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A “Contemporary” Funeral Home
Read more: A “Contemporary” Funeral HomeWe’ve noticed, recently, several funeral homes billing themselves as “modern” or “contemporary.” They claim to have a new way of doing things; that they are bringing a new awareness to death and making it less sad. Really!? Light and airy reposing rooms will not change the abject sorrow felt by a family whose daughter has…
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I Want to Watch
Read more: I Want to WatchAn 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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Five Things
Read more: Five ThingsFive Things I’ve learned in my long career as a funeral director I was pleased to share my view of funeral service with Life. Death. Whatever., gleaned from the work I’ve done, the experiences of my colleagues, and the perspective of the thousands of families I’ve served over the years. Despite what you may read…
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How a Common Death Ritual Made It Harder to Mourn the Loss of My Mother ————-Say What!?
Read more: How a Common Death Ritual Made It Harder to Mourn the Loss of My Mother ————-Say What!?We can barely contain our disgust at this article. In essence, the writer is complaining that the funeral home made her deceased mother look too good, and it has traumatized her. She writes: “I thought she was alive again. She looked better than she had for years. Her skin was pink and smooth; her hair,…
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6 Important Facts We Can Learn From the Funeral of President George H.W. Bush
Read more: 6 Important Facts We Can Learn From the Funeral of President George H.W. BushSome insist that traditional funerals are a thing of the past. But the funeral of President George H. W. Bush showed the world otherwise. As soon as the death of the 41st U.S. president was announced, the nation clamored for the impending funeral details. Many wanted to make plans to travel to Washington to pay…
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Definition of Funeral Service
Read more: Definition of Funeral ServiceSouthern Calls is a prestigious funeral service journal. The SouthernCalls.com website has interesting articles and images on their pages that are a mix of old and new. The Funeral Profession page has two separate pages, The Present and The Past. The Present page has this as its headline: THE PRESENT Steeped in history, defined by…
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3 Myths About Green Burials: A Funeral Director’s Perspective
Read more: 3 Myths About Green Burials: A Funeral Director’s PerspectiveIn funeral parlance, ‘green burial’ may be the most hyped phrase around. References to this ‘new’ and seemingly popular type of disposition seem to be everywhere these days, particularly in the press. And since we, or a loved one, may be headed in that direction, we might have looked up the subject. Reading those stories…
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Read more: John Fitzgerald KennedyBy Melissa Johnson Williams Those of us who witnessed the events 56 years ago of President Kennedy’s assassination, remember it vividly. He was so much more than just our President. He was of course a husband, father, son, brother, and friend to many. He was a decorated war hero and an inspiration to generations of…
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The Real Death Deniers
Read more: The Real Death DeniersPerhaps 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…