Recipient: Mariah Beverly
Mariah Beverly is currently enrolled in the funeral service program at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach, VA, where she maintains excellent grades and has been recommended by Frank Watson in the education program.
“The world is full of dreams, and mine has always been in mortuary science,” states Beverly. “The human body is very fascinating to me, and we as a species are incredible with how everything works within us, and that is why I always had an interest in becoming a medical examiner.” However, Beverly changed career paths when her dad died three years ago, which made her want to help others in preparing their loved ones for their final departure. Losing a loved one is an experience that’s hard to express in words. Death alters one’s life forever, and she found that having people who can guide you through this foggy time is very helpful.
Donor: House of Winston
The House of Winston was founded by the former National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association Inc’s national president, James W. Winston in 1974. Winston was exposed to the funeral industry by his father who was an insurance salesman. Motivated by his desire to aid others at their time of need, he relocated from the Marlin, TX area to Los Angeles, CA, with a dream to serve families professionally in their darkest hours. He not only cared about the lives of the living but for the dead making sure they got a decent burial.
After his passing in 1991, his beloved wife, Mary Louise Winston, a licensed funeral director began her journey as the president and CEO of the House of Winston. Also sharing Mr. Winston’s desire to aide others, Mary Louise left the insurance business and dedicated her life to service through the community in which she served. She was also a member of the California Funeral Directors Association as well as the Ladies Auxiliary of the NFDMA, the YMCA, the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, and various civic, fraternal and religious boards including scholarship funding for needy students in the mortuary industry through the Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity honoring her late husband and 100BWFS, Inc. honoring the memory of her late daughter Felicia Winston, also a licensed funeral director and owner of a floral shop connected with the House of Winston Mortuary.
Because of philanthropic efforts, Mary Louise Winston has been recognized by various organizations far and near for her charitable efforts. She is a great role model and mentor to new funeral service students entertaining a career in the funeral profession. She has buried hundreds of community, civic, religious leaders and everyday people needing her services. During this tenure, she speaks fondly of the many people and families she has served but she holds close to her heart, from that distinguished list, the funeral for the late Caesar Chavez, the Mexican immigrant who fought for their equal rights as farm workers and the late great Whitney Houston, an icon in the entertainment industry.
Donor: Jessie Marie Tuttle
Jessie Marie Tuttle of Ross Mortuary, Inc in Houston, TX knows firsthand the tremendous impact a funeral director has on lives of the bereaved. Accomplishments that normally are a part of life were made that led Tuttle to an astonishing career of helping others. Her mortuary science education enabled her to serve individuals seeking compassion, integrity and honesty to prepare for a journey perhaps never experienced before.
“I will always want to see the best of the best in the funeral profession, someone who gives more than 100 percent every time they sit with a grieving family. I realized I could do this through scholarship donation. Through the 100 BWFS, I can help struggling women who want to keep the standards high in this very demanding profession,” says Tuttle.
“Everyone should have a role model and hero in their life, someone who has been a visionary or trailblazer or just someone who has made a difference in the life of others. I want to be that person that aided them in their time of need. As a professional, we know the importance of impacting others, if we have been impacted. Being influenced by funeral professionals for many years, you know that you have big shoes to follow and following in those footsteps is not always an easy job. As I reflect on my years in funeral service I can easily pinpoint several women and men who have touched my life. Some have gone on to glory, like the late A. Fay “Miss Kitty” Dorsey and her sidekick the late Willie Mae Curtis, two great women who were trailblazers in the industry in the state of Texas. More recently has been my close friend, the late Geraldine Cunningham and all of them and more helped me continue to strive for excellence in my work and helped me to stay passionate about the funeral profession, about a life of service in work, community social circles and in church.”
Jessie Marie Tuttle is proud to establish the Geraldine Cunningham Memorial Scholarship honoring the memory of her friend and her commitment to the profession. Jessie is proud of all her funeral associated organizations locally, statewide and nationally especially the National Ladies Auxiliary of the NFDMA and being honored as a 100 BWFS Phenomenal Woman.
Donor: Batesville Casket Company
Batesville Casket Company has partnered with the 100 BWFS for more than 20 years, providing speakers, sponsorships, advertisements and scholarships for deserving mortuary students. Under the directorship of Troy Turner, chief marketing and information officer for Batesville along with the support of leading sales executives Annette Foster (leading sales award winner) that support continues for the goals and objectives of the organization and the premier casket manufacturer in the world. Batesville has a rich history in the industry as they were founded in 1884, when local craftsmen began producing hand-made wooden coffins in a small town in southeastern Indiana. John Hillenbrand, a lumber merchant and business entrepreneur, purchased the company in 1906. With his four sons involved in the business, their numerous inventions made innovation a Batesville hallmark with more than 40 United States patents.
In 1918 Batesville began making metal caskets, but in the 1940’s they only made cloth-covered cardboard caskets to conserve metal and wood for the war effort. During the 1950’s and 1960’s they only produced metal caskets. In 1973, Batesville began to make hardwood caskets again and is now offers bronze, copper, stainless steel as well as 18 gauge and 20 gauge carbon steel caskets. Batesville is the top supplier for some great units especially for celebrity funerals such as the Classic Gold, Millennium and the Promethium Caskets as used for the late Michael Jackson and others.