January 2021

Page A22 JANUARY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Order Direct at 1-800-782-8249 Free UPS Ground Shipping www.mccordcasketsandvaults.com Mrs. Taylor decided to forbid any embalming, and there- fore, Taylor’s remains were preserved in ice and were kept in this condition until they were placed in a Fisk Metal- lic Burial Case. On Friday, the casket was delivered to the White House. As a career military man, it was unusual that he was not dressed in his uniform, but instead was dressed in a white satin shroud which was distinguished by a white cravat and large bow tie. The casket was made of two cases. The outside case was solid mahogany and was covered in rich, black broad- cloth. The inside casket was a Fisk Metallic Burial Case, which was very popular during this period. This Fisk was made entirely of lead and cost $500.00. The body could be viewed through a thick glass-pane window. At 9:00 AM on Sunday, the doors of the White House opened and thousands of people came to view the Presi- dent’s remains and attend his funeral. The funeral began with a private family prayer at 11:30 AM. The clergy then preached on the sterling character of General Taylor, and by 12:30 PM, the services were over. Once again, the remains of a dead president would be temporarily deposited in the receiving vault at the Congressional Cemetery. President Taylor would be in- terred in the Taylor Family Cemetery, which was locat- ed in Louisville, Kentucky. A long, involved trip would be required to get the President home. Taylor’s remains were kept in the receiving vault at the Congressional Cemetery until late October, 1850. At 6:00 AM on October 22nd, the remains of Zachary Taylor left Washington by the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. The funeral train passed through York, Pennsyl- vania and followed the east bank of the Susquehanna River By Todd Van Beck In 1850, Independence Day marked the dedication day for the unfinished Washington Monument. Sixty-five- year-old ZacharyTaylor, the current President of the Unit- ed States, sat in the blistering hot sun, listening patiently to one speech after another. At long last, the endless political commentary finished and a very tired Zachary Taylor re- turned to the White House. He ate a bowl of cherries and drank a large pitcher of iced milk. During the night Taylor developed severe cramps, but no physician was called. From July 5th to July 9th, President Taylor continued to decline. Physicians were engaged, but there was nothing that they could do except give him quinine and calomel, which was a purgative. On top of these problems, Taylor could not sleep. OnTuesday, July 9th, Taylor’s condition was so dangerous that he was coughing up green bile and his pulse was fading. As night arrived, Taylor knew that he was dying and uttered his last words: “I am prepared to meet my death. I have en- deavored to do my duty. I am sorry to leave my friends.” Zachary Taylor, the hero of the Mexican War and the 12th President of the United States, died at 10:35 PM on Friday July 9th, 1850. He had lived 65 years and 227 days. Late on Tuesday night, a White House messenger was Z achary T aylor the twelfth 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 al- ways 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. presi- dents. This series offers a glimpse into the deaths and funerals of our presidents, while offering overdue recog - nition 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 sto - ry. I hope you enjoy this new series. —TVB Todd W. Van Beck is associated with John A. Gupton College in Nashville, and has been an author, teacher, practitioner, and speak- er for over 40 years. On May 30, 2018 Van Beck celebrated 50 years in funeral service. You can reach Todd at 615-327-3927. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Rest In Peace, Mr. President to Harrisburg. On the 28th, the funeral train arrived in Pitts- burgh, where undertaker William Alexander had created an impressive funeral coach for the mourning ceremonies. At 1:30 PM, the remains of the President were placed on the steamer “Navigator,” which would take the body down the Ohio River to Cincinnati on the way to Louisville. The steamer arrived in Cincinnati on the 31st, where no recogni- tion of any kind was made that a deceased president was in the city’s midst. A newspaper wrote of the insult: “No crowd is seen, not even a salute announces his approach. What is the reason for this indifference? We pause for a reply.” On November 1st, the steamer reached Louisville and the President’s remains were placed in a family vault. Taylor would remain in this vault for 75 years. In 1926, the government provided funding for a new mausoleum, and both President and Mrs. Taylor were re-interred in this new monument. In 1991, an author from Florida concocted the idea that Taylor had been poisoned, which would have made him the first assassinated President – not Lincoln. Unbelievably this author was successful in getting the president’s remains taken out of the mausoleum. On June 17th, the Medical Examiner tested the remains for arsenic poisoning. Ten days later, the result came back that Zachary Taylor had not been poisoned. Today President and Mrs. Taylor rest undisturbed in their beautiful mausoleum. The caption reads: Grand Funeral Pageant at New York, July 23, 1850 in honor of the memory of Major General Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States. sent to notify undertaker Samuel Kirby to come to the White House immedi- ately. Kirby was a cabinet, sofa, and chair manufactur- er, which included under- taking services. Grief Institute announces New Manual to Address Compassion Fatigue in Funeral Professionals SEATTLE,WA— Internation- al Grief Institute, an educa- tional consulting firm that pro- vides professional training and resources to the funeral and bereavement industry, has an- nounced the release of a new manual called “Compassion Fa- tigue in the Funeral Profession: 25 strategies to mitigate funeral care burnout.” Available to all funeral pro- fessionals, the manual offers a comprehensive look at the sci- ence behind funeral career fa- tigue and strategies to protect against it. “Although funeral care is the oldest caregiving profession in the world, funeral professionals are not exempt from compas- sion fatigue,” says Lynda Chel- delin Fell, founding partner of IGI. “The emotional residue of secondary traumatic stress cou- pled with high COVID casel- oads and anger and frustration from families due to restric- tions are exposing compas- sion fatigue in an industry long thought immune. The manual opens the door for funeral pro- fessionals to have conversations around the need to protect employee assets against career burnout, and ensure the well- being of one another during a critical time in our history.” Focused on evidence-based techniques, the manual equips funeral professionals with prac- tical strategies designed to mit- igate negative work-related stress, and manage the comple- mentary roles of self care, resil- ience, and career longevity. For more information, visit www.internationalgriefinstitute. com or call Linda Findlay at 315-725-6132. Digital Directory Now Available Download instantly at www.nomispublications.com Save on Shipping! Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,299 M Beat the price increase increase coming March 2021