LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - As Lexington’s immigrant population continues to grow, a Lexington funeral director has found his calling helping families navigate the complex process of returning their deceased loved ones to their native countries.

James Fender of Fender Funeral Directors has shipped bodies to countries spanning the globe, from Mexico and Guatemala to Honduras, El Salvador and Eritrea—a country he admits he couldn’t locate on a map when he first received the request.

“I’d never heard of it,” Fender said of the East African nation.

The process requires navigating different requirements for each country, often involving paperwork that must be translated from English into Arabic or Spanish. Fender showed documentation from the Mexican consulate in Indianapolis, pointing to an off

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