WARREN, Mich. — A suburban Detroit park with baseball fields, a playground and picnic tables got an unusual addition this week: an open casket containing the body of a 97-year-old woman who used to live in the area.
Warren police fielded calls from curious residents, especially after a photo was posted Tuesday on social media. Some people wondered if it was a very early Halloween prank. Officials said plans for the screening at Butcher Park were not disclosed in advance.
Madonna Stiller’s family said they simply wanted to honor her before her funeral that day in Detroit. A viewing at a local funeral home was apparently not possible after the body was transported to Michigan. She died in Wellsville, New York, on August 29.
“The funeral director temporarily placed the casket in the park so family members of the deceased could say their final goodbyes before her burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery,” police said Thursday.
A picture on Facebook showed an open coffin and a spray of flowers under large leafy trees. A man sat nearby at a picnic table.
“We just wanted to honor my mom,” Stiller’s son, Ken Stiller, told The Macomb Daily. “We didn’t mean to cause any trouble and didn’t mean for it to be in the paper.”
City officials said a park cannot automatically be a place for open caskets.
“We ask the public to contact City Hall or the police department in advance if they request a screening in a city park so we can ensure that necessary protocols are followed,” police said.