My uncle died while in Hospice at the Veteran's Hospital in Bath. It was his desire that the VA perform his grade-side service and that a priest be there. The owner of the Barton Assisted Living Home (where he had been living, until 2 months prior, when he entered Hospice) informed staff that he had no living relatives except a brother even though he had just sent me a video of my uncle talking to me. He has since repeatedly apologized to me for lying to the staff and telling them that my uncle had no living relatives. The audacity of his actions evades me. He then took it upon himself to have my uncle sign a form giving him the right to make my uncle's funeral arrangements. He assigned the Baker Funeral Home. I talked repeatedly to the funeral director of the Baker Funeral Home explaining that my uncle did not want to go to the Baker Funeral Home and that he would not be paid for his services. He kept claiming he could get social services to pay for the funeral. I contacted legal services at Social Services. They said they would not approve payment of a funeral at Baker Funeral Home .... my uncle's funeral at Bath Cemetery was already paid for. Chemung county does not have extra money to throw away. I explained this to Mr Baker, the funueral home director. The staff at the VA explained this to Mr. Baker. He still said that he thought he could get the county to pay for the funeral. He picked up my uncle's body against my wishes and everyone's council who was involved. My uncle had no desire to be at Baker funeral home. I would advise all people to stay away from Baker Funeral Home. The director was not interested in my Uncle's wishes or what his family wanted. He was interested in obtaining a check from the county. Money was his only motivation. If I could shut his establishment down, I would. I wonder how many people he has fleeced over the years and how many times the county has unnecessarily paid for burials. Several people involved are filing complaints with the state of New York. My hope is that they will be able to stop Baker Funeral Home from a repeat performance. The icing on the cake was when he told me that he or his son would be performing the grave-side service. I informed him that he was not a priest (my uncle's choice) or a minister and that I wanted nothing from him except to return my uncle's body to Bath Cemetery for the funeral. He even asked me if I wanted him to write an obituary for my uncle. I don't think he had ever met him. I would not trust the Baker Funeral Home with any loved one.
All USA
My uncle died while in Hospice at the Veteran's Hospital in Bath. It was his desire that the VA perform his grade-side service and that a priest be there. The owner of the Barton Assisted Living Home (where he had been living, until 2 months prior, when he entered Hospice) informed staff that he had no living relatives except a brother even though he had just sent me a video of my uncle talking to me. He has since repeatedly apologized to me for lying to the staff and telling them that my uncle had no living relatives. The audacity of his actions evades me. He then took it upon himself to have my uncle sign a form giving him the right to make my uncle's funeral arrangements. He assigned the Baker Funeral Home. I talked repeatedly to the funeral director of the Baker Funeral Home explaining that my uncle did not want to go to the Baker Funeral Home and that he would not be paid for his services. He kept claiming he could get social services to pay for the funeral. I contacted legal services at Social Services. They said they would not approve payment of a funeral at Baker Funeral Home .... my uncle's funeral at Bath Cemetery was already paid for. Chemung county does not have extra money to throw away. I explained this to Mr Baker, the funueral home director. The staff at the VA explained this to Mr. Baker. He still said that he thought he could get the county to pay for the funeral. He picked up my uncle's body against my wishes and everyone's council who was involved. My uncle had no desire to be at Baker funeral home. I would advise all people to stay away from Baker Funeral Home. The director was not interested in my Uncle's wishes or what his family wanted. He was interested in obtaining a check from the county. Money was his only motivation. If I could shut his establishment down, I would. I wonder how many people he has fleeced over the years and how many times the county has unnecessarily paid for burials. Several people involved are filing complaints with the state of New York. My hope is that they will be able to stop Baker Funeral Home from a repeat performance. The icing on the cake was when he told me that he or his son would be performing the grave-side service. I informed him that he was not a priest (my uncle's choice) or a minister and that I wanted nothing from him except to return my uncle's body to Bath Cemetery for the funeral. He even asked me if I wanted him to write an obituary for my uncle. I don't think he had ever met him. I would not trust the Baker Funeral Home with any loved one.