The family of Ronald Kenneth Jeremy -- who many knew as "Ronnie," the guy who was always quick with a joke or a grin -- wants to give him the funeral they say he deserves. They want the military's traditional 21-gun salute and flag-draped casket, said oldest daughter Michelle Crabtree.
He also had his left leg amputated because of a heart condition and used a wheelchair or walker. The Jackson resident died Tuesday in his sleep at age 68.
Jeremy left behind a wife and four daughters. Two live off Social Security payments, and one is unemployed. Crabtree and her husband, Larry, work at the Felpausch on W. Michigan Avenue and are working to secure a loan -- with no luck so far.
When Jackson's poor die, the state, funeral homes and cemeteries work to cover the cost of their final preparations. The governor and lawmakers just slashed the state's contribution by about one-third.
Patience-Montgomery Funeral Home, 406 First St., which is handling Jeremy's funeral, is one of several local funeral homes that have cut back on services for indigents because of the cuts.
"We believe that everyone deserves a dignified funeral, and that's why we're trying to help them out as much as possible," manager Tim Hartley said. "We try to do the best we can, but there aren't many choices. Some things need to be paid for."
So, the family opted against an indigent burial and picked out a nice coffin, arranged for visitation and contacted the Navy. The military will cover the cost of the plot and burial, but the family is still scrambling to cover the embalming, the casket and services.
"We're not a very wealthy family. We never were," Crabtree said. "We live paycheck to paycheck and we're all trying to pull together, but we're coming up short."
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