April 2021

Page A34 APRIL 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A www. vischerfuneralsupplies.com 3” HEARSE NAMEPLATES 1-8 spaces $80.50 per nameplate 9-13 spaces $92.50 per nameplate 14-15 spaces $109.00 per nameplate 16-18 spaces $119.00 per nameplate Many Letter Styles and Sizes Available DEDUCT $10.00 each for Satin Aluminum Finish The aircraft landed at Oma- ha Municipal Airport the fol- lowing day and Father Flana- gan was received by Heafey & Heafey Mortuary , a respected Omaha firm. Upon arrival at the funeral home, Father Fla- nagan was removed from the military casket and placed in a solid bronze, state design with massive pillar corners and a full oval glass sealer called The Pillar, made by the Chicago Casket Company . Arrangements were at the direction of Cornelius P. “Con” Heafey , president and general manager of Heafey & Heafey, as well as Father Flanagan’s long-time friend and a generous sup- porter of Boys Town. On May 21, shortly after dawn and through a light rain, Boys Town mourners – citizens, relatives, friends and employees of the institution – walked silently to Dowd Memorial Chapel, filling the flower-decked chapel. The Boys Town choir sang the solemn Mass of Requiem, chanted by Father Edwin C. Walsh, acting director of Boys Town. Two former members of Boys Town – The Rev. John L. Farrald and the Rev. Leo Kuhn – assisted in the Mass. A third, the Rev. Mr. Ben Martin, was master of ceremonies. A second funeral service for the public began at 10 a.m., con- ducted by Father Flanagan’s brother, the Right Rev. Msgr. Pat- rick A. Flanagan. After the double service, the body was com- mitted to a tomb in the northeast corner of the chapel. The marble slab covering the sarcophagus bore the inscription: Father Edward J. Flanagan, founder of Boys Town Lover of Christ and man July 13, 1886 to May 15, 1948 Sometime later, the sarcophagus was covered with an oblong, pyramid-shaped bronzed carapace, ornately embellished on top and decorated around its perimeter, bordered with marble, showing scenes from Father Flanagan’s life. In 1938, Fa- ther Flanagan’s Boys Town had its reputa- tion bolstered with a worldwide reach due to the movie, Boys Town , starring Spen- cer Tracy as Father Flanagan and Mick- ey Rooney as Whit- ey Marsh, one of the boys. Grossing more than $4 million, the film won two Oscars for won “Best Origi- nal Story” as well as “Best Actor”. Tracy accepted the award, and gave the statuette personally to Father Flanagan and Boys Town the next day. The film served to push forward Father Flanagan’s theories about how best to re- habilitate a wayward boy. As the priest explained, “It is better to sup- port an institution that pays one hundred percent in producing citizen- ship than to be compelled to pay taxes for the upkeep of reform schools, which do not net you three percent on your investment.” In 1948, Father Flanagan traveled to Germany to examine and assess youth con- ditions. While in Berlin, on May 15, 1948, Father Fla- nagan died sudden- ly of a heart attack. He was 61. The European Command Mor- tuary in Berlin performed the em- balming, arranged for the funeral service, placing his body in a Government Issue seal- er casket with stationary handles. His first funeral mass, attended by several thousand, was held at Holy Rosary Church in Berlin-Steg- litz, Germany, on May 17, with the bishop of Berlin as celebrant. Lt. Col. Roman Nuwer, se- nior chaplain of U.S. forces in Austria, delivered a short sermon, saying the benefi- cial influence of Boys Town had been imbued in more than 6,000 boys. “Father Flanagan died in Berlin City, whose name has become synonymous with hate and persecution,” Father Nuwer said. “But he will be buried in Boys Town and his heart will remain there.” Following the ceremony, Father Flanagan’s body was taken to the Templehof airdrome, where a B-29 Superfortress waited. GI pallbearers lifted the flower-covered casket into the aircraft, and Chaplain Nuwer accompanied the body. The eighth of eleven children, Edward J. Flanagan was born July 18, 1886, to hardworking farmers in western Ire- land’s County Roscommon. He would grow up, always frail and sickly, in a de- voutly Catholic, closely-knit family. As a teen, Edward was assigned the responsibility of the sheep and cattle. He spent his days tending the animals in the fields. This gave him ample time to think, study, read and pray. In a 1942 letter, Father Flanagan wrote: “I was the shepherd boy who took care of the cattle and the sheep…as I was the delicate mem- ber of the family…and with probably a poorer brain than most.” He added, “I was sent away to study for the priesthood, as I wasn’t much good for anything else, so my job as a shepherd boy filled in very nicely in preparation for my life’s work afterward.” Emigrating to the Unit- ed States at age 18, Edward earned B.A. and M.A. degrees and completed his studies in Austria, where he was or- dained. After ordination, he was assigned to St. Patrick’s Parish in O’Neill, NE. There, Father Flanagan started the Workingmen’s Hotel, a shelter for homeless men. By 1917, he had no- ticed the plight of homeless boys on the streets of Omaha and asked the bishop to change his ministry so he could help rehabilitate troubled young boys. With a loan of $90, he rented a dilapidated Victorian man- sion and began a Home for Homeless Boys. The bishop re- lieved Father Flanagan of his pastoral duties and sent two nuns to assist with caring for the boys. The boys came from everywhere – the courts, run-aways and those turned into the streets. Because Father Flanagan saw school and vocational training as essential to their success, he negotiated an agreement that his boys could at- tend the town school as long as they behaved in class. In 1921, the Boys’ Home moved to Overlook Farm, ten miles outside Omaha, with funding from the Ne- braska Knights of Columbus. In a short time, Boys Town grew to be a large community with its own schools, chapel, post office, gymnasium, and other facilities where boys between the ages of 10 and 16 could receive an ed- ucation and learn a trade. Flanagan’s so-called City of Little Men pioneered and developed new juvenile care methods, emphasiz- ing social preparation as a model for public boys’ homes worldwide. Jim Kurtz Alice Adams FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at An award-winning writer, Alice Adams has chronicled the men and women in funeral service for more than two decades. “My goal has always been to recognize funeral directors and cemeterians who self- lessly assist families during times of their darkest grief,” she said. Since 2018, Alice has teamed with fellow historian and photographer Jim Kurtz to tracing the much ignored and neglected beginnings of the funeral service profession. Adams resides in Dripping Springs, Texas, where she enjoys her children, four grandchildren, Cassie, the Black Lab and two cats – all three rescues. Jim Kurtz has been a funeral director in Texas since 1973 and is president of TFDA’s North Texas Region. He is a historian and educator, he founded the Jim Kurtz Museum of Funeral History and archives in Dallas, Texas. Appropriate to Greatness: Caskets of the Rich and Famous Written and researched by Alice Adams and Jim Kurtz There have been many good books written about the deaths of the rich and famous. However, none have taken the viewpoint of the funeral service professional or cemeterian. In this series, we hope to accomplish exactly that with the little-known details, obscure facts and citations we have found in our research. We’re excited to share our findings. F ather E dward F lanagan founder of B oys T own Where there’s no such thing as a bad boy. J uly 13, 1886 - M ay 15, 1948 Funeral Mass at Boys Town –Photo courtesy Todd VanBeck Fr. Flanagan fishing with company Father Edward Flanagan A stained-glass room Dowd Memorial Chapel contains the crypt of Father Flanagan. –Photo by J Kurtz Statue of Father Flanagan at his home at Boys Town Incidentally, Boys Town did not get rich from profits of the Spencer Tracy movie. The institution received a few thousand dollars, not a percentage of the profits. Unfortunately, the public perception was that the movie profits would continue to fund Boys Town, and donations dropped. After talking with MGM, the studio do - nated an additional $250,000 to build a dormitory at Boys Town. Spencer Tracy himself issued a statement clarifying the meager Boys Town gain and asked the public to keep contributing. In addition, while Boys Town was be- ing filmed, Father Flanagan began to re - ceive weekly cashier’s checks for $8,000 from a Hollywood bank. The cashier of this bank was a former charge of Father Flanagan’s, and the priest called him to ask who was sending the money. The man was reluctant to tell, but af- ter considerable persuasive pressure he finally said it was Spencer Tracy. It undoubtedly represented Tracy’s sala- ry for playing the role of Father Flana - gan. When Father Flanagan called Tra - cy, he said he didn’t know a thing in the world about it and, to this day, has never admitted he was the one who sent this money to further the work at Boys Town. “He ain’t heavy, Father, he’s my brother” has be- come Boys Town’s motto, highlighting the impor- tance of caring for each other and having someone care about them. Father Flanagan at Dowd Memorial Chapel –Photo courtesy Todd VanBeck FSF Scholarship Continued from Page A32 video, no longer than two minutes. The spring applica- tion deadline is April 1, 2021. The call for applications will again open from September 15-November 1. The Foundation launched an updated scholarship portal designed to provide applicants with a more user-friend- ly experience. “Easier access to scholarships is a plus for busy students, no matter if they’re pursuing a first, sec- ond or third career in funeral service,” said Wiensch. “We look forward to helping even more students reach their educational goals in 2021.” Additional Scholarship Opportunities The Foundation awarded its first $1,000 academic schol- arship in 2002. Nearly two decades later the program has grown to up to 25 scholarships per year. Over the years, the Foundation has also expanded its suite of scholar- ships to include professional development oppor tuni- ties open to all funeral directors licensed in the United States or Canada. Offerings include Career Development Scholarships, NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarships, and NFDA International Convention and Expo scholarships. More information is available online www.funeralservicefoundation.org/scholarships/ . Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral pro- fession and has identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders profession-wide support the Foundation in its mission of investing in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities. News Educational ContinueD