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Cover photo taken after ice storm. Wabeek Lake, Michigan by Suzy St. John

January 2008

Cremation Revisited
Editorial by Ron Hast
Cremation has oftentimes regarded as a cheap alternative to a funeral and burial — often intimated as less than loving compassion for the “loved one.” But, in many cultures cremation is reserved for the elite, and in some, the only legal method of disposition. It would behoove the smart death care provider to embrace the facts of cremation — enhance the experience, facilities and service options with dignity and elegance similar to what is prevalent in Japan. The future of death care, including cremation, is wide open to innovators and those who “get it.”
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
Publishing Editor Ron Hast shares his thoughts and insights.
Colleague Wisdom:
Prep Techniques
The question this month: What specific techniques, equipment, supplies, chemicals and cosmetics do you employ for best results and preparation of the decedent?
Singleton Community Mortuary and Memorial Center
William E. “Bill” Singleton began his career in funeral service in 1952 as an intern at J.C. Wilson Funeral Home in Indiana. In 2005 he headed a 13,000-square-foot memorial center serving 165 families annually. His life and work illustrates his passion for his profession and his community.
Cremation Issues
By Douglas O. Meyer
The laws in most states establish who has the right to control disposition without regard for whether burial or cremation will be involved, but many have trouble with the concept that the law applies the same regardless of the type of disposition desired. As cremation authorizations have changed much over the years, it’s a good idea to review pertinent forms to make sure they’re up to date.
All in the Undertaking
By Robert Klara
The author relates his experiences helping out at funeral masses at 13 and how a small-town funeral director indirectly taught him about manners, dignity and pride of occupation.
Flowers Are Love’s Truest Language
By Kim Stacey
The arrangement and placement of flowers around the dead is humankind’s oldest tribute and memorialization — as is the giving and receiving of flowers during times of mourning. But beyond providing simply color and ambience, flowers also play a significant role in the grieving process.

News Briefs You didn't see in the Magazine

Jewish Cemeteries Targeted for Vandalism (Berlin, Germany)
A rash of desecrations of Jewish cemeteries has plagued Germany in recent years. According to the Interior Ministry, 237 Jewish cemeteries were reported desecrated between 2002 and 2006, an average of around 50 a year.
This phenomenon and increase in anti-Semitic activity culminated in 2002 with 60 desecrations against 39 in 2006. There are approximately 2,000 Jewish cemeteries in Germany. [Check figures – text is confusing.
A representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said he wants to discuss various proposals with an informal group of parliamentarians, including the ideas of having an official government representative to deal with anti-Semitism, of creating an investigatory commission or of having an annual government report on anti-Semitism.
Funeral Director Takes Message to Schools (Phoenix, Arizona)
udents to be safe and avoid risky behavior in a rather unique way — he brings a casket and body bag into high school classes.
Eddie Lopez of Greer-Wilson Funeral Home says he was shocked by the high number of young bodies that arrive at his mortuary, and much of his business, he says, is young Hispanic males ages 14 to 29. When he visits schools, Lopez gives students a lesson in the reality of death and the dangerous behaviors that kill too many young people, hoping it will provide a dose of reality.
Embezzler Gets Charged Again (Gales Ferry, Connecticut)
Already serving several months in jail for embezzling, Cynthia L. Cross has been charged again with first-degree larceny for allegedly stealing from a private cemetery group. As sexton, Cross stole more than $14,000 from the Gales Ferry Cemetery Association during the last five years, according to an arrest warrant. Cross, 53, allegedly wrote checks from the association’s bank account to herself and her family and was the cemetery’s sexton for 17 years. Cross is already serving an eight-month jail term for embezzling from the Water Pollution Control Authority.
Country Studies Funeral Traditionsl (Hanoi, Vietnam)
New regulations could bring change to traditional funeral ceremonies, based on recent discussions in this Far East country. A seminar held by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism discussed reports on funeral arrangements in areas that have no regulations; the group seeks a way to control all ceremonies, including issuing instructions and rules on current customs, such as burying many corpses in one grave and exhuming remains to move to another location. The head of the ministry found these traditions out of place in today’s society. Some are suggesting cremation as another alternative, but there are not enough facilities, and changing people’s habits from generations of tradition won’t be an easy task, especially in regions where cultural identity and beliefs are very strong.

Cover photo: Michigan Winter
by Suzy St. John.

February 2008

Prearranged and Prepaid Funerals
Editorial by Ron Hast
Many consumers are suspicious of prearranged and prepaid death care because of misuse of funds, gimmicks and downright thievery by some in the profession. Funeral directors have a responsibility to assure that funds are safe and accessible at time of death, but some continue to tolerate abuse. Funeral providers must take the position of honesty and propriety in all matters.
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
Publishing Editor Ron Hast shares his thoughts and insights.
Colleague Wisdom:
Readers are asked for their opinions about funerals/death care presently.
It’s the Little Things…
By Douglas O. Meyer
Special requests by families are just that — special requests — but sometimes they are inadvertently overlooked or forgotten. Making sure they are noted and considered will go a long way toward heading off later problems and even lawsuits.
Google and the Funeral Industry
By Robin Heppell, CFSP
A funeral home depends on its reputation within a community, but how do you expand your presence using the Internet? Google rankings might be the way to go.
Four Alternatives to Telephone Contact: Respect Families Who Say “Do Not Call”
By Dean Lambert
The National Do Not Call Registry has created a challenge for preneed professionals who rely heavily on cold calling; however, Lambert gives you several strategies to overcome the reduction in numbers available on phone lists.

News Briefs You didn't see in the Magazine

Man Charged with Abusing Corpse (Teaneck, New Jersey)
A hospital lab technician has been jailed after being accused of sexually abusing a corpse. Authorities said a security guard allegedly saw Anthony Merino, 24, engaging in sexual activity with the body of a 92-year-old woman at a hospital morgue. He has been charged with desecrating human remains, punishable by up to 10 years in state prison. Merino, who was ordered to undergo a psychological exam, was immediately fired, and the woman’s next of kin were also informed after his arrest.
Family Sues Over Use of Photo in Ad (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Lohman Funeral Home started offering its Harley Hearse earlier this year as a send-off ride for motorcyclists. But now a family who used the hearse has slapped a lawsuit on the funeral home. The family of Anthony D. Benecasa filed the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount of money, claiming pictures of the man’s funeral were used by Lohman for advertising purposes without their permission. Lowell Lohman, company president and CEO, said he did not understand the family’s claims, especially because the family agreed to and gave a television news interview during the service. He added that promotional fliers that did include a picture from the Benecasa service would be destroyed. He planned to create a new piece without that image.
Funeral Director Faces 100 Years in Prison (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
A formal Colorado Springs funeral home director has been arrested for numerous charges that could add up to more than 100 years in prison. Neva Nolan, 71, was arrested in August last year and faces more than 90 criminal charges, including 25 counts of theft, eight counts of abuse of a corpse, two counts of improperly selling prepaid contracts and 55 counts of theft from at-risk adults. Relatives of many of those whose ashes were found were notified by letter earlier in 2007, but no surviving relatives have been found for the remains of approximately 50 individuals. Prosecutors accuse Nolan of stealing more than $140,000 from people who prepaid the now-closed Nolan Funeral Home for their funeral expenses. If convicted of all charges, Nolan faces more than 100 years in prison.
Man Goes on Drunken Ride in Hearse (Wellington, New Zealand)
Drunk and disorderly took on a new meaning when a mourner allegedly got drunk, took a hearse from outside a funeral home and outran the funeral directors following him. The man was attending a funeral when he allegedly stole the $15,000 hearse, but no body was on board. He had allegedly been drinking all day and was charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. When he was pulled over, the man told police he was “going fishing.”

Cover photo of Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado, by Allan Abbott.

March 2008

Associations: Straw Vote Can Be Telling
Editorial by Ron Hast
The consensus reached by members of the Funeral Service Professional Forum in a recent online discussion of federal and state funeral service associations was that these groups often do nothing except that which blows “up their own balloons.” While straw votes such as this may not draw any official conclusions, they often closely relate to opinions at large.
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
Publishing Editor Ron Hast shares his thoughts and insights.
“Americans With Disabilities Act” Issues
By Douglas O. Meyer
The “Americans With Disabilities Act” is designed to make businesses that serve the public (e.g., funeral homes) accessible to the handicapped. All buildings constructed after January 26, 1992, must meet the requirements contained in that law, while buildings erected prior to that date must remove physical barriers when such removal is readily achievable. While enforcement of the ADA is undertaken by the federal Department of Justice, private individuals can sue businesses — and some look for businesses to sue. Therefore, it’s prudent to make every effort to comply with ADA before you are targeted.
Keywords: What They Are and Why They Are Important
By Robin Heppell, CFSP
Continuing the topic of how best to make your business’s presence on the Internet known, Heppell discusses how the use of pertinent “keywords” on your site will maximize the chances you will show up in users’ searches.
A Writer’s Reflections on Funeral Service
By Tom Fisher
A monthly feature writer for Mortuary Management for more than 15 years, the late Tom Fisher’s view of death care and funeral service provided a challenging perspective of where we were, and what our future might be. Ron Hast re-presents this piece originally published in 1994 that is as relevant today as it was then.
Do the Right Thing
By Bonnie McCullough
Bonnie McCullough, executive director of the New York State FDA, gives her response to the recent AARP Magazine article entitled “R.I.P. Off, a funeral-industry scandal that’s fleecing thousands of Americans.”

News Briefs You didn't see in the Magazine

Family Opens 60-Year Murder Inquiry (Oregon)
The murder happened 60 years ago, but doubts swirl about the remains in Mary Jane Reed’s casket. It may sound like a TV crime show, but it’s a very real experience for the family of Reed, who was murdered in 1948. A forensic anthropologist hired by Reed’s family examined some of her exhumed remains and concluded that the skull in the casket was not hers, but a retired funeral director who aided the family years ago called the idea “ridiculous.” Reed’s body was exhumed in 2005 and an autopsy was performed. The skull, vertebrae and a femur were sent to the Illinois State Crime Lab for examination. The anthropologist’s report said the skull and one vertebra does not match up with the other vertebrae taken from the coffin. A friend of the family has asked the FBI and the Federal Bureau for Victims of Violent Crimes to look into Reed’s murder.
County Ups Cremation Fee (Seattle, Washington)
Cremations in King County are now $50 more expensive in 2008 — due to an item in the county budget that caught some in the funeral industry off guard. The $50 will raise about $352,000 a year for the county medical examiner’s office, and the funds will be used to pay for 2-1/2 new employees to deal with paperwork and additional investigations related to the new requirement. Some in the funeral industry are concerned about the fee, nothing that they were not notified. John Eric Rolfstad, executive director of the People’s Memorial Association, said his group didn’t find out about the fee until after it was approved. He said the fee often places a burden on people who have chosen cremation because they can’t afford a burial. The new cremation fee also is unfair to people whose religion requires cremation, he said. There are about 8,000 cremations in the county each year, compared with about 3,600 burials. Under the new regulations, funeral directors or families will need to receive a cremation permit from the medical examiner before they’re allowed to cremate the body.
Backlog Holds Up Bowling Trial (Nashville, Tennessee)
A backlog is holding up the trial of a funeral director charged with killing his wife. Mark Bowling, 37, is accused of soliciting at least two women to kill his wife a little more than a year ago and has spent most of the past year in prison awaiting what may be one of the largest murder trials in the county. Bowling is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting death of 45-year-old Julie Bowling. Bowling and his alleged mistress and accomplice, 28-year-old Rose Vincent, both face the death penalty if convicted.
Scores of Businesses Violated Funeral Rule (Washington, D.C.)
According to federal regulators, 92 funeral homes in nine states violated the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule in 2007. The FTC said it found 26 homes with significant violations of the rule and 66 homes with minor deficiencies out of 174 homes visited in 2007. In 2006, 44 funeral homes were cited, 12 with major violations and 32 with minor deficiencies. Major violators were found in Chicago; Pittsburgh; San Antonio, Texas; Suffolk County, New York; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; several counties in Georgia; and Contra Costa County, California. Eight of the 10 homes inspected in Southwestern Oklahoma had minor deficiencies, but no significant violations. The FTC did not specify what violations were committed by the homes. Funeral homes that have committed their first significant violations can participate in the Funeral Rule Offenders Program, as an alternative to civil penalties. Since 1996, the FTC has inspected 2,059 funeral homes and referred 286 to the program.
Family Feuds Over Body’s Disposale (New Zealand)
A family feud over a body taken from a funeral home is intensifying. Tina Marshall was buried by her father on a farm, but now the other side of the family wants the body dug up and cremated. Marshall’s biological father took his daughter’s body from a funeral home while lawyers for her mother applied for a court order to stop him. Marshall’s mother said she wanted the body cremate. Court-ordered exhumations are relatively uncharted legal territory, so it may take some time before the matter is settled.
Wrong Name Printed in Obit (Bangor, Maine)
Anne E. Hathaway received the call her friends probably never wanted to make. The 92-year-old was shocked when her friend called to see if she was still alive. An obituary had appeared in the local daily newspaper, but it turned out it was for another woman with a similar name; both women had made advance funeral arrangements at the same funeral home. When pulling the file for the deceased woman, the funeral home employee didn’t realize there were two women with very similar names and grabbed the wrong one. At the news of her death, Hathaway just laughed. She joked to the local newspaper, “I went to the pearly gates and opened the door and they didn’t have any strawberry shortcake and they didn’t like the way my hair looked.” The funeral home later called Hathaway to apologize for the mix-up.

Cover photo: El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park was taken by Tyler Fraser. To see more of Tyler Fraser’s work visit Fraser Imagery at www.fraserimagery.com

April 2008

Funeral Home Maintenance
Editorial by Ron Hast
When Ron is invited to speak to funeral service provider groups in the various states, he often asks individuals in the audience what they believe is the most important aspect of their own business that makes them stand out from the competition. The answers are sometimes impressive — and sometimes amusing.
Colleague Wisdom: What do you think is funeral service’s greatest problem?
Readers give their comments and opinions on the business today.
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
Publisher Ron Hast shares his thoughts and insights on a number of topics, including how it’s possible to make funeral arrangements, initiate legal papers for signatures by fax and pay for services by credit card — all without talking or meeting another human being; and then there’s the curious story of nine residents (ages 73 to 98) of an English nursing home who planned to celebrate the birthday of one of the women by having a “sex party.”
Looking Good...or Not?
By Douglas O. Meyer
Because your day is so busy and the next day even busier, you may not notice the subtle — or not so subtle — “flaws” around your mortuary. But you can be sure that people who are not there on a day-to-day basis, such as the families you serve, do notice them. And any problems might cause them to form an unfavorable opinion of your firm. Douglas suggests some ways to fix any problems you might have.
If It Sounds Too Good to Be True
By Sue Simon
St. Louis-based National Prearranged Services (NPS) rolled out a new program in December 2007 offering “free caskets and free delivery,” claiming “Casket prices are growing more than twice as fast than what any preneed company can pay in annual growth.” NPS’s solution to “continuing shrinking profits for funeral homes” looks easy at first — when its preneed contracts at least 13 months old come at need, funeral directors earn one, two, three or four casket vouchers, depending on whether the contracts are two, three, four or more years old. But this new program brings with it many questions.
The Body Present...at All Costs
By Jerry Brown
Beyond the psychological and emotional value of viewing the deceased and quietly verifying the reality of death, there exists an intrinsic, universal imperative to honor and validate their life and times with “the body present” throughout the entirety of the memorialization process. The chronicles of global deaths caused by war, terrorism, disease, accidents and natural catastrophic events are replete with references to the sanctity of the body and the prodigious effort, capital care and commitment expended to honor, protect and preserve the bodies of the deceased persons.

Mock Funerals Help Living Reflect on Past (Chungju, South Korea)
Imagine the reading of your will and you being nailed into a coffin…and you being alive for the experience. The trend of “mock funerals” is gaining popularity in South Korea. The process is called “well-dying” and is intended to get participants to map out a better future by reflecting on their past. The fad is an extension of “well-being,” an English phrase adopted into Korean to describe a growing interest in leading healthier, happier lives. One company charges up to $325 for the mock funerals. Other well-dying activities focus on death itself. Web sites store wills to be conveyed to relatives after death, and death coordinators help plan funerals in advance in case of unexpected death. Experts see the well-being and well-dying trend as a sign that South Koreans have grown affluent enough to be able to consider quality-of-life issues. But some dismiss the services as nothing but moneymaking ventures.
Body Parts Error Leads to Lawsuit (Ohio)
Several years after their son’s death, Mark and Diane Albrecht were dismayed to learn they had not buried all of him. Their son Christopher’s brain had been removed for tests by an Ohio county coroner, but it was never returned. The Albrechts have filed a federal class-action suit that could cost local governments millions of dollars, force changes in the way medical examiners perform their jobs and establish new rights for the next of kin. The suit argues that the next of kin, not the state, should make decisions on how to dispose of organs no longer needed for testing and that denial of such a right violates the constitution’s promise of due process. The couple learned of their son’s missing brain from a lawyer investigating other cases involving the coroner. They had not objected to an autopsy to learn the cause of their son’s death and do not contend that the coroner improperly conducted the autopsy. But they were not aware that brain examinations can take several weeks, and that remains returned to the family often do not contain all of the organs.
Couple Jailed for Running Cemetery Brothel (Great Britain)
Anthony Pryor and his wife Quing Hua have each been jailed for 18 months for running a brothel in a cemetery. Their business profited from illegal Asian immigrants who sold sex. Police said so many men visited the cemetery that they dubbed it “Piccadilly Circus.”
Obits Already Written for Young Stars (Los Angeles, California)
You’ve all seen lengthy, detailed obituaries for celebrities appear almost instantly after their deaths. Obviously, they were written in advance by news organizations. But lately, the antics of some celebrities are prompting news agencies like the Associated Press to line up such obituaries early for Hollywood’s younger stars, such as the one AP reports it has prepared for 26-year-old Britney Spears. One Washington Post writer told media, “Somebody like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan or Amy Winehouse — you could arguably put something together.” He added there is huge public interest in anything any young star does. For example, when starlet Anna Nicole Smith died last year at age 39, The Washington Post and other newspapers put her obituary on their front pages. The Associated Press has approx- imately 1,000 prepared obituaries in its files on a wide variety of public figures, but most are on people over 70. One Hollywood publicist believes such interest is driven by the Internet, citing the Web’s ability to make stars of people overnight.
“Toaster” Visits Poe’s Grave (Baltimore, Maryland)
As has been tradition for decades, a mysterious visitor placed three red roses and a half-filled bottle of French cognac at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. Nearly 150 people gathered outside the cemetery of Westminster Presbyterian Church, but the man known as the “Poe toaster” was, as usual, able to avoid being spotted by the crowd. The tribute occurs every January 19 — the anniversary of Poe’s birth. The visitor did not leave a note, electing not to respond to questions raised in the past year about the history and authenticity of the tribute. The tribute is believed to have begun in 1949, according to a 1950 article in The Baltimore Evening Sun. Poe, author of numerous poems and horror stories, died October 7, 1849, in Baltimore at the age of 40 after collapsing in a tavern. Next year will mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Cover photo: 5th Street in Hermosa Beach, California, photographed by Jon St. John

May 2008

Funeral Comforts
Editorial by Ron Hast
In this month’s editorial, publisher Ron Hast relates how caring for the dead in American culture usually involves some type of religious ceremony, something too many funeral providers take for granted. But for some families, a religious agenda may not be appreciated, and as we see choices escalate for social in preference to ceremonial funerals, we must be alert to the fact that families do not always accept routine. If families’ requests embrace religious concepts, full support and service should be rendered, but if religious rites are rejected in favor of other choices, funeral staff should be highly supportive without interference.
Colleague Wisdom:
Shopping for death care by telephone has become significant — quite often the primary “connection” to be favored to serve. What effort or methods are most important with this brief opportunity?
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
What happens when a guy gives his girlfriend Valentine’s Day flowers that turn out to be leftovers from a funeral? Why does an NFDA questionnaire promising anonymity include a “project number”? And why might a box of Valentine candy “With love from Artie” cause an untypical Valentine’s Day reaction
Preneed Insurance
By Douglas O. Meyer
To avoid the negative effects of the bad publicity regarding preneed trust funds “going missing,” some funeral directors have switched to insurance as the funding vehicle for their preneed accounts. Whether you’re new to insurance as a preneed funding vehicle or have been using it for years, Meyer discusses a few things to keep in mind. .
Important Web Site Attributes
By Robin Heppell, CFSP
In the realm of family, lineage, genetics and heritage, “name” is certain important — as is the name that designates and identifies family holdings, businesses and enterprises. Names — and nomenclature — are equally important in the funeral profession.
Death Care Unintended Marketing
By Brian Porteous
At one point or another, many mortuaries utilize tactics to acquire new families that usually involve something that’s free or that’s drastically discounted — the type of business building referred to as “back-end selling.” While many funeral directors have succeeded with this approach, there’s always the potential for unpleasant and often hidden side effects — what’s called “Unintended Marketing.”
A Winning Way to Set Features
By Mark T. Higgins
Higgins discusses the use of mortuary putty in setting features and how to achieve the best results.

Funeral Director is Local Man of the Year (Methuen, Massachusetts)
A local funeral director has been named the Methuen Board of Trade’s 2008 Person of the Year. Rick Dewhirst, chairman of the board of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and president of Methuen Arlington Neighborhood Inc., is the owner of Charles F. Dewhirst Family Funeral Homes, a family-run business with four funeral homes. His community service helped single him out from a field of eight nominees, and he was the unanimous selection. Dewhirst is also active with Holy Family Men’s Guild, chairman of the board of First Church Congregational in Methuen, chairman of the board of the Berkeley Retirement Home and has held leadership roles with the Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association, the Methuen Board of Trade and the Salem/Methuen Rotary Club. Dewhirst told local media, “One of the reasons I’ve been able to do as much in the community and give back is because I have incredibly talented staff that will cover the day-to-day operations so I can do the community outreach aspect, plus the support of my family.”
Muslims Trying to Work Within State Regulations (Bristol, Connecticut )
Muslims in the state say they are finding creative ways to follow their faith’s burial traditions without violating state regulations. Muslims bury their dead within 24 hours and the bodies should be interred without a casket, facing the holy city of Mecca. But state law requires caskets or sealed containers in cemeteries near neighborhoods. Also, many cemeteries don’t have facilities for the ritual washing and wrapping of bodies as outlined in the Quran. Local Muslims say their faith emphasizes following the rules of the society in which they live, and some mosques are also encouraging members to enter the funeral industry.
Horse’s Remains Interred at Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky)
According to the Associated Press, the ashes of Barbaro, the horse that won the hearts of millions of people throughout the world, will be interred at the Churchill Downs racetrack. The horse’s owners said that Churchill Downs was the best place to honor the colt, who won the Derby before being injured in the Preakness just two weeks later. The ashes will be placed outside of the front gate in a large elevated space enclosed by bricks. A large bronze statue will be unveiled soon and a bronze marker will also be placed at the site. Barbaro broke his right hind leg at the Preakness, but lived only eight months. Barbaro is the first Kentucky Derby winner to be buried at the racetrack. The remains of four other winning horses are interred at the Kentucky Derby Museum next to the track.
Couple Awarded $325,000 for Emotional Distress (Boston, Massachusetts)
A couple was awarded $325,000 after a jury ruled they suffered emotional distress when the remains of their stillborn son were lost and possibly cremated. The ruling for Robert and Therese Bellissimo Benedict came after 1-1/2 days of deliberation. Therese Bellissimo Benedict had testified in Superior Court she wanted to find out what happened to the remains of her son, Lourdes Benedict — funeral home J.S. Waterman and Sons allegedly lost his remains. Benedict learned on April 1, 2003, that one of the twins she was carrying had died. The other twin, a son named Cole who is now healthy, was born six days later. Benedict and her husband hired Waterman to keep Lourdes’s remains until they could arrange a proper burial. But funeral officials told the couple a few months later that the remains had disappeared. They eventually concluded he probably was cremated with a woman whose body was stored in the same refrigerator unit. The couple sued Waterman’s and Service Corporation International; the company has acknowledged losing the remains but contends it did not cause the couple emotional harm.
Bodysnatching on Court’s Docket (New Zealand)
A court has granted an injunction to stop the burial of a 76-year-old woman whose body had been snatched. An estranged daughter of Ivy May Ngahooro took her body from a hearse planning to bury her in one area, upsetting family members who had planned her burial elsewhere. Family members initially wanted to intercept the vehicle and take the body back but were advised not to by police. This was the third public case of body-snatching in New Zealand in the past year, prompting calls to make it illegal. .

Cover photo: Of the kelp forest at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, was taken by Greg Abbott

June 2008

Good-Bye, Sue Simon
Editorial by Ron Hast
In his editorial, publisher Ron Hast bids a fond farewell to Sue Simon, longtime editor of Funeral Monitor, who noted: “Seven and three-quarters years, 368 issues, 2,000-plus articles and 1.5 million words later, this is my last Monitor.”
Colleague Wisdom:
This month’s question for readers: What does it take to attract prepaid, prearranged funerals?
Just Conversation
Ron Hast
Ron touches on several items this month, including Dick Smith, owner of Wyant & Smith Funeral Home and Crematory in Sunnyvale, California; a car parked in the woods and why its two occupants sit nervously watching the time; and a death call to a home where the deceased sat on the couch waiting for the funeral director to arrive.
Stray Thoughts
By Douglas O. Meyer
The mortuary says the cemetery didn’t do what it was supposed to do — the cemetery says the mortuary didn’t do what it was supposed to do. Most complaints like this stem from poor communication, and as families think of funerals as single events that happen to involve both the mortuary and cemetery, failure to cooperate and communicate will most certainly cause problems down the line.
Opinion: Enron of the Funeral Industry?
By Brent Taylor
Funeral industry alarmists point to the Forest Hill Funeral Homes debacle in Memphis, Tennessee, as proof that people should never prearrange funeral services because there’s no guarantee the money will be there at the time of death. Just as Enron did not spell the end of the stock market as a vehicle to protect and grow wealth, Forest Hill will not bring to an end those protecting their families from high funeral costs with insurance-funded prearranged contracts.
Weddings and Funerals
By Barbara Koch
Wedding coordinator Barbara Koch noted how the funeral director “rolled with the punches” in planning services for Koch’s mother-in-law. That soon got her to thinking: just how different are funeral directors and wedding planners? And if they’re similar, what can be learned from wedding planners that could be applied to the funeral profession?
Why Original Content Is Important
By Robin Heppell, CFSP
Heppell continues his discussion of the importance of keywords on Web sites. This month he explains about why good, original content is absolutely necessary.