December 2022

NEWSDECEMBER 2022 Family Owned and Operated Since 1974 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY P O BOX 5 1 5 9 , YO U N G S T OWN, OH I O 4 4 5 1 4 1 - 8 0 0 - 3 2 1 - 7 4 7 9 WWW. NO M I SPU B L I C AT I O N S. C O M P r e v i o u s l y P u b l i s h e d a s t h e YB News • S t i l l t h e P l a c e f o r Yo u r N ew s ! January 11–13, 2023 • Las Vegas, NV iccfa.com/sales Start the new year off right with expert-lead sessions and plenty of networking at the biggest deathcare sales conference of 2023: Bragg Funeral Home celebrates 85 Years of serving New Jersey Families Passaic Location See Full Article on Page A14 Paterson Location Alhiser-Comer Mortuary Celebrates 125 Years in Business By Laurie Esposito-Harley ESCONDIDO,CA— Alhiser-Comer Mortuary celebrated 125 years in the business this year with a fullblown party and local and congressional recognition. The first undertaking advertisements in the area date back to 1893, but Megan Comer, president of Alhiser-Comer Mortuary, says “We claim 1897, because that’s when we can first Rollins Life Celebration Center Is a Different Kind of Funeral Home By Laurie Esposito Harley Continued on page A25 FREDERICK,MD— Denise and Gary Rollins opened their new Rollins Life Celebration Center earlier this year in a unique, modern building. “We’re celebrating life,” Gary says. “We’re celebrating a person who’s lived.” The new center is located at 330 Catoctin Avenue in Frederick, MD. Ground was broken in January 2021 for this facility that has been Gary’s dream for nearly 30 years since he opened his first funeral home in Frederick, his hometown, in 1993 on West All Saints Street. Continued on page A20 establish our building where it is.” The original building was built as a funeral home. The current chapel was the original building, which had Harrell Funeral Home acquires Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne and launches Highland Lakes Cremation Center See Page A18 Convention Highlights Begin on Page A29 2022 NFDA International Convention & Expo Baltimore, Maryland | October 9-12 See Page A10 Historic Stained-Glass Window completes a 125-Year Journey to Garden of Remembrance www.NomisPublications.com @Nomis.Publications Like Classified Ads Shipping Directory Index of Advertisers

Page A2 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Published Monthly by: Nomis Publications, Inc. PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 FAX 1-800-321-9040 www.nomispublications.com info@nomispublications.com Subscription: United States $30.00 - Canada/Mexico $60.00 Circulation 21,000 per issue. Overseas rates available. Deadline for Press Releases: 5th of the Previous month. Advertising: Display Ad rates sent upon request. Classified and Shipping Directory rates published in each issue. All advertising must be received by the 5th of the previous month. Due to the vast amount of sources, the publisher is not responsible for the content of any news articles or advertisements. Nor is the publisher responsible for any loss of revenue by failure to insert an advertisement. The contents of any advertisement submitted for publication are only the publisher’s responsibility if the error is made by the publisher’s typesetting department, and then only to the extent of the typesetting charges. Advertisers are responsible for adhering to individual state regulations regarding advertising. The contents of any news article submitted for publication is subject to editing and is published at the sole discretion of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any news article or advertisement. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or part, without the exclusive consent of Nomis Publications, Inc. Editor: Margaret (Peggy) Rouzzo © 2022 by Nomis Publications, Inc. ISSN 1944-1126 Funeral Home & Cemetery News Online at www.nomispublications.com Online Directories US & International Funeral Homes • Supply Companies Cemeteries • Pet Memorialization Companies Trade Associations • Plus Much More... www.nomispublications.com Like @Nomis.Publications FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS NOTICE The FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY NEWS is now sent in two parts. Section A, which includes pages A1-A44 and Section B, which contains the Classified Advertising and consists of pages B1-B24. If you do not receive both sections please call 1-800-321-7479 or email info@nomispublications.com. 800 - 321 - 7479 ~ www. Nom i sPu b l i c at i on s. com S E N D U S Y O U R N E W S W e w e l c o m e n e w s o f t h e i n d u s t r y Send us information on your firm today! FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Need Help Putting Your Press Release Together? Call Peggy at 800-321-7479 ext. 220 email Peggy@Nomi sPubl i cat i ons.com fax 1-800-321-9040 mail PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Send us any press release related to your firm which would be of interest to your fellow industry professionals. All press releases are published free of charge and at the discretion of the publisher. Be sure to include any photographs. Staff additions. . . Staff promotions. . . Anniversaries. . . Apprenticeships. . . Remodel ing. . . Moving. . . New Ideas. . . Community Service Projects. . . Graduates. . . Obituaries. . . etc. Federal Trade Commission Seeks to Improve the American Public’s Access to Funeral Service Prices Online The FTC meeting allowed members of the public two minutes to weigh in before making their decision. Pictured representing CANA membership is Executive Director, Barbara Kemmis. NFDA, ICCFA, and Selected Independent Funeral Homes also had representatives speak. cial rights to grieving families seeking out burial and cremation services,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We look forward to hearing from the public about how we can modernize the rule to better protect consumers in today’s market.” The Funeral Rule requires funeral providers to furnish consumers who visit funeral homes in-person with itemized price information. But, because the rule was first issued in the 1980s, it does not require them to provide price information online and via other electronic means like email or text messages. The agency’s review of funeral providers’ websites – which took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when many people could not or did not feel comfortable visiting a funeral home in person to make arrangements for their loved ones – found that more than 60 percent of the websites reviewed provided little to no information about their prices. On February 14, 2020, the Commission initiated a routine review of the rule, which received 785 comments. Several commenters stated that many funeral providers do not provide price information online and asked the Commission to require that funeral providers make price information available on their websites and via other electronic means. After carefully reviewing all the comments received, the staff report, and the FTC’s enforcement and outreach efforts in the area, the Commission has decided to retain the Funeral Rule and issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning potential amendments to the rule, including whether and how funeral providers should be required to display or distribute their price information online and through electronic means. Information about how to submit comments on the FTC’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is included in the Federal Register notice. The deadline for submitting comments will be 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register in the coming days. Submitted comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. In a press release issued by the Cremation Association of North America they are calling for funeral industry professionals to act quickly to make sure their voices are heard. Additional information about revisions to the Funeral Rule will be published in the Federal Register opening up a comment period. CANA will alert their members of the opportunity to share comments with the FTC at that time. The event was recorded, and the webcast and related comments are available on the FTC website https://www.ftc.gov/ news-events/events/2022/10/open-commission-meeting-october-20-2022. WASHINGTON,DC— The Federal Trade Commission is exploring possible steps to strengthen and modernize the Funeral Rule, which requires funeral providers to give in-person visitors price information to make informed decisions. The FTC also released a staff report that found that fewer than 40 percent of the funeral provider websites the agency reviewed provide any prices online. “For decades, the Funeral Rule has provided cruPetal It Forward Spreads Instant Gratitude Nationwide ALEXANDRIA,VA— The Society of American Florists’ eighth annual Petal It Forward flower giveaway on Oct. 19 involved 579 participating businesses. Flower shops, wholesalers, growers, suppliers and other industry groups handed out bouquets in communities across 49 states and Washington DC as well as Canada, India and Colombia. The event sought to capture the powerful message of paying it forward and how flowers help reduce stress and evoke positive emotions. The concept is simple: participating businesses gift two bouquets to individuals throughout their communities, one to keep and one to pass along to someone else. Spearheaded by SAF, the campaign is also a useful marketing tool. Some used the event to entice people into flower shops, and others partnered with influential community members including first responders, local businesses and teachers. Others aimed to get flowers to those who otherwise couldn’t afford them or brighten the day of hospital patients. The campaign also had support from those in industry who don’t have retail storefronts. Farms, wholesalers and suppliers all sought to contribute to the effort. “Petal it Forward allows our industry to show people in real tangible ways the effects of giving and receiving flowers,” says Scott Isensee, general manager at Frank Adams. “For me, when I see a person receive one of these bouquets, break into tears and say, ‘You have no idea how much this means to me!’, that’s impactful. That person will likely include flowers and the benefit they bring in their life from now on, and in turn, may show others that joy by giving flowers or ‘petaling’ it forward!” The Society of American Florists is the association that connects and cultivates a thriving floral community through training, education, marketing resources and advocacy. Their vision: The power of flowers in every life. For more information, visit www.safnow.org. Columns Aftercare by Linda Findlay. .............................................................................. A8 Appropriate to Greatness by Alice Adams and Jim Kurtz............................. A36 Bright Ideas for Funeral Directors by Mark Bowser...................................... A18 Embalming 101 by Wally Hooker.................................................................... A16 HearseHub by Mike Jamar................................................................................ B6 Memoires des choix des Jacque by Kate Frediani-Gorman.......................... A34 Not Just A Widow by Patty Desiderio............................................................. A20 Observations by Steven Palmer..................................................................... A12 Powerhouse Marketing With Welton by Welton Hong..................................... A6 Random Musings by Nancy Weil...................................................................... A4 Rest In Peace Mr President by Todd Van Beck.............................................. A24 Monthly Features Classified Ads. ................................................................................................ B17 Shipping Directory.......................................................................................... B14 Calendar of Events............................................................................................B2 Association News. .......................................................................................... A36 Educational News. .......................................................................................... A41 Death Notices.................................................................................................. A42 Suppliers News. ................................................................................................B1

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Page A4 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Flags fly outside the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn’s Veterans Day event SAN FRANCISCO,CA— Sinai Memorial Chapel is proud to announce the official opening dedication of The Memory Garden, the country’s first Jewish sacred space for miscarriage and neonatal loss. The event took place on November 13, 2022. Abby Porth and Debbie Findling, co-founders of The Memory Garden, said “With the community’s generous philanthropic support, the Garden is a place for individuals grieving from the unexpected loss of a pregnancy. Its location, unique design, and choice of flora all are intentional, providing a gracious space for community embrace and remembrance.” Harmon Shragge, president of Sinai Memorial Chapel, explained “Sadly, individuals and families face the pain of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility every day. We are proud to have created The Memory Garden, ensuring its use in perpetuity, so that those suffering from these losses need not do so in isolation.” Sinai Memorial Chapel serves as Northern California’s only combined chevra kadisha, funeral home and cemetery organization with several locations in the East Bay, South Bay, Peninsula and San Francisco. Eternal Home Cemetery provides options for both traditional Jewish burial and cremation, and it houses the only dedicated Orthodox section in Colma. There is an onsite chapel, two holocaust memorials and a special Memory Garden dedicated to perinatal and infant losses. For more information about the Memory Garden visit www.thememorygarden.org. To learn about Sinai Memorial Chapel visit www.sinaichapel.org. By Nancy Weil January 1 is the traditional time to set new resolutions and goals for the year ahead, but I say: “Why wait?” Why not get a head start on considering what you would like to change in the year ahead and what habits and routines are working for you? Keep in mind that you can only change the things that are in your control. That means your personal habits and behavior. If you are an owner or president of your company, that may mean company policies and staff. If you are the pet parent of a dog, that may mean modifying/training your canine companion for better behavior. If you are a pet parent of a cat, that means realizing you don’t have control, you won’t change their behavior and all you can do is give in to their demands! For most of us, our New Year’s Resolutions revolve around eating better, exercising more, getting more sleep, or maintaining a better work/home balance. Go ahead and work on all of these as they can add tremendous value to your life. However, I suggest you also consider some of the following. • Friends: Make time to see or speak with the friends you have. Deepen those relationships that fill your soul. Reach out to friends you have lost contact with over the years. Catching up on the lost years somehow is easy with old friends and feels so good to reconnect. Make new friends. If there is someone you meet that you have things in common with, invite them to have coffee with you and see where it leads. Joining new groups and participating in new activities can all lead to new friendships being formed. Random Musings Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief ManagementSpecialist, FuneralCelebrant, Soul InjuryAmbassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or email Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com. 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 • Honor Your Stupidity Daily: This is a concept that I began to live by years ago. I don’t know everything and neither do you. By being willing to learn something new, we grow in at least one of these areas: intellectually/physically/emotionally/spiritually. When a colleague shows me a new way to do something, I thank them for helping me to reach my daily goal. When I read something that helps me understand or learn, I silently acknowledge that I can check this off my “to do” list for the day. Not knowing is not a sign of weakness or lack; it is a sign of willingness to expand our knowledge base. Now it is your turn to add to this list. What do you want to show up in your life in 2023? What shifts are you willing to make? What adventures or fun are you planning for the new year? No matter what your list looks like, most of all I wish each of you a year ahead filled with robust health, people to love and moments that make you go “wow.” Why Wait? Remember that “Facebook friends” aren’t all truly your friends. Cherish the “2 a.m. friends” that you have. These are the small group of friends that you can call at 2 a.m. when you need someone’s help and their only response will be, “Do I have time to put on clothes or do I need to come over in my pajamas?” Friends are the family we create, and they add so much to our lives. • Try Something New: It could be a new recipe, a new class, a new way of doing something. By stretching ourselves to intentionally try something we have never done before, we may find things we like and want to add to our life. What is something you have wanted to try, but haven’t found the time to do? In 2023, give it a go. • Get Lost: This is what we call in my house “Going on an Adventure!” We leave the navigation behind and just explore our area. December is a great time to drive through neighborhoods you haven’t seen and look at people’s holiday decorations. Find new routes to familiar places. Discover restaurants, shops, parks and other places you’ve never been to. Expand your geographic awareness of the place you call “home” and remember, as Tolkien wrote, “Not all who wander are lost.” • Have a Pillow Fight: Or build a blanket fort or have slumber party in sleeping bags with your kids or anything that delights your inner child and reminds you of your own childhood. When my husband and I make our bed, we oftentimes pick up the many small throw pillows I have accumulated and instead of carefully arranging them on our freshly made bed, we begin to lob them at one another.We laugh together and turn a chore into a chance for fun. Forest Lawn Honors Military with Hybrid Streaming and Live Veterans Day Event GLENDALE,CA— Forest Lawn’s 63rd annual Veterans Day Celebration returned as a hybrid event, with in-person and streaming options that offered multiple ways for participation in this spectacular salute to the American armed forces. The in-person event outside the Hall of Liberty at Forest LawnHollywood Hills honored members of the United States Military with a flyover, patriotic music, an invocation and benediction, a color guard, a wreath laying, family-friendly activities, and more. “We are proud to offer multiple ways to honor the members of the United States military this Veterans Day,” said Rodolfo Saenz, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Forest Lawn. “Our virtual celebration built upon the connectivity of past streaming events, while the return to in-person events brought the community together for a patriotic and celebratory event.” Since its founding, Forest Lawn has committed itself to providing outstanding service and beautiful environments for family outings, remembering loved ones and commemorating holidays. Forest Lawn’s locations in the Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties serve all faiths and cultures, and offer a wide range of celebrations and special events with competitively priced cremation and traditional funeral services throughout Southern California. Nation’s First Jewish Sacred Space for Fertility Loss Opens in the Bay Area @Nomis.Publ ications Like us on This certificate is designed for individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge in the specific area of funeral directing specifically (not embalming). The online program consists of 30 credit hours and is designed to be completed in two semesters. However, the student can work at their own pace. Applications now being taken for the January 2023 semester. NEW Funeral Director Certificate Program Ask to speak with Mallory For more information and specific requirements contact CCMS Admissions 513.761.2020

Page A5 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A WHERE THE LEADERS WILL BE IN 2023 © 2022 MKJ Marketing Call for Details • 888-655-1566 Our March 2023 location was severely damaged by the hurricane and has been moved to the fall. You won’t want to miss this! Details to follow. REGISTER TODAY mkjmarketing.com/seminars SEMINAR SPONSORS Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch January 30 - February 1 Beaver Creek, CO REGISTER TODAY FOR SPECIAL GROUP RATES RISE TO THE TOP IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN Today, with rising inflation, labor shortages, cyberthreats, and supply chain disruptions, it’s no surprise that funeral homes across the country continue to face a mountain of challenges. When the unexpected comes your way, are you able to flex, refocus, and modify your business models? We’re ready to share proven strategies to help you work and do business in 2023. We’ll address topics such as: • Making Arrangements That Get Five-Star Reviews • 7 ways to improve your services • Future Proofing Your Business with Integration & Automation • Advertising in a Recession • Trends In Online Planning • And Much More!

Page A6 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A BECKLEY,WV— On October 22, 2022, the Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center hosted its first annual Trunk or Treat event with the whole staff dressing up in their favorite costumes to host the event. Looking for an alternative to door-todoor Halloween travels, gobs of families joined the staff at Melton for the event. To add to the excitement and remind everyone where they were, the By Welton Hong I tend to drill down on the granular aspects of deathcare marketing in this column, but sometimes it’s good to step back and take a big-picture look at the fundamentals. You can contract with marketing companies and techsavvy promoters to help you out, but if you’re not fairly familiar with the actual tools they’re using, there’s a risk that they’ll take advantage of you. It’s a terrible idea to spend a whole lot of money with a financial advisor if you don’t have any idea how the stock market works or what an annuity is. And no one should buy a smartphone without any understanding that iPhones and Android phones work in totally different ways. Similarly, you shouldn’t be throwing money at anyone claiming to be an “internet marketing expert” if you don’t know the first thing about internet marketing! That’s like buying a car without knowing how to fill your gas tank or check your oil. You need to know the basics—otherwise, you could get burned. To make sure that doesn’t happen, please review these three online marketing fundamentals: 1. It All Starts with Credibility If you’re the absolute cheapest burial or cremation option in your market—you already know your place in the market. You’re going after price shoppers, plain and simple. But that’s not a realistic plan for most funeral home owners, especially those in highly competitive markets. You would need bargain-basement prices to undercut everyone else in price, and those small margins require massive quantity. Also, you already know how shockingly low some direct cremation providers set their prices—and that some try to make up for that with various hidden fees. So, you’re probably not the cheapest option for burials and cremations in your market. This means you need to attract online clientele by bolstering your credibility. Credibility takes lots of forms, but essentially, I’m referring to how legitimate your business appears to online visitors. Having lots of testimonials bolsters your credibility. So does having plenty of positive reviews on online platforms. You also generate plenty of credibility by having a robust About Us page with plenty of information about your business, plus pictures of your staff and (as appropriate) your facilities. Finally, you gain credibility by generating citations, which are references to your business elsewhere on the internet. 2. Conversion Is the Critical Website Component In online marketing-speak, conversion refers to the process of turning an online visitor into an actual lead—and ultimately, a client. Your website could generate a ton of traffic, but if the people visiting it (either for preplanning or immediate need) don’t convert, it’s essentially useless: All you have is a bunch of window shoppers. A conversion could be as simple as the visitor filling out a contact form (typically for preplanning) or calling your business (typically for at-needs). To generate conversions, your website needs to have a clear call to action (CTA) on each page, inducing visitors to convert. Other big conversion generators include mobile-friendly navigation (a site that works just as well on smartphones and tablets as on desktop computers) and including lots of original content—another issue I’ll elaborate on below. 3. Content, Content, Content — of Every Kind Most likely, the last thing you want to think about for your funeral home website is producing a lot of content. Why would you? You’re in the deathcare business, not running an online blog. You want to place your focus where it belongs, on the day-to-day operations of your firm. I get it. But here’s the truth: You need plenty of content. Focus on the Fundamentals Powerhouse Marketing with Welton Websites with lots of strong, original content massively outperform others in every metric. And that’s true of every industry, whether you’re repairing bicycles, repairing roofs or providing funeral services. To Google, the line of work doesn’t matter. Everyone’s treated the same. Having lots of content on your website improves your online marketing efforts in numerous ways: Search engines factor website content heavily into your search engine optimization (SEO), giving you higher rankings in organic search results. Content also is a major factor in both generating more conversions and producing higher average margins for services. When you use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising—paid ads on search engine results pages—you’ll also get much more bang for your buck if your site has lots of original content. Content isn’t only written text—it includes images and video, so don’t be shy about including both. You can also outsource for regularly updated written content (blog posts) on a variety of subjects both directly and indirectly related to death care. But before worrying about blog posts, start by ensuring your site’s pages are comprehensive and fully detailed with lots of great information about your specific business and about burial and cremation in general. Welton Hong is the founder of Ring Ring Marketing® and a leading expert in creating case generation from online to the phone line. He is the author of Making Your Phone Ring with InternetMarketingforFuneralHomes. Formore information, visit www.FuneralHomeProfits.com. 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 www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com R&S MARKERS FREE Sample Upon Request CREATE CUSTOM TEMPORARY GRAVE MARKERS FOR AS LOW AS $5.25 EACH PHONE: 561 .963.4732 EMAIL: INFO@RSMARKERS.COM WWW.RSMARKERS.COM AMRA INSTRUMENTS Researched, Developed and Patented by Funeral Directors Research,Inc. visit www.amrainstruments.com for links to our Supply Chain Partners ™ ® Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center hosts a Trunk or Treat Event for the Beckley, West Virginia Community funeral home’s hearse was open for kids to crawl inside assisted by a staff member wearing a Jason mask! The fire department sent over a firetruck and ambulance as a source of candy distribution as well as other local vendors including Sunset Memorial Park. After the kids (and parents) collected their goodies, the film Beetlejuice was shown in the chapel and was enjoyed by many as they watched and ate popcorn. Several members of the staff dressed up as characters from the movie including the lovely red-haired receptionist Patrice and Charles Deetz’s character, Jeffrey Jones. “This was something we all really wanted to do just to have fun and also give families an option for a true family-time event” commented Renee Duncan, general manager. Roscoe Collins, crematory manager added “we all had such a fun time and I really think all the families enjoyed it and I’m already thinking about next year and more things we can do.” This will certainly be an event that Melton Mortuary plans to keep going for many years to come. Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center in Beckley, WV is owned by Capstone Services Group. They are an owner and operator of quality funeral homes and cemeteries with locations in Florida, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana and Oregon. Capstone Services Group is fortunate to be in a financial position where they do not have to borrow from banks or other lending institutions and are completely debt free. This allows them to continue to invest in the businesses they own and more so in the staff and employees who are the key to each location’s success. Reach out to Richard Lee at 407-2575024 or visit www.CapstoneFuneral.com for more information. Save on Shipping! DIGITAL DIRECTORY Available Download instantly at www.NomisPublications.com

Page A7 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Church & Chapel Metal Arts, Inc. www.church-chapel.com | (800)-992-1234 | Info@church-chapel.com BODY POSITIONING Sampson “One Man”Hydraulic Body & Casket Lifter CB 7760SQ 1000 Pound Capacity! Chapel Furniture | Funeral Home Supplies | Urns Family Owned and Operated Since 1933 2616 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60612 ALUMINUM NAME PLATES Angelus Prep Block CC 10121 Soft Touch Headblock CC 10126 Wedge-Ease CC 10128 Hydraulic Scissor Lift CE CP 1000 Styrofoam Headblock CC 10127 White Casket Flag Band CC 1950 CHAPEL FURNISHINGS & SERVICE ITEMS Redneck Light Bulbs CB 100 Casket Facial Lamp CB 645 Wood Reserved Seat Signs Reserved, Family, Pallbearer Replacement Body Straps CB 5404-4 Casket Lift Supports CB 4900-2 Large Body Positioners CC 10134 Small Body Positioners CC 10132 Lamp Shades 15+ different styles Portable Register Stand CE XL-8 Portable Self-Folding Traffic Guides (Set of 5 w/ wall bracket) CB 6401-5 Please No Parking Funeral CB 6402-5 Funeral Parking Only CB 6407-5 No Parking CB 6406-5H No Parking w/ Handicap Symbol CB 6408-5 Blank Funeral Stickers CE WS 647 BODY LIFTING DUODRAPE CB 4005-2 Casket Pedestals CE 6950 Illinois Prarie Chapel Set Casket Lifter & Transport Truck CB 6320-ND-2 1000 Pound Capacity! Cherry Memorial Display Tray W/ Cabinet CC 646-C ALUMI NAME PLATES 4” Block - Chrome Finish 3” Block - Gold Finish 3” Script - Polished Bright Finish 3” Slant - Polished Bright Finish 2” Block - Polished Satin Finish 2” 2 Line Plate - Polished Bright Finish Available in polished or satin standard finish. There are many custom styles, including bright chrome and brass plated name plates available for an extra charge.  Stock Finish - Polished Bright & Lacquered  Slant Style Font available at no additional Charge  Plates sold in pairs 2” Block, Standard or Slant $12.50 per letter Max 21 letters & spaces per plate 3” Block, Standard or Slant $16.50 per letter Max 13 letters & spaces per plate 4” Block, Standard or Slant $18.75 per letter Max 11 letters & spaces per plate Above prices are per letter, per plate. Minimum charge per plate $1 5 0.00 Double line plates are priced per letter - at 2 times the longest line. 50% upcharge for Script Style letter. Upcharge for brass or chrome plating $100.00 per plate, per line. PHONE: 773-489-3700 FAX: 773-489-3434 800-992-1234 800-626-3299 info@church-chapel.com • www.church-chapel.com Scan QR Code To Easily Get To Our Website!

Page A8 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A By Linda Findlay Aftercare difference in how well you get started and keep going! It is not too early to start thinking about how youmay want to reach out to families next year, as part of your aftercare program, providing a support group. It is important that who you choose to facilitate a group needs to have some training. It is not as easy as to just show up and hope people will attend. The first thing you need to do is form a team who will help. I recommend that you have at least two people who will be available to facilitate the sessions. The two people should have some training and if they are bereaved, they should be long enough past their own loss that they themselves do not still need support. There are many grief support group manuals that you can buy. I would start by looking at Centering Corporation. They are a not-for-profit organization that offers a large selection of resources, found at www.centering.org. A manual for leaders, Six Simple Weeks: A Caring Manual for Support Group Leaders, is also on their site at www.centering.org/six-simple-weeks-centering/ Once you are familiar with the manual, you can begin planning. Although the support group manual uses a six-week session format, I would consider starting by offering a once-a-month drop-in group. You can use the same material instead of every week for six weeks, use it once a month for six months. If you start off committing to the six months, it is a great start. Taking on too much and looking too far ahead can be overwhelming. Questions and comments to consider while planning a Support Group: Who will you provide the group for? I would start by offering the group to the families that you serve. Inviting families going back two years is what I recommend. The second year of grief can be very difficult for some people. I find that many people still need the support well into the second year and often, beyond that time. Imagine offering support at that point when no one else is? Once you have more confidence and things are going well, you may want to consider opening it up to your community. Where will you hold the support group sessions? 1. It is very difficult to hold a group at the funeral home. It is hard for families to go there after they have been there when their loved one died. I recently worked with a funeral home where the owner wanted to group to be held at the funeral home and the facilitators did not want it to be held there. My suggestion was, please provide the group, even if the funeral home is the only option. It will be fine. The funeral home I mentioned decided to hold the group sessions at the funeral home. However, they have the participants use a different entrance, avoiding the area where they had been at their time of need. 2. A senior center is a good option. Senior centers love to fill their calendar for their members. A grief support group will always be welcome, and the space is usually donated! 3. A place of worship can be an option. I would suggest that the group maintain a non-denominational focus. This may not be acceptable to some places, but I have run non-denominational groups at a church. 4. Some coffee shops, such as Starbucks, have private meeting space that can be reserved. There is usually no fee! 5. Your local library may have space that can be used. What I have shared can be a good start to planning a grief support group for 2023. You are welcome to call or email me to ask questions. As I have shared, facilitating a grief support group is a very rewarding experience for both you and your families. The times that I have co-facilitated a grief support group with one of my funeral directors, families commented each time about how they never knew the funeral director “did that”! Families continually expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the care and compassion received from “their” funeral director. I have many families who ask me if the funeral home provides a support group. I don’t know how many funeral homes provide a support group, but I would venture to say that most do not. If I am wrong, someone can let me know. When I talk to my funeral directors, I find that most of them do not want to consider running a support group. I can completely understand that. Some think they are not equipped to run a group; most are very busy already and don’t have time or trained staff. Some may not be interested because they don’t feel it is their wheelhouse. Whatever the reason, I do understand. In saying that, I do encourage you to at least consider offering a grief support group. My first suggestion is, if you do not want to run a group, maybe you can sponsor one that is already being provided through a local hospice or faith-based organization. It is nice to have your funeral home name listed as a sponsor. It is always good for business. In all cases, you should know what is being offered in your community to provide an updated listing to give to families and include information on your website and social media. Make sure that the information is correct by confirming contact information at least a couple times a year. The last thing we want is to share information that is not accurate. Families have a hard enough time making that call. We don’t want them meeting with a dead end. If you will at least consider providing a support group, I wanted to share my experience with groups from having run them consistently for over 30 years. I have run groups sponsored by funeral homes, hospices, faith-based organizations, and other organizations interested in grief support. I can tell you that in all the work that I do, facilitating support groups is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had working with grieving families. Second only to talking to families one on one. Running groups can have its challenges, but there are no challenges that we can’t be prepared for. That is why if you want to consider sponsoring a group, it begins with good planning. Good planning will make a big Linda Findlay is the founder of Mourning Discoveries, Grief Support Services. She is a 29-year career Aftercare Coordinator, a published author, and an advocate for bereaved families. She is the founder and co-creator of The Grief Cruises and managing partner with The International Grief Institute. Linda can be reached at 315-725-6132 or Lf6643@yahoo.com. Visit www.mourningdiscoveries.com, www.thegriefcruises.com or www.internationalgriefinstitute.com. 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 Support Groups SHROUDS Green Burial Cremation www.kinkaraco.com (415) 874-9698 100% American Made PEACHTREE CITY,GA— Rollings Funeral Service is proud to announce their recent addition of RG&GR Harris Funeral Homes with three locations in the Detroit, MI area and the Cremation Society of Michigan. The funeral home, which has been serving their communities for over 110 years, was formerly owned by Thomas “Tom” Rost. Greg Rollings, president and CEO of Rollings Funeral Service, commented “Since its founding over 100 years ago, RG & GR Harris has remained a family business with a longstanding reputation for outstanding service. Tom and his family have built the funeral home and cremation society into the success it is today, and I look forward to continuing that success and quality of care for years to come.” Rollings also added that this marks his first addition in Michigan. The funeral home was founded in 1910 by Rost’s grandfather, Robert G. Harris. Upon Harris’s passing in 1966, ownership then passed onto his son Thomas L. Harris and son-in-law Clarence Rost. When Harris and Rost retired, Rost’s son Tom took over management from his father and uncle. It was during Tom’s time as owner that the Cremation Society of Michigan was founded in the late 1980s. Speaking with Tom Rost, he mentioned that with over 50 years in funeral service and over 40 years of owning the funeral home, it was time to start slowing down and looking at the next chapter in his life. When asked why he decided to sell his firm to Rollings Funeral Service, Rost said “I communicated with past owners now a part of Rollings and they were all very pleased with what took place. Greg’s integrity seems flawless and there was also Rollings Funeral Service Announces Addition of Their First Locations in Michigan Thomas “Tom” Rost RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes, Detroit RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes, Livonia going to be no big disruption to how we serve families.” Seeing how professional everyone at Rollings Funeral Service was during the onboarding process is also something that left Rost feeling he had made the right decision. “The knowledge and expertise of the Rollings staff that trained us was really impressive and they were very well-versed in what they’re doing,” Rost noted. Ultimately, Rost mentioned that he is glad he made the decision with Rollings Funeral Service and that he is looking forward to this new chapter for himself and the funeral home. Combined, RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes and the Cremation Society of Michigan serve around 900 families annually. With nearly 90 locations, Rollings Funeral Service is one of the largest private funeral home owners in the eastern United States. With each of their firms operated on the local level, their managers work directly with Rollings Funeral Service to establish budgets, pricing, and best practices. They also pride themselves on being a great alternative to selling to a publicly traded company and they continue to search for firms that will be a great fit to their growing family funeral of funeral homes 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Scan QR for our website Cots not included MODEL # TR3 Triple Cot Roll-In Mortuary Cooler AMC N W FAST SHIPPING BY 12/31 ON SELECT PRODUCTS

Page A9 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Is your family paying for services with life insurance? The Ultimate Funding Experience. 415.949.2428 | www.expressfuneralfunding.com We’ve made it simpler to submit claims with Express Chat. Simply snap a photo on your mobile device of our assignment and receive payment with 24-48 hours. Since 2002, we’ve been providing funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide the FASTEST. EASIEST.® at-need life insurance assignment funding experience. We can help reduce your administration, improve your accounts receivables and make your business more profitable, all at no cost to you. Contact sales@expff.com for a free demo today. SCAN NOW TO CHAT

Page A10 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A The opportunity to choose a Keepsake Pendant presents itself only once. The comfort a Keepsake Pendant offers, lasts a lifetime. 800-788-0807 Fax 608-752-3683 www.madelynpendants.com e-mail orders@madelynco.com call about monthly specials or visit ourwebsite TM Keepsake Pendants September '22 FHC:Layout 1 6/2/22 1:26 PM Page 1 CLARKSBURG,MD— Ever since Washington Hebrew Congregation first conceived of a suburban memorial park to serve its members and the wider Washington Jewish community over twenty-five years ago, it planned to include a historic stained-glass window in the design of the cemetery’s memorial chapel. The twelve-foot diameter, 125-year-old window once adorned the main sanctuary of the Congregation’s home on Eighth Street, Northwest in Washington DC. That building, known to all as “the 8th Street Temple” or just “8th and I,” was Washington Hebrew’s home from 1898 to 1954. When the congregation moved to Macomb Street in Northwest DC, it sold 8th and I to the Greater New Hope Baptist Church. When the church decided to replace the window during renovations in 1996, it graciously permitted the synagogue to remove and preserve it. Jed Boertlein, owner of Washington Art Glass Studios, stored and cared for the beautiful window for a quarter of a century. Last month it was installed in the Garden of Remembrance’s new Marilyn & Raymond Greenberg Memorial Center and the Tina & Albert H. Small, Jr. Memorial Chapel for current and future generations to appreciate as their ancestors did. The work of preserving and installing the window was dedicated by Ellen & Kenneth Marks in loving memory of their parents. Founded in 1999 by the leadership of Washington Hebrew Congregation, the nonprofit Garden of Remembrance (Gan Zikaron) Memorial Park was formed to serve both affiliated and unaffiliated members of the Jewish community. In addition to the Greenberg and Small families, other generous families have provided meaningful donations towards the new building which will include the Wasserman-Gill Family Wing, Groban Center Lobby, Sagon Family Foyer, and Dreyfuss Memorial Hall. Adjoining the building is a Memorial Garden honoring the memWashington Hebrew Congregation’s Historic Stained-Glass Window Completes a 125 Year Journey Continued on page A14 Send Us Your News! We welcome news of the industry. Staff Additions... Staff Promotions... Graduates... Anniversaries... Apprenticeships... Obituaries... Remodeling... New Ideas... Moving... Community Service Projects... etc. Send us information FROM your School, Firm, or Association FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS info@NomisPublications.com FAx 1-800-321-9040 PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 CALL 1-800-321-7479 . . . Your Choice for when it Matters Most Since 1941 Cherokee

Page A11 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A

Page A12 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com enslaved people, their families, and later African Americans who did not suffer slavery. The cemetery, which may have 1,000 graves, was active from the 1850s to early 1900s. The land was repossessed and auctioned in the 1950s for back taxes. It was paved over and now serves as the parking lot for 7-eleven, Metro PCS, Sherwin-Williams, and Santander Bank. The local NAACP is hoping to restore this as a cemetery. At the Belvoir Plantation near Annapolis, Maryland, graves of enslaved people were discovered in 2015. The tobacco plantation was once owned by relatives of Francis Scott Key. Archeologists, descendants, and cadaver dogs investigated the area and determined graves were present. “I could tell right away that this was a sacred place that had been lost to time,” said Julie Schablitsky, chief archaeologist for the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. “But we needed more evidence that it was used as a burial ground.” Salem Street Burying Ground in Medford, Massachusetts contains more than 50 unmarked graves, discovered by a teacher researching the local history. Medford was in the rum trade, producing and shipping. The Europeans who owned these businesses were buried in the Salem Street Burying Ground and their slaves were buried there also, but many of those enslaved never had markers. Students from Medford Public Schools organized a monument to be placed in the cemetery to recognize these forgotten slaves. The treatment of deceased slaves often left the family without a proper way to mourn or a place to visit to remember. Some slave owners sold their bodies to the medical cadaver peddlers. Many burials for slaves were held at night or on Sundays to allow other slaves to attend without disrupting their work. Cemeteries for slaves were usually located in a part of a plantation that could not be used for any other purpose, such as scrub tree land or rocky hills. The family marked the graves any way they could, usually with a large stone, and without inscription, as no tools would have been made available, and most could not read. “Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead, and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.” Sir William Gladstone’s well-worn quote tells us a lot about our postmortem treatment of the enslaved. “Today and always, we honor the enslaved people buried here and elsewhere in unmarked graves.” –Inscribed on a monument over slave burials in Salem Street Burying Ground, Medford, MA Observations “Memorialization keeps us connected to what is most significant about those who are no longer with us.” –Sandra Arnold, The New York Times Kenneth Spellman is an African American who overcame adversity to build a successful construction business. He wanted to buy two acres of land in Henderson, North Carolina to have a home for he and his wife and a yard with play equipment, zip lines and other attractions for his grandchildren so that they would spend a lot of time there. Spellman was approached to purchase another 14 acres next to his two. The seller told him that he might find a few graves on the property. He then began to learn about the land he bought. When Spellman and his crew began to clear the grounds to join his two parcels, he came across dozens of large stones, which he learned were gravestones of slaves. “We actually found about 40 to 50 stones. It was chilling. It was eight of my guys and myself and there wasn’t a dry eye on the ground when we found that,” Spellman told WTVD in September 2022. Spellman contacted the Vance County Historical Society, and they provided a great deal of background on the land. The Wortham Tobacco Plantation had 135 acres and 15 slaves in the 1830s, according to a census. There was a large house for the family, buildings to house the slaves and two cemeteries: one for the Wortham family and one for the slaves. Additionally, records showed that in 1893 the grave of an infant was found in the family cemetery. Investigators at the time reported that the grave held the remains of a mixed-race baby buried in a soapbox. Nancy Bobbitt, president of the Vance County Historical Society paid tribute to Spellman: “So many old cemeteries like that get bulldozed, but because Ken so faithfully looked and found that cemetery and preserved it, it will last another few generations.” Over the years, in many places, graves of the enslaved have been discovered and groups are working to give these remains and their resting places, the dignity they deserve. In Lexington, North Carolina, community activist Tyrone Terry discovered an area in the Lexington City Cemetery that is believed to be a site of slave graves. There are no individual markers, but a monument on top of the hill indicated what was beneath the ground. Terry told WGHP in October 2022, “These were human beings. These weren’t animals; these were human beings that were treated like this. It should have never happened, and it By Steven Palmer never should have taken this long for our city to acknowledge what we’ve discovered now.” A $6,000 grant was obtained from the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office and $2,500 from the city hope to fund archeologists to study the unmarked grave site. In February 2022, during Black History Month, the University of Alabama in Huntsville started to research the graves of slaves believed to be located on the campus. The campus was once part of a family’s large cotton plantation. There were originally 20 slaves on the plantation in the 1820s, and by the end of the civil war there were 121 recorded people enslaved there. The university researchers have discovered one area where there may be 60 graves. An appropriate monument is planned once the research is completed. The seventh fairway of the Capital City Country Club in Tallahassee, Florida, was found to be the site of 40 graves for people enslaved on a 500-acre plantation previously on those grounds. Delaitre Hollinger, NAACP past president, and Jeffrey Shanks, a park service archaeologist, have been investigating this site. There is believed to be over one thousand deserted or unmarked slave cemeteries in Florida alone. Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson told Newsweek in 2019, “We want to identify covered-up graves that have been built upon, or destroyed, or obliterated from history. Once identified, we’d like to do some type of memorial for those souls.” On June 19, Juneteenth, 2022, residents of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio dedicated a granite monument for John and Emily Hansparker. Freed slaves who met and married in Ohio, the Hansparkers were well known and respected in the community, which was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Hansparkers were hard workers who also produced plays and took in boarders, including other freed slaves who they assisted in starting their new lives. John was particularly known for teaching himself to read (which forbidden as a slave) and practicing with the neighborhood children, who became very fond of him. However, they were buried in an unmarked grave, and that has been corrected. Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina discovered over 667 unmarked graves at Woodland Cemetery, which is now part of the campus, in 2020 and 2021. The unmarked graves belonged to slaves, domestic workers, sharecroppers, and convict laborers. The land itself has a complex history, including Native American and African American communities, as well as Fort Hill Plantation, which was given to the state to create and expand the university. In 2021, on the north shore of Staten Island, New York, a search of a parking lot is being done. The spot was once an African Methodist Episcopal Church cemetery. It became the resting place of Long Delayed Dignity Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. He has been licensed on both coasts, he owned theWestcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains active in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral service issues. Hemay be reachedbymail at POBox 352, Cottonwood, AZ 86326, by phone at (928)634-9566, by fax at (928)634-5156, by e-mail at steve@westcottfuneralhome.comor throughhiswebsite at www.westcottfuneralhome.com or on Facebook. 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 Call 651-450-7727 to request a wholesale catalog, Our Extra-Large Cremains Bags (13”x 15”) are perfectly sized for the Standard Plastic Human Service Urn. or visit UrnBags.com to order some bags. Just $2.90 each*. * Bags sold in multiples of 10 Choose from Black, Blue, or Burgundy J t $3.20 each* Choose fr m Black, Blue, rgundy, Green or Gray Education Exhibit is to bring communities together and teach about the organization’s mission,” said Trish Gardner, Manager, Mobile Education Exhibit, Wreaths Across America. “The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes as well as to serve as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.” When the MEE pulls into your area, all veterans, active-duty military, their families, and the local community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour, and speak with WAA Ambassadors and volunteers. The public tour stops for the MEE are free and open to all. Members of the media, dignitaries, veterans, and other interested groups are urged to come, ask questions, share stories, and experience this one-of-akind exhibit. To learn more about the Mobile Education Exhibit or submit a request for it to come to your community in 2023 visit https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ mobile-education-exhibit. Wreaths Across America Announces Its Mobile Education Exhibit’s 2023 National Tour Map Plan for the Wreaths Across America 2023 Mobile Education Exhibit COLUMBIA FALLS,ME— Wreaths Across America (WAA) is overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from communities throughout the country for its Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE). The MEE is a rolling interactive museum that shares the organization’s mission to Remember the nation’s fallen veterans, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation about the value of freedom. WAA has announced the MEE plans for 2023. Next year’s national tour will begin in California in January, then heads to Arizona in March, and New Mexico and Southern Colorado in April. Starting in May, it returns to Texas, and then turns to Kentucky and Tennessee in June. It will visit North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia in July. In August, the MEE will make stops in Maryland, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey. In September, it will return to Pennsylvania, New York, and Northern New Jersey. From there, the MEE will make its way up through New England for the next two months visiting all six New England states before heading home to Maine. “The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile SEND US YOUR NEWS! PO Box 5159 Youngstown, Oh 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com

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