Tulsa World: Health Department inspects BA mausoleum

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Health Department inspects BA mausoleum
A funeral director who embalmed a body that some say is the source of a foul odor says the odor stayed after the body was removed.

By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
Published: 7/31/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 7/31/2009 4:43 AM

BROKEN ARROW — Tulsa City-County Health Department officials inspected a mausoleum Thursday to try to determine the source of a foul odor, even as an official with Floral Haven Memorial Gardens said the odor issue has been addressed.

"We are complete with our odor-abatement treatment," said Mark Blankenship, Floral Haven's general manager.

"We will continue to monitor the situation each day until absolutely convinced that the odor has been completely remediated."

Officials at Floral Haven, 6500 S. 129th East Ave., identified a body that they believe to be the source of the odor and removed it from the mausoleum Monday.

The body was returned to Reynolds Funeral Service in Tulsa, where it had been prepared for entombment.

Nick Reynolds of Reynolds Funeral Service said the odor in the mausoleum has grown stronger in the days since the body was removed, and a private pathologist hired by Reynolds said the disinterred body was not the cause of the odor.

Blankenship said he stands behind his assessment.

"The source of the odor was the body, and we are sticking with the original determination," he said.

"In the near future we will be submitting our findings and report to substantiate that it was the body removed that was causing the odor."

Reynolds said Floral Haven's story doesn't add up.

"If the body prepared by my funeral service was the problem, why is it four days later that the odor is still there?" he asked.

"Why is the odor stronger after the body was removed? I have been back there, and the odor is stronger," he said.

"Why has there been a biohazard team there for days working on the site?"

Blankenship said the cemetery hired Apex Bioclean to address the odor issue, which was raised July 19 by someone who had visited the mausoleum.

"Once we became aware of the complaint, we took steps to begin the abatement process," he said.

Blankenship said Floral Haven had received complaints from two people about odor problems at the mausoleum.

John Baker, manager of environmental health services for the Tulsa City-County Health Department, visually inspected Floral Haven on Thursday, said John Zima, field supervisor for environmental health services.

He said the investigation to find the source of the odor is continuing.

Omer Gillham 581-8301
omer.gillham@tulsaworld.com By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Health department inspects BA mausoleum," which was published on 7/30/2009.

	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (7/30/2009 2:49:08 PM) Yuk.
	Report Comment jhill2, Tulsa (7/30/2009 2:53:49 PM) The odor doesn't show up in the TV ads.
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (7/30/2009 2:55:25 PM) Get expanded cable with smellevision and it will jhill2.
	Report Comment Ric, Broken Arrow (7/30/2009 2:56:59 PM) Is this the same Health Dept. that checks our restaurants? Hope they wash they're hands. Yaack!
	Report Comment M_Sizzle, Tulsa (7/30/2009 3:12:00 PM) Gross....clean that up, Floral Haven. Floral Haven is a pretty cemetary. My twins are buried there.
	Report Comment tulsan09, Tulsa (7/30/2009 3:23:58 PM) Some pretty tacky comments--from some good old American patriots I bet.
	Report Comment SRV, (7/30/2009 3:28:42 PM) That place is the Wal-Mart of funeral homes! LOL
	Report Comment Brian Griffin, (7/30/2009 3:59:01 PM) SRV...just wondering what you base your statement on..or is it just an off the cuff remark..I have used Floral Haven and found them to be very professional...
	Report Comment LostboyfromKS, Tulsa (7/30/2009 4:20:31 PM) I'm thinking Arby's!
	Report Comment Of The Sea, Tulsa (7/30/2009 4:42:10 PM) LOL Arbythree that was funny
	Report Comment AllSmiles, Sperry (7/30/2009 4:54:00 PM) Oh I can't even stomache the thought of going to see someones' gravesight and walk into that smell of rotting flesh. Would stain my nose for good!
	Report Comment Daniel Day Simpson, Edmond (7/30/2009 10:58:47 PM) I worked for a funeral home to make some extra money out of high school. They rented a trailer much like today's GE units. The trailer was right in the middle of the cemetery. They put us at cubicals and gave us a criss-cross directory. We called people and offered them a 2/1 property deal. We also had a sale on markers. I was good and was supposed to get some great commission checks. After two pay periods they good commissions never came. It turned out that my immediate supervisor was skimming. He was claiming credit for deals I closed in order to boost his own income. So I quit. I got a call from the company who owned the cemetery and he wanted me back. I had already started a new job with better pay. He then offered me a career in the counseling department which was in the nice plush funeral home. I regret not taking that offer knowing what those guys make these days. But on the phone sales we were required back then to work until 10PM. Remember the phone calls prior to the TCPA? When we got off we all were spooked enough to run to our cars and tear out like our lives depended on it. That was not far from the truth. Area drug users often needled up on someone's grave to get that "Jim Morrison" feel.
	Report Comment Bedazzled, (7/31/2009 1:33:18 AM) Funeral Homes make lots of money and this should not be happening. I hope they get this solved. Floral Haven is a nice cemetary and I have loved ones buried there including my son. It was sold last year and I hope they keep it up as good as the previous owners.
	Report Comment parksport, (7/31/2009 1:55:12 AM) What a terrible thing to have happen to everyone involved, especially for the famalies that have their loved ones in Floral Haven's cemetary. I have family buried there but not any experience with vising mausoleums and I hope all turns out better then it seems to have so far.
	Report Comment Sarge776, Tulsa (7/31/2009 7:37:09 AM) I too worked at a funeral home during my highschool and early college years and never experienced anything so badly as this. Unfortunately, after burying too many of my highschool friends due to them being killed in VN, I decided the funeral business was not for me. However, I might add that during the embalming procedure, my boss, smoked Antonio/Cleopatra cigars and that just about made my stomach turn along with the embalming fluid smell. I think he did that on purpose.
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (7/31/2009 9:36:27 AM) I am digging all of these comments.
	Report Comment wildcat, Glenpool (7/31/2009 9:45:50 AM) Something doesn't add up about this story. Floral Haven says it was Reynold's Funeral Home body, yet the smell gets worse after the body is gone. What are they trying to ignore and/or cover up? Has anyone checked to see if there is an "extra" body there??
	Report Comment What in the World!, T (7/31/2009 10:08:34 AM) If the smell is worse after removal of the body, I hardly think the deceased was the source! More than likely a rodent has crawled in and died.
	Report Comment Ignatz, Broken Bow (7/31/2009 10:13:49 AM) It's still a popular place, people are dying to get in.
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (7/31/2009 10:17:51 AM) And things are Looking Up for the clients.
	Report Comment 2ndjoyce, BA (7/31/2009 10:19:41 AM) They're packed in there like ...
	Report Comment shaw411, Scottsdale, AZ (7/31/2009 11:54:44 AM) Sounds like a grave situation for Floral Haven.
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (7/31/2009 11:56:03 AM) Good one shaw411!
	Report Comment hippienana, Tulsa (7/31/2009 12:12:12 PM) evan if a body is removed wouldn't the smell linger for a few more days
	Report Comment THESMOKEHOLE, Tulsa (7/31/2009 1:45:37 PM) Maybe its a mouse...

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