GRANTS, NM – Mt. Taylor Funerals and Cremations, previously named Compassion Mortuary, is an essential service in Cibola County and western New Mexico. This year they began work on a crematorium, which will allow individuals to cremate loved ones in Grants rather than traveling far out.
Mt. Taylor Funerals and Cremations is a full-service funeral provider and cremation services. They provide traditional burials, full-service cremations, and transportation services of the remains of those outside of the area as well as those outside of Cibola County. This year the funeral home will serve over 150 families in Cibola County and western New Mexico. They are hoping with their new crematorium and their four-wheel vehicle that they will increase their numbers and serve individuals in more rural areas.
Impact Funeral Partners acquired Compassion Mortuary in September 2022. The new managers of the funeral home were then charged with updating the image of Compassion Mortuary as well as update the services that they provide. During this change they decided to change the name from Compassion Mortuary to Mt. Taylor Funerals and Cremations. Funeral Director and General Manager of Mt. Talor Funerals Manuel Mora spoke about the decision to change the name from Compassion Mortuary to Mt. Taylor Funerals and Cremations, “The reason why [we decided to change the name] is we wanted to show our commitment to the community. Mt. Taylor is a great example of that, solidarity, familiarity, reliance. Those are our core values here at the funeral home. We thought that would be a great way to show the community that we’re committed to the local area.”
Mt. Taylor Funerals got zoning approval in March for a crematorium on site, and in June they got state approval. Mora said that the funeral home has seen a positive response for the community regarding them having a crematorium on site. Mora also said that by having a crematorium on site it allows the passed loved ones will be able to stay in the area and be cremated rather than before when it was necessary to go to other cities and towns for their loved ones to be cremated. The construction of the crematorium is expected to be completed in January 2024. According to Mora it is a state-ofthe- art facility, it will be on the funeral home property, but individuals will not be able to tell that it is there.
The funeral works to create an environment of empathy and support whenever a family loses a loved one and requires funeral services. According to Mora their phones are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for questions even before a person passes for prearranging. When a loved one does pass the funeral home will then work with the family to make arrangements, they provide counseling to the family, and they also provide resources to the family regarding federal aid, state aid, veterans benefits. Mora also said that there is an indigent program in Cibola County that some people qualify for to receive county assistance. Following making arrangements, they will move forward with a traditional burial or cremation, they will then fill out the proper paperwork for arrangements either at local churches or at the state level.
Madison Brewer-Windhorst an employee at Mt. Taylor Funerals and Cremations spoke about what she thinks most people don’t know about funeral homes, “A lot of people don’t know how much goes into planning… So usually, it’s about filling for the death certificate, getting together their social security number, birth certificate, important documents like that. They don’t really understand what goes into planning a funeral or planning someone’s services to take care of them when they pass.” Mora also spoke about what he thinks most people don’t know, “A well known fact in our services is that people plan a wedding for a year, and then a funeral we have to plan it in normally three to five days.”
Despite having a difficult job at the funeral home Mora said that the upside is that they are able to serve others and serve their community. He said they get a sense of satisfaction when they do their job up to the standards of the family and they are very thankful, because people remember them and remember the experience that they gave them. Mora said, “I’ve been a licensed funeral director for 10 years in New Mexico, and people still come up to me or I get cards from years ago, so just the satisfaction of helping others, because this is a caregiver profession, if you didn’t see that early a lot of people would [quit the job].” He said that it’s about the five-year mark when a lot of those that choose the profession decide to quit, because the job is very difficult. Brewer-Windhorst also said that helping others is the upside of their job. She said, “Being able to give them a helping hand during the already difficult time, doing as much as we can so they’re not having to figure out a hundred other things on top of everything else they are already dealing with.”
Mora ended off by saying, “We are firmly, firmly, committed to being a part of Grants and the community. I’m now the Grants MainStreet Treasurer, and part of Knights of Columbus. We are very committed to the community… As far as our profession we are very committed to the future of Cibola county and western New Mexico… Moving forward again with Mt. Taylor a new chapter in the funeral service aspect in our local area.” Brewer-Windhorst said, “We want to be able to help provide the best service for the people in Grants and Cibola County, so they are not having to go to other places, that they have a place here at home and feel safe and taken care of.”