the rest of the unclaimed bodies.  We all should be treated with dignity, alive or at our death. 

Any help is appreciated. I'm terribly sorry I have to ask. Please share this if you would. 
Thank you so much. 
John Tillman,

Donations 

  • Patricia Silverberg
    • $25 
    • 9 yrs

Organizer

John tillman
Organizer
Montrose, PA

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