By Aimee Braniff Cree
HAUNTING IMAGES show a Vietnam veteran’s funeral home left abandoned as a secret time capsule from the day he stepped outside never to return.
Images show blazers still hanging in the closet, make-up they would have used on the deceased, framed photographs of the owner’s family falling apart and even a blue Cadillac hearse left to rot.
These images were captured by urban explorer Leland Kent known online as Abandoned Southeast in South Carolina, USA.
The funeral home was owned and run by an African-American Vietnam War veteran who, after spending over a year fighting in Vietnam, returned to South Carolina to get married to his childhood sweetheart.
He had three children and became a pillar of the community, even becoming one of the first African Americans to serve on the city council.
A kind hearted man he even allowed a neighbour to live above the funeral home when her home caught fire while the contractors remodelled it.
Sadly the funeral director died in 2007 but the funeral home remained open for another decade before finally closing its doors in 2017.
“A Vietnam War veteran owned and operated this funeral home for more than 30 years,” said Leland on his blog.
“He spent a year and a day in Vietnam before returning home to South Carolina to start a family.
“A month later he married his childhood sweetheart. Their paths crossed while attending the same church as teenagers. Eventually, the couple had three children.
“As a business owner, he was viewed by many as a leader and mentor in the community. In the 1980s, he became one of the first African Americans to serve on the city council.
“He served three terms before stepping down in the late 1990s. After a neighbour’s house caught fire, causing an estimated $150,000 in damages, he opened his funeral home, allowing her to live on the second floor as contractors remodelled her home.
“Sadly, the funeral director died in 2007, two days after celebrating his 38th wedding anniversary.
“Before it closed, the business operated for another decade.
“In the aftermath of the closing, furniture and equipment were slowly sold off, and an electrical fire broke out in the attic.
“Today, the funeral home remains abandoned.”
Find out more on Lelands Blog.
ENDS
