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Thread: 40 family members test positive for coronavirus after West Virginia funeral (Keenetha Joan Nelson Birge, 47)

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    40 family members test positive for coronavirus after West Virginia funeral (Keenetha Joan Nelson Birge, 47)

    https://www.facebook.com/keenetha.nelson

    https://www.instagram.com/keenetha_birge/

    https://nypost.com/2020/08/11/40-fam...after-funeral/

    More than 40 members of the same West Virginia-based family have reportedly been infected with the coronavirus after they gathered for a relative's funeral last month.

    Polly Williams, of Kermit, West Virginia, said the virus has spread rapidly through her family because a COVID-19-stricken relative flew from Arizona for the services without disclosing the extent of her illness, the Daily Mail reported.

    Williams, who declined to mention her sick relative by name, said her family met together to mourn the passing of her cousin, Keenetha Brige, on July 2 in Wayne County, West Virginia. They assumed the relative was groggy from her flight. No one wore masks while they were together before or during the funeral and wake.

    'My relative from out-of-state wasn't feeling well, but I didn't think a lot about it,' Williams told the Mountain Citizen. 'I figured she was tired from her flight and lack of sleep.

    'She never said one word about fearing her illness was something serious,' Williams went on, adding, 'Her condition worsened over the next couple of days and she supposedly had to seek medical attention but still never told us anything.'

    The family learned only on the morning of Brige's wake that the relative's husband and son, who both stayed back in Arizona, had tested positive for the coronavirus several days earlier.

    'By the day of the wake, a young child in our family that had been in the home where my relative was staying, was the first among us to be positive. And so it began,' Williams said.

    Williams said the virus over the ensuing month has been 'spreading like wildfire' through her family and even to friends who didn't attend the services.

    Williams has tested positive for COVID ' as have dozens of family members ranging from five months to 77 years old. While she's recovered, several of her family members have been hospitalized to battle the deadly bug.

    'When does it stop''asked Stella Brewer, Williams' sister, in an interview with the Mountain Citizen. 'When will we reach the point that no one else in our family gets that dreaded call''

    Every family member has had to quarantine for two weeks and the church where services were held is being sterilized.

    Illnesses have varied among Williams' family, with some falling severely ill and others experiencing mild cases. A two-year-old girl in the family had to be rushed to the hospital last week after catching the virus and suffering a high fever.

    'She's just two years old,' Brewer said. 'She doesn't understand why she's sick. And with so many in our family ill, we don't even know who will be able to take care of her.'

    Williams told the Citizen she's infuriated that her relative fly into town while sick, risking the lives of fellow travelers and family members.

    'I understand that my relative lost a close family member. I get that. My heart breaks for her,' Williams said. 'But to get on a plane while you're ill and travel to another state, knowing full well you could infect everyone you are around is, in my opinion, selfish and unforgivable. The very least she could have done was to wear masks and gloves and warn all of us to stay away, that she was ill.'

    'What happened was a total disregard for anyone,' Williams went on. 'It didn't matter if it was strangers on a plane or her own family, she withheld information that has endangered all our lives, and we are paying the price.'

    Williams said she was only speaking out to warn of the seriousness of the virus and to serve as a precautionary tale to others to feel sick.

    'I'm not trying to degrade anyone or cause any hardship,' Williams said. 'I want the public to understand what we are going through and how it could have been prevented. I want others to know how serious COVID-19 is and what a catastrophe it can become if you're not forthcoming about having it.'

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    https://www.tributearchive.com/obitu...tha-Joan-Birge

    Keenetha Joan Nelson Birge 47 of Montgomery, Alabama passed away on June 30, 2020 in Montgomery, Alabama. She was born on September 13, 1972 in Cabell County, WV; she was a daughter of Bonnie Lou Waller Newsome of Jennies Creek, WV and the late Daniel Cupid Nelson. She was preceded in death by daughter, Kacey Deanne Sleasman, uncle, Michael Noah Nelson, grandfather and grandmother, Oscar and Iris Kirk Nelson. She was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal Faith.

    She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Wayne Birge of Montgomery, Alabama, sons, Michael Jacob (Lanyang Huang) Sleasman of Alabama, as well as daughter, Kayla Danielle Sleasman Jackson of Troy, Alabama, 3 grandchildren; Kendall and Kylie Jackson and Ella Rose Sleasman all of Alabama. She is also survived by her brother, Daniel Kirby Nelson of Crum, WV, sisters, Vicki Danyell Nelson Jones of Crum, WV, Teresa Hope Nelson Ramirez of Phoenix, AZ.

    Visitation will be after 3:00pm Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at the Full Gospel Church of Jesus Christ of Jenny’s Creek, WV. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 4:00pm at the church with church ministers officiating. Burial will follow in the Greasy Ridge Cemetery of Dunlow, WV. Mullins Family Funeral Home is honored and privileged to be serving the family of Keenetha Joan Nelson Birge.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    I would never speak to that relative if I was in their shoes. They knew better.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Complete idiots. Funeral or not, what part of do not congregate did they not understand? What are they trying to do, take out the entire family?

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tantrix View Post
    Complete idiots. Funeral or not, what part of do not congregate did they not understand? What are they trying to do, take out the entire family?
    They'd do the world a favor, because they're clearly all idiots!
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Can't be mad at the sick family member. They all chose to have a funeral and attend.


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    I would never speak to that relative if I was in their shoes. They knew better.
    Yep. Their son and husband tested positive and they didn't feel good. They shouldn't have gone.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    Can't be mad at the sick family member. They all chose to have a funeral and attend.
    What about the people on the airplane and in the airports? The last time I went to Phoenix, it involved switching planes in Atlanta. That's a huge airport. Even if she notified the airlines and they notified the other passengers, they were random people at the airport. We'll never know how many people were actually infected and carried it on to others. I'm just speculating but I think she was a walking "Typhoid Mary".

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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by up2trouble View Post
    What about the people on the airplane and in the airports? The last time I went to Phoenix, it involved switching planes in Atlanta. That's a huge airport. Even if she notified the airlines and they notified the other passengers, they were random people at the airport. We'll never know how many people were actually infected and carried it on to others. I'm just speculating but I think she was a walking "Typhoid Mary".
    There ought to be a way to hold someone like that accountable.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by up2trouble View Post
    What about the people on the airplane and in the airports? The last time I went to Phoenix, it involved switching planes in Atlanta. That's a huge airport. Even if she notified the airlines and they notified the other passengers, they were random people at the airport. We'll never know how many people were actually infected and carried it on to others. I'm just speculating but I think she was a walking "Typhoid Mary".
    No I agree it was an asshole move on her part to go anywhere when sick. I'm just saying, when you choose to have a gathering right now, you can't put the blame solely on the person who got you sick.

    My papa passed away in March right when all this started happening and we never even had a funeral, due to the Rona. It sucked, and it sucked even more that I couldn't even hug my nana or be there for her and she was all alone....but we knew the safety of everyone was priority. I don't get people who decide to have parties, go to church, etc. and then get surprised when they come up sick (and then try to blame someone else). They knew the risks...


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    No I agree it was an asshole move on her part to go anywhere when sick. I'm just saying, when you choose to have a gathering right now, you can't put the blame solely on the person who got you sick.

    My papa passed away in March right when all this started happening and we never even had a funeral, due to the Rona. It sucked, and it sucked even more that I couldn't even hug my nana or be there for her and she was all alone....but we knew the safety of everyone was priority. I don't get people who decide to have parties, go to church, etc. and then get surprised when they come up sick (and then try to blame someone else). They knew the risks...
    I agree. And I'm sorry for the loss of your papa, Nic.

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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    No I agree it was an asshole move on her part to go anywhere when sick. I'm just saying, when you choose to have a gathering right now, you can't put the blame solely on the person who got you sick.

    My papa passed away in March right when all this started happening and we never even had a funeral, due to the Rona. It sucked, and it sucked even more that I couldn't even hug my nana or be there for her and she was all alone....but we knew the safety of everyone was priority. I don't get people who decide to have parties, go to church, etc. and then get surprised when they come up sick (and then try to blame someone else). They knew the risks...
    Agree 150%. Sorry for your loss, NicB. My Dad died in March also, and we didn't have a family funeral either - just Mom and the four children who cared for Dad in his final days. My aunt died last month, and the family was permitted to have 50 people at the funeral service. None of our family attended.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Thanks guys! I am sorry for your loss, also Kim.


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Sorry for your loss, Nic!
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Sorry for your loss, Nic!
    Thank you.

    Side note: I can't rep anyone because I only rep the same 4 people apparently


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    Thank you.

    Side note: I can't rep anyone because I only rep the same 4 people apparently

    How do you rep? I've never figured that one out.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KimTisha View Post
    Agree 150%. Sorry for your loss, NicB. My Dad died in March also, and we didn't have a family funeral either - just Mom and the four children who cared for Dad in his final days. My aunt died last month, and the family was permitted to have 50 people at the funeral service. None of our family attended.
    Yeah. My uncle passed away and we had no services either. Just not safe to do so. The stupidity runs strong with the whole clan. And really, with a gathering like that who knows. There might well have been more than on carrier.

    Meanwhile, here in SD...

    https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gal...us/3331908001/
    Last edited by puzzld; 08-13-2020 at 08:26 AM.
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    What do you care? Boston Babe 73's Avatar
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    I don't understand people insisting on having services for people right now. It can wait until it's safe to do so. It's not like the person that died is going anywhere in the meantime. I understand the sorrow connected to wanting to do so, but logically it makes zero sense to insist on it. Have a beautiful memorial service once this is under control.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    That is too pretty to be shoved up an ass.
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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    How do you rep? I've never figured that one out.
    On the person's post, you can see a little star on the bottom left under their name/avatar (right next to the triangle with ! in it). You can post positive or negative rep and type in a comment.


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    On the person's post, you can see a little star on the bottom left under their name/avatar (right next to the triangle with ! in it). You can post positive or negative rep and type in a comment.
    Ah. It's all the way at the bottom of the post.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Senior Member catastrophe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't understand people insisting on having services for people right now. It can wait until it's safe to do so. It's not like the person that died is going anywhere in the meantime. I understand the sorrow connected to wanting to do so, but logically it makes zero sense to insist on it. Have a beautiful memorial service once this is under control.
    And occasionally, sometimes, family members will only happen to attend funerals “out of obligation”...

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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by puzzld View Post
    Yeah. My uncle passed away and we had no services either. Just not safe to do so. The stupidity runs strong with the whole clan. And really, with a gathering like that who knows. There might well have been more than on carrier.

    Meanwhile, here in SD...

    https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gal...us/3331908001/
    I can't believe they're still having Sturgis this year. Maroons.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
    ...Collector of Chairs. Reader of Books. Hater of Nutmeg...

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