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I moved to Crystal City in 2008. Moved back in Aug last year. In this entire time, there has been a grey building sitting vacant on N Truman Blvd. Roughly 2k sq ft, paint chipping off, two large glass brick windows dawn each side.

The other parts of the building are windowless. A garage type door in the back. No signs of a former sign out front. No parking lot to speak of. Not even a visible address.

Today at Twin City Coin Laundry, I struck up a conversation with an employee. The former owner of White Diner on Main St., and a lifelong Crystal City resident. Somewhere in the conversation, I asked “maybe you know – there is a glass brick windowed building down N Truman Blvd that has peeling grey paint, and no occupancy since at least 2008. Do you know what that was?”

“Katie's Funeral Parlor. Both my grandparents were there after their passing. 45 years ago!”

This makes sense, the thick windows bar others from seeing the displays inside. Lack of occupancy due to people's potential fear of ghosts or some other paranormal phenomena (which intrigues me).

Now as I walk past, traffic spewing exhaust and drivers cursing other drivers, my head down and pulling from a cigarette, focused on my destination, I can recall the Always Empty™ grey building, lonesome on the otherwise crowded street, was the final resting spot for many lives lived to their fullest extent. Some there just before being transported to Sacred Hearts Cemetery on the other side of town. Of which, I call home.

××× ttyl