Ryan's Blog

Ryan's Blog http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071 Random Thoughts and Messages en Copyright 2009, Connecting Directors Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:59:35 GMT Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:59:35 GMT Funeral Home Denies Mishandling Bodies http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000685#00000685 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000685.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A Falls Church funeral home that allegedly mishandled numerous bodies over the past year has denied wrongdoing. Its attorneys wrote to a Virginia regulatory board that the company has not violated any laws or industry standards and that it treats all remains with "the utmost dignity and respect." Attorneys for National Funeral Home, which serves as a regional embalming and storage facility for Houston-based Service Corporation International, wrote that allegations of impropriety were unfounded. They said an internal investigation has turned up "credible, independent evidence that refutes the principal allegations" that surfaced when current and former employees and customers complained publicly this year.   The complaints, first reported in The Washington Post in April, centered on allegations that National Funeral Home was overwhelmed with bodies from six area funeral homes and that supervisors there resorted to storing bodies in hallways, a back room and on unrefrigerated storage racks in a garage. Whistleblower Steven Napper, a former Maryland State Police trooper who worked at the facility as an embalmer, documented unsanitary conditions there. Photographs Napper took in December showed bodies balanced on biohazard boxes, and the remains of decorated military officers scheduled to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery being stored in the garage. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Several current and former employees have backed Napper's allegations, as did Ronald Federici, a doctor who witnessed the facility's conditions late last year when his father's body was sent there. Federici said the facility was "disgusting, degrading and humiliating." As part of an investigation by the Virginia Board for Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the funeral home was given an opportunity to respond, leading to the company's letters Friday. Emily Wingfield, the funeral board's deputy director, said state laws prohibit her from commenting on the case. In the letters, which SCI released yesterday, National Funeral Home officials "vehemently disagree" with Napper's claims. While denying unclean or unsanitary conditions, funeral home officials acknowledge that they stored bodies on the garage racks in coffins "during exceptionally busy times" and never for an extended period. "Mr. Napper's allegations have no merit and are plainly contradicted by objective, irrefutable evidence," wrote William G. Broaddus, a Richmond attorney representing the funeral home who also claimed Napper never raised concerns with superiors. "National Funeral Home treats all remains with the utmost dignity and respect. It has acted in accordance with all laws, regulations and industry standards at all times." <a href="http://ww.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Napper said yesterday that he stands by his complaints and noted numerous conversations with his managers about problems at National Funeral Home. "There is no doubt in my mind that what they were doing was wrong and that they knew about it," Napper said. Officials for SCI said they conducted an internal review of the allegations and hired a law firm to do an independent investigation. Citing pending litigation, SCI spokeswoman Lisa Marshall said she could not provide a copy of the investigation report or discuss its contents. "We took these allegations seriously and did an internal review," Marshall said. "We found no credible evidence that supports the allegations in the complaints." Marshall emphasized that there is no law in Virginia requiring funeral homes to refrigerate embalmed bodies, even if they are to be stored over long periods. Marshall said that storing bodies on the garage racks is a legal "option available to us." Two families, one of which has sued SCI, said they were ensured that their loved ones would be held in refrigerators before burial and were shocked to learn how the bodies were handled. Kim Brooks-Rodney, an attorney who represents the family of an Army colonel whose body was stored at National, said it does not surprise her that SCI has denied wrongdoing. "We fully expect the photographs taken by Mr. Napper, his testimony and the testimony of other current and former National Funeral Home employees to expose the hideous treatment the remains kept at National Funeral Home received," Brooks-Rodney said. "People deserve dignity in life and in death, and for some reason National Funeral Home does not seem to understand this basic principle of common decency." <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>SCI plans to spend more than $200,000 to make improvements to National Funeral Home's facilities, including adding a third storage cooler, the ability to control the garage's temperature and new flooring and lighting. Marshall said the funeral home is developing written protocols and procedures for bodies scheduled for burial at Arlington. The Virginia state board is considering new regulations that would require funeral homes to tell families where bodies are being held and the method of storage. The board is also considering regulations requiring that any body stored for longer than 24 hours be embalmed or refrigerated. Source: Josh White, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103963.html">The Washington Post</a> Photo By: Linda Davidson, Washington Post funeral industryfuneral homefalls church funeral home Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:59:35 GMT Grieving Families Pressured to Spend http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000684#00000684 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000684.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Kevin Hartley has been in the funeral industry for 20 years. He has worked in Tamworth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. But it was his tenure at a large operation in Sydney's south-west that really opened his eyes to the subtle yet sure-fire sales tactics funeral directors can throw at grieving families. "You have a position of power when you enter the house that can be easily abused," Mr Hartley said. "People are emotionally fragile, they're in unfamiliar territory, they have to make a series of decisions in a short period of time and they have to be good decisions, because they've only got the one opportunity to get it right."   So of course you'll want something nice for dad. The funeral director won't insult you by starting at the beginning of his catalogue of coffins and caskets. He or she will open in the middle of the book, pausing briefly on the "Woolworth" before moving on to the superior "Cambridge" and "Sheraton". If the client is in the company's showroom, the light seems to hit the most beautiful coffins - the cheaper ones will be huddled together on lower racks. Everyone seems to love rosewood, so the more expensive designs are displayed in the rich dark wood, while the cheaper designs are displayed in teak. All the time, the gentle but firm sales pitch will focus on the importance of quality. It's the knack of sending the subliminal message that the more costly the outlay, the more respect is shown for the person who has died, said Mr Hartley. Then, of course, there is the embalming. The common belief that embalming is a prerequisite for a viewing is a furphy, Mr Hartley said. "No one looks as good after death as before," he says. "But in 98 per cent of cases following a normal death, the body looks perfectly acceptable without embalming, as long as it is washed, the eyes and mouth are closed and the hair is tidy." <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Admittedly, there is self-interest in Mr Hartley's confessions of the funeral trade. Now based in Adelaide, he is the inventor of the bio-pod, an environmentally sound alternative to a coffin or casket, made from natural biodegradable hemp. Priced between $600 and $1600, it costs a fraction of a traditional coffin, which can run to $25,000. And he refuses to embalm or cremate, on the grounds that both are violent industrial processes that pollute the environment. "Cleaner power will take years, cleaner cars will take years, but we can have totally sustainable funerals tomorrow," he said. Mr Hartley's bio-pod is not yet legal in NSW, where all bodies must still be encased in a sealed coffin before burial or cremation, unless there is a religious exemption. Pieta Laing, who launched Australia's first comparative funeral cost website last week, says shopping around for the best value funeral or cemetery plot is not high on most people's agenda at a time of grief. "So there's been no need for the funeral industry to be as transparent as other industries," she said. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>"It's not in the funeral industry's interest to become more transparent and I wanted to do something about it." The website www.funeral comparisons.com.au has the endorsement of the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, and follows recent State Government regulations that require funeral directors to offer a basic "no frills" funeral and comprehensively itemised bills for all services. The website is reliant on public input because it is rare to find a funeral business in Australia that lists its prices. Ken Chapman, the executive secretary of the Funeral Directors Association of NSW, said the more informed consumers were, the less likely they would become victims of high-pressure sales tactics. "I can't say it doesn't happen in the industry … but our members do not up-sell," he said. Mr Chapman said Ms Laing's price list for burial sites was particularly useful. "Cemetery fees are constantly going up … Yet often it's the funeral director who gets the blame for increasing costs." Source: <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/grieving-families-pressured-to-spend-20090627-d0hj.html">Brisbanetimes.com.au</a> Photo By: David Mariuz Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> grieving famiiesfuneral industryfuneral director Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:59:09 GMT Robin Heppell Show You How To Be an Industry Expert http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000683#00000683 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000683.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I received a email yesterday from Robin Heppell announcing a new video tutorial he did for FuneralFuturistU.com. The video shows you how to create your own "wire service" so you can be the industry expert in your community. As always Hepp does a brilliant job and really packs a lot of great information into a short video tutorial. I recommend you check it out! Robin shares: As a follow up to the Funeral Facebook Formula class in May, I showcased my “Information Gathering Dashboard” and I promised that I would make a video on how you can create one for yourself – here it is…   Here is the link to the *Creating Your Own Wire Service* tutorial: <a href="http://www.funeralfuturist.com/create-your-own-wire-service/">http://www.funeralfuturist.com/create-your-own-wire-service/</a> For more information about Hepp's classes on Internet Marketing for Funeral Professionals - Funeral Futurist U, visit: <a href="http://www.FuneralFuturistU.com">http://www.FuneralFuturistU.com</a> (just $37/month - goes to $47/month next week) Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> robin heppellfuneral industrywire service Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:36 GMT Red-Light Camera Tickets Funeral Procession Drivers...Opps http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000682#00000682 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000682.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Funeral processions are not an exception to laws governing stop lights, public officials say, but some drivers had to learn that the hard way. Cindy Rittenberg ran a red light during a procession at the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Earhart Boulevard.Rittenberg said the officers monitoring that intersection left but she continued to follow the car in front of her through the intersection. Weeks later, a ticket from the red-light camera at that intersection made it to Rittenberg's home and she attempted to dispute it with the City's Public Work's Department.   "They said all I needed was a letter from the funeral director saying there was such a procession," said Rittenberg. She contacted the Funeral Director Billy Henry with Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp Funeral Home."I felt quite sure that if I verified that she actually attended the funeral -- was part of the procession, and there were police escorts -- they would waive her fine," Henry said. However, after the Public Work's Department reviewed the letter and the traffic tape, Rittenberg was still considered at fault. Public Work's Director Robert Mendoza said there are quirks in the traffic camera system, and this is one of them. Mendoza said under a city law, once an officer stops monitoring traffic at a given intersection for any event, the traffic laws go back into effect. Mendoza said this is a law he discovered while reviewing Rittenberg's case."If you're going to give people tickets during the middle of a funeral procession, then we're going to have to have some serious guidelines as to what the responsibility of the motorcycle escort is, what the responsibility of the funeral director is, and what the responsibility of the driver is," Henry said. Mendoza agrees and said the law should be reviewed.In Orleans Parish, there is no law requiring escorts for funeral processions. Mendoza said the city should review that clause, along with how well motorcycle escorts presently monitor the traffic situations. Mendoza said that more officers may be needed or better routes considered. Source: <a href="http://www.wdsu.com/news/19907710/detail.html">wdsu.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral processionred light cameraticketfuneral industry Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:05:04 GMT Free One-Day Expo Only Pass to The NFDA Convention 2009 http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000681#00000681 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000681.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> That's right, NFDA and ConnectingDirectors.com are offering you a free expo only one-day pass to this year's NFDA Convention in Boston, MA October 25-28. Please follow the link below to download and print the registration form. You have until July 31, 2009 to turn in your registration form, after July 31st the registration fee rises to $99. Do not miss this opportunity, if you think you might be able to attend please fill out this form. For more information about the most exciting funeral service event of the year, go to <a href="http://www.nfda.org/index.php/2009-convention-home">http://www.nfda.org/index.php/2009-convention-home</a>.  Or call an NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332 (outside the U.S. call 262-789-1880). TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM CLICK   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/files/download+main/EXPO%20PASS%2040%20CONNECTING%20DIRECTORS.pdf">http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/files/download+main/EXPO%20PASS%2040%20CONNECTING%20DIRECTORS.pdf</a> Make sure to visit the ConnectingDirectors.com booth: #1426 Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industrynfda expofree pass Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:27:25 GMT Funeral Planning Assistance is a New Perk at Workplaces http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000680#00000680 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000680.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Companies don't roll out new employee benefits in recessions. But one exception to that rule can be found in some employer-provided group life insurance plans this year.Employees at a small but growing number of companies are gaining access to funeral planning services. With the help of a funeral concierge, they're able to make arrangements years in advance or at a moment's notice. Insurers such as The Hartford and ING have begun to offer the end-of-life services to employers as part of their group life insurance coverage. Both companies are partnering with Everest, a nationwide funeral planning and concierge service headquartered in Houston.   Everest's funeral planners, who work out of 24-7 call centers, act as advocates for families. "We ask our clients about their funeral and burial wishes, and then we find those services at the best prices," said Everest president and chief executive Mark Duffey. "Our advisers will also negotiate prices and handle all the details if requested," he said. One of the 50 Texas employers that have signed up for The Hartford's funeral planning benefit is Lattimore Materials, a concrete maker in McKinney. Lattimore employees will have the option beginning July 1, said benefits manager Kelly Cassell. "We hope our employees never have to use it," she said, "but if there's a death in their family, they'll be able to pass off the burden of finding a funeral home and cemetery to an Everest planner so that they can focus on comforting the other members of their family." <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>In recent years, life insurance has become more than just a lump sum paid upon death, as insurers have introduced services like bereavement counseling, estate guidance and will preparation. Now, The Hartford is adding the funeral planning benefit to group policies, at no extra cost to companies or employees, to give itself an advantage in a competitive marketplace, said senior vice president Bob Reiff. "We visited with agents and brokers during a pilot project in Texas and quickly learned that funeral planning would help us differentiate ourselves from other insurers," he said. "It's bringing us new clients." Cassell said the funeral planning benefit was one reason her company chose The Hartford as its life insurance provider this year. "It's new and not something usually associated with life insurance, so we'll make a point of publicizing it among our employees," she said. ING says its new partnership with Everest will be a win-win for companies and their workers. "Employers will have a tangible way to show their employees how much they are valued on both a personal and professional level," said ING spokesman Phil Margolis. The insurers, which pay Everest a small fee for each covered employee, say they hope the new benefit will encourage more families to follow through with end-of-life preparations. A survey for The Hartford found that 43 percent of respondents had talked about making funeral plans but that only 11 percent had actually done so. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Pairing funeral planning with life insurance will appeal particularly to baby boomers, predicted Joseph Coughlin, who tracks aging-related business trends as founder of the Age Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Baby boomers are increasingly taking advantage of financial planning services and products, and funeral planning represents the latest frontier," he said. Coughlin said he expects boomers will use a funeral concierge service not just for themselves but also for elderly parents and in-laws. About 250,000 people are now covered by life insurance policies with Everest's services, but Duffey said that number is likely to grow to more than 20 million as a result of the recent agreements with insurers. "We hope that funeral planning eventually becomes a standard benefit throughout the life insurance industry," he said. Source: <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-funeralplanning_29bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3cf2e90.html">Dallas News</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral planningfuneral industry Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:09:48 GMT Batesville Casket Company Receives Favorable Ruling in Antitrust Lawsuit http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000679#00000679 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000679.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has denied a petition by the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) to appeal a federal district court order in its antitrust lawsuit against Batesville Casket Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI) , and three of its funeral home customers. The FCA, a self-styled consumer advocacy group, had sought class certification in a lawsuit alleging that Batesville Casket Company and its three named customers had violated antitrust laws. A U.S. District judge in the Southern District of Texas denied certification on March 26, 2009, and the appellate court denied the subsequent petition for appeal on June 19, 2009. The FCA plaintiffs now have the option of dismissing their case or proceeding with individual claims.   "It is very gratifying to receive the favorable ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which has denied the appeal request of the plaintiffs in this case," said Kenneth A. Camp, Hillenbrand's president and chief executive officer. "From the beginning, we believed the plaintiffs' allegations were baseless and we aggressively defended the fair and ethical practice of selling our products only through licensed funeral homes, which has been a cornerstone of our business model for more than 100 years." For further information and background on these cases, please refer to Hillenbrand's most recent SEC Form 10-Q and to the rulings posted on our Web site, <a href="http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=BS+H6rgU+ec=&docid=CL3940029062009-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.hillenbrandinc.com">http://www.hillenbrandinc.com</a>. ABOUT HILLENBRAND, INC. Hillenbrand, Inc. (<a href="http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=BS+H6rgU+ec=&docid=CL3940029062009-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.hillenbrandinc.com">www.HillenbrandInc.com</a>) is the holding company for Batesville Casket Company, a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing and other personalization and memorialization products. HI-INC-C Website: <a href="http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=BS+H6rgU+ec=&docid=CL3940029062009-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.HillenbrandInc.com">http://www.HillenbrandInc.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> batesvillebatesville casketlawsuitfuneral industry Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:41:32 GMT Funeral Industry Getting a Reality TV Show? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000677#00000677 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000677.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> No your eyes did not fool you, the title of this post is correct. The funeral industry is going to be getting its own reality TV show and you could be apart of it. The authors of "Grave Expectations: Planning the End Like There's No Tomorrow", and fellow members of ConnectingDirectors.com, Sue Bailey and Carmen Flowers are preparing a reality TV show based on their book. Working with an accomplished and acclaimed producer the ladies are going to build a reality show around people planning out their very own funeral detail for detail. If you have read the book or even pieces of it, then you know we are not talking about normal funerals. Grave Expectations challenges you to push the envelope and make your funeral a personal celebration/party. Sue and Carmen are reaching out to the members of ConnectingDirectors.com to help fill a very important void...   They need a host for the show!!!! Here is what Sue and Carmen sent me to share with you: Looking for host for show based on the book: "Grave Expectations: Planning The End Like There's No Tomorrow" We're looking for a very attractive, charismatic funeral planner or director (male or female) for a new television series. If you are interested and feel you have what it takes to be on television, please send a bio and a short video of yourself to <a href="mailto:planningtheend@gmail.com">planningtheend@gmail.com</a>. You can also post the video on YouTube and send us the link. We would love to see something as soon as possible - time is of the essence, and we know you understand that concept! Thank you very much! About Grave Expectations:   It was on the drive home from a deadly funeral that we began to toy with the idea of writing this book. Once we got home, and drank enough champagne, we made the commitment to write it. Life is such a rich, complicated, joyous, mysterious wild ride. Everyone has stories to tell and lessons to pass on, and what better way to do that than when you're alive? It was your life; your funeral is the one time you can do and say absolutely whatever you want. As of this writing, there is no alternative to dying. (You can be cryogenically frozen, but we wouldn't call that life.) Since there's no getting out of it, why not go ahead and plan your fantasy going "away" party? Is it just us or have you been seeing too many, "She's not dead... she's just away" bereavement cards? Of course you can't really be too upset since according to the card she's coming back. We were destined to write a book about planning one's own funeral. Between us, we have personally experienced three weddings, two divorces (all Carmen) and five suicides of close family members. We've nursed four relatives and friends through deaths due to cancer. We've survived cancer (Sue) and meningitis (Carmen) and if all that is not enough, we are both orphans. In spite of these experiences, or because of them, we do not fear death at all . . . we appreciate life that much more. You can find out more about the book: read <a href="http://graveexpectations.net/book-reviews/">what others have said</a>, take a peek at the <a href="http://graveexpectations.net/book-chapters/">table of contents</a>, read an <a href="http://graveexpectations.net/book-excerpt/">excerpt</a> from the chapter entitled "Freeze, Boil, Liquefy and Preserve, and Other 'Recipes' For the Remains". And of course, the book is <a href="http://graveexpectations.net/book-buy/">now available</a> from online and in-person retailers. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryreality tv showfuneral director Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:16:07 GMT Funeral Director Operated a Decade with No License http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000676#00000676 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000676.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> As the family of the late Ada Young searches for answers, public records show that Willie B. Hardy, the funeral home administrator who left Young's body in a shed when his business changed locations this month, has a criminal history including felony theft. Officials from the Texas Funeral Service Commission said Hardy has not had a state funeral director's license since 1998. His expired license's status was listed as “revoked,” but a commission official could not say why it was revoked.   Neighboring residents discovered Young's body in a casket June 19 and notified police. Hardy said Young's family had not paid him for a funeral or to dispose of the body, so he had kept it since 2006. Records show multiple charges against Hardy dating to the early 1980s with three convictions — including one for felony theft in 1998. A conviction from the 1980s was for a misdemeanor hot check charge, and in 1999 he was convicted on a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Hardy on Friday declined to comment on his criminal history. He said he had worked with several licensed funeral directors and that in the decade that he was unlicensed, he never claimed to have one. However, a funeral service commission official said license holders cannot have others perform funeral services in their name. Young's family, as well as another family that used Hardy's services, said in interviews this week that they were under the impression Hardy was licensed. “Where was the Texas Funeral ... Commission?” said Rhonda Pickeree, Young's granddaughter. “Who inspects these places and licenses them? ... Why did we have to wait till he got to my grandmother to know this?” San Antonio police and the Bexar County medical examiner's office are investigating Young's case. The office is obtaining a DNA test to verify the body's identity and is conducting an autopsy, which is to take until about July 7. If the DNA test confirms the body is Young's, it will be returned to her family. If not, authorities will seek to find the body's next of kin. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Pickeree and other members of Young's family have begun to make funeral and burial arrangements but plan to wait for the test results to set a date. Regardless of the test results, the Collins Funeral Home will provide a free chapel service for the abandoned body, and the Camero Crematory & Funeral Home will cremate the body, also for free. Pickeree said she and her family are struggling to make it through the situation. “I want to put my grandmother to rest, finally,” she said. “That's all I know. I just want to have her cremated, which were her wishes.” Pickeree said her family has believed since Young's 2006 death that she had been cremated, placed in an urn and buried by Hardy in a burial plot. “We paid him,” Pickeree said, countering Hardy's claim that she and her family would not or could not pay for Young's cremation. “You have to pay to come into the world, and you have to pay to go out of the world.” Pickeree said she and her family paid Hardy for the funeral service, the cremation, the urn and the burial plot. “I visited him on Rigsby Street twice and I asked him, ‘We need the lot number for my grandmother,' and he always said, ‘I'll take care of it,'” Pickeree said. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Hardy, on the other hand, said the family did not pay for the cremation, the urn or the burial plot, and never filled out the paperwork for a cremation. He said it was the family that was uncommunicative, not him. “I'm not trying to ridicule the family,” he said. “I wish this had never happened to them. But I tried my best to communicate with them. “I don't know why they didn't sign the paperwork. They never followed through on anything, and I made that as clear to them as I could.” Police are waiting for the medical examiner's findings. “We're in wait-and-see mode right now,” SAPD homicide Detective Jesse Salame said. Source: <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/49268112.html">MySanAntonio.com</a> revokedno licensefuneral director Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:30:16 GMT BREAKING NEWS: TSA EXTENDS KNOWN SHIPPER DEADLINE TO AUGUST 1, 2009 http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000675#00000675 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000675.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Funeral homes, shipping services, and trade associations across the country have been working diligently over the last five months in order to meet the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Known Shipper Mandate deadline of July 1, 2009. Due to backlogs existing within the airline and TSA application approval process, we are happy to announce that the Transportation Security Administration has granted an extension of the mandate deadline to August 1, 2009.   In order to provide the members of ConnectingDirectors.com with the best reources to handle the new laws put in place by the TSA, CD.com has partnered with Eagles Wing's Air to be of assistance to you and guide you though the "know shipper" verification process. Eagle's Wings Air appreciates the magnitude of this change and recognizes that the known shipper verification process may be time consuming and even confusing. We have already assisted over 750 funeral homes in achieving known shipper status, and strongly recommend that all funeral homes take the appropriate steps now to meet this new requirement. For your convenience, EWA has consolidated the various airline known shipper applications as well as the corresponding contact information on our web site within the News & Events section. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Eagle's Wings Air at (866) 550-1392 or visit <a href="http://www.eagleswingsair.com">www.eagleswingsair.com</a>. Letter From TSA; Sent on behalf of Ed Kelly, General Manager, Air Cargo   Dear Stakeholder: Because of the concerns expressed by the airlines and funeral industry, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Acting Administrator has issued a 30 day extension to the July 1, 2009, requirement for human remains shipments to be accepted only from known shippers. The new deadline is August 1, 2009.   During the 30 day extension, it is imperative that airlines continue to utilize the TSA Known Shippers Management System (KSMS), the KSMS user guide and the KSMS help desk. It is equally important that funeral homes continue to work diligently to become known to the airlines.    Thank you for your attention to this important information.   Sincerely, Ed CD.com Featured Article Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinace.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> know shippertsafuneral directorsfuneral industrydeadline Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:04:23 GMT Tom Parmalee Wins Marketing Award http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000674#00000674 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000674.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Thomas A. Parmalee, executive editor of Kates-Boylston Publications, won a first-place marketing award for “Best Print Effort” from the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation at its annual luncheon June 2 at the Mayflower Hotel. The award recognized Parmalee’s work on The Funeral Director’s Economic Survival Guide: A Comprehensive Handbook on How to Cut Costs and Boost Revenue. The book, sponsored by Homesteaders Life Co., included never-before-published content and generated subscriptions for Funeral Service Insider, the most popular newsletter in the country for funeral professionals, as well as American Funeral Director and American Cemetery magazines. It is also sold on a standalone basis for $75 at <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com">www.katesboylston.com</a>.   “It’s an honor to receive this award,” Parmalee said. “I would like to personally thank our art director, Allison Sullivan, for designing the book, and our entire team for helping to make it a success. Likewise, I’d like to thank Homesteaders for sponsoring the book and everyone who contributed articles.” Parmalee noted that he’s working on another book to help funeral directors maximize their profit when the economy recovers. Visit www.katesboylston.com/survival to learn more about The Funeral Director’s Economic Survival Guide. Anyone who subscribes to Funeral Service Insider will receive a free copy of the book when they call 800-500-4585 (option 1) and mention Offer Code FSI09005. Or take advantage of the offer online by visiting <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com/fsi">www.katesboylston.com/fsi</a> and clicking on the “Survival Guide Special” link at the top of the page. You can even read a sample issue of the newsletter before subscribing! Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industrytom paramaleemarketing Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:42:08 GMT Woman Claims She Was Exposed To Smoke From Crematory http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000673#00000673 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000673.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A woman is claiming she suffers from smoke inhalation - smoke from a funeral home burning bodies next to her former work.  Now, the State Health Department is getting involved. Michelle Kay used to work next to the Holt Family Funeral Home in Fremont County along Highway 50.  NEWSCHANNEL 13 uncovered reports from the State Health Department which found several alleged violations against the crematory, including mistakes made on the same day Michelle claims she was nearly suffocated by smoke at work. For the full report   "The smoke started getting really bad and I started choking on it," said Michelle.  "Finally I got into the building and I was surrounded by smoke...just the fact that the smoke was so thick and black is what concerns me," she added. The date was February 27th, 2009.  Michelle says while at work she was overcome by smoke from the Holt Family Funeral Home Crematory next door.  That night she checked herself into the hospital because she couldn't stop coughing.  Kay was treated for minor smoke inhalation and released shortly after.  Now she says she is suffering emotionally. "If there is no concern that I breathed in a dead body, than I would like that set in stone," said Kay.  "But after the research I've done I am a little concerned about it." Michelle says she looked for medical help from both her workplace as well as the crematory.  But after hitting dead ends she contacted the State Health Department.  It was then that an inspection was completed at the Holt Family Funeral Home Crematory.  The inspection found 16 alleged violations against the crematory.  NEWSCHANNEL 13 acquired the report where the alleged violations are described in detail:   <hr />   .                    PROVISIONS OF THE LAW ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN VIOLATED 1.                   Holt failed to preheat the secondary combustion zone before charging and operating the unit on February 14, 2008, violating Permit 12EP599 Condition 3. 2.                   Holt failed to operate both the primary and secondary burners at the design rate during the cremation period on February 14, 2008, violating Permit 12EP599 Condition 4. 3.                   Holt failed to operate and maintain the L-1701 retort in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the manufacture, automatic controls were overridden during operation, and the persons operating the unit were not well trained, violating Permit 12EP599 Condition 6. 4.                   Holt failed to place the material to be destroyed in the hearth in a manner that provides maximum exposure to the flame of the primary burner on February 14, 2008, violating Permit 12EP599 Condition 7. 5.                   Holt failed to submit a revised Air Pollutant Emission Notice ("APEN") when there was a change in ownership for Permit 12EP599, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part A §II.C.1.b. 6.                   Holt failed to obtain a valid construction permit from the Division prior to constructing the L-1701 retort, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part B §II.A.1. 7.                   Holt failed to submit a revised APEN when there was a change in ownership for Permit 87EP124, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part A §II.C.1.b. 8.                   Holt failed to obtain a valid construction permit from the Division prior to constructing the Power Pak Unit, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part B §II.A.1. 9.                   At the time of inspection, Holt failed to directly mark the permit number on the IE-43, violating Permit 85FR109I Condition 2.  Ms. Pilson received a picture on March 19, 2009 showing that the permit number had been marked on the IE-43. 10.               Holt violated Permit 85FR109I Condition 3, as follows: a.      Holt exceeded that annual cremation rate limit of 260 in 2007 with 293 cremations and in 2008 with 282 cremations. b.      Holt failed to keep records of the weight of each body cremated as required to demonstrate the charging rate in accordance with the IE-43's manufacturer's specification. c.      Holt reported that the operators do not always operate the cremation cycle in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications when cremating large bodies. Holt reported that the operator did not follow the manufacturer's specifications for cremating a large body on February 27, 2009. 11. Holt violated Permit 85FR109I Condition 4, as follows: a.      Holt does not keep records of daily charging rates. b.      Holt failed to operate in a manner consistent with good air pollution control practices due to inadequate records, inadequate maintenance, and not following the manufacturer's operational recommendations. 12. Holt failed to maintain and operate in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions, violating Permit 85FR109I Condition 8, due to the following: a.      Holt has failed to follow the manufacturer's manual and perform the following semi-annual maintenance activities: i.      Spark plugs should be cleaned, ii.      Flame detectors should be cleaned, iii.      The fan motor should be lubricated, and iv.      The Pollution Monitoring system should be cleaned and adjusted. b.      Holt has failed to follow the manufacturer's manual and perform the following annual maintenance activities: i.      Fan should be cleaned, ii.      Burner gas should be adjusted, and iii.      The refectory should be inspected. c.      Holt has failed to follow the manufacturer's special instructions for cremating bodies over 300 lbs, which include: i.      Setting the afterburner timer to 3 hours (normally it is set for 2 hours), ii.      Turning the ignition timer off for one full hour of delay immediately after the body has ignited, iii.      Turning the cremation timer on after the body has been reduced to a normal size (less than 300 lbs), and iv.      Checking for visible emissions and adjusting the ignition timer and afterburner timer accordingly. 13.   Holt failed to preheat the secondary combustion zone ("afterburner") 30 minutes prior to the ignition burner being ignited as required by the manufacturer.  The afterburner turns off 30 minutes prior to the cremation burner; therefore it is not maintaining operating temperature during the last 30 minutes of the cremation.  The operation of the afterburner violates Permit 85FR109I Condition 9. 14.   Holt failed to submit an APEN and obtain a permit prior to installing and operating West Crematory in Fremont County, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part A §II.A. and Part B §II.A.1. 15.   Holt failed to submit an APEN prior to constructing the Pet Retort in El Paso County, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3, Part A §II.A. 16.   Holt failed to obtain a permit prior to constructing the Pet Retort in El Paso County, violating AQCC Regulation Number 3 Part B §II.A.1.   <hr /> Some of the allegations are miniscule, however one of them caught Michelle's attention.  10c. Alleges that mistakes were made by crematory employees on the same day that Michelle says she was overcome by smoke. (February 27th). "The mortuary should be held responsible for it," she said. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>NEWSCHANNEL 13 contacted the General Manager of the funeral home to get their side of the story.  Rick Glover said that they are in no way responsible for Michelle's emotional medical problems because there is no proof the crematory caused them. Glover did admit the funeral home was guilty of some of the violations in the report, and he has already begun working with the State Health Department and his staff to make sure they are fixed immediately. The Holt Family Funeral Home Crematory has been in Fremont County for 24 years and this is the first time they have ever been cited for any violations. On Thursday there will be a hearing held with the State Health Department and the funeral home to go over the alleged violations.  If they are found guilty the funeral home could face up to $15,000 in fines per violation, per day. Glover says he plans to fully cooperate with the State Health Department.     Source: <a href="http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10591286">KRDO Channel 13</a> Sponsor: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> crematorysmokefuneral industrydeathcare Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:45:42 GMT Funeral Director Busted For Growing Marijuana http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000672#00000672 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000672.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A 37-year-old Helena man faces a felony drug charge for allegedly growing 70 marijuana plants in the attic of a Rodney Street funeral home. Police arrested Jason Blaine Thornock on Monday after serving a search warrant of the Helena Funeral Chapel and discovering the plants, according to Helena Police Chief Troy McGee. Thornock was jailed on a charge of criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs and posted $50,000 bond Tuesday afternoon.   The arrest came about after the Missouri River Drug Task Force received information that Thornock had a marijuana-growing operation at his residence/business on the 300 block of N. Rodney Street. McGee said Thornock is a licensed medical marijuana user. As a cardholder, Thornock can legally grow six plants for personal use. Six plants and one working light apparatus were left in the attic, he said. Authorities entered the other 64 plants into evidence. <div class="imgRight"> <script type="text/javascript">  </script> </div> The case remains under investigation. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral directorfuneral industrymarijuana Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:21:51 GMT Minnesota Priest Runs Nonprofit Funeral Service http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000671#00000671 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000671.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The Rev. Claudia Windal of Minneapolis believes everyone, regardless of ability to pay, deserves a dignified burial. So the Episcopal priest became a mortician to help make it happen. Since she opened the nonprofit Oyate Tawicohan Funeral Services about two years ago, Windal estimates that she has provided low-cost burials to about 223 people; about 90 percent were Native American. But the no-frills, shoestring-budget burials are available to anyone who can't afford standard funeral fees.   Now she hopes her efforts will catch on elsewhere. "Oyate Tawicohan means 'the way of the people' in Lakota," said Windal, 59, who is part Lakota. "I'm so excited to have the ability to bring some dignity and respect to poor people to give them some choices in funeral care. What we do, we do in a good way." For Windal "death care" is as much about "doing death in a good way" for the living as for those she buries. Doing 'death in a good way' Windal never had a desire "to do funeral work" but in 2000, a Lakota elder from nearby Red Lake telephoned, asking for help "to return her cousin to a final resting place here on the reservation. The funeral home wanted $2,000 to transport the body and she couldn't pay it," Windal recalled. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>The two women rented a van, drove to Chicago and brought the body back to Minnesota themselves. "On the way home, she told me that I 'must do this for our people'," Windal recalled. After that, the phone calls kept coming. She estimated her basic, no-frills funeral fee at about $2,500, often reduced to county allotments of $1,900-$2,200 provided for the indigent or those on public assistance. Comparable services in a for-profit funeral home typically range from at least $6,000. She helps make up the difference using "cremation caskets" and has made use of some donated graves but acknowledges that keeping costs low is increasingly a struggle. Her funeral home has space for a small coffin display and an embalming room. Visitations are held at nearby St. James on the Parkway Episcopal Church, where she serves as a priest in residence. "Cremation caskets" are wood with a pine or oak veneer "but not cardboard at least. It is very nice looking," Windal said. "It's called a cremation casket simply because the sidebars, the handles don't move, don't swing so they're stationary because they don't expect to carry it very far." She added that cremation, often touted as a low-cost burial alternative, isn't considered an option. "Most of our native people refuse to be cremated. That's tradition." Tradition figures prominently elsewhere. She invites family participation in body preparation, includes ceremonial drums and smoldering sage at funeral services, and helps next-of-kin fill graves in with dirt. "Most funeral homes don't let you get too near the body once someone's died and is in the funeral director's care," Windal said. "But there is a real beauty in being able to as closely as possible approximate the way families have been involved with death care in our Native American communities." In once instance, when several male family members wanted "to do something useful for their loved one" she had them pick up the casket from the warehouse while she and the women ritually bathed and dressed the body. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>"They got back just as we finished dressing the deceased," Windal recalled. "Two of the men and I picked the body up and put her in the casket. The women did her makeup and fixed her hair. It was a wonderful, wonderful gift." There was also the woman whose five-month-old infant suffocated. "In our native community we have a lot of infant deaths and I really encourage the parents, the mothers especially, to be involved in the care of their deceased child," Windal said. "I'll invite whoever wants to come in and do the bathing after the baby's been embalmed." After bathing him, "we wrapped him in a blanket and she just sat there and held him and talked to him. It's gut-wrenching to watch but it was apparent that it was a very helpful thing that needed to be done." When Windal's phone rings, it is often "a call to multiple ministries." Sometimes, the request is to give last rites to the dying, or to help a family navigate a mountain of forms, to take charge of a body, or plan a funeral service. Multiple ministries are nothing new for the former nun and registered nurse. A few months after graduating from a Chicago high school, she entered the novitiate of the Roman Catholic order of Dubuque Franciscan Sisters. She trained to become a registered nurse. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>When she graduated from St. Ambrose University in Iowa in 1975 "the Episcopal Church (TEC) was talking very seriously about ordaining women." She left the order after seven years, joined the Episcopal Church and in 1981 earned a master of divinity degree from <a href="http://www.seabury.edu/" target="_blank">Seabury Western Theological Seminary</a> in Evanston, Illinois. After she was ordained to the priesthood she served in congregations in the <a href="http://www.episcopalmn.org/" target="_blank">Diocese of Minnesota</a> and also ministered to people living with HIV/AIDS. She has a doctorate of ministry and in November 2008 professed perpetual vows in the <a href="http://www.servantfranciscans.net/" target="_blank">Ecumenical Order of Servant Franciscans</a>. Her business is also known as the <a href="http://www.franciscanfuneralservices.com/" target="_blank">Franciscan Funeral Services</a> because "helping the poor is very Franciscan." She enrolled in a one-year licensing program for morticians at the University of Minnesota after "it became obvious that funeral directors wouldn't talk to anyone but other funeral directors," she said. The Rev. Theo Park, rector of St. James, calls Windal "a saint. She saw a need and responded. She took action into an arena that a lot of folks wouldn't even have seen as calling for action." It keeps her "very busy," Park added. "That's one of the reasons we try to support her as much as we can. We're a small church and we can't offer a whole lot of financial assistance but we can offer hospitality as a way of participating." Maureen Davidson said Windal stepped in "from start to finish" when Davidson's 58-year-old brother died suddenly with few funds in early January. "We hadn't had much time to think about anything. He was diagnosed with cancer on Monday and he died on Saturday. There hadn't even been time for hospice to get involved," recalled Davidson, director of senior services at the West 7th Community Center in St. Paul. "When you're in that situation, you need a compassionate person, a good listener. Claudia was phenomenal. She has such a passion for what she does and such a belief in it. She did a beautiful job of putting together a funeral at a very low cost, that was respectful and dignified, and she did the service for my brother." Source: <a href="http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81799_110951_ENG_HTM.htm">Episcopal Online</a> funeral industrynonprofit funerallow cost funeral Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:17:10 GMT Boomers Causing Funeral Industry to Reinvent Itself - Guest Post http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000670#00000670 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000670.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> After delivering a marketing seminar last week to a group of funeral directors, the owner of one funeral home approached me to set me straight: "You wouldn't know it today," he said, "but this business used to print money. Now it's cracking apart." Yes, the funeral sector has been rocked by consumers' growing preference for cremation, leaving it to reduce its dependence on high-margin caskets, and reposition its other services. Now, they must convince bereaved families the best way to honour their loved ones is through a professionally managed funeral. Of course, it isn't the only industry reinventing itself. Soft drink and snack companies are buying up healthy-food producers, and energy companies are turning green. The auto sector is coming to grips with reduced demand, and retailers, media and financial services are all seeking new roles in markets upended by the Internet.   Compared to some industries, funeral homes face a positive outlook. While more people are eschewing formal funeral rituals in favour of alternative "celebrations of life," the sector is finally about to reap the benefits of ageing Boomers, who have always spent top dollar on themselves (especially when it lets them proclaim their individuality). I predict they'll happily shell out for glossy send-offs that celebrate their lives in style, for the next 30 years. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Funeral directors worry Boomers will shun funeral homes for the homes, restaurants or clubs where they spent their lives. (One funeral director recently complained the event planner hired to help arrange a funeral made more money than his funeral home did!) But this, I insist, is part of the reinvention of the sector. Funeral homes must pursuade clients and prospects that funerals are important events, an integral part of the grieving and moving-on process. And they have to make the case that such complex undertakings, fraught with family drama, are best managed by experienced, caring funeral directors. Anyone can book a hall. But directors can help a family fill out the paperwork, manage visitations with dignity, provide grief counselling or hire a bagpiper or manage a butterfly release on three days' notice. Today, sales people in all industries are trying to position themselves as trusted advisors. Insurance agents, financial planners and sellers of computer systems all want to be known for their ability to provide valuable counsel. But funeral professionals are already recognized experts. They provide a clear mind and strong shoulder for mourning families. And this is their moment to step up. Funeral homes, like many other old-line businesses, need to prove they're willing to change. Many are already evolving. I met funeral directors who bedeck their halls with golf equipment or fishing rods to reflect the interests of the dearly departed, while others hired Elvis impersonators and installed state-of -the-art sound systems. Some even obtained liquor licences so they can serve wine at post-funeral receptions. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Trouble is, many don't look changed. Their hushed, velvety rooms haven't changed since the 1940s and personnel still practice the funeral director's pose (hands clasped, lowered head) -- caught between the formality of the Second World War survivors and the free spirits of the Me Generation. Funeral homes have to learn to market their new sensibilities, or Boomer families won't even consider buying from them. And funeral homes will need to address these challenges in the same way as every other business today: Identify your target market, then ask how you can become the preferred supplier in that market. Next, make a plan for owning that sector. That means acquiring the expertise to serve the target market, and developing performance standards for all staff. (How quickly will the phone be answered? What questions should you ask, in what order, to ensure you understand the needs of each bereaved family? And how will satisfaction be measured?) Once a plan is in place, establish your brand by creating a mission statement outlining exactly what you do for your clients -- and what you do better than anyone else. Finally, develop a marketing plan for communicating your shiny new message to your chosen market. You might buy radio or newspaper ads, or write columns about the changing funeral sector for local papers looking for free content. You can also market through partnerships (consider co-op marketing with local service clubs, event planners and florists, or open up meeting rooms for use by local charities), or by asking satisfied clients for referrals. And social media-- e-newsletters, blogs and Twitter -- can get a message out to potential prospects eager to know what you stand for. Business is changing. But one thing that won't change is the need to understand your market, and continually evolve to meet its changing needs. Till death do you part. - Rick Spence is a writer, consultant and speaker specializing in entrepreneurship. His column appears Mondays in the Financial Post. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:rick@rickspence.ca">rick@rickspence.ca</a> Article Originally Published on <a href="http://www.canada.com/business/money/Boomers+shake+funeral+industry/1537952/story.html">Canada.ca</a> Photograph by: Peter J. Thompson/National Post, National Post Caption: A caskett at R.S. Kane Funeral Home in Toronto Sponsor: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> tbwcapfqhu funeral industryboomersreinventing Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:09:56 GMT Attention All Crematory Operators: Get Ready to Be Certified! http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000669#00000669 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000669.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The Cremation Association of North America and Matthews Cremation Division will hold a special, redesigned Crematory Operators Certification Workshop on Nov. 18 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The certification program serves as a prelude to Kates-Boylston’s annual Funeral Service Business Plan Conference, which features some of the most innovative people in funeral service.   The Crematory Operators Certification Program has been completely redesigned just for this conference, and it will include more information than ever for owners, managers, funeral directors and operators. With litigation issues becoming more important by the day, there will also be a bevy of information on what you need to do to avoid lawsuits and protect the well being of your firm. A section devoted to cremation startup and return on investment has also been added and is exclusive to this conference. “Attendees at this conference will benefit from a wealth of timely information and industry knowledge,” said John Chasca, president of CANA. “The program is top notch, and participants will bring valuable ideas home that they can immediately put to use.” The Very Best Speakers on This Topic! Speakers at the crematory certification program include: •    Michael Nicodemus is chairman of the Crematory Operator Certification Program and the manager of cremation operations at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Homes, which has 10 locations in Virginia. He has performed or assisted in cremating more than 5,000 decedents. He is third vice president and a member of the board of directors of CANA, a member of CANA’s Disaster Response Committee and a member of The National Funeral Directors Association’s Disaster Task Force Committee. •    Paul Rahill is president of Matthews International Cremation Division. Since 1973, he has worked in various capacities in the design, manufacturing and service areas of cremation equipment. He serves as an environmental adviser and liaison for the CANA board of directors, a position he’s held for more than 15 years. He regularly develops seminars, training and certification programs for the cremation profession. •    Steven P. Schaal, division manager for sales and marketing for Matthews International Cremation Division, has spent most of his career using consumer research as a foundation for strategic development. He has helped introduce several new products and display systems and is an accomplished public speaker. He’s written numerous industry articles on the topic of cremation. •    Tony Lombardi, division manager for production, service and repair for Matthews International cremation division, joined the Matthews team in 1991 to manage large crematory design and installation projects in the Far East. He has worked in various capacities in the management, design, manufacturing and service of cremation equipment. This special, redesigned program will include information on: •    Litigation •    Principles of combustion •    Cremation and the environment •    Incinerator design/criteria •    Basics of operation •    Instructional video •    Handling and exposure control •    And much more! A History of Success Past attendees have given the certification program high marks. Just listen to what some of them have to say: “I am thrilled that CANA is coming to our great state to offer this program to the crematory operators and funeral directors. This is a program that has tremendous value to educate all involved.” -    State Sen. Giles Ward, Louisville, Miss. “This program is such a valuable tool for those involved in the day-to-day operation of a crematory, regardless if you are the owner, manager or the operator. CANA covers all bases on providing the best education in cremation operations.”                             - Richard Fishman, Director, Dept. of State, Division of Cemeteries, New York “The training was invaluable to me, and I learned so very, very much. I thank CANA for conducting this program, and I wish you continued success.”     - Robert R. Loubeau, Director General at Maison Funeraire ET Crematorium in Port-au-Prince, Haiti “This program is excellent in all respects and should be considered a ‘must’ for every student of funeral service and the funeral practitioner as well. This program provides superb information regarding all aspects of cremation and its emerging role in funeral service today.”                                                               -  President John Braboy, Mid-America College of Funeral Service Sign Up Now, and Score a Great Deal! To attend just the Crematory Operators Certification Conference, CANA members pay $395 and mortuary college students pay just $200. Those who are not members of CANA can also attend and will be charged $495. But consider this: If you attend Kates-Boylston’s Funeral Service Business Plan Conference, you can score an even better deal on the Crematory Operators program. When you register for the two-day business plan conference organized by Kates-Boylston, everyone pays just $350 for the Crematory Operators program. It doesn’t matter if you are a member of CANA or not. Everyone gets the same reduced rate. And if you are a mortuary college student, you will still be entitled to attend for just $200. Visit www.katesboylston.com and click under the “just announced” headline to learn more about the workshop. Additional Details on Kates-Boylston’s Funeral Service Business Plan Conference The Funeral Service Business Plan conference will be Nov. 19-20, and it will also be at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. Attendees will enjoy a welcoming reception at Anderson-McQueen’s NE St. Pete location from 6 to 8 p.m., where they will learn winning strategies to bring service to the next level and find out ways to maximize profit from co-owners John and Bill McQueen. Speakers at the Funeral Service Business Plan Conference, which offers 12 CEUs, include: •    Alan Creedy, president of Trust 100, who will speak about the beginning of your strategic plan. •    John and Bill McQueen, co-owners of Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home, who will speak about developing a profitable model. •    Dan Isard, president of The Foresight Companies, who will speak about selling more preneed and furthering your strategic plan. •    Robin Heppell, owner of Heppell Funeral Solutions, who will teach you how to maximize profits through marketing. •    Dr. Edith Churchman, co-owner of the James E. Church Funeral Home, who will share best practices on how to hone your service model. •    Nectar Ramirez, general manager of Options by Batesville, who will focus on understanding cremation consumers. •    Dean Lambert, vice president of marketing for Homesteaders Life Co., will lead a panel discussing whether or not to guarantee preneed contracts. Those who register for the Funeral Service Business Plan Conference are entitled to an early bird discount if they sign up before Sept. 30, and subscribers to any Kates-Boylston publication are entitled to an even deeper discount!  Visit <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com/bizplan">http://www.katesboylston.com/bizplan</a> to learn more about the conference and register. Call 800-260-1545 for faster service and to reserve your seat now! Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnswothgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinace.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> funeral industrycemterians Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:36:24 GMT Body of Woman Who Died in 2004 Found in Shed http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000668#00000668 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000668.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Authorities are investigating a funeral home after the body of a woman who had been dead since 2004 was left in the abandoned facility. Forest Park funeral home said that the family of the dead woman could not pay for a funeral service or burial, and the director claims he moved the body each time the business relocated. The funeral home vacated the space last week, and the body was left in a shed behind the facility.   The woman was in a casket, and she was wearing a funeral dress. The landlord of the vacant building said, "I am very grateful she was found, now she can be laid to rest in a proper place." The funeral home director says he had a tough week because of an ill sister, and he had always helped the dead woman's family.      He said that they have never done anything about  the body. <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/funeral-industry-blog"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=funeral-industry-blog" alt=" " />funeral industry blog</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industrybodytexas Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:21:37 GMT NFDA Sponsors Mobile Museum of Funeral Customs http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000667#00000667 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000667.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) today announced its sponsorship of Reflections: The American Funeral, a mobile museum designed to educate and inspire both the public and funeral service professionals about American funeral customs and the caregivers who attend to those in mourning.   This historical perspective on funeral customs and traditions is spread throughout 1,000 square feet of thoughtful display areas, beginning with Native American burial mounds and ending with the diverse rituals practiced across the country today. Stories are brought to life through dynamic graphics, original artifacts and replicas, and multi-media at nearly a dozen exhibit stations, including: <ul> <li>The Abraham Lincoln exhibit, which features a reproduction of Lincoln’s casket and traces the slain president’s nearly three-week funeral procession. Scholars cite Lincoln’s 1865 funeral as the birth of modern funeral service.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>“Arlington National Cemetery,” which honors our country’s veterans and the more than three million Americans buried in our national cemeteries.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>“Glory, Glory Hallelujah” showcases President John F. Kennedy’s rider-less horse – empty boots reversed in the saddle – trotting briskly in his funeral procession, as well as civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda in our nation’s capital.</li> </ul>   Said NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, CAE, about the association’s sponsorship of Reflections: “Our support of Reflections provides a powerful platform for inspiring careers within funeral service, offers continuing education for funeral service professionals, and will enlighten the public on the valuable role that industry professionals play in helping the living both mourn and honor their loved ones.”   “We created this mobile experience to communicate the valuable role of funeral professionals and their commitment to the needs of families during times of sorrow,” said Harry Kurtz, president of MRA, a leading experiential event producer. “There are intriguing stories of funeral practices throughout the centuries; this exhibit educates people on those stories and enables them to connect to the universal human experience of death. The displays on Arlington and fallen public-safety officers move people to tears.”   Reflections: The American Funeral has been touring across the United States since summer 2008, stopping at state capitols, universities, veteran events, mortuary schools, funeral homes and industry conventions. During January’s presidential inauguration celebrations, both Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Md., hosted this mobile museum.   A visit to Reflections is approved for .1 (one hour) of continuing education credit by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and some state boards. Licensed funeral service professionals should check with their state licensing board beforehand regarding credit.   Please visit The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) today announced its sponsorship of Reflections: The American Funeral, a mobile museum designed to educate and inspire both the public and funeral service professionals about American funeral customs and the caregivers who attend to those in mourning.   This historical perspective on funeral customs and traditions is spread throughout 1,000 square feet of thoughtful display areas, beginning with Native American burial mounds and ending with the diverse rituals practiced across the country today. Stories are brought to life through dynamic graphics, original artifacts and replicas, and multi-media at nearly a dozen exhibit stations, including: ·         The Abraham Lincoln exhibit, which features a reproduction of Lincoln’s casket and traces the slain president’s nearly three-week funeral procession. Scholars cite Lincoln’s 1865 funeral as the birth of modern funeral service. ·         “Arlington National Cemetery,” which honors our country’s veterans and the more than three million Americans buried in our national cemeteries. ·         “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” showcases President John F. Kennedy’s rider-less horse – empty boots reversed in the saddle – trotting briskly in his funeral procession, as well as civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda in our nation’s capital.   Said NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, CAE, about the association’s sponsorship of Reflections: “Our support of Reflections provides a powerful platform for inspiring careers within funeral service, offers continuing education for funeral service professionals, and will enlighten the public on the valuable role that industry professionals play in helping the living both mourn and honor their loved ones.”   “We created this mobile experience to communicate the valuable role of funeral professionals and their commitment to the needs of families during times of sorrow,” said Harry Kurtz, president of MRA, a leading experiential event producer. “There are intriguing stories of funeral practices throughout the centuries; this exhibit educates people on those stories and enables them to connect to the universal human experience of death. The displays on Arlington and fallen public-safety officers move people to tears.”   Reflections: The American Funeral has been touring across the United States since summer 2008, stopping at state capitols, universities, veteran events, mortuary schools, funeral homes and industry conventions. During January’s presidential inauguration celebrations, both Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Md., hosted this mobile museum.   A visit to Reflections is approved for .1 (one hour) of continuing education credit by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and some state boards. Licensed funeral service professionals should check with their state licensing board beforehand regarding credit.   Please visit <a href="http://www.reflectionsaft.com">www.reflectionsaft.com</a> for more information, including photographs, video and a current schedule of upcoming events nationwide, including an appearance during NFDA’s International Convention & Expo in Boston, Mass., on October 25, 2009. for more information, including photographs, video and a current schedule of upcoming events nationwide, including an appearance during NFDA’s International Convention & Expo in Boston, Mass., on October 25, 2009. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> funeral industrynfdanational funeral directors association Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:21:51 GMT What is Happening With OGR? Why Are They Moving? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000666#00000666 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000666.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The following is a letter from OGR President Koven Brown that was emailed to me annoucing big changes that are taking place in their organization. I am not sure what all of this means for the membership of OGR so if you have any additional info please do share. Dear Friends: In my most recent messages I’ve noted that we all are experiencing an unstable business climate requiring us to use “every ounce of savvy management skill we possess to keep our businesses intact and competitive.” This is no less true of our professional organization. As is the case with our own businesses, OGR has had to face a number of economic challenges, some of which are the result of practices that have not kept pace with prevailing management trends and fiscal prudence.   For the past year, the Board has addressed significant challenges in re-directing the course of OGR to secure its future ability to <ul> <li>strategically reconstitute its mission and effectively respond to the needs of its members;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>restructure its internal operations toward accountability and contemporary management practices; and</li> </ul> <ul> <li>re-commit to exemplary leadership in the funeral services industry.</li> </ul> As part of this process, the Board secured the help of seasoned association professionals to evaluate and advise about our governance, functional operations, and member services. With that said, hard decisions have been made with a clear focus on re-creating OGR’s role of leadership for the future…and our work has only just begun!  The preliminary decisions that have been made toward OGR’s future include: 1.  Changes in staff management; 2.  Relocation of the OGR corporate office and restructure of staff functions; 3.  Re-evaluation of all programs and services; and, most important, 4.  Re-alignment of member values, mission and member criteria.   The first decision was made last fall and implemented in December with a new interim executive director, Dianne Hughes.  Planning for the office relocation and restructure is in process since the current lease will be up in the next few months. A full review was made of all positions, their functionality and impact on budget. Since a move to smaller and more efficient space is required, a new organization chart was outlined of staff functions that would be most appropriate to fulfill OGR’s program of work. These functions will be streamlined and our consensus was that a complete fresh start in a new community was best for OGR’s long-term future. The internal and staff reorganization of OGR will take place in Texas.   All of OGR’s programs and services are under evaluation for relevance, effectiveness, and value both in delivery and costs. Opportunities exist within the Golden Services Group for the benefit of the companies, OGR, and, most importantly, the members. Just as input form members will be sought for this process, so, too, will input from GSG suppliers.   I know that you may have many questions specific to the broad outline that I have provided here. Each of the OGR Board Members is available to visit with you about the new direction as well as Dianne Hughes. We are very excited about the new move and the incredible potential it offers OGR to better serve its members. With kind regards, Koven Brown President Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryogrorder of the golden rule Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:31:12 GMT Man Sells Dad's Ashes on Ebay http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000665#00000665 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000665.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A Warwickshire man is auctioning his dad's ashes on eBay - in revenge for abandoning him as a child. William Ireland, 50, of Atherstone, claims he was six when dad Ken left his mum to start a new life, reports The Sun. He later tracked him down and admitted: "I spent a lot of childhood pining for dad. "When I found him we started seeing each other then he died in 2006. I found out his estate was going to the woman he left my mother for and their son.   "I thought he might have made it up to me. Obviously he never cared." Mr Ireland got the ashes after paying for the funeral. His father's second wife and family are thought to want them back. The eBay ad reads: "Here are the ashes of my father, Kenneth Ireland, an adulterer who left a wife, two children and just £17 in her pocket. He never paid a penny towards his kids' upbringing." Source: <a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3368022.html?menu=">Ananova.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryfuneral newscremation ashes Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:26:01 GMT UK Teenager Opens Own Funeral Home http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000664#00000664 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000664.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Four Oaks teenager has become one of the youngest funeral directors in the country to set up his own business. Edward Cutler, 19, a former Arthur Terry student, says he 'spotted a gap in the market' and despite the recession, decided to set up his own business."This is something I have always wanted to do from a young age, it is a vocation," he said."I did work experience at the Co-op and worked there voluntarily in my holidays as a bearer. "When I got my drivers licence I applied for a job."   Just 18 months later Edward had moved up the ranks to become a senior funeral director, but already had his sights set on his own business. "I always had it in mind and now I am really pleased to see my name above the door and to be able to offer all the services as Cutlers," he said. With financial backing from his father, entrepreneur John Cutler, '<a href="http://www.cutlerfuneraldirectors.com/" target="_blank">Cutler Funeral Directors</a>' opened for trade on June 8 in refurbished premises on Little Sutton Road. He added: "We want the Cutler name to be associated with funerals in Sutton." Edward believes the current economic climate poses little risk to his fledgling business. He added: "People are always going to die and people will always put money away for their funeral, it's not an economic thing really." Members of the public are invited to meet the Cutler family and view the premises at 5 Little Sutton Road at an open day on Saturday, June 27 from 11am until 2pm. There will be a horse drawn funeral carriage on display and music provided by a bagpiper. Source: <a href="http://www.thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk/news/Oaks-teenager-sets-funeral-directors-business/article-1084515-detail/article.html">thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral directorcutler funeral directorsfuneral industry Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:44:22 GMT Amazon.com Really Does Have It All - MHP The Sandler All Wood Coffin Kit http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000662#00000662 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000662.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I was browsing through Amazon.com the other day when I landed on a page for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CHN4TO?ie=UTF8&tag=laptopbrideco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001CHN4TO" target="_blank">"The Sandler All Wood Coffin Kit"</a>. I know that Amazon is known for the place where you can buy anything you need online, but I didn't expect them to include caskets. I am not sure if this is something new, your if they have had these types of funeral products for a while. I know that many people are buying caskets from Cosco and some families even make their own (usually certain religious families we work with), but buying a coffin kit online? I thought is was kinda of weird and a little comical, especially when I started to read peoples comments.   Product Description - The Sandler All Wood Coffin Kit This Casket Kit is designed for those that wish to use a solid wood casket. No metal is used in the construction or assembly of this kit. Perfect for many faiths with a NO METAL requirement, this solid pine coffin kit has an assembly time of 30 minutes with only a hammer and wood glue required for assembly. Each piece slides into the next, interlocking and creating a sturdy and handsome finished casket. Although we implore the use of wood glue in all of the joints, product testing without glue resulted in a surprisingly strong casket supporting a load of over 200lbs. Included in this kit are all necessary wood panels pre-cut and pre-sanded, rope handles, and a detailed instruction sheet. Most Helpful Customer Reviews Best Coffin I've Ever Tried - By "ThatAngeryKid" Dan: So, being dead for the last 100 years, lets just say I've had my fair share of chances to try out the latest and greatest in coffin technology. I've easily spent ten times this much on a coffin that ended up being not even half as comfortable. I may be dead, but that doesn't mean I can't be picky about the conditions in which I lay. I find this all wood coffin kit is really classy and yet understated. Occasionally, this bad boy gets me some hot looks from the dead chicks who see me laying in it. Also, being that the world is now in a "Green" kick, I find that using sustainable materials such as the wood used in this coffin is more "with the times". This coffin is like the Prius of coffins, sans the smug. So, I gave this coffin 5 stars, and to all of my deceased homies, would highly recommend giving it a shot. It might be a bit tough to assemble yourself when your hands rotted away almost a century ago, but it's not that bad. There are plenty of other coffins I wouldn't be caught dead in, but this one more than does the trick. I wouldn't give this coffin up over my dead body. Perfect family project for when the in-laws visit! - By Kristena My in-laws are visiting soon, and they told me this might be their last visit since they're getting up in years. When I saw this on the Friday Sale, I thought, "What the heck! This might make a nice final family project!". I have two on the way now, and since I'm an avid woodworker, I look forward to putting some extra special touches on the coffin. I think they'll be impressed, and if nothing else, surprised at my thoughtfulness. What's better than homemade birthday cake? How about a homemade coffin? A Birthday Gift from my Husband - By M. Delaney I received this coffin as a gift for my birthday. Very well made. Few if any knots in the wood which would weaken the planks. My husband did warn me to drop a few pounds or there may be a problem when the pallbearers lifted the casket. I was a little confused as to why this would matter now since I am not planning on using it in the near future. My husband gave a unintelligible response. The surface decoupages well and can be finished in a color of your choice. For Other Products on Amazon By <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s.html?ie=UTF8&node=3760931&brand=Casket%20Furniture" target="_blank">Casket Furniture</a> Follow The Link Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> coffin kitwood coffinfuneral produstsfuneral industry Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:14:52 GMT Apex Casket Announces Inspiration Casket http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000661#00000661 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000661.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Apex Casket is pleased to announce our Inspiration Casket (H-CS38) From our Presidential line. The Inspiration casket is a solid Elmwood that is hand rubbed with a high gloss finish, with bronze hardware. This casket gives our funeral homes, a luxurious casket offering at a price that is affordable for even the most budget minded family. These caskets feature a light champagne velvet with a tailored interior and a sun ray panel. This makes it suitable for both male and female alike. Apex continues its commitment to quality and innovation, with a very affordable price on all our caskets. The price of the Inspiration casket to the funeral home is $1720. Standard delivery included anywhere in the continental US for $100-200 on average. In addition to the Inspiration casket Apex continues to bring a full line of affordable quality caskets, both traditional and innovative, to our funeral directors. We have a continued commitment to provide the funeral industry with quality products in conjunction with competitive pricing. Watch for more new product releases in the coming weeks. To see Apex’s entire product line, go to <a href="http://www.apexcasket.com">www.apexcasket.com</a> . Email any questions to <a href="mailto:sales@apexcasket.com">sales@apexcasket.com</a> . You can also call to request a catalog at 1-888-680-6800 Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:23:09 GMT EternalSpace.com, What Led To The Crumble Of The First Virtual Graveside? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000660#00000660 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000660.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The termination of EternalSpace.com came as a surprise to merely everyone in the industry, one day there supposedly going strong, the next day the homepage is now an obit notice stating “This site is no longer operational. In the event at such time that it does become operational, a notice will be posted supplying further information. We regret if anyone has been inconvenienced. For any further information, please contact your local participating funeral home”. There have been a numerous amount of articles posted on industry blogs asking the same question “What happened to ES?” The following post will layout what I know about the situation and what I think led to the ultimate decision to shut down the site and company.   There is a documentary I watched a few years ago and recently downloaded from iTunes that runs a very similar line to the building and crumbling of ES. The documentary is titled “Startup.com” and it follows the rise and fall of an Internet start up.  The company in the documentary, GovWorks, blows through of 50 million in funding (hiring to many people; web designers, coders, big office space, ect) and launches a product (website), that is full of bugs and doesn’t function properly, the end result is the company folding just 6 months after launch.  Very similar to what has happened with ES. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>ES debuted in the industry last October when they exhibited at the NFDA convention in Orlando. If you remember I posted an article after the convention giving my review of the company.  I will be honest, even though they didn’t have a working site (product) at the convention; I bought into their idea and concept, as did many funeral directors.  The problem was they spent tons of cash on a 20’ x 40’ booth space simply to tell the industry how great there non-existing product was.  I personally do not think it was premature for them to exhibit even though their product was not complete; they did have a very impressive demo video for attendees to watch. The problem lied in the fact that they went over board with the booth to the point that I think some funeral directors were turned off by the flashiness. Though I don’t know the exact amount of cash they spent, it was plain to see that they had plenty and they spent plenty. Shortly after the convention the company grow to over 40 people, but still did not have a finished product and they weren’t creating any revenue.   Also, shortly after the convention I received the invitation to be on the ES advisory board, which I excitedly accepted. My acceptance of the offer lead to many phone and email consultations. I believe the company made the right decision when they decided to sell their product strictly through the funeral director. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>In April of this year ES officially launched their product at the ICCFA convention in Las Vegas. Their launch was well received by the industry and they began to sign up their first round of funeral homes.  This is when things began to unravel. After such a big hype at NFDA and a very hyped official launch at ICCFA, I believe ES expected their product to catch on like wild fire.  But when it didn’t they panicked. My though is how do you know if something is catching on after only 30 days? I explained to the management team a hundred times that the funeral industry is very slow moving and it takes time for the industry to embrace new technology. Once the product didn’t produce the immediate revenue they were hoping (through the option of virtual gifting by families who purchased the product),  and they had many complaints of the software not performing like it should many questions began to rise from the investor(s). Since I have signed a non-disclosure document with ES I cannot go into detail; but I believe they were concerned about the complexity of the product and the ability of the funeral director to sell the product and share the idea of tribute gifts with families.  I also believe with these questions came the though of changing their marketing strategy. ES didn’t seem to have a plan B ready in the event that the product didn’t immediately start to show returns on the tons of cash that was dumped into it. All of this seemed to lead to the investors cutting there loses and forcing the company to shut down. The following quote comes from the LinkedIn profile of ES President and GM, Jay Goss “Company was abruptly shut down by the principal owner as it was transitioning from R&D phase to commercial enterprise.” <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Many think that the product was to advanced for the industry. I don’t. I think the product was a year or two ahead of its time but I think now was the right time to introduce it. If they would have ran the company like a small startup, not burned through tons of cash and kept costs low, I believe they would have been able to stick around for awhile and hold the hands  of funeral directors to walk them through such an amazing product. I am sad to see the company faultier so quickly. I believe a product like this could have helped the funeral industry embrace virtual technology and open the doors for a new kind of grieving. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:05:16 GMT Bag Of Human Organs Leads To Arrest Of Funeral Director http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000659#00000659 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000659.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A funeral director in Haines City was arrested and charged Monday after officers say he dumped raw human waste for commercial purposes. Claude Edward Holmes, Jr., 47, was arrested after a bag containing human organs was found by a maintenance worker at the Oakland Cemetery on North 10th Street. Eyewitness News learned that a Polk County maintenance crew member found the bag buried between two grave vaults while working at the cemetery and attempted to pick the bag up, but could not because it was too heavy. He alerted a supervisor who then helped pull the bag from the ground. After pulling the bag from the ground, they found a trash bag containing a body bag and a bio-hazard bag. The workers told officers the bags had a strong odor of decomposition. Eyewitness News attempted to talk to someone at the funeral home and a woman who answered the door said she had no comment. "We're not taking any interviews at the time. I do apologize," she said. One customer, however, did talk to Eyewitness News."Did they explain why they would do something like this?" WFTV reporter Daralene Jones asked."I did have a chance to talk with her and they did call us and we did talk with them. I have confidence in the funeral the home I don't like to kick anyone when they're down," funeral home customer Patricia Baker said."What explanation did they give?" Jones asked."I'd really rather not say. This is a hard time for me already in the loss of my mother Saturday," she replied. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Investigators said Holmes tried to blame one of his employees for the crime. The bio-hazard bag contained internal organs as the result of an autopsy. Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives determined the remains were that of Robert Donaldson, who died June 7, 2009. In a twist, Donaldson was not buried at Oakland Cemetery, but at a cemetery in Lake Wales. Detectives met with Holmes at his place of business where he admitted to burying the remains. He also admitted to dumping remains at the Oakland Cemetery approximately ten to15 times since 2000. Holmes has an extensive criminal arrest history dating from 1989 to 2008. Arrest charges include fraud, possession of cocaine and marijuana, traffic charges, battery-domestic violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, failure to pay child support, failure to appear, violation of probation and failing to register as a felon. He's currently on probation for resisting arrest without violence. Claude Holmes was given no bond on the violation of probation charge. A judge, however, set a $2,500 bond on the resisting without violence charge and another $2,500 on the dumping raw human waste for commercial purposes charge. Holmes remains in jail with no bond and faces up to 7 years in prison for each count of improperly disposing of raw human remains. Source: <a href="http://www.wftv.com/news/19766421/detail.html">wftv.com</a> Channel 9 Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryinvestigationdumping human remains Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:08:29 GMT Hearse Key Undertaker Avoids Jail http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000658#00000658 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000658.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> An undertaker who stole the keys to a rival's hearse, leaving it stranded with a body inside, has been given a six-month suspended sentence. David Wood took the keys from the Rolls Royce while mourners gathered for the funeral service in Middlesbrough. Funeral director Joel Kerr had to hotwire the car so Patricia Thorburn's coffin could be taken to the cemetery.   Wood, 48, who admitted theft, believed Mr Kerr's firm had been poaching his customers, Teesside Crown Court heard.  The court was told how he stole the keys while the car was parked outside the town's Salvation Army citadel on 23 September last year. As friends and family waited for the service, a queue of mourners for the next funeral formed outside. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Another firm of undertakers offered a replacement car, but Mrs Thorburn had wanted her final journey to the cemetery to be in the vintage Phantom VI Rolls Royce. The stranded vehicle was too heavy to push and Mr Kerr was forced to rip out the dashboard and hot-wire the engine. Costly repairs were needed to the car, and the keys which Wood threw away as he fled, have never been found. Recorder James Goss QC said: "One thing as supposedly civilised human beings we hope to expect is that when death occurs it will be treated with respect. "Sadly you treated the death in this case and the funeral that was taking place with disrespect." The court was told that Wood has since admitted his behaviour had been "stupid, pathetic and childish". Peter Makepeace, defending, said there had also been a serious effect on his business since the case was reported. He said: "I express on Mr Wood's behalf his profound apology to Mr Kerr and to his staff, and even more particularly to the family of the deceased." In addition to the suspended sentence, Wood, of Bridge Court, Middlesbrough, was ordered to pay £250 costs. Source: BBC (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tees/8097245.stm">Click Here to View the Video News Story</a>) Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> hearse stolenfuneral directorfuneral industry Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:23:50 GMT The Association of Women Funeral Directors Seeks Advisory Board Members http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000657#00000657 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000657.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The newly-formed association is looking for women who want to share their expertise, energy and insights to strengthen the presence of women in funeral service. The AWFD Advisory Board consists of 5 AWFD members. It provides counsel, advice, contacts, professional skills and experience. The goal is to have 3 licensed professionals and 2 mortuary college students or apprentices working in the field.   The most recent appointee is Kristan McNames, of Grace Funeral and Cremation Services, in Rockford, Illinois. “We’re delighted to have Kristan join us in leading the AWFD. She has a unique vision for her firm, is an advocate for a more modern approach to funeral service.” Board membership is designed to work with the often hectic schedules of funeral professionals. “We meet via conference call six times per year, or when an issue needs to be addressed. All appointments are for one year,” shared Kim Stacey, AWFD founder, “but we’re keenly aware of the stressful nature of their day-to-day service to families in their communities. It is not our intention to add to their stress level in any way – so we keep Board activities to a minimum.” If you’d like to be a leader within AWFD, you may apply for Advisory Board membership by completing the online application found on the Web site, <a href="http://www.wfdconnect.com">http://www.wfdconnect.com</a>. You will find a link to the application on the Home page of the site. Once completed, the content of your application will be submitted directly to the CEO for review. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:17:52 GMT A Special Offer for the Readers of ConnectingDirectors.com http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000656#00000656 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000656.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Kates-Boylston Publications is pleased to announce a special offer for the readers of ConnectingDirectors.com: When you subscribe to Funeral Service Insider, you can receive a free copy of “The Funeral Director’s Economic Survival Guide,” a $75 value. The book is a comprehensive guide on how to cut costs and boost revenue. It includes articles by Dan Isard, founder and president of The Foresight Companies, Mayra Ruiz-McPherson with Ruiz McPherson Communications, Thomas Parmalee, executive editor of Kates-Boylston Publications and others.   Whether it is information on how to make savvy moves on payroll and benefits, save on utilities, trim building and grounds costs, or boost preneed sales and margin on cremations, the Survival Guide serves as your go-to resource. The book gets you started, but then you need a continuing, reliable source of news, guidance, analysis and bread-and-butter tactics. And that’s where Funeral Service Insider comes in. With Funeral Service Insider, you’ll receive 48 issues per year, and you’ll also get: <ul> <li>FSI’s Annual Casket Survey Special Report: Our award-winning resource, packed with statistics and strategies to help you win bigger discounts.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>FSI’s Annual Compensation Report: The nation’s most trusted source of benchmarks on salaries, bonuses and more for your licensed staff.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>FSI Online: Provide your e-mail address and in addition to your mailed issues, you’ll receive the newsletter via e-mail, at least 3 days in advance of your mailed copy! And if you prefer, you can choose to only receive your issue electronically to save the environment.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Funeral Watch: By subscribing, you’ll get access to our exclusive discussion board where you can chat with fellow professionals who are dealing with the same problems you are.</li> </ul> •    Special Offers: By subscribing, you’ll be the first to learn about new products, and you’ll receive special offers to attend our conferences and webinars. To take advantage of this special offer, visit <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com/fsi">www.katesboylston.com/fsi</a> and click at the link on the top of the page under “Survival Guide Special.” You can also view a sample issue of Funeral Service Insider by visiting the link. Or you can call 800-500-4585, select Option 1 and mention Offer Code FSI09005 when you subscribe to Funeral Service Insider to make sure your order is processed as soon as possible. Visit <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com/surviva">www.katesboylston.com/surviva</a>l to learn more about the Survival Guide, which will be yours FREE with your subscription to Funeral Service Insider. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> special offerfuneral service insiderthomas parmalee Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:08:55 GMT EternalSpace.com Folds After 30 Days? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000655#00000655 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000655.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> It is official, there is no more <a href="http://www.eternalspace.com">EternalSpace</a>. If you are wondering who EternalSpace is, they are the start-up company who blew through millions of dollars to launch a online memorial/virtual graveside site that was open for business for 30 days before investors pulled the plug. I received a call from the company's Vice President last week explaining the situation.   I will post in detail their situation in an upcoming blog post. But the short of it is that, even with fair warning, the investors and leaders of the company couldn't grasp the fact that the funeral industry is much slower to accept new product and introduce that product into the arrangement room or to client families than other industries. So, like anyone who expects outragous returns on millions of dollars they invest, the investors freaked out and cut off funding when the product didn't spread like wild fire through the industry right away. I mean the thousands of dollars they spent on ads in the publications just came out last week. Thats the short version, but I think you grasp the problem and the end result. I am sad that this is the way things ended. They had such an amazing product and idea. I was on there band wagon and was a total believe that they had a product that would help change the face of our industry if only they had given it time. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> eternalspacefuneral industry Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:07:51 GMT Families Still Await Death Certificates for Bodies Left Behind http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000654#00000654 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000654.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The Lake County coroner says he’s working with health departments in Gary, East Chicago and Lake County to issue valid death certificates on the four people whose bodies were left behind at a defunct funeral home. Coroner David Patrick said at least four families didn’t receive death certificates for loved ones whose arrangement were handled by the former Serenity Gardens Funeral Home. The missing paperwork has preventing them from settling estates and life insurance claims.   “It’s going to be a difficult process,” Pastrick told the Post Tribune of Merrillville for a story. Hospital records, police reports, records from cemeteries and even newspaper obituaries could be used in issuing the death certificates. “If John Smith walks in and says his wife passed away on such-and-such a date, we can’t just hand out a death certificate. We need to be very sure of what we’re doing,” Pastrick said. The curious case began nearly three weeks ago after members of Northlake Church of Christ viewed the former funeral home they had purchased at a tax sale and found occupied caskets and body bags. Pastrick’s staff finished identifying the remains — those of one man and three women — on June 3. Authorities have said the bodies are believed to have been at the funeral home since 2006. Authorities also have found the cremated remains of seven other people there. Darryl Cammack, who operated the funeral business until 2006, has his funeral license revoked in 2006 after clients complained that he forged signatures, failed to deliver death certificates and in one case took more than a year to deliver cremated remains. Cammack has said he let another funeral director use the facility after his license was revoked. Local authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the matter. Source: <a href="http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090614/NEWS06/90614030/1002/NEWS01/Families-still-await-death-certificates-for-bodies-left-behind">Starpress.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinace.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> Please visit FarnsWorth Gowns at the PFDA Convention Booth # <div id="article-pagination" style="display: none;"> <div id="saxo-right-pagination"><a onclick="GDN.Cookies.Session.SetValue('GPvalue',saxoNextPage);" href="http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090614/NEWS06/90614030/1002/NEWS01/Families-still-await-death-certificates-for-bodies-left-behind">Next Page<img title="Next" src="http://www.thestarpress.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/palette17/carousel_next.gif" alt="Next" align="top" /></a></div> <div id="article-pagination-list">undefined</div> <div id="saxo-left-pagination"><a onclick="GDN.Cookies.Session.SetValue('GPvalue',saxoPreviousPage);" href="http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090614/NEWS06/90614030/1002/NEWS01/Families-still-await-death-certificates-for-bodies-left-behind"><img title="Previous" src="http://www.thestarpress.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/palette17/carousel_back.gif" alt="Previous" align="top" />Previous Page</a></div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"></script>   <script type="text/javascript"></script> death certifiactefamilieswaitfuneral industry Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:49:22 GMT Families Shocked After Seeing 'Dump' At Cemetery http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000653#00000653 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000653.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Becky Cone is shocked and saddened. A staff member directed her to a back corner of Riverside Memorial Park to search for mementos that once adorned her daughter's grave site. "Her daughter put out some praying hands and they were gone. The marker was gone. It's not like I put it out there one day and the next day they took it. It's been there like four years," Cone told First Coast News' Erich Spivey.   Riverside Memorial Park gathered all the items and put them in a back corner; families call it a dump. Trinkets, memories and photos are scattered for family members to pick through. "I'm sitting here trying to find a replica of my daughter. Something that symbolized something from me to her. And I was digging in garbage for it," Cone says. The funeral home declined to talk on camera, referring us to a spokesperson in <a class="iAs" style="border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important; background-image: none; padding-top: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-left: 0pt;" href="http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=139158&catid=3" target="_blank">Texas</a>. She told us that each quarter, workers clear all the items from the grave sites, mark them and allow the families to pick it up for 30 days. But the families we talked to say that's not happening and they're shocked by the results. Mary Cohick says, "If I could dig my husband up and bury him in my backyard, I would. ... If something isn't done I will have my whole family up here picketing. There's no respect." A sign warns lot owners only floral arrangements are allowed. But families say that rule hasn't been enforced for years. Jennie Roberts of Service Corporation International, the owner of the cemetery, wrote in response to questions, "Certain grave decorations may present safety hazards to our grounds workers who operate mowers. ... Our cemetery requires us to maintain consistent standards of appearance." <object width="320" height="305" data="http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-wtlv-3319-pub01-live/current/articleplayer/singleclip/client/embedded/embedded.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> <param name="id" value="embeddedplayer" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="scale" value="noscale" /> <param name="salign" value="LT" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /> <param name="wmode" value="window" /> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerId=articleplayer&referralObject=1140028743&referralPlaylistId=playlist&adServerBasePath=http://gannett.gcion.com/adrawdata/.0/5111.1/277623/0/0/header=yes;cc=2;cookie=info;alias=&adPositionId=video_prestream&adSiteId=video.firstcoastnews.com/&gpaperCode=gntbcstwtlv&marketName=Jacksonville, FL&division=broadcast&pageContentCategory=video&pageContentSubcategory=articleplayer" /> <param name="src" value="http://gannett.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/gannett-wtlv-3319-pub01-live/current/articleplayer/singleclip/client/embedded/embedded.swf" /> <param name="name" value="articleplayer" /> <param name="flashvars" value="playerId=articleplayer&referralObject=1140028743&referralPlaylistId=playlist&adServerBasePath=http://gannett.gcion.com/adrawdata/.0/5111.1/277623/0/0/header=yes;cc=2;cookie=info;alias=&adPositionId=video_prestream&adSiteId=video.firstcoastnews.com/&gpaperCode=gntbcstwtlv&marketName=Jacksonville, FL&division=broadcast&pageContentCategory=video&pageContentSubcategory=articleplayer" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> </object> Source: <a href="http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=139158&catid=3">First Coast News</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral investigationscifuneral industry Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:35:47 GMT Troubled Allendale, SC Funeral Home Owner Speaks http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000652#00000652 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000652.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The owner of a troubled Allendale funeral home is speaking out after losing his business license. The South Carolina Funeral Service Board says someone at the funeral home severed the legs of a 6-foot-7 man so his body would fit into his casket. The doors to cave funeral home are still open even after the South Carolina funeral board revoked the director’s license. The decision was reached after a hearing in Columbia on Monday. Officials say the funeral home mishandled the body of Minister James Hines back in 2004. The owner says he’s innocent.   Charlie Cave, Owner: “The writings got to come. The record will speak for itself. I have nothing to hide.” According to a spokesman for the South Carolina Funeral Service Board, someone at the funeral apparently cut off Minister Hines’ legs in order for him to fit into his casket. Cave says he’s not closing his business until he gets a letter. Charlie Cave: “The real, real reality is coming to come forth it will come forth in writing.” We talked to Minister Hines’, wife back in April, about these allegations. She says she made sure the right casket was selected. Hines was exhumed, earlier this year, after his family heard from a former Cave employee, who first made the claims about the minister’s legs. Despite Monday’s decision, Cave tells us the truth will come out sooner or later. Charlie Cave: “I’m not worried about a thing.” Some in the community are backing him…for now. Benjamin Adams: “He did a lot of people favors when it came times not having the money to perform the service that he provides that we worked with them.” The funeral board spokesman says they are currently working on the final order to determine whether or not caves license will be pulled for good. The funeral board also fined Cave $500, and is making him pay another $1,500 for the investigation. Source: <a href="http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/state_regional/south_carolina/article/troubled_funeral_home_owner_speaks/14118/">WJBF News Channel 6</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral investigationfuneral industrycave funeral home Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:24:57 GMT Bumper Stickers To Die For http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000650#00000650 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000650.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I received this in an email the other night. I found some good laughs and thought I would share, so enjoy!! Warning: If you are easily offended, do not read the following: Bumper Stickers to Die For is a company that carries a growing line of cleverly worded casket stickers, custom-created by two Los Angeles-based comedy writers. Featuring pithy phrases such as "Got Dirt?" to "I left it all to the cat" to "Don't forget to water my plants" and more, Bumper Stickers to Die For is for those who look at death with a slightly offbeat sense of humor.   To shop, visit our Cafepress store at <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/bs2die4">http://www.cafepress.com/bs2die4</a> For news, visit our blog at <a href="http://bs2die4.blogspot.com">http://bs2die4.blogspot.com</a>. Bumper Stickers to Die For.Your last chance to have the final word. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> bumper stickersdie forfuneral industry Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:31:44 GMT The Academy at The Outlook Group Offers NFDA Members Significant Savings on Preneed Training http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000649#00000649 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000649.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> To help National Funeral Director Association (NFDA) members enhance their skills and better serve families who want to plan for funeral service in advance of need, The Academy at the Outlook Group, Inc., announced that it will offer an exclusive savings of $475 to NFDA members who enroll in their Advance Funeral Planning consultative sales course. This interactive four-day training course focuses on selling with integrity, teaching effective techniques for working with the new generation of preneed consumers. It will be held in Franklin, Ohio, July 21-24, 2009, and January 19-22, 2010. The discounted course fee for NFDA members of $1,295 (regularly priced at $1,770) includes tuition, materials, four-nights’ lodging at the Hampton Inn & Suites, and daily lunch.   In making the announcement, The Outlook Group, Inc., founder, CEO and President Charles W. Anderson said, “Funeral directors now, more than ever, need to separate themselves from their competition and we want to help give them that advantage.” Anderson added, “The Outlook Group, Inc.’s, most important goal is to assist in continuous improvement of the preneed services funeral directors currently provide to families, while identifying new and cost-saving approaches for the future.”   NFDA member Julie Kaiser of Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service in Columbus, Ohio, recently attended the Advance Funeral Planning course and said she’s “never attended better and can’t say enough wonderful things about The Academy!”   NFDA CEO Christine Pepper said: “Gaining more knowledge in the area of preneed is an advantage to all funeral directors. We are pleased to announce that NFDA members have an opportunity to receive such significant savings on exceptional preneed training.”   NFDA members interested in attending the Advance Funeral Planning course should contact Temeika Love at The Outlook Group, Inc., by calling 800-331-6270.   The Outlook Group, Inc., is a national leader in the preneed sales and marketing field and has earned the trust of funeral directors for more than 24 years. Founded in 1985 by Ohio funeral home owner and industry entrepreneur Charles W. Anderson, The Outlook Group, Inc., has been in the business of consistently and effectively providing funeral home owners unique and creative funeral service solutions to everyday business problems. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryfuneral newsnfdaoutlook group Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:13:58 GMT Operation Repo - THE HEARSE http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000648#00000648 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000648.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> As I was browsing my friends "tweets" on Twitter last night, I saw a link to the following YouTube video. The poster of this "tweet" is fellow <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com">ConnectingDirectors.com</a> members Bryan Chandler (<a href="http://twitter.com/chandlerfh">@chandlerFH</a> for you Twitter fans)! The video is a clip from the popular TruTV show "Operation Repo". In this clip the car being repoed just happens to be a hearse!! Here is a description of the clip: Matt and Luis go on a weird job: they go to repo a hearse. But the job gets even weirder when the owner tells them they can't take the hearse because it's "occupied." You have to watch this....     <object width="425" height="344" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/bYobKMBRPx0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bYobKMBRPx0&hl=en&fs=1&" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> </object> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryheasreoperation repo Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:31:57 GMT Associate Publisher of Kates-Boylston Publications Named to IMSA Board http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000647#00000647 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000647.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Kates-Boylston Publications is proud to announce that Associate Publisher Anthony Kaniuk has been named to the board of the International Memorialization Supply Association at its annual meeting in April. IMSA is an organization of companies that supplies quality products and services to cemeteries throughout the country and the world. The association’s primary responsibility is coordinating supplier activities at trade shows. It works with association staffs to ensure that all suppliers have the best opportunity to present their products and services to customers.   “I am thrilled to be a member of the IMSA board, where I’ll be able to enhance my ability to even better serve clients that advertise in our magazines and reference books,” Kaniuk, who has served as associate publisher for five years, said. “This is a great honor, and I’m looking forward to continuing my service to the profession.” In addition to Kaniuk, the following people were added to the board: Dave Hepburn of States West Cemetery Services; and incumbents Stanley Scruggs of Cemetery Funeral Supply and Al Starky of Ingram Construction Co. were elected to an additional term. Fred Miller of Memorial Business Systems was elected as 2nd Vice President, and Gary Forston of Forston & Associates will be the new secretary/treasurer. Lynn Illig and Tim Hentges will remain as president and 1st vice president. Kates-Boylston Publications publishes American Funeral Director and American Cemetery magazines as well as Funeral Service Insider and the American Blue Book of Funeral Service. The company has been helping funeral professionals succeed and serve since 1877. Visit <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com">www.katesboylston.com</a> for more information.   Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industry newsfuneral industry Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:34:34 GMT Funeral Director Loses License for Cutting Corpse http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000646#00000646 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000646.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The South Carolina funeral board has revoked the licenses of a funeral home and its director for cutting the legs of a 6-foot-7 man so his corpse would fit in a casket, the Associated Press reports. State licensing spokesman Jim Knight says the Board of Funeral Service also fined Michael Cave, of Cave Funeral Services in Allendale, $500 and ordered him to pay $1,500 for the investigation. Cave did not immediately return messages left at his home and business Tuesday by the AP. Ever since preacher and funk musician James Hines died in 2004, his family had wondered how his 6-foot-7, 300-pound body fit into the standard-sized casket they picked out. At the funeral, only the top half of the lid was open, showing Hines from the chest up. After years for rumors, authorities exhumed Hines' body in April and found, according to his widow, that his legs had been cut off between the ankle and calf. "It's just like pulling the scab off an old sore. I was kind of like smoothing things out. But now it's like starting all over again," Ann Hines told the AP in April, two days after investigators pulled the casket from the ground, lifted the lid, photographed the contents and returned it to the earth. Source: <a href="http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/06/funeral-director-loses-license-for-cutting-corpse.html">USA Today</a> (Family photo of James and Ann Hines via AP) Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industrycorpsechopped corpse Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:39:32 GMT Guest Post: Funeral Advertising for the Perplexed http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000645#00000645 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000645.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> It’s an odd fact that the worst advertisers are ad agencies.  I know that from nearly 30 years working in ad agencies myself.  I guess it’s like the old expression that the shoemaker’s children are always shoeless.  So why this curious – one might say disingenuous – phenomenon? It’s because ad agencies suffer from the same problem most other advertisers face:  you can’t easily turn your own eyeballs inward.  You can’t be a fair judge of your own marketing and messaging.  For ad professionals, who are hypercritical of all advertising, this can be simply paralyzing.  When I had my own agency, I recognized this problem and did the only right thing I could – I hired an outside team to help us.  It was obvious to me that we couldn’t get there on our own.  We were just too damn close to our own product. And that’s the way it is with just about any business, and in particular, funeral homes and cemeteries, for whom tradition is sometimes a value, but in this case is a yoke. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>What they and just about every other marketer lack is, in a word, objectivity.  They’re not going to admit to themselves that people don’t like advertising, and people really, really don’t like funeral advertising. (Hey, no mother is going to admit that her kid is ugly!)   So they do advertising and marketing that feels good to them, or the kind that the funeral industry has always done so it won’t offend anyone.  In other words, the kind of marketing that’s rewarded with indifference, or worse, avoidance. The savvy marketer, at this point, realizes that the company needs professional help…from someone who not only has the talent and skills to create strong advertising, but also brings the objectivity that reflects the audience, not the advertiser. The objective viewpoint will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, or what everybody in the company feels most comfortable with.  An outside professional can bring that objectivity to your marketing and make sure it resonates with the public, perhaps even to the discomfort of some of your staff.  You actually want disruption because nobody ever pays attention to “same old.” <a href="http://funeraladvertising.wordpress.com/">Click Here For The Rest of The Article</a> Source: <a href="http://funeraladvertising.wordpress.com/">Funeral Advertising for The Perplexed, Blog by: Dan Katz</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industry advertisingfuneral industry Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:29:29 GMT TSA “Known Shipper” Web Seminar Now Available on NFDA Website http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000644#00000644 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000644.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> More than 370 funeral directors tuned into a Web seminar hosted by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) on May 19 about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) “known shipper” regulations. Funeral professionals who were unable to take part in NFDA’s “Navigating the New TSA Requirements” Web seminar, and would like to ensure their firm is in compliance with the strict enforcement of the “known shipper” policy, can visit the NFDA Website at <a href="http://www.nfda.org/tsainfo">www.nfda.org/tsainfo</a> to download the Web seminar at no cost (no continuing education credit will be provided).   According to a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policy, beginning July 1, 2009, all human remains shipments originating in the U.S. or its territories must be tendered by a “known shipper.” This policy will apply to all airlines accepting human remains for transport and requires funeral homes to register as a “known shipper” for each airline they use to ship bodies. That process might require an application, inspection and payment of an inspection fee.   Hosted by Edward Kelly, cargo general manager with TSA; David Brooks, president of American Airlines’ Cargo Division; and John Fitch, NFDA’s senior vice president of Advocacy, the Web seminar provided participants with: <ul> <li>The latest information about the revised TSA “known shipper” regulations.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>An understanding of how strict enforcement will impact their business.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Ways to register as a “known shipper.”</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The steps needed to take in order to remain in compliance as of July 1, 2009.</li> </ul>   Funeral professionals who have questions about downloading and viewing the Web seminar, or have questions about the “known shipper” regulations, should contact NFDA at 800-228-6332. Source: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> nfdaknow shipperfuneral industry Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:15:10 GMT Remains of 5th Person Found at Gary Funeral Home http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000643#00000643 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000643.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Lake County officials say the remains of a fifth person have been found at a Gary funeral home that closed three years ago. Authorities could not immediately determine whether the cremated remains found Thursday at the Serenity Gardens Funeral Home are related to four bodies found there earlier in the week or whether they might have been left from a previous owner of the funeral home. “It could have been unclaimed from a while back,” said Tom Branson, chief investigator with the Lake County coroner’s office.   Investigators, searching for records that might provide clues to the identities of the four bodies found at the funeral home, discovered the box of human ashes Thursday. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said the cremated remains were in a box in a dark, moldy back room. Investigators are hoping the former director of the funeral home, Darryl Cammack, will provide documents that might help authorities determine the identity of the remains found after a church bought the property in a tax sale. Cammack said in a telephone interview May 27 that he didn’t believe the bodies were left from when he ran the funeral home. He said he let another funeral director use the facility after his license was revoked in 2006, although state officials say they have no record of that. The Associated Press left a message seeking further comment on Cammack’s cell phone Friday. Source: <a href="http://www.ap.com">AP</a> (<a href="http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=68412">via Indiana Daily Student</a>) Sponsors: <a href="http://www.fuuneralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.coom"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryfuneral newsfuneral remains Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:15:36 GMT Funeral Industry Gears Up For Boomers’ Final Economic Impact http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000642#00000642 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000642.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> As the baby boom gets a little closer to the end of the generation, the funeral services industry is shifting to cheaper and more personalized services. The U.S. Census Bureau projects the annual number of deaths in the United States will rise from 2.6 million next year to 3 million in 2024 — and 4 million in 2043. “We hear the tidal wave is coming,” said Chris Meyer, owner of Lind Brothers Mortuary in Carmichael. “We’ve known the (baby boomer trend) has been coming for some time, so the industry has been gearing up for that to happen,” said Bob Rosson, a Mississippi funeral home operator and an executive board member of the National Funeral Directors Association. “We’ll be able to handle it.”   But the industry first has to survive the current death trough. The number of deaths in the United States declined by 0.9 percent from 2005 to 2006, in part because of a mild flu season, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Health care advances have led to record-high life expectancies and lower annual death rates for a range of diseases, including stroke, heart disease and diabetes. “We have actually felt a lighter case load,” Meyer said. “I think some of the bigger funeral homes have felt a precipitous drop off.” Baby boomers might live longer than their parents, but sooner or later they’ve got to go. Those who want traditional burials should prepare for rising prices. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>The median cost of a funeral in the United States was $6,196 in 2006, according to a National Funeral Directors Association survey released last year. That price, which includes a $2,255 metal casket, was 11 percent higher than in the association’s survey in 2004. With the inclusion of a concrete vault, which many cemeteries require, the price rises to $7,323. “That’s the funeral that is going out of vogue,” said Joshua Slocum, executive director of nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance. He predicts that the funeral industry will respond to the rising death rate by offering cheaper services to compete. “This is not going to cause a run on embalmers,” he said. “If anybody’s going to jump into the embalming business thinking it’s recession-proof, they’re misguided. Baby boomers are not interested in their grandma’s funeral.” Cremation rates in the United States increased from 26 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2007, according to the Cremation Association of North America. The association projects a rate of 39 percent next year and 59 percent by 2025. “In some places of California, like Marin County, you’re looking at a 90 percent cremation rate,” Slocum said. Cost is a big factor, but there are also demographic changes at work. <a href="http://www.american funeralfinancial.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="9SfEu-AFF400X75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/9SfEu-AFF400X75.gif" alt="9SfEu-AFF400X75.gif" /></a>“They say the ‘greatest generation’ were more traditional, more religious people,” Meyer said. “Now, more educated people, more liberal thinkers (who are) less religious in many ways, tend to think, ‘It’s all about economics for me.’ ” Meyer, whose mortuary offers both cremation and embalming services, said a traditional burial costs $6,000 to $10,000, depending on the casket. Cremation costs about $1,000 to $2,000. In the Sacramento area, Meyer said, “there’s been an explosion of storefront cremation places.” Bodies come in and get shipped to off-site crematoriums. The ashes are returned in an urn. “They don’t have the facilities to embalm,” Meyer said. “They don’t have a chapel. It’s wildly cheaper. It’s sort of the Wal-Martification of the funeral industry.” “Green” or “natural” burials are also growing in popularity. People are buried in a casket made of a biodegradable material, such as pine or wicker, or they can skip the casket and just be buried in a shroud. Only one cemetery in California, Forever Fernwood in Mill Valley, offers green burials. It started offering the service in 2004. <div id="storycontent"> A natural burial at Forever Fernwood costs about $6,000 to $8,000, said Ina Hernandez, Forever Fernwood’s funeral director. A traditional burial, including embalming, a fancy casket and grave lining, would cost a couple of thousand dollars more, she said. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>The price of plots in the 32-acre cemetery, located in the hills of the Marin Headlands, varies by location. If you want a plot with a view, expect to pay more. Forever Fernwood digs graves by hand. With no concrete grave liner, the ground eventually settles. “The nice part about green burial is the land stays just the way it was,” said Betty Youngren, a volunteer with the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Northern California in Sacramento. “It doesn’t destroy things. It’s not a lot of concrete and metal in the ground. It’s going back to the way the pioneers coming across the country buried their loved ones.” Despite California’s green reputation, natural burial has caught on faster in the eastern United States. “We’ve gotten a lot of calls from people in the East Coast asking us for advice on green burial and starting a green cemetery,” Hernandez said. “As for California, no.” Even consumers choosing traditional burials have started demanding different kinds of memorial services. “The baby boomers want things their way,” Rosson said. “They demand better and different services. They’re wanting personalization. They want to create meaningful experiences.” Increasingly, consumers are choosing to have services at their homes instead of at churches or funeral homes, Rosson said. They want video presentations. They want memorial folders with photos and information about the person’s life. “The industry tosses around the word ‘personalization’ a lot,” Slocum said. “I’m hearing families that want to take charge of the memorial service. It seems less centered on the physical body and more on the family and community of people who loved that person.” Slocum said he’s talked to people who held memorial services in homes, parks, veterans’ memorials and even, in the case of an art patron, in an art gallery. “The scary thing about this for funeral directors is there’s no undertaker required,” he said. Slocum said most states have far more funeral businesses than their markets demand. “California is one of the great exceptions,” he said. “The number of funeral homes is much more in line with the population. As a result, it’s much easier to find a low-cost funeral service or cremation.” Fewer funeral homes means cheaper funerals? That might sound like it defies the normal rules of supply and demand. “Everybody says competition is good and decreases prices for consumers,” Slocum said. “It doesn’t work exactly that way for funeral services. You have only one purchase to make at the funeral home. There are no repeat customers. The only way to make more money is to raise prices.” <a href="http://WWW.FARNSWORTHGOWNS.COM"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> Source: <a href="http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/06/01/story13.html?b=1243828800^1836712&page=2">Sacramento Biz Journal</a> Photo: As cremations become more popular, Lind Brothers Mortuary in Carmichael stocks up on urns, shown here by owner Chris Meyer. Photo Credit: Dennis McCoy, Sacramento Business Journal </div> funeral industryfuneral costbaby boomers Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:33:30 GMT Funeral Lantern Tribute Sets Off UFO Scare http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000641#00000641 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000641.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The Hepden family of Bletchley, Milton Keynes, unwittingly set off a major scare in the UK when their innovative funeral farewell to 74-year-old Fred Hepden sparked a UFO alert. The initial furore started when residents located in and around the general area of the late Mr. Hepden's home reported seeing large glowing lights across the sky. However, the family later revealed the mystery in a letter to the local Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper when they said the unidentified "lights" were in fact Chinese lanterns released as a tribute to the deceased.   "We released them on the night of his funeral because we thought it could be a way for all his grandchildren to say goodbye. We had no idea it would cause a UFO alert!" explained Mr. Hepden's son Mark. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>"My dad had 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Many of them were too young to go to the funeral so they wrote little messages or drew pictures and put them in the lanterns to reach their grandad in heaven," he added. The family released the lanterns on the night of the funeral, May 05, little knowing the consternation their tribute would cause. "It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it before," said one reader quoted by the Citizen. Mark Hepden said the family still intended to release the remainder of the lanterns and said his father would have enjoyed the funnier side. "Hopefully, by warning Citizen readers in advance, we won't cause any more UFO alerts!" he said. "The good thing is, my dad would have really seen the funny side of this. We're sure he's chuckling away up there about this story."               Source: <a href="http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200922/3740/Funeral-lantern-tribute-sets-off-UFO-scare">The Tech Herald</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral lanternufoukfuneral industry Fri, 29 May 2009 18:01:32 GMT Check Out These Unusual Resting Places and Headstones http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000640#00000640 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000640.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I received a very interesting email yesterday from a funeral industry friend of mine. The email was titled "Have you seen anything like these resting places?" The email contained 22 photos of very unusual resting places and headstones. Some of the photos were funny, some were cute, and some were just down right weird! So since it is Friday and none of this weeks posts have been very uplifting I thought I would share the photos with you in the photo gallery. For the link to the pictures   <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/gallery/album024">Unique Resting Places and Headstones</a>     Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralunusual headsotnesresting placesfunny headstone Fri, 29 May 2009 14:20:38 GMT RIP-off? Blended Tax to Hit Funerals in Canada http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000639#00000639 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000639.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Premier Dalton McGuinty's new harmonized sales tax on funerals and other goods and services is creating uncertainty around the two certainties in life: death and taxes. That's because after the levy takes effect on July 1, 2010, taxes on funeral services will jump from 5 per cent to 13 per cent – wreaking havoc for, among other people, the thousands of Ontarians who have already paid for their funerals before they die.   Finance Minister Dwight Duncan told the Toronto Star yesterday it's the government's "desire" to have some kind of grandfather clause exempting funerals paid for before the tax comes into force.   But Duncan admitted nothing yet is carved in stone. "That's part of the transition rules that we're working on between Ontario and the Canada Revenue Agency," the treasurer said. Rick Ludwig, past president of the Ontario Funeral Services Association, said funeral homes only charge the 5 per cent GST on services, which are exempted from the 8 per cent provincial sales tax. "Whenever there's an additional cost placed on it, there's a concern. The net amount to consumers will increase," Ludwig said yesterday from his funeral home in Waterdown. "I don't think anyone was consulted on the HST. It was just dropped," he said, referring to Duncan's announcement in the March 26 budget. About one in four funerals in Ontario is prepaid and there is more than $1.38 billion sitting in trust to cover the eventual cost of services. There were 224,257 prepaid funeral contracts in Ontario as of last year. The harmonized sales tax would boost the taxes on a $5,000 funeral by $400 from $250 to $650. "There would be quite a hue and cry if they start messing around with people's ... trust funds," said Ludwig. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>He conceded the HST, which is designed to be business-friendly, could result in some savings for funeral home operators, some of which could be passed on to consumers. But consumers should still brace for higher prices, Ludwig said. "I'd be surprised if it were revenue neutral." Ludwig said although he expects the pre-paid contracts will be grandfathered – as happened before the federal GST was launched in 1991 – funeral directors are worried about the cut-off date to take advantage of the lower tax rate. "We're hoping and counting on the government grandfathering it and we would prefer a longer window so we can give consumers more time to prepare," he said. But Duncan said the deadline would fall before July 1, 2010, giving people less time to decide whether they want to beat the 8 per cent hike and prepay for a funeral. "The date, July 1, is when the tax kicks in so we will have to have a cut-off date prior to that. "My desire is to make sure that those contracts that are entered into before the date that is established ... are maintained," Duncan said. "The goal is, yes, to make sure that contracts entered into prior to an agreed-to date are honoured." Joseph Richer, registrar for the Board of Funeral Services, which regulates the industry, noted that there was a run on prepaid funerals prior to the Sept. 1, 1990 deadline that Ottawa set before the GST kicked in on Jan. 1, 1991. Richer said that Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia all grandfathered funeral contracts when they introduced the HST. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Progressive Conservative MPP Randy Hillier (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) said he would repeal the tax if he leads the Ontario Tories to victory in the 2011 election. Hillier, a long shot to win the June 27 leadership contest, made the surprise policy announcement during question period in the Legislature. None of the other three candidates – MPPs Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa), Tim Hudak (Niagara West-Glanbrook) or Frank Klees (Newmarket-Aurora) – have committed to scrap the tax. Source: <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/640974">TheStar.com</a>, Article by: Robert Benzie Photo: LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> taxfuneralcanada Thu, 28 May 2009 13:57:37 GMT Lake Worth Man Sues Over Father's Wrongly Marked Grave http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000638#00000638 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000638.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> For years, they visited the wrong grave and didn't know. The family of Jose Herrera Sr. traveled from their Lake Worth home to Miami often, carrying small Cuban flags and Yankee memorabilia to leave for him in Dade Memorial Park. They prayed to him and cried to him and when his wife, Rosa, died two years ago, they promised to bury her next to him. That's when, the family says, park officials told them they didn't know where Herrera's body was.   "It was just a disgusting feeling knowing he wasn't there," said his granddaughter, Alicia Herrera. "To this day we don't know if there was someone else there." On Thursday, Alicia's father, Jose Herrera Jr., filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against Service Corporation International Funeral Services of Florida Inc., which oversees Dade Memorial Park. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Herrera is claiming emotional distress and mishandling of the body as well as misrepresentation that that was the final resting place for his father, who died in 2003. The family is seeking damages in excess of $15,000. Jorge L. Maxion, a West Palm Beach attorney representing Herrera, said Rosa Herrera's body was buried temporarily until crews located her husband's remains, which he said took them one month. They were found buried 75 feet away from the marker that read "Jose Herrera Sr. Beloved Father," he said. Herrera's name was on the casket, which was not opened. But even that has left some doubt in his client's mind. "There is some uncertainty that that truly is father," Maxion said. SCI spokeswoman Jennifer Roberts released the following statement and would not answer further questions: "We are very sorry this family felt they needed to file a lawsuit as we strive to meet and exceed our customers' expectations. This is a case of human error, but we self reported the mistake and took actions to correct it. We have revised our policies and procedures so that this type of situation is rare." But this type of situation has happened before. In 2001, families made claims that managers at cemeteries operated by SCI near West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale oversold and misplaced plots and dug up and scattered remains to make room for others. Though 9,000 families made claims, only 350 will receive damages from the $100 million settlement. All payments are expected to be made by the end of the summer. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>And according to The Associated Press, a family sued the Dade South Memorial Park in 2007 after cemetery officials said the grave and the remains of their loved one were missing. SCI also oversees Dade South Memorial Park. Jose and Rosa Herrera were finally buried together on Aug. 30, 2007. Though the family continues to make the trek to Miami with those small Cuban flags and the Yankee memorabilia, the family's pain has not disappeared. "It's very hard," Alicia Herrera said. "There's no closure to it." Source: <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/05/22/a1b_gravesuit_0523.html">PalmBeachPost.com</a> My thoughts: Are people just suing SCI now because they have read about the other stories of people suing over the last few months? Do you really think that SCI is doing all of this on purpose? I don't. I do think that there have been a few cases lately were there has been extreme negligence, but I don't think that every SCI firm is ran that way. I work with a few directors who are working for SCI owned funeral homes and they are some of the best funeral directors I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  Truthfully is has been the SCI owned cemeteries that have given me the most problems. Is SCI doing anything to better the funeral industry? Right now it doesn't seem like it, but lets not label every SCI owned funeral home or cemetery as evil. There maybe some great funeral directors out there that work for them. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industrysci.cemeterywrong grave Thu, 28 May 2009 13:40:13 GMT Best Practices for Funeral Directors to use Facebook http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000637#00000637 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000637.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I just read a new article by Robin Heppell titled, Best Practices for Funeral Directors to use Facebook - another must-read. It is the sequel to last week's article: 7 Mistakes Funeral Directors make with Facebook. He lists the Pros and Cons of Facebook Profiles and Fan Pages + gives you the steps to properly take to create your Profile and Funeral Home Page. For the full article:   Best Practices for Funeral Directors to use Facebook When I was young and visiting my Grandparents at the family funeral home - <a title="http://www.EganFuneralHome.com" href="http://www.eganfuneralhome.com/" target="_blank">EganFuneralHome.com</a> in Bolton, Ontario - I would spend a lot of time with him walking into town, going to the post office and running other errands.  I was always amazed about how many people knew him and that he knew them.  His success - just like other past generation Funeral Directors - could be attributed to being a helpful member of community, whether professionally or in other activities. They knew, they liked him, and when they needed his services, they could trust him. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Since life is different nowadays and there are a lot less people in the “social hubs” than there was 50 years ago, it doesn’t mean that you have to go to the same places that Gramps hung out - he was where the people were.  You should apply the same philosophy - Go To Where The People in Your Community Are! Now, I’m not saying quit all of the groups that you are currently involved with - but you should take some quick inventory on your time invested vs. the exposure and reach that you get. If you think that I am just pushing this Facebook stuff on you because I am a bit of a techie - you’re wrong.  I’m trying to tell you that it is probably one of the biggest networks in your town and you need to be there! Do you know how many people in your market are on Facebook? Would you be surprised that I could tell you exactly how many to the individual, gender, age? It’s easy to find out - and also you can advertise so directly it would blow you away! For the full article go to Hepp's blog to read the article: <a href="http://www.funeralfuturist.com/best-practices-for-funeral-directors-to-use-facebook/">Best Practices for Funeral Directors to use Facebook</a> PS: Hepp says that his Grandpa would use Facebook if he was here today, and he included a photo of the two of them (Hepp used to have hair). <a href="http://www.funeralfuturist.com/best-practices-for-funeral-directors-to-use-facebook/">Best Practices for Funeral Directors to use Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> funeral directorsfacebook Wed, 27 May 2009 15:33:24 GMT Bodies Found in Funeral Home Bought at Tax Sale http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000636#00000636 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000636.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Four bodies in a funeral home isn't unusual. Four unidentified bodies left behind in a vacant funeral home is "unbelievable." That's what the Rev. Reginald Burrell thought Sunday when he and deacons from Northlake Church of Christ went to visit their newly purchased building. "What in the world is a body still doing in this building?" Burrell thought when he saw a body bag on a table inside the former Serenity Gardens Funeral Home, 934 E. 21st Ave.   He notified Lake County Coroner David J. Pastrick, who arrived Tuesday morning with a crew to investigate the scene. They found four bodies, including one in the bag, one in a corrugated burial box and two in caskets. Pastrick believes they could have been there since 2006, when the Indiana State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Services revoked the business license for Serenity owner Darryl Cammack. "They are unidentifiable," Pastrick said of the remains. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>Cammack, who lost his funeral home license in Illinois in 2003, had been sanctioned by the Indiana board in 2005 after at least eight customers filed complaints against him. "That building has been vacant since I started coming over to that church in Gary in 2005," Burrell said. His church bought the building at a tax sale and intends to renovate it. "We have lots of plans and goals we want to pursue," Burrell said. The church now is located next door to their proposed new site. Gary police are working with state agencies in the investigation. Lake County Commissioner Roosevelt Allen, who was chairman of the state board in 2005, said Cammack could be charged with breaking several laws. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Pastrick said he doesn't know the origin of the bodies, but believes if the deceased were local, he would have been contacted by relatives about a delay in burial. "I can't even imagine a funeral director doing something like this. This is my field. It's unbelievable," Pastrick said. Source: <a href="http://www.post-trib.com">www.post-trib.com</a> Contact Lori Caldwell at 648-3258 or <a href="mailto:lcaldwell@post-trib.com">lcaldwell@post-trib.com</a>.  <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"></a> Lake County Deputy Coroners Ryan Parker (left) and Brandon Simpson on Monday remove one of four bodies found abandoned in the former Serenity Gardens Funeral Chapel in Gary. (Stephanie Dowell/Post-Tribune) <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> bodiesfuneral hometax sale Wed, 27 May 2009 15:19:29 GMT Merrill Lynch OKs $18 Mil Funeral Trust Deal, But Admits No Wrongdoing http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000635#00000635 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000635.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> <a id="ORCRP009810" class="taxInlineTagLink" title="Merrill Lynch &amp; Company Inc." href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/economy-business-finance/financial-business-services/merrill-lynch-%26-company-inc.-ORCRP009810.topic">Merrill Lynch & Co.</a> has agreed to pay $18 million to end a State of Illinois investigation into its role in the erosion of a trust that was supposed to safeguard consumer deposits meant to pay for their funerals. The settlement, announced Wednesday by the Illinois Division of Insurance, will benefit more than 600 funeral homes that sold prepaid funeral plans to consumers and deposited the money in a trust created in 1980 by the Springfield-based Illinois Funeral Directors Association.   The trust, however, had a deficit of more than $50 million last year, which regulators have blamed on the trade group's investment strategy, interest rate policies and its excessive management fees. The deficit in a trust once valued at $300 million created potential losses for funeral homes that sold consumers the promise of buying something for tomorrow at today's prices. <a href="http://www.k2cfinace.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>According to the Insurance Division, Edward Schainker, a Merrill Lynch broker in Springfield who advised the IFDA, "developed, marketed and sold a scheme" to invest a significant portion of the trust funds in complex life-insurance policies. Some were issued by a Merrill Lynch life insurance unit, which received more than $32 million in premiums, according to state regulators. The policies were purchased on the lives of IFDA members, which does not satisfy the state's insurable-interest requirements, the agency said. In addition, the policies have harmed the trust because the death benefits cannot be timed to meet the revenue needs of funeral homes, said Michael McRaith, director of the Insurance Division. The agreement alleges that Merrill Lynch violated the state's insurance laws by failing to properly monitor Schainker's activities, McRaith said. Under the deal, Merrill Lynch did not admit to any wrongdoing. The $18 million will be shared based on sales of prepaid plans. More than 47,000 consumers have prepaid plans, also known as pre-need contracts. About 70 percent of the contracts contain price guarantees for caskets, embalming and other services. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Funeral homes expect to lose money on the guaranteed contracts because of the trust's deficit, which could force some to go out of business. The Merrill Lynch settlement fund will help offset some of the potential losses, McRaith said. A Merrill Lynch spokesman said, "We're participating in this resolution so that we can be a part of ensuring that families get the services they have paid for." The Insurance Division on Wednesday also said it will seek to revoke Schainker's insurance license and fine him $100,000, the maximum penalty allowed under Illinois law. The secretary of state's office also has suspended his broker's license. Schainker plans to contest the order, said Carl Draper, one of his attorneys. Source: Chicago Tribune,<a href="mailto:asachdev@tribune.com"> asachdev@tribune.com</a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral fundmerrill lynchfuneral trust Tue, 26 May 2009 15:41:05 GMT Governments Pay More Burial Costs in Bad Economy http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000634#00000634 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000634.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Renata Richardson had already picked a name for her first child: Jazmyn Rose. She was stockpiling gifts such as baby socks, hats and a bassinet. But the baby died a month before she was to be born. Richardson was crushed not only by the death but because she knew she couldn't afford the cremation, which would have cost $600 to $1,200. She had lost her job as an advertising manager months before and couldn't find another in the slumping economy. "That's the last thing I wanted to do for her, and I knew that I couldn't do it," she said. Richardson, 25, of Davie, Fla., joined a growing number of people seeking help with burial and cremation costs as the recession triggers layoffs and foreclosures and rocks the family budget. Local governments - already cutting their budgets - are stepping in with taxpayer dollars. The numbers are up at coroner's offices from <a style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; color: #003399; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;" rel="nofollow" href="http://topics.forbes.com/Los%20Angeles">Los Angeles</a> to Dayton, Ohio, to Chapel Hill, N.C. Some states and cities have increased their budgets to meet the demand. "They basically tell me they can't afford it," said Lt. David Smith, who tracks down families of the dead in Los Angeles County. "Everybody we do get ahold of is washing their hands of it." <a href="http://www.k2cfinace.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>The median cost of a funeral for a family, including casket and vault, is about $7,300. The cost to governments, which don't arrange funerals, can range from $150 for basic cremation to $1,400 for burial. Most states don't require relatives to pay for the burial or cremation of the poor. Governments step in if the dead had no assets and the families cannot pay or cannot be found. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County in Florida, which is partially funded through <a style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; color: #003399; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal;" rel="nofollow" href="http://topics.forbes.com/property%20taxes">property taxes</a>, paid for the cremation of Richardson's baby. The city of Dayton did the same for Debra Hunt, whose 32-year-old daughter, a cancer patient, died in February. Cremation would have cost $1,000, and Hunt had $400 in the bank after quitting her job with the Dayton school system to be with her daughter. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>The need for financial help reached the point that Renee Donnell, owner of Alamance Funeral Service in Burlington, N.C., started a fundraising campaign to create a burial fund. To raise money, she has helped organize plays, dinners and a silent auction. Several families have applied for money since the fund was created in October. Donnell said the economy is partly to blame; a woman whose husband had just lost his job was among those receiving money. "We're seeing it so much more," Donnell said. "I decided we needed to do something about it." <a href="http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/24/ap6460363.html">Rest of Article Here</a> Source: AP via Forbes.com <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral industryburialsgovernment Tue, 26 May 2009 14:35:12 GMT Funeral Home: 'Our Ads Just Weren't That Catchy' http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000633#00000633 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000633.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Q. When, in an advertisement, would a business say "We'd hate to be your new service provider"? A. When that service provider is a funeral home.If you drive in King County, you've probably seen the ads on the back ends of many Metro buses. The picture shows a hand holding a cell phone behind the wheel of a car on a highway. The words read: "Don't text and drive. We'd hate to be your next service provider."     <img src="http://media.komonews.com/images/090519_washelli_ad.jpg" alt="" /> The picture shows a hand holding a cell phone behind the wheel of a car on a highway. The words read: "Don't text and drive. We'd hate to be your next service provider." Below that you see the logo for Evergreen Washelli Funeral Homes. Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home manager Sarah Geiger says in creating the campaign they walked a fine line. "Before, the advertising we had done was along the lines of honor, love and cherish and remember," she said. Geiger says they decided to make a change those ads because, "we just didn't feel they were catchy." And change they did. First, Geiger says her creative team put together a bus ad showing one of their hearses that read, "Don't drink and drive. We'd hate to be your designated driver."   <img src="http://media.komonews.com/images/090519_washelli_ad2.jpg" border="1" alt="" /> Geiger says that ad sparked a lot of feedback. "First they said it was eye catching and then because it was a funeral home," she said. Once that ad had run its course, the Evergreen Washelli creative team went back to work and this time created the texting ad. "We had some other clever ideas, but we have to look at that fine line to say is it appropriate," says Geiger. The campaign isn't over though. Geiger says they do have several more ideas that will likely make their way onto the backs of Metro buses in the future. Source: <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/45434927.html">KomoNews.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral home adadvertisingfuneral industry Fri, 22 May 2009 16:03:56 GMT Obese Woman Dragged From Home, Hauled Away After Death http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000632#00000632 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000632.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Marion County Coroner's Office has come under fire after it was revealed that an obese woman was dragged from her home and hauled away on a trailer in front of family members following her death. Teresa Smith, 48, who weighed 750 pounds, died Tuesday in her apartment on Indianapolis' northeast side. Officials at the scene told 6News' Jack Rinehart that the deputy coroner made the decision to call a towing service to remove the body from the home.   "We debated for quite a while about how we were going to get her out of there and so we finally decided, since we didn't have a van that was large enough to carry her, it was decided between (the police) department and the coroner's office to use (the truck)," said Detective Marcus Kennedy. Smith's boyfriend and the couple's 13-year-old son, along with several neighbors, watched as Smith's body, still on her mattress, was dragged across the courtyard of the apartment complex, strapped down on the wrecker and covered with a piece of carpet. "I think they should have handled it differently, putting her on a flatbed like they did. That was like putting a cow up there," said Smith's boyfriend, David Johnson. Neighbors said they were also disturbed by the ordeal. "What really got me is when they took her off onto the flatbed, they threw this dirty, dirty carpet on top of her, and I just thought that was so disrespectful," said a neighbor, who did not want to be identified. "I would have never let them throw that on my loved one." Once on the truck, Smith's body was escorted by police downtown to the coroner's office. Former Chief Deputy Coroner John Linehan said he was shocked and dismayed that appropriate steps weren't taken to remove the woman from her home. He said that fire and medical personnel have equipment available for handling patients up to 1,000 pounds and that moving obese individuals is not all that rare of an occurrence. "When they scoop up dead dogs off of the street they don't treat them that way," he said. "It's just not the way to treat a human being." Chief Deputy Coroner Alfarena Ballew told Rinehart by phone Wednesday that a flatbed truck has been used in other occasions to move obese individuals. She said the office is now looking for a way to transport Smith's body from the morgue to the funeral home. Source: <a href="http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19517549/detail.html">INDYchannel.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/http:www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> Thu, 21 May 2009 17:20:28 GMT Families and Friends Honor Their Loved Ones at SympathyTree.com for Memorial Day http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000631#00000631 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000631.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Memorial Day is known as the unofficial start of the summer season and often, the real significance of this day is easily forgotten.  This Memorial Day, take a moment to honor the true meaning of the holiday and remember the U.S. men and women who have given their lives in service to their country.  To commemorate this special day, online memorial website SympathyTree.com offers a gathering place and community to share stories, as well as suggestions and resources, to assist families and friends with the grieving process.   “Online memorials give us the opportunity to continue bonds with those that we have loved and lost, and the Internet community offers the chance to connect to friends and family around the world in remembrance of those who have been significant in our lives,” said Gloria C. Horsley Ph.D., national board member of The Compassionate Friends.  “Fun and exciting experiences, quirks and unique personalities can be shared for not only today but for generations to come.  SympathyTree.com is a unique and elegant memorial that will honor those who continue to live in our hearts.”   SympathyTree.com lets people build unique and elegant online memorials, and create an interactive community around them.  Families and friends can build an online memorial in tribute to the person they have lost, and as part of the online community, users can interact in real time with stories, videos and pictures to honor the true spirit of their loved ones.  SympathyTree.com also offers a wide range of grief and support resources to help those in need.   Russell Friedman, executive director of the Grief Recovery Institute, said, “Memorial Day can be an especially difficult reminder for families and friends who have lost someone.  Organizations like SympathyTree.com foster a sense of community at a time when grieving people often feel isolated. SympathyTree.com helps people create accurate reflections and memorials of their loved ones, which is a wonderful enhancement to their ability to adapt to painful losses.”   “Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and reflection, and everyone can do their part to remember those who gave their lives in service to this country by honoring the true tradition of the holiday,” said Louise Zweben, president and CEO of SympathyTree.com.  “We offer family members and friends a place to honor and pay tribute to the deceased by creating an online memorial that shares stories and memories about them, letting this virtual community grieve together and lean on each other during difficult times.”   About SympathyTree.com SympathyTree.com allows users to create a strikingly elegant and rich online memorial in minutes through words, pictures and videos to pay tribute to the person loved and lost.  It then enables a community to emerge around the memorial of people commenting on stories and contributing new ones. The site allows the community to come together and pay tribute, share memories and comfort one another, help their grieving and healing process, and also keep the legacy alive.  For more information please visit www.sympathytree.com. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="wzBpD-cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/localimages//wzBpD-cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="wzBpD-cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="6TX1G-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/localimages//6TX1G-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="6TX1G-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralmemoryhonor Thu, 21 May 2009 17:07:36 GMT 7 Mistakes Funeral Directors Make with Facebook http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000630#00000630 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000630.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I just read a new article by Robin Heppell titled, 7 Mistakes Funeral Directors Make with Facebook - it is definitely a must-read. It's great for Facebook beginners and there are some great nuggets for Facebook veterans too (you know, people on Facebook for over 6 months). Did you know there are more women than men in the US on Facebook and there are over 3 million American 55+ on Facebook? For more details and the List of Mistakes...   7 Mistakes Funeral Directors Make with Facebook It seems like Funeral Directors are going “Facebook Crazy” - every day I am receiving friend requests from Funeral Directors and seeing Funeral Homes creating profiles, pages, and groups. The problem is that I see a ton of mistakes being made - most inadvertently because there is not a lot of direction and guidance available on HOW to use Facebook properly for the Funeral Industry. There is no Best Practices for Funeral Homes and Facebook (not yet anyway) but I have been really digging deep into what IS the best way for funeral directors to harness the power of Facebook from a Relationship & Loyalty Building (Marketing) strategy without crossing the line of doing business in a social community. <a href="http://heppell.infusionsoft.com/go/F7M/cd/">Go to Hepp's blog to read the rest of the article</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a> funeral directorsfacebookmistakesonline Wed, 20 May 2009 18:08:17 GMT Staying Alive Online, Even After Death http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000629#00000629 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000629.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Your husband, an avid gamer and techie, dies of a heart attack, leaving his vast online life -- one you don't know much about -- in limbo. His accounts, to which you don't know the passwords, go idle. His e-mails go unanswered, his online multiplayer games go on without him and bidders on his eBay items don't know why they can't get an answer from the seller.   Web site domains that he has purchased, some of which are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, will expire, and you may never know. It's a scenario that's becoming more likely as we spend more of our lives online. And it's raising more questions about what happens to our online lives after we log off for the final time. The answer, until recently, was nothing. But now, as online usage increases and social-media sites soar in popularity, more companies are popping up to try and fill that void created in your digital life after death. Jeremy Toeman, founder of the site Legacy Locker, recognized that when he was on a plane and wondered what would happen to his online life if it crashed. While his will leaves everything to his wife, including all of his digital assets, Toeman realized how difficult it would be for her to access his accounts. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>"My GoDaddy account would belong to her, but it doesn't solve the practical reality of how she would get access to it," he said. He experienced a similar scenario after his grandmother died, and he tried to get the password for her e-mail account -- only to give up because of the hassle. So Toeman built his company to change all that. Legacy Locker allows users to set up a kind of online will, with beneficiaries that would receive the customer's account information and passwords after they die. "We know it's a hard thing to think about -- to get people to face mortality. We know it's kind of morbid, but for those who live their entire lives online, it's also very real." A Legacy Locker account costs $29.99 a year. Users can set up their accounts at <a href="http://www.legacylocker.com/" target="new">www.legacylocker.com</a> to specify who gets access to their posthumous online information, along with "legacy letters," or messages, that can be sent to loved ones. If someone contacts Legacy Locker to report a client's death, the service will send the customer four e-mails in 48 hours. If there's no response, Legacy Locker will then contact the people the client listed as verifiers in the event of his or her death. Even then, the service would not release digital assets without examining a copy of the customer's death certificate, Toeman said. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Eddie Lopez is the kind of tech-savvy guy for which a service such as Legacy Locker was made. The St. Paul, Minnesota, man has three online banking accounts, a PayPal account, domain names, Web-hosting accounts, multiple e-mail addresses and many social-networking accounts. "I do think this is something people should be really considering these days," Lopez told CNN when asked about services such as Legacy Locker. He wants to hire a service to handle his digital assets but is concerned about privacy. "Although I'm glad there's people breaking ground in this area, I don't think I would jump at the first opportunity to sign up," Lopez said. "My concerns are turning over such an exhaustive list of user names and passwords to a single business. That's one-stop shopping for any hacker to get access to just about every detail of my life." Lopez would prefer to entrust half of his digital-security information to a service such as Legacy Locker and the other half to family members, so that each side's information would be useless without the other's. "I hope Legacy Locker and similar services can address these privacy-security concerns with some real-world solutions," he said. "I just don't feel comfortable turning over my digital life -- built over 15 years -- to a kind promise." Legacy Locker isn't the only new company helping techies plan for death in the digital age. AssetLock (formerly YouDeparted.com) offers a "secure safe deposit box" for digital copies of documents, wishes, letters and e-mails. Deathswitch and Slightly Morbid also offer similar services in a variety of prices and packages, depending on how many accounts are involved. Not all of these services deal with online assets. There's also a growing trend towards giving all aspects of death -- the grieving process, the funeral, the memorial and even the grave site -- a digital makeover. FindaGrave.com claims to have cemetery records for 32 million people in its searchable database, while EternalSpace.com offers a new spin on the traditional grave site by offering virtual memorial pages full of videos, pictures and tributes. On Eternal Space, loved ones can choose from different headstones and bucolic landscape backgrounds -- the mountain lake is a popular option -- to create a customized online grave site. Loved ones can add "tribute gifts" such as roses, candles, stuffed animals and other items, while mourners can access photos and videos in a "Memory Book" and leave remembrances of their own. Jay Goss, president of Eternal Space president, is trying to bring the funeral experience to anyone who can access the Web. In that way, he hopes to provide a gathering place, and a voice, for mourners who may not be able to attend the real-life memorial service. "It'd be the equivalent of a funeral where everyone can attend and everyone can spend 30 minutes behind the podium," Goss said. "It gives everyone a chance to put a 360-degree wrapper on the life the person lived and celebrate that life from how every person knew them." Eternal Space's virtual memorial sites are currently only being offered through select funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoriums. Goss' hope is that the site will help allow the deceased's memory to be "eternally" passed on. "All of these stories and videos are being left, in essence, to this Eternal Space Web site so that everyone can share, not just that day, not the days after, but the weeks after and years after," he said. Some funeral-industry professionals believe these online memorials and virtual grave sites provide a valuable service. "Assuming the site is handled with respect, virtual memorials respond to a basic human need to remember our deceased family, friends and colleagues," said Robert M. Fells, general counsel for the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association. "Based on our members' feedback, I'd have to say that virtual memorial sites are gaining popularity with the public as a very practical alternative to being present at the grave site," he added. "There's nothing 'weird' about them as far as we have seen." "There are funeral homes out there that will help families create virtual memorials, but ... we've also seen Facebook and MySpace profiles of deceased persons being turned into memorials," agreed Jessica Koth, spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association. "Consumers have become increasingly comfortable with expressing their grief online." <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>"While not a replacement for a funeral, online memorialization can help people work through their grief after the funeral," she added. "We've all become accustomed to communicating and expressing ourselves electronically -- via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter. Expressing one's grief online is an outgrowth of what's happening in other areas of our lives." Source: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/18/death.online/">CNN.com</a>, By Mallory Simon funeralonlinedeatheternalspace Tue, 19 May 2009 15:37:44 GMT Finding Out Someone Died Via Social Networking? http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000628#00000628 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000628.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Guest Post: I met Keith the first day of freshman orientation at the University of North Texas back in 1994. We became great friends, took classes together, and hung out quite a lot. After graduating, we still kept in touch. Last week, when he didn’t answer his phone, I popped into Facebook to check out his profile and was accosted by a wall full of memorials and tributes. Keith had died at home a week earlier. I missed both his funeral and memorial service.   The whole experience made me wonder: If I suddenly died, how many of my friends would find out through a facebookspacetwitter-esque social networking site? What would my last Tweet say? If my memorial service was happening online what sort of messages would be sent through cyberspace? This is for Keith: <img class="kickMediaCenter" style="float: none;" src="http://soulpancake.com/blog_images/challenges/tweulogy.jpg" alt="" /> <h2>Tweet a farewell message for a friend that has passed away. Use the hashtag #eulogy.</h2> Source: <a href="http://www.soulpancake.com/view_post/280270/the-art-of-tweeulogy.html">SoulPlane Blog</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" border="0" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>   <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralsocial networkideathdied Mon, 18 May 2009 05:26:00 GMT Man Carried to Grave in Beat-Up Boat http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000627#00000627 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000627.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Jerry "PaPa" Ray had his priorities in place, starting with God, followed by family, country and fishing. Before he got sick, Jerry and his buddy Samuel Tankersley could regularly be found on the rivers, lakes and tanks around Knox County, casting lines from a fishing boat that had been plugged, painted and patched too many times to count. So when Jerry died May 1 at age 78, his children and grandchildren decided to honor his memory by carrying his casket to his grave in that beat-up old boat.   "One of his sons wanted to know if it would be all right if they could get the little boat and place his casket in it. That really thrilled me," Samuel said. "I said, 'Let him ride in the boat one last time.' " Photos of the casket in the boat soon found their way to a popular Wise County blog -- Liberally Lean from the Land of Dairy Queen -- with the headline "How you bury a Baptist deacon who loved fishing." Curious folks wanted to know the story behind the photos. Here it is. The men in Jerry's family have always loved to fish. <a href="http://www.k2cfinance.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" alt="gEk2r-k2cFinancing.gif" /></a>When Jerry was young, his parents sometimes took the kids to a fishing cabin in Menard, about 100 miles from Truby, a small community northwest of Abilene where Jerry grew up. When Jerry married his childhood sweetheart, Eloise "Susie" Barker, in 1950, it was only fitting that they made a stop at the fishing cabin on the way home from their San Antonio honeymoon. "We went and there was dust in the curtains, and I thought I was going to die," Susie Ray said. "But we went home, and his dad said, 'If she can stay in that, she can stay in the family.' " Jerry served with the Army in the Korean War, and when he returned, they settled in Knox City, a slow-moving small town where conversations often turned to high school football, cotton and oil. Jerry went to work for General American Oil Co., which was later purchased by Phillips Petroleum. Jerry worked for the company for 42 years. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>The couple had four children, one born every two years: Don, Cliff, Judy and Doug. All of them learned to fish at an early age. "We fished as a family," said his daughter, Judy Lowe, a teacher in Munday, about 12 miles from Knox City. "But it wasn't so much fishing. It was about spending time together." Looking back, the Ray children said they didn't realize that their parents also relied on fish for food. "I'm sure we lived paycheck to paycheck," Lowe said. "We never realized we were poor. Daddy kept our freezer full. There was an abundance of them, and they were free." While Jerry did a good amount of fishing, his children said he always put them first. He was a Little League coach and umpire, a Scoutmaster and a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Knox City. He never missed a sporting event or school activity, they said. Susie Ray recalled the time when all the children were in a basketball tournament. "He saw 21 basketball games in one weekend," Susie Ray said. He made sure they took family vacations, every year. "It might be camping on the river, but we went somewhere and we always fished," said son Don Ray of Katy, a senior director for Exterran, an oil field service company. "We didn't go on vacation without a fishing pole." One by one, the Ray children grew up, went to college and started their own families. Jerry eventually retired, and he and his wife filled their days with friends, bowling, cards and dominoes. And, of course, Jerry fished whenever he could. He was at his best when fishing for crappie, hauling them in on jigs he made himself. "It was something you couldn't teach. You just had to have it," Lowe said. "It was a gift." Many years ago, no one seemed to know exactly when, Jerry and Samuel were fishing on a private lake when the lake owner offered to give them a white aluminum boat that was sitting on the shore. Samuel said he and Jerry painted it, patched it up and put a tiny motor on it. "We had that thing for years," Samuel said. "If it started leaking, we would fix it up with tar and go again." One time, Samuel said, they were fishing in it when a mouse came out from under Jerry's seat. "I thought Jerry was going to go over the side. He didn't want that mouse up his britches," Samuel said, laughing. Their time on the water together became less and less. Two years ago, Jerry was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and for a year, he was really in poor condition. But family members said he rallied. "For one solid year, he had a perfect year," said son Cliff Ray, a dentist in nearby Haskell. "He worked in the garden and went fishing. It was absolutely unbelievable." Several weeks ago, though, Jerry took a turn for the worse and was hospitalized in Abilene. He stopped recognizing his family and was hard to understand. One night, Don Ray said, he was alone with his dad in the hospital room when Jerry suddenly woke up. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>"For two solid hours, we talked about every single one of his kids, their spouses and every one of his grandkids," Don Ray said. "It was very clear. It was slow, and it was very deliberate. And at the end of the conversation, he said, 'We had fun, didn't we?' " That was the last good conversation Jerry had. He died days later. After he passed, there was never any question that Jerry's son Doug Ray, a funeral director in Rotan, would handle the arrangements. He suggested they carry his father to his burial in the old boat. "We like to personalize funerals, and he was my dad," he said. ". . . He was just a good guy from West Texas." Jerry was buried in the Midway Cemetery in the Jones County community of Hodges, which is near Truby, where Jerry was raised. About two miles before the funeral procession arrived at the cemetery, Jerry's casket was taken out of the hearse and placed in the old boat. The boat was then pulled by Jerry's fishing pickup into the cemetery, drawing looks of surprise -- and smiles -- from his friends. Jerry would have been thrilled, family members said. "He would have loved every second of it, absolutely," Cliff Ray said. "He loved to make people laugh. That was Dad." As the family gathered around the grave, the song "Riverbank," by country singer Jeff Bates, began to play -- a fitting tribute to a good man who loved to fish. "I wish this was a riverbank " Instead of a graveyard " I wish we were sittin' and fishin' "And this wouldn't be so hard." Source: <a href="http://www.kens5.com/latestnews/stories/KENS20090514-AP_boathearse.1fbc05d.html">AP</a>     beat upoldboatgravefuneral Sat, 16 May 2009 21:05:37 GMT Deferred Revenue: Like Dancing with Death For SCI http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000626#00000626 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000626.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> For value investors, a drop in the price level of the stock market does not necessarily mean the value of these businesses has changed. But there are exceptions. Companies that have certain types of pension plans will be in trouble, as we discussed two months ago; thanks to the drop in the stock market, these firms will now have a shortfall between the funds they control and what they owe their employees. But just because a company you are considering doesn't have this type of pension plan does not make it immune to changes in the price level of the market. Consider Service Corp (<a title="More opinion and analysis of SCI" href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/sci">SCI</a>), provider of funeral services.   <div style="text-align: center;"><img style="padding: 5px; margin-left: 5px;" src="http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/5/13/saupload_sci.png" alt="" hspace="6" vspace="6" align="right" /></div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>The nature of SCI's business is such that many customers prepay for their funeral requirements, thereby taking the burden off of their families. Because this money is not yet earned, it is classified on the balance sheet as "deferred revenue" (similar to how a football team receives cash upfront for a game that has not yet been played, or a home builder gets a down payment for a house not yet built). To maximize returns, SCI invests part of this money in the market.</div> <div>Unfortunately, much of this money has been lost. The company has unrealized losses of over $600 million in these accounts! With SCI having a market cap of just $1.2 billion, this is not an insignificant amount.</div> <div>We've discussed before how <a href="http://barelkarsan.com/2009/03/seeing-into-future.html" target="_blank">deferred revenue can be a useful gauge</a> in determining what a company's future earnings will look like. Investors who don't consider how that deferred revenue is invested can end up way off in their valuations!</div> <div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;">Source: <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/137356-deferred-revenue-like-dancing-with-death?source=yahoo">Seeking Alpha</a></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Sponsors:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/g1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> </div> deathfuneralservice corp international Fri, 15 May 2009 17:14:00 GMT Free Funeral Planning for Drunk Drivers http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000625#00000625 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000625.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> <a title="Funeralwise.com" onclick="linkClick( this.href );" href="http://www.funeralwise.com/" target="_blank">Funeralwise.com</a> wants Americans to stop and think before drinking and driving this Memorial Day Weekend. To raise public awareness of this serious issue, Funeralwise.com is encouraging anyone who plans to drink and drive over the holiday weekend to create a funeral plan in advance. For people who do not intend to drink and drive, Funeralwise.com is providing a tangible way they can help fight drunk driving by donating $10 to Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the first 10,000 funeral plans created on its website through May 25th.<a title="Funeralwise.com" onclick="linkClick( this.href );" href="http://www.funeralwise.com/" target="_blank"></a>   <a title="Funeralwise.com" onclick="linkClick( this.href );" href="http://www.funeralwise.com/" target="_blank">Funeralwise.com</a> is a free internet resource that seeks to shake up the traditional funeral industry that has changed little in the past century. In keeping with its motto, "everything you need to know about funerals," Funeralwise.com makes funeral planning easy and convenient with free <a title="funeral planning tools" onclick="linkClick( this.href );" href="http://planning.funeralwise.com/" target="_blank">online funeral planning tools</a>, as well as ideas for eulogies, obituaries, music and readings. Tips on funeral customs, etiquette, and grief support help people pay their respects appropriately if a friend has experienced a loss. Although Memorial Day is a day for remembering the men and women who have died in the military service of our country, it is also a day to remember loved ones who have died. Family get-togethers celebrating this holiday often include alcoholic beverages. According to Forbes.com, Memorial Day ranks as the 3rd most deadly holiday of the year due to drunk driving accidents. Only Thanksgiving and Independence Day (July 4th) have more drunk driving deaths. "If you're going to be drinking and driving, odds are that you're going to need a funeral plan sooner than you think. Actually, we encourage everyone to plan their funerals ahead of time and we make it easy for them to do so by providing how-to guides and an interactive funeral planner on our website," says Larry Anspach, co-founder of Funeralwise.com. In announcing the campaign, Mr. Anspach said, "By suggesting that individuals who drink and drive plan their funeral in advance, we hope that people will 'see the light at the end of the tunnel' and think twice before drinking and driving." Mr. Anspach's penchant for novel ways of promoting the staid funeral industry was once a front page feature in the Wall Street Journal. His co-founder, Rick Paskin, adds, "Let's face it. Most people are reluctant to plan ahead for the inevitable. AARP and other respected organizations are strong proponents of planning funerals in advance. Planning doesn't have to be difficult or stressful. Our <a title="online funeral planner" onclick="linkClick( this.href );" href="http://planning.funeralwise.com/" target="_blank">online funeral planner</a> guides you through the process and you can do the basics in a few minutes. We're offering this extra incentive for those that have been putting off funeral planning by making a donation to MADD for the first 10,000 plans created on our website through Memorial Day 2009." Source: <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/05/prweb2418244.htm">Press Release News Wire</a> Source: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> freefuneraldrunk driving Fri, 15 May 2009 14:53:00 GMT Funeral Director Stole Hearse Keys From Rival Company http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000624#00000624 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000624.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> When Patricia Thorburn died her family arranged to fulfil her wish of travelling to the cemetery in a vintage burgundy Rolls-Royce. But their carefully laid plans were nearly scuppered when a rival funeral director stole the keys from the Rolls-Royce Phantom 6 as it was parked outside the Salvation Army citadel in Middlesbrough.   The 65-year-old's mourners were astonished when they realised the keys had been taken and the hearse could not be moved for the funeral service last September. Yesterday the funeral director in question, David Wood, 48, from Middlesbrough, admitted theft when he appeared before the town's crown court. The court heard that the undertakers hired by the family offered a replacement car to carry Thorburn, but the family refused as she had been adamant that she wanted to travel her final journey in a Rolls-Royce. Staff had to strip out the dashboard of the vintage car and hot-wire it to move the cortege from the citadel to the Acklam cemetery. Irene Jessop, funeral director with Joel D Kerr funeral service, said at the time: "The level of disrespect is unbelievable, dreadful. The cars were left unattended for only five to 10 minutes at the most. We had got the deceased and family members out of the citadel and were ready to leave when the hearse driver said the keys had gone. I have been a funeral director for 16 years and have never experienced such disrespect." The court heard the theft happened after Wood accused the other funeral directors of poaching his business, a claim strongly refuted by staff at Joel D Kerr. The case was adjourned until next month by Judge Les Spittle, so a background pre-sentence report can be prepared. "The victim here is not going to bear the cost of your activity," the judge told Wood. "You can anticipate, certainly, some financial cost to you." The court heard that Thorburn had seen the car on display at the Cleveland Show, and told the funeral director: "When my time comes, I want one of those." One family member said after the theft: "I can't understand what type of person would steal the keys to a hearse on the way to a burial. It is sickening." Source: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">Guardian News and Media</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralhearserolls roycestolen Thu, 14 May 2009 16:29:01 GMT Sales Down, Profit Up At Hillenbrand http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000623#00000623 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000623.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Monday, Hillenbrand, Inc. (HI: <a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.rttnews.com/SymbolSearch.aspx?Symbol=HI"> News </a>), the holding company of funeral services provider Batesville Casket Co., reported a 19.3% increase in earnings for the second quarter, absent last year's separation costs impact. Adjusted earnings declined from last year, as revenues dropped nearly 11% year-on-year. The company also reaffirmed its fiscal 2009 outlook.   Net income for the quarter rose to $27.8 million or $0.45 per share from $23.3 million or $0.37 per share, largely due to the impact of separation costs in the second quarter of 2008. On average, three analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.45 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Excluding the impact of separation and antitrust litigation costs, net income for the most recent quarter declined 17.1% to $28.6 million from $34.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Net revenues declined 10.8% to $170.8 million from $191.4 million in the same period last year. Analysts expected the company to report revenues of $170.80 million for the quarter. Kenneth Camp, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand, Inc said, "The funeral services industry has experienced a decline in burials that is largely consistent with a mild influenza and pneumonia season, combined with an increase in cremations that may be more pronounced in the current economic environment. There also has been more intense competition in both the casket and cremation businesses." Operating expenses were $29.6 million, down from $42.3 million in the prior year, which included $12.9 million of costs related to establishing Hillenbrand as a stand-alone public company a year ago, Hillenbrand said. For the six-month period, net income rose to $54.3 million or $0.88 per share from $47.3 million or $0.76 per share in the same period last year. Net revenues declined to $337.3 million from $354.3 million in the corresponding period last year. Looking ahead, for fiscal 2009, the Batesville, Indiana-based company reaffirmed its guidance released on April 9. At that time, the company said it anticipates net income of $100.6 million and adjusted income of $105.1 million. The company, on April 9, also projected 2009 earnings per share in the range of $1.57 - $1.70 and adjusted earnings in the range of $1.65 - $1.68 per share. Hillenbrand now expects net income to be in the range of $97 million - $105 million, and earnings per share between $1.57 and $1.70 per share. Excluding certain non-operating costs, net income for 2009 is now expected to be in the range of $101 million - $109 million, and adjusted net income per share is presently expected to be between $1.65 per share and $1.78 per share. The company also reaffirmed its revenue guidance range of $650 million and $670 million, which reflected a decrease in revenues related to declining volume and product mix. Street analysts currently expect the company to earn $1.65 per share on revenues of $659.15 million. Source: <a href="http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=943763%20&Category=Breaking%20News&pageNum=2536_3131_2">Rttnews.com</a> More News: <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/136234-service-corporation-international-q1-2009-earnings-call-transcript">Service Corporation International Q1 2009 Earnings Call Transcript</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralhilldenbrandbatesville Wed, 13 May 2009 05:30:37 GMT Dying Brewer Creates Special Beer.. To Be Served At His Funeral http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000622#00000622 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000622.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A TERMINALLY ill brewer has created a "to die for" beer - to be served at his funeral. Industry veteran Iain Turnbull was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago. The 61-year-old plans to have the "dangerously strong" beer, called Brewer's Swansong, served when he's gone. He said: "It is the last beer I will brew. "All attending at my funeral will get a bottle. "It will be matured in a whisky cask, bottled and served as a toast when I am toasted in whatever crematorium I am treated to."   He has four to 10 years left, and hopes the brew will help raise cash for Macmillan Cancer Support when it reaches pubs in the next few weeks. Bang He said: "There will come a time when I will need the care of Macmillan nurses. "I thought this would be an innovative and enjoyable way of raising money for them as a thank you in advance. "I wanted to go out with a bang. You need to have a sense of humour at times like this. It will be branded as a beer to die for on the label." Grandad Iain, who also suffers from osteoarthritis and diabetes, says the superstrong 11.5 per cent ABV brew has a "toffee apple" flavour. He added: "A taste trial has been undertaken and it is acknowledged to be one of my dangerous beers." Iain, who has worked in the brewing industry for 40 years, lives in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Pals at the Falkirk Tryst Brewery in Larbert, Stirlingshire, agreed to make the beer. John McGarva said: "It will be dark, malty and strong, just the way Iain likes his beers, and he wants this one to be perfect."' Source: <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/05/08/dying-brewer-creates-special-beer-to-be-served-at-his-funeral-86908-21341383/">Dailyrecord.co.uk</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralbeerbrew Mon, 11 May 2009 14:14:07 GMT Disturbing Report: Funeral Homes Charging for Veteran Flags http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000621#00000621 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000621.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> NFDA received a disturbing report this week from the Veterans Administration (VA) concerning funeral directors who are charging grieving families of veterans for an American flag to which <a title="http://www.cem.va.gov/bbene/bflags.asp" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=73905507774&h=450f7395941dcf8f2e8dedd1603de315&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cem.va.gov%2Fbbene%2Fbflags.asp" target="_blank">EVERY veteran is entitled free of charge</a> as part of the military benefits they've earned in sacrifice for our liberties. NFDA is working with the VA to obtain specific details about these reports; if you're aware of any firm engaged in this egregious practice, please contact NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy John Fitch at 202-547-0441 or jfitch@nfda.org. NFDA will share more information as it becomes available.   As a reminder, eligible veterans are entitled to the following benefits from the VA: • For Burial in a National Cemetery Burial benefits available include a gravesite in any the 128 national VA cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a presidential memorial certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for burial allowances. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains. • For Burial in a Private Cemetery Burial benefits available for veterans buried in a private cemetery include a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a presidential memorial certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for burial allowances. There are no benefits available to spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery. Federal law also mandates that, upon a family's request, every eligible veteran receive a <a title="http://www.cem.va.gov/mhg.asp" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=73905507774&h=3ad3dc8e63ead83bf843928338433d4e&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cem.va.gov%2Fmhg.asp" target="_blank">military funeral honors ceremony</a> that includes the folding and presentation of the United States burial flag and the playing of “Taps.” Families are not charged for military funeral honors ceremonies. More information about burial benefits for veterans can be found on the <a title="http://www.cem.va.gov/bbene_burial.asp" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=73905507774&h=ffa7f6818bfd39db562b852da59aa390&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cem.va.gov%2Fbbene_burial.asp" target="_blank">VA Website</a> and can be obtained during the upcoming NFDA Web seminar <a title="http://nfda.org/index.php/continuing-education/calendar/details/109-veterans-tributes-and-us-flag-etiquette-for-funeral-homes" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=73905507774&h=ba895f7a5ffec0fc0c78c735d22c9fff&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnfda.org%2Findex.php%2Fcontinuing-education%2Fcalendar%2Fdetails%2F109-veterans-tributes-and-us-flag-etiquette-for-funeral-homes" target="_blank">“Veterans Tributes and U.S. Flag Etiquette for Funeral Homes”</a> on July 16. Article From Post on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brookfield-WI/National-Funeral-Directors-Association/128431085384">NFDA's Facebook Page</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> nfdadisturbingveterans Fri, 08 May 2009 19:28:14 GMT Discover Ways to Boost Profits and Better Serve Families - Email From Thomas Parmalee http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000620#00000620 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000620.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Funeral professionals nationwide are already making plans to join some of the most innovative thinkers in funeral service Nov. 19-20 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort where they will discover ways to boost profits and better serve families. The fourth annual Funeral Service Business Plan conference, which is organized by Kates-Boylston Publications, will continue its tradition of helping funeral professionals develop a strategic business plan that’s actionable, concise and achievable. Attendees will learn how to bolster their preneed programs, how to hone their service models and how to make more profits while improving service.   “In this economy, it’s more important than ever for funeral service professionals to find new ways to improve their businesses and not just hold onto profits but grow them,” said Thomas A. Parmalee, executive editor of Kates-Boylston and the moderator of the conference. “Our all-star lineup of speakers will help you implement strategies that will have a direct effect on your bottom line, and you won’t be disappointed. If you are, we’ll refund 100 percent of your registration fee.” Speakers at the conference include: Edith Churchman is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and she is the only fourth-generation funeral director who owns and operates an African-American funeral home in Essex County, New Jersey. She has consistently increased business by focusing on a high level of service and not being afraid to develop new ideas to better serve families. Alan Creedy began his career as a troubleshooter for a diversified holding company where he learned to analyze problems and develop immediate solutions. He formerly owned a group of funeral homes and cemeteries and is president of Trust 100, a network of funeral homes committed to increasing public awareness of the choices and options available for preplanning. Robin Heppell, a licensed funeral director, helps funeral homes develop and improve business process solutions. He earned a degree in entrepreneurial management from Royal Roads University and is an expert in harnessing new technologies to bolster sales. He regularly holds webinars, blogs and facilitates conversations among funeral home operators to promote best practices. Dan Isard is one of the profession’s top-ranked speakers. During the past three decades, he has developed close relationships with funeral directors, cemeterians and combination operators throughout the United States, establishing his reputation as a trusted adviser to business owners and their families. Bill McQueen is a second-generation funeral director, a certified public accountant and holds a law degree. With those types of credentials, he knows how to keep business thriving even in a tough economy, and he oversees the operation of his firm, serving as president. One of the ideas he’s brought back to his business is price bundling. He serves as an officer for the Cremation Association of North America. John McQueen is a second-generation funeral director. He grew up in funeral service, and upon the untimely death of his father, he assumed a leadership role in the firm at the young age of 23. Since then, John and his siblings have grown the family business from a single location in 1987 to the largest family-owned funeral establishment in the Tampa Bay area. Nectar Ramirez earned a degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Her experience as a marketing and human resources consultant to Fortune 500 companies serves her well in her post as general manager for Options, Batesville’s cremation business. Nectar and her team focus solely on the cremation market, and she works hard on developing new products, researching markets and training funeral directors. Dean Lambert is vice president of marketing for Homesteaders Life Company. Before joining Homesteaders in 1998, he was founder and president of a marketing communications company that served national clients in telecommunications, publishing and financial services. His connection to funeral service began in 1993 after he signed his first funeral home client and gained a passion for the funeral service mission. He holds an MBA in marketing management from Benedictine University. SPECIAL EVENT: A TOUR WITH THE McQUEENS! See firsthand how Anderson-McQueen converted an existing location at their NE St. Pete location so that it became a state-of-the-art facility that dazzles families. Witness how the McQueens’ Legacy Café helps put families at ease, how the firm integrates audiovisual capabilities to provide top-notch service and how its Life Celebration Reception Centers, Training Facility and Personalization Room separates their firm from the competition. Get ready to: • Learn winning strategies that will bring your service to the next level.  • Find out how to maximize profit as co-owners John and Bill share lessons learned.  • Network with fellow conference attendees and share ideas as you enjoy wine and light refreshments. This is one event you won’t want to miss, so make sure to check in on time to take advantage of this special, profit-building offer! Network in Style at a Beautiful Beach Resort If you need more to convince you to attend this profit-building event, then we have it: You’ll be networking in style at a beautiful beach resort with the amenities that make learning and studying a pleasure. ng just undergone a $26 million dollar refurbishment, the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort is popular beachfront property spanning 10 acres along the Gulf of Mexico. It has been transformed top to bottom into the ideal setting for a relaxed business meeting. Just 30 minutes from Tampa International Airport and within walking distance to the best restaurants and shops of charming Clearwater Beach, the family-friendly, 416-room hotel has morphed into a sleek, luxurious property with remodeled contemporary guestrooms; a lobby that takes full advantage of newly-opened space, resulting in an inviting, warm environment conducive to gathering, socializing and relaxing; enlarged meeting space; new restaurants; lush landscaping. It has everything to make your Clearwater Beach business trip memorable. A professionally trained staff will provide upscale service throughout your stay. The resort is located next to Pier 60 and in walking distance of the area's best restaurants and activities. So, What Did Attendees Think Last Year? Kates-Boylston’s business plan conference has been running four years strong, and judging by the reactions from attendees, it just keeps getting better every year. Here’s what some of last year’s participants had to say about the event: “My son and I attended this conference in order to make us better strategic and business planners - you did not disappoint! Each of the speakers gave us some excellent tips to take back home and implement right away. You continue to bring us quality speakers. The owners truly do not know what they are missing.” -    George O. Darte, George Darte Funeral Chapel Inc., St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada “I would just like to take a moment to thank you for the excellent 2009 Funeral Service Business Plan Conference.  I cannot express how much I enjoyed the conference and more importantly how it jump-started me as a funeral director and business owner.  Upon return to Michigan I immediately instituted many of the ideas and suggestions presented by the speakers.  I would 100 percent recommend  your conference to  anyone involved in funeral service.  I cannot imagine anyone leaving this conference without an enthusiasm and a desire to better serve their community and leaving the conference with all the tools needed to do exactly that.  I will be attending the 2010 Funeral Service Business Plan.” - Greg Hackman, Hackman Family Funeral Homes, Sturgis, Michigan “I found the seminar to be one of the best I have attended as a funeral service professional. The variety of topics and the quality of the presenters was amazing. It was the first meeting everyone stayed until the last day and the last topic was finished, a testament to the planning and overall excellent handling of the event.” - Mark Anderson, Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home, Statesboro, Ga. Register before Sept. 30 and take $100 off the $995 registration fee. And if you are a subscriber to any Kates-Boylston publication, you will receive an additional $100 off as a token of our appreciation. That means you can pay as little as $795 if you act today. Call 800-260-1545 or visit <a href="http://www.katesboylston.com/bizplan">www.katesboylston.com/bizplan</a> to register. <a href="/members/connectdirectors/files/download+main/FSBP.flyer.pdf">Click Here To Download Convention Flyer</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral servicetom parmalee Fri, 08 May 2009 17:38:05 GMT Business of Death, Part 3 http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000619#00000619 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000619.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Having life insurance and preplanning a funeral can help take the burden off mourning loved ones. NY1's Susan Jhun filed the following final report in a three-part series on the "Business Of Death." With the average price of a funeral in New York running several thousands of dollars, some individuals are making financial arrangements for their own funerals so their loved ones don't have to. "You don't want to burden your family with that level of expense," says one New Yorker. "I mean, even my mother's funeral was close to $10,000, and that was 12 years ago. So I can't even imagine what it would cost now."   A good way to arrange payment for your funeral is to purchase life insurance. "The survivors can use the proceeds from life insurance to pay for funeral needs and other needs for the surviving family members," says," says Kermitt Brooks, the first deputy superintendent of the New York State Insurance Department. Different policies provide different coverage. "As a general rule, term life is less expensive than whole life, and universal life and variable life have different premiums and the death benefit can vary," says Brooks. "If you are going to purchase a policy in the state of New York, New York laws will govern. You should always negotiate, purchase and deliver in the state of New York so that New York laws apply." To make sure the finances of your funeral are covered as well as the specifics, prearrange your funeral with trusts that are available through the New York State Funeral Directors Association. "For those people it gives them a great deal of peace of mind, it lets them know that everything is planned for," says President Martin Kasdan of the Metro Funeral Directors Association. "And especially if you are a single person with no family, which is quite common within the City of New York, you will have your plans in place." In the very end, a little preparation will afford you a lot of peace of mind. For more information on consumer rights: New York State Department of Health Bureau of Funeral Directing 1-800-808-1987 <a href="http://www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/patients/patient_rights/funeral.htm" target="new">www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/patients/patient_rights/funeral.htm</a> For life insurance advice: New York State Insurance Department Consumer Services Bureau 1-800-342-3736 <a href="http://www.ins.state.ny.us/" target="new">www.ins.state.ny.us</a> For preplanning and arranging a funeral: New York State Funeral Directors Association PrePlan Division 1-800-577-3752 <a href="http://www.preplan.org/" target="new">www.preplan.org</a> Article By: Susan Jhun, NY1 If you'd like "NY1 For You" to look into a problem, call our 24-hour helpline at 212-379-3599 or send an email to <a href="mailto:ny1foryou@ny1.com">ny1foryou@ny1.com</a>. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> business of deathny1funeralsnew york Fri, 08 May 2009 13:26:45 GMT Ad Spoofs Funeral Directors on Obama Health Plan, Watch The Video http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000617#00000617 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000617.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A liberal advocacy group goes for some gallows humor in its latest ad support President Obama's healthcare proposals. The <a href="http://www.moveon.org">MoveOn.org</a> spot focuses on the push by Obama and many Democrats for a government healthcare plan that would compete with private insurers. The insurance industry is dead set against it, saying it would put insurers out of business and offering a series of concessions to stop the proposal in its tracks.   Tuesday, the industry's main lobbying group told the Senate Finance Committee it would do away with an insurance surcharge that affects 5.7 million women and offered to accept new consumer protections. In the ad, two men complain about the public plan option. "It'll be a disaster for us," one says. "A public healthcare plan means affordable healthcare for everyone," the second says. "You know what that means. "Healthy people living longer," the first answers. "This guy's killing us," the second chimes in. The camera pans out, and it turns out the men aren't insurance lobbyists. Instead, they're funeral directors. Article From: <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/05/ad_spoofs_funer.html">Boston.com</a> Disclaimer: In no way does this post reflect ConnectingDirectors.com or our advertisers as supporters of the Democratic or Republican Party. Just posting a funny video.     <object width="425" height="344" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/ms2b57MLqZs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ms2b57MLqZs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> </object> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> obamahealthcarefuneral directors Thu, 07 May 2009 14:32:41 GMT Family Finds Mystery Woman Buried in Plot http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000616#00000616 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000616.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A story of a family's anguish: Coping with the death of a beloved mother was difficult enough, but it was made only more difficult when it came time for burial in a Mount Holly cemetery because the grave site that had already been purchased years in advance was already occupied. NewsChannel 36 I-Team reporter Rad Berky met with the family and set out to get some answers. "We knew how much they cared for one another. They wanted to be buried beside each other and I just think it's wrong," said Pauline Green.   Pauline Green and her brother Berry Nicks are at the grave of their father, Edgar Nicks. He was buried at the Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery in Mount Holly when he died in 1978. A contract with the cemetery includes the purchase of the plot right next to Mr. Nicks. The plan was that his wife, Christine, would be buried there when she passed. "So they had all those years together, they felt like they wanted to be buried together," Green said. Christine Nicks died in November of last year and what should have been a simple reunion in death at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery went terribly wrong. "We explained that someone had been wrongfully buried in the space," said Bill Rhinehart, general manager of Hillcrest Gardens. The family was told Edgar Nicks was indeed there, but there was a problem with the plot for Christine. And as it turned out, since September 1995, someone else had been buried there, sharing space with their father." Hillcrest Gardens is now owned by the SCI Company. General Manager Bill Rhinehart told NewsChannel 36 records showed the plot for Christine had been resold by the previous owners of the cemetery and a woman's remains had been placed there, even though there was no grave marker to indicate that. "I didn't like the idea of the woman being buried beside my father because it just didn't sound right," Berry Nicks said. Christine Nicks was eventually buried in another plot but the family still wanted answers. The family asked to see the paperwork indicating the original plot had been resold, but the name of the purchaser and the name of the dead woman had been covered over. "It was whited out, wasn't it?" asked NewsChannel 36 reporter Rad Berky. "We whited ... ah, no comment," Rhinehart said. Hillcrest offered to dig up Edgar Nicks and move his remains next to the new grave of Christine. The family, though, wanted the mystery woman moved and Christine put in her rightful place. So they then turned to the Funeral Consumer's Alliance for help. President Mary Brack wrote a letter to Hillcrest Gardens saying it appeared SCI didn't want to bother to try to find the family of the mystery woman and get an OK to move her. We read a portion of Brack's letter to manager Bill Rhinehart. NewsChannel 36 to Rhinehart: "And she goes on, 'This is a sign you were trying to fix the matter with little or no concern for the Nicks family.'" "I can't go into that." "Well, is that a fair statement?" "No." "What would be fair?" "Out of respect for the privacy of both families involved, I cannot comment." SCI, or Service Corporation International, is one of the country's largest funeral companies. In 2004, SCI settled for millions of dollars after 72 families claimed graves at the company's Menorah Gardens Cemetery in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., had been opened and remains had been dumped in some nearby woods. The company has been named in several other suits, including here in North Carolina. Bill Rhinehart said there were no current lawsuits filed against Hillcrest Gardens. "Not that I am aware of," he said. "Can I show you one?" reporter Rad Berky asked. "So, there is another lawsuit? You would acknowledge this is another lawsuit that names Hillcrest Gardens, and it is a mix-up over plots?" "Yes, but I can't comment on anything about anything," Rhinehart said. Hillcrest Gardens eventually located the family of the mystery woman and her grave has been relocated. Rhinehart says the cemetery is now willing to move Christine Nicks next to her husband. The Nicks family though is not signing anymore paperwork. They feel they deserve something more. "If they made a mistake, I think they should have to pay for it," Berry Nicks said. "That's something that we would be glad to talk to the family about," Rhinehart said. And that is where it stands now. The family and Hillcrest Gardens talking about a possible settlement short of a lawsuit, and a husband and wife remain separated. Bill Rhinehart says a system is now in place that would make it almost impossible for something like this to happen again. We asked, "Is it possible there are people buried in plots where they shouldn't be?" "We certainly hope not and I don't think so," Rhinehart said. Article By: Rad Berky, NewsChannel 36 Photo From: <a href="http://www.yourfuneralguy.com">http://www.yourfuneralguy.com</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> sciwrong graveburiedfamilymystery woman Wed, 06 May 2009 16:40:01 GMT Batesville Casket Faces Threat From Chinese imports http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000615#00000615 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000615.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Batesville Casket already had enough to worry about, with rising cremation rates creating flat sales for its core products.But it can’t ignore another nagging trend: Imports from China make up a rapidly growing portion of the U.S. industry. In 2008, 2.4 percent of caskets sold in the U.S. were made in China, according to the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America, a nearly fivefold increase over 2003.   The trend could change how Batesville and other manufacturers do business. “We’re dealing with excellent products coming out of China, once they learn what they have to manufacture,” said Dan Isard, president of Phoenix-based Foresight Cos., consultant to funeral homes and cemeteries. “A casket is a very low-technology item, essentially the 21st century equivalent of buggy-whip manufacturing.” He predicted that by 2025, at least 75 percent of the coffins used in this country will be produced in China or other countries with low labor costs. Whether the factories are run by U.S. companies or Chinese ones “is to a large degree semantics,” Isard said. It’s likely, he said, that the industry’s largest companies – Batesville Casket in Batesville, Aurora Casket Co. in Aurora and Pittsburgh-based Matthews International – will look to shed the expense of manufacturing, at least domestically, and focus on their distribution networks. He said they could be highly profitable that way, as U.S. factories are underutilized. But Joe Raver, president of Batesville Casket, said his company has no plans to start manufacturing in China. “We have looked at manufacturing caskets all over the world, including Asia, and right now we don’t think it makes sense for us,” said Raver, whose company has more than 3,000 U.S.-based employees. “There are super-long lead times, and it’s tough to control quality on something coming on a ship for five, six, seven weeks. And … the economics aren’t really compelling.” Answering an analyst’s question about competitive pressures on a first-quarter earnings call, Kenneth Camp, CEO of Batesville parent Hillenbrand Inc., said: “It is not our intention to be the lowest-price provider out there. Funeral directors make more money selling caskets than they do buying them. And when we have caskets that families can select from and see high value in, they’re better off financially.” Manufacturing outside the U.S., however, would not be new for Batesville. The company already has a facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, in addition to its plants in Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Funeral directors can save $200 to $300 on Chinese-made models, said Mark Allen, executive director of the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America in Lake Bluff, Ill. If they’re buying a casket selling for $800 to $1,000 wholesale, that’s 20 percent savings. Some put it at as much as 50 percent. Based on lower-than expected second-quarter revenue of $170.8 million, Batesville recently lowered its 2009 revenue guidance by 6 percent to $650 million from $670 million. At the same time, it raised its earnings guidance by 2 percent, to $1.57 to $1.70 per share. Its stock was trading at around $17 early this week, below its $19.39 on Jan. 28 but above the $16.68 where it started the year. Cremation, meanwhile, has been eating into casket sales. It was used in 35 percent of deaths in 2007, and the number should be well over 50 percent by 2025, according to the Cremation Association of North America. It was only 25 percent in 1999. Davenport & Co., a Richmond, Va.-based equity research fund, reiterated its “buy” rating on Batesville after the company lowered its guidance, saying it’s a “mostly defensive” stock at an attractive multiple. Batesville has an extensive line of cremation urns. They sell at margins equal to those of caskets but are much cheaper. Whether what’s left of the casket market will remain for U.S. companies to fight over or end up overseas is uncertain. Allen thinks the import stream will hit a wall. “There are limitations to imports – order quantities, inventory issues,” he said.  Article By: <a id="byline" href="http://www.bizjournals.com/search/results.html?Ntt=%22James%20Ritchie%22&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial">James Ritchie</a> Staff Reporter, <a href="mailto:jritchie@bizjournals.com">jritchie@bizjournals.com</a>, (513) 337-9442 Photo: Kenneth Camp, CEO of Hillenbrand Inc., Batesville Casket’s parent, says of casket imports: “It is not our intention to be the lowest-price provider out there.” Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> batesvillecasketchinese Wed, 06 May 2009 12:29:18 GMT In Home Funerals, Families Care For Their Dead http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000614#00000614 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000614.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> When a loved one dies, most families look to professionals at funeral homes to help with the final arrangements. But until the last century, most funerals took place at home. In home funerals, family members prepare the body for viewing and burial. Join NPR as they speak with:   Guests: Max Alexander, author and freelance journalist. <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Presence-of-Mind-Which-Way-Out.html" target="_blank">His story</a>, "The Surprising Satisfactions of a Home Funeral," appeared in the March issue of Smithsonian magazine Lisa Carlson, executive director of the Funeral Ethics Organization, and author of Caring for the Dead Glenn Taylor, president and owner of Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory in Owensboro, KY, and president of Selected Independent Funeral Homes <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103668142">Click Here to Listen to the Broadcast</a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> home funeralsfuneralfamily funeralfuneral at homefuneral in home Tue, 05 May 2009 16:12:39 GMT Business Of Death, Part 2 http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000613#00000613 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000613.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Funeral directors have legal obligations to aid their grief-stricken customers. In a special three-part NY1 For You series, reporter Susan Jhun covers the necessary knowledge to make informed funeral purchases. From coffins to headstones, planning and paying for a funeral can be pricey. "It is a grief-stricken time. The last thing we want to do is be taken for a ride in a very difficult moment," says Chairwoman Mindy Bockstein, the executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board.   To guard against that, both state and federal law provide certain protections for consumers. "We have heard from consumers that say their funeral director only showed them one of two caskets, and they are usually on the high end. Under federal law, under state law they have to supply them with a list of all the caskets and so forth that they offer for sale, and not show them any of the models until they give them that list," says Bockstein. "Sometimes we see that the funeral directors will try to steer the consumer to the high-end casket, to all the high-end services and try to pad the bill. That is certainly is a disreputable practice and it is certainly against the law." Martin Kasdan, the Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association agrees. "You could always check with the New York State Department of Funeral Directing as to the reputation as well as the license quality of that funeral home," says Kasdan. Funeral directors in New York must be licensed by the State Department of Health. Unfortunately, monument sellers are not regulated or licensed. "Try to shop beforehand and ask a lot of questions with respect to the goods that are being offered," says Bockstein. Additionally, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself when planning a funeral. "Receive in writing a price list as well as a final agreement that itemizes all the services and goods that will be delivered prior to the funeral," says Bockstein. "If those services and goods are not itemized that is a violation of state and federal law." "We also encourage consumers when they are facing these difficult planning processes in a very grief-stricken time to take a friend or someone that they trust who may not be so emotionally involved and can help them make the right decisions at these difficult moments," says Bockstein. For more information on funeral consumer protection, contact the following organizations: New York State Department of Health Bureau of Funeral Directing 1-800-808-1987 <a href="http://www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/patients/patient_rights/funeral.htm" target="new">www.health.state.ny.us</a> New York State Consumer Protection Board 1-800-697-1220 <a href="http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/" target="new">www.consumer.state.ny.us</a> New York State Funeral Directors Association 1-800-291-2629 <a href="http://www.nysfda.org/" target="new">www.nysfda.org</a> Article By: <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/features/98218/-i-ny1-for-you---i--business-of-death--part-2/Default.aspx">Susan Jhun, NY1</a> <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/features/98218/-i-ny1-for-you---i--business-of-death--part-2/Default.aspx">To watch a video regarding this article please click here.</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> business of deathdeathcarefuneraldeath Tue, 05 May 2009 14:29:34 GMT Funeral Home Firm SCI Face Lawsuits, Complaints Over Mishandled Baby Remains http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000612#00000612 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000612.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A hole began to appear in the fresh dirt over Jordan Hale's tiny grave at Mount Comfort Cemetery weeks after her burial, prompting cemetery workers to cover the site with a granite slab. Mourning the loss of her stillborn daughter in July 2007 and wondering what was happening, Nsombi Hale was informed that a grave marker she had chosen would not fit and that her baby would have to be reburied. But Hale later learned from a cemetery employee that that wasn't the real problem.   Instead, Jordan's small white coffin -- called a cherub -- had been placed in a shallow grave and covered by just eight inches of soil. When Hale went to witness the disinterment, workers pulled it out in a matter of five minutes, she said. "It never crossed my mind that something questionable was going on," Nsombi Hale said, tears slowly rolling down her face. "But it was clear that the grave wasn't deep enough. They mishandled the remains of my baby, and she deserved more than that." The Alexandria cemetery is one of 12 in Virginia owned by Service Corporation International, a Houston-based funeral services conglomerate that is facing allegations of mishandling as many as 200 bodies over the past year at a central preparation facility in Falls Church. SCI owns more than 1,700 funeral homes and cemeteries across the country, making it the largest company of its kind. State regulators are investigating. A customer, contractors and several current and former employees told The Washington Post in an article this month that conditions at SCI's central facility at National Funeral Home were disrespectful and unsanitary. They said that bodies of retired military officers destined for Arlington National Cemetery were stored on a rack in the garage for weeks or months and that bodies that had not been embalmed were left in unrefrigerated areas of the facility, where they decomposed and leaked fluids. Family members of retired Army Col. Andrew Degraff have since filed lawsuits in Fairfax County against SCI. Hale also filed a lawsuit against the company last week in Fairfax, her attorney saying that she had been traumatized by watching her daughter's grave opened. "Throughout the disinterment and reinterment, the disturbing odor from the cherub permeated the air at the site, sickening [Hale], who forced herself to remain until her daughter had a proper burial," said the lawsuit, filed by attorney Jack Burgess. Virginia law and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation do not specify how deep graves should be, but cemetery officials in Northern Virginia said coffins are generally buried with at least 18 inches of soil above them. SCI Virginia Funeral Services, a division of SCI, said in a statement that it discovered the problem with Jordan's grave and "proactively self-reported the issue to the family and made every effort to resolve it." "Although Virginia law does not require a minimum depth of interment, once we determined that the interment did not have 18 inches of depth from the top of the casket to the top of ground level, we alerted Ms. Hale to request her permission to disinter and re-inter Jordan P. Hale," the company said in a statement, also expressing sympathy for Hale's loss. "As part of our commitment to transparency, if we make a mistake, we are committed to doing the right thing." Hale said she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has nightmares and trouble trusting people. "I needed to be there for Jordan," Hale said, adding that the beautiful ceremony weeks earlier, with balloons and goodbyes, was dignified and special, in contrast to the shovels and backhoe that accompanied the reinterment. "I wanted to stay to make sure it was done properly." In a letter to Burgess on Feb. 14, SCI Market Director Christopher Downey apologized to Hale but said, "Mt. Comfort performed its services as requested," and noted that the cemetery provided Hale with a refund check of $2,488.75. She has not cashed it. Downey, who has management and oversight responsibilities for SCI's 13 locations in the Washington area, wrote that the initial burial was "too shallow" and that a four-inch-thick granite slab was placed over the grave after "an animal had been spotted by the gravesite." Downey also wrote that cemetery employees strongly advised Hale not to view the disinterment but "despite our warning and insistence, she demanded to be present." He offered to donate $500 to charity in Jordan's name as recompense, according to the letter. Whistleblowers who have brought the allegations about mishandling of bodies at SCI's central preparation facility have said that Downey is at the heart of problems there. Steven Napper, a former Maryland state trooper who worked as an SCI embalmer, said he went to Downey in January to raise concerns about the inappropriate storage of bodies in the garage and unsanitary conditions. Napper said Downey, whose office is at National Funeral Home, brushed him off and appeared to ignore the complaints. Napper later reported his concerns to a Virginia regulatory board and resigned in February. After the Post article appeared, SCI launched an internal investigation. "I went to Chris Downey personally in January to explain that there was not enough storage capacity at central and to discuss my concerns about the handling of the deceased," Napper said. "He knew all about it, but he did not respond." Requests to speak with Downey were referred to an SCI spokeswoman. "All of us want to know the facts behind what happened, and we're diligently conducting an investigation," said Lisa Marshall, the spokeswoman. "If we find wrongdoing, we will promptly take the necessary corrective action required." Family members of two military officers whose bodies were stored on unrefrigerated garage racks said Downey contacted them just before the first Post story ran and said that the allegations were false and were coming from a disgruntled former employee. Richard Morgan Jr., whose father, Maj. Richard Morgan, was left in his light oak coffin on the racks before his burial at Arlington in February, said Downey backed down when Morgan said he had seen photographs of the conditions in the garage. "I got a little irate, and I said, 'I've seen the pictures, and you can't dispute the pictures. These aren't just allegations,' " Morgan said. He added that Downey offered him a refund and that he recently received a check for $14,111, though he said he does not plan to cash it as he pursues legal options. Hale, who has a 9-month-old daughter named Zoe, said she is suing SCI because she wants things to change at Mount Comfort Cemetery. Burgess, her attorney, said the company already appears to have acknowledged that the burial did not go as it should have. "It was done out of laziness, it appears, and out of a desire not to dig a deep hole," he said. "I don't think it was done maliciously, but it was done fairly recklessly. Nsombi wants to make sure it doesn't happen to someone else. With big corporations, sometimes the only way to get their attention is to get into their pocketbook." Article By: <a title="Send an e-mail to Josh White" href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/josh+white/">Josh White</a>, Washington Post Staff Writer Photo:<a title="Send an e-mail to Josh White" href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/josh+white/"> </a>Jordan Hale's remains originally were in a grave so shallow that, a funeral company official wrote, "an animal had been spotted by the gravesite." (By Michael Williamson -- The Washington Post) Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> scimis-handled remainsbabylawsuit Mon, 04 May 2009 14:27:15 GMT New Bill Aims to Protect Pre-Paid Funeral Funds http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000611#00000611 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000611.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> A bill making it's way through the General Assembly aims to protect families who've recently lost a loved one. It's in response to problems with a pre-paid funeral fund. In the past several years-- the Illinois Funeral Directors Association has lost millions of dollars set aside for people's final arrangements. Funeral preparations are the third-largest expenditure for older consumers. Ranking behind the purchase of a home or a car.   "Most people are older, their kids are gone, they don't want to burden their family," explained funeral director Monte Blue. He's run Blue Funeral Homes in Marion and Goreville for decades. Lately, he says he's seeing more and more people pre-pay to make sure that the costs of arrangements, including caskets and burials are taken care of. In most cases, Blue says, those investments are safe. Even if money was invested with the Illinois Funeral Director's Association trust fund. "The funeral director is basically the one that is at risk right now." But according to AARP Illinois spokesman David Irwin, if a funeral director goes bankrupt or out of business, a family could be in a financial pinch just as they're dealing with the loss of a loved one. Senate Bill 1682 aims to shield consumers in-part by creating a protection fund in case funeral homes don't fulfill their end of the deal. The new legislation imposes higher investment standards and strengthens auditing requirements, among other things. It would also require more communication with prepaid funeral customers, like monthly statements. Blue has tips for protecting yourself. First, make sure your pre-paid fund is transferable, "In case you move to Florida or that director goes out of business." And be sure to choose a guaranteed plan. That way--even if the funeral director's fund loses money--you're protected. "If you guarantee and pay for this funeral, no matter what is in the account, that money, you've got to take care of that family," Blue said. By Dana Jay, WSIL Southern Illinios News Channel,<a href="mailto:djay@wsiltv.com "> djay@wsiltv.com </a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> funeralpreneedpre paid funeral Sat, 02 May 2009 19:19:29 GMT Pandemic Flu and Mass-Fatality Preparedness, Preparing Your Funeral Home for a Pandemic http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000610#00000610 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000610.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Funeral directors will play a very important role in the event of a mass-fatality event, like a pandemic flu, particularly as large number of people will be grieving the deaths of their loved ones. Funeral directors will be counted on to provide the same high level of care and compassion for families during such a challenging time as they do today. Here are some things you will need to consider as your funeral home plans to handle any pandemic.   Work Force: <ul> <li>Expect to double or even triple the number of calls your funeral home will receive over a 10- to 12-month period. Most likely they will come in three surges, each lasting about six to eight weeks: one at the beginning of the outbreak, another about four weeks after the end of the first surge and a third about four weeks after the end of the second surge. </li> <li>Plan for additional staffing during a pandemic situation (tasks easily delegated to retired funeral directors in the area, mortuary school students and, finally, to volunteers from church or civic groups).</li> </ul> Dispositions: <ul> <li>Crematoriums and cemeteries must look at surge capacity within their facilities. Cremations, which have fewer resource requirements than burials, may be a more expedient and efficient way of managing large numbers of remains.</li> <li>If the body is not to be cremated, plans to expedite the embalming process should be in place.</li> <li>Remains may need to be stored temporarily before embalming, after embalming or for the duration of the pandemic wave (four to six weeks), so funeral directors should work with local medical examiners/ coroners and public health officials to address such a situation, which may include refrigeration, temporary interment or storage in vaults.</li> </ul> Death Certificates: <ul> <li>In a pandemic, there could be as many unattended deaths as attended deaths. The former will require that the remains be processed by the medical examiner or coroner. In a surge situation with a reduced workforce and doctors otherwise occupied, it is expected that death certificates will be batch processed on a daily or weekly basis. The latter will be processed normally.</li> <li>Plan in advance for this situation and the potential delay in receiving remains or obtaining a death certificate.</li> </ul> Infection: <ul> <li>Take special precautions to protect yourself and your employees from infection. Go to <a href="http://www.pandemicflu.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.pandemicflu.gov</a> and download the CDC Pandemic Flu Business Checklist. Making arrangements for visitations, memorial services and gravesite services may be a concern because of possibility of contagion.</li> <li>Consult with your local or state public health officials to determine if such gatherings would be permissible. If not, you should plan now how to conduct all of these activities in a restricted environment.</li> <li>All staff shots and vaccinations should be up to date.</li> </ul> Supplies: <ul> <li>Stock at least six months of supplies to handle the first wave of a pandemic.</li> <li>Families with multiple deaths are unlikely to be able to afford multiple higher-end products or arrangements.</li> <li>Your funeral home could quickly run out of lower-cost items, so be prepared to offer alternatives or plan to have these items in stock.</li> <li>Contact suppliers and develop a plan for timely delivery in the event of a pandemic.</li> </ul> Transportation: <ul> <li>Transporting bodies from place of death or morgue to the funeral home and then to the place of burial may become an issue. Transporting remains from the place of death to their hometown may also be difficult, especially if air service is restricted.</li> <li>Work with your state and local emergency response and public health officials to plan for these eventualities, especially in a surge environment.</li> </ul> Religious and Ethnic Groups: <ul> <li>Reach out now to religious and ethnic leaders in your community and involve them in planning for funeral management, bereavement counseling and communication. This is especially important in communities where large numbers of people do not speak English and where traditional funeral and burial rituals and ceremony may have to be curtailed.</li> </ul> Preneed Contracts: <ul> <li>A funeral home may not be able to fulfill the terms and conditions of a preneed contract due to the unavailability of specific merchandise or other conditions. </li> <li>Consult with the state attorney general or local city/ county attorney to provide some sort of legal immunity against a lawsuit that might be filed for noncompliance due to the pandemic.</li> </ul> More information on preparing your workforce and workplace for a pandemic can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor/Office of Safety and Health Administration Website: <ul> <li>Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic <a href="http://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html" target="_blank">http://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html</a></li> <li>Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers: <a href="http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA_pandemic_health.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA_pandemic_health.pdf</a></li> <li>Proposed Guidance on Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks in Occupational Settings: <a href="http://www.osha.gov/dsg/guidance/stockpiling-facemasks-respirators.html" target="_blank">http://www.osha.gov/dsg/guidance/stockpiling-facemasks-respirators.html</a> </li> </ul> <a href="http://www.nfda.org/index.php/additional-tools-disaster/890#top">[Back to Top] </a> <a name="statefedactionplan"></a>State and Federal Pandemic Action Plans NFDA's Advocacy Office is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that funeral service is represented in the future development of pandemic action plans. Influenza pandemics have the potential to cause widespread illness, death and disruption. Pandemics can present a formidable response challenge. While it's hard to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur, advance planning can help to reduce the impact of future events. The 1918 pandemic resulted in an estimated 500,000 deaths in the U.S., the 1968 pandemic caused an estimated 34,000 U.S. deaths. This difference is largely related to the severity of infections and the virulence of the influenza viruses that caused the pandemics. The 20th century pandemics have also shared similar characteristics. Planning for influenza pandemics will help strengthen the capacity of the health sector to respond to other adverse events. As part of our proactive efforts in this area, NFDA has sought out Pandemic Flu Emergency Action Plans from those states that currently have them in place. We are providing links to those plans. They are available for your review to ensure that the role and responsibility of funeral homes and funeral directors are represented in them. What is especially critical is to insure that all funeral home employees are part of the first group to be vaccinated. State Influenza Pandemic Plans: <a href="http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/index.html</a> National Influenza Pandemic Information and Strategy: <a href="http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/federal/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/federal/index.html</a> Pandemic Flu and Mass-Fatality Preparedness In a continuing effort to provide you with information on how to prepare for a potential pandemic influenza outbreak here in the United States, NFDA is providing four (4) White Papers on Mass Fatality Management for your information and use. Each paper is provided as a complete version, rather than a summary. NFDA feels that the information is too important and too detailed to do otherwise. These documents were prepared by attendees at an April 2006 conference at Ft. Monroe, Virginia sponsored by NORTHCOM and HHS. Attendees included NFDA President Bob Biggins and Sr. VP for Advocacy John Fitch along with local, state and federal emergency management, law enforcement and public health officials. Other funeral service groups attended as well. The purpose of the two-day exercise was to identify and address issues related to mass fatality management in a pandemic influenza environment. It was prompted by the confusion and lack of organization in dealing with the situation along the gulf coast and New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The attendees at this symposium were divided into four groups: scene operations; morgue operations, family assistance and funeral service and dispositions. Each group worked from a common set of assumptions and identified issues of specific relevance for their respective groups. At the end of the day, each group was tasked with producing recommendations on how to address the issues they identified. These white papers are the result of those deliberations. You are encouraged to use these documents with your emergency response and public health officials when you meet with them to develop a local and/or state pandemic influenza response plan. If you have any questions on any of the papers or their findings, please feel free to contact John Fitch in the NFDA Washington, DC office at 202-547-0441. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> pandemic fluprepare your funeral home Fri, 01 May 2009 19:26:11 GMT Smell Gives Away Problems at Polk Funeral Home http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000609#00000609 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000609.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> The state inspector knew right away something was amiss at the Lake Wales funeral home. There was no mistaking the foul stench wafting through the room. The inspector asked the funeral home's director, Lawrence Epps, about the condition of the body in the far corner. "There are bugs," Epps said. Inspector Jessica Morse asked Epps to remove the cover and unzip the body bag. When the outermost plastic covering was parted, dozens of flies emerged.   The body of the 75-year-old man, a Jamaican native, was covered in mold, maggots and other unidentified insects. Those were the findings of an investigation launched by the Florida Department of Financial Services into Epps Mortuary after Morse found the decomposed body during a routine inspection on March 26. Epps received the body on Dec. 22. The body was improperly embalmed, and for more than three months, it had stayed in the corner of the funeral home's preparation room without refrigeration, investigators say. On Wednesday, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink filed an emergency order against Epps, prohibiting the director from embalming bodies. Sink's department oversees funeral and cemetery services throughout the state. "This is reprehensible from a licensed professional in this industry," Sink said in a prepared statement. "This individual was entrusted to do an important and sacred job, and failed." Other sanctions against Epps Mortuary include: only state-licensed embalmers will perform the procedure at the business, 626 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. N., Lake Wales; bodies must be embalmed or refrigerated at a state-licensed facility within 24 hours of arrival; and licensees must report to the state any bodies that may be stored at Epps Mortuary for more than seven days. Epps told the inspector in March that he did not receive money from the man's family or social services of the City of Lake Wales for the disposition of the body, investigators say. The deceased man's name has not been released by authorities; in the emergency order, the body is referred to by the initials "B.P." The man was finally buried April 18 at Lake Wales Cemetery. Epps could not be reached for comment today. A woman answering the phone at the business said Epps was out of the state. The Department of Finacial Services is expected to file formal charges against Epps within the next several days, spokesman Kevin Cate said. The department will be seeking fines, but additional sanctions will depend on the outcome of a hearing before an administrative law judge and the decision of the State Board of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services, Cate said. Epps has the right to contest the charges. The funeral director has been disciplined by the board twice in the past, records show. In 1996, he was fined $100 for writing a bad check to pay for a required biomedical waste permit for the funeral home. Epps received a reprimand and paid the required costs. In 1998, Epps pleaded guilty to grand theft when he fraudulently transferred a real estate title to his son. He was fined $5,000 and placed on two years probation. The board also suspended his funeral license until he paid the fine and other costs. Article By: Ray Reyes, <a href="http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/apr/28/smell-gives-away-problems-polk-funeral-home/news-breaking/">Tampa Tribune</a> Reporter <a href="mailto:rreyes@tampatrib.com">Ray Reyes</a> can be reached at (813)259-7920. Photo: News Channel 8 photo by PAUL LAMISON Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeral homesmellpolk Fri, 01 May 2009 14:46:44 GMT It’s Not Just Another Funeral, It’s My Grand Departure http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000608#00000608 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000608.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Have you ever though about planning your own funeral? I will admit it; I was taken off guard when I was asked this question. To be honest, I have never thought about my own death. The thought of how I wanted my funeral to go really never crossed my mind. I am always thinking of other people’s funeral. Not that I want anyone I love to die, but I think it is a natural thought process to think about those who we love that could be nearing that point in their life. Maybe it is because I am around death and burials everyday, not sure, but I don’t think it is a bad thing to have in mind how I think I should celebrate the passing of someone I love. But to plan my own funeral and think about my own death, that really through me for a loop.   The topic arose when I was taking with my father about his thoughts on what funeral home he would use when my grandfather passed.  It sounds like a crazy topic, and my father thought it was quite depressing, but I hear of situations everyday that result in family feuds because of a difference in opinion between family members. After our discussion I asked my father if he had any requests for his funeral? He immediately flipped the question on me. That’s when it happened. I was frozen. It didn’t seem so weird asking the questions to someone else, but when I was asked, it got really weird. I am not sure why the thought has never really accrued to me to begin lining up my own sendoff requests. Maybe it is because I am only 26; I mean that is still pretty young right? I know I am not going to live forever, but I plan on living for a good while. As I began to think about the question, a million thoughts ran through my head. Some of them about the actual funeral, others about the things that need taken care of before I die. Thoughts like: tomorrow is never promised, what will happen to my wife and kids, I don’t have a living will….I could go on forever. After the rush of panic left me, I was able to really ponder the question. I answered my father with an embarrassed NO. I spend most of my days planning the passing of others, not myself. I have been encouraging others to be prepared when I myself am not. Following this exchanging I began to think about the end. To tell you the truth it was pretty gloomy. My initial thoughts were modeled after the traditional funeral. I was really not thinking outside the box. I mean I wanted the normal tribute video, music and a eulogy given by our pastor. That was it. I know the funeral home I want to use and where I want to be laid to rest. When thinking about the funerals for my loved ones and friends, my main concern was the funeral home or director they want to use. I never talked about the details of their service. It just so happens that a few days after the discussion I had with my father I received an email from a member of Connectingdirectors.com letting me know that the authors of “Grave Expectation: Planning the end Like There’s No Tomorrow”, were going to be on the Today show discussing their book the next morning. The authors; Sue Bailey and Carmen Flowers, are both members of CD.com so of course I tuned in.  After watching their interview I got a little “inspired” to rethink how I wanted my funeral to be. I immediately got online and purchase the book “Grave Expectation: Planning the end Like There’s No Tomorrow”, from Amazon.com. The book arrived two days later and I have been reading it since. I must say it has really put my thought process in another world! There is one chapter in the book that is all questions; the authors even leave you lines to write down your answers. Some questions are simple; others are more difficult. Each question gives you the opportunity to expand your service into a celebration! Of course there will be tears at your funeral but why not try to trump the tears with laughter? I have not finished the book yet, nor have I fully answered all of the questions. Some questions require much more thought and time to figure out. One thing I know for sure is, as I continue in my process of planning my own funeral, I feel confident that my funeral will be anything but traditional. I am going to think of it as my “Grand Departure” Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> funeralgrand send off Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:17:07 GMT Online, Death Is Not The Final Word http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000605#00000605 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000605.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> I ran across the following article today on <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/27/tech/main4970919.shtml">CBSnews.com</a>: In today's world of always-connected social media, there's no reason to stop interacting online simply because you're dead. A wave of new companies are starting to offer services such as virtual cemeteries where guests can visit and e-mail alerts set up by funeral homes to remind relatives near and wide about the anniversary of your death. Some companies even offer to e-mail your wayward relatives in danger of being left behind when the Rapture whisks you to the threshold of the Pearly Gates.   While such services seem to reach beyond the grave, a growing generation of funeral customers refuse to let death have the final word. "People have a desire to perpetuate not only for themselves, but for their loved ones, the story of their lives, and technology has all these new great ways of doing that," said John McQueen, owner of the Anderson McQueen funeral home. As baby boomers plunged headlong into online social media in recent years, they've become especially interested in upending the traditional philosophy that funerals are really meant for the survivors. After all, this is the "Me Generation." But beyond generational vagaries, technology now means a funeral merely begins a new virtual afterlife. And entrepreneurial companies are right there to make that happen. Los Angeles-based <a class="link" href="http://www.eternalspace.com/" target="new">EternalSpace.com</a> launched its Web site in March, offering a variety of virtual scenic locations online for a person's final resting place: A "Zen Garden," a "Lake View," a "Tropical Valley" and other options. Sold directly through funeral homes, the service allows a person or relatives to establish a pastoral grave site and add digital amenities such as the image of a park bench or mausoleum. Once there, visitors can purchase items to leave behind, such as flowers, religious icons and other trinkets symbolically important to the deceased, such as golf clubs, a horse saddle, a piano or trees that can grow over time. Prices for each range from $5 to $35 apiece. Typically, a funeral home includes the cost of a virtual world along with the price of a funeral service, said Jay Goss, vice president of development for the site. If bought separately, that scenic online site could cost a few hundred dollars, he said. "This gives people the opportunity to do not just flowers," Goss said. The Charlestown, Mass.-based online obituary site <a class="link" href="http://www.tributes.com/" target="new">Tributes.com</a> already has hundreds of thousands of profile pages, based on death information from the Social Security Administration. Soon, executives with the site expect to offer pre-death services, so people can plan their own online profiles to run after their funeral. "For many people, they're saying 'This is my celebration, and here are my thoughts,"' said John Heald, vice president of business development. "They're challenging us to do things out of the box." Michelle Costley of Tampa felt compelled to do something online when her father Thomas Michael Costley died in January. After a quick Google search for "Online Memorial," she found <a class="link" href="http://legacy.com/NS/" target="new">Legacy.com</a> and built a profile page with her father's picture, a place to donate to the National Kidney Foundation, a photo gallery and a memory book. "He was constantly on e-mail and a big <a class="link" href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="new">Facebook</a> fan, so I think he'd be appreciative," Michelle said. "The site has really been helpful to myself and others, I believe. Sometimes when I'm down, it's nice to pull up the site and be able to look at his face." For the Rest of the Article Please <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/27/tech/main4970919.shtml">Click Here</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> social mediaeternalspaceonlinedeathfinal word Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:44:29 GMT NY1 For You: Business Of Death, Part 1 http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000604#00000604 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000604.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Many people find themselves unprepared to make funeral arrangements when a loved one dies. In a special three-part NY1 For You series, reporter Susan Jhun covers the necessary knowledge to make an informed decision. While many are reluctant to discuss death, everyone's burial needs to be planned. "Death is part of the life cycle. It's never going to go away, you can't beat it," says Martin Kasdan, the president of the Metropolitan Funeral Directors' Association.   Kasdan says you may as well prepare for it, and to help, the State Department of Health has published a free booklet called "A Consumer's Guide To Arranging A Funeral." "It goes through all the details and lets you know what you're entitled to as far as information from the funeral director," says Kasdan. Such information includes price quotes for funeral and burial services. "It averages anywhere from $7,800 to $8,000, including funeral directors' costs, merchandise the families purchase from us and cemetery costs for the grave opening fees. It does not include the grave purchase," says Kasdan. "The casket itself can be an item of merchandise that ranges in prices from $495 in New York City, up to tens of thousands of dollars." Since prices vary widely depending on the funeral home and mementos and merchandize you choose, you have to do your homework. In the city, New Yorkers are protected by consumer law and funeral homes are regulated by three agencies - The State Department of Funeral Directing, The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Consumer Affairs. "Everybody is entitled to a general price list under both federal and state law and city law when you call a funeral home," says Kasdan. "In New York City, we have to post them in our lobbies so they are always available." For those who can't afford a funeral, the city Human Resources Administration offers help. "We always try to find somebody who will take responsibility for the body and if they can't pay or are on public assistance and meet the guidelines than our burial unit will work with them to help pay for the funeral expenses," says HRA Executive Deputy Commissioner Jane Corbett. If you don't want to burden your loved ones, you can prearrange your own funeral. "If somebody wants to do it in advance and establish a trust to go forward where the money remains in a trust until the death takes place, it's your choice on what you want to do, how you want to make it easier for your family who is going to survive you," says Kasdan. "Especially if you are a person who has no family, it really makes a great deal of sense to prearrange your funeral." To view a video of this story <a href="http://www.ny1.com/Content/features/98158/-i-ny1-for-you---i--business-of-death--part-1/Default.aspx">Click Here</a> Article By: Susan Jhun, <a href="http://www.ny1.com/Content/features/98158/-i-ny1-for-you---i--business-of-death--part-1/Default.aspx">NY1</a> Sponsors: <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> funeralnew yorkmetropalition funeral directors association Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:05:19 GMT EternalSpace™ Taps Funeral Industry Veterans for Sales Unveils Prominent Advisory Council Members http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000603#00000603 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000603.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> EternalSpace™ today announced its prestigious Advisory Council comprised of deathcare industry experts Alan Creedy, Gene Gormley, Francis E. Peters, Ph.D., Wade Clark Roof, Ph.D., Ryan Thogmartin, Timothy Totten, and Jack Wilsey.  The Advisory Council will play a key role in the development and evolution of <a href="http://www.eternalspace.com">EternalSpace</a> to ensure that the <a href="http://www.eternalspace.com">EternalSpace</a> online memorial service meets the changing needs of society and the company’s funeral industry partners.  In addition, the company introduced its sales leadership team, all funeral industry veterans.  Scott Billingsley manages the worldwide sales of EternalSpace online memorials as Vice President of Global Sales; Jeff Hatcher will manage the southeastern region; John Ledford will spearhead the western region, and James P. McGilley III will lead the mid-western region for EternalSpace.  “EternalSpace is privileged to work with some of the industry’s leading experts,” said EternalSpace President Jay Goss.  “With hundreds of years of combined experience and an intricate knowledge of our industry, our team’s understanding and insight will be vital in helping us meet the changing needs of our funeral industry partners and the families they serve.”   The EternalSpace Advisory Council •    Alan Creedy, President, Trust 100, began his career in deathcare 30 years ago as President of the financially distressed OGR Service Corporation, the for-profit arm of The Order of The  Golden Rule. After five years and the successful rebirth of thecompany, he became President of Brown-Wynne Funeral homes and cemeteries, which he continued to build and ultimately sold for the highest multiple paid at that time.  Concurrently, he and Mr. Wynne acquired J.J. Fallon Company, the 28th  largest retail florist in the FTD network.  After the sale of Brown-Wynne, Mr. Creedy became President of Trust 100, a company he helped found in 1985.  As President, he built the company to one of the largest preneed marketing  companies in the nation. •    Gene Gormley, a retired Funeral Director of almost 50 years, who started his career working at his father’s funeral home in New York.  In the mid-1960s, Mr. Gormley bought and ran his father’s funeral home in Phoenicia, New York, averaging 90 calls annually. •    Francis E. Peters, Ph. D., is a Professor Emeritus at New York University where he holds appointments in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, History and Religion.  Professor Peters is a pioneer in the comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and has written and lectured extensively.  He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Princeton University. •    Wade Clark Roof, Ph.D., is a Professor, Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who focuses on American religious trends, the sociology of religion, and ethnography.  He is a columnist on beliefnet.com and has been widely published.  Professor Roof is conducting research on religious pluralism and civic culture; progressive religious voices in the United States, and generations and religious change. •    Ryan Thogmartin, Founder of the innovative ConnectingDirectors.com, the industry’s only social network for funeral professionals that provides news, blogs and other industry information.  In addition, Mr. Thogmartin works in sales for his family's burial vault company, Hupp Stiverson Wilbert Vault Inc., which has been manufacturing Wilbert burial vaults for 82 years.   •    Timothy Totten, an industry veteran who owns and operates <a href="http://www.finalembrace.com">FinalEmbrace.com</a>, which helps funeral directors with marketing and management issues, and CotCovers.com, which produces quilted cot covers for removals at a death call.  Mr. Totten writes the industry’s largest blog and is the go-to resource for industry news and trends.  He has helped lead operations for both independent, family-owned and SCI corporate funeral homes and was licensed in preneed and insurance sales. •    Jack Wilsey, an industry veteran who has been a licensed New York State Funeral Director for over 32 years, with his brother owns and operates Seamon-Wilsey Funeral and E.B. Gormley Funeral Home, which averages 150 calls a year.   EternalSpace Sales Directors •    Scott Billingsley brings more than 32 years experience to EternalSpace and is skilled at developing and managing world-class sales teams that understand the nuances and needs of the funeral industry.  He is respected throughout the world as a funeral supply expert.  Prior to joining EternalSpace, Mr. Billingsley held increasingly senior management and sales leadership roles for Hillenbrand Industries, a $2 billion publicly-owned, Fortune 1000 company serving the healthcare and funeral service industries.  During his 30-year career with the Batesville Casket Division of Hillenbrand, Mr. Billingsley was involved in all aspects of sales and marketing, working as Regional Director, Director of Marketing and Director of National Accounts.  He spent the last 12 years serving as Director of International Development where he more than tripled revenues.  While with the company Mr. Billingsley was charged with establishing Batesville United Kingdom.  •    Jeff Hatcher brings almost 20 years of military, business and funeral industry experience to EternalSpace.   Before joining the company, Mr. Hatcher was Owner and President of CMG, Inc., a regional mortuary operations company based in the Southeast.  Prior to that Mr. Hatcher worked as National Sales Director/Area Sales Manager for Service Corporation International and another national pre-need insurance company, where he managed sales for 14 states. •    John Ledford has more than 24 years of experience in the funeral industry in advanced planning and in pre-need cemetery and pre-need funeral services.  Most recently, Mr. Ledford was a Regional Director with Forethought Financial Services.  He has also worked at Service Corporation International and Urban-Winkler Funeral Home.  His vast knowledge of the funeral industry and his experience with customers gives him valuable insight in helping funeral homes build effective strategies.  Mr. Ledford is a licensed funeral director. •    James P. McGilley III has more than 40 years of experience in the deathcare industry, including management responsibility for operations, sales, and marketing, and expertise in establishing regional and national markets.  Over his career he acquired in-depth knowledge of advance funeral planning and cemetery pre-need sales.  Mr. McGilley has worked with McGilley Memorial Chapels, Service Corporation International, Kuper Consulting Group, and other leading firms.  He is a licensed funeral director. About EternalSpace Headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., EternalSpace is the premier online memorial service for the funeral industry.  The company’s immersive EternalSpace memorials are changing the way society pays tribute to loved ones by providing a personalized online destination where lives are celebrated, honored, and remembered.  By leveraging EternalSpace.com, funeral homes, crematories and cemeteries can meet the evolving needs of their families while securing an opportunity to generate perpetual income. EternalSpace memorials are distributed through the company’s funeral industry partners. The EternalSpace sales and management teams are comprised of funeral and technology industry veterans, supported by an Advisory Council of experienced deathcare experts.  For more information, visit <a href="http://www.eternalspace.com">www.EternalSpace.com</a> or call 323.284.5300. Sponsors: <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" border="0" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" border="0" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a> eternalspaceadvisory councilryan thogmartintim totten Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:50:55 GMT Matthews International Announces Second Quarter Earnings and Declares Quarterly Dividend http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000602#00000602 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000602.gif" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Matthews International Corporation (Nasdaq: <a href="http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=MATW" target="_new"> MATW</a>) today announced earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. Net income for the Company's fiscal 2009 second quarter was $12,742,000, representing earnings per share of $0.42. The fiscal 2009 second quarter results included unusual charges of approximately $5,300,000 (pre-tax), or $0.11 per share, which primarily consisted of costs related to the consolidation of certain production operations within the Company's Bronze segment, severance costs in connection with cost structure initiatives in certain of the Company's other businesses and asset adjustments resulting from current market conditions. Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 was $20,283,000, or $0.65 per share.   Sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2009 were $197,362,000, compared to $197,827,000 in the same quarter a year ago. Second quarter sales for the current fiscal year included the impact of the Company's acquisition in May 2008 of Saueressig GmbH & Co. KG ("Saueressig"). Saueressig reported sales of approximately $24,800,000 for the fiscal 2009 second quarter. Operating profit for the three months ended March 31, 2009 was $23,439,000. Operating profit for the fiscal 2009 second quarter included approximately $4,900,000 of the unusual charges noted above. Operating profit was $34,392,000 for the same period last year. Changes in foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar were estimated to have an unfavorable impact of approximately $8,900,000 and $1,100,000, respectively, on the Company's sales and operating profit compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2008. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Net income for the six months ended March 31, 2009 was $24,031,000, representing earnings per share of $0.79. The year-to-date fiscal 2009 results included unusual charges of approximately $11,900,000 (pre-tax), or $0.25 per share, which primarily consisted of severance and other costs related to the consolidation of certain production operations within the Company's Bronze segment, severance costs in connection with cost structure initiatives in certain of the Company's other businesses and asset adjustments resulting from current market conditions. In addition, fiscal 2009 earnings included the favorable effect of a one-time adjustment of $0.03 per share to income tax expense recorded in the fiscal 2009 first quarter. This adjustment related to the Company's ability to utilize a European tax loss carryover generated in prior years. Net income for the six months ended March 31, 2008 was $37,714,000, or $1.21 per share. Fiscal 2008 earnings included the favorable effect of a one-time adjustment of $0.06 per share to income tax expense recorded in the Company's fiscal 2008 first quarter. This adjustment represented the impact on deferred income taxes resulting from certain income tax rate reductions in Europe. Sales for the six months ended March 31, 2009 were $388,648,000, compared to $380,175,000 in the same period last year, representing an increase of 2.2%. The increase in sales was principally attributable to the acquisition of Saueressig. Saueressig reported sales of approximately $50,200,000 for the first six months of fiscal 2009. Operating profit for the six months ended March 31, 2009 was $43,518,000. Fiscal 2009 operating profit included approximately $10,700,000 of the unusual charges noted above. Operating profit was $61,170,000 for the same period last year. Changes in foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar were estimated to have an unfavorable impact of approximately $14,100,000 and $1,700,000, respectively, on the Company's year-to-date sales and operating profit compared to the six months ended March 31, 2008. In discussing the results for the second quarter and first six months of the fiscal year, Joseph C. Bartolacci, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "Our consolidated results for the fiscal 2009 second quarter were in line with our internal projections and the updated earnings guidance that we provided in March 2009. However, fiscal 2009 continues to be a very challenging year for Matthews. The tough economic climate is affecting all of our businesses, both in Memorialization and Brand Solutions. Unit volume, net pricing and product mix have been impacted in our Bronze and Casket businesses. In addition, there was a decline in the death rate in the most recent quarter in many of our markets. These factors adversely impacted the operating results for both of these Memorialization segments. However, sales for our Cremation segment increased from a year ago, due primarily to the recent acquisition of a small European cremation equipment manufacturer." "The current recession also continues to impact unit volume and pricing in our Brand Solutions businesses. While reported sales for our Graphics Imaging business were supported by the impact of last year's acquisition of Saueressig, sales in the existing businesses declined year-over-year. Our Merchandising Solutions business reported a slight improvement in sales for the most recent quarter, but the order rate as we move into the second half of the fiscal year is difficult to project. Our Marking Products business continues to be the most economically sensitive of our segments due to the nature of its products and, as expected, reported a significant decline in sales and profits for the fiscal 2009 second quarter." Mr. Bartolacci further stated: "Matthews is a Company that historically has been able to consistently deliver higher earnings on a year-over-year basis and, even though the current results can be attributed in large part to the severity of the recession, we are not satisfied with our recent operating performance. Our Board and management teams are continuing to challenge our businesses to improve cost structures, as evidenced by the level of unusual charges this year. In addition, we are challenging our sales and marketing teams to find top-line growth opportunities in this increasingly difficult and price-competitive climate. As a result, we fully expect to exit this recession a stronger company. At this time, we are maintaining the updated guidance we provided in March 2009, but we continue to remain cautious in this economic environment. This guidance projects only a modest decline (less than 8%) in earnings per share from last year, excluding the impact of the unusual items from both periods." <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>The Board of Directors of Matthews International Corporation also declared at its regularly scheduled meeting today a dividend of $0.065 per share on the Company's common stock for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. The dividend is payable May 18, 2009 to stockholders of record May 4, 2009. Matthews International Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products and brand solutions. Memorialization products consist primarily of bronze memorials and other memorialization products, caskets and cremation equipment for the cemetery and funeral home industries. Brand solutions include graphics imaging products and services, marking products, and merchandising solutions. The Company's products and services include cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products; caskets; cast and etched architectural products; cremation equipment and cremation-related products; mausoleums; brand management; printing plates and cylinders, pre-press services and imaging services for the primary packaging and corrugated industries; marking and coding equipment and consumables, and industrial automation products for identifying, tracking and conveying various consumer and industrial products, components and packaging containers; and merchandising display systems and marketing and design services. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are included pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from management's expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct. Factors that could cause the Company's results to differ materially from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements principally include changes in economic conditions, competitive environment, death rate, foreign currency exchange rates, and technological factors beyond the Company's control. SOURCE: Matthews International Corporation matthews internationalearningsfuneral Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:12:47 GMT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PRODUCT ROLLOUT IN BAY AREA SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS’ CASKET & URN http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000601#00000601 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000601.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Christy Vault Company, Inc., a leading local supplier to the funeral and cemetery industry is the exclusive West Coast distributor of Eternal Image products.  Eternal Image is the manufacturer of the first ever brand licensed funeral product. All members of the sports/news/business media are invited to view for the first time the product line of Major League Baseball’s licensed San Francisco Giants’ casket, urn and urn vault which will be on display in Colma, April 30, 2009. The media “viewing” of the product will take place at Colma’s historic Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, located at 1370 El Camino Real, Colma, California.  Product and representatives will be on site from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Major League caskets and urns were featured on national broadcast media earlier within the year.  This media date represents the debut of the product to the Bay Area and an opportunity for local media to have a first look at this unique offering to it’s sports fans. For further information, contact Christy Vault Company at 1-800-229-8285. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:03:58 GMT Illinois' Losses Little Compared to Service's $1 Billion Shortfall http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000600#00000600 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000600.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Losses in a pre-need funeral trust fund once administered by the Illinois Funeral Directors Association don’t look like much compared to the collapse of a pre-need funeral empire based in Missouri and Texas. Founded by a disbarred lawyer who went to prison in the 1980s after being convicted of fraud, National Prearranged Services in St. Louis once did business across the nation, pitching to funeral home directors and consumers.   Consumers would buy funeral contracts from NPS that were funded with life insurance policies that paid out to funeral homes upon death. Under state laws, funeral homes that agreed to do business with NPS were obligated to pay for funerals if something went wrong. And things went horribly wrong last year. <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>The insurance policies were issued by two Texas-based companies affiliated with NPS. At some point, regulators say, policies were switched from whole life insurance, which has some value so long as premiums are paid and remains in force until death, to term life insurance, which expires after a set period of time and has no value unless someone dies. Financial ruin ensued. According to regulators in Texas who spearheaded investigations into NPS, the company and its affiliated insurance companies had a shortfall of nearly $1 billion. Texas last year ordered the two insurance companies to stop selling policies and forced them into receivership. In Illinois, where NPS sold about 16,000 funeral contracts involving 200 funeral homes, state Comptroller Dan Hynes quietly warned funeral directors to avoid NPS in 2007 and ordered the company to stop doing business in Illinois in January 2008. The FBI has launched a criminal inquiry, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which says that agents have contacted funeral directors to inquire about their dealings with NPS. The company’s collapse has prompted the Missouri legislature to tighten up laws governing the sale of pre-need funeral contracts. <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Although NPS losses are much greater than losses from the IFDA’s troubled trust, funeral directors obligated to provide funerals aren’t losing as much money because insurance guaranty associations are paying the face value of policies from funds set up to cover policyholders in the event insurance companies become insolvent. Article By: <a href="mailto:bruce.rushton@sj-r.com">Bruce Rushton</a> can be reached at 788-1542. funeral fundslossesillinios Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:47:45 GMT New York Pre-need Funeral Trust System Sets Example http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000599#00000599 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000599.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> In New York state, funeral directors believe in boring. Unlike Illinois, where pre-need funeral trust funds have been spent on complex life insurance policies and some money ended up in the stock market, New York funeral directors there say they have no fancy investments. There are no astronomical returns, no dizzying losses, no salesmen pitching funeral directors on can’t-miss investment schemes in hopes of collecting commissions.   In New York, pre-need funeral trusts are funded by FDIC-backed certificates of deposit. It is the only state that doesn’t allow pre-need funeral trusts to be funded with life insurance. And every penny consumers give to funeral directors must be put into trust. Not so in Illinois, where a pre-need trust that is supposed to pay for funerals for more than 40,000 residents is tens of millions of dollars out of whack. The fund’s value was written down by $59 million last fall, and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association is facing lawsuits from funeral homes and consumers who allege fiscal mismanagement and flat-out greed. The fund is heavily invested in life insurance policies on funeral directors. Rather than being fixed, payouts depend on the performance of investments made with premium money. “What we have is very simple here,” says Bonnie McCullough, executive director of the New York Funeral Directors Association. “It all comes down to the same old trite cliche: ‘If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true.’” <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>While pre-need trust funds in Illinois and elsewhere have tanked, putting funeral directors on the hook for millions of dollars in losses, funeral directors in New York have never lost money on a trust fund of more than a half-billion dollars that is pledged for about 70,000 funerals. The rates of return don’t sizzle but have been steady between 3 percent and 4.5 percent a year. In Illinois, funeral trust administrators are allowed to take 25 percent of a trust’s earnings in fees. In New York, management fees are capped at .0075 percent of the principal, so there’s no incentive to maximize returns by making risky investments. While Illinois allows funeral directors to keep 5 percent of the money upfront — and up to 15 percent of the cost of a burial vault — New York requires that all money from consumers be invested in trust. Any interest earned also belongs to contract purchasers. If no services are provided, funeral directors in Illinois can still keep $300 or 10 percent of payments from consumers, whichever is less. “You’re stealing from a dead person — even though they’re alive, you’re stealing from them,” says D.J. Davis, who owns a funeral home near Carbondale. “It’s just like grave robbing. … The business practices are just not right with this profession.” <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Davis says every penny from contract purchasers should be invested in trust, and funeral directors should not be allowed to take anything upfront or keep money if services aren’t provided. He said he’s lost money to a competitor who keeps $300 when pre-need contract purchasers switch to his funeral home. But Davis is up against some powerful interests in a state where funeral homes and funeral trade groups have made more than $1 million in campaign contributions since the mid-1990s. Consumers will suffer if funeral directors and cemeteries are barred from taking a percentage of deposits, warns Harvey Lapin, general counsel for the Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association. Lapin cites a 1979 letter from Federal Trade Commission attorneys who told Illinois lawmakers that barring contract sellers from keeping percentages of sale proceeds would inhibit competition. Roughly half the states require contract sellers to deposit all money from consumers in trusts or other investment mechanisms, but consumers in states such as Nevada, which allows sellers to keep 30 percent of money from contract purchasers, have more competition, Lapin said. Contract sellers need a percentage of money upfront to pay for advertising and other expenses, he said. Otherwise, pre-need funerals are sold almost by accident, when consumers seek out funeral homes instead of the other way around. Article By: <a href="mailto:bruce.rushton@sj-r.com">Bruce Rushton</a>, THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Bruce Rushton can be reached at 788-1542. funeral preneednew york preneed Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:44:13 GMT Marilyn Jones Gould Receives NFDA’s 2009 Initiative Award http://www.connectingdirectors.com/members/connectdirectors/blog/VIEW+00000071+00000598#00000598 <img src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/blog/00000598.jpg" border=0 vspace=5 hspace=5 align=left> Marilyn Jones Gould, president and co-founder of MKJ Marketing in Largo, Fla., has been recognized with the National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) 2009 Initiative Award. Presented during NFDA’s Professional Women’s Conference, April 17-19, in Austin, Texas, the NFDA Initiative Award recognizes an enterprising woman who has made substantial professional contributions to funeral service or a related field.   “Marilyn’s personal and professional accomplishments truly embody the spirit behind NFDA’s Initiative Award,” said Connie Smith, senior vice president of NFDA’s Professional Development Division. “Her progressive programs have had a profound impact on countless funeral service professionals and the profession as a whole.”   Gould’s involvement in funeral service began when she served as public relations director of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association (OFDA); she then went on to serve as director of Batesville Management Services, a division of Batesville Casket Company. In 1982, Gould founded MKJ Marketing (formerly M.K. Jones & Associates), a marketing and advertising agency that provides services to funeral homes, cemeteries and suppliers in areas of market research, advertising, training programs and Website development.   <a href="http://www.funeralhomeaccounting.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" alt="cooperschoffcpa400x75.gif" /></a>Gould’s pioneering spirit was evident early in her career. During her tenure with OFDA, Gould developed several educational initiatives, including the first death education program for high school and college students; the first symposium for inter-professionals at a local medical school; and the first death education program for adult learners, in conjunction with publishing a book that was included in the curriculum.   Gould’s initiative and strong ability to connect with funeral service professionals was quickly recognized; she became the first female executive at Batesville Casket Company, where she was appointed director of management services. While at Batesville, Gould created numerous public relations and advertising programs that were used in more than 4,000 schools nationwide. She also produced two notable videos: One focused on living life after the death of a loved one, featuring grief experts Rabbi Earl Grollman and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross; the second, “Planning Ahead” – a Silver Screen Award-winning film –  emphasized the benefits of preplanning.   As president of MKJ Marketing, Gould makes it her personal mission to strengthen the skill sets of funeral service professionals so they can better serve the needs of every family. Gould regularly travels to funeral homes and cemeteries across the United States and Canada to observe funeral service professionals in their own environment and provide counsel in matters related to sales, cremation and customer service.  Gould’s highly sought-after expertise can be garnered through various MKJ Marketing resources, such as DVD training systems and a comprehensive selection of television, radio and newspaper advertisements. Gould also conducts seminars throughout the country on topics relevant to funeral service professionals, such as public speaking, green burial, creating effective newsletters and offering reception services for greater convenience to families.            <a href="http://www.farnsworthgowns.com"><img style="border: 0pt none; float: left;" title="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" src="http://www.connectingdirectors.com/l1/connectdirectors/appdata/hp/admin/DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" alt="DCAVT-farnsworthgowns375x75.gif" /></a>Currently serving a second term on the Funeral Service Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Gould is committed to her profession on a local and national level. Gould is a past president of Tampa Bay Advertising Federation, and a previous board member of Northside School and St. Petersburg Mortuary School. In addition to serving as executive director of Preferred Funeral Directors International and her active involvement with the National Speaker’s Association, Gould has been recognized by Outstanding Women of America, Who’s Who of A