Anyone else remember this? When I was a kid and visiting down in S Al it was a common practice. This was when the deceased was laid out in the parlor and all the neighbors and kin would come to pay respects. There were always two men who would stay in the parlor with the deceased all night. The corpse could not be left unattended. The rest of the men stood on the porch and out in the yard smoking and talking.

I've heard my in-laws tell of it.

I never understood it. Did they expect the corpse to run off somewhere?

I feel another story brewing.

I remember one of my dads friends passed. They had a wake for him. One of his request before he died was one last party. Dad said they had to give him his last wish.

When I was bout 5 I remember my granddaddy being in there house after he passed. Folks come to pay there respects and taken from there to the grave site.

Jerry Clower came to mind

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6pRSBb8kUXk

I thought this was gonna be a thread about a Ray Stevens song!

this is the first thing I thought about.

x2

We did it in our family when i was young.

You rarely see people pull over when a funeral procession passes by anymore. People forget the old ways and they're not taught to the next generation.

I remember it well. I grew up in Montevallo and they would keep the body in the home where they lived. Best I can remember, it was supposed to make sure they were actually dead and didn't come back to life.
As far as pulling over, I've seen too many wrecks from cars pulling over and someone topping a hill or something and not seeing this and having wrecks.

Still do it in Jackson Co.

People still stop in Tuscaloosa for cars in procession but only depends on what road your on. I wouldn't suggest stopping for a procession on McFarland Blvd during the day at any time.

Had a whole car full of people flick me and a buddy off because I passed the whole procession while pulling my boat on down 69 south. We didn't realize it was a funeral until I passed the Hearst in the front.

My Granddaddy died in 1962 as a poor farmer in Boaz. I was 5 at the time. They had him laid out in the living room in a wooden casket for 2 days. People would just drop by with food and see granddaddy.

Yes I do. I remember when my grandfather died he was laid out in a casket and people came around to view him.

I remember both my great grandmothers being sat up with. I was no older than 6 or 7. I didn't understand it.

Im only 38 yrs old but when my great grandmother passed and they brought her to the church for visitation but they left her all night till the funeral service the next day. I dont know why this was the case but I was a pallbearer and someone said we should set up with her. I volunteered to do it out of respect. Boy that was a long lonesome and very odd night! I would suppose not many men my age can say they actually did it.

my wifes family sat with her gma at their house, when I was younger. Seen something at my buddies funeral, last year, that I havent seen before. One of the family members was taking pics of the corpse. I told my mother about it a few days later, and she said folks use to do that back in the day.