TULSA, Okla. — "We got along wonderfully. No problems. Ever."
93-year-old Kermit Brooks said this while reflecting on 26 years of marriage with his late wife Mary. She passed away on May 9. One month later, the Brooks family still doesn't have her death certificate.
"Yeah without the death certificate, I'm tied up in everything," Brooks said.
Things like bank accounts, investments, and insurance are all on hold without the certificate. Steve Mowery, owner of Mowery Funeral Service in Owasso says this is rare.
WATCH: Tulsa widower stressed over death certificate wait
"We're sometimes at 60 days on getting them death certificates, which to me is very uncommon," Mowery said.
According to Mowery, an update to the state's process of distributing death certificates has the waitlist stacking up.
"These families between April and May that have gotten caught up in that transition, it's just taking longer for the state to issue those death certificates for those families," Mowery said.
Families like the Brooks are running out of answers while they wait.
"That's why I called you. I don't know where to go," Brooks said. "I don't have power over anything."
Not knowing where to go next, but knowing something needs to change.
"Somebody has got to be in charge," Brooks said. "And whoever it is, is doing a damn poor job is all I can say."
Mowery said before the transition, it typically took the state 7-10 days to issue death certificates. He does believe it's a temporary setback, and that once the doctors in the state adopt the process, wait times should return to normal.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
