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Sam Reed came to StoryCorps in Atlanta to talk about his job. He’s a mortician and for the last ten years he's worked as a caretaker for Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery.
In this piece, Reed talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age.
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Piece Description
Sam Reed came to StoryCorps in Atlanta to talk about his job. He’s a mortician and for the last ten years he's worked as a caretaker for Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery.
In this piece, Reed talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age.
Broadcast History
NPR's Morning Edition 11.6.09
Transcript
I remember one time in the first grade my teacher, she was going around to everyone and asked us want we wanted to be so she got to me and she said, 'Sammy Reed' --they all called me Sammy instead of Samuel-- 'What do you want to be when you grow up?'
And I said 'I want to be an undertaker.' And everybody thought that was crazy.
But I was always fascinated with the way a dead person looked when you went to see them. Coming up you would listen to the elders talk about a person that was killed in a car wreck and they was messed up and everything but when you got to the funeral you would hear them say, 'Whoa, Grandma looked great, she looked at peace.' And and I wanted to know how to do that.
And whenever I had a pet die, you know I always would bury the pet on the side of the creek bank. I would have my little sisters they would pick flowers and we would stand around and have a lit...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Time again for StoryCorps.
This project is collecting interviews from all kinds of people across
the country.
Today, we'll hear from a MORTICIAN in Atlanta.
Sam Reed has worked for the last ten years ...
... as "caretaker" for the city's historic Oakland Cemetery.
He says he was born to do his job.
OUTRO:Sam Reed at StoryCorps in Atlanta.
His interview -- and all the others -- will be archived at the Library
of Congress.
Sign up for the project's PODCAST ... at NPR-dot-ORG.
[STORYCORPS FUNDER]
This is NPR News.
Additional Credits
NPR, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
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