The Morte Girls

Author: themortegirls

The Real Death Deniers

Perhaps it’s a consequence of being on social media, but barely a day Perhaps it’s a consequence of being on social media, but barely a day passes that we don’t read some nonsense article, post or tweet about funeral service. Shooting ashes into space, turning cremains into bullets (Seriously, With all the gun violence these…
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Women In Funeral Service, Circa 1900

By Melissa Johnson Williams These pages are from the funeral service publications of the early 1900’s called The Casket and The Sunnyside. As can be seen in these photos women are prominent in the care of the dead, specifically teaching embalming. More than 100 years ago these women lead the way for every woman practitioner…
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Funeral Customs

By Melissa Johnson Williams While browsing for other books about funerals, I happened upon this. I love the description of it from Amazon. All reviewers give it 5 stars. “A funeral is a ceremony marking a person’s death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead,…
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Honoring Memorial Day

By Melissa Johnson Williams During the early days of the Civil War, it became apparent that there was a need to identify and develop space for cemeteries to honor those who fought for their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice. On July 17, 1862 Congress authorized the President to purchase cemetery grounds “for soldiers who…
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When My Yiayia Died

Marjorie Kunch is a funeral director, and writer, based in Arizona. When her grandmother died, Kunch, the mother of two young children, searched for books to answer the questions her two young children had about funeral rituals. Not able to find what she was looking for, Kunch decided to write her own book. Written…
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Embalming Facts & Myths

The Value of Viewing the Deceased By Melissa Johnson Williams Every family that experiences the death of a loved one will have a very important decision to make. That decision is whether or not to see their loved one prior to either burial or cremation. This decision should not be taken…
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The Journey Begins

Alexandra Kathryn Mosca, and Doris V. Amen, are two well-known and respected names in funeral service.
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“The Morbid Truth About Working as a Mortician”

This recent piece on Ranker, titled “The Morbid Truth About Working as a Mortician” was called to our attention. Apart from the redundant terms funeral director/mortician (an antiquated term, as well), the author is on the mark in titling item #1 It’s Hard to Break Into the Death Industry. A couple of our colleagues came…
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A Funeral for the Ages

I was honored and humbled to be among the thousands of mourners inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning for the funeral Mass of Det. Steven McDonald. The police office, who was paralyzed in a 1986 shooting became a symbol of forgiveness and compassion, inspiring so many. There was not an empty seat in St. Pat’s,…
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Funeral of Det. Steven McDonald: A Symbol of Forgiveness and Compassion

I was honored and humbled to be among the thousands of mourners inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning for the funeral Mass of Det. Steven McDonald. The police office, who was paralyzed in a 1986 shooting became a symbol of forgiveness and compassion, inspiring so many. There was not an empty seat in St. Pat’s,…
Read more: Funeral of Det. Steven McDonald: A Symbol of Forgiveness and Compassion