February 2017

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Page A8 FEBRUARY 2017 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A
Accepting Entries For Interior Design Award
Mishawaka, IN – Entries are being accepted by Cressy Memorial Group for an Interior Design Award for Best
Conversation Area. The contest is open to memorial industry businesses that serve the public.
In the memorial industry, there are currently no awards for beautiful interior spaces in funeral homes and
cemetery buildings. Designing Woman columnist, MaryAnne Scheuble plans to change that by acknowledging
businesses that are well-maintained and stand out for beautiful décor. “Having set foot in hundreds of memorial
industry businesses I can attest to the creative, welcoming conversation areas that exist in select funeral homes,
cemetery offices and mausoleums.”
To enter - Submit photo(s) of the seating area which accommodates two or more people. Visitation
rooms, hospitality spaces, arrangement areas or any common space qualify. Then, add a few
sentences to explain what’s unique, beautiful, comforting about the space.
Send entries to:
Subject title: Entry – Best Conversation Area
Deadline is March 31st.
Prize supplied by Howard Miller/ Hekman companies is a dramatic
49” Gallery-style wall clock – Wingate # 625-566.
The winner will be announced in the May issue of
The Funeral Home & Cemetery News.
Cressy Memorial is a manufacturers’ representative agency that works through distributors to bring Howard Miller clocks and urns,
Hekman furniture, R & S Marble urns, Natural Legacy caskets and urns plus Crowne Vaults to the memorial industry. They support
distributors throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact: MaryAnne Scheuble, Cressy Memorial Group
866.763.0485.
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
SINCE 1893
HELPING YOU MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
/
tel 800 443 6343 / fax 800 443 4034
By Kristan Dean
Let’s
Chat
In 2000 Kristan Dean began working with her family to bring
Merry Christmas From Heaven® to all who need the gifts’ mes-
sage of Comfort, Love, and Faith. Today she is the Vice President
of Marketing and one of the primary members of her family’s
Bereavement Ministry.
Thanks, in great part, to the thousands of funeral directors and
retailers nationwide who make Merry Christmas From Heaven® a
part of their communities, countless numbers of families reach out
to their family every year. Their bereavement ministry helps families
realize that those in Heaven live forever in our hearts. Their love is
with us always.
Prior to Mooney TunCo, Inc. Kristan worked with companies nation-
wide helping them build revenues by creating greater sales opportuni-
ties through the use of sales intelligence and marketing alignment.
As the order of the day is rest, rest, and more rest so that
my body and brain have the time they need to reboot af-
ter a car accident I am beyond grateful to Funeral Home
& Cemetery News for suggesting that I choose a column
to re-run. I hope that you will continue reading and that
this column inspires you to give even more to the animals
in your community that need you.
My sister Jaqui recently forwarded me “A DOG’S LAST
WILL &TESTAMENT” and though I wish we knew the
author’s name I do not want that to stand in the way of my
sharing it with you.
“A DOG’S LASTWILL & TESTAMENT”
Before humans die, they write their Last Will & Testa-
ment, give their home and all they have to those they leave
behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what
I’d ask…
To a poor and lonely stray I’d give:
• My happy home.
• My bowl and cozy bed, soft pillows and all my toys.
• The lap, which I loved so much
• The hand that stroked my fur & the sweet voice which
spoke my name.
I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog, the place I had in
my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.
So when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet
again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.”
Instead, go find an unloved dog…one whose life has
held no joy or hope and give My place to him.
This is the one thing I can give…The love I left behind.
–Author Unknown
As a person that grew up with rescue pups and kittens and
adopted a puppy mill rescue of my own I am in awe of this
dog for inspiring someone to write such a beautiful testa-
ment. I believe that our pets want us to open our hearts
to a pet in need when they die because when we do the Love
we shared does more than live on it grows with every pet we
give it to.
This is not to say that a pet can be replaced or that get-
ting a new pet is the answer to a pet owner’s grief. It is an
acknowledgement that when a pet dies people need to
honor the love they have for them and the love they re-
ceived from them. Leading me to ask is there another way
that our communities can help animals in need in honor of
the love they have for their living & deceased pets?
With spring cleaning on lots of to do lists I realized ... this
is a perfect time to ask people to donate things to their local
animal shelter in honor of the pets they love. The question
is what do shelters need? According to Mary Connolly of
the South Shore Humane Society “It is always best to ask
the shelter that you want to donate to what they need be-
cause every shelter is unique.” Still there are a few things al-
most every shelter needs.
The top universal shelter needs according to Mary are:
• Towels - “More than anything”
• Bleach
• Pet Carriers (new and used)
• Stainless Steel Dishes - “because plastic can retain bac-
teria”
• Leashes (new and used ...“there are never enough”)
• Litter boxes (new only due to plastic’s ability to retain
bacteria)
• Pet Food ‘for the shelters, owners that come to the shel-
ters in need of food for their pet, and the wild life sanctu-
aries shelters often share food with”
• Dog crates and houses (new and used)
• Dog and Cat Shampoos
• Toys (tennis balls, kong toys, basic cat and puppy toys)
• Kitten and Puppy Milk Replacers KMR (kitten and
puppy formula)
• Blankets and Comforters (although Mary cautions
“many appreciate receiving these more in the winter due
to lack of storage)
• Your Time and Abilities to take pet photos and post
them online, walk a pup, snuggle a kitten, clean a cage,
help do repairs, and assist with the paperwork,
• Shelters with Rabbits (love shoe boxes, the rolls from
paper towels and toilet paper and all things card board for
the bunnies to shred)
• Shelters with birds love bird seed, bird toys, all things
card board, and cages
• Please Spay and Neuter Your Pets “Not to sound like
Bob Barker but this is so important that many shelters
help pet owners in need spray and neuter their pets”
Knowing howmuch our industry is growing to answer
the needs of families that want to honor their deceased
pets by conducting pet memorial services, cremations,
and burials I hope you will let “A DOG’S LASTWILL &
TESTAMENT” inspire you to bring your community to-
gether to honor of the pets they love by helping animals in
need.
Argos Funeral Services
Offers Fly Me to the
Moon Burials
TORRANCE,CA— Argos
Funeral Services has an-
nounced that they are cur-
rently the only funeral
home in California to offer
lunar burials on the moon
through its memorial
spaceflight services provid-
er, Celestis, Inc. Argos Fu-
neral Services first launch
to the moon is scheduled
in the fall of 2017.
“Argos Funeral Services
is an innovative mortuary
that is creating a paradigm
shift in funeral service
planning and unique per-
sonalization, with a staff
that welcomes extraordi-
nary requests and chal-
lenges while maintaining
personal and business pri-
vacy,” says owner, Judah
Ben Hur.
Argos Funeral Services is
locally owned and profes-
sionally operated by own-
ers Judah Ben-Hur, and
Maria F. Costa Rodriguez,
with Shawn Adame, as the
managing funeral director.
Celestis Inc., headquartered
in Houston, TX is the pio-
neer and the only provider
to have successfully con-
ducted memorial space-