December 2020

Page A22 DECEMBER 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A cold. Despite this, Polk decided to take a month-long Southern tour down the Atlantic seaboard and along the Gulf States. It was during this vacation that an out- break of the Asiatic cholera had reached the United States and was being carried up the Mississippi River. President Polk reached New Orleans, which was one of the main ports of the cholera invasion, and gave several speeches. Two days later he took a steamer to Nashville, where he made his home. Upon arrival in Nashville, Polk was in serious ill health. He rallied for a month by taking opiates and other drugs. By the end of May, the cholera epidem- ic took over in Nashville. Many left the city, but the President decided to stick it out. On Sunday, June 3, Polk suffered a severe attack of diarrhea. He was put to bed and by the next day was better. But by June 14, Polk had collapsed again, and this time his ability to fight was gone. James Knox Polk died on Friday, June 15, 1849 at 4:42 PM. He had lived 53 years and 225 days. On the day that Polk died, 23 other Nashville citizens died of the dreaded disease. The first funeral, because of the cholera epidemic, was held in short order. Polk died on Friday and was buried the next day. The undertakers were James McComb and W. R. Cornelius , who had done the funeral of Andrew Jackson in 1845. The funeral was held out of the residence, and the burial took place at the Nashville City Cem- etery , but Polk did not rest there long. On May 22, 1850, Mrs. Polk had her husband’s body re- moved to a new tomb, which she had built on the front lawn of the Polk’s residence in Nashville prop- er. At this funeral, full Masonic rites were conducted. President Polk rest- ed for 43 years in his own front yard undisturbed. On August 4, 1891 Mrs. Polk died at the age of 87. She was buried next to her husband on the front lawn of the residence. After Mrs. Polk died, relatives in the family contest- ed the will, and the unfortunate outcome was that the President’s beloved home was sold and torn down. The decision was made to disinter the Polks and re- By Todd Van Beck President James Knox Polk holds many records both as president and in death. Firstly, he is the only president in American history who promised to accomplish four ma- jor things while in office and at the end of his term of of- fice had pulled off all four promises. Sadly, President Polk holds the record for living the shortest period of time after he left office. He died a mere 101 days, or three months and nine days, after he left the presidency. Many speculate that he worked himself into an ear- ly grave, but cholera was the official cause of his death. The last record held by President Polk is that he’s the only president who had three complete funeral servic- es spanning over a 40-year period. James Polk was an introvert and had to force himself to be sociable. He was widely re- spected and admired by many, but he had only a few close friends. His wife, Sarah Childress from Murfrees- boro, Tennessee, was his closest friend and confidante. While in office, Polk was a workaholic and spent four years going ahead full steam. But when he left office, he felt exhausted from the constant work and had a bad J ames K nox P olk the eleventh 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. 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 presi- dents, their families, and in some cases, the wishes of the United States government. Each account tells an interesting story. 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 bury them on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol building in downtown Nashville. On September 19, 1893, once again, W. R. Corne- lius took charge of the re-burials and removed the cas- kets from the front lawn tomb and encased them in new cedar boxes. The two encased caskets were covered with American flags and placed in the west parlor of the resi- dence where yet a third funeral for the President, and sec- ond funeral for Mrs. Polk, would be held. After the funeral services were completed, a large funer- al procession started on the short journey to the Tennes- see State Capitol grounds. Upon arrival at the two new graves, the pall bearers took the massive two caskets to the graves. At this point the clergy proclaimed the bene- diction and all was completed. In this undisturbed condition, the Polks have finally rested. Recently, however, there has been an effort made to again disinter the President and remove his remains and that of his wife to the Polk’s ancestral home located in Columbia, Tennessee. As of this writing, the Polks still repose on Capitol Hill in Nashville. The residence of President Polk, known as “Polk Place,” in Nashville. The president’s tomb in the front yard can easily be seen on the right. Funeral Directors Research,Inc. AMRA INSTRUMENT, LLC 623 N. Tower (P.O. Box 359) Centralia, WA 98531 “the shorter the supply line the better off you are” WEB DIRECT GIFT & PRICING TM ® www.amrainstruments.com www.preproomdirect.com Funeral Service Foundation Offers Free Self-Care Handbook Addressing the Specific Needs of Funeral Service Professionals Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt BROOKFIELD,WI—The Funeral Service Founda- tion is proud to announce its latest complimentary re- source offering, “Caring for Families & Caring for Your- self: A self-care handbook for funeral service profession- als.” The handbook explores self-care techniques, specially designed to help funeral ser- vice professionals maintain a healthy work/life balance and prevent burnout. The Foundation commis- that may have behavioral or addiction problems related to the profession,” said Mary Carey, executive director of the IFDA in Springfield, IL. “We also need to offer reliable hu- man resources to address employee addictions. The Foun- dation’s ‘Caring for Families & Caring for Yourself ’ hand- book is a perfect resource.” Those interested may order free copies in quantities of 1, 5, 10 and 25 at FuneralServiceFoundation.org. Orders include a companion “Self Care Manifesto” poster, ideal for displaying in break rooms or common spaces. Additional free resources available at FuneralService- Foundation.org include the Foundation’s Youth & Fu- nerals booklet and video, which helps families and com- munities understand the important role funerals and memorialization play in the lives of grieving youth, and “Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the loss of your loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic,” which offers guidance to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one during the pandemic or would like to learn about how they can support those who have. sioned the 28-page handbook, written by Alan D. Wol- felt, PhD, through its Covid-19 Crisis Response Fund. The resource features tips, guidance, quizzes and journ- aling prompts that use proven methods to help funeral service professionals: evaluate experiences, thoughts, and feelings; manage stress; navigate a path to self-care; and uncover a deeper sense of self-understanding. “Funeral service professionals are first responders – some- times called ‘last responders’ – in a high-touch, high-stress environment,” said Wolfelt, founder and director of the Center for Loss & Life Transition in Fort Collins, CO. “Effectively managing that stress is part and parcel of the vocation and essential to a funeral service professional’s well- being. Finding ways to manage stress is key to maintaining healthy relationships with loved ones and boosts a funeral director’s capacity to compassionately serve families.” More than 100 firms have already leveraged the resource, which was available during the NFDA Virtual Internation- al Convention and Expo and mailed along with the November issue of The Director magazine. The Foundation also shared the handbook already with state associations. “Part of the Illinois Fu- neral Directors Association (IFDA) Strategic Plan is to provide addiction sup- port and resources to members and employees Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,299