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Oops: Wrong Body, Wrong Grave

by thescribetony | May 17, 2008 at 11:57 am | 156 views | 1 comment

Imagine the surprise of a bereaving family when, at the final viewing of a loved one, they found the wrong woman in the coffin. Imagine their trauma when the bereaving family discovers their loved was buried in the wrong grave.

Mary Jane Janet Ryan, 85, was exhumed and

eventually given a fitting farewell at St John's Catholic Church in Frankston (Victoria), and was then interred at Frankston Cemetery.

This is the second time in 7 years this funeral home made the same mistake.

The funeral was arranged by funeral directors Edward (Ted) Bull, whose website promises "pre-arranged funerals, cremations and burials with no nasty surprises".

The family-run company was responsible for a similar case of mistaken identity in 2001.

On that occasion, Ted Bull's son, Chris, mixed up two coffin lids and sent the wrong bodies to two different funerals in South Dandenong, with one man due to be cremated an hour after the other's burial.

After the Ryan mix-up was corrected, she was had 'a beautiful service'.

A family spokesman would not say they would initiate legal action, though the spokesman hinted that the funeral director had waived the fees.