January 30, 2025 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, ...as if spending the night in a funeral parlor wasn't scary enough! Our American Stories listener Tom Ryan brings us a chilling tale from the family funeral parlor.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
This is our American Stories, and today we bring you
the story of Tom Ryan. And Tom is a ninety
five year old listener of our show in Los Angeles.
Tom had an unusual upbringing. He grew up on Long Isle,
New York, living behind a funeral parlor run by his family.
Here's Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I was there on Saturday morning when the sheriff arrived
to talk to Grandma. It was the day after the
big snowstorm. My folks were away and I had stayed
with Grandma overnight. At age ten, I was too young
to stay home alone, but staying at Grandma's was not
too cool either, because you see, she ran a funeral home.
(01:03):
Sometimes there were dead bodies only a few steps from
the living room at the back of the house where
we watched TV. It was hard to get too relaxed
when I looked over at the dark doorway leading to
the bodies. That Friday night, there was a very old
lady being waked in one of the chapels, Missus Jackson,
(01:27):
a friend of Grandma's who had died of cancer. The
sheriff sat at the kitchen table with his notebook in
front of him. He asked Grandma if anything unusual that
happened the last night because they were searching for an
escaped convict from a prison two towns away. He is
(01:48):
a murderer and very dangerous. The sheriff said they were
setting up roadblocks to try to catch him. Grandma didn't
answer directly, but said, we have a going out this morning,
old missus Jackson. We had to put her in a
closed casket because the cancer was so bad. Will the
(02:09):
herds and almos to be able to get to the cemetery?
Grandma asked yes. The sheriff replied, the road is open
to the cemetery. What about anything happening last night? Grandma
gave me a stern look that he couldn't see, and
told him nothing had happened. It was real quiet, she said.
(02:32):
I didn't say a word, but as soon as the
sheriff left, I asked her what was going on. It
wasn't like Grandma to lie. She just shook her head
and started to cry. I thought back about last night
and remembered that shortly before dark, Grandma kept walking out
the side window on the driveway every few minutes since
(02:57):
she was expecting a delivery of new casket. Suddenly there
were yellow headlights shining on the snow outside the window,
and a loud knocking came on the side door where
the caskets were brought in. Fred the driver, shouted, I
have to hurry before I get snowed in. He had
(03:19):
unloaded two caskets and started on another one. Wait, Grandma said,
I only ordered two, not three. I have to leave
this one too. Fred said, I'll never get to the
funeral home in the next town, and I don't want
to weight on my truck. Okay, Grandma said, if it
helps you out. After he was gone, Grandma closed up tight.
(03:44):
My folks were supposed to call to see how things were,
but the phone wasn't working. The TV weather man said
the lines were down all over and roads were closed,
so we were all by ourselves. After a while, I stopped.
I had to fall asleep, and Grandma helped me upstairs
and put me into a soft feather bed. She left
(04:06):
the door open a little so some light came in.
I remember that I fell asleep, but woke up later
when I thought I heard voices downstairs. I had started
to get out of bed, but it was so cold
I crawled back in the Next morning, I asked Grandma
about it, but she said I must have dreamed it.
(04:28):
Later in the morning, the men who worked for Grandma
came in and then loaded the casket into the hearse.
When my folks came to pick me up, I saw
Grandma holding onto my father's arm and talking to him.
I heard her say, I need your help. She took
him into the office and closed the door. I thought
I heard her crying. It was five years later when
(04:51):
Grandma died and my folks told me the real story
of what had happened that Friday night. It seemed that
the voices I thought I had heard with those of
Grandma and the escaped convict. The caskets that were delivered
that night were made by prison labor, and the convict
(05:12):
with the nickname of Rabbit had hidden in one of
those empty caskets. When the delivery man had left, Rabbit
had opened the inside latch and let himself out of
the casket. He didn't know, however, that Grandma had fallen
asleep in her big chair in the living room, and
(05:33):
she woke up, startled and scared to see him standing
near the fireplace holding a large knife he had taken
from the embalming room, threatening how to silence by holding
the knife under her throat. He asked for car keys
and money, but Grandma didn't have a car and didn't drive.
(05:54):
When he realized that the storm had blocked the roads
and there was no phone service, he asked Grandma when
someone was coming with a car. She told him that
there was one funeral schedule for the next morning if
the roads were open and men coming with a hearse
and limiting. When he saw some of my things on
(06:16):
the couch and found out that I was upstairs, Grandma
pleaded with him to let me sleep. She would help
him get in the casket with missus Jackson and be
taken away in the hearst next morning to the cemetery.
He could then sneak out of the casket when it
was left in the cemetery storeroom for a few minutes
(06:36):
until the family arrived. Rabbit didn't like to hear deer
at all, especially getting into the coffin with a dead lady.
He decided that they had no other choice, but he
made it very clear to Grandma that if she was
fooling him and he was caught, he would escape again
and kill not only her but also all of her family.
(06:59):
Grandma was terrified by this evil man. There was arrangedent
early on Saturday morning, Rabbit would get into the casket
and then Grandma would close it and letch it shut.
He was very hesitant, especially when he saw and smelled
old Missus Jackson, but finally he climbed in, holding his
(07:21):
nose and threatening Grandma with a painful death if things
didn't work out. He also wanted Grandma to get him
some hot coffee in a thermos so they could drink
it when they got cold in the casket, and she
did so just before closing the lid. The plan did
work when the man came and took the casket away
(07:49):
and loaded it into the hearse Grandma hadn't said anything
about Rabbit being in the casket his private meeting with Grandma.
My Dad had immediately called the sheriff and arranged to
stop in and see him. The police still hadn't found Rabbit,
(08:10):
despite the roadbox and searches of the nearby forests. They
were mystified as to how he could have disappeared so completely.
Sheriff my Dad said, as you know, this man was
a murderer who would stop at nothing to escape. He
told the sheriff how rabbit had hidden in the casket
(08:30):
at the prison and had ended up in grandma's funeral home.
He also explained how rabbit had threatened Grandma and her family,
so she was forced to help him escape in missus
Jackson's casket. What said the sheriff, Why didn't she call
me as soon as he was in the casket? I
(08:51):
could have napped him right then and there. She was
too scared, sheriff. But my dad continued a little smile
playing around his lips and pride in his voice. She
was also smart enough to have slipped the large amount
of sleeping pills into the coffee she gave him the
drink in the casket. The sheriff thought for a moment
(09:16):
and said, wait, if rabbit drank that coffee, heck, he
might have been buried alive in the casket with missus Jackson.
The sheriff almost shouted as he got his phone out.
We'll have to dig up the casket immediately. If we
find him in the casket, I may have to take
Grandma into custody. She could be in a lot of trouble. Wait,
(09:40):
my dad said, wait a minute, sheriff, before you do anything. Wait, no, no,
we can't lose any more time. That man may still
be alive if there was enough air in the casket.
Maybe he is. The sheriff was now calling to his
assistance as he rose from his share, Get the car ready,
(10:02):
ready to roll, and call the corner. No, sheriff, please listen,
my father replied, quietly, Sit down a minute. You see
there is no casket. No casket. The sheriff look confused.
Of course there was a casket. They had the funeral
and it was buried this morning. No, my father replied, quietly.
(10:26):
You see, Sheriff, missus Jackson's last wishes would actually be cremated.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
My goodness, it does not get better than that. Folks,
Tom Ryan's story, his grandma's story, My goodness, poor rabbit story.
Here on our American stories
This is our American Stories, and today we bring you
the story of Tom Ryan. And Tom is a ninety
five year old listener of our show in Los Angeles.
Tom had an unusual upbringing. He grew up on Long Isle,
New York, living behind a funeral parlor run by his family.
Here's Tom.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I was there on Saturday morning when the sheriff arrived
to talk to Grandma. It was the day after the
big snowstorm. My folks were away and I had stayed
with Grandma overnight. At age ten, I was too young
to stay home alone, but staying at Grandma's was not
too cool either, because you see, she ran a funeral home.
(01:03):
Sometimes there were dead bodies only a few steps from
the living room at the back of the house where
we watched TV. It was hard to get too relaxed
when I looked over at the dark doorway leading to
the bodies. That Friday night, there was a very old
lady being waked in one of the chapels, Missus Jackson,
(01:27):
a friend of Grandma's who had died of cancer. The
sheriff sat at the kitchen table with his notebook in
front of him. He asked Grandma if anything unusual that
happened the last night because they were searching for an
escaped convict from a prison two towns away. He is
(01:48):
a murderer and very dangerous. The sheriff said they were
setting up roadblocks to try to catch him. Grandma didn't
answer directly, but said, we have a going out this morning,
old missus Jackson. We had to put her in a
closed casket because the cancer was so bad. Will the
(02:09):
herds and almos to be able to get to the cemetery?
Grandma asked yes. The sheriff replied, the road is open
to the cemetery. What about anything happening last night? Grandma
gave me a stern look that he couldn't see, and
told him nothing had happened. It was real quiet, she said.
(02:32):
I didn't say a word, but as soon as the
sheriff left, I asked her what was going on. It
wasn't like Grandma to lie. She just shook her head
and started to cry. I thought back about last night
and remembered that shortly before dark, Grandma kept walking out
the side window on the driveway every few minutes since
(02:57):
she was expecting a delivery of new casket. Suddenly there
were yellow headlights shining on the snow outside the window,
and a loud knocking came on the side door where
the caskets were brought in. Fred the driver, shouted, I
have to hurry before I get snowed in. He had
(03:19):
unloaded two caskets and started on another one. Wait, Grandma said,
I only ordered two, not three. I have to leave
this one too. Fred said, I'll never get to the
funeral home in the next town, and I don't want
to weight on my truck. Okay, Grandma said, if it
helps you out. After he was gone, Grandma closed up tight.
(03:44):
My folks were supposed to call to see how things were,
but the phone wasn't working. The TV weather man said
the lines were down all over and roads were closed,
so we were all by ourselves. After a while, I stopped.
I had to fall asleep, and Grandma helped me upstairs
and put me into a soft feather bed. She left
(04:06):
the door open a little so some light came in.
I remember that I fell asleep, but woke up later
when I thought I heard voices downstairs. I had started
to get out of bed, but it was so cold
I crawled back in the Next morning, I asked Grandma
about it, but she said I must have dreamed it.
(04:28):
Later in the morning, the men who worked for Grandma
came in and then loaded the casket into the hearse.
When my folks came to pick me up, I saw
Grandma holding onto my father's arm and talking to him.
I heard her say, I need your help. She took
him into the office and closed the door. I thought
I heard her crying. It was five years later when
(04:51):
Grandma died and my folks told me the real story
of what had happened that Friday night. It seemed that
the voices I thought I had heard with those of
Grandma and the escaped convict. The caskets that were delivered
that night were made by prison labor, and the convict
(05:12):
with the nickname of Rabbit had hidden in one of
those empty caskets. When the delivery man had left, Rabbit
had opened the inside latch and let himself out of
the casket. He didn't know, however, that Grandma had fallen
asleep in her big chair in the living room, and
(05:33):
she woke up, startled and scared to see him standing
near the fireplace holding a large knife he had taken
from the embalming room, threatening how to silence by holding
the knife under her throat. He asked for car keys
and money, but Grandma didn't have a car and didn't drive.
(05:54):
When he realized that the storm had blocked the roads
and there was no phone service, he asked Grandma when
someone was coming with a car. She told him that
there was one funeral schedule for the next morning if
the roads were open and men coming with a hearse
and limiting. When he saw some of my things on
(06:16):
the couch and found out that I was upstairs, Grandma
pleaded with him to let me sleep. She would help
him get in the casket with missus Jackson and be
taken away in the hearst next morning to the cemetery.
He could then sneak out of the casket when it
was left in the cemetery storeroom for a few minutes
(06:36):
until the family arrived. Rabbit didn't like to hear deer
at all, especially getting into the coffin with a dead lady.
He decided that they had no other choice, but he
made it very clear to Grandma that if she was
fooling him and he was caught, he would escape again
and kill not only her but also all of her family.
(06:59):
Grandma was terrified by this evil man. There was arrangedent
early on Saturday morning, Rabbit would get into the casket
and then Grandma would close it and letch it shut.
He was very hesitant, especially when he saw and smelled
old Missus Jackson, but finally he climbed in, holding his
(07:21):
nose and threatening Grandma with a painful death if things
didn't work out. He also wanted Grandma to get him
some hot coffee in a thermos so they could drink
it when they got cold in the casket, and she
did so just before closing the lid. The plan did
work when the man came and took the casket away
(07:49):
and loaded it into the hearse Grandma hadn't said anything
about Rabbit being in the casket his private meeting with Grandma.
My Dad had immediately called the sheriff and arranged to
stop in and see him. The police still hadn't found Rabbit,
(08:10):
despite the roadbox and searches of the nearby forests. They
were mystified as to how he could have disappeared so completely.
Sheriff my Dad said, as you know, this man was
a murderer who would stop at nothing to escape. He
told the sheriff how rabbit had hidden in the casket
(08:30):
at the prison and had ended up in grandma's funeral home.
He also explained how rabbit had threatened Grandma and her family,
so she was forced to help him escape in missus
Jackson's casket. What said the sheriff, Why didn't she call
me as soon as he was in the casket? I
(08:51):
could have napped him right then and there. She was
too scared, sheriff. But my dad continued a little smile
playing around his lips and pride in his voice. She
was also smart enough to have slipped the large amount
of sleeping pills into the coffee she gave him the
drink in the casket. The sheriff thought for a moment
(09:16):
and said, wait, if rabbit drank that coffee, heck, he
might have been buried alive in the casket with missus Jackson.
The sheriff almost shouted as he got his phone out.
We'll have to dig up the casket immediately. If we
find him in the casket, I may have to take
Grandma into custody. She could be in a lot of trouble. Wait,
(09:40):
my dad said, wait a minute, sheriff, before you do anything. Wait, no, no,
we can't lose any more time. That man may still
be alive if there was enough air in the casket.
Maybe he is. The sheriff was now calling to his
assistance as he rose from his share, Get the car ready,
(10:02):
ready to roll, and call the corner. No, sheriff, please listen,
my father replied, quietly, Sit down a minute. You see
there is no casket. No casket. The sheriff look confused.
Of course there was a casket. They had the funeral
and it was buried this morning. No, my father replied, quietly.
(10:26):
You see, Sheriff, missus Jackson's last wishes would actually be cremated.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
My goodness, it does not get better than that. Folks,
Tom Ryan's story, his grandma's story, My goodness, poor rabbit story.
Here on our American stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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