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Cover photo of the Harding Icefield on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The cracks in the ice mark the slope that begins the descent into Exit Glacier. Photo by Greg Abbott.
January 2005
Regional Funeral Directors Associations Ron Hast
Participation and leadership in common causes at the local and regional levels is noble, but attention to any potential exposure or liability that may be detrimental, individually or collectively, is essential.
Colleague Wisdom: Preneed Dilemma
Preneed contracts contain itemized charges that the funeral home has agreed to honor, but many funeral providers have changed pricing structure in which items cost less but services cost more. We asked for responses to a situation in which a family has requested a refund on the price difference of a casket that is less now that it was on their contract.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
Certain courses and information in the schools of mortuary science are reportedly including issues of “rights” and “expectations” once the student reaches the workplace; the misunderstanding among certain employers that graduates of specialized schooling such as embalming should have been fully trained and ready to work skillfully; an example from another profession that illustrates how colleagues can share on-call time and provide everyone with appropriate rest; an example of a funeral home manager’s insensitivity at a critical time in a potential client’s life; a comparison between the unimpressive environment in a hospital compared to the professionalism encountered at a veterinary clinic; the three most outstanding forces in death care today.
Glass Houses Patrick Davis
Patrick says, “We all live in glass houses as professionals who serve the interest of the common good. It is easy enough to keep the windows clean so folks can see what’s inside. I prefer to give guided tours Open houses always get more visitors.”
Create Tribute Videos In-House: New Software Makes It Easy Jason Ropchan
Tribute videos have started to replace the photo boards at funerals. Until recently, creating a video in-house was a difficult process and outsourcing was the easiest option. Now, a number of new programs have reached the market that allow you to create videos in-house quickly and easily.
Buying and Selling — Again Douglas O. Meyer
Over the last year there has been an increase in the buying and selling of funeral homes. Independent owners are buying their competitors, regional chains are adding to their stable of locations and even the national chains are very selectively buying firms.
Good Grief Charlie Brown — An Epilogue Jerry J. Brown
Jerry writes, “Several years ago I (borrowed from) Charles Schulz by writing an article entitled ‘Good Grief Charlie Brown’ in which I endeavored to sort out ‘good grief’ from ‘bad grief.’” Now, Jerry follows up with new observations and realizations.
Perpetual Care for Website Memorials Chuck Brown
Memorial websites are becoming more popular as families look for more personalized ways to commemorate the departed. Unfortunately, many personal memorials have come and gone either because the web hosting account or the domain registration expired.
Discrimination Lawsuits Settled (Mobile, Alabama)
The corporation that owns the Radney family of funeral homes has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle two racial discrimination lawsuits.
Marsh Pleads Guilty (Noble, Georgia)
Former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh, who was accused of dumping 334 bodies on his property, agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges.
SCI Case Settled (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Seventy-two families suing the beleaguered Menorah Gardens cemetery chain in Palm Beach County have settled their case.
FTC Announces Inspection Results (Washington, D.C.)
The Federal Trade Commission announced the results of a sweep of 17 funeral homes in Rockland County, New York, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, to test compliance with the FTC’s Funeral Rule.
Bill Would Cut Bereavement Airfares (Washington, D.C.)
The U.S. Senate voted to require airlines to offer the lowest available fare to people flying to family funerals.
Funeral Home Lawsuit Settled (Valparaiso, Indiana)
A lawsuit credited with setting a new state standard when suing over emotional pain has been settled just days before it was to go to trial.
Widow Wins Suit In Cremation Fraud (Riverside, California)
About a year after his death, a woman discovered that the ashes she spread may not have been those of her husband.
Judge Considers Law On Funeral Policies (Alexandria, Louisiana)
A judge heard arguments on the constitutionality of a law the Louisiana State Legislature passed that limits burial insurance to face amounts printed on the policies.
Troubled Funeral Home Burns (Toledo, Ohio)
Fire officials say arson was the cause of a fire that heavily damaged the former Sherill-Harden Funeral Home.
Funeral Director Falls Into Grave (London, England)
A London funeral director was knocked off his feet by a gust of wind and blown into a grave during a funeral that he was conducting.
Offbeat Options For Cremains (Chicago, Illinois)
People are increasingly choosing offbeat, personalized ways to handle cremains, and savvy entrepreneurs are responding.
Suit Over Spilled Ashes (Seattle, Washington)
A San Diego family that accused SeaTac airport screeners of spilling cremated remains is suing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Totem Poles Honor 9/11 Dead (Arlington, Virginia)
Two elaborately carved totem poles have been delivered to Washington, D.C., by the Lummi tribe to honor those killed in the September 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
Families Want Ashes Reburied (New York, New York)
A group called World Trade Center Families for Proper Burial filed a notice of claim — the first step in a projected lawsuit.
Butterfly Garden Dedicated To Fire Victims (Providence, Rhode Island)
A large crowd gathered at Roger Williams Park Zoo to dedicate a new Butterfly Garden to the memories of those killed in a nightclub fire.
Body Exhumed Due To Error (Lubbock, Texas)
The city of Lubbock, Texas, had to exhume a body at the City of Lubbock Cemetery because another person was scheduled to be buried in that same plot.
Charge Dropped In Cremation Case (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Fraud charges have been dropped against a funeral home director accused of not cremating people in caskets purchased for them.
Crematory Ordered To Change Its Practices (Sioux City, Iowa)
State officials ordered a Sioux City funeral home group to end its practice of dividing one cremation container to use for more than one body and then charging mourning families for a new container.
Unclaimed Cremains (Danbury, Connecticut)
A Connecticut funeral director has been known to use his own initiative in taking care of unclaimed cremains.
Britain’s Burial Grounds Awards (Harrogate, England)
Graveyards got glitzy when Harrogate hosted the “graveyard gongs,” better known as the Cemetery of the Year Awards 2004.
Mortuary Science Center A First In Asia (Cebu, Philippines)
Cebu will soon have another first in the Philippines and in Asia with the creation of a new mortuary science center.
Funeral Escorts To Be Regulated (Fresno, California)
A Fresno businesswoman has inspired county officials to finally regulate funeral procession escorts.
Eco-Friendly Cremation (New Delhi, India)
A retired mechanical engineer has designed an eco-friendly cremation platform that consumes half the time, wood and money compared to a traditional system.
Group Considers Benefits Of Green Cemeteries (Cooperstown, New York)
A cabinetmaker in Cooperstown, New York, has formed a group to create a green cemetery in Otsego County.
Objections To Green Burial Plans (Keswick, England)
A move towards green burials in England has sparked local opposition from residents and parish councillors who say the need is already being catered to.
Crafting Headstones For The Government (Barre, Vermont)
As part of a $3 million contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Granite Industries produced about 20,000 upright marble headstones last year for government cemeteries.
Vets Await New Cemetery (Holly, Michigan)
The remains of U.S. military veterans may be placed in a temporary shelter while awaiting interment at a new national cemetery.
X-Rays Unmask Mummy’s Face (Asti, Italy)
The face of a man who died and was mummified in Egypt 3,000 years ago has been modeled using special CAT scans.
Cemetery Vault Recovered On River (Woodsfield, Ohio)
The Monroe County Sheriff told county commissioners that his department has recovered a sealed cemetery vault on the bank of the Ohio River.
Floods Unearth Graves (Folkston, Georgia)
Several caskets, some weighing up to 1,200 pounds, floated up and out of their graves in Georgia after Hurricane Jeanne dumped heavy rain in the region.
Rains Force Cemetery To Move Vaults (Richmond, Virginia)
Severe erosion has forced workers to move vaults to safer ground in the eight-acre historic Hebrew Cemetery.
Nearly Naked Calendar Benefits Cemetery (Troy, New York)
A calendar that’s raising money for a nationally famous New York cemetery is becoming quite a hot item.
Korea Faces Burial Ground Shortage (Seoul, Korea)
An acute shortage of land suitable for burial grounds in Korea is expected around 2020.
Interment Time Shortened (Shanghai, China)
The Shanghai Public Cemetery Administrative Regulations are being amended to shorten internment rights in cemeteries to save land.
Plot For Last Stand (Darlington, Australia)
Victorians may soon have the option of being buried in Australia’s first vertical cemetery.
Cemetery Vandal Sentenced (Franklin, Indiana)
A former employee at Greenlawn Cemetery in Franklin who damaged dozens of tombstones during a graveyard vandalism spree has been sentenced.
Crossing Border For Cheaper Funerals (Berlin, Germany)
Since the Germans government eliminated the $635 “death subsidy” that people received for their funerals, many cash-strapped Germans are getting cheaper cremations in the Czech Republic.
Caskets & More Opens New Franchise (Santa Clara, California)
Caskets & More recently held a grand opening for its new franchise in Silicon Valley.
Man Exhumes And Consumes Corpse (Milambo, Zambia)
Zambian police have arrested a man who exhumed, cooked and ate part of his grandson’s corpse.
Teenagers Use Cemetery As Motel (Santa Barbara, Philippines)
Two teenage lovers were caught having sex in the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Cover photo of old grape vines in Napa, California, by Michael Abbott.
February 2005
Careful Words During Emotional Times Ron Hast
After receiving a phone call from a subscriber inquiring about how to best discuss a sensitive matter with a family, Ron reviewed several examples of comforting words and manners with the caller. Ron then compiled these suggestions and presents them in his article for others to consider.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
How Sears had once sold caskets years ago and the impact of Costco’s entry into casket sales.
Thoughts About the GPL Douglas O. Meyer
The FTC Funeral Rule and the requirements for a General Price List (GPL) have been around for years, yet many funeral directors still struggle with the GPL on two fronts: compliance and marketing. Doug presents approaches to end such struggles.
A Closer Look at the Funeral Celebrant Practice Linda Lawson
A look at the background and practices of a funeral celebrant, a trained layperson who is available to work with families of a deceased person to plan and conduct a funeral service that celebrates the person’s life.
Body Worlds Helps Unwrap the Taboo of Death Greg Abbott
If there had been any concerns regarding the optimal time and place to debut “Body Worlds: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies” in the United States, it appears that the resolution to those issues could not have been better. Today, Americans seem to be more receptive to facing the taboo of death and the volatility of the body than ever before. This trend is witnessed by the popularity of the mortuary-themed series, as well as morgue-related shows.
You Want To Be a Mortician? Christine Nicholson
Christine is a student majoring in journalism who describes her and her family’s reaction when her boyfriend announces that he plans to pursue a career as a mortician.
Pitfalls and Prospects of Personalization Patrick Davis
While families move further and further away from what we might consider “traditional” funeral arrangements and towards non-traditional and secular events, a need for the creativity and flexibility of the director is evident. Patrick addresses the issues that have compounded this shift.
Marketing Cremation Products (Indianapolis, Indiana)
An Indianapolis-based company just completed three-month stint in two malls, renting kiosk space to sell cremation products, services and information.
Mortuary’s Ads Seek To Liven Things Up (Denver, Colorado)
A new advertising campaign launched by a Denver mortuary aims to bring the topic of death to light and bring some new customers through the historic cemetery’s gates.
Director Scams $3M With Fake Death Certificates (Brooklyn, New York)
A former Queens funeral director and his wife pleaded guilty to charges they scammed $3.1 million in life insurance payments by submitting fake death certificates to insurers.
State Puts Chain On Probation (Mount Holly, New Jersey)
Three funeral homes accused of allowing unlicensed people to make funeral arrangements have been fined and placed on probation by the New Jersey Board of Mortuary Sciences.
Preying On The Bereaved? (Los Angeles, California)
After a woman’s death, her mother received a letter from Heir Buyout Company making an unsolicited offer to hand out cash in return for a piece of her daughter’s possessions.
Monks Cremate Tsunami Victims (Khao Lak, Thailand)
The grim task of cremating thousands of tsunami victims has fallen to Thailand’s saffron-robed monks, whose training requires them to stare at photos of decomposing bodies to better understand the transitory nature of life.
Buyouts Die Out (Chicago, Illinois)
An aggressive campaign by two funeral industry giants who bought up hundreds of family-owned facilities in the 1990s continues to contract in the Chicago market, where more local operators are getting back in the business.
Industry Gears Up For Baby Boomers (Washington, D.C.)
The biggest trend to hit the death care industry recently is the country’s declining death rate, which has put a damper on revenue.
Trouble For Independents (London, England)
A national convention in England for independent funeral directors has been warned of increased competition from large conglomerates.
Embalming Fluid As Date Rape Drug (Swansea, Wales)
Police are concerned about a new date rape drug after a woman may have been knocked out after smoking a cigarette that had been dipped in embalming fluid.
State Board Fines Mortuary (Lake Havasu City, Arizona)
A state board placed Lake Havasu Mortuary on six months probation and issued civil fines totaling $2,000 for a series of violations.
Cemetery Installs Artificial Turf (Apple Valley, California)
Sunset Hills Memorial Park is installing artificial turf at the cemetery, just like all the major league baseball stadiums did in the 1970s.
State Benefits System Refuses To Fund Burials (Denver, Colorado)
A new glitch has been discovered in Colorado’s $200 million welfare benefits system: Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) refuses to process burial benefits.
Crashing The Funeral Procession (Kent County, Michigan)
Kent County funeral directors are starting to see more and more drivers ignoring the motorcade, and, as a result, some funeral homes are looking at alternatives to the traditional funeral procession.
Landfill To Become Memorial (New York, New York)
New York City is beginning the process of turning the world’s largest landfill, where debris from the World Trade Center was searched and sorted, into a park.
Memorial Honors Sniper Victims (Wheaton, Maryland)
A spot in a Montgomery County botanical park is getting a new name to honor the victims of the Washington sniper shootings.
Burying The Dead In Iraq (Najaf, Iraq)
When a thunderous explosion threw up its tall plume of smoke and dust a mere 600 yards away from where a family was burying their dead, they were barely distracted from the verses a relative was reciting over the caskets.
Cemetery Sued Over Burial Mistake (Matteson, Illinois)
A man is suing Oak Ridge-Glen Oak Cemetery in the Chicago suburb of Hillside because someone else was buried in a plot he bought for himself and his late wife.
Metal May Be Reused Following Cremation (Warrington, England)
Metal objects such as hip pins, pacemakers and dental fillings left over from cremations could be recycled in the future.
Grant For Veterans Cemetery Upgrade (New Hanover, New Jersey)
The nation’s largest veterans cemetery outside of the Washington area will get a $6.14 million grant for upgrades.
Over The White Cliffs Of Dover (Dover, England)
A survey has revealed that the White Cliffs of Dover are where Brits would most like their ashes scattered when they die.
Gravestones Technology And Design Changes (Medford, Oregon)
Much has changed since John Westerfield started Oregon Granite in 1898.
Monuments Taking On A Life Of Their Own (Key West, Florida)
In the past, a gravestone was a somber symbol of a life ended, usually engraved with only a few words: the name of the deceased and the dates of his or her birth and death.
Dead Celebrities Still Cashing In (New York, New York)
What do Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Marilyn Monroe have in common? About $70-million of combined income last year.
Conductor Stamps Dead Passenger’s Ticket (London, England)
A British train conductor stamped and carefully returned the ticket of a passenger presumed to be slumbering without realizing the man was dead.
Commission Approves Fee For Cremations (Lee County, Florida)
The Lee County commission unanimously approved a new ordinance that allows the medical examiner’s office to once again charge a fee for cremations.
Illegal Exhumations (Hong Kong, China)
People have been digging up remains from graves to make room for their own departed loved ones in land-scarce Hong Kong.
Multi-Story Cemeteries (Negev, Israel)
Most of Israel’s cemeteries are going to convert to multi-story graves since no more land is available for burial.
Cemetery Cell Tower Deemed Inappropriate (Brookline, Massachusetts)
Building a 150-foot cell phone tower in the town-owned Walnut Hills Cemetery is an idea that should be buried, according to more than one cemetery trustee.
Church Prefers Burial Over Cremation (Manila, Philippines)
The Catholic Church is urging the faithful to think twice before cremating the bodies of their departed loved ones.
Cemetery Bans Grave Rubbing Fetishists (Paris, France)
Authorities in Paris’s historic Pere Lachaise cemetery have sealed off one of its most visited tombs in order to prevent the perpetration of lewd acts on a prostrate bronze.
A Six-Pack And Some Cremains To Go (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)
Police have arrested a Sheboygan woman for stealing her boyfriend’s remains from the Cambria Cemetery more than 10 years ago.
Government Urged To Tax-Exempt Cemeteries (Shanghai, China)
The Federation of Chinese Associations wants the Government to categorize all cemeteries managed by Chinese guilds and associations as non-profit organizations so that they can enjoy tax exemption.
3,000-Year-Old Tombs Unearthed (Beijing, China)
Chinese archaeologists are unearthing a group of tombs believed to be the family cemetery of an imperial ruler who lived about 3,000 years ago.
Corpse To Be Shown Rotting On TV (London, England)
A British television channel is seeking a terminally ill volunteer to donate their body after death so it can be filmed as it decomposes.
Prairie Dogs Digging Up Cemetery (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
A colony of prairie dogs moved into a cemetery full of historic skeletons, causing grief for town officials who want to protect the final resting place of the state’s notables.
Doctors Charged In Corpse Scandal (Lodz, Poland)
Prosecutors in Poland have charged two doctors and two ambulance workers with murder for letting patients die or killing them outright in order to collect kickbacks from funeral homes.
Still Together Despite Their Differences (Birmingham, Alabama)
Two mummified bodies found in an abandoned, burned-out Alabama mortuary have an eerie story.
Cover photo of an old church built in 1882 in Bodie, a gold-mining ghost town that is now a California state historic park. Photo by Greg Abbott.
March 2005
Audience-Generated Funerals, and More Ron Hast
Audience-generated funerals are becoming known and appreciated when available. This concept is not to be confused with a eulogist who, like a clergyperson, is hired to lead and present a program in memory of a person’s life. This concept takes the support of those who attend a memorial gathering and allows those who know and care about the life being honored to participate.
Colleague Wisdom: Religion’s Role in Your Business Ron Hast
One of our Colleague Wisdom respondents submitted the following challenge to our contemporaries: “How does your own religious faith inform your work? Do you ever position yourself to be emotionally and spiritually vulnerable, or do you steer clear of this, opting to keep things Ôon point’ in your business office setting?
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A discussion of the attractions that exhibitors use to draw visitors at conventions; a humorous funeral experience involving dentures; Ron’s collection of high-quality hearse models; and how the Ferno Company has stood the test of time.
Vehicle Issues Douglas O. Meyer
Due to the costs a funeral home can incur in connection with vehicle-related exposures, you should understand how they arise and what you can do to minimize them.
Where Are the Baby-Boomers? And Why Are They Not Affecting My Business? Kris Seale
The statistics indicate that the preneed funeral market, and the at-need funeral market for that matter is flat — we are not seeing growing numbers as the baby-boomers age. Kris takes on the question of why this is the case and what can be done about it.
Highlights from the Professional Car Society’s 2004 International Meet Gregg D. Merksamer
The Professional Car Society, founded in 1976 to champion authentic restorations of funeral cars and ambulances, held its 2004 International Meet in Daytona Beach, Florida. Presented in this article are highlights from the event, which drew nearly 50 vintage hearses, ambulances and funeral-style, six-door limousines.
Payment in Full Is Expected Patrick Davis
Consider for a moment a sign for your business that reads “Unless prior arrangements are made, payment is expected before services.” If you have such a sign at your business, what are the underlying conditions behind the necessity for this? If you don’t have such a sign, how do you feel about it? How does your funeral home handle the issues of finance, payment and collections that plague the funeral industry? Patrick takes on these matters.
Unauthorized Use Of Copyrighted Casket Photos (Batesville, Indiana)
The U.S. District Court has ruled that a third-party casket retailer cannot use copyrighted advertising materials.
SARS Continues To Live In The Deceased (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Autopsies on patients who died during the Toronto SARS outbreak found the SARS coronavirus was present in the lungs of all of them.
Mortuary Owner Accused Of Stealing Premiums (Leesville, Louisiana)
A state board has closed a funeral home whose owner has been accused of stealing money by pocketing burial insurance premiums.
State Sues Funeral Company (Honolulu, Hawaii)
A state lawsuit alleges that a major Hawaii funeral services company has not properly accounted for $20 million that was supposed to be kept in a trust.
Prepaid Plans Profiting From Defaults (Honolulu, Hawaii)
The practice of canceling prepaid funeral contracts and not giving full or even partial refunds is common in Hawaii.
Funeral Director Sentenced To Prison (Suffolk, Virginia)
A judge has sentenced a funeral director who faced numerous complaints from families to 11 years behind bars.
Comingling Case Raises Regulatory Issue (Denver, Colorado)
Serious questions have been raised about practices at Denver’s largest cremation operation.
Lender Seizes Assets Of Funeral Firm (Honolulu, Hawaii)
A lender will be able to remove the management of RightStar Hawaii Management Inc. over an estimated $34 million owed on a mortgage loan for a cemetery business.
Report Shocks Financial Services Industry (London, England)
The United Kingdom’s Fraud Prevention Service has published its startling study into identity theft of dead people.
Details Of Twin Towers Memorial (New York, New York)
The memorial honoring World Trade Center victims will include a forest of oak trees and a Memorial Hall between the twin reflecting pools that will mark the footprints of the lost towers.
Funeral Director Enters Plea Agreements (Ashdown, Arizona)
A former funeral director at Shackelford Funeral Home has been sentenced to 24 months in jail and ordered to pay restitution for bank fraud and mail fraud.
State Issues Cease Order (Charles City, Iowa)
The Iowa Securities Bureau issued a cease order against Sunnyside Memory Gardens and Funeral Home for selling preneed funeral services without a license.
Former Director Fined (Victoria, Texas)
A former funeral director signed a settlement with the Texas Attorney General’s Office to pay more than $19,000 for selling preneed funeral contracts without a license.
Family Sues Over Decomposition (Galveston, Texas)
A couple is suing the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office, as well as a funeral home and a body transport service.
Director Admits To Fraud (Unionville, Missouri)
A funeral director has admitted to fraudulently filing $403,000 in insurance claims for 59 people that he never buried.
Mom’s Dying Secret Yields Corpse (Somerville, Massachusetts)
A mother’s deathbed confession led police to a dead body in a storage locker freezer, and officials said the corpse may be that of the woman’s husband, whom she murdered more than a decade ago.
System Deploys Ashes To Scatter Freely (Berwick, Scotland)
A Scottish pilot has come up with a high-pressure system to propel cremated ashes from aircraft to ensure they are scattered to the winds.
Lawsuits Settled (Dunedin, Florida)
The families of 16 people whose remains were handled by the now-defunct Abbey Parklawn Funeral Home & Memory Gardens have reached a settlement.
Online Memorialization Takes Hold (Yonkers, New York)
Tribute web sites have been increasing in popularity.
Cemetery Purse Snatchings (Cleveland, Ohio)
Police arrested a Cleveland man in connection with a series of purse snatchings at a Brook Park cemetery.
College Offers Course On Dying (Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania)
A course on death at Susquehanna University pairs students with elderly people to work on their “personal legacies.”
Cat’s Gravestone Fetches Over $300,000 (Somerset, England)
A medieval limestone slab, which for years was used as a gravestone for a cat, sold for $386,300 at auction.
Workers Unearth Human Leg (Michigan City, Indiana)
A construction crew found a severed human leg wrapped in plastic and buried near the entrance of the Swan Lake Memorial Gardens cemetery.
Group Stole Human Remains To Raise Dead (Jacksonville, Florida)
Jacksonville police say a group of people stole human remains in order to raise the dead in a religious ritual.
Hitch-Hikers Forced To Dig Up Casket (Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe)
A group of late night hitch-hikers had a shock when they were driven to a cemetery and forced to dig up a casket at gunpoint.
Thieves Steal Cemetery Fencing (Butte, Montana)
Butte’s oldest cemetery has become a treasure trove for thieves plundering antique wrought iron fencing and gates.
Blue Hearse Provides New Image (Queensville, England)
Staff at Midlands Co-operative Funeral Service are delighted by the acquisition of two brand new vehicles.
State Considers Regulating Burials On Private Property (Madison, Wisconsin)
The Wisconsin Towns Association has asked the state to forbid human burials anywhere but in an approved cemetery.
Backyard Funeral Operators (Sydney, Australia)
Rogue Australian funeral companies transport bodies in open-back trucks and station wagons, and store them unrefrigerated in homes and warehouses, an inquiry into the industry has found.
Lenin’s Curator Says Body Well Preserved (Moscow, Russia)
Former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin’s embalmed body should last at least another 100 years, according to one of the body’s curators.
Marijuana Found Stashed In Coffins (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
A routine traffic stop turned into a drug bust when Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers found 610 pounds of marijuana stashed in four coffins.
Gorillas Hold Wake (Brookfield, Illinois)
After a 30-year-old gorilla died, keepers at Brookfield Zoo decided to allow surviving gorillas to mourn the most influential female in their social family.
Woman Marries Corpse (Garas, Serbia)
A Serbian woman has been jailed for 18 months for marrying a dead man.
SCI Leaves Community (Duluth, Minnesota)
Service Corporation International has retreated from the Duluth-area funeral scene by selling two businesses.
Whiskey Tombstones (Wadestown, West Virginia)
In the cemetery at Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, a four-foot-tall tombstone may contain a hiding place for moonshine.
Cover photo taken along the Big Sur coastline in California, by Allan Abbott.
April 2005
The Comfort of Visitation Ron Hast
A discussion of how mandated price itemization has changed the mood of service in the funeral home: Where once it was a “no time limit” environment, that is no longer the case; although funeral directors still need to do their best to accommodate the comforting aspect of time spent with the deceased.
Colleague Wisdom:
Computers in Funeral Service Ron Hast
In response to requests from our readers, we asked our colleagues if they utilize specialized death care (or other) software, and to share the name of it and their evaluation. We also asked if the computer was primary for all information, schedules, orders and records.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
The cost of placing obituaries over the years; some observations by the director of a play set in a funeral parlor; a humorous but accurate insight into how the brain works when reading; an example of how a client family can sue even for a petty matter; when nature calls at the wrong time; a funny story about a mourner’s overreaction at a funeral.
The GPL from a Different Perspective Douglas O. Meyer
Doug states, “I believe that in attempting to comply with the FTC Funeral Rule, many funeral directors fail to consider the GPL’s role as a marketing tool.” His explanation follows.
Don’t Take It Personally Patrick Davis
Patrick discusses examples of the kinds of confrontations that funeral homes experience from clients. Realizing that they are primarily driven by what the family is experiencing at a very emotional time, he explains how some of these situations can be handled effectively and professionally.
Communication Skills Howard R. Beckam, Jr.
Howard presents an excellent, succinct explanation of the benefits of understanding non-verbal aspects of communication and putting them to use.
Human Taxidermy For The Gullible (Phoenix, Arizona)
A New Times cover story about a firm that taxidermies deceased humans for “mountings” in the homes of loved ones was a spoof on a grand scale.
Bronze Age Grave Site Discovered (Maud, Scotland)
Archaeologists discovered what they believe is the most comprehensively-dated Bronze Age site in Britain.
First Wooden Casket Of 13th Dynasty Unearthed (Luxor, Egypt)
Egypt’s Culture Minister said the first wooden sarcophagus that dates back to the 13th Dynasty in ancient Egypt was unearthed.
Mortuary Asks County To Pay For Indigents (Brookings, Oregon)
The owner of a mortuary in Brookings said she can no longer afford to foot the bill for indigent burials.
Pet Services Have Big Potential (Walton, Kentucky)
Two Kentucky entrepreneurs are extending their care for the dead to pets.
Archbishop Rules Out Secular Readings At Funerals (Cashel, Ireland)
No Mass cards and just one wreath may be placed on caskets at funerals in the archdiocese of Cashel under new guidelines issued by an Archbishop.
Motive Remains A Mystery (Atlanta, Georgia)
Former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 75 years of probation.
DOD Offers Mortuary Specialists (Washington, D.C.)
The Department of Defense sent another 100 to 150 mortuary affairs specialists to tsunami-ravaged Asia.
New Law Worries Funeral Homes (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Canadian legislation that allows one-stop shopping for funeral and cemetery services may make it difficult for independent funeral homes to compete with large cemetery chains.
SCI’s Business Practices Under Fire (Houston, Texas)
In small markets, SCI has repeatedly bought funeral homes that have most of the local funeral business and then dropped prices, in what the Federal Trade Commission called attempts to drive the remaining locally-owned funeral homes out of business.
Repatriating Deceased Immigrants (Sacramento, California)
Many immigrant families in Northern California opt for burial in their native lands.
I’m Not Dead Yet (Durham, North Carolina)
A medical examiner studying a body in a morgue was startled when the man took a shallow breath.
Industry Unregulated In Jamaica (Kingston, Jamaica)
Expressing concern that the business of burying the island’s dead is unregulated and chaotic, operators of established funeral homes want the state to set guidelines for the industry.
Johnny Ramone Gets Statue In Cemetery (Los Angeles, California)
Late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone has been immortalized with a bronze statue at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
More Families Asking To Witness Cremation (Aloha, Oregon)
Funeral directors in the Pacific Northwest are getting an increasing number of requests from cremattion clients to watch the container that holds the body disappear into the retort.
Former Director Denied Parole (Woonsocket, Rhode Island)
A former funeral director has been denied parole on his second try before the Rhode Island Parole Board.
State Requests Control Of Funeral Home (Charles City, Iowa)
The Iowa Attorney General has filed a petition to turn over the Sunnyside Memory Gardens and Funeral Home business to the Iowa Insurance Division.
Ex-Funeral Director Indicted (Windsor, Maine)
A former funeral director was indicted by a grand jury on a count of grand theft by unauthorized taking.
Cemetery Is A Popular Tourist Destination (Richmond, Virginia)
Midway through the 19th century, Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, was in desperate need of a celebrity endorsement.
Cell Tower Plans Meet No Resistance (Redlands, California)
There was no resident opposition at a community meeting to put two cell towers at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands, California.
Felony Charge Filed For Theft Of $1.3 Million (Freeport, Illinois)
Criminal charges were filed against a former co-owner of Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home who allegedly stole $1.3 million from prepaid contracts.
Funeral Director Sentenced (Wakaw, Saskatchewan, Canada)
A former funeral director made an appearance in court to answer to charges of breach of trust resulting from missing funds of pre-planned funerals.
Prison Time For Embezzlement (Deadwood, South Dakota)
A former county coroner and funeral home owner received a sentence that will send him to prison for one count of embezzlement of funeral trust funds.
Sticker Shock Stuns Body Donors (Gainesville, Florida)
People hoping to donate their own or a loved one’s body to science in Florida often end up shocked at the hefty price tag attached to the good deed.
Mistaken Identify (Yulee, Florida)
An autopsy technician’s mistake left one family without a body to memorialize and another with the wrong person’s ashes scattered in the ocean.
Barcodes In Cadavers (Los Angeles, California)
University of California medical schools would be required to implant identifiers in cadavers, university officials said as they announced a plan aimed at ending repeated scandals involving bodies donated to science.
Burial Plots Resold (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
An Albuquerque cemetery is investigating how two families were sold the same burial plots.
New Multi-Faith Cemetery Opening (London, England)
The first new crematorium and cemetery to be built in London for 40 years has been opened.
Demand For Honor Guard On The Rise (Lewiston, Maine)
Funerals with honor guards were once reserved for just a few soldiers, but that’s changing, according to Maine Veterans Services.
”Vampire” Exhumed To Be Eaten (Craiova, Romania)
Six Romanians have been jailed for digging up a corpse, ripping his heart out and eating it because they thought he was a vampire.
Man Finds Human Leg In Funeral Home Bag (Center Moriches, New York)
A man expecting to find his father’s belongings opened a plastic bag sent to him by a funeral home and discovered an amputated human leg.
Cover photo of Spring flowers, by Allan Abbott.
May 2005
Non-Declinable Fees Ron Hast
Price itemization cannot be applied effectively when the needs and desires of those who call for service are varied and unpredictable.
Colleague Wisdom: Staff Attire Ron Hast
We asked, considering diversity in death care, from extreme simplicity to formalities often called “traditional,” what is your opinion regarding staff dress requirements for death calls, visitation, drivers, funerals and general presence within and about the funeral service premises?
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A man’s candid remark about the funeral service provided to his family; the executive director of Funeral Consumers Alliance shares his thoughts on pretentious phrases used in funeral service itemization; a unique perspective on how some people tolerate the NFDA; some thoughts on a video aquarium; and some details about the 1959 Superior hearse model that is available from Abbott & Hast Publications.
Red Flag Requests Douglas O. Meyer
Doug discusses how to handle unusual requests relating to the deceased by the next of kin that the, while not illegal, the funeral director doesn’t think is a good idea. Usually, the concern is that the family will be exposed to something they did not expect that could result in physical and/or emotional trauma.
Thanks Mom! Irvin E. Burney
Irvin shares the lessons he learned about the deeper nature of his role as a funeral director when he handled the service for his mother.
A Personal Celebration Beacham McDougald
Beacham writes, “In our mostly traditional, rural area of North Carolina, traditional funerals are still pretty much the norm, but creative services are becoming more evident: services with no casket, no burial, no hearse, or no funeral procession.” Beacham tells the story of an unconventional funeral put together by the family of an unconventional individual.
Crematorium Probed (Seabrook, New Hampshire)
New Hampshire authorities made an unexpected discovery when inspecting an unlicensed crematorium in Seabrook.
Cremation Crackdown (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
The discovery of a decomposing body at Bayview Crematory in Seabrook has prompted various lawmakers to take action.
Inspectors Put The Heat On Crematories (Concord, New Hampshire)
New Hampshire inspectors started picking through every crematory in the state as part of a rapid-fire reaction to the discovery that a crematory had operated for six years under the state’s radar.
Dead Woman Returns To Vote (Pildesti, Romania)
A Romanian family who believed they buried their daughter two years ago was shocked when she came home to vote.
Funeral Director Run Over By Hearse (Norbury, England)
A funeral director was rushed to hospital after he was knocked over by a colleague’s hearse outside a crematorium.
Harry Potter Fans Pay Homage At Soldier’s Grave (Ramle, Israel)
Fans of literary boy wizard Harry Potter have been beating a path to the tomb of a 19-year-old British soldier.
Experts Seek King Tut’s Cause Of Death (Luxor, Egypt)
A team of researchers briefly removed King Tut’s mummy from its tomb for a CT scan that could solve an enduring mystery.
Church Considers Pop Music Ban (Melbourne, Australia)
Playing popular music during Catholic funeral services in Australia could soon be a thing of the past.
Touch-Screen Booths At Veterans Cemeteries (Mandan, North Dakota)
An electronics company is finding a new niche for its touch-screen information kiosks at veterans’ cemeteries.
Ming Dynasty Casket Uncovered (Yangpu, China)
According to local archaeologists, an ancient tomb uncovered by construction workers in Yangpu District contains the remains of someone who lived during the Ming Dynasty.
Paperwork Stops Burial (Chicago, Illinois)
A homeless woman’s body remained unclaimed for months because Cook County’s procedure for burying the indigent wasn’t followed.
Greece Cold On Cremation (Athens, Greece)
While some aspects of European Union life become increasingly harmonized, funeral rights across the union still vary enormously.
Together At Last (Geelong, Australia)
A woman’s ashes sat lost on a window sill for 26 years overlooking the cemetery memorial wall that held her husband’s remains.
It’s Not Easy Being Green (Powick, England)
A cattle breeding couple is petitioning the planners at the Malvern Hills District Council for permission to create a green burial park.
State Records Aid Identity Theft (Pierre, South Dakota)
South Dakota legislators were told recently that unfettered public access to vital state records should no longer be allowed.
Former Director Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement (Freeport, Illinois)
A former funeral home co-owner pleaded guilty to stealing $1.3 million from prepaid funeral service contracts over a 10-year period.
Woman Breaks Into Site Of Grave Robbery (Frederick, Maryland)
It’s a case of curiosity getting the better of a Maryland woman who was arrested at the scene of a recent grave robbery.
State Sues Ex-Cemetery Supervisor (West Haven, Connecticut)
The Connecticut Attorney General is suing a former Oak Grove Cemetery Superintendent to recover tens of thousands of dollars in cemetery funds that were allegedly spent for personal use.
Owners Agree To Limited State Receivership (Charles City, Iowa)
The owners of a Charles City cemetery and funeral home struck an agreement with the state regarding whether or not to place the business in receivership.
Grieving Woman Cared For Corpse (Tokyo, Japan)
Behind the putrid smells emanating from the otherwise ordinary Tokyo apartment was the body of 74-year-old Kisaburo Suzuki.
Man Charged With Damaging Cemetery (North Versailles, Pennsylvania)
A former employee of a North Huntingdon Township cemetery is accused of driving his truck over 122 graves and causing more than $10,000 in damage.
Change Sought For Alaska Embalming Law (Juneau, Alaska)
An Alaska public health law prohibiting bodies from crossing state lines unless they have been embalmed proved to be a problem for one family.
State Questioning Funeral Homes (Elyria, Ohio)
Several funeral homes face complaints accusing them of not cooperating in a state investigation into their practices.
New National Cemetery (Fort Jackson, South Carolina)
President Bush’s proposed budget includes $7 million to pay for a new national cemetery in South Carolina.
Online Casket Retailer Provides Free Funeral Planning (Houston, Texas)
TributeDirect says it not only offers caskets at lower prices than most funeral homes, but also Hospice-trained consultants to help grief-stricken customers make arrangements.
Debate Over Proposed Changes In State Law (Memphis, Tennessee)
Low-cost, alternative funerals may no longer be an option in Tennessee under legislation proposed by the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association.
Bird Flu Could Become Epidemic (Washington, DC)
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said scientists expect that a bird flu virus will change into a flu that can be transmitted from person to person.
Family Says Cemetery Lost Remains (San Diego, California)
The remains of a San Diego man who died 20 years ago are missing.
Man Hid Lids To Caskets (Saskatchewan, Canada)
A cremation technician has lost his license and his job, and must pay a $4,000 fine for removing the lids from caskets and hiding them in his backyard.
Program Buries Homeless Vets (Dallas, Texas)
A man who died homeless and destitute might have gone to a pauper’s grave if not for the military papers found in his wallet.
Here’s Johnny (Los Angeles, California)
According to his death certificate, “Tonight Show” legend Johnny Carson died in a Los Angeles hospital, not at his Malibu home as reported.
Funeral Homes Merge To Avoid Corporate Ownership (Ottawa, Ohio)
Two Putnam County funeral homes merged to avoid corporate ownership by a large conglomerate.
Deere-ly Departed Takes Last Tractor Ride (Volant, Pennsylvania)
At the funeral of a 99-year-old dairy farmer, the casket was pulled to the cemetery using his 1950s vintage John Deere tractor.
Funeral Directors Could Be Excused From Jury Duty (Washington, DC)
Funeral directors would not have to serve on jury duty if a bill proposed bill in the House of Representatives is approved.
Gothic Fashion Dolls (Torrance, California)
Bleeding Edge has launched their BEGOTHS Fashion Dolls and Kindergoths dolls.
Guarding The Unknowns (Arlington, Virginia)
Around 4.5 million people visit the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery near the nation’s capitol each year.
Many Florists Nip Third-Party Services In The Bud (Janesville, Wisconsin)
An increasing number of florists are rejecting or reducing their reliance on third-party wire services.
City Hall Seeks Answers (Santa Monica, California)
With criminal and personnel investigations pending, Santa Monica’s municipal cemetery has gone without its top two administrators for nearly two months.
Mistaken Cremation (Akron, Ohio)
A family who says their relative was mistakenly cremated before they saw the body is suing the Summit County medical examiner’s office and an area funeral home.
Furniture And Funeral Combination (Marquette, Kansas)
The furniture store and funeral home venture has deep roots in small Midwest communities.
Botched Burial Led To Lawsuit (Portage, Indiana)
A family has filed a lawsuit a against Portage Township Trustee, accusing him of causing emotional distress in the burial of a family member.
Body Worlds Creator Wants Corpse Art Factory (Sieniawa Zarska, Poland)
The creator of displays of preserved human corpses wants to build a factory in Poland to mass-produce his art.
Funeral Home Faces Suit In Corpse Switch (Brooklyn, New York)
A funeral home that subcontracted with a second parlor to prepare and deliver two corpses may be held liable for a mix-up.
Airlines Cutting Out Bereavement Fares (New York, New York)
Airlines are scaling back on discounted last-minute fares to close relatives of the dead and dying.
Funeral Took Place Without Remains (New Orleans, Louisiana)
A family is planning to file a complaint with the Louisiana funeral board for what they call the mishandling of their relative’s body.
Counties Seek Burial Relief (Pierre, South Dakota)
A South Dakota House committee decided counties should have another option when it comes to paying for funerals of the poor.
Cover photo of abandoned Kennicott Mine, near the town of McCarthy, Alaska, in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, by Greg Abbott.
June 2005
Professional Embalmers Ron Hast
Trends and changes in death care should inspire a closer look at the art of embalming and the professionals who have pursued embalming as a career.
Colleague Wisdom: Gifting
Every funeral director has occasion to do something “special” for certain clientele because of personal or business relationships, such as families close to dedicated personnel, clergy, relatives, neighbors and friends. Some offer discounts or gifts of merchandise and services. Some have policies that consider overall fairness, while others respond per situation. Our respondent’s wisdom follows.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A story about verifying decedent for air shipment; fascinating statistics from 1904; a funeral home in Pennsylvania that has been developed from three attached row houses; carrying on a long respected legacy.
Living Wills and Health Care Proxies Douglas O. Meyer
The Terri Schiavo case has drawn a lot of attention to living wills, health care proxies and powers of attorney for healthcare. Because there is a great deal of confusion about what these documents accomplish and the differences between them, and because funeral directors frequently have to deal with them, I thought it would be useful if I discussed these documents.
What Does Daddy Do? Patrick C. Davis
I was never embarrassed as a kid in knowing what my father did for a living. I found myself in the position of having to learn how to explain and defend my father’s choice of profession.
The La Conchita Mudslide Memorial Jeff Wilson
Hundreds of people gathered on a beach to bid farewell to a mother, her three daughters and others who were killed when a mountain of mud smothered homes in the free-spirited oceanfront village of La Conchita, California.
Church Warns Against Alternative Burials (Cloppenburg, Germany)
At the German Bishops’ Conference, its 69 members came out in force against new German burial trends.
Pet Crematorium On Wheels (Tokyo, Japan)
Japan’s sudden discovery of pets in recent years has sparked a boom in businesses like pet life insurance and pet therapists, and even a mobile pet crematorium operator.
Mistaken Identity (Havana, Florida)
A woman arrived home to find her husband watching television, but then received a phone call from a funeral home saying that her husband was dead.
TV Show Upsets Viewers (Wood-Ridge, New Jersey)
A fake funeral aroused real grief in some television viewers after they tuned in to “The Simple Life” to find Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie flouncing through a Wood-Ridge funeral home.
Cremation Bill Fails (Pierre, South Dakota)
The South Dakota House refused to give counties the authority to cremate poor people instead of bury them.
No Trace Found Of Many 9/11 Victims (New York, New York)
The city medical examiner’s office says it has exhausted all efforts to identify the remains of those killed at the World Trade Center.
Standing Room Only (Camperdown, Victoria, Australia)
Tony Dupleix is pushing ahead with a controversial plan to bury dead people vertically in unmarked graves.
Money Disappears From Funeral Accounts (Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada)
G.R. Francis & Son Funeral Home was told its license would be cancelled after $200,000 earmarked for prearranged funerals disappeared.
Funeral Home Slayings (Sumiton, Alabama)
Jurors recommended the death penalty for the ex-convict found guilty in the slayings of three people at an Alabama funeral home.
Conflict Over Recycling Plan (London, England)
Plans to recover artificial joints from the ashes of cremated bodies have sparked a controversy in England that may have to be decided by the courts.
German Funeral Discounter Buries Dead Abroad (Berlin, Germany)
Berliners are discovering discount funeral parlors.
Dove Release Ritual (Columbia, Tennessee)
A Columbia funeral home as been incorporating the “dove release” as a part of the burial service.
A Century Of Ashes Looking For A Home (Salem, Oregon)
At Oregon State Hospital, thousands of dented copper canisters containing human remains are stacked along the walls.
Commissioners Vote To Cremate Indigents (Midland, Texas)
Midland County Commissioners voted for the cremation of future indigents buried at Fairview Cemetery.
Archaeologists Uncover Bead-Covered Mummy (Saqqara, Egypt)
Archaeologists uncovered three caskets and a remarkably well-preserved mummy in a 2,500-year old tomb discovered by accident.
Ex-Funeral Director Accused Of Thefts (Winchester, Indiana)
Police arrested former a funeral home director for allegedly stealing money set aside for prepaid funerals.
Cemetery Oversight Bill (Lawrence, Kansas)
Spurred in part by ongoing problems at a Lawrence cemetery, an Atchison tombstone maker is pushing for more state oversight of the cemetery industry.
from charging the fee if the consumer chose to buy the monument from an outside company.
Police Raid Funeral Home (Athens, Georgia)
Police raided an Athens funeral home, making drug and prostitution arrests.
Convicted Caretaker Gives Up Cemetery (Cincinnati, Ohio)
A convicted caretaker has agreed to give up control of a cemetery that is at the center of a lawsuit filed by the state.
Tests Show King Tut Not Murdered (Cairo, Egypt)
The results of a CT scan done on King Tut’s mummy indicate the boy king was not murdered.
Siblings Live With Dead Parent (Itami, Japan)
Police questioned three siblings after it was discovered they had been living with the decomposed corpse of their father for nearly a decade.
Crematorium Cited (Berlin, New Hampshire)
A crematorium in Berlin is being inspected after it was found operating without approval from the state.
Funeral Home Returned Organs (Whitesville, West Virginia)
A family claims a deceased relative’s organs were among personal belongings returned by a funeral home.
Topping Funeral Music Charts (London, England)
Italians demand Mozart, Germans want heavy metal and Brits must have Robbie Williams, according to a survey of the most popular tunes for funeral services in Europe.
Ethics Panel Will Pursue Senator (Nashville, Tennessee)
A state Senate panel found probable cause to pursue ethics charges against Senator John Ford (D-Memphis).
Mistaken Embalming (Tamarac, Florida)
A Florida jury awarded $800,000 in damages to the husband and daughter of a woman who was embalmed contrary to her religious beliefs.
Selling A Good Buy On Good-Bye (Luckey, Ohio)
It’s not exactly exotic marketing, but clever promotional strategies are being used more often in the funeral home industry.
Cell Tower Trend (Livonia, Michigan)
Telecommunications companies are turning to cemeteries for towers as the supply of tall buildings, flagpoles, existing towers and church steeples is exhausted.
Suit Filed Over Harvesting Of Brains (Augusta, Maine)
A man whose complaint prompted the state to begin an investigation into an alleged brain harvesting operation in Maine has filed a lawsuit against the Maryland research lab at the center of the controversy.
Thief Finds Body In Auto (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
A thief who stole a sport utility vehicle abandoned it minutes later, apparently after discovering a body in the back.
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Casket Cartel Case (Washington, D.C.)
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal by an Oklahoma company wanting to sell caskets, without a license, over the Internet to in-state customers.
Report Says Crematoriums Well Run (Concord, New Hampshire)
A preliminary report on New Hampshire’s crematoriums says they are well run, responsible and safe.
Corpses Used For Testing (Vienna, Austria)
Researchers at an Austrian university used human corpses to study how to develop better crash-test dummies.
Legislator Wants Better Crematory Oversight (Madison, Wisconsin)
A state representative has proposed a bill that would regulate crematories, which now operate in Wisconsin with virtually no oversight.
Funeral Home Forced To Shut Down (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Accused of mishandling bodies and cited for unsanitary conditions, a New Orleans funeral home is being forced to shut its doors.
Embezzler Avoids Prison (Freeport, Illinois)
A former funeral home co-owner who pleaded guilty to the theft of $1.3 million from prepaid funeral service contracts was sentenced to probation and community service, but no prison time.
Cemetery Treasurer Accused Of Fraud (Lansing, Kansas)
The treasurer for the Mount Muncie Cemetery Association has been accused of stealing funds from the organization.
Cemetery And Hospital Cited Over Burial Of Body Parts (Danville, Illinois)
A state investigation has resulted in numerous citations against Resurrection Cemetery and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center.
Bland Surrenders Funeral License (Richmond, Virginia)
Former delegate Fenton Bland signed a consent order surrendering his license to practice funeral directing and embalming for numerous code violations.
Women Steal Fetus From Exhibit (Los Angeles, California)
The preserved remains of a 13-week-old fetus, part of the Body Worlds exhibit, was stolen from the California Science Center by two young women.
Death Accused Of Stealing From Cemetery (Hempstead, New York)
Donald Death was charged with stealing nearly $300,000 from the Locust Valley Cemetery Association on Long Island.
Cemetery Sued Over Body Parts (Danville, Illinois)
The state Environmental Protection Agency is investigating practices at a Danville cemetery where a couple say a worker tossed a box of medical waste into their loved one’s open grave.
Bodies Found In Mortuary Transport Car (Fort Worth, Texas)
The bodies of three badly decomposed individuals were found in the back of a North Star Transportation van.
Threats Silenced Funeral Homes (Seabrook, New Hampshire)
Two state medical examiner’s office employees allegedly were shaking down southern New Hampshire funeral homes for years, threatening them with retribution if they went to police.
Cover photo of a unique species of hibiscus taken in a botanical garden in Hawaii by Greg Abbott.
July/August 2005
Viewings Without Embalming Ron Hast
Rarely, if ever in modern times, has a death been so visible in the world as Pope John Paul II, who was recently celebrated prior to entombment. His body was presented for the world to see on what appeared to be a draped banquet table; unembalmed, without casket, church truck or hearse present.
Colleague Wisdom:
Viewings Without Embalming
We asked our colleagues, if requested, are you willing to prepare a body for a public viewing without embalming, including any necessary setting of features, hair, makeup, and dressing?
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at caskets via Costco, opinions on the center point of funeral service, the relationship of mortuary science college studies and current activities of those licensed and responsible for death care, thoughts on Pope John Paul II’s funeral, and the refusal of some funeral service providers to provide in state public visitation and viewing of an unembalmed decedent.
Preneed Issues Douglas O. Meyer
The issue of whether a family should be able to change a preneed after the death of the person who established the preneed is extremely problematic.
An Acronymic Abyss Jerry J. Brown
Our wonderful world of creative writing and eloquent oratory is slowly and inexorably being swept away in a sea of acronyms.
Our Near-Death Experience Thomas Lynch
Images of the papal wake dominated the news: the dead man’s body vested, mitered, laid out among his people in St. Peter’s Square, blessed with water and incense, borne from one station to the next in a final journey. Such images — along with the idea that millions of people would wait for hours merely for a chance to pass by the body itself — may have given pause to many Americans for whom the presence of the dead at their own funerals has become strangely unfashionable.
Is Pride An Obstacle To Your Growth? Charles W. McNeese
One of the most common stumbling blocks that all of us encounter is our own pride. Pride is also known as vanity or ego. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
Robert “Bob” Waltrip: A Magnificent Obsession Ron Hast
A look at Bob Waltrip, the founder, leader and visionary of SCI.
Lawsuit Contends Price Fixing In Casket Sales (San Francisco, California)
A consumer-advocate group filed suit against three of the biggest funeral home chains and the leading U.S. casket maker, alleging they conspire to keep prices high.
Head Stash (Morrisville, Vermont)
A 17-year-old detained after police said he raided a tomb in a cemetery and removed a head from a corpse.
License Suspended For Dishonorable Conduct (Fremont, Nebraska)
A Fremont funeral director has had his license suspended for 90 days.
Body Stored In SUV (Royse City, Texas)
A woman who couldn’t afford to bury her ex-husband stored his embalmed body in the back of a sport utility vehicle in the family’s driveway for two days.
Cemetery Theft A Growing Trend (Austin, Texas)
Texas’ historic cemeteries provide a valuable resource for historians, but they also house something valuable for thieves.
Preparation Of Pope’s Body A Mystery (Vatican City)
Departing from tradition, Pope John Paul II was not embalmed, only “prepared,” the Vatican said.
Internet Cemeteries (Beijing, China)
A growing number of Chinese are using the Internet to visit their ancestors’ graves during traditional occasions.
State May Require Winter Burials (Lebanon Springs, New York)
The New York State Legislature is considering a bill requiring cemeteries to perform burials year-round instead of postponing them until winter is over.
Another Lawsuit Against City Cemetery (Lubbock, Texas)
An woman has filed a second lawsuit against the City of Lubbock Cemetery, which is digging through its records trying to figure out what happened to some missing gravesites.
Sewer Water To Irrigate Cemetery (Cody, Wyoming)
A third of the area’s storm drain wastewater will irrigate the grass and trees at the Riverside Cemetery.
Funeral Director Fined (Centerville, Iowa)
A Centerville funeral director has been fined and placed on probation after he was charged with repeatedly allowed an unlicensed person to sign his name as funeral director on preneed contracts.
The Highest Graveyard In The World (Kathmandu, Nepal)
As a South Korean expedition headed for Mt. Everest to bring back the bodies of three mountaineers, the spotlight fell on the icy slopes of the summit as the highest graveyard in the world.
SCI Faces Lawsuit Over Misplaced Remains (Boston, Massachusetts)
Workers at a city funeral home told a couple they lost the remains of their stillborn baby and may have cremated the child’s remains with another body.
Regulation Changes Suggested (Gainesville, Georgia)
In a move some saw as a conflict of interest, Representative Carl Rogers, a funeral home owner, introduced a bill to do away with the Georgia Cemetery and Funeral Services Act.
Medical Examiners Accused Of Fraud (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Two former employees of the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s Office pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud.
Funeral Home Owner Chases Man In Stolen Hearse (Geneva, Nebraska)
A Geneva man was placed in custody of the Fillmore County Sheriff’s office after allegedly stealing a hearse and taking it for a spin.
Cemetery Complaint Settled (Lawrence, Kansas)
The state Attorney General’s Office has settled complaints about Lawrence’s Memorial Park Cemetery about shoddy maintenance and poor customer service.
Pope Laid To Rest In Triple Coffin (Vatican City)
Pope John Paul II was laid to rest in the crypt of Saint Peter’s Basilica after an open-air funeral mass attended by an estimated million people.
Man Wills His Body To Animals (Aizawl, India)
In his will, an Indian farmer has expressed his wish to leave his body to wild animals.
Cremation Provider Sentenced For Fraud (Daytona Beach, Florida)
A former cremation service owner who gave three families burned charcoal briquettes instead of cremated remains was sentenced to two years in state prison.
Incident Provides Lessons For Symposium (Huntington, West Virginia)
The West Virginia Funeral Directors Association hosted their Fourth Annual Multiple Death Disaster Management Symposium.
DIY Pet Cremation Backfires (Schaarbeek, Belgium)
A Belgian man set his flat on fire and ended up in the hospital after trying to cremate his pet dog at home.
Court Eases Funeral Home Restrictions (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
A federal court has ruled that members of the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors illegally blocked sales professionals from discussing prepaid funeral services with prospective customers because the employees were not licensed funeral directors.
Accident Lets Loose Full Casket (Lewiston, Idaho)
A Lewiston mortuary owner has been cited for inattentive driving after he hit an oncoming truck in an accident that sent a full casket careening down the road.
Bill May Require Cremations To Use Funeral Directors (Austin, Texas)
A bill in the Texas Legislature is seeking to protect consumers from possible bad crematory practices by requiring use of a funeral director in order to be cremated.
Proper Beerial (Melbourne, Australia)
An Australian funeral director is reportedly offering a beer-as-you-bury service to take some of the sting out of bereavement.
Bloodied Man Busted In Cemetery (Queens, New York)
A bloodied man was busted running from a Queens cemetery carrying a pilfered urn and a section of a stained-glass window under his arm.
Diehard Fans (Medellin, Colombia)
Colombian soccer fans can now be buried in their favorite team’s colors.
Embalming Fluid Stolen (Tyler, Arkansas)
A malfunctioning alarm system allowed burglars to steal a box of embalming fluid from a funeral home in North Tyler.
What’s In A Title (Heidelberg, Germany)
An administrative court found the creator of Body Worlds guilty of misusing the title “professor” by not making it clear that it was earned in China, not Germany.
State Regulators To Audit Funeral Homes (Boston, Massachusetts)
State regulators say they plan to audit nearly 100 funeral homes to determine whether they are properly handling millions of dollars of prepaid funeral services.
Cemetery Defends Man Accused Of Touching Corpses (Portland, Oregon)
A Portland cemetery is defending a funeral home manager who is being investigated by the state.
Grave Desecrated For Jewels (Turin, Italy)
Jewels were stolen from the desecrated grave of a woman in Italy who had been dead for 15 years.
Tri-State Crematory Building Demolished (Noble, Georgia)
The crematory building at the Tri-State Crematory has been knocked down and the site is being returned to its natural state.
Crematory Owner Facing Charges (Knoxville, Tennessee)
The owner of Knoxville crematory has been accused of illegally dumping dog carcasses on the side of a road.
Woman Helps Husband Fake Death (Georgetown, Texas)
A woman pleaded guilty to helping her husband fake his own death by digging up a corpse from a cemetery and then staging a fiery car accident in which the body was burned beyond recognition.
Cover photo taken in the Tuolomne Meadows area in Yosemite National Park by Greg Abbott.
September 2005
Why Bash NFDA? Ron Hast
It becames evident that NFDA is not functioning for the sake of funeral directors who routinely supported the national association through state dues, but for the association itself without
sensitivity to the purpose of the organization: to serve and support funeral directors in the course of death care.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at rules relating to pet burial with their masters, the unusual variety of items placed into caskets at the time of closure, some of the typical changes of custom with present funerals compared to years past, and an intensely personal commencement speech by Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs stating “Death is very likely the single best invention of life.”
Working With Difficult Families Douglas O. Meyer
Several of my clients have remarked to me that the number of difficult families they have to deal with seems to be increasing. How should you handle such families? Here are
some thoughts.
Investing In Office Automation Can Increase Your Bottom Line Howard R. Beckham, Jr.
It may be hard for some to believe there are still many funeral homes that operate without computers and copiers. While it is true that a funeral home can operate without both technologies, in today’s environment there is no reason why they should.
Reverence and Sensitivity Are Their Creed Sgt. Maj. Joe Adelizzi
At Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, seven soldiers from the 169th Corps Support Battalion, 1st Corps Support Command perform the delicate but necessary task of handling the remains of U.S. Service Members, Department of Defense contractors, coalition forces, Iraqi Army and Iraqi National Guard Soldiers who lose their lives while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Read about their mission to process and prepare human remains and personal effects for shipment to the United States or the deceased person’s country of origin.
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish Jon Snyder
Every funeral director incurrs expenses in the running of his or her business. The old English expression “penny wise and pound foolish” refers to the common mistake of neglecting or refusing to invest resources where they will, in the long run, do the most good. Examples of management choices that are penny-wise, pound foolish are explored.
The Most Unforgettable Undertaker Ron Hast
Around 1960, I heard of a very unusual man in funeral service. However, stories were nothing compared to actually meeting one of the most unforgettable undertakers I have ever known.
Memorial Pet Pillows (Spring Creek, Nevada)
Plans by a taxidermist to turn deceased pets into cushions have been thwarted by death threats from animal rights activists.
Phallic-Looking Memorial Gets The Shaft (Wageningen, Holland)
A Dutch war memorial that goes up and down, and spurts flames may be scrapped after complaints it looks like a giant penis.
Funeral Director Escapes Jail Sentence (Wantage, England)
A funeral director that stored ashes from cremations and then passed them off as the remains of the victim of a motorcycle accident, has been spared jail.
Funeral Director Charged By Examiners Board (Centerville, Iowa)
The Iowa Board of Mortuary Science Examiners has charged a funeral director with repeatedly allowing an unlicensed person to act as a funeral director and sign his own name on preneed contracts.
The Festival Of Pits (Tamil Nadu, India)
Indian police have charged 80 people for temporarily burying children alive in an ancient Hindu ceremony known as “the festival of pits.”
Exhumation To Make Way For New Graves (Singapore)
To make room for future burials, some 17,300 graves in Choa Chu Kang Chinese Cemetery will be exhumed in June 2006.
Do-It-Yourself Funerals (New South Wales, Australia)
An Australian Member of Parliament said one solution to the rising cost of funerals was to allow people to bury a loved one themselves.
Coffin Cover Proves Popular (Yorkshire, England)
A recently introduced coffin cover is becoming increasingly popular with a more cost-conscious modern generation.
Mummy Mystery Uncovered (Urumqi, China)
Archaeologists using genetic testing have proven that Caucasians roamed China’s Tarim Basin 1,000 years before East Asian people arrived.
Federal Ruling Goes Against Board (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
A Federal court in Pennsylvania has determined that funeral directors are not the only ones allowed to discuss prepaid funeral services with prospective customers.
Controversy Over Movies At Cemetery (Los Angeles, California)
Some family members who have loved ones buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery are not happy about the open-air movies shown there.
Cemetery To Begin Vertical Burials (Canberra, Australia)
Australia’s Victoria state government has approved plans for a new cemetery where corpses will be buried vertically with no headstone in biodegradable body bags on grazing land.
Consumer Group Sues Over Price-Fixing (Hinesburg, Vermont)
A consumer-advocacy group is suing four funeral industry companies, claiming they bar consumers from buying discount caskets from third-party sellers.
Majestic Mummy Now On Display (Cairo, Egypt)
Wearing a golden mask and covered with brightly colored iconic images, a well-maintained 2,300-year-old mummy has been unveiled in Cairo.
Internet Affecting How People Grieve (Fall River, Massachusetts)
More funeral homes nationwide are establishing interactive websites that offer obituaries, interactive services, links to grief support chat rooms, and video tributes to the deceased.
Mercury-Emissions Bill (Auburn, Maine)
Legislation intended to prevent dental fillings containing mercury from escaping into the environment during cremations could leave at least one crematory operator in a difficult position.
Talking To Her Mummy (Jagodina, Serbia)
A woman ashamed she couldn’t afford to pay for her mum’s funeral pushed the body around in a wheelchair for months and had loud conversations in a bid to fool neighbors.
Mobile Crematorium (New Delhi, India)
A southern India firm will take its job on the road with a mobile crematorium.
Grave Used To Conceal Crime Victim (Phoenix, Arizona)
Police discovered that a missing teenager was killed by a friend and buried at a cemetery, concealed in a woman’s freshly dug grave.
Reconstruction Reveals King Tut’s Face (Cairo, Egypt)
The first CT scan facial reconstructions of King Tutankhamun’s mummy have produced images similar to the boy pharaoh’s ancient portraits.
Body Bundles Found In Peru Grave (Pachacamac, Peru)
Bundles of bodies have been found at a gravesite at Peru’s ancient ruins of Pachacamac.
Prison Funerals (Tunica, Louisiana)
A growing number of prison inmates and the rise of mandatory sentences have created the need for prison funerals.
Funeral Director Snared In Fraud Scheme (Unionville, Missouri)
A former funeral director will go to federal prison and pay restitution for a fraud scheme where he obtained death benefits for people who were still alive.
A Different Kind Of Checkout (London, England)
Shoppers at Tesco supermarkets will be offered funeral vouchers based on their purchases.
Frequent Dier Miles (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
JetBlue has been leading the way in offering funeral directors free tickets as a reward for shipping bodies with their airline.
Moving Into The 21st Century (Washington, D.C.)
It may be hard to believe in the computer age that a national cemetery could still be operating with paper records.
Sale Of Hawaiian Skull Nixed (Los Angeles, California)
There are just some things you can’t sell on eBay; skulls and revered human artifacts, for example.
Ashes Turn Up At Charity (Waukegan, Illinois)
Human ashes were found in a bag dropped off at a Salvation Army store.
Grave Mix-Up Gives Woman Pause (Dimondale, Michigan)
A woman went to visit her family’s plot and found a body buried in the plot she had reserved for herself.
Arlington Cemetery Gains Land (Washington, D.C.)
Veterans have scored a victory to ensure the final resting place for their ranks.
Crematory Facing More Legal Trouble (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Bayview Crematory is facing more legal trouble after a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the owners and 14 other funeral facilities.
Assisted Suicide Bill Abandoned (Sacramento, California)
A bill before the California assembly that would have allowed terminally ill patients to end their lives with the help of a doctor has been abandoned.
Cremation A Growing Choice With Boomers (Spokane, Washington)
A Northwest organization has noted that cremation is growing exponentially among baby boomers.
Corpses Found In Russian Apartment (Moscow, Russia)
Russian police have found four people from three generations of the same family dead in their apartment where they had lain for at least two years.
County To Cremate Border Crossers (Pima County, Arizona)
With no room left in cemeteries, Pima County will make use a state law allowing it to cremate the remains of dead illegal border crossers it cannot identify.
Israel’s First Crematorium Opens (Hadera, Israel)
Israel’s first commercial crematorium has begun operation, but it was greeting by those who oppose the burning of human bodies.
Hubbub Arises Over Chapel’s Cross (London, England)
Council chiefs have ordered a wooden cross to be permanently removed from the Torquay Crematorium chapel to avoid upsetting non-Christians.
Cemetery Neglect Leads To Stiff Fine (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)
A Texas company that owns four cemeteries in Arkansas has been ordered to pay fines stemming from complaints about the upkeep of its property.
No Bones About It (Valparaiso, Indiana)
Dead bodies might not have much need for bones, but one man has found himself an interesting niche there anyway.
Embalmer Makes Costly Mistake (Hamden, Connecticut)
An embalmer has been fined $500 and placed on one-year probation for cremating the wrong body in 2003.
Iceman Might Be Contaminated (Bolzano, Italy)
Researchers suspect the mummy known as Oetzi might have been contaminated by bacteria since its discovery in 1991.
Family Claims Cremation Botched (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
A funeral home has been under investigation after a mother claimed the cremains of her baby daughter were mishandled.
Wisconsin Aims At Cremation Industry (Madison, Wisconsin)
The Wisconsin State Senate has approved a bill to regulate crematoriums, impose a $53 licensing fee, create a Crematory Authority Council and give consumers a way to complain about bad cremation experiences.
Cover photo of gravestones and the Pagoda at Honolulu Memorial Park in Hawaii by Greg Abbott.
October 2005
Urns: Utility to Fine Art Ron Hast
An experience that points to the long-lasting security of cremated remains for memorial purposes.
Colleague Wisdom: Costco Referral Program Ron Hast
Readers respond with their opinions of Costco’s Preferred Funeral Choices program and if they would participate.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A nice little tribute to a man who made a difference: Bob Hope, and examples of how the English language can be so confusing
Casket and Urn Issues Douglas O. Meyer
Caskets and, to a lesser extent, urns have been the subject of a lot of attention lately, so I'd like to take this opportunity to offer a few comments about casket and urn issues.
Embalming Myths and Opinions Daniel Hayes
If you were the average person with no experience or education in funeral service and decided one rainy day to do an Internet search on the keyword “embalming,” here are some statements you might find interesting, as I did.
One Final Note Sandy Moffett
There is no doubt that music is a huge part of our lives. However, we each have very different tastes and surround ourselves with the music that brings us joy. As a funeral singer for over 25 years, the changes that have occurred in music never cease to amaze me.
Controlling Your Own Domain Kevin W. Montroy
Why your Internet address is as important as your street address. Those who had the foresight and were proactive enough to properly register their firm’s Internet address some seven to eight years ago know what a sound investment it has been for their firm’s future.
Ancient Tombs Intrigue Researchers (Northern China)
Seventeen ancient tombs were recently found in northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Crazy Custom Coffins Go on Display (Kassel, Germany)
Weird and wacky coffins made by the Vic Fearn and Co. recently were on display at a museum in Germany.
City May Investigate Past Cemetery Fraud (Peoria, Illinois)
Officials at Springdale Cemetery plan to develop a policy for dealing with complaints about previous cemetery operations.
Ancient Burial Tradition Vanishing (Vadodara, India)
With fewer vultures in India, the Parsi tradition of leaving corpses to decompose naturally and be eaten by the birds seems doomed.
Last Call at the Chapel (Seattle, Washington)
A bar called The Chapel has opened in a 1923 building that formerly housed a funeral home.
Frat Reincarnates Funeral Home (Terre Haute, Indiana)
An Indiana State University fraternity plans to move into a renovated funeral home.
Cemetery Purse Snatcher (Brook Park, Ohio)
The man responsible for a rash of stolen purses at a Brook Park cemetery has pleaded no contest.
Beds Used as Alternative to Caskets (Brook Park, Ohio)
A funeral director in suburban Cleveland is using beds instead of caskets.
Cemetery in Middle of Airport Expansion Debate (Chicago, Illinois)
An old cemetery in the path of a proposed new runway for O’Hare International Airport is at the center of a dispute.
Hawaii Funeral Business Faces New Lawsuit (Kaneohe, Hawaii)
RightStar Hawaii Management was served with a class-action lawsuit, just seven months after a similar suit by the Attorney General’s office.
National Cemetery Adds Graves (Arlington, Virginia)
For the first time in a decade, Arlington National Cemetery is expanding.
Tahara Room Serves Jewish Clients (Avon, Connecticut)
To better serve its Jewish clientele, a funeral home included a tahara room in the room used by the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) at its newly-opened facility.
Funeral Home Realizes Personalization Trend (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Palm Mortuary is offering “Life Celebration” themed sets intended to memorialize the deceased in more personal ways.
Funeral Home Participates in Eye Enucleation (Sleepy Eye, Minnesota)
Jay Van Sickle of the Sturm Funeral and Cremation Services is one of about 400 funeral directors in Minnesota certified to remove donor eyes for research and cornea transplants.
NFDA Opposes Pool Site (Braintree, Massachusetts)
The National Funeral Directors Association has taken a stand against a proposal to build a public pool near a funeral chapel.
Steelers Fan Reclines in Peace (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
A zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan was laid out in the funeral home in his recliner.
Scientists Detail Study of Kennewick Man (Seattle, Washington)
Scientists from around the country have been trying to unearth the history of a 9,000-year-old skeleton found along the Columbia River.
Runaway Vehicle at Cemetery (Whittier, California)
Four people were injured when a flatbed truck rolled 1,000 yards down a cemetery hill and struck five parked vehicles that careened into the victims.
More Choosing Funeral Service as Second Career (Merchantville, New Jersey)
Across the country, many people are choosing funeral services as a second career, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Chinese Competition Expected To Grow (Greenville, South Carolina)
Even though Chinese casket makers have captured less than two percent of the market in three years, they are expected to boost production.
Employee Indicted in Pet Dumping (Knoxville, Tennessee)
An employee of a defunct animal crematory was indicted for dumping a companion animal on private property.
Body Lands in Line of Traffic (Dallas, Texas)
Drivers didn’t know what to think when the body of a man strapped to a gurney fell from the back of a pickup truck into their path.
Funeral Director Found Guilty of Sex Offense (Binghamton, New York)
A funeral director was found guilty of sexually touching a 19-year-old who once lived with the family.
Funeral Center Offers Personalized Events (Battle Creek, Michigan)
A new funeral center was built on the model of focusing the service on the individual, rather than the event.
Former Official Pleads Guilty (New Hampshire)
A former assistant New Hampshire medical examiner pleaded guilty to drug charges and to falsifying cremation records.
Cemetery Thieves Charged (Queens and Utica, New York)
Two Queens men were charged with taking women’s purses from vehicles parked at cemeteries.
Hong Kong Plots Getting Scarce (Hong Kong, China)
As space runs out and costs rise, Hong Kong residents are looking to bury their dead in China.
Hawaii Memorial Park Still Embroiled in Controversy (Honolulu, Hawaii)
A public information meeting relating to the financially troubled Honolulu Memorial Park turned bitter.
Officer Charged in Murder for Money (Chicago, Illinois)
A Chicago police officer has been charged in connection with a contract killing of a driver for a funeral home the officer’s family owned.
Resort and Cemetery Make Odd Mix (Preston, Connecticut)
A proposed $1.6 billion Utopia Studios theme park and resort, near four cemeteries, is making some cemetery association members uneasy.
Actor to Be Sent to Final Frontier (Los Angeles, California)
The ashes of Star Trek actor James Doohan, 85, are to be sent into space.
Confederate Memorial Controversy (Springfield, Illinois)
A controversy arose over a plan to erect a memorial to Confederate Civil War veterans near their graves at Camp Butler National Cemetery.
More Indictments in Bayview Case (Seabrook, New Hampshire)
Indictments were handed out against three more men involved in the ongoing investigation of alleged abuses at Bayview Crematory.
Keeping the Dead Close By (Tokyo, Japan)
Sideboards in Japanese homes are becoming an unlikely place to memorialize the dead.
School Posts Want Ad for Corpse (Lima, Peru)
A Peruvian state university advertised on the Internet for a corpse for medical students to practice on.
Do Not Call List Instituted (Washington, D.C.)
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has created a Deceased Do-Not-Contact list.
Funeral Home Offers Up Luxury Ride (Pikeville, Kentucky)
A flashy white-walled custom Rolls Royce is causing heads to turn at Lucas & Hall Funeral Home.
Ecology Counts at Cemetery (West Cambridge, Massachusetts)
A 175-acre garden at Mount Auburn Cemetery is part of an effort to naturalize and enhance the cemetery.
Cover photo of cottage in Carmel, Calfornia, by Allan Abbott.
November 2005
Disaster Beyond Comprehension Ron Hast
Images and sounds, every moment of every day, continue to show our nation the force of nature’s wrath that occurred in the region of New Orleans, Louisiana, and adjoining states. As time moves on, unthinkable discoveries are made and shared with viewers in every detail.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at the the series Six Feet Under ending with the 63rd episode in August, the true propriety of funeral service governance in each state, a business sign in the window reading “We would rather do business with 1,000 Al Qaeda terrorists than with one single American,” and the abuse of trust in cremation practices.
Employment References Douglas O. Meyer
Many of my mortuary clients complain that it is hard to find employees. The temptation, then, is to hire any applicant who comes through the door. At the other end of the process, when you receive a call from another mortuary inquiring about one of your former employees, are you careful about what you say about your former employee or do you let your feelings about the person infl uence your responses?
A Civilized Manner of Caring for the Dead Daniel Hayes
A recent trip to the Netherlands proved to be priceless in terms of inspiration for “outside the box” ways of providing services to families in funeral service.
Ease the Anxiety of Change Brian J. Porteous
To spur new growth and strengthen success, every progressive mortuary must make changes. Change is threatening to most mortuaries and to their employees.
The Most Brilliant Funeral Director I’ve Known Ron Hast
Having known hundreds of funeral service families over the years, I learned a great deal about the real purpose of class and quality that should be the basis of all death care, from simplicity to extravagance. Those memories and lessons I cherish — and certainly do miss them.
Law Sought On Unclaimed Remains (Hartford, Connecticut)
While Connecticut is among those states that provide no legal guidance to funeral homes on what to do with the unclaimed ashes, a proposed bill could change that.
MFDA Funeral Trust Frozen (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The state has ordered the shutdown of the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association’s prepaid funeral master trust, citing concerns about how the association was investing client money and the fees it was charging.
Death Pleads Guilty (Long Island, New York)
A man with the last name Death has pleaded guilty to stealing more than a quarter million dollars from the Locust Valley Cemetery.
Thief Targets Dead Man (Port Charlotte, Florida)
Sometimes, not even death acts as a reprieve from pickpockets.
Condos to Inhabit Old Funeral Home (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
A defunct funeral home will soon house the city’s newest condominiums.
Drunk Driver Crashes into Cemetery (Westville, Indiana)
According to police reports, a drunk driver crashed into a cemetery and damaged six headstones.
Novel Marketing Approach (Gurnee, Illinois)
Warren Cemetery, Mausoleum and Funeral Home recently took a curious “retro” marketing approach.
Tomb Held Gold and Possibly King (Sofia, Bulgaria)
A 2,400-year-old golden treasure has been discovered in an ancient Thracian tomb that some believe could have housed a king.
Divorce Dispute Causes Grave Dispute (Bucks County, Pennsylvania)
A divorce dispute is at the heart of a messy lawsuit involving the disinterment of a couple’s son.
Ancient Tombs Found in China (Shanxi Province, China)
Seven tombs dating back 1,000 years to 2,200 years have been discovered in China.
Researchers Study Shipment of Ancient Coffins (Kumamoto, Japan)
Researchers set out on an experimental voyage to discover how heavy stone coffins were shipped in the sixth to seventh centuries to emperors’ tombs.
Ashes to be Returned to Relatives (Decatur, Georgia)
Authorities hope to close the final chapter of the Tri-State Crematory saga by returning ashes to family members who assisted investigators by submitting them for analysis.
Cemetery Seeks to Resell Grave Sites (Edmonds, Washington)
The Edmonds Memorial Cemetery board is moving to reclaim and resell 1,176 gravesites whose owners can’t be found.
Corpse Hit by Stray Bullet (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
A dead woman lying in her casket was hit by a stray bullet during a wake in Rio de Janeiro.
Township May Nix Additional Cemeteries (Millstone, New Jersey)
Government officials have introduced an ordinance that could prevent the creation of cemeteries and crematoriums in certain township areas.
Wales Opens Green Cemetery (South Wales)
On the grounds of the 12th-century Usk Castle, the Welsh have opened the first private cemetery with an environmentally-friendly bent.
Funeral Home Houses Museum (East Bank, West Virginia)
At a museum on the top floor of the Pryor Funeral Home, relics are displayed from the days when funeral directors made house calls and a funeral cost $14.
Girl Injured in Cemetery Accident (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
A three-year-old girl was injured when a tombstone at Oak Cemetery fell on her.
Japanese FTC Urges Disclosure (Tokyo, Japan)
Japanese funeral directors are being urged by the Fair Trade Commission to keep customers well informed.
Cemetery Purse Snatcher Sentenced (Brook Park, Ohio)
A man who admitted to stealing purses from mourners at Holy Cross Cemetery has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Aussies Camp Out for Burial Space (Melbourne, Australia)
A long waiting list at Springvale Necropolis had families camping overnight in a bid to have first pick of spaces in the new mausoleum.
Cemetery Seeks Cell Tower (Kent, New York)
To help cover rising costs, Union Halstead Cemetery is seeking a telecommunications tower on its property.
Implant Chip Developed for Body Identification (Great Britain)
Disasters such as bombings have raised the problem of how the authorities identify bodies in an emergency situation.
Husband’s Grave Goes Missing (Libertyville, Illinois)
A woman wants to honor her mother’s dying wish is to be buried aside her husband, but officials at the cemetery say they can’t find his grave.
Troubled Arkansas Cemeteries Sold (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Four troubled Arkansas cemeteries have been purchased by Forest Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park of Memphis.
Nudist’s Burial Wish Denied (Pekin, Illinois)
A nudist’s last wish was to be buried naked, but his family disagreed, so they laid him to rest in grey pants and a shirt.
Keeping Fetuses at Hospitals May Be Common (Paris, France)
Keeping fetuses in hospital morgue may be a widespread practice in France, investigators have learned.
Dual Cemetery Brings Faiths Together (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Traditionally, non-Jews are not allowed to be buried in Jewish cemeteries, but a new cemetery is making accommodations.
City Running out of Grave Space (Johannesburg, South Africa)
With a growing urban population and the rampant spread of AIDS, officials are trying to remedy the shortage of burial space.
Mysteries of Mummy Unfurl (San Francisco, California)
Using high-tech scanning, Stanford University researchers have digitally peeled back the layers from a 2,000-year-old mummy.
Pig Heads Found at Cemeteries (Danbury, Connecticut)
Twice in one week, cooked pig’s heads were found at local cemeteries, along with a platter of other food and a glass of wine.
Diocese Cemeteries Under Fire (Boston, Massachusetts)
The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is under investigation for failing to maintain a separate fund for upkeep of its 22 cemeteries and diverting money from cemetery care to other church purposes.
Murderer’s Ashes to Stay Put (Hagerstown, Maryland)
Despite controversy, the ashes of a convicted double murderer will stay at Arlington National Cemetery.
Necrophilia Scandal Rocks Mortuary (Capetown, South Africa)
Police are investigating an allegation of sex with a corpse at a South African mortuary.
Couple Seeks Cemetery Wedding (Evansville, Indiana)
A couple asked the city to give its blessing to their plan to be married in Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville.
Protest Leader Faked Military Status (Shreveport, Louisiana)
A man who purported to be a military general, alleging improper disposal of memorabilia that decorated veterans’ graves, was found to have lied about his military rank.
Funeral Meals Serve to Honor and Calm (Brookfield, Wisconsin)
Food, so welcome to funeral celebrations, seems to serve therapeutic purposes as well as feeding a grieving family.
Suit Alleges Neglect Led to Tasteless Photos (Louisville, Kentucky)
Parents of a slain man are suing a funeral home and cemeter, alleging they left their son’s body unattended and unsupervised at the cemetery, allowing someone to photograph the deceased.
Wine Country Needs More Grave Sites (Sonoma, California)
The city is considering a multimillion-dollar expansion plans for its three public cemeteries.
FEMA Funeral Claims Being Abused (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
The federal government may have aid money to pay for the funerals of Floridians who died from causes unrelated to the four storms that hit the state last year.
More Charges Raised in Bayview Case (Concord, New Hampshire)
A Massachusetts funeral director faces more charges stemming from an investigation of an unlicensed Seabrook crematorium.
City Employees Face Disciplinary Action (Danville, Kentucky)
Two city employees are targeted in an investigation into the inappropriate handling of veteran’s markers at Bellevue Cemetery.
Former Senator To Handle Battle Monuments (Washington, D.C.)
Former Georgia Senator Zell Miller has been appointed by President George Bush to serve on the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Government Buys Genealogical Database (Northam, Australia)
After 35 years of work, a woman has sold her vast database on Western Australia’s Aboriginal genealogy to the state government.
Coroner and Family Face Drug Charges (Canton, Georgia)
The funeral home co-owner was arrested on drug-related charges, along with his family members.
Bodies Exhibit Opens Amid Controversy (Tampa, Florida)
Despite controversy, an exhibit of skinned human cadavers opened at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry.
Cover photo taken in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe by Greg Abbott.
December 2005
Professionalism Ron Hast
There are “professionals” who provide this service, and there are others who merely “do it.”
Colleague Wisdom: Consolidator Competition
Consolidators have been involved with funeral service over 40 years. We asked our colleagues for their wisdom and comments as a competitor.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A quote by George Burns, how to improvise with a two casket/two grave service, an unusual type of business, quotes by a woman and her family
in funeral service striving to properly care for the deaths that occurred in New Orleans by hurricane Katrina, uncertain terms of the FTC, the rise in cremation, and unembalmed bodies.
A State of Confusion Douglas O. Meyer
A debate rages among many funeral directors and consumer advocates as to whether embalming is required when there will be a public viewing. On the one hand, consumer advocates and some funeral directors maintain that no statute requires embalming when there will be a viewing. On the other hand, other funeral directors point to some laws that they claim do require bodies that will be publicly viewed to be embalmed. Who is right?
Is Envy Making You a Miserable Funeral Director? Brian J. Porteous
It’s easy to be a little envious of the funeral director whose mortuary grows larger year by year, or the funeral director who moves into a beautiful new mortuary. But when left uncontrolled, envy can make a person very unhappy and those around him or her miserable. How can we recognize envy or jealousy?
To Write or Not to Write
Are You the Best Writer for Your Business? Part I Kim Stacey
In any business it’s important to build strong customer relationships, especially in the death-care field. Whether it is an at-need contact, direct mail or print advertising contact, the essential elements are the same: provide useful information, create trust, build confidence in the provider-client relationship and create “top-of-mind” customer awareness. If you are going to write your own sales or informational copy, which many in the field choose to do, there are some things you must do to create more powerful, compelling copy.
Corpse Identification Poses Challenge (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
A month after Hurricane Katrina, coroners had identified few of the nearly 800 corpses collected at a temporary morgue.
Even the Dead Disturbed by Hurricane Rita (Cameron, Louisiana)
When the floodwaters of Hurricane Rita hit Southwestern Louisiana, even the dead could no longer rest in peace.
Katrina Left Trail of Unidentifiable Dead (Biloxi, Mississippi)
After Hurricane Katrina, dozens of caskets washed up on the shores, which prompted health officials to consider the health detriments.
Strip Mall Funeral Home Draws Fire (Verona, Wisconsin)
A former funeral home worker recently opened Wisconsin Chapels & Cremation Society in a strip mall, next to a pub and a cake shop.
Former State Officer Indicted (Manchester, New Hampshire)
The state’s former chief forensic officer has been indicted on allegations that she falsified cremation records and hid records from investigators.
Rude Drivers Mar Funeral Processions (Boston, Massachusetts)
Funeral home owners across New England — and even across the U.S. — say inconsiderate drivers are interrupting funeral processions.
Funeral Board Asks for Stronger Penalty (Daytona, Florida)
The co-owner of several funeral homes in Volusia County faces discipline for possibly switching the cremains of two men.
Funeral Director Loses License (Miami, Oklahoma)
With nearly $200,000 missing from prepaid burial policies, an Ottawa County funeral director has lost his license and been fined $10,500.
Coroner’s Office Blamed in Botched Cremation (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
An Allegheny County Coroner’s Office employee is blamed for a mix-up that resulted in the burning of a man’s clothing instead of his body.
Missing Cemetery Window Recovered (Dayton, Ohio)
After being missing for 25 years, a stained-glass window that disappeared from a cemetery chapel has been returned.
Cremation Modernization Needed (Trinidad)
The Ministry of Local Government plans to modernize existing cremation and burial sites throughout the country.
Dead Immortalized in Cremains on Canvas (Los Angeles, California)
A former European supermodel commemorates deceased friends and family by painting “Tribute” canvases using some of the deceased’s cremains.
Fined for Cremains Error (Belen, New Mexico)
Romero Funeral Home has been fined $11,000 by the state, stemming from an incident in which an urn given to a family that was supposed to contain ashes only held a container of Lysol Wipes.
Woman Questions Cremains (Plant City, Florida)
A woman is claiming the ashes that A.M. Seigler Funeral Home gave her are not her father’s because the ashes contain screws, metal bits and silver dental crowns that were not in his body.
Protestors Target Funerals (Dexter, Missouri)
Two funerals, one in Arkansas and one in Missouri, were the recent target of protests by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
Casket Retailer Files Complaints (Whately, Massachusetts)
Complaining about unfair practices at some funeral homes, Philip Wartel has closed Pioneer Valley Casket Co., which sold caskets directly to consumers.
Cemeterian Pleads No Contest (Carlsbad, New Mexico)
The co-owner and operator of a Carlsbad cemetery has pleaded no contest to a charge of disturbing a marked burial ground after being accused of digging up a woman’s cremated remains amid a payment dispute.
Man Can Keep Body in Freezer (Novosibirsk, Russia)
A resident of Novosibirsk has been storing the frozen body of his friend for the last two years and Russian police say that there is no law against such an action.
Teen Desecrates Grave (Newburyport, Massachusetts)
A teenager has been charged with desecrating a Civil War-era tomb, pulling apart the skeleton and posing for pictures.
Cemetery Fined for Lack of Upkeep (Hampton, Virginia)
Oakland Estates LLC must pay the city of Hampton $2,500 for failing to maintain its cemetery.
Discovery Prompts Change in Inspections (Detroit, Michigan)
After the discovery of two unclaimed bodies in the abandoned Pope Funeral Home, funeral homes will now be inspected when licenses lapse.
FEMA’s 2004 Hurricane Monies Questioned (Lakeland, Florida)
Florida medical examiners are questioning why the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid $1.3 million in death benefits related to last year’s hurricanes in Florida.
Owner Charged with Two Felonies (Camden, Maine)
The former owner of funeral homes in Camden and Windsor pleaded guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from funeral home clients.
Fetuses Found in Garage (McKeesport, Pennsylvania)
Several dozen fetuses were found in a McKeesport garage once used by a suspended funeral director.
Jewish Graves Moved from Gaza to Israel (Gaza Strip)
As part of Israel’s pullout from the Gaza Strip, military rabbis have moved Jewish graves from Gaza and transferred them to Israel.
Troops’ Gravestones Have Pentagon Slogans (Arlington, Virginia)
In a move different than in earlier wars, nearly all Arlington National Cemetery gravestones for troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan are inscribed with operation names selected by the Pentagon.
Coincidence Leads To Stunned Mourners (Darlington, England)
Mourners who paid their last respects to a British war veteran were stunned to see him strolling through the town shortly after the funeral.
Lawsuit Over Harvesting of Brain (Seattle, Washington)
A woman’s lawsuit alleges that the brain of her deceased brother was taken from his body in 1998 without her permission.
Human Remains May Have Caused Mad Cow Disease (London, England)
One medical journal recently published an article theorizing that mad cow disease may have come from feeding British cattle meal contaminated with human remains infected with a variation of the disease.
Most Tibetans Choose Sky Burial (Tibet)
Adhering to ancient rituals, many Tibetans are still choosing sky burial for their dead.
Family Wins Case of Lost Cremains (San Diego, California)
Four plaintiffs have been awarded more than $812,000 after a jury found Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery responsible for losing an urn containing their brother’s ashes and failing to promptly notify them.
DMORT Mobilized After Hurricane (Washington, D.C.)
Four mobile morgues were dispatched to the Gulf Coast immediately following Hurricane Katrina.
Family Left Mother’s Body on Floor (Fairfield, California)
A man faces elder abuse and involuntary manslaughter charges for leaving his mother’s partially mummified corpse on his kitchen floor for more than a year.
Ancient Brits Also Performed Mummification (South Uist, Scotland)
Scientists now believe Bronze Age Britons practiced the art of mummification at the same time as Ancient Egyptians, apparently inventing the skill for themselves.
Thai Artist Bakes Edible “Body Parts” (Potharam, Thailand)
An art student is creating “human body parts” made of bread at his studio in Thailand.
Gangs Foiled at Chinese Mortuary (Kwai Chung, China)
Two Chinese triad gangs were foiled in their attempt to cash in on the $1 billion funeral business when 50 people were arrested for unlawful assembly.
Drunk Woman Dies in Cemetery (Brussels, Belgium)
When a drunk woman crouched to urinate between two gravestones, she lost her balance and grabbed a stone, causing it topple on top of her.
Cryonics Employee Charged (Scottsdale, Arizona)
A former bookkeeper of Alcor Life Extension Foundation cryonics facility was arrested in conjunction with felony theft, fraudulent schemes and forgery.
Death Increase Spawns Unlicensed Funeral Homes (Umlazi, South Africa)
With an increase in unidentified bodies, South Africa now must contend with unregistered and unlicensed funeral homes seeking to gain business.
Crescent Design in 9-11 Memorial Challenged (Shanksville, Pennsylvania)
A United States Congressman is disputing the choice of a red crescent on a 9-11 memorial commemorating Flight 93, saying the crescent has ties to Islam.
Cosmetics from Skin of Corpses (London, England)
A Chinese cosmetics company may be using skin harvested from the corpses of executed convicts to develop beauty products.
Funeral Home Investigated Again (Murrieta, California)
Valley Funeral Home has been ordered closed after customer complaints prompted an investigation by the state Department of Consumer Affairs’ Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.
Kenyon Deals With Horrors of Catastrophe (Gulf Coast)
Kenyon International Emergency Services faced the aftermath of a major catastrophe during its recent work in the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
Medical Examiner’s Office Under Fire (Providence, Rhode Island)
The state medical examiner’s office faces investigation after mishandling several cases.
Bayview Case Receives More Suits (Boston, Massachusetts)
A law firm filed another suit against more than a dozen New England funeral homes and related businesses, along with the owners of the closed Bayview Crematory.
Attorney General Wants Cemetery Fined (Kansas City, Kansas)
The attorney general has asked a court to declare Memorial Park Cemetery legally abandoned.
