'An alternative': Borek and Jennings open cremation service in historic Howell funeral home
HOWELL — A pair of funeral directors in Livingston County have repurposed a building in downtown Howell to provide direct cremation services to people looking for an affordable alternative to traditional funerals.
Todd Borek and Karl Jennings have opened Livingston Cremation and Funeral Care in the historic building at 312 S. Michigan Ave. — which has operated as a funeral home since the early 1900s.
The pair retained ownership of the downtown Howell building after moving Borek Jennings Funeral Homes to the former Lake Trust Credit Union building at 1700 W. Highland Road/M-59.
More: Borek and Jennings open new chapel next to Howell Memorial Cemetery
"There are four or five discount cremation providers that market online to the county, but they're located outside of the county," Jennings said. "We realized in doing some research ... about 250 families a year had left the county (for alternatives to traditional services). These clients don't feel that a traditional funeral home is for them. We were surprised by how many local families didn't feel they had an option."
He said some people don't want a public gathering at a funeral home and opt for no service or a limited service. Others can't afford full funeral services.
"We wanted to create a service specifically for families that felt they didn’t have an alternative," Jennings said.
He said 17 families have used Livingston Cremation and Funeral Care since the business opened in April.
"Out-of-county services advertise locally and online, and then transfer your deceased loved one to large warehousing facilities in Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne, Genesee and Ingham counties," according to a release.
"Often, the convenience of online or over-the-phone arrangements is replaced by the frustration of having to wait weeks or longer for their loved one’s urn to be returned via the postal service. Additionally, families recounted having to wait weeks for legal documents that delayed accessing or closing accounts and settling their loved one's estate."
Borek said they can process loved ones' remains and paperwork within days, not weeks.
"We do it as fast as we possibly can, because it's time sensitive for people, both the emotional portion and the legal portion," he said.
While Livingston Cremation and Funeral Care doesn't offer funeral services on-site, it does include a chapel area where families can pick up their loved one's remains "in a welcoming and soothing environment," Jennings said.
"In the dedicated chapel area, the urn is placed in the middle of a floral wreath with soothing music playing. We've seen people come in and take 30 minutes for that transaction, while they wrap their mind around it. It's what you have left to hold onto," he said.
He said people can come in person to make arrangements instead of dealing with a call center. He and Borek can also meet clients at their home or office, or even make arrangements online.
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"When it's time to take custody of their loved one’s remains, they come to our office," Jennings said.
"We know this is a tough time for a lot of people and that personal attention and service is something they should expect from any provider during that time of loss."
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: 'An alternative': Borek and Jennings open cremation service in historic Howell funeral home
