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Cover photo of lower Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park taken by Greg Abbott.
January 2002
Cremation: "Second-Class Citizens Stripped Of Respect?" Ron Hast
Council members governing the city of Hamilton, Ohio, were looking for ways to economize and find more money to efficiently fund the needs of the city. Council board member and homeless counselor Kathy Becker opposed the proposition to provide lower cost cremation in place of burial expense, reasoning that "the proposed ordinance would have treated low-income and indigent residents as second-class citizens and would have stripped them of respect."
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at moving a decedent to another location, why funeral directors are well advised to address matters of morbid obesity in the general price list, growth of the NFDA, death statistics and glasses on the dead.
Help Grieving Teens While Marketing Your Funeral Home Ursula Hull
Recent world events have brought home the issue of grieving for all of us. The atrocities committed against our nation have affected both children and adults, and the loss of lives has been difficult to endure. Grief, either on a world-wide level, or caused by a personal tragedy, is still one of the hardest emotions to overcome.
Dead And Gone Thomas Lynch
I've been a funeral director for 30 years. I've waited with the families of abducted children, foreign missionaries, tornado victims, drowned toddlers, Peace Corps volunteers, firefighters overcome by flames, passengers in fallen planes, Vietnam and Gulf War casualties -- waiting for their dead to be found and counted, identified and returned to them from whatever damage or disaster claimed them. And I've heard no few well-meaning igno-ramuses suggest that the body in the box, there among the gladioli and hushed respects, was "just a shell" or "only the tent" or some other metaphor to minimize the loss. They meant, of course, to say that our souls outlive us, that we are more than blood and bone and corporeality.
Independent Contractors Douglas O. Meyer
For a variety of reasons, employers often would prefer to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. The reasons why are explored.
Ashes Mistaken For Anthrax (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Tired of the red tape involved in proving her son dead, a woman sent a baggie containing some of his ashes to the company processing his student loans.
Mummification More Sophisticated Than Thought (Bristol, England)
Researchers have discovered that the ancient Egyptians prepared mummies in ways more complex than previously known, using such embalming materials as plant oils, tree resin and beeswax.
Dead On Arrival (Maplewood, New Jersey)
An 80-year-old man who had told his family that he would drive himself to the funeral home "when it was his time," did exactly as he promised.
A Scandalous Will (Afitos, Greece)
An eccentric Greek millionaire left his home town a fortune in his will, but in order to receive it, he first wanted tantalizing details of relatives' sex lives to be publicly exposed.
Contracts To Be Honored (Woonsocket, Rhode Island)
Prepaid funeral funds for an estimated 225 people were discovered missing from a funeral home that closed last year, but the current owner pledged to honor the prepaid contracts.
Preneed Funds Embezzled (Sparta, North Carolina)
Two former funeral home workers have been accused of stealing nearly $75,000 from elderly customers.
Grave-Digger Operating Skull-Sale Sideline (Lagos, Nigeria)
A Nigerian grave digger with a sideline in the sale of human skulls was arrested while trying to deliver two fresh specimens to a customer.
Ancient Doctor's Tomb Discovered (Sakkara, Egypt)
Archaeologists in Sakkara, near the Egyptian capital Cairo, have unearthed the oldest-known tomb of a pharaonic surgeon, dating back over 4,000 years.
Estate May Be Liable (Espanola, New Mexico)
The state funeral board is encouraging people who purchased prepaid funeral services from a former Espać’˛la funeral home to file claims against the owner's estate.
Cemetery Problem For Airline (Tel Aviv, Israel)
A plea to allow ultra-Orthodox Jews of priestly heritage to fly inside body bags -- to avoid becoming ritually "unclean" while traveling over a Jewish cemetery -- was rejected by Israel's El Al airline.
Free Lunch (Timaru, New Zealand)
Uninvited mourners in New Zealand have been attending strangers' funerals for years to get free food.
The Most Wanted Remains (Portland, Oregon)
Five years after his discovery, the oldest skeleton ever found in the Northwest is still in a custody battle between scientists and Native Americans, who made their most recent stand in a federal court in Portland.
Sentencing Completed (Granite City, Illinois)
The former owner of two Granite City funeral homes who stole nearly $1 million over a 10-year period from prepaid accounts was sentenced to three years of probation and six months of home confinement.
Out For Good (Daytona Beach, Florida)
The couple who formerly operated two Daytona Beach cemeteries are banned from ever again running a business in the Florida funeral industry as part of their settlement with the state.
Coffin Renting Arrives In Ireland (Dublin, Ireland)
A funeral home in Ireland is renting out hardwood coffins to meet growing demands to cut funeral costs and spare precious timber.
Grave Robbers Sentenced (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Two men were sentenced to jail and restitution following the break-in of two family burial vaults, in which century-old skeletal remains were scattered and five skulls were stolen.
Gravestone Considered For Museum Display (Plainfield, Wisconsin)
The stolen headstone of Ed Gein, the grave robber and murderer whose story inspired the Alfred Hitchcock movie "Psycho," was considered for safekeeping in a museum after being recovered.
World Trade Center Memorial (New York, New York)
Since the World Trade Center attack on September 11 there have been no shortage of ideas for a memorial for the thousands of people who died there.
Bucking The System (Norfolk, Virginia)
A Norfolk funeral director who has been causing tension within the industry for years says that being a maverick comes at a high price.
Cover photo of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains taken by Greg Abbott.
February 2002
Hillenbrand Embraces Pets Ron Hast
We have confirmed with Hillenbrand Industries of Batesville, Indiana, their current efforts in pet death care -- Lasting Friends. They have presently identified veterinarians as the key potential customer/provider of services and products relating to the death of pets, with (it is hoped) the cooperation of regional humane societies. Here's a look at how Hillenbrand explains it.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at the "styles" of email messages, postal employees becoming disturbed and a look at Hollywood Forever (formerly Hollywood Cemetery).
Six Steps To Marketing Without Being Morbid Scott P. DeMenter
For funeral professionals who work directly with the public, marketing has always posed a unique dilemma. They provide products and services for an event that is both universal and inevitable, yet are often unable to shake people's negative impressions of the industry. How can this be? We look at six steps demonstrating simple but effective strategies to implement positive associations.
Dealing With Difficult Families Douglas O. Meyer
These scenarios are all too common for funeral directors. Dealing with a difficult family forces a funeral director to walk a tightrope between conflicting impulses. So what can you do about these dilemmas? Here are a few thoughts.
Life As A Funeral Director (Portsmouth, Virginia)
A Portsmouth funeral director says his occupation puts a damper on dating, among other things.
Oregon Establishes New Preneed Rules (Portland, Oregon)
The state has adopted new rules to help safeguard preneed funds.
Grave Decoration Conflict (Zillah, Washington)
City officials warned a grieving mother that she could face $1,500 in fines for refusing to remove toys and other decorations from her 11-year-old son's grave.
Funeral Home Shut (St. Martinville, Louisiana)
The state funeral board ordered a woman to shut her funeral home for allegedly operating without a funeral director's license and improperly using funds.
Grave Robbers Sentenced (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Two men were sentenced to jail and restitution following the break-in of two family burial vaults, in which century-old skeletal remains were scattered and five skulls were stolen.
Funeral Procession Tragedy (Wallingford, Pennsylvania)
A tractor-trailer plowed into a funeral procession in Wallingford, killing two people and injuring 10 others.
Crossing The Borders (Brussels, Belgium)
The European Federation of Funeral Services has called for legislation by the European Union to enable easier cross-border transfer of corpses.
Girl Crushed At Cemetery (Bordeaux, France)
A seven-year-old French girl died after being crushed by a cross that fell from a tombstone as she and her family visited her brother's grave, police say.
Long Gone (Marburg, Germany)
A German woman lay dead in her apartment for more than 10 months before her decomposed corpse was finally found by police.
Hundreds Of Ancient Tombs Discovered (Zhengzhou, China)
Excavations for a business park in central China have uncovered more than 1,000 ancient tombs, some dating back nearly 3,000 years.
Rampant Cemetery Thefts (Harare, Zimbabwe)
Rampant thefts of tombstones and funeral wreaths have been taking place at cemeteries in Harara, capital of Zimbabwe.
Incarceration Of The Body Snatchers (Verbania, Italy)
Two men who stole the dead body of Italy's most famed banker and demanded a ransom from the grieving family for its return have been sentenced to over a year in prison.
Bill Requires Return Of Native Remains (San Diego, California)
For years, institutions across California have possessed artifacts taken from Native American gravesites, but a new law could make them return the items to the tribes.
No Toes For Toe Tag (Eberswalde, Germany)
A woman buried a stranger instead of her husband following a mix-up in the morgue of a German hospital.
Successful Succession (San Jose, California)
Succession planning is a more important issue in the funeral profession than many other trades, considering the number of family-owned funeral homes that have continued through many generations.
Formalde-high (Seattle, Washington)
The growing fad among drug users of dipping cigarettes in embalming fluid has become such a trend that it is referred to in rap lyrics and has drug counselors all too familiar with its intense, sometimes volatile high.
Arlington Bill (Washington, D.C.)
A House committee approved legislation that would expand burial privileges at Arlington National Cemetery by removing an age requirement for reservists.
Baby Memorial (Middlesbrough, England)
A memorial will be created to commemorate more than 2,000 stillborn babies that for decades were buried in mass graves.
The Next Generation (Chicago, Illinois)
While funeral web-casting is still considered by many to be a novelty, it is being adopted by more funeral homes around the country to enhance their services.
Cemetery Rules Divide Community (Valley Center, California)
Four months after the Valley Center Cemetery board began enforcing restrictions on objects that could be placed on gravesites, town residents on both sides of the issue were still embroiled in heated debates.
Gambling Habit Leads To Ruin (Portland, Oregon)
A public cemetery supervisor was fired from her job and charged with embezzling $90,000 paid by families for plots and funeral services.
Agreement Keeps Operations Separate (Charleston, West Virginia)
Insurance company United Benefits and funeral services company Celestial Burial can still do business in West Virginia, but have made an agreement with the state to operate separately.
Quick On The Trigger (San Diego, California)
A San Diego funeral director was arrested for of allegedly making threats to the husband of a former employee who he thought had cooperated with state authorities in an investigation of his business.
Funeral Homes Help Community Grieve (Waynesboro, Virginia)
Across the country, spontaneous shrines and memorials sprout to life after tragic events, and funeral homes can play an important role in helping the community grieve.
Cover photo of bugainvillea in Hawaii taken by Allan Abbott.
March 2002
Greetings And Salutations In Funeral Service Ron Hast
A look at the meanings and proper use of greetings and salutations in funeral service. Learn how to develop the languange supporting the concept of meaningful and professional death care.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at potential distractions during visitations, the media's reporting of alleged misconduct that relates to death care, specialist answering services, casket sales representatives and one very far fetched automated funeral home telephone greeting.
If Necessity is the Mother of Invention, Beware the Unitarians Sue Simon
The story of of how one mostly unremarkable life ended with a most unforgetable memorial service.
Working With Advisors Douglas O. Meyer
Over the years I have consulted a number of professional advisors such as accountants and I have been an advisor to others in my role as an attorney. Having had an opportunity to sit on both sides of the desk, so to speak, I offer the following suggestions and comments on working with accountants and attorneys.
Memorials Honor Victims Of Terrorism (New York, New York)
With a moment of prayer and some tears, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and city officials marked the opening of a viewing platform that gave the public a better look at the destroyed World Trade Center.
SCI Sued For Recycling Graves (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
A massive class-action lawsuit was filed in state circuit court in Fort Lauderdale against two Florida cemeteries owned by Service Corporation International by families who claim loved one's bodies were desecrated.
Former Cemeterian Captured (Monmouth, Illinois)
A former owner of Springdale Cemetery in Peoria and Warren County Memorial Park Cemetery in Monmouth was arrested in El Paso, Texas, on warrants involving theft and forgery.
Cemetery Bill Planned (Port St. Lucie, Florida)
Florida Senator Ken Pruitt, whose effort to require funeral homes to place name tags in caskets died in committee last year, stated his intention to plan a more comprehensive approach in the next session.
Man Wins Funeral In Competition (Bradley, West Midlands, England)
A man won an all-expense-paid funeral in a pub competition.
Ashes Inadvertently Returned To Store (Council Bluffs, Nebraska)
A Nebraska woman who received an ornate box for Christmas and returned it to Wal-Mart without looking inside discovered later it contained the ashes of her recently deceased sister.
Court Rules Funeral Too Expensive (Winchester, Tennessee)
A state appeals court has ruled that a Franklin County funeral director should not have staged a $26,000 funeral for a woman whose money he had been appointed to manage.
"Six Feet Under" Season Two (Hollywood, California)
HBO's hit series "Six Feet Under," a dark comic look at a dysfunctional family that runs an independent funeral home, will return for its second season on March 3.
Impromptu Backyard Burial (Detroit, Michigan)
A man admitted to police that he buried an acquaintance of his under the backyard porch of his Detroit home.
Couple Ordered To Share Ashes (Utrecht, Netherlands)
A divorced Dutch couple were ordered by a court to share the ashes of their dead daughter after a five-month wrangle.
New Law Allows Roadside Memorials (Sacramento, California)
A new law in California will give family and friends of drunk driving victims a new way to honor their loved ones by allowing them to put up a sign where they were killed.
Rare Macedonian Tomb Unearthed (Ioannina, Greece)
Greek archaeologists have discovered an ancient Macedonian tomb, part of a war memorial from the time of Alexander the Great.
Ancient Burial Site Mystery (Galway, Ireland)
A shallow beach grave with some unusual attributes is being investigated by the National Museum of Ireland.
Natural Fit For The Profession (Webster, New York)
Over the years, many police officers have traded in their patrol cars for hearses, but for one New York officer, it was a particularly natural transition.
Gay Man Denied Funeral Service (Houston, Texas)
A Houston funeral home told a gay man he had no rights in making final arrangements for his partner.
Mummy's Curse (Turin, Italy)
Italy's top Egyptian museum sought to quell fears it had fallen foul of a mummy's curse, as more visitors apparently succumbed to its collection of ancient mummies.
The Bright Side Of Death (Hayes, Middlesex, England)
Britons want funerals that are more cheerful, colorful and personal, according to research commissioned by one of Britain's largest funeral providers.
Priests Spared From Flying Over Cemetery (Jerusalem, Israel)
The Israeli government has promised ultra-Orthodox Jews that El Al airliners bound for New York will fly around a Jewish cemetery to avoid causing them to become ritually "unclean."
Funeral Home Robbed In Desperation (Moinesti, Romania)
A man allegedly broke into a funeral home to steal the items he needed for his mother's funeral.
Mass Fatalities On Way To Cemetery (Sephaku, South Africa)
In a tragic twist of fate, 51 members of an extended family died in a truck accident while on a pilgrimage to their ancestral graves.
The Long Sleep (Moscow, Russia)
"Don't sleep, you'll freeze," Russians often say in a metaphoric admonishment against complacency; but for people living on the street during the long, icy winter, the warning should be taken literally.
Let's Make A Deal (Ploiesti, Romania)
A Romanian man ran an advertisement offering to swap the vault where his wife is buried for a second-hand car.
Last Wish Unfulfilled (Falkirk, Scotland)
An obese woman's coffin was too wide for a crematorium in Scotland and had to be turned away as a result.
Headstones Discovered In Yard (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Authorities in Baton Rouge discovered stolen headstones -- some nearly a century old -- outside a house proclaimed by a sign in the yard as the "Official Home of 'Looziana's Voodoo Queen' Lucretia McEvil."
Half Cremated (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia)
A Malaysian family went to pick up a loved ones ashes only to find her body left half cremated.
Cover photo taken in Cypress Gardens, South Carolina, by Roberta Riethmiller Egelston.
April 2002
Suitable Employment Ron Hast
We have been told by funeral service employers, large and small, that one of their most difficult problems is locating qualified personnel. Concerning this dilemma, I contacted a number of mortuary science schools throughout the country to ask questions. Responses were similar and very interesting.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at customer appreciation, welcoming children at funeral homes, shopping for funerals on the Internet, funeral homes and advertising, professionally maintaining your private entrances and why it doesn't pay to argue with children.
The Tranquility Of Tradition Jerry J. Brown
Life has a way of getting our attention by pushing us to the limits of pain, suffering and sorrow and then, ever so subtly, leaving us to rediscover the peace, order and happiness of our once-upon-a-times. The abhorrent events of September 11 triggered unimaginable pain, anguish and suffering, and yet there exists a toughness, resolve and patriotism not seen in America since World War II.
Two Common Issues Douglas O. Meyer
Two unrelated but common issues are addressed: authorization of the funeral and disposition, and unclaimed cremated remains.
Horrific Crime Goes Beyond Imagination (Noble, Georgia)
The ghastly discovery of hundreds of human remains from pits, sheds and metal vaults that were discarded by a Georgia crematory has sent shockwaves through the funeral industry.
Man Accused Of Selling Body Parts (Lake Elsinore, California)
The owner of a Lake Elsinore funeral home and crematorium was arrested for allegedly selling body parts from human remains that he was paid to bury or cremate.
Former Mortician Indicted (Mount Healthy, Ohio)
A former Mount Healthy funeral director serving time in jail for beating his wife has also been accused of stealing thousands of dollars from families who prepaid for funerals.
Funeral Home Workers Fatally Shot (Hudson, Wisconsin)
A funeral director and a college intern were found shot to death at the funeral home they worked for.
Parents Sue Over Grave Location (Durham, North Carolina)
The parents of a seven-year-old girl have filed a negligence lawsuit, saying that they are not sure where their daughter is buried.
Wrong Ashes Scattered Round The World (Lake Worth, Florida)
A woman who scattered what she thought was her mother's ashes around the world is suing a funeral home after discovering they weren't her remains.
Still Lacking Price Lists (Mississippi)
An undercover check of Mississippi funeral homes found more than half failed to comply with a federal law requiring that customers be given itemized price lists.
Judge Rejects Move To Quell Publicity (Southern Florida)
A Broward County judge rejected Service Corporation International's request to restrict the release of certain information in a lawsuit against two of the company's Jewish cemeteries where bodies were apparently misburied or dug up to make room for new burials.
SCI Accused Of Preferential Discrimination (Southern Florida)
Service Corporation International, already fending off allegations that it mishandled and misburied bodies at two of its South Florida Jewish cemeteries, was kept busy defending itself in an unrelated case that alleges the company gave preferential treatment to Jews.
Lost In The Mail (Tacoma, Washington)
The remains of a man recovered after being missing for 30 years have now gone astray in the U.S. postal system.
Polish Funeral Scam Exposed (Lodz, Poland)
In what has become a national scandal in Poland, police have uncovered a grisly scam in which emergency medical workers are alleged to have traded in human corpses and even poisoned patients to get cash from undertakers.
Presumed Dead (Timmins, Ontario, Canada)
A former teacher arrived home after a three-month holiday to find out he was presumed dead.
Dead End (Rockton, Illinois)
A sign outside a cemetery in Rockton that says "Dead End" is due to be removed because nearby residents think it's in bad taste.
Corpse Kept In Bed For A Year (Tokyo, Japan)
Japanese police arrested a woman who refused to bury her dead mother and instead kept the body in a bed in her apartment for nearly a year.
Mother Kept At Home After Death (Vancouver, Washington)
Police in Vancouver say a woman lived with her 86-year-old mother's dead body for five months.
Man Celebrates At His Own Funeral (Charminster, Dorset, England)
A 58-year-old man with terminal lung cancer held his own wake because he didn't want to miss out on the party.
Life Of The Party (Yeovil, Somerset, England)
An Englishman has thrown a unique 50th birthday party for himself in the form of a wake, complete with a life-size effigy of himself in a coffin.
Head Case (Manhattan, New York)
A Manhattan art dealer has been convicted of buying and selling stolen Egyptian artifacts, including a 2,400-year-old mummy's head worth nearly $1 million.
Tombs Found In China (Yunnan Province, China)
Chinese archaeologists have discovered almost 100 tombs from between the 14th and 17th centuries.
Cremain Gardens (Jefferson City, Missouri)
A Jackson County lawmaker wants to legalize the act of scattering a person's cremated remains in a church garden.
Winter Burials Must Proceed (Madison, Wisconsin)
A new state law requires Wisconsin cemeteries to conduct winter burials unless cemetery officials can show it is impossible because of severe weather conditions.
Woman's Grave Dug Up (Craiova, Romania)
Romanian police said someone dug up the body of a woman and is believed to have had sex with it.
He's Lucky (Lagos, Nigeria)
A Nigerian toddler thought to have died in an deadly explosion at an army munitions depot in Lagos interrupted her own funeral service.
'Till Death Bring Them Together (Queenstown, South Africa)
A South African widow died in a car accident on the way to her husband's funeral.
Body-Snatchers Arrested (Callao, Peru)
Peruvian police say they have captured a gang of body-snatchers who sold corpses to medical students and shamans.
Body Left At Church (Pietroasele, Romania)
A family in Romania left a relative's dead body in front of a church because they had nowhere to bury it.
Memorial For Hawaiian Ancestors (Waikiki, Hawaii)
Native Hawaiian families with ties to old Waikiki dedicated a memorial to honor ancestors whose burial sites had been disrupted by construction.
Awake Before The Wake (Lucknow, India)
A man pronounced dead by doctors in India gasped for breath moments before his funeral was due to start.
Live By The Lizards, Die By The Lizards (Delaware)
Several carnivorous pet lizards were found feasting on the corpse of their owner in his apartment.
Corpse-Infested Holy River (Allahabad, India)
Hindu religious leaders are ordering their followers not to bathe in the Ganges River because it is so filthy and has corpses floating in it.
Floods Force Coffins Out Of Ground (Paraiba, Brazil)
Floods in Brazil have caused coffins to be washed out of the ground.
Villagers Flock To Exhumed Faith Healer (Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines)
A Filipino man has had his faith healer wife's body exhumed after claiming she visited him in a dream.
Cover photo taken in Mistaya Canyon in the Canadian Rockies, by Roberta Riethmiller Egelston.
May 2002
Advertising Ron Hast
Advertising "pulls" -- it doesn't "jerk." Consistent, well-structured ads plant seeds and keep companies and products in sight and in mind. Maintaining, or even increasing your marketing budget during economic down turns keeps your company name in front of consumers during a time when strengthening your customer relationships are most important.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
Why bringing unusual situatioins to the attention of high management may not always work, why cozy arrangements of times past with casket supplier representatives are changing, concerns about propriety in funeral service and a look at "boot hill" cemeteries.
A Cowboy's Funeral Jerry J. Brown
The feelings and emotions evoked by death know no boundaries. Long before recorded history, there is evidence that mourning, grieving and some form of funeral response was universal.
Dealing With Image Problems Douglas O. Meyer
At the time of this writing, it seems that every newspaper has articles about the string of industry disasters that have come to light over the past few months. The public's confidence and trust in the industry has been shaken and make no mistake, the public considers mortuaries, cemeteries and crematories to be all the same business. Even if you're a funeral director or mortuary owner with no ownership interest in a cemetery or crematory, your reputation has still been damaged by these disasters. Should you do anything to counteract this bad publicity? If so, what can you do? Here are a few thoughts.
Association Values Nick Jones
In the past, state and local funeral associations were strong and active. Times have changed. Today association membership is dwindling. A look at advantages association membership can provide.
Congress Accepts Request To Investigate (Washington, D.C.)
The discovery of 339 bodies at the Tri-State Crematory in Noble, Georgia, and subsequent incarceration of crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh has caused the funeral business to come under fire nationally.
Alleged Casket Scam (Hilo, Hawaii)
A Hilo funeral home owner was arrested for allegedly burying people in body bags instead of caskets purchased by customers.
Search Ends, But Mystery Deepens (Noble, Georgia)
After scouring the woods and swamps around Tri-State Crematory for a month, state officials have ended their search on the 16-acre grounds.
Bodies In Worker's Back Yard (Malaga, Spain)
Spanish authorities found 13 corpses, some of them dating back 10 years, in the yard of a funeral home employee after coming across bags of body parts in the trunk of his car.
Florida's Lawsuit Cites Numerous Problems (Southern Florida)
The state has cited dozens of examples of cemetery problems in a lengthy report filed in their lawsuit against Menorah Gardens & Funeral Chapels and its parent company, Service Corporation International.
California Seeks Tighter Cremation Laws (Fremont, California)
California would license crematory managers and subject them to felony criminal charges for improperly disposing of human remains under a bill sponsored by Governor Gray Davis.
Couple Arrested Over Threats (Appleton, Milwaukee)
A couple were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct for sending what police described as threatening letter to a funeral home.
Unclaimed Remains Issue Addressed (Augusta, Maine)
Funeral directors in Maine may have found a legislative solution to the problem of cremated remains that go unclaimed by family members.
Man Attempts To Sell His Own Corpse (Salem, Oregon)
An man's attempt to sell the rights to his mummified body when he dies has been unsuccessful -- so far.
Corpse Art Gets Go-Ahead (London, England)
German anatomy professor Gunther von Hagens celebrated after the British government gave the all clear to his graphic exhibition of preserved human corpses in London.
Dispute Puts Body In Limbo (Traverse City, Michigan)
A hospital asked a probate court to rule on what it should do with the body of a woman who insisted that no funeral home assist in her burial.
Researcher Seeks To Exhume Jesus Christ (Kashmir, India)
An American researcher who believes she has found the final resting place of Jesus Christ is campaigning to exhume a body at a Muslim shrine in Indian-administered Kashmir for scientific tests.
Parents Sue Over Funeral Error (Houston, Texas)
A couple is suing a Houston funeral home for burying the wrong body during a funeral for their infant son more than a year ago.
U.S. Life Expectancy Continues To Rise (Hyattsville, Maryland)
The life expectancy for Americans rose again last year, this time to a record 76.9 years, up 0.2 years from 1999, according to the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville.
Commingled Remains (Placerville, California)
A Placerville funeral director was charged with burying bodies together and mixing the cremated remains of the dead at an El Dorado County cemetery.
Sentenced For Fondling Corpse (Tucson, Arizona)
A former pathology lab employee was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison for photographing and fondling the corpse of a teenage girl.
Cemetery Vigils Turn Superstitious (Kandahar, Afghanistan)
Afghan police cracked down on a shrine that formed around the graves of al Qaeda fighters at a Kandahar cemetery, saying it has been abused by charlatans promising supernatural cures and miracles.
Man To Be Buried With Sex Doll (Schwerin, Germany)
A German concept artist has won permission to be buried with his sex doll.
Coffin Of Cigarette Packs (Bucharest, Romania)
A Romanian smoker has made himself a coffin out of cigarette packets.
Couple Cherishes Their Matching Coffins (Newark, England)
A husband and wife have bought each other identical coffins shaped like narrowboats.
Harley In Place Of A Hearse (Tessenderlo, Belgium)
A Belgian undertaker has adopted the use of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle instead of a hearse when it fits the occasion.
Funeral Personalized With Pornography (Bonn, Germany)
A German man was given official permission for mourners to throw his collection of pornography videos on his coffin instead of flowers.
Woman Sent To Morgue Alive (Berlin, Germany)
An elderly German woman was apparently sent to a morgue while still alive, only to die there later from cold.
Automatic Organ Donation (West Bromwich, England)
A bill was proposed to the English House of Commons in which people would have their organs automatically removed for transplants after they die unless they had expressed objections when alive.
Survey To Ensure Cemetery Safety (Sandwell, England)
A major 10-year survey on the safety of cemeteries across Sandwell has been launched following several cemetery accidents.
Gravedigger Nearly Buried Alive (Melbourne, Australia)
Firefighters and emergency workers had to rescue a grave digger half buried after a grave wall collapsed in on him.
Exhumed Grandfather Settles The Case (Antwerp, Belgium)
A Belgian woman won a paternity case by having her grandfather's body exhumed and DNA-tested.
It Runs In The Family (Madrid, Spain)
Spanish mourners who saw a hint of fog on a coffin window got a court order to open the casket and see if their relative was alive.
Mix-Up Blamed On Pajamas (Brasov City, Romania)
Two dead bodies in Romania were apparently mixed up because they were wearing similar pajamas.
Cemetery Vandals Sentenced (Wellington, New Zealand)
Four men in New Zealand have been jailed for stealing a baby's skull from a cemetery, using its cap as an ashtray and its jaw bone as a necklace ornament.
Cover photo of Aspen trees in Boulder Mountain, Utah, taken by Dedi Kramer.
June 2002
Responsibility Ron Hast
Negative news about death care in America has been constant recently. Much about death care is a matter of trust. And the clients we serve have every right to expect reasonable and appropriate service as requested.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
How a little bit of humor can sneak its way in while providing services, special services relating to airline tragedies, personalization of funerals and how to say thanks to the people you work with in your community.
Tradition & Technology Ron Hast & Sue Simon
Tyler Cassity, visionary restorer and developer of Hollywood Memorial Cemetery in Los Angeles (www.hollywoodforever.com), may not have single-handedly taken memorialization out of the Stone Age, but he surely has played an important major role. Cassity has much to say about the future of funeral service in light of electronic condolences.
Various Issues Douglas O. Meyer
This month, I thought I would discuss a few different topics:
Do you know what new laws took effect at the first of the year in your state?
If you own a mortuary and have hired a manager to take some of the load off your shoulders, make sure you let the manger do his or her job.
A look at what steps to take in preparation for the sale of your funeral home.
When was the last time you reviewed your insurance coverage carefully and completely with your broker?
September 11 Memorials Abound (Shanksville, Pennsylvania)
While permanent memorials are planned for the three September 11 crash sites, they also are being built or planned in places such as Waterloo, Iowa; and South Bend, Indiana.
Lawsuit Alleges Bodies Used For Practice (Broward County, Florida)
A lawsuit was filed against Lynn University, Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapels and subcontractors, alleging they colluded in a scheme to direct corpses meant for cremation to the university for use by students learning embalming.
Shares Plunge Following Discovery (West Palm Beach, Florida)
Service Corporation International stock plunged after Florida criminal investigators found improperly buried remains at one of its cemetery embroiled in a class-action lawsuit.
GAO Asked To Expand Inquiry (Washington, D.C.)
Barely one week after the investigative arm of Congress had accepted a request to conduct an investigation involving the recent cases of desecration at cemeteries and crematoriums, it has been asked them to expand its inquiry into the alleged fraudulent practices of a Hawaii-based company.
Trade Journal Database Launched (Kansas City, Kansas)
The Kansas City Community College Mortuary Science Department has launched a searchable database on their website that indexes funeral service publications.
New Insights Into Iceman's Death (Bolzano, Italy)
Scientists working on the preservation and study of the world's oldest mummy, a 5,300-year-old prehistoric man called "Oetzi," announced new findings that provide greater insight into the investigation of how he died.
Cremains Scattered Over Residents (Papakolea, Hawaii)
A plane spreading cremated human remains accidentally dropped the ashes and bone fragments on homes in Papakolea.
Air Force Mortuary To Be Upgraded (Dover, Delaware)
The only U.S. Department of Defense mortuary in the country is getting an overhaul, and one Delaware lawmaker says it's long overdue.
Death Certificate Inaccuracies (Leicester, England)
A health audit in England has found that legal action against doctors may increase as half of all death certificates are inaccurately completed.
Hearse Stolen From Funeral (Yakima, Washington)
A reverend's sons were shocked during their father's funeral when they carried his casket out of the church only to find that the hearse had vanished.
Environmentally-Unfriendly Burials Banned (Holland)
Dutch undertakers will be fined if they bury people with items that won't biodegrade, such as synthetic clothes and motorcycle helmets.
Gold Diggers (Nice, France)
Two gravediggers and two hearse drivers on France's Cote d'Azur allegedly found a lucrative sideline in plucking gold teeth from skeletons and selling them to jewelers to turn into rings and pendants.
Body Transported In Trunk (Merchtem, Belgium)
A Belgian undertaker was charged with putting a woman's corpse into the trunk of his car to transport it to a morgue.
Prestige At A Price (Los Angeles, California)
A massive mausoleum beneath the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels may become one of the most prestigious final resting spots in the city.
Preneed Funds Abused (Duncansville, Pennsylvania)
A funeral director with a history of alleged financial abuses has been charged by state regulators with mishandling a family's prepayment.
Police Stop Sect From Digging Up Bones (Coimbatore, India)
Police in southern India have stopped members of a sect from digging up human skeletons from a graveyard and eating them.
Sex Doll Mistaken For Corpse (Munich, Germany)
A man suspected of murder after he was seen carrying what a neighbor thought was a dead body into his apartment was cleared after he showed police it was only a sex doll.
Birthday Party Turns Into Wake (Dorset, England)
Friends of a man who died on his 50th birthday went ahead with a surprise party hours after his death.
Dead Man Undiscovered For Years (Berlin, Germany)
A Yugoslavian pensioner lay dead in his apartment for five years before his body was discovered.
Dead Roommate (West Yorkshire, England)
A woman slept in the same room as the decomposing body of her friend for four months.
Pickled In Preservatives (Berlin, Germany)
Researchers in Germany say graveyards face overcrowding problems because dead bodies aren't decomposing properly.
Grave Robbers Depicted In TV Ad (Karori, New Zealand)
A controversial television ad in New Zealand depicts grave robbers breaking into coffins to get ripped and faded denim jeans off corpses.
Scattered Remains (Yazoo City, Mississippi)
The severed leg of a man killed with his wife when their van was struck by a freight train in Mississippi was found 700 miles away near Chicago.
The Funeral Monty (Hampshire, England)
A group of stripping funeral directors were embarrassed after their routine ended up on an adult TV show.
False Death Claim (Manhattan, New York)
A woman was charged with falsely claiming her husband was killed in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in order to obtain more than $25,000 in federal government and American Red Cross benefits.
Wrong Man Declared Dead (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
A woman in Brazil was decorating what she thought was her dead husband's coffin when she saw it wasn't him inside.
Hospital Admits Losing Body (London, England)
A British hospital apologized after the body of a premature baby who died shortly after birth was accidentally thrown into a laundry bin and put through the wash.
Cremation Racket (Beijing, China)
A scam was uncovered in China in which emergency services and cremation workers profited by pretending to cremate the dead in the nation's most prestigious cemetery.
Accused Of Defrauding Clients (Bangor, Pennsylvania)
A Bangor funeral director already facing insurance fraud charges has been slapped with additional allegations, this time for taking clients' insurance payments that he kept for himself.
Prairie Dogs Digging Up Cemetery (Superior, Colorado)
Officials are working on ways to keep prairie dogs out of a 129-year-old cemetery, where the rodents have unearthed bits of clothing, fragments of coffins and even bones.
Online Funeral Shopping Comes To Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Three Malaysian college students have set up an online shopping portal that offers a selection of coffins and other funeral necessities.
Hospital Enters Into Funeral Care (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Hospital Kuala Lumpur has introduced Bereavement-Care Service to help family members handle funeral matters, offering cremation and burial packages.
Japan's Oldest Christian Tombstone (Tokyo, Japan)
Archeologists unearthed what is believed to be the oldest Christian tombstone in Japan, a granite slab buried centuries ago to elude persecution by feudal authorities who outlawed the foreign religion.
Suspected Burglars Find Corpse (Liverpool, England)
A group of suspected burglars were apparently shocked to find a decomposing corpse in a Liverpool house they had broken into.
No Funerals For Suicide Victims (Nicosia, Cyprus)
The Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus said it would not bury people taking their own lives, declaring suicides "the greatest sin."
Cover photo of a lagoon at Kiholo Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii taken by Allan Abbott.
July/August 2002
Gasketed, Protective & Sealing Caskets Ron Hast
Funeral service is being questioned about whether it is selling bogus products. In recent times, the purpose of a "sealing" or "protective" gasket system on a casket has been debated. Do claims by the manufacturers and sellers of caskets influence a patron to "buy up" because of this feature? If so, what claims can be justified? Does the "gasket device" do something favorably (or unfavorably) to or for the descendent? This debate can expand in many directions. A look at the many questions that arise from gasketing caskets.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A look at why the use of the term "death care" may bring objections, the impression a well-dressed funeral service representative makes, funeral service liabilities and how gentle humor has its place around death.
The Secrets To Getting More Response From Your Advertisements Scott P. DeMenter
For many businesses in the death care industry, name recognition is the primary objective of their advertising efforts. They way they emphasize their company name above all else, they seem to assume that everyone cares about their business as much as they do. But in reality, this type of advertising has little influence on potential customers. There is a way to avoid this classic mistake, however. Advertising secrets are reviewed in detail and how they can make it pay for you.
Discounting Discounters? Diana Hunter
The name on the side of the building says it all: Affordable Caskets & Moanalua Mortuary. It's a three-year-old company that began as a third-party casket provider and expanded into mortuary services only a year ago. And it's the bane of Hawaii's funeral industry. A pattern is emerging over the past five years in which discounters are becoming real players in the market. It's a niche so new that nobody has bothered to keep track of it's exact growth. So what is a "discounter"?
Indemnification Douglas O. Meyer
The word "indemnify" is tossed around quite a bit in the funeral industry, but many funeral directors have only a hazy understanding of its meaning. What does it really mean and how does it affect your funeral business?
Bodies Seized At Illegal Crematorium (Miami, Florida)
State officials seized 19 bodies at an illegal crematorium and arrested the operator, who is already under investigation for a scheme in which mortuary students allegedly embalmed corpses without the consent of family members.
Governor Signs Crematory Bill (Atlanta, Georgia)
Governor Roy Barnes has signed into law a crematory regulation bill that was written in response to the discovery earlier this year of more than 300 uncremated bodies at Tri-State Crematory in Noble.
Unlicensed Crematories (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
Sending a body to an unlicensed crematory in another state would be an offense with a civil penalty of up to $500 under legislation approved by the Tennessee House Commerce Committee.
Resignation Following Complaints (Boca Raton, Florida)
The director of Lynn University's mortuary program has resigned amid complaints that the school was negligent in obtaining corpses without the consent of family members so students could practice embalming on them.
More Mutilation Charges Filed (Lake Elsinore, California)
The owner of a Lake Elsinore funeral home charged with illegally selling human remains pleaded not guilty to dozens of new mutilation charges listed in a grand jury indictment.
State's First Veterans Cemetery (Boise, Idaho)
The state's top leaders have agreed to erase forever the distinction that Idaho is the only state in the nation without a veterans cemetery.
Ashes Sparks Terrorism Scare (Seattle, Washington)
A bio-terrorism scare was sparked by a plane dropping a baseball fan's ashes over the Seattle Mariners stadium.
Family Claims Insects At Funeral (West Palm Beach, Florida)
A family is suing a West Palm Beach funeral home, claiming that insects emerged from their loved one's body during his funeral.
Sent To Prison (Daytona Beach, Florida)
A former funeral director at a troubled cemetery was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to embalm a man after accepting money for the service.
Mahogany Shipments Detained (Norfolk, Virginia)
Over the past several months, Agriculture Department inspectors and Customs Service agents at U.S. ports have stopped over a dozen shipments of Brazil's prized tropical hardwood bound for U.S. furniture and casket makers.
Incomplete Cremation (Austell, Georgia)
The widow of a Vietnam veteran filed a $1 million lawsuit against an Austell cremation service claiming the company contaminated her husband's ashes and improperly disposed part of his remains.
Crematory Cannibals (Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia)
Two Cambodian crematorium workers who allegedly got drunk and began eating the body of a man they were supposed to cremate, were released from custody because there was no law against cannibalism.
A Burning Issue (Athens, Greece)
The Greek government's attempt to legalize cremation have sparked outrage with the Greek Orthodox Church, which stands to lose its monopoly on the disposal of the dead.
Body Worlds Exhibition Attacked (London, England)
Police have charged a man with criminal damage after he attacked an exhibition of preserved corpses in London, saying he believed the exhibition was a morally-repugnant exploitation.
Rats Infest Coroner's Unit (Los Angeles, California)
Rats chewed on a dozen bodies being stored in a makeshift storage unit behind the Los Angeles coroner's office because there was no room in the main lab.
Smoker Sues For Funeral Costs (Rostrevor, South Australia)
An Australian cancer victim who has smoked for 40 years wants a tobacco company to pay for his funeral.
Unnoticed Death (Tokyo, Japan)
An elderly woman in Tokyo didn't realize her husband had died and carried on her daily life around his corpse for a month.
The Quiet Neighbor (Rimnicu Sarat, Romania)
A Romanian woman who thought her neighbor was very quiet discovered that she had been dead for two years.
Death Didn't Do Them Part (Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium)
A Belgian man discovered his 84-year-old grandmother living with the skeleton of his grandfather.
Body Kept In Plastic At Home (Cicero, Illinois)
Authorities said a woman stored her dead brother's body at home for four years, keeping the death a secret so she could collect his Social Security checks.
Dead Officers Get Paid Too (Lima, Peru)
A group of Peruvian police officers were arrested after authorities discovered they were cashing the paychecks of 415 of their dead colleagues.
Sentenced For Corpse Photos (Cincinnati, Ohio)
A commercial photographer was sentenced to two years in prison for taking pictures of corpses posed with various objects in the county morgue.
It's A Mistake (Vadodara, India)
A man in India whose family thought he was dead walked in on them mourning his death.
Killer's Last Request Denied (Richmond, Virginia)
A judge blocked the family of an executed killer from carrying out the man's last request of spreading his ashes on the graves of his murder victims.
Simulation Death (Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia)
Malaysian Muslims are flocking to experience death as a way to strengthen their religion.
Students Willing To Sell Body Parts (United Kingdom)
According to a study, students in the United Kingdom would be willing to sell body parts to help pay for their education.
Cremains Wash Up On Beach (Cocoa Beach, Florida)
A small, sealed container of human remains was discovered in the surf near the Cocoa Beach Pier.
Hearse Stolen With Body Still Inside (Nyanga, South Africa)
Two teenagers in South Africa stole a hearse with the body of a 70-year-old woman still inside.
The Hand That Fed Him (Styria, Austria)
A German shepherd dog ate most of its elderly owner after she died and left the animal trapped in her apartment.
Burglars Steal Urn From Home (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Thieves who broke into a home in Oklahoma City even made off with the ashes of the homeowner's dead husband in their stash of stolen items.
Police Tow Away Hearse With Coffin (Zagreb, Croatia)
An illegally-parked hearse in the Croatian capital was towed away with a body still inside.
What A Clown (Bordentown, New Jersey)
Whether you're celebrating a happy occasion or the memory of a loved one, funeral director William Huber has you covered.
Bad Medicine (Krugersdorp, South Africa)
South African police captured a murderer and the human head he was trying to sell for use in medicine.
A Serious Mistake (Diksmuide, Belgium)
Belgian residents were shocked to see human bones and coffin pieces in a new roadside shoulder outside their homes.
Funeral Crashed By Mental Patient (Sellersville, Pennsylvania)
A hospital patient escaped from a psychiatric ward, stole an ambulance and led police on a chase before he was tackled by officers in a church in full view of mourners attending a viewing.
Coffins Offered As Payment (Ribeirao Preto, Brazil)
A Brazilian funeral home wants to pay compensation to an unfairly-dismissed employee in coffins.
Thousands Of Inca Mummies Recovered (Lima, Peru)
Thousands of ancient Inca mummies, some bundled together in small groups with their possessions, were unearthed in Peru from an ancient cemetery under a shantytown near Lima.
New Pyramid Discovered (Cairo, Egypt)
Archaeologists have stumbled on the ruins of the 110th pyramid to be discovered in Egypt -- the small, 4,500-year-old tomb of a pharaonic queen.
Cover photo of a field of wildflowers near Carmel, California, taken by Allan Abbott.
September 2002
Learning From Others Ron Hast
A look at a unique upcoming seminar relating to the sensitivity and ability to rise above
the status quo.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
Bud Noakes, a long-term contributor to Mortuary Management, is remembered, how "Six Feet Under" does help funeral service, issues regarding funeral service facilities, and cremation retorts.
A Star Is Born Jerry J. Brown
The University of Minnesota's Program of Mortuary Science has been blessed with a shooting star in the galaxy of deathcare academia.
Employment References Douglas O. Meyer
Why it's best if only one person, with a clear understanding of the company's policy, be authorized to give employment references. Example scenarios show you how things can go wrong if not handled properly.
Never, Never, Never Assume Ernie Hefner
Never assume that meaningful funeral service has to do with a casket in the chapel. The featured story in this article shows everyone what a meaningful tribute service is all about.
More Remains Discovered (Noble, Georgia)
More than 80 attorneys and their experts involved in the Tri-State Crematory case convened for an inspection of the property, never realizing they were about to make a grim discovery.
Victim Seeks Accountability (Noble, Georgia)
A man whose family was victimized by the Tri-State Crematory has announced his plans to establish the Noble Crematory Committee for Truth and Accountability.
Judge Clears Way For Suit (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
A Broward County judge refused on Thursday to dismiss the lawsuit filed against the Menorah Gardens cemetery chain over mishandled bodies at its locations in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
Funds Allegedly Stolen (Burlington County, Pennsylvania)
A funeral executive has been charged with stealing nearly $100,000 from a funeral home and diverting some of the money to two Burlington County funeral homes in which he has an interest.
Forced To Hire A Funeral Director (Houghton, Michigan)
A man who lost a court battle to bury his mother's body without help finally hired a funeral director.
FBI Probes Possible Body Part Sales (Galveston, Texas)
Federal agents launched an investigation into allegations that a Texas medical school employee illegally sold body parts from people who willed their bodies to science.
Pastor's Eulogy Causes Uproar (Loxley, Alabama)
A pastor was beaten and dragged out of the church during a funeral after he stated in his blunt eulogy that the deceased had gone to hell and the mourners were headed the same way.
Thieves Staking Out Cemeteries (Nuuanu, Hawaii)
Cemeteries in the Nuuanu area are warning people visiting the graves of loved ones that thieves have been breaking into cars and stealing purses and other valuables.
Lawsuit Settled (Lisbon, Ohio)
An undisclosed settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed by the children of a deceased man against a funeral home and ambulance service for allegedly mishandling the arrangements and mistreating his family.
Charged With Fraud (Clairemont, California)
Authorities say a former funeral director stole thousands of dollars from dozens of families by taking money for prearranged cremation services and spending it instead on himself and his girlfriend.
Fisherman Catches Casket In His Net (Mount Desert Island, Maine)
A commercial fisherman fishing off Mount Desert Island hauled in his catch and found a casket in his net.
Saved By The Headstones (Kalkaska, Michigan)
A man who was trying to run down a former girlfriend as she fled through a cemetery, crashed his car into two gravestones, several maple trees and a fence.
Board Suspends Crematorium's License (Ankeny, Iowa)
The state has suspended the license of a Neptune Society cremation service in Ankeny for sloppy work at a funeral.
Old Suit Finally Settled (Mill Valley, California)
A 14-year-old lawsuit was finally settled when a cemetery accused of topping off urns with ashes from the trash agreed to pay $625,000 as part of a settlement to 200 families.
Record Deaths From Overwork (Tokyo, Japan)
In Japan, the number of deaths from overwork -- known as karoshi -- leapt 68 percent to a record 143.
Corpse Given Mouth-To-Mouth (Romania)
Paramedics in Romania gave a dead man mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after his wife thought she saw him move in his coffin.
Mailings Accidentally Include Deceased (Gwent, Scotland)
A company has apologized for sending a mailing promotion to deceased people offering them health insurance.
Marketing To The Dead (Charlotte, North Carolina)
A marketing company announced its plan to make a suppression list containing names of the deceased available to direct mailers and telemarketers, the Charlotte-based company said.
Burial Sought For Elephant Man (London, England)
The family of the "Elephant Man" -- a freak show attraction in Victorian Britain -- is hoping they will be able to bury his remains 112 years after his death.
Gravedigger Nearly Buried Alive (Newark, New Jersey)
A grave digger working inside a six-foot-deep hole was buried after the sides of the hole collapsed, bringing the concrete foundation of an adjacent grave and headstone down on top of him.
Hearse Gets Ticketed While Unloading (Hove, England)
A traffic-enforcement officer gave a hearse a parking ticket just minutes after a corpse was carried out of it.
China's E-Graves (Beijing, China)
In China, the cost and hassle of maintaining burial sites has some families turning to virtual cemeteries on the World Wide Web.
Nearly Cremated Alive (Khon Kaen, Thailand)
A 17-year-old teenager woke up and began to cry as his body was being rolled into a furnace for cremation.
Cemetery Owner Gets Maximum Sentence (Cincinnati, Ohio)
A minister received the maximum sentence possible after having been found guilty on two counts of theft and one count of failure to maintain an endowment fund.
Viking Funeral Stopped By Fire Department (Hampshire, England)
A family who held a Viking-style funeral for their missing son had their tribute disrupted when the fire department turned up to put out the blazing memorial.
Cross-Dressed Roman Skeleton (York, England)
Remains of a cross-dressing eunuch found at an ancient burial site reveal an exotic new side of life in Roman Britain, an archaeologist said.
Genealogical Treasure Chest (Frederick, Maryland)
A couple who have clipped every obituary out of The Frederick News-Post for the past 30 years and added them to a collection started in 1930 have donated all 450,000 obituaries to a local library.
Cuba's Necropolis (Havana, Cuba)
Havana's Colon Necropolis, one of the most spectacularly ornate cemeteries in Latin America, is a labyrinth alive with tradition and mystery.
Organ Donation Research (Chicago, Illinois)
The American Medical Association urged researchers to study whether financial payments would ease the nation's critical shortage of transplant organs.
No Funerals For Drug Dealers (Phitsanolok, Thailand)
Villagers in Thailand are refusing to allow funerals for drug dealers and addicts.
Cover photo of Cathedral Lake and Cathedral Peak in the Tuolomne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park, by Gregory Abbott.
October 2002
The Future Of Death Care Ron Hast
Significant long-term development: Elegant simplicity and the formalization of cremation, including enhancement of the cremation process and environment.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A family inadvertently cremates the rental casket; Ann Landers funeral choices; a funeral consumer is tricked; receiving payment prior to services; and a families splitting up ashes.
Identification: An Essential Part Of What We Do Michael Kubasak
Identification makes sense professionally, practically and legally for several reasons. Guidelines are suggested for developing a proper identification policy.
My Families Aren't On The Internet ... Right? Kelly Baltzell & Jeanne Pelletier
Many times funeral directors say the don't believe the families they serve are on the Internet, but chances are that they are online or soon will be.
Issues Of Concern Douglas O. Meyer
Minimizing the change of a problem when utilizing the services of a third-party provider. Also, clarification about different aspects of overtime compensation.
Creating Great Content For Your Funeral Home's Website Scott P. DeMenter
Creating a website that is informative, engaging and persuasive. Guidelines for what your website should contain and what the people who do business with you need to know.
Technology To Help Market Your Funeral Home Ted Morgan
A review of some of the latest computer technology that can help you market your funeral home.
Man Calls His Own Funeral (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
It was not a case of a mobil phone connecting to the hereafter, but it seemed that way when a man called his family while they were at his funeral.
Crematories Required To Keep Records (Montgomery, Alabama)
Under new legislation, Alabama's crematories will be required to report annually to the Alabama Board of Funeral Service the names of all those cremated and the final disposition of human remains.
State Denies Protection (Noble, Georgia)
The governor's office declined to provide state protection for Tri-State Crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh after his lawyer demanded it because of death threats.
Remains May Never Be Identified (Noble, Georgia)
Georgia's chief medical examiner met with families whose loved ones were taken to Tri-State Crematory and told them some remains may never be identified.
Three Strikes (Miami, Florida)
The state funeral directors board has revoked the license of a Miami crematorium and body transport company owner accused of being in the middle of an embalming scandal with Lynn University's mortuary school.
Sentenced For Bilking Customers (Providence, Rhode Island)
The former director of a Woonsocket funeral home pleaded no contest to charges he bilked customers when his business went bust.
Wrong Body Cremated (Van Wert, Ohio)
Family members of an Indiana man said an Ohio funeral home cremated the wrong body.
A Tradition Of Donation (Brooklyn, New York)
A Brooklyn funeral home with a tradition of contributing services in tragic circumstances has stepped forward again.
Alabama Outrage (Russellville, Alabama)
A jury declared that a Russellville funeral home that cremated the wrong person should pay nearly $1 million to the victim's family.
Mini Viking Funeral (Traverse City, Michigan)
A man who traced his Scandinavian roots and wanted to honor his heritage when he died got his final wish with a traditional Viking boat-burning burial at sea.
Mourners See The Living Dead (Sarajevo)
A Sarajevo man is in trouble with police after he made a surprise live appearance at his own funeral.
Man Buried With Dog In Pet Cemetery (Indianola, Iowa)
A police officer and his dog who were best friends in life are now inseparable in death as the two lay buried together in a pet cemetery.
Britain Plans September 11 Memorial (London, England)
Britain unveiled plans for a memorial garden in central London to commemorate victims of the September 11 suicide hijackings in the United States.
Frisbee Man's Ashes To Take A Spin (La Selva Beach, California)
A California inventor hailed as the father of the modern Frisbee will have his ashes made into memorial flying discs.
Conflicting Paperwork (Phoenix, Arizona)
A Phoenix funeral home was fined and placed on probationary status for cremating the body of a woman prior to her family's visitation.
Man Awakes During Wake (Jujan, Ecuador)
An Ecuadorian man thought to be dead sat up in his coffin during his wake and asked for a drink of water.
Antiquated Cemetery Goes High-Tech (Tampa, Florida)
A 19th-century graveyard will be hooked up to a high-tech security system in an effort to fight rampant vandalism.
Corpse Still Breathing (Bordeaux, France)
A 68-year-old man was mistakenly declared dead and placed in refrigeration at a funeral home where a worker noticed he was still alive.
Dear Mrs. Deceased (London, England)
A British bank apologized to a man after sending a letter to his dead wife that began "Dear Mrs. Deceased."
Ice Cream Man's Funeral (Lancashire, England)
An ice cream man's funeral cortege was led by 12 ice cream vans all playing their jingles.
Thieves Frisk Dead Man (Mericourt, France)
Thieves who broke into a funeral home in northern France frisked the corpse of a 78-year-old man for potential loot.
Cemetery Soil To Fill Street Holes (Talcahuano, Chile)
A town council in Chile is using earth from a cemetery containing human bones to fill holes in its streets.
Funeral Feasts Banned (Swaziland, Africa)
The king of Swaziland has banned lavish funeral feasts with the intent to stop impoverished families from entering into massive debt at a time when they are struggling to pay funeral expenses.
Woman Dies On Funeral Pyre (Madhya Pradesh, India)
A 65-year-old woman burned herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre in central India, following an outlawed custom called "sati."
Grave Diggers Selling Dead Wives (Shaanxi, China)
A Chinese crime syndicate has allegedly been digging up female corpses and selling them to relatives of dead single men.
Tattooed Man Hopes To Sell His Skin (Sidley, East Sussex, England)
A man who wants to cover his entire body with tattoos says he wants his skin sold after he's died.
Doctors Accused Of Providing Bodies (Novosibirsk, Russia)
Two Siberian doctors have been accused of sending bodies and brain parts to a German anatomist for use in his controversial exhibits.
Presley Clan Staged Elvis Grave-Robbing (Memphis, Tennessee)
An FBI informant involved in a plot to steal Elvis Presley's body shortly after the rock idol died claims the Presley family staged the grave-robbing to persuade Memphis officials to move him from the public cemetery to Graceland.
Top-Earning Dead Celebrities (Los Angeles, California)
Even in death, Elvis is still the king as he was crowned the top-earning dead celebrity.
Cover photo along the Laurel Ridge Trail in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, by Roberta Riethmiller Egelston.
November 2002
Consolidators: Who And What Is At Fault? Ron Hast
An review of the ideas behind the consolidation concept and an analysis of the factors affection consolidators and the challenges they face.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
Wilbert tentatively discontinues its traditional convention party; the military's approach to acquiring an air shipment container for bodies; a discussion of ethical business practices; a book presenting humorous courtroom testimony; and a commentary about employee medical benefits.
I Have A Website And The Darn Thing Doesn't Work Kelly Baltzell & Jeanne Pelletier
Having your own website is good, but it doesn't guarantee more business. Common problems with websites are pointed out, followed by a review of website ideas that work successfully.
All Hail The Pathfinders Jerry Brown
Just like the people whose ideas have shaped the nation as a whole, the pioneers of death care have crafted, implemented and perpetuated their vision throughout the industry.
Identifying Cremated Remains Dan Rohling
Protect yourself and your business by implementing effective cremation policies and procedures to minimize errors and liabilities.
Keepsake Memorialization Douglas O. Meyer
Over the last few years, the placement of a portion of cremated remains in an item of jewelry or memento has grown in popularity, but there are some pertinent legal matters to consider.
Art Imitates Life -- Or Rather, Death (Atlanta, Georgia)
A popular television crime drama featured a storyline similar to that of the Tri-State Crematory investigation.
Mortuary Program Closing Due To Lawsuits (Boca Raton, Florida)
Lynn University has taken steps to shut down its funeral services program in the aftermath of a scandal that involved using human remains as classroom cadavers without proper authorization.
Tempting Fate (Lascari, Sicily)
A man's visit to his future grave sent him, literally, to an early grave.
Pet's Ashes Held For Ransom (Foster City, California)
A man was charged with burgling a home and trying to ransom the ashes of a dog he stole.
Sentenced For Tax Evasion (Wilmington, Delaware)
The former owner of a Wilmington funeral home was sentenced in federal court to three years in prison for tax evasion.
Attorneys Seek Class-Action Status (Hamilton County, Georgia)
Lawyers representing families in the Tri-State Crematory civil case filed a brief requesting class certification in order to consolidate the cases against the crematory and funeral homes that sent bodies there.
Cadaver Takes Unexpected Detour (East Palo Alto, California)
The body of a man headed to his hometown in Mexico for burial mistakenly ended up in Greece and mourning relatives only discovered the mix-up when they opened the casket and found a stranger inside.
Magazine Offers A Prize To Die For (London, England)
A leading science magazine is offering one of its readers the chance to be preserved after death in the hope of being brought back to life.
Cemetery Flowers Temporarily Banned (Chicago, Illinois)
All Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Chicago have asked people to stop taking flowers to graves until after the first frost, in hopes of slowing the spread of West Nile virus.
Embalming Fluids Stolen (Waipukurau, New Zealand)
While the dangerous trend of dipping cigarettes or drugs in embalming fluids has become well-established in the U.S., it may just be emerging in New Zealand.
Mother's Corpse In Son's Home (Elizabeth, Illinois)
A corpse discovered in the basement of a man's home was that of his mother who died 10 years ago.
Waiting For An Angel (Caracal, Romania)
A Romanian woman kept her mother's corpse in an apartment for almost five months waiting for an angel to arrive.
Casket Relocation To Avoid Disaster (Whittier, California)
Officials at Rose Hills Memorial Park are notifying 5,000 residents of the cemetery's plans to dig up and relocate 1,500 caskets and grave sites because of the potential for a landslide at a hillside grave site.
Beer Drinker Takes Bottles To The Grave (Arandjelovac, Yugoslavia)
A man who claims to have drunk nothing but beer for 30 years has made sure there are bottles at his final resting place.
Parking Lot Serving As Cemetery (New York, New York)
City officials are considering converting the parking lot where the remains of hundreds of 9/11's unidentified victims are kept into a beautiful memorial site.
Coffins And Corpses In The Streets (Sieden, Germany)
People in a Sieden, Germany, woke up to find coffins and corpses floating down their flooded streets.
Heavy Duty (Kane County, Illinois)
A coroner has invested in hydraulic equipment because corpses are getting too heavy to carry.
Hearse Ticketed Outside Church (Bergen op Zoom, Holland)
A Dutch undertaker was given a parking ticket for parking his hearse outside a church for a funeral.
Scientists Win Right To Study Ancient Remains (Portland, Oregon)
More than six years after the discovery of one of the oldest skeletons ever found in North America, a federal judge overturned a decision to give the bones to Indian tribes for reburial and ruled that scientists can keep them for more study.
Dead Man Fathers Second Child (London, England)
A woman who fought a legal battle for the right to have a child using her dead husband's sperm, has given birth to a second baby by the same method.
Last Supper (Bolzano, Italy)
The Iceman, whose 5,000-year-old frozen mummy was discovered in the Alps in 1991, had last meals that included venison and wild goat.
U.S. Auctioning Caskets? (Washington, D.C.)
What in the world is the federal government doing auctioning caskets?
Boy Wakes Up In Morgue (Santiago, Chile)
A Chilean family are claiming a miracle after their 14-year-old son woke up in a morgue after being declared dead.
State Reconsiders Prepaid Funeral Law (Salt Lake City, Utah)
State legislators are looking into changing laws regulating prepaid funerals to deter fraud.
Undertaker Has Sex With Dead Lover (Bangkok, Thailand)
An assistant undertaker assigned to prepare the body of a woman he had been courting was arrested after admitting to having sex with her corpse.
Funeral Wreaths Made Of Books (Bangkok, Thailand)
A Bangkok firm is making funeral wreaths out of books as an alternative to ones made of flowers and foam, which are reduced to rubbish after a few days.
Dead Still Being Paid (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Philadelphia's controller says there are dead people on the city's pension roll and they're still receiving paychecks.
Illegal Funeral Work (Hong Kong, China)
Mainland Chinese monks and phony holy men are allegedly performing funeral rites illegally in Hong Kong at bargain prices, stealing business from local monks.
Massacre Memorial (Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina)
The U.S. government has donated $1 million for a memorial to honor up to 8,000 men and boys slain in 1995 in Europe's worst massacre since World War II.
Back From The Dead (Hanoi, Vietnam)
A Vietnamese soldier who fought in Cambodia in the late 1970s has returned home 17 years after being declared dead, finally able to fill the gaps in his memory left by a head injury.
Cover photo of Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park by Deidi Kramer.
December 2002
Consolidators: Follow-Up Ron Hast
Last month's editorial concluded: "Left as is, I predict an agonizing decline for the consolidated death care industry." This opinion deserves further explanation.
Just Conversation Ron Hast
A consolidator's foolish phone answering policy; a suggestion to avoid being locked out of your funeral vehicle; door locks with security-code entry; casket presentation options; unwanted telephone solicitations; and a corporate branding pitfall.
General Price List Issues Douglas O. Meyer
The FTC Funeral Rule has been with us for many years now, and most funeral directors quit fighting it a long time ago. Instead, they've turned it into a marketing tool. Yet, even after all this time, questions about some of the provisions concerning the general price list continue to arise.
Seven Rules For Producing A Publishable Press Release Scott P. DeMenter
Publicity produced through press releases can be very beneficial because you win a valuable mention in a mass media vehicle, you win consumer confidence by being singled out by an objective third party, and you can use reprints of the coverage you obtain in future marketing endeavors. These are the details involved in preparing a publishable press release.
An Open Letter To The NFDA
Mortuary Management publisher Ron Hast's letter to the National Funeral Directors Association expressing concern over the role, purpose and value of NFDA's The Director magazine.
Information Systems Case Study: Wilbert Funeral Services Jennifer Hanes
How Wilbert Funeral Services, the leading supplier of burial vaults in North America, established a private extranet portal where licensees could access news, product information and customer service resources.
A Year And A Day Coni Lynn Gasch-Grady
About the September 12, 2002, ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in which the remains of those who were killed by terrorists the year before at the Pentagona were buried in a single casket.
Proof Of Disturbed Grave (West Palm Beach, Florida)
The family of a World War II veteran now has scientific proof their father's grave was disturbed as gravediggers claimed, according DNA evidence revealed in court.
Funeral Director Uncovers Crime (Willow Grover, Pennsylvania)
A funeral director helped solve a crime after he discovered an enormous bruise on a body he was about to embalm.
Death And Taxes (St. Louis, Missouri)
A Missouri court case currently under review could return millions of dollars in state sales taxes paid on caskets and burial containers.
Conspiracy Or Negligence? (Boca Raton, Florida)
Lynn University allegedly obtained bodies for its mortuary program without proper authorization even after it dismissed a controversial body-hauler it blamed for its problems.
Alluring Models Used To Showcase Coffins (Rome, Italy)
An Italian coffin maker is trying to make is trying to make its business less somber by using bikini-clad women to sell its wares.
SCI Rectifies Accounting Error (Miami, Florida)
Service Corporation International has agreed to redeposit $150,000 that several Florida cemeteries and funeral homes failed to put into client trust accounts, regulators said.
Headstone Designed To Fool Devil (Monmouth, Wales)
Researchers believe a gravestone designed like a word puzzle was an attempt to guarantee entry to Heaven by fooling the Devil.
Mortuary Owners Indicted (Hilo, Hawaii)
The owners of a Hawaiian mortuary were indicted on theft charges for allegedly selling funeral plans without a license and not maintaining a trust account to protect the money.
Cemetery Becomes Historic Monument (Los Angeles, California)
A 105-year-old cemetery in Westwood where many entertainers are buried has been designated a historic cultural monument.
SCI Sued For Discrimination (Jacksonville, Florida)
The federal government is suing Service Corporation International for allegedly discriminating against a hearing-impaired worker.
Strike Spells Death For Casket Plant (Sainte-Gertrude, Quebec, Canada)
The world's-largest casket manufacturer closed its only plant in Canada a month after a strike turned the factory idle.
Scattered Together (Ventura, California)
A daughter fulfilled her promise to her parents by having their ashes scattered together at sea.
Car Crashes Into Casket Shop (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The co-owner of a casket shop almost became her own customer when a car crashed into her business.
Artist Kept Body Hidden In Studio (Plymouth, England)
An British artist kept the preserved body of a vagrant hidden in his studio for 18 years.
Mortician Admits Taking Estate Funds (Detroit, Michigan)
According to officials, a Detroit mortician persuaded customers to appoint him to manage the estates of people whose funerals he handled, then helped himself to heirs' money.
British Choosing Woodland Burials (Manchester, England)
Woodland burials have become Britain's fastest-growing environmental movement and simultaneously the fasting-growing funeral alternative.
Hillenbrand To Appeal Antitrust Verdict (Batesville, Indiana)
The parent corporation of Batesville Casket Company said it will appeal a jury verdict against involving an antitrust lawsuit against its health care division.
Russian Deathcare Anything But Dead (Moscow, Russia)
With more than two million deaths each year and open market at work, the funeral industry in Russia is set for tremendous growth.
Fumes from Body Close Hospital Unit (Merseyside, England)
A British hospital's emergency unit was sealed off for 12 hours after life-threatening fumes emanated from a corpse.
Man Hides Mother's Death (Lexington, Missouri)
A man was charged with abandoning a corpse after the decomposed body of his mother was found in her home.
Corpse Scares Burglars Away (Musselkanaal, Netherlands)
A corpse scared off three burglars who were trying to ransack a Dutch funeral parlor.
Man Shows Up At His Own Funeral (Cuenca, Ecuador)
Mourners screamed in horror after a man they thought was being buried turned up at the funeral.
Stolen Body Parts Found In Temple (Newark, New Jersey)
A raid on the basement temple of a religious sect uncovered several human body parts and the remains of several animals that may have been sacrificed by worshippers.
Dutch Undertakers Clowning Around (Haarlem, Netherlands)
Undertakers in a Dutch town are using a clown to try and ease the tension people feel at funerals. The clown's job is to lighten the mood by making children giggle and their parents smile.
Mortician's Wife Gets Year In Jail (Hackensack, New Jersey)
A judge sentenced the wife of a Hackensack funeral home owner to a year in jail for trying to defraud two insurance companies out of over a million in life insurance policies.
Museum Mistakenly Sells Skull (York, England)
Staff at the York Dungeon museum of horrors said a visitor was accidentally sold a human skull in the museum shop, where the item was used as a prop.
Thieves Steal Police Chief's Coffin (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
Thieves apparently dug up the grave of Sri Lanka's police chief and stole the expensive coffin he was buried in.
Mistaken Identity (Buenaventura, Colombia)
A Colombian man with a full head of hair who disappeared for 15 days returned home to discover his family had decided he was dead and was preparing to bury a bald man's corpse.
Elderly Can Think Themselves Into Grave (New Haven, Connecticut)
According to researchers, elderly people can literally think themselves into the grave by feeling bad about getting old.
Corpse Grows Mustache? (Roznov, Romania)
A grieving Romanian family postponed their relative's funeral after discovering that the corpse appeared to have grown a mustache.
Cemetery Bans Wind Chimes (Gloucestershire, England)
A Gloucestershire cemetery has banned wind chimes after complaints about their noise disturbing mourners.
Homegrown Caskets (Dubuque, Iowa)
Brother Felix, a Trappist monk, spends his days building caskets at the monastery at New Melleray Abbey.
Supreme Court Allows Cemetery Flag Ban (Washington, D.C.)
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the appeals of a descendant of a Civil War soldier who wanted the Confederate flag flown every day at a national cemetery where several thousand Southern prisoners are buried.
