Page A24 MAY 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A This is a truly unique training course designed for those interested in management and cultivating a name for being a trailblazer in the profession. Congratulations to the graduating class for pioneering this exciting program! NFDA is looking forward to working with the class of 2022-23. We appreciate our generous sponsors! National Emerging Leaders Program Learn • Lead • Inspire A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM LIKE NO OTHER NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR! nfda.org/emergingleaders 2022_NELP_1/4 NOMIS Ad.indd 1 4/8/22 11:54 AM tening to his wife read an article from the Saturday Evening Post called “A Calm View of a Calm Man.” The article was a flattering profile of the President, which he enjoyed immensely. Mrs. Harding interrupted her reading to straighten his pillows when Harding remarked, “That’s good. Read some more.”Those were his last words. As she began to read again, the president twisted convulsively and died. Harding was 58 years old. Someone at the hotel called N. Gray, Undertakers. The night operator at N. Gray took the call, and the manager thought it must be a hoax. However, N. Gray responded and took the precaution to carry all of the embalming equipment and paraphernalia necessary to attend the call if the President had indeed died. Upon arriving at the Palace, the undertakers were shown directly to the presidential suite and were ushered into the room where the President lay dead. The embalming started at 9:00 PM and ended at 3:00 AM the next morning. President Harding’s body was embalmed with an embalming chemical named “Re-concentrated Dioxin,” which was manufactured by the H. S. Eckels Chemical Company of Philadelphia. The casket used for President Harding’s burial was a Solid Bronze No. 9325 manufactured by the F. H. Hill Casket Co. The casket was 6’6” by 24” with a lift-off outer top; bent, double-plate glass sealer with hinged inner-sealer top; and both head and foot panels hinged with a cream satin biscuit tufted interior with extension bronze handles and a handengraved, solid silver nameplate. The casket sold for $2850. The embalming charge was $250. On Friday, the gray funeral coach fromN. Gray &Co. was waiting at the front door of the Palace Hotel, where a brief By Todd Van Beck History has not been kind toWarren G. Harding. However, at the time of his untimely and unexpected death, he was one of the most popular presidents that had ever held office, and he was afforded a terribly impressive funeral. What he thought about his messy presidency will never be known, because Mrs. Harding destroyed most of his official papers before her own death a year and a half later. On July 27, 1923, President Warren G. Harding made his last public appearance in Seattle, Washington. He made a slip of the tongue calling Alaska “Nebraska.” Already it was apparent that the President was beginning to show evidence of extreme fatigue, but few in the party suspected that he was being taken over with a fatal illness The next leg of the trip to Alaska exhausted Harding, and when on July 28th Harding arrived in San Francisco, he was seriously ill. The President rejected a wheelchair and took to his bed immediately. His skin was grayish and flabby, and his gait was torpid and lifeless. Harding looked old and worn. By nightfall, he was much worse, and it was obvious to his doctors that he had had a cardiac collapse. By Thursday, August 3rd, Harding improved and was allowed to sit up in bed. At about 7:30 PM, he was lisWarren G. Harding the twenty-ninth 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 family funeral service was held in the room where Harding had died. At 6:00 PM, the casket was brought out and placed in the vehicle. Then the funeral procession moved to the Southern Pacific train depot a half mile away, where a twelve-car funeral train waited for the funeral party. After crossing the country, on August 7th the Harding funeral train arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C. at 10:20 PM, almost nine hours late. Prior to the arrival of Harding’s remains in the capital, the U.S. Government had contracted with the funerTodd W. Van Beck is associated with John A. Gupton College in Nashville, and has been an author, teacher, practitioner, and speaker for over 40 years. On May 30, 2018 Van Beck celebrated 50 years in funeral service. You can reach Todd at 615-327-3927. 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 After a brief service in the East Room, Harding’s body was taken to the U.S. Capitol building to lay in state in the rotunda. After the services in the rotunda, Harding’s body was taken home to Marion, Ohio, where he was temporarily placed in a crypt in the receiving vault at the Marion Cemetery. Services in Marion were under the auspices of funeral director Frank Schaffner of the H. Schaffner Furniture and Undertaking Co. The Schaffner family had been long-time friends of the Hardings. The Harding Memorial is situated in the midst of ten acres of beautifully landscaped grounds directly across the road from the Marion Cemetery. al firm of J. R. Wright &Co. to oversee the undertaking duties of the President’s funeral. ICCFA Educational Foundation to Award ICCFA University Scholarships to ABSFE Certified Programs STERLING,VA— Continuing the tradition of making educational opportunities available to the deathcare profession, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s (ICCFA) Educational Foundation will be awarding one free scholarship to the 2022 ICCFA University to each American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABSFE) accredited funeral service and mortuary science program in the United States. In turn, the funeral service educational programs will each select one deserving student to receive the scholarship and join their peers at Emory University in Atlanta, GA this July 22-27. When asked about this initiative, Educational Foundation president Jim Price, CCFE, CCrE, commented, “We believe that education is critical to the wellbeing and future of the deathcare profession, so what better place to start a career-long learning path than with today’s students of our mortuary science programs? By giving them the opportunity to attend the ICCFA University at no cost, learn from those already established in their careers, and experience the camaraderie that comes from being with like-minded individuals, we believe their passion and commitment to funeral service will last their lifetime.” ICCFA University is a one-of-a-kind program designed by top experts in the cemetery, cremation, and funeral service profession. Its eight colleges cover every area of management and operations, and classes Continued on page A26 Like @Nomis.Publications us on Rest In Peace, Mr. President NEWS Educational
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