GRIFFIN, Ga. — It was a unique procession to celebrate the life of an electrical lineman who died while on the job.
Utility trucks with their buckets high in the air lined the street outside the funeral of one of their fallen comrades in Griffin.
People who watched it all appreciated the love and support shown to Griffin City employee Eric Weems and his family.
“I think it’s pretty cool what they’re doing for them,” Billy Cinnamon told Channel 2′s Tom Jones as he watched all the trucks lined up.
Cinnamon and others saw more than 50 utility trucks with their buckets raised.
Weems was killed when the city said equipment malfunctioned on November 13th on Spalding and Little Street. Channel 2 Action News saw the arm of a bucket truck had disconnected and the bucket was on the ground.
“I feel real sorry for the guy out there,” Cinnamon said.
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Linemen from all over the state came to pay their respects. Many held their helmets over their hearts as the hearse carrying Weems’ body traveled under the utility truck buckets and onto Griffin First Assembly.
Some came from Lawrenceville, Dalton and the city of Forsyth for the emotional day.
“If you caught me earlier I would have been in tears,” Mike Batchelor from Forsyth said.
Batchelor says this kind of show of support is not uncommon.
“When you have a freak accident or any kind of lineman that passes away, this is what we come to do,” he said.
At Weems’ funeral, the pastor prayed over the 53-year-old Navy veteran’s flag-draped casket.
“We pray for his brother. We pray for his children, his grandchildren,” Batchelor said.
Taps played and the flag was given to Weems’ family as one of Weems’s coworkers prayed for protection for all linemen.
“And I pray before God this day, that our brother who has fallen is home safely in your arms,” Michael Poole said.
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Cinnamon says the procession was a fitting way to remember someone killed while working to serve others.
“If he was here, he would sure appreciate it,” he said.
The City of Griffin closed all departments and services so workers could grieve or attend the funeral.
Trent Granger, the coworker who was seriously injured during the incident where Weems was killed, also attended the funeral, but did not want to comment.
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