Cemetery worker denied veteran’s funeral citing fear of divorce if he worked on Saturday

WHITESTOWN, Ind. — Diane Pervine-Brown has heard many things in her life, but she was frustrated and shocked by the actions of a counselor at Lincoln Memory Gardens in Whitestown a couple of weeks ago.

“He said, ‘My wife, I would get killed if I worked on a Saturday. My wife does not want me to work on Saturdays. You don’t want me to get a divorce, do you?’ Meanwhile, my sister said, ‘That this not our problem,’” recalled Pervine-Brown.

Her father, Robert Jack Pervine, was 89 years old when he passed away on Oct. 18.

The Marine and father of four lived a good life and was loved by many, especially his four daughters.

“He taught us girls what a real man looks like,” shared Pervine-Brown.

He had beaten prostate cancer and was facing lung cancer with his family at his side. His family was crushed by his unexpected passing. His daughters knew he would be buried next to their mother, Barbara, at Lincoln Memory Gardens in Whitestown. Over the years, Barbara bought enough plots for the family of six. The Pervines are a big family, so they thought a Saturday, Nov. 1, funeral would be the best day to gather.

The plan hit a wall when a cemetery counselor told them that a Saturday burial was not an option.

Pervine-Brown recalled the cemetery counselor telling her, “We don’t do them on Saturday. I personally don’t work on Saturdays. I work Monday through Friday.”

The family said they asked the counselor if it was possible to hold a mock gravesite burial on a Saturday, with no lowering of the casket until a separate day to accommodate the family traveling to the service. Pervine-Brown said the counselor told her he would talk with his managers to see what, if anything, could be done.

“He kept doing the same, ‘Okie-doke. I’m still working on it.’ Meanwhile, time is ticking, I just had it, so I reached out to you.”

When I called the cemetery, the general manager, Doug Hyatt, was stunned that this was an issue since Saturday funerals are common at Lincoln Memory Gardens.

As part of the resolution, the family said the cemetery waived nearly $5,000 in related fees.

On Nov. 1, a Saturday, Robert Jack Purvine was laid to rest with military honors. The ceremony a tribute known for setting a foundation based on family and faith.

The corporate owner of Lincoln Memory Gardens is Florida-based Everstory Partners. A spokesperson sent us this statement:

“Lincoln Cemetery strives to be a place of comfort and reflection for our families and community members. We recently learned that a family member was informed that we could not accommodate a Saturday service, causing distress. Lincoln Cemetery, in fact, does perform Saturday and weekend services, and plans now are in the final stages for the family to lay to rest their Marine Veteran father next to their beloved mother, as they originally planned. We apologize for the extra worry this error caused, but intend to make it right with a service the family will be proud of.”

Pervine-Brown was pleased with the assistance of Doug Hyatt and his colleague Josh on the burial service.

“This should not happen to someone else,” stated Pervine-Brown.

She also had kind words for the Call Rafael team, calling it “a miracle” that her fear of cancelling the funeral or having to find a new burial site was averted in light of the unexpected drama.