The Morte Girls

Author: themortegirls

Keep the Conversation Going Q & A With Henry Johnston

American Funeral Director, June 2021
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We Compost Trash, Not Our Mothers

“I visited Auschwitz a couple times. Always the guards will tell you, people ask, what happened to the remains? Well, you know what happened? The farmers came from around and used it as a fertilizer,” said Bishop DiMarizio in an interview.
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A Dying Business

One upon a time, a young woman walked into a funeral home in Queens, New York. She needed an after-school job to earn some money, while she worked her way through college, and the funeral home was hiring. She had dreams of one day becoming a great writer. Well, if not a great one, at…
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Let’s Be Truthful

Another potential hurdle in the job market is the proposed change in New York State’s licensing regulations. The state is considering allowing non-licensed individuals to handle removals. We, as experienced professionals, view this as a significant mistake. Allowing unlicensed individuals to perform tasks that require a license undermines the professionalism of our industry. Moreover, it…
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Our Latest Interview

In our recent interview with Authority Magazine, we reiterate the importance of funeral service & how we continue to uphold cherished traditions. Clearly, the Covid pandemic underscored (in a major way) what any funeral director can tell you: #funeralsmatter.
Read more: Our Latest Interview
Keep the Conversation Going Q & A with Salvatore Stratis and Jeffrey Gaines of Abigal Inc.

It was informative, and fun, to sit down with Sal & Jeff from Abigal Press for an interview about the printing company that has done exemplary work for funeral homes since 1936. The friends, and business partners had a lot to say about the work they’ve done, their unique view of history, and what they…
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Moonrise at Green-Wood Cemetery: A Night to Remember

Last night, the Morte Girls attended Moonrise, a most unique event at Green-Wood Cemetery. It was a two mile stroll through the grounds, after dark, on a perfect fall evening . Along the way, we encountered performance artists stationed in and around some of Green-Wood’s many notable mausoleums and monuments. Food stations, too, were available.Our…
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Pinelawn Memorial Park: The Cemetery That Forgot Compassion

For most people, a cemetery is a place of solemnity, ritual, and closure. For me—and for too many families I’ve served—it has also become a place of dread. My own family endured appalling treatment at my mother’s funeral in 2015, and again at the funerals of my uncle in 2017 and my aunt in 2019.…
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Post Pandemic Funeral Service – Can We Find Some Normalcy?

As the winter of 2020 turned to spring, the death toll from Covid-19 seemed insurmountable. For funeral directors, it was the darkest and most challenging time we’ve ever faced. In an industry built on personal contact and a deep sense of tradition, we could count on neither. “The idea of not being able to do…
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I Want to Watch

An essential component of our role as funeral directors is to maintain the sanctity of our work and protect the privacy of those in our care. Something that continues to trouble me is the prurient interest some have in the most private part of funeral service. “I want to watch. Can I?” It is an…
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