'My wish is that David has his final resting spot'
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BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. -- After the recent death of a diver who worked for the state, his family is struggling not only with grief, but with the cost of laying him to rest.
David Scheinost, 24, died last month on the job, while diving with 2 others for geoduck samples off Bainbridge Island.
"I always thought that myself or David's father would go first," said his mother Ginny Sizemore, "but not my son because he had his whole life ahead of him."
Without that future, Ginny just tries to get through today, leaning on her nieces - buried in grief - trying to figure out how to pay for her son's burial.
"Today was heartbreaking taking her down to pick David's ashes up," said Martina Cuich, Scheinoist's cousin.
Sizemore doesn't want to take those ashes home. She wants a plot, but she can't afford it.
Cuich says Edwards Memorial carried out David's funeral on Sunday without advance payment. The family still owes $5,200. The headstone she chose -- even with a discount from Greenwood Cemetery -- is another $8,100.
So where is the state's death benefit for David's family -- especially since he died on the job?
"People think that DNR will automatically pay for things but that's not what the case," Sizemore said.
The state's death benefit is $8,300 - but it cannot be paid out until the investigation into his death is done and that could take months. So even with that money, the family still needs almost $5,000.
"My wish is that David has his final resting spot," Sizemore said.
Cuich added: "And a final resting place where everybody that he touched could come and visit with him and just reflect on what an amazing person he was."
Scheinost's family is asking the diving community and others to help them out financially. You can help by donating to David via our Problem Solvers Fund. Just be sure to note your donation is for David Scheinost.
David Scheinost, 24, died last month on the job, while diving with 2 others for geoduck samples off Bainbridge Island.
"I always thought that myself or David's father would go first," said his mother Ginny Sizemore, "but not my son because he had his whole life ahead of him."
Without that future, Ginny just tries to get through today, leaning on her nieces - buried in grief - trying to figure out how to pay for her son's burial.
"Today was heartbreaking taking her down to pick David's ashes up," said Martina Cuich, Scheinoist's cousin.
Sizemore doesn't want to take those ashes home. She wants a plot, but she can't afford it.
Cuich says Edwards Memorial carried out David's funeral on Sunday without advance payment. The family still owes $5,200. The headstone she chose -- even with a discount from Greenwood Cemetery -- is another $8,100.
So where is the state's death benefit for David's family -- especially since he died on the job?
"People think that DNR will automatically pay for things but that's not what the case," Sizemore said.
The state's death benefit is $8,300 - but it cannot be paid out until the investigation into his death is done and that could take months. So even with that money, the family still needs almost $5,000.
"My wish is that David has his final resting spot," Sizemore said.
Cuich added: "And a final resting place where everybody that he touched could come and visit with him and just reflect on what an amazing person he was."
Scheinost's family is asking the diving community and others to help them out financially. You can help by donating to David via our Problem Solvers Fund. Just be sure to note your donation is for David Scheinost.
As the father of a young man who also graduated from DIT and also drown while working on a government project and who also was also blamed for his own death I find the cocaine in his system in need of questioning. After the death of my son it took me four years to undue the lies and eventually proven that it was a negligent homicide.
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Where this story should be directed is to why was a commercial diver working under existing regulations not tethered as required? Why was he not being tended? Most importantly who is doing the investigation? What credentials do those conducting the investigation have to conduct a diving fatality investigation?
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Common funeral scams. Know before you are in mourning and are too emotional to notice!
http://www.scambusters.org/funeralscams.html
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@RamblinGirl Like I said, once in mourning all logic and common sense goes out the window. When my mom buried my brother she should of been on medication. Since then we have lost both my grandma's, grandfathers, my wifes mom and dad as well as her grandma. When it is the generation older than you it is easier to keep common sense in play and stay in control at a funeral home. My wife and I opted not have human children but a Yellow Lab instead. I just paid 4k for a surgery for 2 cancerous toumors to be removed plus treatment. It makes no logical sense, a new puppy lab is 700 bucks. That can run and play go exercise with me, doesen't sleep all day or have accidents on the carpet. But LOVE is the key, it blinds all common sense. My 15 year old puppy is the love of our family and much like a mom who lost her son I will pay what ever to keep that feeling in my heart.
Funeral directors regularly prey on grieving families. It's unconscionable but they do it anyway.
http://www.seniorsdaily.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=829
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My parents had to bury my brother, he was 18. Young dumb and full of ...well you know. He loved the outdoors, was an atheist and lived life to the fullest. I know being his brother and friend that he didn't believe in the afterlife. He had his time on earth and when it was over it was over. Cremation and scattering his ashes somewhere he loved and knew we would visit would be his wish. The Teanaway in CleElum or the Twisp River. Our favorite family camping spots full of wonderful memories is where he would have wanted his ashes to be. This is where I understand this story. My mom went to a funeral home and was upsold from a cremation and ceremony to the following, Body prep, casket, plot, head stone, ceremony, video and Iâm sure a few more things. A mom losing a child? Throw all logic or sense out the window. Fortunately between the family were able to all chip in and help with the bill. Which was much greater than this poor mom signed up to pay. That is why I donated my next weekâs coffee money to the Problem solvers fund. Itâs not a lot. But it tells mom, much like mine, be well, and do what you need to do. Itâs been said Memorials are for the living and since mom is living I choose to support her in time of grief.
 @4America2 That's really awesome of you to support the family in what they want - even though I'd be willing to bet that her son would have been perfectly happy being buried at sea since he died there.
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If anything ever happens to me, I hope my organs will be donated to someone who can use them and throw the rest of me away - as cheap as possible. Â
@JoeKing Agreed. In my death I hope I make someone living a better life and spread my ashes somewhere one wants to go and maybe remember me for a moment. Do not put me in a grave yard full of sadness and burden. I'm dead..I really don't care at that point.
For reference so you know I'm not just blowing smoke...
Your Donation was approved! Please retain this message as a receipt. ----------------------------------------------------------- Transaction ID: 26561714 Date/Time: 8/11/2012 12:13:33 AM Payment Details: ----------------------------------------------------------- Donation Total: $25.00 Card Type: Visa Card Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx81 Customer Reference ID: David Scheinost - Donation
I know the families pain, as my daughter was murdered a year ago. The police (in another county) refused to investigate.... do anything to follow up with the case. At least here KOMO as seen fit to provide them with the news coverage, to receive some help.Â
http://www.bomarc.com/roseann/default.htm
(And ... No, my daughter does not yet have a tombstone, an investigation, or news coverage)
I truly understand wishing to have the "best" to remember a son lost in tragic circumstances. However, when you KNOW you don't have the money to cover these costs and you won't have the money coming in to cover the costs then you really need to have an honest conversation with yourself and family members and not allow the funeral home representatives to push you into their upselling tactics. You're loved ones will not have wanted you to stress over finances while grieving over their sudden death!
@MHunt This is something that every family needs to talk about starting at a somewhat young age - A lot of adult kids do not know what their parents last wishes would be- it is something my brothers and I all know for our parents (we are in our 30's parents in their 60's)- heck even my 14yr old daughter knows what i want if something were to happen to me tomorrow- my feelings are a headstone and a plot are for the family not for the dead. I would much rather my family take my ashes somewhere nice and remember me from our fun times instead of shelling our a ton of money for a stone and a few feet in the ground.Â
 @MomOf2 That's a good idea, but does your family know what your 14yr old would want if (God forbid) she died tomorrow? That's a conversation very few people have, yet you hear so many parents saying they're not meant to live longer than their children. It's so terribly sad & painful, but it happens.
Hopefully one good thing that will come out of this article, some people will have that difficult conversation with their loved ones.
No pity from me. I buried Pa and a little brother for 1/6 of that. Virtually any funeral company would await the states payment in an instance like this. They might tag her for a little interest is all. The prices she agreed to are way out of line.
13K, whoa... Â Is this the parent going over the top or the funeral home business? Â I'm not dissing anyone here at all, but why not get what you can afford? Â I'd like the best for my child as well but if you can't afford it, why are you even looking at it? Â Again, no disrespect. Â What kind of a headstone do you get for $8500? Â Maybe I'm thinking it's something much more that it sounds...Â
 @teahater The funeral directors talk people into it, even when it's clear they can't afford it. When you're grief-stricken is the easiest time to get scammed and it happens all the time.
We had our mother cremated and got a nice headstone for a total of $1500. Â Seems like they might not have taken the most economical route. Â
I assumed that working for the state you had basic group life insurance benefits. Is that not true?
@Magic 8 Ball - Someone else just emailed me that same question. I've sent the information to David's family to check it out. Thanks. @denisewhitakerkomoÂ
@Denise Whitaker @denisewhitakerkomo I worked for the state (DOC) and had a $10k life insurance coverage w/o any contribution by me. Most likely this young single man did not contribute, but he most likely had some coverage, particularly in light of his high-risk occupation.Â