Families of dead found improperly stored never got chance to grieve, honor loved ones

Fifty-six bodies were found at South Chicago Chapel, and a Chicago Heights crematory operated by the same owners shut down last year for the same offense. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the reports about what took place at South Chicago Chapel as a violation of trust. It was. But there is an older word for what was taken. A funeral is not a service loved ones purchase. It is a rite — one of the oldest things our species still does. It is a ceremony during which the living formally hand over their…