In 1997 I lost my mom and got a week off from work because we had a local service but also had to travel a day away for where most of her family was and where part of her remains were to be buried (cremation).

A week or so after that, I got the flu. They fired me because they had already given me time off for my mother's passing, and now I wanted time off for being sick?

Yep. Companies give no fucks.