Business Spotlight: Riemann Family Funeral Home’s care is personal for its community

By Cara Pridemore

In the midst of the somber, black-clothed crowd stands an artificial tree decorated with bright pink flowers. A few months ago, its boughs were draped with purple, yellow and green streamers in celebration of Mardi Gras.

“It’s almost a happy theme, and people comment that it’s not a dreadful, dreary environment,” said Jason Green, a funeral director at Riemann (pronounced REE-man) Family Funeral Home in Long Beach.

The tree reflects two key ideas central to Green’s work: celebrating life and easing the emotional burden of the grieving families. That commitment has sustained Green throughout his thirty-six years at Riemann, while the Riemann Family Funeral Home has served communities across Mississippi for more than a century. The Long Beach location has been in operation since the early ’60s, standing as the second oldest continually operating business in the city.

Green grew up in Moss Point, graduating from the University of West Alabama. He began working with Mike Riemann, a licensed funeral professional and Riemann Family Funeral Home manager, on the insurance side of the business. Throughout his career, Green’s sense of purpose has remained constant.

“It’s pride and doing good for your community, giving back,” Green said. “When a death occurs, there’s nothing more satisfying than trying to help someone navigate that loss, proceed forward and create a tribute to that person.”

Over the years, he has served second, third and even fourth generations of families, building a strong and lasting rapport.

In the funeral business, the need for a strong rapport is especially important, as complex legal and financial matters often get overlooked in the emotional heaviness of the situation. Confused clients may call Green at night or even years after their loved one has died with questions. Most do not know how to navigate these systems, but Green and other Riemann staff connect them with trusted professionals in the area.

“It’s ever-changing, especially with privacy matters,” he said. “Most people don’t want to talk about it or deal with it. Then, the unfortunate happens, and then it has to be dealt with.”

The process is already tedious, and, in Long Beach’s military community, it often becomes even more complicated. Family members may have to navigate the separate systems of the VA and the military while still grieving.

“When the service ends, our job does not,” Green said. “We’re continually there for our people: days, weeks, months and years after our initial funeral service ends.”

That care extends beyond meeting professional needs. Green and the Riemann staff are also attentive to the emotional needs of the families they serve. Many clients are vulnerable and lonely, and Green is able to fill that gap.

“They just want to talk to someone, and we’re an outsider, but we’re also on the inside to some degree,” he said. “We sit there, listen, visit, laugh and sometimes cry with them. You just have to open your heart and be real, help them. You don’t realize you’re helping them, but you are helping them just by being there.”

Listening to those stories helps in creating a deeply personal funeral service. With each one, Green seeks to highlight the loved one’s specific interests and passions.

“Every life matters; everyone has something within them or something that they have done that has impacted others,” Green said.

Because every service is a celebration of the life lived and the simple things that made each person unique, the room is always decorated with personal memorabilia.

“You take one aspect of their life, and you elevate it,” Green said. “We get one chance to do our job right.”

In the tight-knit community of Long Beach, Green can also connect with other local businesses, churches and community members to personalize clients’ experiences.

“People reach out and help others – that’s their ministry, their sense of being – whether they know the person or not,” he said. “That looking around and knowing that someone is there to support me and be there with me through this journey, that is special; that is important.”

Although they meet families during one of the most difficult seasons of life, Green and the Riemann staff seek to provide comfort through meaningful celebrations of each life while remaining compassionate and attentive to the needs of grieving families.

“Long Beach has been good to me, and I have tried to be good to them,” Green said.