Funeral service held for Curtis Family after Denny’s sign falls on their car

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A Columbia, Kentucky family is still searching for answers after a Denny’s restaurant sign in Elizabethtown fell on a car with three of their loved ones inside.

Lillian Curtis died and her husband Lloyd Curtis died four days later in hospice care.

Friday, their loved ones gathered for a memorial service.

While the Curtis family were able to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones, the journey to heal and get justice has only begun.

The Curtis family said they’re still in a state of shock following the tragic accident in Elizabethtown.

Mary Howard said she’s no stranger to grief, but the pain of losing her grandparents back to back is something she said she can’t fathom.

“I’ve always experienced grief kind of like those ocean waves where you just know the waves of grief will just come and that has not been my experience with this,” Howard said. “This has been more of an experience of aftershocks with a looming tsunami threatening to come after it.”

Dozens of people came out to the Grissom-Martin Funeral Home in Columbia to remember Lillian and Lloyd Curtis, a sentiment Howard said she can take solace in.

“Oh it was absolutely beautiful,” Howard said. “Some of the funniest memories were shared and just the flowers were phenomenal. The funeral home went above and beyond to really help us honor them.”

Howard said the outpouring of love and prayer has kept their family tucked under the wings of the most high and asks for continued support as they cherish their family’s memories.

“Her wisdom,” Howard said. “Like her ability to say you know not like profound or prophetic things but just life wisdom. Just those conversations and their quirkiness.”

The family said they promise to fight to create change in the name of their loved ones.

“I personally vow to my grandparents and my mother that change will be brought about,” Howard said. “Senator Max Wise responded within hours of outreach. I promise to do everything that I can to ensure something like this doesn’t happen to another family. No life should ever be crushed from existence by a sign.”

The family told WAVE News their hope is that in 3-5 years they will have new legislation in place in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to ensure this doesn’t happen to anybody else.

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