Page A18 JUNE 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com In his leadership book, Resilient Leaders, Major General Robert F. Dees tells a fascinating story about the perspective of Admiral Chester Nimitz during World War II. On the evening of December 7, 1941, Admiral Nimitz found himself at a concert. Trying to give himself a few minutes away from the reality of what had happened earlier that morning at Pearl Harbor, he let the music soak into his soul. But, how do you put the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor out of your mind? Shortly, he found that desire to be waning and then completely fading as a phone call came his direction. And, no ordinary phone call at that. President Roosevelt himself was calling. The President informed the Admiral that he had been selected to be the Commander of the Pacific Fleet. Now, the aftermath and the rebuilding of Pearl Harbor and the American fleet had been put squarely on the Admiral’s shoulders. Would those shoulders be broad enough for the task ahead? When Admiral Nimitz arrived at Pearl on Christmas Eve, he not surprisingly found the atmosphere on the base to be quite gloomy. And why shouldn’t it be? The attack had devastated the American Navy and its personnel. The next day, the Admiral was given a tour of the cause of the despair including the sunken vessels which had become the final resting place for 3,800 American heroes. At the end of the tour, the Admiral was asked what he thought of the destruction. The Admiral’s response was shocking. It wasn’t one of despair. It was one of optimism, hope, and future victory. Admiral Nimitz looked at the young helmsman who had asked the question and he said, “The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make … Bright Ideas for Funeral Directors with Mark Bowser There is Always Hope in the Midst of Despair God was really taking care of America. One, the Japanese attacked on Sunday morning when most crewmen were on shore on leave. Otherwise, we might have lost 38,000 sailors. Two, the Japanese never attacked the dry docks we will use to repair our ships allowing them to be repaired quickly, and three, the Japanese did not attack our fuel supply.” No matter how dark the situation may appear, there is always light that can vanquish the darkness like a light-switch being flipped on in a room. Admiral Chester Nimitz was a leader who saw light and not darkness. We can do the same thing. This is Mark Bowser. Thanks for reading today. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columnsonline at Mark Bowser grew up in the funeral industry and knows the challenges and rewards of running a small business. Mark has been a Professional Speaker since 1993 and is one of America’s premier Sales and Success speakers today. He is the author of several books including Sales Success with Zig Ziglar. He is the host of the popular podcast “Let Me Tell You a Story with Mark Bowser.” To book him to speak at your next event then contact him at www.MarkBowser.com or email info@MarkBowser.com. Annie, the official “Office Assistant” Niewoehner’s Chapel Funeral Arrangement Room Dale and Marilyn Niewoehner Continued from Front Page Niewoehner Funeral Home 50th Anniversary He attended Minot State College, where he was a student employee at Thomas Funeral Home and completed pre-mortuary science requirements. He then attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago and obtained his Illinois dual license as a funeral director and embalmer in 1968. He worked at Sheehy Funeral Home while in Illinois and gained valuable experience. In 1972 he returned home to North Dakota to open his own firm. The building Dale purchased has a storied past. It was built in 1900 to serve as a feed sale barn and livery stable where horses were kept and managed for outof-town visitors, Dale explains. Then in 1930, it became a creamery and locker plant. Locker plants were popular prior to the general introduction of refrigerators and deep freezers. It was a refrigerated room where people could store food items and keep them from spoiling. The creamery also sold milk, eggs, and cream to the local community. The business closed around 1970 and the building sat empty until Dale purchased it in 1971. The alley behind the building is infamous locally as it was the site of the last murder that took place in Rugby back in 1963. “When I bought the building, it needed to be redone completely. It was in a rough condition,” says Dale. The home has a lobby, a small state room, a chapel that seats nearly 100 people, a casket display room, a small office, a preparation room, and a garage. There was a recent expansion for a large arrangement room, as well. Dale owns the adjacent building, which is connected to the funeral home’s main building. In it is his office and the monument display room. Dale is rightly proud of having been in business for 50 years. “There are businesses that have been in business for over 100 years in Rugby. There’s a bank that has been around well over 100 years. But they change people and have a new building and so on,” says Dale. “My claim to fame is that Niewoehner Funeral Home has the original owner, the original location and building, and is still operating with all those aspects after fifty years.” Dale says that he has non-professional people help him with funerals, including his wife Marilyn and Ron Montonye and Don Forsberg. Marilyn helps with other duties she can assist with, as well. However, Dale takes everything else into his own hands, from mowing the lawn to trimming trees and embalming bodies and doing paperwork. “I’ve gotten to the age where I don’t plow snow anymore though,” he says. Through the years, Dale has devoted time to professional organizations. He was the president of the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association in 1992-1993 as well as serving as executive secretary for 10 years. He spent five years serving as North Dakota’s representative on the policy board for the National Funeral Directors Association. He received his Certified Funeral Service Practitioner designation from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practitioners where he served as treasurer for one term. Currently his is the executive secretary and secretary of the North Dakota State Board of Funeral Service. He is also a member of the Professional Car Society. Locally, Dale has served the community as city councilman and mayor for a total of 24 years. An active member of the Rugby Lions Club for 50 years, he is a past president and earned the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in 1994, the highest honor given to a Lions member for his commitment to serve his community and Lions’ causes. He was president of the Rugby Jaycees in the mid-1970s when Rugby was named top state chapter. Throughout the past 50 years, the Niewoehner Funeral Home has serviced people of different faiths, often with innovative services. “We’ve had several services where we took the casket in a horse-drawn wagon to and from the church,” says Dale. “One time, 70 people on horses folContinued on page A22 Send Us Your News! We welcome news of the industry. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS info@NomisPublications.com PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 CALL 1-800-321-7479 2” HEARSE NAMEPLATES 1-9 spaces $95.00 per nameplate 10-14 spaces $105.00 per nameplate 15-16 spaces $122.00 per nameplate 17-19 spaces $135.00 per nameplate Many Letter Styles and Sizes Available DEDUCT $15.00 each for Satin Aluminum Finish
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzg4MQ==