Chris Butler, president of Butler Funeral Homes in Springfield, Illinois, details the scope of the pandemic on his personal life and Butler Funeral Homes from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 to December of 2021. He shares his philosophy on the importance of ceremony that funeral homes provide in the grieving process. This philosophy was further strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations it caused on gatherings.
Interview Links
Feature Excerpt
Butler describes resiliency of the human spirit in the face of challenging times.
Abstract
Interview Session 1 (Audio)
Butler discusses his early life in Springfield, Illinois, running the family business, and the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interview Session 2 (Audio)
Butler describes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on his businesses and personal life.
Transcript 1
Transcript 2
Photos
Caption: Chris Butler’s daughters, Camilla and Audra, pose in front of a United States flag made up of lights on the fourth of July in 2020.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
When: Fourth of July, 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)
Caption: Christ Butler’s daughters, Camilla and Audra, ride their bikes on their neighborhood street. They pose with their mom, Valerie Butler, as the neighborhood celebrates the fourth of July by lighting fireworks.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
When: Fourth of July, 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)
Caption: Valerie Butler and her daughters, Camilla and Audra, enjoy the beach on Top Sail Island in North Carolina. The Butlers had planned this trip before the COVID-19 pandemic began and decided to continue with their plans, “a welcome break in 2020!” according to Chris Butler.
Where: Top Sail Island, North Carolina
When: July, 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)
Caption: Chris Butler’s daughters, Camilla and Audra, sit next to their harvested pumpkin crop. What began as a hobby during quarantine became quite the bumper crop in the autumn of 2020.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
When: Autumn, 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)
Caption: The Reception Room at Butler Funeral Homes’ Chatham Location was renovated prior to the pandemic and had a lot of different events booked for 2020. While the pandemic forced many of these events to be cancelled, Chris Butler details the way they pivoted. One such way is the pictured community blood drive in an effort to support the local medical community.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
When: 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)
Caption: The Interveterans Burial Detail of Sangamon County, part of the Military Honor Guard, work to make sure military honors are available for all veterans. Due to the pandemic, they were unable to do this for an amount of time. In November of 2020, they asked to meet with Butler Funeral Homes to thank them with a plaque for their contributions and support for the project.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
When: November 2020
Ownership: (Narrator’s photo)