Tobias Uhrig served his country in the United States military and in doing that service he served in the Mortuary Affairs Unit. His military career afforded him the opportunity to honor fallen service members while stationed in 339th Quartermaster Company in South Korea and later at the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System at Dover…
A permitted crematory under construction in the Dallas, Texas, suburb of Frisco is coming under scrutiny by neighbors who are not happy with it being located in a residential neighborhood. However, according to this article “Frisco City officials insist that the crematorium’s approval predates the nearby neighborhood development, with plans available publicly since…
I’m old enough to remember that one of the earliest cries for increased cremation was that cemeteries will soon take up too much space in America. A rebuttal to that thought back in the 1980’s was always the quote “. . .if everyone in America died today we could bury them in 1/3 the…
One of the interesting stories of 2023 in the Death Care business was the release of a full-length Hollywood production of the movie “The Burial” released in October by Amazon Studios. It was a story in Death Care simply because it is not every day that you see our profession covered in this way…
We learned last week that a transaction announced in October 2023 had been closed prior to the New Year. The transaction that you can read about in this press release from Park Lawn Corporation included the sale of 72 cemeteries and 11 funeral homes, and one crematory from Park Lawn Corporation to Everystory…
BUSINESS
“It is the Night of our Dear Savior’s Birth”
O, Holy night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth O night divine, O night when Christ was born O night, O Holy night, O night…
This Christmas: “Count Your Blessings”
We all worry — probably too much. We worry about finances, we worry about weather, we worry about our children. Trust me, I think everybody worries a lot — like I said, probably…
Everstory Partner’s Cedar Hill Funeral Home completes renovations
Everstory Partners, who may be the nation’s 2nd largest Death Care provider by serving over 65,000 families per year, recently announced completed renovations at their Cedar Hill Funeral Home just outside Washington, DC. This…
FINANCE
Everstory Partner’s Cedar Hill Funeral Home completes renovations
Everstory Partners, who may be the nation’s 2nd largest Death Care provider by serving over 65,000 families per year, recently announced completed renovations at their Cedar Hill Funeral Home just outside Washington, DC. This…
Pinnacle Funeral Service makes Green Bay acquisition
We learned earlier this week that Pinnacle Funeral Service, a funeral home owner and operator based in St. Petersburg, Florida, has acquired the Malcore Funeral Home & Crematory as well as Simply Cremation in…
Hillenbrand sale progressing, but some questions remain
I had almost forgot that Hillenbrand Inc., the former parent company of Batesville, had itself agreed to be sold to Lone Star Funds last August (2025). I was reminded of that transaction from this recent…
REGULATIONS
New York audit of state funeral industry finds “Red flags”
A recent report (November 2025) from the State of New York Department of Health with the results of an audit “which covered April 2019 through November 2023, concluded that the state Department of…
Missing body causing problems between family and cemetery
According to details in this article from CBC Canada Royal Air Force glider pilot veteran Gordon Patrick was buried at the Green Acres Cemetery outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba, following his death in 1973. …
Subject of iconic “Homecoming” photo died on Veterans Day
This is Thanksgiving weekend — a time to reflect and give thanks for the lives we are living. Those of you who are old enough will remember back in 1973 a time when our…
CEMETERY
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
The Green Funeral movement is alive in New York City
Amy Cunningham is a friend of mine. She was a writer/editor who has become a funeral director and she has teased me that I was a funeral director who has became a writer/editor with…
Opinion: The Jewish Faith and Cremation
I grew up in the very homogeneous community of Alexandria, Minnesota. From this Wikipedia article you can see that the city at the time of my growing up had a population of a little…
CREMATION
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
Opinion: The Jewish Faith and Cremation
I grew up in the very homogeneous community of Alexandria, Minnesota. From this Wikipedia article you can see that the city at the time of my growing up had a population of a little…
Does KFC have a template for Death Care?
Alex Fasciano, an analyst for CFRA Research suggests that quick service restaurant player KFC’s (formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken) strategy is “. .centered on driving growth through brand relevance, marketing innovation, (and) operational excellence. .…
PRENEED
More Americans take on debt to cover funerals
I came across this recent article from USA Today titled “Americans are going into debt over death. Here are affordability tips.” Reading that article led me to a survey and results from Debt.com and…
Preneed companies emerge as funeral home lending sources
Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm that provides a wide range of products and services, including investment banking, wealth management, consumer banking, and brokerage services, recently made this comment in an article, “Life…
Co-op Funeralcare increases “Funeral Plan” sales over 17% despite cyberattack
An April cyberattack which you can read about here probably cost the parent company of Great Britain’s largest funeral home operator, Co-op Funeralcare, about a US$ 107 million profit swing but didn’t seem to…
PRODUCTS
Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers
American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings. But now, according to this recent…
The Green Funeral movement is alive in New York City
Amy Cunningham is a friend of mine. She was a writer/editor who has become a funeral director and she has teased me that I was a funeral director who has became a writer/editor with…
More breakthrough technologies from OneRoom available
The streaming, recording, and re-watching of Death Care memorial events is becoming more and more a staple of what consumers are now expecting from their Death Care event professional. And much like any new…
