When more than one person dies at a time in Logan County and extenuating circumstances require the bodies to be held for a few days, a morgue would come in handy to store them in, says county coroner Mary Givens, who has made that request to the Fiscal Court.

Givens recently had a situation arise where she had more than one body she had to keep for a few days and nowhere to put them.

Most of the time when someone dies, their remains are sent to a funeral home for preparation. In some incidences, Givens says, she has to keep possession of them for a few days. One example is locating family that may live out of state and are hard to find. Another issue is the growing popularity of cremation and those who will not be taken to a funeral home.

“More and more people are being cremated these days due to the costs associated with burial,” said Givens, who has to wait on the family of the deceased before a decision can be made.

Givens says Logan Memorial Hospital has a morgue that can house two bodies, but said although the hospital has never turned her down to help, it is not their responsibility to provide the space and they need it for their own use.

Givens would like to see the county purchase the necessary equipment to have its own morgue. She said all that is needed is a cooler that will hold three drawers and a secured place to put it.

“The coolers cost between $4,000 and $8,000,” said Givens, who is more concerned about where it would go.

Magistrate Thomas Bouldin mentioned in Tuesday’s Fiscal Court meeting, that he had spoken with Scott County Coroner John Goble at a recent conference, who told him he knew of where there were grants that could pay for all of the equipment needed for a morgue. Bouldin suggested Givens and Judge/Executive Logan Chick contact Goble.

Givens said she is still trying to come up with ideas of where to put the morgue if she gets one. “I will need a secure location, one which I can have access to 24/7, with running water and a concrete floor,” Givens said.