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July 18, 2008
Funeral arrangements pending for victims of canal accident
By Chris Nichols
Funeral arrangements were still being sorted out Thursday for the Lodi
farmworkers in a horrific accident at the Delta-Mendota canal.
At least three victims will be buried in Lodi, according to Theresa
Tapia, whose son, Isaac Tapia, 16, was born and raised in Lodi, and died
in the accident.
In all, six farmworkers are believed to have perished in the crash. A
body was recovered late Thursday afternoon, and was identified as that
of the final missing farmworker, Lucas Martinez, 20, of Lodi.
Isaac Tapia, Eulalia Garcia, 34, and Adriana Garcia, 17, will all be
buried locally, following a funeral arranged by the Lodi Funeral Home,
Theresa Tapia said Thursday afternoon. The Garcia sisters had lived in
Lodi for much of their lives.
It was not clear where the body of Adan Martinez, 23, who had moved to
Lodi from Guerrero, Mexico just four years ago, will be laid to rest.
Family members earlier this week said they hoped to send his body, and
that of Lucas Martinez, to be buried in Mexico.
It was also not clear where the body of Elizar Cruz, 19, of Lodi, would
be buried.
The farmworkers were on their way back from picking peaches at the time
of the crash early Tuesday afternoon. The accident took place on Needham
Road near the town of Westley, about 50 miles south of Lodi.
After running a stop sign, the sport utility vehicle was hit by a septic
truck and both vehicles plunged into the canal, according a preliminary
investigation by California Highway Patrol officials.
The driver of the septic truck, Luis Perez, 45, of Merced, was also
killed.
Michael Collins, funeral director at Lodi Funeral Home, said a vigil and
funeral mass for several of the farmworkers will likely be held at the
same time.
"That is what they're talking about right now," Collins said. "Nothing
has been definitely set."
Collins estimated the vigil and mass would take place by the middle of
next week.
Catholic traditions typically guide the funerals of Mexican farmworkers.
First, an evening vigil is held. A priest will recite the Holy Rosary
prayer and bless the departed.
Often a crucifix is placed in the casket. Sometimes a rosary will be
placed in the hands of the deceased.
Family members will sometimes stay with the body through the night, or
request that it be brought to their home overnight or to a church, said
Gabriel Zapata, the arrangement counselor at the Galt Funeral Home.
Zapata, whose father taught the children of migrant farmworkers near
Stockton, said the vast majority of farmworker families continue to
follow traditional burial methods.
Cremation is typically avoided.
"The Catholic church for a long, long time (opposed cremation)," he
said, estimating perhaps two percent of families use cremation. "It's
very minimal ... . Usually, it's ship back to Mexico or bury here."
A funeral mass is then held the morning after the vigil. Mariachi bands
will sometimes play, Zapata noted. Attendees will typically participate
in Catholic sacraments or ceremonies, like the Holy Communion.
Sending bodies to Mexico can be difficult and expensive, the Lodi and
Galt funeral home directors said.
The cost can be several thousand dollars per body. If a body is shipped
to or through Mexico City, the family of the departed must make an
appointment at the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento to complete a Mexican
death certificate.
Even if it is not specifically shipped to or through the capital city,
numerous forms must still be filled out, something both Zapata and
Collins said their services cover.
The consulate can provide some financial assistance, up to $1,200 ,
Zapata noted.
Still, that leaves a hefty bill to ship a body and casket across the
border.
"It can be more than $5,000 (per body)," Zapata said. "It can be $6,000
or $7,000. And you're talking about people with no credit cards, no bank
accounts. They can't go and get a loan."
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