Road Crew Stands as Honor Guard

Machines silent during funeral, workers line up to salute family

By Mandy Catoe

Friday, February 24, 2017

White Street has often been a clattering, steaming, confusing mess in front of Lancaster Funeral Home during the past few weeks of road resurfacing.
Wednesday was one of those days.
Owner Hazel Cauthen alerted the road-builders that the funeral procession for Ricky McManus Sr. would be leaving about 2:30 p.m. on its way to Lancaster Memorial Park. He hoped the workers might stop for a minute or two so the line of cars could leave his parking lot easily.
The crew from Lynches River Contracting did far more than that.
They shut down their loud machines during the entire chapel service. And when the procession came by, more than a dozen workers lined up, took off their caps and stood respectfully, like an honor guard.
“I was very touched by it,” said McManus’ son Jason, expressing the family’s appreciation. “They didn’t have to do it. They could have just taken a break, but instead they stood in a line with hands crossed behind their backs.”
Cauthen said he appreciated the workers’ show of respect for McManus, a veteran.
“It kind of makes me proud to be a citizen of a small town like Lancaster, and to be an American,” he said.