Cemetery Turns up at Tax Auction

By Funeral Director Daily March 2, 2018

According to an article in the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle that you can read here, a local cemetery turned up on a list of abandoned properties to be auctioned off in Dickinson County (Kansas).  Once discovered, the property was pulled off the auction and the county applied for tax exempt status – which has been approved –…

The Saturday Service Dilemma

By Funeral Director Daily March 2, 2018

  Have you noticed in the last several years the number of Saturday funeral or memorial services that you conduct in comparison to the services that are done the rest of the week.  At least, anecdotally, if you don’t keep statistics, you must feel you are scheduling staff more and more on Saturdays to serve…

Park Lawn Corporation Buys Additional U.S. Cemeteries

By Funeral Director Daily March 1, 2018

In a press release issued yesterday from Park Lawn Corporation of Toronto, that you can read here, the company announced the acquisition of all of the outstanding membership interest of CMS Mid-Atlantic for a purchase price of approximately US $50 million. CMS Mid-Atlantic, according to the release, operates, manages, and provides financial services for seven…

Unclaimed Bodies and Indigent Payments

By Funeral Director Daily March 1, 2018

Alana Durkin Richer of the Associated Press compiled a good article that appeared in the Detroit News that you can read here.  The article is on the growing problem of what to do with indigent bodies when states or municipalities responsible for them are either running out of money or the expected reimbursement to funeral…

Digital Billboards to Announce Deaths

By Funeral Director Daily March 1, 2018

I am always amazed at what is happening in the funeral industry that I have not caught on to yet.  My friend, Dave Westburg, who operates Billboard Insider blog and who was instrumental in telling me that I have the knowledge to start a death care industry blog, just scooped me on something that I…

BUSINESS

Memorial Day 2026 — “Freedom isn’t free”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 25, 2026

    As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those…

Everstory Partners recognized as a “Great Place to Work” — Again!

By Funeral Director Daily | May 22, 2026

  StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022.  At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. …

Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?

By Funeral Director Daily | May 14, 2026

  Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either.   If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries.  And,…

FINANCE

Everstory Partners recognized as a “Great Place to Work” — Again!

By Funeral Director Daily | May 22, 2026

  StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022.  At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. …

Security National Financial Corporation 1Q 2026 Memorial Group: The Good and the “Not so Good”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 20, 2026

    Security National Financial Corporation (SNFC), the Utah-based company that serves the Death Care profession through their funeral homes, preneed insurance, and other financial tools issued their 1st Quarter 2026 financial report last week. …

Despite management upheaval, Park Lawn acquisitions keep rolling along

By Funeral Director Daily | May 19, 2026

  It was only a month ago, on April 15, that Funeral Director Daily published this article titled “Park Lawn Corporation update:  Dodds also reported to be leaving”.   The sudden departure of Park Lawn Corporation…

REGULATIONS

Memorial Day 2026 — “Freedom isn’t free”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 25, 2026

    As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those…

Everstory Partners recognized as a “Great Place to Work” — Again!

By Funeral Director Daily | May 22, 2026

  StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022.  At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. …

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) hits some roadblocks

By Funeral Director Daily | May 21, 2026

  It’s not for me. . . .but neither is skydiving.   I’m talking about Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or what some lay people call “human composting”.  NOR is a legal form of human disposition…

CEMETERY

Memorial Day 2026 — “Freedom isn’t free”

By Funeral Director Daily | May 25, 2026

    As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those…

Everstory Partners recognized as a “Great Place to Work” — Again!

By Funeral Director Daily | May 22, 2026

  StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022.  At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. …

Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?

By Funeral Director Daily | May 14, 2026

  Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either.   If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries.  And,…

CREMATION

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) hits some roadblocks

By Funeral Director Daily | May 21, 2026

  It’s not for me. . . .but neither is skydiving.   I’m talking about Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or what some lay people call “human composting”.  NOR is a legal form of human disposition…

Price: Calculated by Supply and Demand

By Funeral Director Daily | April 29, 2026

  I’m not an economics major but I know that the price I can charge for my goods or services is somewhat dictated by the supply and demand of those goods and services.  Is that…

Are we asking the right question?

By Funeral Director Daily | April 28, 2026

  Over my years as an active funeral director I would be called to the place of death and eventually ask the family before I left, “Are you thinking about burial or cremation?”  If you’re…

PRENEED

SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing

By Funeral Director Daily | May 11, 2026

  Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company.  As usual Funeral Director…

Survey finds continued growth in the Preneed market . . but, there are cracks in the armor

By Funeral Director Daily | April 27, 2026

  Preneed continues to grow. . . .but is the growth enough?  That is a great question and, among other things, we will look at the percentage growth of preneed on a “revenue per preneed…

Park Lawn situation: In Substack article, author Russo opines on the events of last week

By Funeral Director Daily | April 23, 2026

  On Monday of this week Substack, under their “On Deathcare” platform released a very well researched article by author Tony Russo titled, “Why are we still pretending Homesteaders is ‘just’ a Park Lawn investor?”…

PRODUCTS

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) hits some roadblocks

By Funeral Director Daily | May 21, 2026

  It’s not for me. . . .but neither is skydiving.   I’m talking about Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or what some lay people call “human composting”.  NOR is a legal form of human disposition…

California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains

By Funeral Director Daily | April 30, 2026

  Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains…

Parting Stone hires former customer and industry award recipient, continues march forward with funeral home partners

By Funeral Director Daily | April 22, 2026

  Parting Stone, the pioneer in solidified remains, announced last week in a press release that they have hired the 2025 recipient of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Inspiration Award, Katey Houston, “. .…