Funeral News Thursday February 9

By Dave Westburg February 9, 2017

WWMT.com, the Telegraph and the Daily Star report that funeral directors are telling people not to take selfies at funerals.  The most famous abuse of this practice was when Prime Minister Cameron, Barack Obama and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidts took a selfie at Nelson Mandala’s memorial service. NPR reports that funeral prices aren’t transparent despite the…

ICCFA Cremation Guidelines

By Dave Westburg February 8, 2017

Here are the guidelines of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) to voluntarily foster professional standards of care. ICCFA Cremation Guidelines Statement of Purpose The following Cremation Guidelines have been published by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association to voluntarily foster professional standards of care and consideration by our members.  Definitions Authorizing agent(s):…

Who must comply with the FCC Funeral rule

By Dave Westburg February 8, 2017

The FTC Funeral Rule went into effect April 30, 1934.  The rule was revised in early 1994. Who must comply with the rule? All “funeral providers” must comply with the Rule. You are a funeral provider if you sell or offer to sell both funeral goods and funeral services to the public. Funeral goods are…

Stonemor Issues Update on Sales Team Development

By Dave Westburg February 8, 2017

REVOSE, Pa., Feb. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StoneMor Partners L.P. (NYSE:STON) (“StoneMor” or the “Partnership”) today provided additional data on the ongoing restructuring of its sales force. Total salespeople within the salesforce at January 31, 2017 numbered 766, which was 81 more than the prior year comparable period.  The salesperson count at January 31,…

Batesville Casket 1Q 2017 financials down slightly

By Dave Westburg February 7, 2017

Hillenbrand announced earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2017 (three months ended December 31, 2017).  The company’s Batesville casket business had a 2% decline in revenue and a 3% decline in EBIDTA (earnings before interest depreciation and amortization).  You can download the earnings slides here.   You can read the Seeking Alpha earnings call…

BUSINESS

The confluence between death care, estate settlement, and planning for both

By Funeral Director Daily | June 17, 2026

  When you think about it, the death of a loved one sets in motion a chain of events that, in many instances and dependent on family economics, cannot be stopped.  There is the death,…

Current Events and Death Care

By Funeral Director Daily | June 12, 2026

  I got up yesterday morning and took a look at the news feed that I recieve in my e-mail inbox.  I started looking at the headlines of the articles and realized that each one…

Cuba’s crisis with death

By Funeral Director Daily | June 11, 2026

  Cuba, the island country only 90 miles off the Florida coast has a crisis with death and Death Care.  If you look at the Wikipedia page for Cuba you will notice that the population…

FINANCE

Smith apparently out, Evanger in as CEO, President at Foundation Partners Group

By Funeral Director Daily | June 16, 2026

  This press release from Foundation Partners Group (FPG), which is dated Friday, June 12, announces “the appointment of Jim Evanger as chief executive officer (CEO) and president, effective immediately”.   The press release went…

Park Lawn continues Oklahoma expansion

By Funeral Director Daily | June 15, 2026

  Park Lawn Corporation announced last week, in this press release, the acquisition of Strode Funeral Home and Cremation in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  To our count at Funeral Director Daily, the purchase of this one stand…

Pinnacle Funeral Service acquires historic funeral firm

By Funeral Director Daily | June 10, 2026

  The Draeger-Lengendorf Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, Wisconson, was founded in 1928 and has served the families of southern Wisconsin for the past 98 years.   This press release from Pinnacle Funeral Service announces…

REGULATIONS

Current Events and Death Care

By Funeral Director Daily | June 12, 2026

  I got up yesterday morning and took a look at the news feed that I recieve in my e-mail inbox.  I started looking at the headlines of the articles and realized that each one…

The advantages of “Involvement”

By Funeral Director Daily | June 1, 2026

  About two weeks ago I decided to take in the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association convention.  Now, I have not attended that particular convention for 5-7 years and decided to this year only because a…

Connecticut budget includes money for victims of allegedly stolen pre-arrangements

By Funeral Director Daily | May 28, 2026

    Earlier this month, as you can read in this article from NBC Connecticut, the legislature of Connecticut passed their state budget which included the “Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices”.  The state appropriated…

CEMETERY

Cuba’s crisis with death

By Funeral Director Daily | June 11, 2026

  Cuba, the island country only 90 miles off the Florida coast has a crisis with death and Death Care.  If you look at the Wikipedia page for Cuba you will notice that the population…

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

Crowne Vault shares initiative creating “a path for permanent placement” of cremated remains

By Funeral Director Daily | May 29, 2026

      Crowne Vault, the Indiana-based company that is a leading presence in serving the Death Care profession with American-made cremation vaults is supporting a new initiative for the profession that hopes to bring…

CREMATION

Cuba’s crisis with death

By Funeral Director Daily | June 11, 2026

  Cuba, the island country only 90 miles off the Florida coast has a crisis with death and Death Care.  If you look at the Wikipedia page for Cuba you will notice that the population…

Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??

By Funeral Director Daily | June 3, 2026

  On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast.  On that show Softbank CEO…

The NFL “Fan Experience” will soon include cremated remains permanent placement

By Funeral Director Daily | June 2, 2026

  This recent article from the Jacksonville Daily Record makes note that the new Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium that will be the home of that franchise in the National Football League (NFL) has agreed to…

PRENEED

Connecticut budget includes money for victims of allegedly stolen pre-arrangements

By Funeral Director Daily | May 28, 2026

    Earlier this month, as you can read in this article from NBC Connecticut, the legislature of Connecticut passed their state budget which included the “Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices”.  The state appropriated…

Consumer Preneed motivations from Homesteaders survey results

By Funeral Director Daily | May 27, 2026

  Preneed insurance provider Homesteaders Life Company released their 8th annual Preneed Motivators survey last week.  According to this press release from which you can download your own copy of the survey results, “. .…

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…

PRODUCTS

The confluence between death care, estate settlement, and planning for both

By Funeral Director Daily | June 17, 2026

  When you think about it, the death of a loved one sets in motion a chain of events that, in many instances and dependent on family economics, cannot be stopped.  There is the death,…

You might hear more about this later today

By Funeral Director Daily | June 9, 2026

  The Tribecca Film Festival is underway in New York City and tonight June 9, Friday, and Saturday, the next Death Care industry movie, Death Boom, will be one of the featured attractions.   Here’s…

Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??

By Funeral Director Daily | June 3, 2026

  On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast.  On that show Softbank CEO…