November 2022

Page A22 November 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Order Direct at 1-800-782-8249 Free UPS Ground Shipping www.mccordcasketsandvaults.com manager of Gawler’s, along with John Van Haesen, Edwin B. Stroble, and Thomas Robinson prepared the president’s remains. After the embalming, the body was taken to the White House, where it lay in state in a closed 710 solid African mahogany with a bronze inner liner from the Marsellus Casket Company. Later, the president would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in a Wilbert Copper Triune Vault. The November 24th lying-in-state in the Rotunda of the Capitol was modeled on that of Lincoln in 1865. The catafalque that had borne the Great Emancipator’s coffin was brought out of storage and used again. More than a quarter of a million mourners, eight abreast, filed past between 1:30 on Sunday afternoon and 8:00 the next morning. Although the officials in charge followed the rule book for military and state funerals, Mrs. Kennedy added a number of personal touches and orchestrated the event. She insisted on walking behind the caisson and using the navy hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” a favorite of her late husband. Her ultimate touch was the idea of the eternal flame, which she lit at his grave. Over 300,000 people lined Pennsylvania Avenue and thousands more filed past the slain president’s casket. On November 25th, the body was taken from the Capitol to St. Matthew’s Cathedral on a horse-drawn caisson. Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, celebrated the high requiem mass. When the president’s wife and family gathered around his gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery, a dull roar rose in the east and fifty military jets streamed through the sky in a farewell salute. According to the US State Department, President Kennedy’s funeral was attended by representatives of 92 nations, five international organizations, eight heads of state, ten prime ministers, royalty, and a Papal representative from the Vatican. The funeral of John F. Kennedy was one of the most dramatic and well-publicized funeral rituals in history. To the Kennedy generation, the memory of those three days continues to evoke clearly defined images and sound which the years have not dimmed. As for his assassin, on November 24, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner. Oswald was embalmed by Paul Groody, who operated the Miller Funeral Home in Fort Worth. Groody obtained a brown suit, white shirt and tie, and casketed the body in a standard No. 91 cloth covered “state” casket with a gray exterior and a white satin interior from the Texas Coffin Company. Mr. Groody collected Oswald’s body in the middle of the night on November 24 and made plans for a service the followBy Todd Van Beck At 12:30 PM on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot by bullets that struck him in the head and at the base of his neck. He was rushed to Parkland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. At the same time that the fatally wounded president arrived at Parkland, an ambulance from the Vernon B. O’Neal Funeral Home was parked at the ambulance entrance. O’Neal’s had just completed a routine ambulance call. Because the Dallas police had worked with O’Neal’s ambulance service many times before, they suggested that Mr. O’Neal’s firm be called. Mr. O’Neal thought his involvement in the president’s care would be more involved, but in the end, all he did was deliver an Elgin “Handley” Solid Bronze casket to the hospital. The casket weighed 400 pounds. The government officials in Dallas quickly made the decision that President Kennedy would be immediately transported back to Washington, DC without anyone’s permission, including the county coroner. The Elgin Bronze was not ultimately used for the president’s funeral and was later disposed of by dropping it into the Atlantic Ocean. For one year, Mr. O’Neal sent a $3,900 bill to the Kennedy family, and the Kennedys never paid Mr. O’Neal. Eventually, he was told by the government that they would pay him $3,400 but no more. Because he demanded proper payment, Mr. O’Neal’s business dropped by 50%. When the president’s remains arrived in Washington, DC, Joseph Gawler’s Sons Funeral Directors had already been notified, and the president’s remains were embalmed and restored at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Joseph E. Hagan, the John F. Kennedy the thirty-fifth President of the United States of America Rest in Peace, Mr. President. That was the hope...that our presidents would rest in peace, but that has not always happened. For example, between 1865 and 1901 Lincoln’s remains were moved 18 times. Funerals are a reflection of how people live their lives, and this remains true for the funerals of our U.S. presidents. This series offers a glimpse into the deaths and funerals of our presidents, while offering overdue recognition to the scores of funeral professionals who labored ceaselessly to carry out the wishes of the presidents, their families, and in some cases, the wishes of the United States government. Each account tells an interesting story. —TVB ing day. But there were some problems. Problem one was the issue of finding someone to lead the service. No one could seem to put aside their anger long enough to say even a few parting words about a man who sent the country into mourning. Two Lutheran ministers agreed, then backed out when Groody told them the service would be held outdoors. Both feared sniper fire would disrupt the proceedings. When Oswald’s family showed up for the 4 PM service, Groody encountered another issue. Aside from law enforcement, no one other than Oswald’s widow and their two children, his mother and his brother had shown up for the funeral— there was no one to serve as pallbearers. So, Groody turned to the one thing he did have in plentiful supply: members of the press. Acting on a tip, dozens of reporters had gathered on the grounds to photograph and witness the burial of Kennedy’s assassin. After many refusals, at least seven reporters helped Groody get the body to the opened grave. Then, with Oswald in the ground, the Reverend Louis Saunders—executive secretary of the local Council of Churches and the only clergy willing to lend the service a religious overture—uttered the final words: “Mrs. Oswald tells me that her son, Lee Harvey, was a good boy and that she loved him,” he said. “And today, Lord, we commit his spirit to your Divine care.” That was all. Oswald’s casket was opened one last time so that the family could pay their last respects. It was then lowered into the grave. On the fourth anniversary of Kennedy’s murder, in 1967, thieves stole Oswald’s modest headstone in Rose Hill Cemetery. When it was recovered, Oswald’s mother, Marguerite, replaced it with a simple plaque and kept the original in her home. When Marguerite died in 1981, she was buried in the plot next to her son. That same year, Oswald’s body was exhumed in order to satisfy conspiracy theories regarding whether he really occupied the grave or whether a body double had been used instead. After the curious parties were satisfied, Oswald was buried once more and in a new casket. 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 Todd W. Van Beck is the Director of Professional Development at Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science where he began his career 40 years ago. He is one of the best known and most wellregarded practitioners, educators, writers and speakers in the funeral profession. On May 30, 2018 Van Beck celebrated 50 years in funeral service. You can reach Todd at 615-327-3927. Rest In Peace, Mr. President New Report Analyzes Funeral and Cremation Industry Trends and Data LOUISVILLE,KY— John and Susan Muster, with Muster Coaches of Calhoun, KY, Gina and Bruce Leesman along with Dennis and Sharon Smith attended the 2022 Kentucky Derby at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville. Known as the most watched two minutes in sports, the Derby takes place the first Saturday of May. Muster Coaches’ annual drawing gives each funeral home, livery service, and mortuary service one free entry into the Run for the Roses contest for each new vehicle purchased from them during the year. The winner receives two reserved seat tickets to the Derby as well as lodging. The annual drawing takes place on the final day of the NFDA convention each year. For more information on Muster’s annual Run for the Roses contest call 800-274-3619 or visit www.mustercoaches.com. Kentucky Derby with Muster Coaches At the 2022 Kentucky Derby: Gina and Bruce Leesman along with Dennis and Sharon Smith. BAY SHORE,NY—Sundale Research is excited to announce the release of its 2022 State of the Industry report, “Funeral and Cremation Services and Supplies in the U.S.” The 17th edition of their Funeral and Cremation Services and Supplies Industry report, published annually, contains timely and accurate industry statistics, forecasts to help plan, and objective analysis. The report, published in September, features historical, current, and future trends covering the 2005-2026 period. It is an essential resource for the funeral and cremation industry covering the most important trends for the busy executive, including detailed data on revenues and establishments; death, burial, and cremation rates; shipments of burial caskets and coffins; sales of cremation urns; pricing trends; and expenditures by demographic groups. Utilizing various sources and primary research, the report also analyzes new developments shaping the industry, such as the soaring popularity of cremations, personalization trends, pet funerals and cremations, and the impact of Covid-19. Sundale Research, based in Bay Shore, NY, has been closely following industry trends, forecasting data, and writing State of the Industry reports for more than 24 years. They dedicate a small team of analysts to a related group of reports to ensure the most accurate statistics, forecasts, and analysis to help you make the best business decisions. Their State of the Industry reports are intended to save you time and money while providing the most accurate information about your industry. Because their analysts are focused on a core group of studies, they can efficiently produce reports and pass the savings along to you. This also results in a deep knowledge base that is continually growing. Visit https://sundaleresearch.com/serviceindustries/state-of-the-industry-funeral-and-cremationservices-and-supplies-in-the-u-s/ for more information. @Nomis.Publ ications Like us on

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