It’s not everyday when someone opens a business and then says they are going to build that business by donating the business’ services.  However, that is exactly what James Stephens is saying as the Managing Funeral Director of the new White Pines Funeral Home in Logan, Utah.

According to this article from the Herald Journal News of Utah, Stephens and a group of investors are expected to open their funeral home in mid-October.  The group purchased the building from foreclosure and have no affiliation with the previous owners of the building and funeral home.

Again, according to the article, the building was formerly occupied by the Nyman Funeral Home and was “affected by the alleged mishandling of pre-need funeral arrangement trusts”.  Stephens is quoted in the article as saying, “We are just really, really saddened by what happened and can imagine how hard that would be for those families.  What we can do is offer our professional services”.

To that end, while former pre-arranged client families will have to purchase merchandise, White Pine Funeral Home states in the article that if a family can bring in a funeral contract from the previous owner, White Pine will then donate a services portion of the funeral up to $4,995.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Funeral homes find ways to serve families despite pandemic.  The Leaven Catholic Newspaper- The Archdiocese of Kansas City
• Dignity (United Kingdom) stock price has reduced 80% in the last five years.  Yahoo Finance
• Gravestones at Lawrence Cemetery vandalized. Boston.com  (MA)
• Long delays for burials at veterans in Union Grove.  WDIO TV (MN-WI)
• Local funeral home says new crematorium greatly benefits the area.  Hazard Herald (KY)
• John Phipps:  It’s a good time to talk about dying.  AgWeb.