Kansas Church To Picket Tinley Park Victims Funerals

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- The fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets at funerals of American soldiers is planning to demonstrate at the funerals of two of the victims of the Lane Bryant massacre in Tinley Park.

WBBM's Steve Miller reports.

It's there on the Web site of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas. Under "Upcoming Picket Schedule" for this Saturday.

To picket the funeral of 22-year-old Sarah Szafranski at St. Damian Catholic Church in Oak Forest.

And then to picket the funeral of 37-year-old Connie Woolfolk at Leak and Sons Funeral Home in Country Club Hills.

Why?

Oak Forest Mayor Joann Kelly isn't sure, but she's heard one possible explanation.

"That it may be because of the kind of customers that go to Lane Bryant. And that in some cases they may have an objection to some of the clientele."

Specifically, she says, transsexuals and transvestites who may shop there.

Both Oak Forest and Country Club Hills received letters yesterday from the church, saying that members planned a peaceful protest at the funerals.

Both towns say they'll have extra police on the scene.

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