Setting the Clocks Back

[XLFD]

Before you chide this reporter for giving contrary advice to the normal routine that Daylight Savings Time tells us to do in the spring, which is to turn clocks ahead one hour (this year on March 13), read further to find out what happened to a local businessman in the area who provided funeral care to those of Ludington.

Clock Funeral Homes was a multigenerational operation that was based out of Whitehall, a small town a little north of Muskegon founded by Thomas Clock who died in 2013.  They had operations that branched out to Fruitport, Muskegon, Grand Haven and eventually in Ludington in 2011.  He was succeeded by two sons and a daughter whose families helped manage the business.

His son, Thomas Jr., took over the Ludington business situated at 309 South Washington, where the Alexander-Rye Funeral Home used to be.  You may have noticed that they haven't been open for a little while or advertising on the local media.  Thomas Jr. has found it rough taking over the family business.

WOOD TV reports that Thomas Clock had an unfortunate series of events which indicates badly on his professionalism after the death of a woman named Helen Anthony.  Here's that sequence:

October 31 (Halloween), 2015:  Mortuary license expires

December 3, 2015:  Helen Anthony dies

December, 2015:  Body is supposedly cremated

December 28, 2015:  Burial with 'cremains' performed

January 9, 2016:  Thomas Jr. is arrested for DWI, his vehicle left at the funeral home

January 12, 2016:  Anthony's intact body is found in the back of the van

February 19, 2016:  Anthony's urn is exhumed, found to be empty

March 3, 2016:  Thomas Jr. is formally charged with fraud, attempted larceny by conversion and operating his funeral home without a state mortuary science license.

The charges could lead up to 10 years on the clock.  In his defense, Clock denied any wrongdoing, denied he left the body in his van and said if the urn was empty, it wasn’t intentional.

A source said that it was likely that Thomas Jr. (pictured left) took the body to a Muskegon crematorium but didn't have the proper paperwork, suggesting that the body may have been in the van up to a week.

His cousin, Dale Clock who operates the other three Clock Funeral Homes, worked with the woman’s family, recovering and cremating the body at no cost.  He has stated he will honor any prearranged services set up through Thomas Clock Jr.

“We’ve been separate businesses for over 20 years and, unfortunately,  my cousin has had some challenges and over the last six months, we know that it’s been getting worse.  It’s a very sad situation.  We feel terrible for it and because we’re all part of this same community; when families are hurting, we’re there to help. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

[shinblind]

I don't want to waste too much time on this but in this case a stopped clock isn't right twice a day.

[AQUAMAN]

Pitiful and disgusting lack of professionalism. I don't think Thomas Jr. needs to reopen either, as this episode will probably be known to all locals in a short time, and turn back the Clock on future business. He appears to need his Clock Cleaned too while we're at it.

[XLFD]

Speaking of which, I just barely beat the clock against the COLDNews, beating them to the posting of this story by less than a half hour.  We will have to closely watch what will happen with Mr. Clock, and not get bogus information from second hand resources working against the Clock.

[Willy]

This may be only a tip of the iceburg that Mr. Clock is potentially involved in. There might be more bodies that remain unburied as this 2002 story describes as well as this 2010 story.

40 Bodies Left Unburied At Funeral Home

[AQUAMAN]

OMG plus ew and ish, this is horrible Willy, what a disgusting find. Maybe some third world country, but in the USA? NOW?????? And people complained about another forum that posted this find, when a mummified man was found after being lost at sea for over 7 years, at least the family knows his demise now. But this takes the cake, mortuaries? God help us.

[jfc123]

Reminds me of a good old friend, only because he was in the same business,

David Alexander, worked for my grandma for a short time but was a good friend to me as a kid! RIP friend!

[XLFD]

David Alexander left us in 2013 at the tender age of 47.  His brother Scott married my cousin quite a while ago.

One hopes the police are thorough in their investigation of Thomas Jr., just in case he has otherwise did this in the past. 

[shinblind]

I wonder if there is an explanation why and how the delay between January 9 when Clock was arrested and January 12 when the body was discovered.

Also that perp pic is enough to stop a clock.

Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.

[shinblind]

Answered my own question when I saw the van.

You think the LPD would have caught on a little sooner.

http://cdn.lolwot.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20-of-the-funniest...

Must have been a sideline occupation or something.

[Willy]

That's funny shinblind. 

[Jasper]

The bigger question is where has this woman's body been since December 3'rd the day she passed away?? That is almost three months. Where was anybody for that matter?? The Clock relative, the crematorium that refused to cremate her and the State of MI ?? How many others are there?? And where are their bodies??

[jfc123]

Yeah and the thing that always made me upset was that they did not have in his obituary was that he worked at Tamarac marina for a few years and my grandma LOVED him because he was such a good kid!