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NOVEMBER 2014
FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
S ec t i on A
The National Museum of Funeral History
Houston, Texas
The National Museum of Funeral History, located in Houston,
Texas, houses the country’s largest collection of funeral service arti-
facts and features renowned exhibits on one of man’s oldest cultur-
al customs. It belongs to YOU and everyone in the funeral industry.
Visitors can discover the mourning rituals of ancient civilizations,
see up-close authentic items used in the funerals of US Presidents
and Popes and explore the rich heritage of the industry which cares
for the dead.
seum on Facebook or call 281-876-3063.
members who attended the dedication of the 17-acre cem-
etery, but scores of people across the globe, as the speech re-
addressed the war effort, American independence and free-
dom in general, and ultimately went on to shape one of the
most powerful economies of the world.
“Remembering Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address” is part of
the museum’s “Leave us your Lincoln” campaign, which
encourages visitors to leave their “Lincoln cash” – five dol-
lar bills and pennies – at the museum near the Lincoln sec-
tion of the Presidential Funerals exhibition. Additionally,
the museum is relying on visitors to help fill the Lincoln
Penny Folder, which features pennies that have been minted
throughout the years. Funds raised through these initiatives
will support the museum’s efforts to bring Lincoln funeral
artifacts to Houston in the future.
Visitors can also honor our fallen heroes – brave veter-
ans and military personnel during November. The mu-
Museum
Corner
plimentary lunch and special pre-planning seminar
hosted by
Service Corporation International
. Then,
members of the tour can hop on a bus and travel to
the nearby Houston National Cemetery to witness
the making of a military funeral and honors, complete
with 21-gun salute and more.
In remembrance of Veterans Day, the museum is
saying “thank you” to veterans by offering free general
admission to veterans and active military servicemen
and women the week of November 10-16. The muse-
um is a great place to pay respects to all who serve and
have served by exploring the museum’s military relat-
ed exhibitions, including the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier, Dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial,
learning about military funeral traditions and more.
What do veterans, Abraham Lincoln and the fight
against hunger have in common? They are all being cel-
ebrated at the National Museum of Funeral History in
November. From a canned food drive, to the commem-
oration of President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettys-
burg Address and special Veteran’s Day tours, the Na-
tional Museum of Funeral History is getting into the
holiday spirit with a multitude of fun and engaging ac-
tivities guaranteed to entertain and educate.
This holiday season, the museum is joining the fight
against hunger and giving life to those in need by en-
couraging visitors to bring canned food items to the
museum during November and December for the
Houston Food Bank. Visitors who bring a non-perish-
able canned food donation will receive $2 off general
admission to the museum.
During November, the museum is also “Remember-
ing Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address” in recognition of Pres-
ident Lincoln’s famous two minute speech on November
19, 1863 during the dedication of the Soldiers’ National
Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Lincoln sec-
tion of the museum’s Presidential Funeral’s exhibit will
highlight the Gettysburg Address and its significance in
redefining the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg was a
turning point in the Civil War, making the town a burial
ground for more than 7,500 soldiers. Visitors to the Pres-
idential Funerals exhibit will learn how Lincoln’s address
not only moved the 15,000 citizens and surviving family
seum will offer special
Veterans Day Tours on
November 8
th
and 15
th
,
which include a tour of
the museum, a Lunch
& Learn pre-planning
seminar and a tour
of
Houston Nation-
al Cemetery
, the local
veterans’ cemetery. At-
tendees will meet at the
museum and begin with
a tour of the museum,
where they’ll explore the
Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier exhibit, discover
the traditions behind a military funeral and view a special
photography exhibit from the Smithsonian that tells the
story of the dedication of the Vietnam Wall in Washing-
ton DC. Following the tour, attendees will enjoy a com-
what happens after death, but rather a tool to help
talk about a subject that can be difficult. Written in
a rhyming form to make it comfortable for children,
Squirrel and Oak has many poetic lines of wisdom that
adults will definitely understand and take to heart.
Several main themes and the setting of the book
were inspired by the author’s childhood in Vermont.
“I grew up watching seasons change and the cycles
of Nature be played out in full glory,” says Prescott,
“It’s the lens by which I looked at my own experi-
ence of loss by knowing that winter was always fol-
lowed by spring. And because the Sun is the reason
for this shift in season, it had to be a main character
in the story.” Megan also managed the illustrations in
the book and contributed half of them herself. “The
colors in the illustrations for Squirrel and Oak are
saturated and deep,” says Prescott, “light is used in-
tentionally throughout as a visual metaphor for inspi-
ration and hope.”
Starting the conversation about loss can be difficult
and it is Megan’s great hope that Squirrel and Oak
will become widely used as a tool by grieving families,
therapists, schools, hospices, or anyone who needs
some support after experiencing loss. She knows this
is a book her mother would have loved; made even
more touching by the fact that Megan’s mother was
her high school English teacher. “My mom encour-
aged me to love writing and also make art. She is the
reason I ever thought to write this book.”
Squirrel and Oak is a testament that something
beautiful can, and did, com
Squirrel and Oak: A Story of Hope To Help Grieving
Children and Families
DALLAS,TX—
Megan
Prescott
spent near-
ly half her life working
through a bereavement
process after abruptly
losing both her mom and
brother within a month
of one another when
she was 19 years old.
At the end of this jour-
ney emerged
Squirrel and
Oak: A Book of Hope,
a
narrative which the first-
time author hopes will
be used as an inspira-
tion and lifeline for chil-
dren of all ages who are
saying goodbye to some-
one they love. “My de-
sire is that after reading
the book, readers will
breathe a sigh of relief,” says Prescott, “now knowing
that they are not alone with their feelings and experi-
ence of loss.”
Squirrel and Oak: A Story of Hope
differs from oth-
er grief books in that it takes the reader through a
loss and bereavement experience in an indirect way.
It is through the charac-
ter of Squirrel that griev-
ing children identify most
with, a sweet furry soul
who experiences the cut-
ting down of her oak tree
friend. Poor Squirrel is
shocked. She is lost and
afraid. And she begins
to ask very big questions
about life. Just like a child
would. Just like adults do.
Megan’s goal was to cre-
ate a story that could be
the beginning of a lot of
conversations about death
and that through the
characters families could
talk about their feelings
and express themselves.
It is not the answer for