Paul Funeral Home continues a 15-year tradition tonight with its candlelight memorial service at the Washington Civic Center.
The service, which starts at 7 p.m., is open to the public. About 300 people attend it every year.
The funeral home invites a local pastor (this year, Joan Fischer of Wares Chapel United Methodist Church and Wharton Trinity United Methodist Church) to speak at the service. Veterans will be honored with a flag folding ceremony.
A local group usually perform (this year, His Hands Quartet), and a candle will be lit as the names of each person the funeral home buried in the past year is read.
Each family will leave with their loved one’s candle, and refreshments will be served.
Funeral home owner Bobby Hodges said the service is held to honor families the funeral home served in the past year.
“We understand this is going to be the first holiday season that they may have without their loved one and there’s a void,” he said.
That void was felt amongst those at Paul Funeral Home. This year’s candles will include one for an employee of the funeral home, as well as loved ones of funeral home employees. Hodges said his work has always been about more than the bottom line. He and his staff empathize with every client’s loss, and tonight’s event is one way of showing how much they care.
“Yes, this is a business,” he said. “But we’re also dedicated to the families. Knowing that maybe we have helped our families with the upcoming holiday season and given them some encouragement is important to me. We’re there for them.”