Funeral Director Daily

Rose Hills Cemetery Workers Unionize

By Funeral Director Daily / October 16, 2017 /

According to an article in LA Weekly, the mechanics, welders, and interment specialists at Whittier, California cemetery, Rose Hills, voted 35-23 to join the Cemetery Workers and Greens Attendants Union, SEIU Local 265, on Friday, October 13. The cemetery, one of 470 cemeteries owned by Service Corporation International, is 1,400 acres in size and one…

Funeral Rites Fit for a King

By Funeral Director Daily / October 13, 2017 /

In our profession it is interesting to note what kind of funeral rites are held around the world.  One year ago today, on October 13, 2016, the King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej died.  Since that time plans have been made for a Royal Cremation for the nation. Prior to the Royal Cremation, the King’s…

Crowdfunding for Funerals??

By Funeral Director Daily / October 12, 2017 /

I recently came across an article from TV 6 in Richmond, Virginia, about funeral crowdfunding being set up for a relative through GoFundMe when the family noticed that another account for the deceased had already been set up.  The family became uneasy about it and asked TV 6 to investigate. Turns out that the first…

How’s Your Firm’s “Hospitality”?

By Funeral Director Daily / October 11, 2017 /

I enjoy watching the CBS program “60 Minutes” and did so again last Sunday.  One of the featured stories was on New York restauranter Danny Meyer.  Meyer started with one restaurant concept as an owner/operator in the 1990s and now has 16 restaurants of different styles in New York City.  He is also the inspiration…

Omaha Mortuary Destroyed by Fire Re-Opens

By Funeral Director Daily / October 10, 2017 /

This past weekend an open house was held to celebrate the opening of America’s newest funeral facility — the Heafey Hoffmann Dworak & Cutler Mortuary on West Center Road in Omaha, Nebraska.  The 26,000 square foot structure is built on the same spot where fire destroyed the firm’s 1980 building in January 2016. According to…

StoneMor Amends Credit, Hints at Dividend Cut, Reduction of Units

By Funeral Director Daily / October 9, 2017 /

StoneMor Parnters, LP, a publicly traded death care company that owns and operates both funeral homes and cemeteries announced in a        press release on Friday, October 6, 2017, that they will be amending their secured credit facility.  You can read about the modifications here. In reading the entire release, the Chairman of…

Batesville Casket Honored by State of Indiana

By Funeral Director Daily / October 6, 2017 /

Batesville Casket company was one of eleven Indiana companies honored and inducted into the State of Indiana Manufacturer’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony on October 4.  Companies were recognized by the Indiana Manufacturer’s Association for their outstanding contributions to the development of a healthy, dynamic manufacturing environment in Indiana. Batesville has been a part…

Building Positive Public Relations

By Funeral Director Daily / October 5, 2017 /

I’ve heard a saying that “news” is what nobody wants others to know and “public relations” is every thing else that is printed.  There is a lot of truth to that saying in the funeral business — nobody wants to be in the news — especially if the things that are being said are not…

Cemeteries — To Tax or Not to Tax

By Funeral Director Daily / October 4, 2017 /

It’s no secret that taxing authorities are looking for all of the ways that they can raise taxes to put to government work.  I read an interesting article just yesterday in the Delaware County Daily Times of Pennsylvania whereby the local Marple Newtown School District had claimed that the value of an Archdiocese of Philadelphia…

Real Problems — San Francisco Funeral Homes

By Funeral Director Daily / October 3, 2017 /

Most funeral homes, regardless of where they are located, are lamenting the tide that is turning – or has already turned – as the business of death care turns from earth burial dispositions to cremation dispositions.  Even the best run death care businesses – whether funeral home or cemetery – are having to make tough…