ICCFA Magazine March-April 2016

March-April 2016
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Planning community
events for all seasons
Lemasters on how
to handle 3 common
information requests
Celebrant service
complete with hot rods
Meeting the GHS
standard by June 1
Welcoming visitors
who use wheelchairs
Van Beck on treating
everyone with respect
Living your life
with fewer regrets
Cemetery Impossible:
Selling all the crypts
Making sure preneed
funds are earning well
Memorial park 2026
Choosing the right
legal structure
Addressing cemetery
issues with technology
Profiles of many of the

companies exhibiting
at the 2016 ICCFA Expo
ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo
April 13-16, New Orleans, Louisiana
www.iccfa.com
US Metalcraft AD
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Live Oak Bank AD

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Matthews International AD
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by John Bolton, CCE, and

Lori Salberg
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
lori.salberg@plotbox.io
650.339.5004
Salberg is vice president of sales for PlotBox,
Palo Alto, California, and
Portglenone, Northern Ireland, a cemetery-specific
software company that
streamlines the workflow
for cemetery operations
and provides the highest resolution imagery for
geo-rectified cemetery mapping. She is also
president of Sofos Consulting LLC, Campbell,
California, where she oversees the preneed
sales and marketing programs for four cemeteries in California, and as well as an advance
funeral planning insurance agency.
www.plotbox.io
bolton.blackstone@
gmail.com
423.439.9181
Bolton is president
of Blackstone Cemetery
Development Co., San
Clemente, California,
which specializes in the
planning, development,
construction, and marketing of cremation garden
areas and digital cemetery mapping.
www.blackstone
cemeterydevelopment.com
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ICCFA Magazine
S E R V I C E T O FA M I L I E S
The future is now might be a cliche, but its also true.

If you want to be around to serve families in the future,
you need to start getting ready for them now.
Start by taking a virtual trip to 2026 to an organization
thats doing things right, serving families the way
they want and need to be served in the 21st century.
Memorial Park 2026

A trip to the future as it could beas it must be
if death care is going to be thriving in 10 years
(This fictional narrative is based on
real-time opportunities and industry
trends. The setting: 10 years from today at
a fictional cemetery.)
arch 1, 2026: I will never forget
that day as long as I live. It was
cold outside, but not bitterly
so. I stared out the window, mesmerized
by the snow flurries, crystal flakes falling
from the sky. I think it was Moms way of
telling me that even though she had lost
her battle with cancer, she was celebrating
in heaven.
I forgot for a second how painful it had
been over the past few weeks to see her
shrivel down to nothing, how tiring it had
been to bathe her and turn her over in the
bed multiple times per day, how surreal
it felt, just a few hours ago, to watch the
funeral home van drive away with her
lifeless body.
I didnt hear Sally shouting at me for
what might have been several minutes.
As the oldest of my three siblings, she
always took on the role of mother in
Moms absence. So it came as no surprise
that she was focused on taking care of
business, while I was daydreaming. Jenny,
our youngest sister, kept her earbuds in,
characteristically blocking out the world.
Today, I couldnt fault her for wanting to
shut everyone out.
Finally I focused on what Sally was
asking: What was the name of Moms
favorite movie? The one with Barbra
Streisand and Robert Redford. She was
sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of
papers and photos, thoroughly engaged
with her iPad.
Before I could ask what she was doing,

she called me over. You should help me
with this, she said with a hint of authority.
On her screen was the Discovery App,
sent over by the cemetery, Memorial
Park. Sally was going through a survey
of questions about Mom. It helped to
reminisce about some of the things that
were most important to Mom and laugh
about some of our family traditions.
Before long, Jenny took out her earbuds
and joined us. We spent the next few hours
talking, joking and howling with joy and
sadness. Mom was with us that night.
Visiting the cemetery
The next morning, as we were driving

into town, we all received an automatic
notification on our phones regarding our
appointment at Memorial Park. Sally had
forwarded the Discovery App to Jenny and
me so we could all be on the same page
about the arrangements.
It was nice to receive a reminder
with our appointment, directions to the
cemetery, photos of the office so we would
be familiar with where we were going and
even a photo of Jean, our life celebration
concierge. I have to admit, it was nice to
put a face to a name before we walked in
the door.
I pressed the confirm button on my
phone and we arrived at the cemetery
about 30 minutes later.
We pulled into the parking lot adjacent
to the office and saw a small figure waiting
next to a parking space obviously saved
for us, marked by a sign with Sallys name
on it. The person waiting for us was Jean.

to page 108
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The memorial park in 2026 will be equipped to meet the needs of both baby boomers and millennials
by offering full-time concierges instead of the traditional sales counselor. These full-time staff
members will be well versed on all aspects of the service industry in general as well as death care
in particular. They will be well connected socially through multiple media platforms and incredibly
Internet savvy to meet the growing needs of their client families. Funeral home and cemetery offices
will be filled with technology, massage chairs, energy food options and even nap pods.
from page 106
The snow had subsided and the sun peeked
out just enough to greet us as we arrived.
Jean led us inside and into a beautifully
decorated, bright, warm and comfortable
room. It reminded me of a sidewalk caf
in Paris.
There was a bar with long counters
lined with iPads where individuals were
privately browsing the Internet, watching
TV and playing games. I noticed one
person was working on a Discovery App
profile.
Im pretty sure I saw some people
sitting on massage chairs in the corner,
but I was too busy grabbing a protein
pack from a young girl clad in a Memorial
Park polo shirt to be sure. I realized at that
moment that I hadnt eaten since yesterday
morning.
Jean invited us to have a seat at an
intimate caf table with a single orchid in
a vase centered on the table. After having
the on-site barista make me a chai tea latte
and espressos for Sally and Jenny, Jean
explained her role as the life celebration
concierge.
She would be handling anything and
everything pertaining to Moms celebration
of life service, including catering, hotel
reservations for out-of-town guests,
floral tributes, cemetery arrangements,
transportation and arrangements for grief
counseling.
This was a far cry from my experience
when I had to help make final arrange
ments for an uncle several years back. We
met with a salesperson who knew nothing
more than how to fill out the contract and

collect our money.
Jean was very different from that
salesperson. She was comforting and
spoke as if she had known my mother
for years. She was quick to reference
the Discovery profile we had created the
previous day, and asked us about Moms
love of gardening and cooking.
She pulled up a photo we had uploaded
and played The Way We Were, an
homage to Moms favorite moviethe one
Sally had been trying to think of.
It was refreshing to share stories with
Jean. We did not feel like we were being
pressured into simply choosing what to do
with Moms cremated remains. We felt like
Jean truly cared about us, our mother and
how we wanted to celebrate her life. And
the orchid on the table was a nice touch;
they were Moms favorite flowers.
Jean confirmed our choice to have Mom
cremated and informed us that we were not
alone in choosing cremation as her final
disposition. In fact, she shared with us
that 61 percent of all deaths in the United
States now result in a cremation.
Viewing cremation options
We knew much of what Memorial Park had

to offer for cremation clients, thanks to the
Discovery App. We had been able to peruse
photos and videos before our appointment,
but Jean suggested we review the different
options in person.
Jenny opted out of joining Jean, Sally
and me on a tour. True to her nature, she
wanted to explore on her own. She used
the self-guided tour on the Discovery App,

which showed available cremation spaces
and listed features, prices and options for
each space.
Sally and I drove with Jean to the first
cremation garden area. Jean played a prerecorded audio information loop in the car.
It sounded like Tom Hanks was narrating
the drive through the cemetery, providing
information about cremation and memorial
options for Mom. Im sure it wasnt, but
it was a nice touch to hear a comforting,
familiar-sounding voice.
We pulled up to Rose Falls Cremation
Garden and were taken aback by the
beautifully landscaped garden. Without
even getting out of the car, we could
see lush rose bushes, a serene waterfall,
winding walkways and mature trees.
As we walked along the crushed stone
pathway, I remarked that it smelled like
Moms garden at home. It must be the
rosemary, Jean replied as she pointed to
the full rosemary bushes lining the path.
This place felt good. It felt familiar. It felt
like it was carved out and developed just for
Mom.
The garden had a beautiful central
brick pathway leading to a waterfall. Off
of the main walk were winding pathways
of crushed rock and natural materials
meandering in every direction. I noticed one
led to a seating area with a stone fireplace,
which I thought was absolutely gorgeous.
The entire area was visually stunning,
with colors, shapes and textures thought
fully blended into an inviting place for
contemplation. I could see that Sally shared
The memorial park in 2026 will find multiple ways to reach existing and potential families, including
personalized applications. Connected baby boomers and the average millennial will insist on doing
business via digital means, pushing our industry to develop new and exciting platforms.
The Discovery App describes a way for the cemetery to connect with a family even before they pass
through the gates, gathering statistical and personal information about the deceased and the family
and introducing the family to the cemeterys offerings.
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2016
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Cremation gardens must be visually appealing even before the family exits the car. Curb appeal
should be the first close of the selling process. Gardens must be balanced with pricing tiers
and product selection from very private to community columbaria. In order to provide value for the
price you desire, the cremation garden must focus on the garden first and the product second.
Give people a reason to choose you, and then exceed their wildest expectations.
A drone flies over a cemetery as part of a digital mapping project.
my appreciation for the space.

We informed Jean that we wanted to
look no further. We texted Jenny, who was
already on her way to meet us.
We were ready to finalize Moms final
resting place. But instead of heading back
to the office, Jean took out an iPad and
pulled up a digital map of the entire area.
We sat at a picnic table next to that
outdoor fireplace, under a large umbrella
equipped with solar panels to collect
power to supply outlets. And thank good
ness for that, because my phone was down
to 15 percent power. In the frenzy of
activity surrounding Moms passing, I had
forgotten to charge it.
We told Jean we were sad our brother
could not be with us to make the arrange
ments because he was deployed on
military assignment. Jean suggested we
FaceTime with him if he was available in
order to show him the cremation garden
and what we planned to select as Moms
final resting place. She informed us that
the entire garden was equipped with Wi-Fi
and provided the passcode. Minutes later,
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we were FaceTiming with our brother

overseas and walking through the garden
with him.
Jean asked if we wanted to be near
anyone else in the garden or if there was
a particular feature we wanted Mom to be
near. We had no relatives at Memorial Park
and told her we were unsure about what to
choose.
Jean opened her digital map and
pointed out a few areas on her iPad for us
to consider. The first was by the waterfall,
since one of Moms hobbies was searching
for waterfalls in the mountains. The second
was in a large columbarium at the highest
point of the garden.
We liked both of those options, but the
third one was the best. We selected a spot
along a winding path through beautiful and
fragrant flowers and rosemary. The path
was lined with boulders that celebrated
Moms love for the great outdoors. It was
perfect.
Jean was able to show us a number of
boulder locations on the digital map of
the cemetery, each time with information
about the space, cost, urn options and other

information.
We selected two different places, and
Jean led us to see the physical locations.
We decided on one we knew Mom would
love. With a few keystrokes on her iPad,
a swipe of my credit card and a signature
with a finger, we were finished and in
Jeans car heading back to the office.
As she drove, Jean described the
options available for Moms services. We
agreed to provide a live video feed of the
memorial services on social media. Jean
even created a post that we could share
across all of our social media accounts
allowing people to see the service on all of
those sites.
That post also included a link to the
personal details in the Discover App,
where we created an online obituary.
Friends and family who could not make it
to the services would have the opportunity
to view the service, sign in to a virtual
guestbook in real time and visit Moms
cremation space anytime online.
It felt good knowing that friends and
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The days of dragging 2-by-3-foot

paper maps into the cemetery
are over. Baby boomers and
millennials alike expect us to live
in a digital age and are more
likely to select your cemetery if
you do. Digital mapping allows
you to perform multiple functions
at the touch of a button, such as:
Instantly seeing available
property
Finding available inventory near
loved ones or friends
Seeing a 360-degree view of
the area around the prospective
property selection
Obtaining instantaneous
information about pricing and
regulations
Writing and signing contracts
anywhere and collecting
payments on a mobile device
relatives could explore the cemetery
online. And who knows, after seeing how
beautiful it is, maybe some of them would
decide to be laid to rest in a place near
Mom.
Jean also said that when we are ready,
we could design a personal memorial for
Mom online. We really appreciated this,
since within a few days, Sally and Jenny
and I would have gone back home. Despite
all being in different cities, we would
all be able to communicate with each
other and with Jean, and work with her to
design, finalize and approve the memorial
from a distance.
From the minute we received the
Discovery App, the entire experience
had been so much better than any of us
had expected. Being greeted by the staff;
encountering a modern, welcoming office;
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ICCFA Magazine
being shown a range

of beautiful cremation
options; finding built-in
technology throughout
the cemetery; being able
to handle paperwork
digitallyall of it
exceeded any expectations
we had about dealing with
a cemetery.
We had done our
research online when
it was clear that Mom
would not be with us
much longer, but we
never expected the level
Gardens at Toowoomba Garden of Remembrance, Queens
of service, dedication
land, Australia., which also offers visitors a tea room.
and professionalism
combined with state-ofdeath and its aftermath; they will appreciate
the-art facilities and multi-media platforms the effort to provide them with sustenance,
provided by Memorial Park.
and a protein boost will improve their
When the inevitable time comes
decision-making abilities.
to deal with the death of a loved one,
It is a chai tea latte instead of black
everyone should at have the opportunity to coffee. These days, people are used to
experience a cemetery like this.
choices beyond do you take sugar and
cream?
In summary
It is walking them through a cremation
The cemetery depicted in this story is
garden filled with aromas, colors, textures
not just a conjuring of the imagination. It
and sounds instead of showing them a
isit must bea quickly growing reality
48-niche rectangle stuck in the middle of
that we all must embrace if we want to be
a field. When most families are choosing
successful, grow our organizations and,
cremation, gardens created especially for
most importantly, serve our families.
them need to be a top priority.
Our story provides you with a glimpse
It is using an iPad app to show families
into our future based on current trends and
available garden spaces via a digital
research about progressive baby boomers
platform instead of dragging embarrassing
and millennials. The key is that these
three-ring binders and paper maps through
opportunities (if not the Discovery App)
the cemetery.
are already available. They are real-time
It is providing the people we serve with
opportunities at our fingertips every day.
more than they expect.
We must embrace the digital revolution
In 2026, we wont just be competing
with the most up-to-date mapping
with the cemetery down the street, we will
programs and digital software.
be competing with the customers desire
We must provide special areas where
to do nothing at all. We have to provide a
families can memorialize loved ones who
reason for people to want to visit us.
choose to be cremated.
But we cant wait until 2026, or until
We must create office and meeting areas cremation becomes the most popular option
that address the needs of our client families in our area, before acting.
on a daily basis.
Now is the time to make a difference in
This is how our customers will expect
the lives of the families we serve. Now is
us to do business. We must be ready
the time to go beyond our normal products
to provide them what they want and
and services. Now is the time to give each
serve them at the level to which they are
and every potential customer a reason to do
accustomed.
business with us.
What does this look like?
The bottom line here is: Your success
It is a protein snack pack instead of
lies in discovering your own way of
a peppermint candy. People often arent
making a difference in the lives of the
eating proper meals when dealing with
people you serve. Are you ready?
r
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Flowers for Cemeteries

AD
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by Marcus Dyer, Esq, CPA

mdyer@withum.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Dyer is a tax manager
at WithumSmith+Brown
PC with over 10 years of
experience providing tax
and business advisory
services to the professional services, law firms
and financial services
industries. His experience includes all aspects of tax compliance for partnerships,
trusts and S corporations.
In the field of law, Dyer has years of experience representing clients in commercial and tax disputes before state courts,
federal district court and the United States
Tax Court.
www.withum.com
WithumSmith+Brown, headquartered
in Princeton, New Jersey, is a full-service
public accounting and consulting firm
serving private and publicly-held companies, with specialized support to more
than a dozen major industry sectors,
including death-care services.
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MANAGEMENT/FINANCES
Do you know the tax consequences of your company

being a GP, LP, LLC, LLP, S-corp or sole proprietorship?
Do you know whether changes in the tax laws mean
you should reconsider how your company is structured?
This article addresses these questions and issues.
Deciding the legal set-up

your company should have
ne of the most significant early

decisions a licensed professional
makes when deciding to hang
out a shingle is what type of legal entity
would be best for the company. Choosing
correctly is a must. The right legal
structure can save taxes, minimize legal
exposure and avert costly business hassles.
But is the right choice for yesterday still
the right one today?
Federal, state and local laws are
constantly changing. The Internal Revenue
Code is especially in flux. Two recent
pieces of federal legislation, the American
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) and
the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA),
contain countless tax provisions that
drastically change the backdrop against
which entity decisions are made. Some
recent United States Tax Court rulings also
have changed the choice calculus.
This article addresses the topic of entity
choice for professional service businesses
in light of recent federal tax law changes.
First, it summarizes recent federal tax
law changes that should be considered by
professionals making this choice. Next,
it highlights distinctive features of each
choice popular with professionals and how
they are impacted by the changes. Analysis
of the advantages and disadvantages of the
various entities follows.
Before proceeding, a few points about
the scope of this article bear mentioning.
While this article covers quite a few tax
law provisions, it does not address all of
the factors that should be considered when
making this decision. By limiting the scope
of the article, it was the authors intention
to provide a more in-depth analysis of the
impact of a sweeping set of new tax laws
on a very important business decision.
Recent tax law changes
Ordinary income tax hike The ATRA

was enacted on January 1, 2013, to
replace the expiring Economic Growth,
Tax Relief and Reconciliation Tax Act
of 2001 (EGTRRA). The EGTRRA
was a temporary tax reduction act
passed into law during the second Bush
administration. (Public Law 107-16)
In sum, ATRA makes permanent the
EGTRRA 10, 15, 25, 28, 33 and 35 percent
tax rate structure and adds a 39.6 percent
tax bracket applicable to high-income
earners.
Self-employment tax applies to
LLC interests The Federal Insurance
Contributions Act (FICA) imposes a tax
on both employees and employers to fund
Social Security and Medicare. (26 U.S.C
3101) A tax akin to FICA is imposed on
the earnings of self-employed individuals
by the Self-Employment Contributions Act
(SECA) of 1954. SECA defines partnership
income as the earnings of self-employed
individuals.
SECA fails to address, however, the
income of Limited Liability Companies.
As a result, for more than three decades
uncertainty lay as to whether LLC income
was subject to or exempt from SECA.
In a recent line of cases culminating in
Renkemeyer, Campbell & Weaver, LLP v.
Commr, 136 T.C. 137 (2011), the United
States Tax Court answered the lingering
question. In Renkemeyer, the court held that
LLC members who perform services for
LLCs are subject to self-employment taxes,
notwithstanding the fact that LLC income is
not mentioned in SECA.
(The court also changed the focal point for
determining when SECA tax attaches to the
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MANAGEMENT/FINANCES
earnings of all entities taxed as partnerships.
Before Renkemeyer, the focus was on
whether an owner bore personal liability
for the obligations of the company. After
Renkemeyer, we look to the extent to which
an owner provides services for the company.)
Additional Medicare tax Under FICA and
SECA, employees, employers and selfemployed individuals are obligated to pay
Medicare taxes. A 2.9 percent tax obligation
is evenly split between employees and
employers. (26 U.S.C. 3101(b)(1)) Selfemployed individuals are responsible for
the full 2.9 percent.
Effective January 1, 2013, the ACA
imposes an additional Medicare tax (i.e.
Medicare surcharge) of 0.9 percent on
salaries and self-employment income
earned by individuals in excess of $250,000
for married taxpayers who file jointly,
$125,000 for married taxpayers who file
separately and $200,000 for all other
taxpayers. (26 U.S.C. 1401(b)(2))
Net investment income tax The ACA
introduces a tax of 3.8 percent on net
investment income. The tax, effective
January 1, 2013, applies to estates and
trusts, and individuals whose modified
adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000
for single filers, $250,000 for married filing
jointly.
Included in the category of net invest
ment income are interest, dividends, capital
gains, rental income, royalty income and
income from passive activities. (Pub. L.
111-152, title I, Sec. 1402(a)(1), March 30,
2010, 124 Stat. 106)
Cafeteria plans The ATRA makes having
a cafeteria plan more affordable for small
businesses. For qualifying companies,
it eliminates the need for discrimination
testing, provided certain minimum
contribution and eligibility tests are met.
With an ATRA Simple Cafeteria Plan, as
with a regular plan, employer and employee
contributions are deductible, exempt from
FICA and non-taxable to plan participants.
Generally, companies with an average
of 100 or fewer employees during either of
the two preceding years qualify to set up a
Simple Cafeteria Plan. (26 U.S.C. 125(j))
Limitations on itemized deductions
The ACA raises the threshold for itemized
medical deductions. Starting in 2013,
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ICCFA Magazine
taxpayers are permitted itemized deductions

for medical expenses only to the extent they
exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income.
Before 2013, the threshold was 7.5 percent.
What does this change mean in dollar
terms? The average taxpayer now spends
$2,500 more per $100,000 of income before
medical expenses are deductible. Taxpayers
age 65 or older are exempt from this
increased AGI threshold through 2016. (26
U.S.C. 213)
Through a law named for its sponsor,
the Pease Amendment of the AFTA reduces
the deductibility of itemized deductions for
individuals whose income exceeds a certain
threshold.
Effective tax year 2013, itemized
deductions are reduced by the lessor of
three percent of adjusted gross income or 80
percent of a taxpayers itemized deductions.
The threshold for 2013 is $250,000 for
single filers, $300,000 for joint filers.
(26 U.S.C. 213)
Reduction of the S Corporation builtin gains tax recognition period The
Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes
Act of 2015 (PATH) reduces the period
an S Corporation must hold built-in gains
property to avoid triggering built-in gains
tax. Prior to PATH, if a C Corporation made
an S Corporation election at a time when
the C Corporation had appreciated assets,
the corporation would hold the assets
10 years to avoid built-in gains tax.
The holding period is now five years.
Entity types
GPs Whenever two or more persons join

together to own and operate a business,
a general partnership (GP) comes into
existence. Partnerships are taxed based
on the pass-through method. They do
not pay tax at the entity level. They pass
through a distributive share of partnership
income, gain loss, deduction or credit,
which partners report on their individual tax
returns. (26 U.S.C. 706(a))
LPs A Limited Partnership (LP) is a
business entity that requires at least one
limited partner and one general partner.
The limited partner is typically not liable
for the obligations of the LP and restricted
from participation in the management of the
company.
The general partner is responsible for
management of the LP and bears personal
responsibility for its liabilities. A general

partner is taxed essentially as a partner in a
GP.
The limited partner is taxed differently.
A true limited partner who refrains from
active involvement in the partnerships
business is exempt from self-employment
tax and the Medicare surcharge.
LLCs A limited liability company (LLC)
is a hybrid entity. It is treated like a
corporation for limited liability purposes,
but for tax purposes can choose to be taxed
either as a corporation, partnership or
disregarded entity.
Like corporate shareholders, LLC
members are exempt from personal
liability for the obligations of the entity.
Their exposure is limited to their financial
investment in the LLC. Unlike in an LP, all
members of an LLC have limited liability.
The taxation of LLC members resembles
that of either a general partner or limited
partner, depending upon the members level
of involvement in the affairs of the LLC.
LLPs A limited liability partnership
(LLP) is similar to a LLC. It differs in
the protection from liability it provides to
the owners of the entity. LLPs are often
utilized by licensed professionals who find
themselves in jurisdictions that prohibit
professional LLCs.
LLPs are taxed essentially like LPs and
LLCs.
Professional service corporations
A professional service corporation
(PSC) is a unique form of entity. It was
created to give professionals a business
structure with the tax advantages of a C
Corporation without allowing them to
escape professional liability. It is available
to those in the fields of law, engineering,
architecture, accounting, actuarial science,
the performing arts or consulting.
(26 U.S.C. 448(d)(2))
PSCs are taxed essentially like regular C
Corporations. Like C Corporations, PSCs
are subject to double taxation. They are
taxed at the entity level and again at the
shareholder level if profits are distributed
out to the shareholders.
Also, as with a regular corporation, if a
PSC has operating expenses that exceed its
revenues, i.e., a net operating loss (NOL),
certain restrictions on the timing of the use
of the NOLs apply. Generally, PSCs carry
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MANAGEMENT/FINANCES
The income of different types of entities is subject to different types of tax.

The income of S corporations and PSCs is exempt from SECA tax. Generally, the income
of GPs, LPs, LLPs and LLCs is not. However, S-corps are required to pay a reasonable
officer salary out of profits, which income is subject to FICA and the additional Medicare tax.
NOLs back two years or forward 20 years
to offset income from other periods. (26
U.S.C. 172(b)(1)(A))
As a corporation, PSCs are also allowed
to provide tax-free cafeteria plan benefits
to employees, including to more than twopercent shareholders. Such benefits include:
(1) accident or health insurance (26
U.S.C. 106);
(2) adoption assistance (26 U.S.C 137);
(3) group term life insurance coverage
limited to $50,000 (26 U.S.C. 79(a));
(4) dependent care assistance plan
coverage (26 U.S.C 129);
(5) participation in a qualified cashor-deferred arrangement that is part of a
profit-sharing or stock bonus plan
(26 U.S.C. 125(b)(2)); and
(6) other benefits allowed under the IRC,
including vacation days.
If a PSC retains earnings beyond its
reasonable business needs, an accumulated
earnings tax is imposed on the company.
This tax is assessed at a rate of 20 percent
of the amount of the retained earnings
deemed excessive.
One notable difference between PSCs
and regular C Corporations is the tax
bracket that applies to each. A graduated
rate structure applies to regular C Corpora
tions. PSCs are taxed at a flat 35 percent.
S corporations An S Corporation is a
U.S. corporation with a maximum of 100
shareholders.
Taxed based on the pass-through
method, S Corporations generally do not
pay tax at the entity level. An S Corporation
that sells assets subject to built-in gains
tax serves as one exception. (26 U.S.L.
1374(a) provides: If for any taxable
year beginning in the recognition period
an S Corporation has a net recognized
built-in gain, there is hereby imposed a tax
(computed under subsection (b)) on the
income of such corporation for such taxable
year.)
The potential for built-in gains is present
whenever a C Corporation with appreciated
assets elects S Corporation status, or
is acquired by an S-Corp in a tax-free
reorganization.
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ICCFA Magazine
If an S Corporation has profits, a

reasonable salary must be paid to its active
shareholders. These wages are subject
to Social Security tax and the Medicare
surcharge. Otherwise the income of S-Corps
is exempt from SECA and FICA tax.
Sole proprietorships A single-owner
business is taxed by election as either a
corporation or a disregarded entity. (Treas.
Reg. 301.7701-3(a))
Entity choice
Tax rate factors One drawback of the PSC

form is the prospect of double taxation of
its income. PSC income is taxed once at
the entity level and again at the individual
level if income is distributed out to the
shareholders. LPs, GPs and LLCs are taxed
only once, at the individual level. S-Corps
are generally taxed once, at the individual
level, but can be subject to an entity level
built-in gains tax as well.
PSC double taxation can be minimized
if the PSC pays out most or all corporate
earnings as deductible salary to share
holders. However, the effectiveness of this
tax strategy has been curtailed somewhat,
because taxes on employee wages are now
higher for some as a result of the individual
income tax increase brought about by the
AFTA.
If a company with high-income
shareholders has plans for expansion or
growth, the PSC may be the clear entity
of choice, at least from a tax standpoint.
To understand why, consider a few abovementioned points.
PSC shareholders do not pay taxes on
corporate profits, unless earnings are paid
out to them as salary or dividends. While
the highest individual tax bracket is now at
39.6 percent, PSCs flat rate remains at 35
percent.
Thus, retaining PSC earnings creates a
tax advantage. It defeats double taxation,
permitting earnings to be taxed at a lower
rate. It also keeps income off of the
individual returns of the shareholders,
thereby reducing their exposure to the
Net Investment Income Tax and Medicare
surcharge.
Tax eligibility factors The income of

different types of entities is subject to
different types of tax. The income of S
corporations and PSCs is exempt from SECA
tax. Generally, the income of GPs, LPs,
LLPs and LLCs is not. However, S-corps are
required to pay a reasonable officer salary
out of profits, which income is subject to
FICA and the additional Medicare tax.
One tax disadvantage of the PSC is
attributable to the tax on accumulated
earnings beyond reasonable needs. Whether
a PSCs needs for retaining earnings are
reasonable is determined case-by-case
based on the facts and circumstances. The
only certainty is that that the tax does not
apply to the first $150,000 of retained
earnings.
S Corporations, GPs, LLCs, LPs and
LLPs can retain income without risk of
accumulated tax consequences.
A relative disadvantage of the S
Corporation is its vulnerability to built-in
gains taxation. When S-Corp built-in gains
tax applies, the affected income is taxed
twice. (Companies that acquire the assets
of a professional services company in a
tax-free reorganization should be aware
that accounts receivables of a cash-basis
taxpayer are subject to built-in gains tax.
Professional service companies often use
the cash basis of accounting.)
The PATH reduction in the required
holding period to avoid built-in gains tax
mitigates the disadvantage. (Protecting
Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015)
Net operating loss factors The ability to
pass through NOLs is an advantage passthrough entities have over PSCs. LLCs,
LPs, LLPs, GPs and S-Corps can all pass
through NOLs, which can be used to offset
the individual taxable income of the entities
owners (provided the owners have sufficient
basis to absorb them).
PSC NOLs can only be carried forward
20 or back two years. They cannot be
passed down to shareholders.
As time value of money concepts relate,
deductions are most valuable the sooner
they are taken. Thus, a NOL that can be
used today is more valuable than one that
MANAGEMENT/FINANCES
must remain on the shelf for another day.
Moreover, applying the mirror image
of the argument for retaining earnings in a
PSC, losses that pass-through today may be
more valuable notwithstanding time value
of money concept. To understand, recall
that for some individual taxpayers, recent
legislation has capped itemized deductions,
introduced new taxes and raised the top
tax bracket to 39.6 percent. PSC earnings
remain taxed at 35 percent and the new
taxes do not apply to PSC income.
Therefore, passing losses through the
type of income bearing the higher taxes
may reduce the tax paid. Of course the tax
implications of PSC dividends must be
factored into the analysis for companies
issuing them.
Employee benefits factors PSCs have the
edge over LLCs, LPs, LLPs, GPs and S
Corporations on employee benefits. Under
the doctrine of constructive receipt, if a
taxpayer is offered the choice between cash
and a nontaxable benefit, the taxpayer is
deemed to have received income. This rule
does not apply to cafeteria plan offers of

benefits.
If a company offers its employees
cash or benefits under a cafeteria plan, the
employees take the benefits tax-free and the
company takes a deduction for the benefits
provided to its employees. (26 U.S.C.
125)
The reason PSCs are advantageous is
that all of their employee-shareholders are
deemed eligible employees for cafeteria
plan benefits. Partners, members and
more than two-percent S Corporation
shareholders are deemed self-employed and
thus forbidden to take a bite of the tax-free
cafeteria plan fruit.
It should be noted that partners, LLC
members and two-percent shareholders
are eligible to receive some employee
benefits, notably health care and employee
fringe benefits. Their eligibility depends on
how the benefits are administered by their
companies.
The new simple cafeteria plan makes the
PSC even more beneficial for professional
services companies with fewer than 100
employees. Simple plans entail fewer

restrictions, making them less costly to
operate.
Conclusion
Making the most of entity choice is often

a challenge for a professional service
company. To make matters worse,
lawmakers have a tendency to change
the laws upon which decisions are made.
Nevertheless, a few broad guidelines can
be offered based on the federal tax laws
currently in place.
PSCs may be best if a company has
owners taxed at a rate in excess of 35
percent, and the company has plans to
expand or its profits will be zero.
An LLC, LP, LLP or GP may be optimal
if a company has no plans for expansion
and more than 100 owners.
An S Corporation has allure if a
company has high profits and fewer than
than 100 shareholders.
That said, before selecting an entity, a
full evaluation of all factors relevant to the
decision is critical.
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by Sean Johnson
MANAGEMENT/TECHNOLOGY
Change is happening so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up

with the ways technology can help you better run your cemetery.
These case studies might help you recognize ways you could
improve your record keeping, sales process and revenue.
How software can address

difficult cemetery issues
W
sean@cemsites.com

Johnson, a web programming entre-
preneur, is co-founder and vice president

of technology of CemSites, a cemetery
management software company near
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Johnson has spent years partnering

with cemeteries to analyze operations
and engineer software to automate
workflow and drive revenue. Early in
his career, he implemented sales and
operations procedures for a fortune 500
companys PC repair services division.
www.cemsites.com
hat issues is your cemetery facing

today? Perhaps your records
are in poor condition. Maybe
communication with other staff members
is not as organized as it should be. Anda
situation Im sure many people can relate
torevenue is not increasing as much as you
would wish.
You may think of cemetery management
software only as a way to digitize records, but
todays technology can provide solutions to
so much more than keeping track of who is
buried when and where.
During my experience of working closely
with cemeteries to develop software to
improve their operations, I have noticed
common issues surrounding data manage
ment, process management, accountability,
communication and revenue.
Here are five case studies to show that,
through management software, cemeteries
can eliminate data mistakes (and lower
liability), automate and streamline processes,
protect records from malicious actions,
efficiently manage staff communication and
increase revenue.
I hope these stories about your industry
peers will prompt you to evaluate your
own cemeterys workflow issues and view
management software as a powerful asset to
improve many aspects of your cemetery.
Names have been changed to protect
identities.
Case #1: Data management

Todd (Pennsylvania cemetery)
When I met Todd, his cemetery records

were incomplete. As his secretary began
to transcribe records, he found many
discrepancies between the books, previous
management systems and the grounds.
Critical fields such as burial location,
payment amounts and contact information
were not being consistently recorded.
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ICCFA Magazine
Countless records were simply missing, and

others were incorrect or did not make sense.
We all understand how important it is to
keep accurate recordsone small error can
result in a lawsuit.
Todd found his solution in record
management software that has smarter data
entry components to limit opportunities for
mistakes. He now uses a visual tool to mark
grave locations, allowing mistakes to be seen
and corrected instantly and easilya major
change from both paper records and previous
software.
Critical fields are also required to be
filled in when entering a record, to ensure
that the data will provide the cemeterys
managers with as much insight and as many
opportunities as possible.
With smarter technology and accompany
ing visual tools, Todd was able to correct
more than 6,000 records in just one week.
If your paper records are filled with
data holes, or if there is no easy way to see
mistakes in your current record system, it
is time for an upgrade. It is difficult to gain
business insights from messy data, and
valuable opportunities can be missed.
Case #2: Process management

Rob (New York cemetery)
Rob was a new hire with no cemetery

experience. The previous manager was fired
for embezzlement, leaving Rob to manage
two old and confusing record systems that
contained overlapping data.
Rob was in dire need of one system to
meet all of the cemeterys processing needs,
including a formal accounting system (since
money was a hot topic at the time) and a way
to speed up his contract process.
The duplicate data was cleaned up and
migrated into an easy-to-use, all-in-one
software solution, which allowed him to
eliminate the two outdated systems. The
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121
MANAGEMENT/TECHNOLOGY
proving to be effective
new system includes
in his situation. Printing
contract automation so
and postage was too
that cemetery employees
never again have to
expensive, considering
write contacts by hand,
that a large percentage of
along with an accounts
the mail bounced back to
receivable module to
the cemetery.
ensure that embezzlement
Jerry found his
will not reoccur.
solution in cemetery
Since all of these
management software
processes are within one
with built-in revenue,
system, the software
sales and ecommerce
can seamlessly integrate
tools. He can now
financial information with
easily update and crossrecords to auto-generate
reference his prospects
Mobile navigation tools that sync with burial records to pinpoint grave
reports such as balance
contact information
locations can save time and improve communications among visitors and
due, payment history and cemetery staff members. Community members can easily explore cemetery without mailing
grounds without relying on outdated maps or personal guidance.
inventory status.
resources to incorrect
Using more than one
leads and even send them
or two computer programs to meet your
the gravediggers for her cemetery, she needed automated reminders about purchasing
management needs may be less efficient and
opportunities.
a way to keep track of what work needed to
more costly. Investigate whether one program be done and to organize it with the members
By being able to sell products and services
can integrate all processes.
right from the cemeterys websiteincluding
of the fire department.
online memorial pagesthe cemetery can
In addition, her GIS mapping was
Case #3: HR and accountability
provide a service to the community while
expensive to keep up-to-date and writing
Marilyn (Missouri cemetery)
boosting its revenue.
deeds by hand was time-consuming and
Marilyn paid a third party to digitize her
As businessmen and businesswomen of
repetitive. Helens communication problems
cemeterys paper records. The work took
various kinds, we are all hoping for a boost
were solved with an integrated work order
eight months longer than promised, yet less
in revenue. How are you keeping track and
system that tracks tasks in a calendar and
than 30 percent of the data was usable and the reminder system.
following up on leads? Have you considered
process cost $10,000 more than expected.
selling grave cleanings or flowers straight
Her cemeterys maps were updated with
On top of it all, after less than six months
a solution that works within her management from your website or providing an online
of adopting a new management software
tool to your customers to record their family
software and has no impact on her budget,
system, a disgruntled employee tampered
heritage?
unlike the upkeep of GIS.
with more than 3,000 records.
Record management software with
The mapping system also allows visitors
After some negotiation with the third
integrated sales and ecommerce tools may
and staff to find burial information and the
party, Marilyns records were salvaged and
be able to give your cemetery the exposure
location of specific graves on their smart
successfully digitized.
and drip marketing strategy it needs to
phones, saving Helen a significant amount
It was fortunate the cemetery was
better reach potential customers and provide
of time, since visitors can now locate graves
already using the new management
revenue-boosting services.
without asking cemetery staff for help.
software when the disgruntled employee
Finally, with an automated deed-issuing
went on that record-ruining spree. Because
and -printing process, Helen no longer has to In summary
of the activity log and the user role-based
The issues Todd, Rob, Marilyn, Helen and
deal with writing deeds by hand.
nature of the software, all of the records
If you find that maintenance requests tend Jerry faced are unfortunately common, even
were restored to their proper state.
in cemeteries that do use some form of record
to be buried in email in boxes, lost on desks
If an angry or confused employee were to or simply forgotten, and staff members spend management software. The role of technology
incorrectly alter your records, would you be
in the death-care industry is now beyond
too much time trying to communicate grave
able to retrieve the original data? A software
straight record keeping, and there are robust
locations, software with built-in work order
solution with features such as user roles, an
software options available for cemeteries of
management and grave navigation can help
activity log and a reliable back-up system
nearly every burial and budget range.
your cemetery run more smoothly.
could save your operations from a potential
With the right management software,
legal disaster.
your own cemeterys record accuracy, data
Case #5: Revenue
safety, operations, staff communication and
Jerry (California cemetery)
Case #4: Communication
sales outreach can be at its peak. Reap the
Jerry, a consultant for a large cemetery,
Helen (Arizona cemetery)
benefits of modern technology to prevent
needed a way to increase revenue and
Helen is in charge of a municipal cemetery.
disasters and solve day-to-day issues beyond
promote the cemeterys mausoleum. He also
Her biggest issue was communicating in an
basic record keeping to better serve your
had difficulty reaching potential customers.
organized manner. Since city firefighters are
community in years to come.
r
Mailing promotional brochures was not
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ICCFA Magazine
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123
Supply Line
Granville Urns premium collection of

Italian wood inlaid urns and cremation
products.
READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select directory to find:
Supply Link Search Engine, the fastest way
to find the products and services you need at
your funeral home, cemetery or crematory.
SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases
about your new products and services, and
about awards, personnel changes and other
news to sloving@iccfa.com
for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that
will not go through the ICCFA server can be
sent to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
Sauders new casket, the Stockton.
FrontRunners presentation packing

solution, including a keepsake box and
USB drive.
124
ICCFA Magazine
n Granville Urns, Greensboro,

North Carolina, a family-owned company,
has created a premium collection of
Italian wood-inlaid urns and cremation
products. Each memorial is an individual work of art, hand-made by master artisans in Sorrento, Italy, using the
ancient craft of wood
inlay. The inlay design
is created by handcutting and assembling
thin pieces of wood
and applying them to the
survace to create a pattern. A
brilliant shiny surface is achieved through
a labor-intensive lacquering process that
involves applying a minimum of five layers of liquid varnish and sanding between
each coat.
Products include horizontal and vertical urns, keepsakes, memento keepsakes
and picture frames. They are available in
five collections, (Alexandra, Augustus,
Carolina, Fortune and Greer), two based
on traditional Italian designs, one floral
and two geometric designs based on classic principles. Free personalization and
marketing materials are available.
336.448.5000; fletcher@granvilleurns.
com; www.granvilleurns.com
n Sauder funeral products,
Archibold, Ohio, has introduced the
Stockton, a dome lid crossover casket.
The entry-level casket with an amber pine
finish has a traditional American deisgn
with a dome lid and lift bed. Eco-friendly,
the casket is 99 percent combustible
and burns more efficiently than a
solid wood casket. Like all Sauder
products, it is made from 97 percent
recycled materials.
1.866.419.3010;
www.sauderfuneralproducts.com
n FRONTRUNNER PROFESSIONAL, Kingston, Ontario, has released a
presentation packing solution amplifying the Book of Memories theme. The
companys DVT (digital video tribute)
program moves outside the traditional
memorial DVD output, which FrontRunner founder and CEO Kevin Montroy
said is quickly becoming obsolete. The
new packaging includes a branded Book
of Memories keepsake box which allows
for the storage of photos and mementos,
as well as a 4G USB device which is also
branded with the program.
Frontrunner also has expanded its

advanced marketing services for its Exclusive Client Program by adding an aggressive Search Engine Optimation service
designed for funeral professionals.
1.866.748.3625;
www.FrontRunner360.com
n Astral INDUSTRIES, Lynn, Indiana, has
added four associates to
its sales team. John Moose
comes to Astral with more
than 20 years experience
as a sales professional and
joins the Birmingham, Alabama, business center. He is Moose
a graduate of Barry University in Miami
Shores, Florida. John McQueen joins the
Atlanta, Georgia, business
center with more than 10
years experience in the
sales, training and management field. He is a graduate
of Cabrini College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rick
Moore, a
McQueen
graduate
of Ball State University
in Muncie, Indiana, will
be based out of the Lynn,
Indiana, business center
and will call on funeral
homes in the central and
Moore
Northern Indiana region.
He brings more than 25 years experience
in the funeral industry
to his new role. Keith
Adkins, an addition to the
Williamsburg, Kentucky,
business center, has almost
20 years of sales experience
and will be serving funeral
directors in Northern and
Central Kentucky. He
Adkins
is a graduate of Eastern
Kentucky University and Sullivan
University. 1.800.278.7252;
sales@astralindustries.com;
www.astralindustries.com
n LOVE ASHES, Lakewood Ranch,
Florida, has released a new line of hairinfused memorial keepsakes. These
customizable pendants are designed and
handmade at the Love Ashes studios, and
they include real pieces of hair (or fur)
from loved ones. A few strands of hair are
Xiamen AD
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
March-April 2016
125
S U P P LY L I N E
Love Ashes new hair-infused pendants,

which can also be made using fur.
CemSitess cemetery record management software bundle.
Wooden urns from Van Duyn

Woodwork, made from reclaimed wood.
Bailey &
Baileys
new Shinto
Trinity
fingerprint
design
jewelry.
126
ICCFA Magazine
lightly covered in fusible glass paints and

enamel, then trapped between two layers
of glass before placing in the kiln, where
the hair is burned away. Due to the paints
and enamels, the form, shape and nuances
of the hair remain intact and are fused right
into the design of the pendant, creating details as unique as a fingerprint. Love Ashes
can also use this process with fur. The
pendant is available in two sizes, including
a 1-and-a-quarter-inch round and a larger
two-inch round, available in many colors.
Each pendant includes a matching handdyed silk ribbon that may be threaded
through a small hole. 563.340.5711;
www.loveashes.com
remains. Families can choose to include

prints from the same or different individuals. 1.877.995.8768;
service@baileyandbailey.com;
www.BaileyandBailey.com
n Van Duyn woodwork, Raleigh,

North Carolina, offers individuallycrafted wooden urns. Most of the urns are
created from one piece of wood reclaimed
from old homesteads, farms, churchyards,
fallen trees and storm damage. They are
finished with Danish oil. Most of the wood
comes from central and eastern North
Carolina. Keepsake urns, pet urns, individual and companion or double urns are
available. Owner Jason Van Duyn grew up
working in his fathers woodworking shop.
He graduated from North Carolina State
University in 2005 with a degree in materials science and engineering. 919.760.0327;
jason@vanduywoodwork.com;
www.vanduynwoodwork.com
Embrace of Aging, Famie was inspired by

how the end of life has been the subject of
philosophers, religious leaders, scientists
and theologians for thousands of years.
We learn about death through loved
ones in our own lives, Famie reflected.
But, who has learned how to embrace the
dying process the best? How does dying
differ from a long-term illness to an abrupt
stopping of ones life? Can we truly embrace dying? Where do we go? Do we go
anywhere? The Michigan Funeral Directors Association was the primary sponsor
and presenter of the premiere event.
Homesteaders also recently honored
a number of sales account executives a
its annual sales meeting. Senior account
executive Bob Mollenkopf (Northeast
Region) was named the Graham J. Cook
Account Executive of the Year. The award
recognizes the account executive who best
exhibits the qualities required to provide
superior support to funeral home customers. He was also recognized as the Northeast Region Account Executive of the Year.
Several other Homesteaders account ex-
n Thacker caskets, Clinton,

Maryland, has released iARrange 2.0, an
advanced version of its virtual showroom. It adds a new dimension to the
already user-friendly portal and allows
online ordering, global price-changing,
greater search functionality and the option
for funeral homes to display urns along
with caskets.
Also, Danielle Thacker, the companys
third-generation owner, has started blogn Cemsites, Belle Vernon,
ging as The Funeral Gal. Focused on
Pennsylvania, has released a
small businesses and funerals, Thacker
cemetery record management
brings a new perspective to how funeral
software bundle packaged for
professionals should undertake todays
small cemeteries. All within one market and business challenges.
system, Core Bundle includes
1.800.637.8891; www.thackercaskets.com
enterprise-level record managen Homesteaders, Des Moines,
ment software, visual tools to
Iowa, sponsored a 13-part series, The
display lots and migration from
Embrace of Dying, appearing on Deelectronic data. Cemeteries can
troit Public Television. A compilation of
go online or call to see if they
segments from the series was presented by
qualify. Eligible organizations can receive
10-time Emmy-winning director and proa discount on the bundle through Cemducer Keith Famie at the Emagine Theatre
Sites Partner Program.
complex in Royal Oak, Michigan. For this
1.877.783.9626; www.cemsites.com
follow-up to his acclaimed series, The
n Bailey & Bailey, Gig Harbor,

Washington, has introduced Shinto
Trinity fingerprint designs to its jewelry
line. The company had recently started
offering a traditional yin-yang style in
jewelry with two prints on one piece. The
new design incorporates a third print.
The style is available on both a remainsholding pendant and one that does not hold
S U P P LY L I N E
ecutives were honored during the event, including Vincent Michaelsen, who received
the Daniel M. Voecks Award, named in
honor of the late Homesteaders chairman
and president and earned by the account
executive who produces the highest annual
volume in a calendar year. Michaelsen
was also named the West Region Account
Executive of the Year. Also honored were
Brianne Niedermyer, Home Office Region
Account Executive of the Year; Lynn Bewley, Midwest Region Account Executive
of the Year; and Phillip Anglin, Southeast
Region Account Executive of the Year.
1.800.477.3633;
www.homesteaderslife.com
n Security national life insurance
co., Salt Lake City, Utah,
has hired Liane Bania as
market sales manager for
the Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana area. She
graduated from Columbia
Bania
College with a bachelors
degree in mass communications. She has
specialized in funeral preneed arrangements for the past 10 years.
1.800.574.7117; www.snlabetterway.com
n mutual Distribution Systems,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
has hired Judy Soccio as
national sales manager.
She has a background in
accounts receivables and
sales and customer service.
Soccio
She has been principal
designer at SoccioRodriguez Design since
2001. She is responsible for marketing and
promoting MDSs lines of memorial products, including Howard Miller Memorial,
Elegante, R&S Design, Crowne Urn Vault,
Crowne Urns by Cornell, Urns with a Soul
and Natural Legacy. 1.866.603.2182;
www.mutualdistribution.com
n national mortuary shipping & Cremation, Cleveland,
Ohio, has launched its new website. The
new website not only serves as a platform
describing the companys services but also
features a digital age calculator, recent
news stories and videos, and is available
in Spanish. The website and age calculator are compatible with all mobile media
devices.
www.natlmortuaryshipping.com
n Save my ink forever, Beachwood, Ohio, creates a peronalized

memorial from the deceaseds recovered
skin art, or tattoos. Some people spend
countless hours and large sums of money
on their tattoos, while others might have a
few especially meaningful pieces. In either
case, the labor and stories behind the tattoos can carry on for future generations to
experience through this product.
216.245.0993; funeral@savemyink.tattoo;
www.wwwsavemyink.tattoo.com
n Howard miller Co., Zeeland,
Michigan, is offering its newest, tallest
clock urn, the Statesman. Finished in
worn black with red and brown undertones, the clock is 16 inches tall. It is a
chiming clock with the rich Westminster
tones. Like all Howard Miller full-sized
urns, it will accommodate the plastic temporary container or a brass insert.
1.866.763.0485; www.howardmiller.com
n passages international, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has introduced a

six-point bamboo coffin. The coffin, which
has Fair Trade certification, features a fully
lined, natural unbleached cotton interior and
pillow, as well as an optional engravable
name plaque. The construction contains
no metal or plastic components. Passages
also makes available a three-quarter-sized
viewing lid which can be used
for open casket services,
viewings or simple ID
prior to burial or cremation.
The coffin is available in
five-foot-nine-inch and sixfoot-nine-inch sizes, as well
as 24-inch and 36-inch child
sizes. They can be shipped fully assembled
or, for a lower price, flat-packed with easyto-follow assembly instructions. No glue,
screws or tools are required and assembly
can be completed by one individual in 30 to
45 minutes. 1.888.480.6400;
sales@passagesinternationalcom;
www.PassagesInternational.com
Save My Ink preserves one or more of

the deceaseds tattoos as a keepsake
for the family.
Howard
Millers
Statesman
clock
urn.
Passages new six-point bamboo coffin.
n Pierce Chemical, Broadview,

Illinois, has teamed up with Post Mortem
Restorative Cosmetics. They are offering
cutting-edge cosmetics for deceased human
tissue developed by Emmy Award-winning
Hollywood makeup artist Dean Jones (Star
Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, XMen.). These products have been specially
formulated to enable the embalmer to
restore injuries with extremely stable prod-
March-April 2016
127
Roberts & Downey

provides podium
for Blue Bloods
n Roberts & Downey Chapel Equipment, Argenta, Illinois,

recently provided a special order
for a television show. Rick Roberts
received an unusual call on January 18
from the CBS television show Blue
Bloods.
A pedestal podium was needed in
place for a Monday morning filming
of a funeral scene in Brooklyn, New
York. Upon inspecting inventory, the
company decided to build one to the
shows specs and air freight it to the set
decorator.
An RD126/M African ribbon mahogany pedestal podium in the Queen
Anne design was built and ready to
ship by Wednesday night.
After receiving air freight quotes,
the company decided it would be best
if they delivered it to Brooklyn as a
door-to-door expedited delivery.
Mid-morning Thursday, Rick and
Elizabeth Roberts were on their way
from central Illinois to personally
make the delivery. They arrived at the
delivery address about 11 a.m. Friday
morning and walked onto the set of
Blue Bloods to make the delivery.
They were also in the city to witness
the big blizzard.
Roberts & Downey Chapel Equipment handcrafts hardwood chapel furniture in five designs and four different
woods, using 22 stain colors on oak
and cherry to match clients facilities.
1.800.331.9093;
robertsanddowney@hotmail.com;
r
www.robertsanddowney.com
S U P P LY L I N E
Dean Jones, right, the Hollywood makeup artist who developed a new line for Post
Mortem Restorative Cosmetics, trains Don Summers, a Pierce sales representative.
Pierce Chemical is exclusive distributor for the new line designed for the deceased.
ucts highly resistant to touching or manipulation during the viewing process. Vernie
Fountain of Fountain National Academy of
Professional Embalming Skills, Springfield,
Missouri, helped develop the PMRC product line. With this partnership, Pierce is the
exclusive distributor of PMRC products in
the United States, Canada and Mexico.
1.800.527.6419; www.piercechemical.com
n CareCap, Bellevue, Washington,

has announced a partnership with AtNeedCredit.com, which offers an online
marketplace that enables any funeral home,
cemetery or cremation business to offer
payment plans to their customers. Under
terms of the deal, CareCap has designed and
powered the industrys first simple funeral
payment plan. Consumers can sign up for
a payment plan in a matter of two or three
minutes and, as a result, achieve a customizable payment plan that allows them to
stay within a monthly budget. The simple
funeral payment plan may be used to collect
and administrate funeral home accounts
receivables as well.
www.carecap.com
n ColdSpring, Cold Spring, Minnesota, has received ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone certification. Coldspring is one
of only two companies in the United States
to achieve the recognition thus far. Accred128
ICCFA Magazine
ited by the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI), the rigorous and voluntary standard establishes criteria to determine the degree to which natural dimension stone is extracted and manufactured
sustainably. Following facility inspections,
Coldsprings corporate headquarters and
primary manufacturing operations in Cold
Spring received Gold certification, while
Charcoal Quarry, St. Cloud, Minnesota;
Mesabi Quarry, Babbit, Minnesota; and
Rockville Quarry, Rockville, Minnesota;
received Platinum certfication.
The standard examines numerous areas
of stone production, including water usage
and recycling; custody and transportation
of the stone; site and plant management;
land reclamation and adaptive use; cor
porate governance; energy usage and con
servation; management of excess process
materials and waste; safer chemical and
materials management; worker health and
safety; and optional innovation credits.
www.coldspringgranite.com
n The Center for Loss and
Life Transition, Fort Collins, Colorado, has scheduled workshops by Dr.
Alan Wolfelt on topics related to grief,
mourning and the importance of meaningful funeral ceremonies. Workshops
have been scheduled all across the United
States and Canada for 2016.
970.226.6050; www.centerforloss.com
S U P P LY L I N E
n mortuary lift co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has expanded its facility by 25
percent, to 5,000 square feet. The larger
space offers multiple benefits. One important result is that it allows the company to
streamline the manufacturing processes,
resulting in reduced lead times. The lifts
now ship within two weeks.
1.800.628.8809; www.mortuarylift.com
n Funeral Directors Life

INsurance Co., Abilene, Texas has
completed a preneed-focused agreement with Dr. Alan Wolfelt. Dr. Wolfelt
has agreed to work with FDLIC in the
development of materials to help educate
FDLICs staff, as well as funeral homes
and families interested in preplanning, on
the importance of the funeral ceremony
and its many healing elements.
As more and more people choose to
plan their own funerals, we as a society
are at risk for confusing efficiency with
effectiveness, Dr. Wolfelt said, Yet if we
do a good job of educating people during
the preplanning process about the essential
why of the funeral and its elements, we
will help them make choices that result
in funerals, down the line, that create the
sweet spot of healing experiences for their
families. Preplanning, when done well, can
be a transformative experience both for
the individuals who are preplanning and,
eventually, for their families and friends.
The company also has
hired Chris Welch as
director of sales development for North and South
Carolina. He has more
than a decade of experience
in the commercial and life
insurance industries. He
Welch
graduated from University
of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill with a bachelors degree in industrial
relations and holds the designation of Life
Underwriter Training Council Fellow.
www.funeraldirectorslife.com
n Handheld, Corvallis, Oregon, has
announced the availability of a system
for precisely locating burial sites in
woodland cemeteries that specialize in
tree burials. The system uses a rugged
Algiz 10x tablet computer with Geolantis surveying software and a GNSS/GPS
rover. Once a suitable forest is reclassified
as a woodland cemetery, the identification of available trees begins. The tablets
Mortuary Lifts office. The company has expanded its facility to 5,000 square feet.
ability to be operated with an external

GPS antenna allows registration of trees in
the woodland cemetery, including related
master data, at any time, day or night,
and regardless of weather. If necessary,
the tablets five-megapixel camera can be
used at the same time to create an image
catalogue. 541.752.0313;
www.handheldgroup.com
n ASD, Media, Pennsylvania, has updated its ASD mobile app and website
to include an enhanced message archive
and search tool. These added features
allow directors to easily find old messages,
call recordings and dispatch logs. Directors can look up information by searching
for a name, phone number or any other
detail from the call. Clients may also select
a date range to easily narrow down their
search results, making messages simpler to
find than ever.
Directors can narrow their search to
specific types of calls, such as preneed
or price shopping calls. This option
allows clients to easily keep track of their
most important messages and follow up
when necessary. The new deep archive
now stores messages for a much greater
easier way
theres an
Powered by Multiview, ICCFA Supply Link is a

superior tool for our unique community that
streamlines your efforts to find products and services.
Start your search at
www.iccfasupplylink.com
March-April 2016
129
S U P P LY L I N E
length of time, allowing ASD clients to
access messages up to five years old.
This includes deleted messages as well as
recordings of calls that are directly patched
to the funeral home staff or calls made
using ASDs MobileFH feature.
Kevin@myasd.com; 1.800.868.9950;
www.myasd.com
Starmarks Coverlet basic container.
n Starmark Cremation products, Richmond, Indiana, has improved

its Coverlet basic container. The kraftcolored corrugation has been changed to
white so that families can write notes and
final words on the casket prior to cremation. The caskets lid can be taken home
by the family and decorated prior to the
memorial and/or cremation. The container
has a crepe interior with dual overlapping blankets, wood-reinforced sides and
a leak-resistant liner. The strong base has
been weight-tested to over 400 pounds.
The lid assembles easily without fasteners and is held securely to the base with a
robust nylon strap and buckle.
1.888.366.7335; www.starmarkfp.com
n Hekman, Zeeland, Michigan, has

introduced the Roselyn chair. Available
in 14 wood finishes and hundreds of fabrics
which range from trending colors to traditional ones, the chair can blend with any
decor. More durable high abrasion-resistant
and stain-resistant contractgrade fabric
selections can be custom-ordered. Contract-grade fabrics include anti-microbial
selections with built-in moisture barriers.
1.866.763.0485; www.hekman.com
Hekmans new Roselyn chair.

130
ICCFA Magazine
n Crematory Manufacturing
& Service, Tulsa, Oklahoma, has unveiled an online cremation calculator. The
calculator on the companys website enables
funeral directors to estimate the break-even
point for installing their own cremator instead
of using a third-party provider.
The best part of the calculator is that
we did all the hard work for
you, said CMS President Larry
Stuart Jr., all you need to know
is how many cremations you are
sending to a third-party provider, how much youre paying
that provider per cremation, how
much you pay your staff and the mileage
to your providers location. Thats all you
need toknow to discover your magic numberthe point when youre doing enough
cremations that it makes sense to buy a
cremator of your own. The calculator has
fields for outsourced cost, staff wages and
mileage to facility as well as the various
fixed costs associated with cremationID
tags, temporary containers, etc. It even
takes into consideration your financed
interest rate if you are borrowing money to
fund your project. 1.800.726.6120;
www.crematorymanufacturing.com
n Wilbert Funeral Services,
Broadview, Illinois, recently recognized
34 licensees for sales in 2015. Sunnycrest
Inc., Auburn, New York, was honored with
a Special Achievement Award for their
initiatives in advancing the Wilbert ESP
application among their customers. Two
awards for sales growth in lined burial
vaults were presented. Norwalk Wilbert
Vault Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut, received the award for the greatest growth in
the number of lined burial vaults interred
in 2015 over 2014, while Omaha Wilbert
Vaults, Omaha, Nebraska, achieved the
greatest percentage increase in lined burial
vaults.
For cremation product sales, Brutsche
Concrete Products, St. Joseph, Missouri,
earned the award for the greatest growth in
units. Minnick Services Corp., Fort Wayne,
Indiana, achieved the greatest percentage growth in cremation products. Thirty
Wilbert licensees received the Wilbert 110
Percent Club Award, which recognizes
those whose 2015 burial vault sales were
at least 110 percent of their 2014 sales.
1.888.WILBERT; www.wilbert.com
n The Dodge
co., Billerica,
Massachusetts, has
introduced a new
bottling and labeling system to be in
compliance with the
Globally Harmonized System of
Classification. (Editors note: See Shannon Decamps story
on page 76 about
GHS deadlines.)
The company can
provide customers
with a GHS information poster. Also,
The Dodge Co.s
despite the fact that
new labeling.
the new labels are in
more than one language, all the companys
products are still made in the United
States. 1.800.443.6343;
www.dodgeco.com
n Legacy.COM, Evanston, Illinois, was part of the celebration of life

ceremony for Cline Dions husband,
Ren Anglil. Less than 24 hours after a
celebration of Ren Anglils life occurred
at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las
Vegas, over 8,000 condolences had been
left in the official Legacy.com guest book
requested by the family for the event.
Legacy.com President and CEO Steve Parrott and his wife, Kat Leblanc, attended the
ceremony.
Also, the company was named a finalist in the Customer Service Department
of the Year category of the 10th annual
Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer
Service.
Also, the company held its first Give
to Remember event, raising $167,000,
including $50,000 in matching funds from
Legacy.com. Thirteen charities participated
in the fund-raising effort.
www.legacy.com
n Kubota, Torrance, California, has

added to its RTV-X series line. It features
the Kubota K-Vertible cargo conversion
system, which transforms the vehicle with
minimal effort and time from two passengers and a large cargo bed to four passengers and a cargo bed.
1.888.458.2682, ext. 900;
r
www.kubota.com
Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to sloving@iccfa.com. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to sloving@iccfa.com or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
Above, Lt. Col. Felix Perez, left, commanding officer of the 8th Cavalry Regiment at
Fort Hood, Texas, led the cortege escorting Sgt. Charles Schroeters remains to the
Memorial Circle at Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California. Above right, this marble headstone with its gold inscription marks Sgt. Charles Schroeters grave in Section 3, Grave 1052, at Miramar. The gravesite is one of the cemeterys focal
points, and is continually decorated by cemetery visitors.
After 94 years, Medal of Honor winner laid to rest
by Richard Sells, CCE, and Bill Heard

Miramar National Cemetery Support
Foundation
n behalf of a grateful nation, may you
find this new place of rest to be the home
of honor you rightfully deserve.
With those words, Brig. Gen. Joseph M.
Martin, commanding general of the Army
National Training Center and Fort Irwin,
California, brought to a conclusion the
unlikely saga of a Congressional Medal of
Honor recipient who was lost to history for
almost a century.
Martin was the featured speaker at a
burial and honors ceremony at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego for Army Sgt.
Charles Schroeter. A Union cavalry veteran
of the Civil War, Schroeter was awarded the
nations highest honor for gallantry in an
1869 battle against Apaches during the Indian
Wars. During 30 years of service, he also
enlisted for five years in the Marine Corps.
Its hard to imagine a more difficult time
to serve our country than when Sgt. Schroeter
served, Martin told those gathered to pay
their respects. It was a time when troops
rode for miles on horseback or marched on
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Gendron of the

11th Armored Cavalry carries the urn
bearing Sgt. Schroeters remains into
the ceremony.
foot a world where disease and the environment were just as deadly, or more so, than
the enemy.
Schroeter was a German immigrant who
had no family in the United States, and never
married. Following his death in 1921 in San
Diego, his remains were cremated at Greenwood Memorial Park. Never claimed, they
were stored for 94 years with many others in
an unmarked crypt.
The Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation sponsored the ceremony.
During his welcoming remarks, President and
CEO Dennis A. Schoville said his organization had an obligation to ensure that Sgt.
Schroeter was accorded a proper and honorable burial among his comrades-in-arms here
at Miramar National Cemetery. He noted
that Schroeter is the first Medal of Honor
recipient to be buried at the cemetery.
Some 400 veterans, active duty military
and members of the public attended the
ceremony, along with two Medal of Honor
recipients from the Vietnam War. Troopers
from the 11th Armored Cavalry at Fort Irwin
served as the color guard, honor guard and
rifle squad.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sgt.
Schroeters remains were buried in the cemeterys Section 3, Grave 1052. A white marble
headstone inscribed with a gold Medal of
Honor emblem marks the gravesite. The
grave has become a focal point for cemetery
visitors, who often leave flowers, flags and
other mementos behind to honor the soldier.
Schroeters remains were located only
recently, when the Congressional Medal
of Honor Historical Society traced them to
Greenwood Memorial Park. Acting on information from the Historical Society, and other

to page 132
March-April 2016
131
UPDATE
n Cincinnati College of Mortuary
Science, Cincinnati, Ohio,
has named retired U.S.
Army Col. Jack E. Lechner
Jr., CFSP, as its new president. He earned a mortuary
Lechner
science certificate of proficiency from Mercer County Community College
and then began his long history with CCMS
in 1990 when he earned the bachelor of mortuary science degree, graduating summa cum
laude. He went on to earn a masters degree
in logistics management at Florida Tech and a
masters degree in national resource strategy
at National Defense University.
Lechner most recently served at Pentagon
headquarters after having been assigned as
part of the new leadership team given the
mission to restore the trust of the American
public in the face of the 2010 scandal at Arlington National Cemetery. In his five years at
Arlington, he served as the executive officer,
cemetery administrator, deputy superintendent and then superintendent, until August
2015. He retired from the United States Army
in 2011 after serving 29 years on active duty.
He earned licensure as a funeral director
and embalmer in Ohio, Virginia and New
Jersey and is certified in thanatology, death,
dying and bereavement from the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
He has maintained his connection with
CCMS over the years, having been a guest
speaker in the classroom and providing the
commencement address at the fall 2015
graduation ceremony.
Miramar from page 131
sources, the support foundation received
approval from the Department of Veterans
Affairs to have Schroeters remains reinterred at Miramar National Cemetery.
Schroeter was born on the July 4, 1837, a
native of Lneburg, Germany. He immigrated
to this country in 1860, eventually locating in
St. Louis. In 1863, he joined the 1st Volunteer
Missouri Cavalry Regiment and fought in
many Civil War battles against Confederate
forces in Arkansas. He then joined the U.S.
8th Cavalry and for many years served in the
West as a cavalryman and infantryman.
He was awarded the Congressional Medal
of Honor for gallantry during the Campaign
of the Rocky Mesa on October 20, 1869.
Then a private, Schroeter and his comrades
tracked the Apaches, led by the great Chief
132
ICCFA Magazine
Judith Miller, new CEO at Centennial Park, South Australia.
n Centennial Park, Pasadena,

South Australia, has named Janet Miller
as new CEO. She replaces Bryan Elliott,
who resigned after 12 years of service at the
beginning of this year. Miller has extensive
experience in operational and financial
management, strategic planning and implementation, as well as in engaging with a
broad range of stakeholder groups. She was
CEO at DW Fox Tucker Lawyers from 2009
to 2015. Previously she was CEO at the Perks
Group (financial services) during six of the
12 years she spent with the firm. She was the
firms first CEO and led the company through
a period of significant growth and change.
Centennial is the largest cemetery in the state.
n forest lawn memorialparks & mortuaries, Glendale,
California, has appointed Antonia Hernndez as a board member. She is president

and CEO of the California Community
Foundation, one of the largest
and most active philanthropic
organizations in California. A
graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, she holds
both a bachelors degree in
history and a law degree from
Hernandez the school. Focusing on civil
rights and philanthropy issues, she began her
career as a staff attorney with the Los Angeles
Center for Law and Justice and worked as
counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. She joined the California
Community Foundation as president and
CEO in 2004.
Cochise, into the Chiracahua Mountains of

southeast Arizona.
The battle was fought on a miserably cold
and rainy day. The Apaches had the high
ground, and the troopers were hard-pressed to
survive the rifle fire that rained down on them
from above. Two men were killed and one
wounded before darkness brought an end to
the fighting.
Schroeter also served five years in the
Marine Corps, mostly aboard a Navy ship
in the Mediterranean. In total, he gave 30
years, seven months of military service to his
adopted country. When he died on Jan. 27,
1921, San Diego Masonic Lodge 35 conducted a memorial service.
Charles Schroeter was among the bravest of men and, during 30 years of military
service, remained devoted to his adopted
country, said Schoville. Charles Schroeter

was a true American hero, and patriot, who
deserves to finally rest with honor.
Sells is CFO and treasurer of the Miramar
National Cemetery Support Foundation. He
retired from Service Corporation International as senior vice president for domestic and
international sales, and president of SCIs
Western States operations. He also served as
ICCFA president.
Heard is public information officer for
the Support Foundation. He retired from the
Los Angeles Metro System as manager of
employee communications. He previously
owned a public relations agency in Hartford,
Connecticut, and worked as a reporter in
newspapers, radio and television. He retired
from the U.S. Navy Reserve as a captain with
a specialty in public affairs.
UPDATE
n Foundation Partners, Tampa, Florida, has
hired Erin Whitaker as
senior director, operations
integration. She will use
her skills and experience in
the areas of operations and
process improvement at each
Whitaker
of the FPG funeral home
and cemetery locations. A third-generation
funeral director, Whitaker joined Eastman
Kodak as a chemical engineer and project
manager after college. After six years, she
went back to school and obtained her MBA
degree. While completing her degree, she
began working part-time at the familys
funeral home, Whitaker Funeral Home,
Newberry, South Carolina. She then
enrolled in mortuary school and became
a licensed funeral director and embalmer,
joining the company on a permanent basis
as both a funeral director and business
manager.
Whitaker then worked as a financial and
business management consultant at The
Foresight Companies, Phoenix, Arizona.
She is a Cremation Association of North
America board member. (Editors note:
Whitakers new employer was incorrectly
cited in the January issue.)
Foundation also recently
promoted Jim Ford to
the position of senior vice
president, chief customer
officer. He will be responsible for implementing
FPGs customer experience
programs, from customer
Ford
service strategies to operations excellence initiatives for the FPG
funeral homes and cemeteries. Ford has
been with Foundation Partners Group
since September 2014. Most recently, he
held the position of vice president, business optimization, where he led efforts to
formulate and implement business strategies that drove organizational growth and
expansion. He also developed and opened
FPGs Right Choice Cremation business.
Prior to joining Foundation Partners
Group, Ford held the positions of COO
and senior vice president of cremation services with the Neptune Society in Plantation, Florida. Before that, he held several
senior management positions with Service
Corporation International during his 16
years with the company.

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to page 134
March-April 2016
133
UPDATE
Ruling affirms right to exclusive use of cremation society in NH
haneuf Funeral Homes and

We realize this is an unprecCrematory, which owns Cremation
edented ruling, given that cremation
Society of New Hampshire, has the
society is used widely in other states.
exclusive right to use cremation
... It is imperative that, given our
society in its name in that state,
history and our mission, we maintain
according to a ruling by the
the integrity and identification of our
Hillsborough County Superior Court in
name.
Manchester, New Hampshire, reports
Phaneuf established CSNH in 1995,
Phaneuf
Phaneuf Funeral Homes and CSNH
and has since performed more cremaPresident Arthur Buddy Phaneuf.
tions throughout the state than any other firm.
The case, Cremation Society of New
CSHN registered its name as a trademark in
Hampshire (CSNH) v. Remick & Gendron
New Hampshire in 2006.
Funeral Home, resulted in a finding that the
In 2014, Pheneuf opened a CSNH office
in Hampton, where Remick & Gendron had
defendant was infringing on a trademark by
offering cremation services under a trade
long had a crematorium. When Remick &
name that included cremation society.
Gendron started advertising as Cremation
Society by the Sea, Phaneuf went to court,
CSNH was awarded damages and attorney
claiming in a civil suit that the name infringed
fees, Phaneuf said.
on his trademark by including cremation

society. The defendant argued that cremation society is a generic phrase and should be
available to any business.
Phaneuf argued that the generic term had
been invested with secondary meaning associated with the name with CSNH. Secondary
meaning arises when consumers have come
to identify a trademark with a certain product
or service over time, usually five years, he
explained, and CSNH has been well known
for 20 years.
Phaneuf said the defandants are not appealing that was part of the settlement.
The judge required that they change their
name and cannot use the word cemation society for any future business, nor can any other
firm in New Hampshire going forward. r
from page 133
n David P. Barnett, president and CEO of Mount

Auburn Cemetery,
Cambridge, Massachusetts,
recently was chosen as 2016
recipient of ithe Garden
Club of America Distinguished Service Medal.
Barnett
According to the GCAs
official announcement, Dr. David Barnett is
dedicated to ecological, historically sensitive
improvements at the 175-acre Mount Auburn
Cemetery. During his leadership, Mount
Auburn has risen to the highest horticultural
standards in its 184-year history. Barnett has
reclaimed early 19th century and late Victorian style rustic landscapes, restored monuments, and expanded the planting diversity.
The wildlife habitats and popular contemporary gardens [he has implemented] encourage
active cemetery use.
The Garden Club of Americas Distinguished Service Medal is a significant honor
within the horticultural community. The
Cambridge Plant & Garden Club nominated
Barnett for the award, which was supported
by letters from the heads of six major public
gardens as well as a celebrated landscape
designer. Barnett will receive the medal in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May at the clubs
annual meeting.
n PIttsburgh Institute of
Mortuary Science, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, recently held its 152nd
134
ICCFA Magazine
The PIMS
graduating class.
commencement exercises. The

commencement address was delivered by
Paul Bauman, vice president and general
manager of The Champion Co. Graduates
received diplomas in embalming and funeral
directing, an associates degree in specialized
technology and or an associates degree
in specialized business, funeral service
management.
Bethany Chriswell of Pittsburgh was
selected by classmates to receive the Memor
ial Award as the student who, through
qualities of leadership, professional conduct
and good citizenship best typifies the ideals of
the student body. The John Rebol Award was
presented to Sarah Worthington, Pittsburgh,
who maintained the highest scholastic
average for the 2015-2016 school year. On
behalf of the PIMS Board of Directors, she
also received a $500 scholarship.
Michael Sanders, Pittsburgh, received
the William J.
Musmanno Award
for outstanding
ability, attitude,
commitment and
achievement in the
clinical setting. He
was presented a $500
scholarship approved
by the PIMS Board
of Directors and
an embalming kit
from PIMS alumnus Wayne Urbine. Urbine,
who has funeral homes in Jersey Shore and
Loganton, Pennsylvania, received the same
award when he graduated from PIMS and
he will be providing the embalming kit
for all future recipients of The William J.
Musmanno Memorial Award.
The Pierce Chemical Restorative Art
Award was presented to Gabriella Bieber,
Palmyra, Pennsylvania, in recognition of her
outstanding ability, commitment, attitude and
achievement in the areas of restorative art and
cosmetology. Michael Kuruc, representative
from the Pierce Chemical Co. and PIMS
alumnus, made this award available and was
on hand to present Bieber with a plaque.
Jennifer Badgett, Slippery Rock,
Pennsylvania, received the Dodge
Award for exceptional and theoretical
expertise throughout the embalming
curricula practicum. Matt Black, Dodge

to page 136
UPDATE
In memoriam
R. Brabrook Bray Walsh III
R. Brabrook Bray Walsh

lll, 56, superintendent of
Lowell Cemetery, Lowell,
Massachusetts, died January
14, 2016, at his residence.
He had been superintendent
at Lowell since 1996.
He graduated from SyraWalsh
cuse University in 1984 with
a degree in economics. He had worked at
a bank and run a landscaping business, as
well as serving as an assessor for the Town
of Pepperell, Massachusetts. From 1998 to
2002, he was cemetery commissioner for
Pepperell.
Bray was a member of the Massachusetts Cemetery Association. He served on
the associations board and, in 2007 and
2008, as president. He went on to become
a member of the New England Cemetery
Association, serving on its board since
2008 and as president in 2013 and 2014.

He also was the associations editor and
official photographer. He received the New
England Certified Cemetery Professional
Award.
Survivors include his wife, Darlene; his
mother; a sister; a son and daughter; and
two grandchildren.
Visitation was at Archambault Funeral
Home, Lowell. Funeral services were held
at Christ Church United, Lowell, followed by interment at Lowell Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to The
American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St.,
Framingham, MA 01701.
Cornelius H. Neil Doherty Jr.
Cornelius H. Neil Doherty Jr. of Mt.

Pleasant, South Carolina, president of
Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia,
and the founder of the Fairfax Memorial
Funeral Home, died January 15, 2016. He
was the father of ICCFA Board of Directors Member Michael H. Doherty.
VKM AD
1/3 Square
He graduated from St.

Johns Military High School
in Washington, D.C, and
earned his undergraduate and law degree from
Georgetown University
in Washington. He was a
prominent attorney and
Doherty
businessman and was the
founding member of an insurance defense
law firm in Fairfax and Washington.
He is survived by his wife, Jean; five
children; a sister; a stepdaughter; two
stepgrandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation was at the Fairfax Memorial
Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial
was celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic
Church, Annandale, Virginia, followed by
burial at Fairfax Memorial Park. Memorial
contributions may be made to the American
Lung Association, the Alzheimers Association or Catholic Charities.
r
Abbott & Hast

AD
1/6 V
March-April 2016
135
UPDATE
from page 134
representative and PIMS alumnus, made the
award available. Bladgett also received a
complete Dodge embalming kit.
Nicholas Chirumbolo, Eight-Four, Penn
sylvania, received the Eugene C. Ogrodnick
Enterpreneurial Award and a $1,000 check,
half each from the PIMS board and PIMS
President Ogrodnik and his wife. The award
is presented to the student who demonstrated
the qualities of stewardship, scholarship and
leadership. The recipients of the Mu Sigma
Alpha Award for scholarship and citizenship
were given to Jennifer Badgett, Bethany
Criswell, Kahlen Knapik, Mary Reed, Steven
Whiteman and Sarah Worthington.
n bartolomeo & Perotto Funeral home, Greece, New York, was

selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a winner of its annual Dream Big
Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards, a program that recognizes companies for their success and contributions to Americas economic
growth. This is the second consecutive year
the funeral home has been honored. One of
our goals as a Rochester-based business is to
make a positive impact in our community,
said David Perotto, funeral home vice president. Whether it be through the services we
provide grieving families or through the community programs we manage, were always
looking for new ways to give back.
Family-owned since 1922, Bartolomeo &
Perotto was selected from a record number
of applicants for demonstrating exceptional
business practices in areas including strategic
planning, employee development, community involvement and customer service.
n David Speaks, CC,
of Speaks Family
Legacy Chapels,
Independence, Missouri, has
received the 2016 NextGen
Professional of the Year
Award from Selected Independent Funeral Homes.
Speaks
Speaks serves as vice president and director of community relations
at the funeral home. He is responsible for
leading a number of community events.
Since 2007, he has organized 14 grief
conferences for professional caregivers
with speakers such as Dr. Alan Wolfelt and
Dr. Bill Hoy. He also organizes an annual
service of remembrance and has executed
three successful blood drives.
Using the Lest They Be Forgotten
136
ICCFA Magazine
Photo and information courtesy of MaryAnne Scheuble, Cressy Memorial Group
Attendees at the Pennsylvania Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association

Fall Conference gather for a photo in the 1961 Allegheny Cemetery Chapel
Mausoleum, which they visited as part of a tour of the cemetery hosted by
Allegheny CEO David Michener and Superintendent Roger Galbraith. Attendees also toured the Matthews Bronze facility in Pittsburgh and toured the
remodeled Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science facility during the opening
reception hosted by StoneMor.
films as inspiration, Speaks developed an

annual event that included a documentary
shown at the Harry S. Truman Presidential
Library. He expanded the reach of the messaging by bringing the film series to local
nursing homes. In 2010, this event earned
Speaks Family Legacy Chapels the ICCFA
KIP Award for events.
trees and gardens, and the tours, educational

events and concerts offered.
n Selected Independent Funeral Homes, Deerfield, Illinois, has

awarded two second-carrer scholarships.
The winners are Vandra Michele Fields of
New Orleans, Louisiana, and James (Kevin)
Veal of Queen Creek, Arizona. The scholarn The Cremation association of ship was created to meet the educational
North America, Wheeling, Illinois,
needs of the increasing number of secondhas unveiled CANA Education Online,
career professionals entering independent
offering courses and the ability to earn
funeral service. Fields is enrolled in the fucontinuing education credits. The interacneral services education program at Delgado
tive learning tool is available on phones,
Community College in New Orleans; Veal
tables and PCs. Topics include cremation and attends Mesa Community Colleges mortuary
the environment, phone shoppers, chain of
science program in Mesa, Arizona. Both are
custody and regulatory and legal issues. As
scheduled to graduate in May.
with online college courses, users will be reFields first job was working as an adminquired to complete all coursework and pass a istrative assistant for Gertrude Geddes Willis
final assessment to earn continuing education Insurance Co. and Funeral Home, working
hours, and will have access to records and
on the insurance side. As a member of the
materials after completion.
Louisiana Army National Guard, she trained
as a mortuary affairs specialist and casualty
n Congressional cemetery,
notification officer. She completed her service
Washington, D.C., was recently included
practicum at Charbonnet-Labat-Glapion Fuon The Culture Trip websites Top 10
neral Home and continues to volunteer there
things to do and see on Capitol Hill.
to gain more hands-on experience.
Suggestions included touring the U.S.
Veal was hired as an apprentice funeral
Capitol, enjoying Eastern Market, getting
service
practitioner and embalmer in 2007,
a drink at the Tune Inn and playing bingo
working
for two and a half years at Andreaat the American Legion. At Congressional,
r
sons
Cremation
and Burial Service.
visitors were encouraged to enjoy the paths,
E-mail calendar listings and additions

or corrections to Association Pipeline
to bclough@iccfa.com and
sloving@iccfa.com.
March 17-19: California Assn. of Public
Cemeteries Annual Convention, Embassy
Suites, Monterey Resorts. publiccemeteries@
aol.com
March 19: Rhode Island Funeral Directors
Assn. Installation Dinner, Warwick Country
Club, Warkwick. www.rifda.org
March 21-23: MKJ Marketing seminar,
Top-Line Growth, Ritz-Carlton Resort, Amelia
Island, Florida. 1.888.MKJ.1566
March 23: Washington Cemetery,
Cremation & Funeral Assn. 23rd Annual
College of Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral
Conf., Lynnwood. www.wccfa.us
March 30-31: Utah Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, ErgerySolutons Arena,
Salt Lake City. www.ufda.org
April 1-3: TANEXPO, Bologna, Italy.
info@tanexpo.com
April 4-5: Oklahoma Funeral Directors Assn.
114th Annual Convention, Norman.
www.okfda.com
April 4-6: The Foresight Companies
Funeral Service Financial Boot Camp,
Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch,
Arizona. 1.800.426.0165; www.f4sight.com
April 11-13: North Dakota Funeral Directors
Assn. 111th Annual Convention, Fargo.
www.ndfda.com
April 13-16: ICCFA Annual Convention &
Expo, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center &
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans,
Louisiana. www.iccfa.com
April 13-16: Assn. for Death Education
& Counseling 38th Annual Conf., Hilton
Minneapolis, Minnesota. www.adec.org
April 18-22: Catholic Cemeteries of the
West Annual Convention, Harrahs Reno,
Nevada. www.ccwecare.org
April 19: ICCFA Cremation arranger training,
Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service,
Decatur, Georgia. www.iccfa.com
April 20: ICCFA Cremation operator training,
Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service,
Decatur, Georgia. www.iccfa.com
April 20: New Hampshire Cemetery Assn.
Spring Mtg., Derryfield. www.nhcemetery.org
April 26-28: New Jersey Cemetery Assn.
Annual Mtg., Golden Nugget Hotel, Atlantic
City. www.njcaonline.org
April 27-30: International Order of the
Golden Rule 57th Annual Conf. & Supplier
Showcase, Las Vegas. www.ogr.org
April 28-May 1: Oregon Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Hood River.
www.ofda.org
For continually updated meeting listings

and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Find a Member, then Industry Associations.
Calendar
To see all industry conventions and

meetings for a particular month, go to
www.iccfa.com; select Find a Member,
then Industry Calendar.
The National Museum of Funeral

Historys Eigth Annual Halloween
Classic Car Show morphed into
an Easter affair.Excessive rain
and several rounds of inclement
weather throughout the greater
Houston area last October caused
the car show to be rescheduled.
With the make-up date of March
12 so close to Easter, the traditionally Halloween-themed affair
became an Easter-ween event,
including an Easter egg hunt for
kids wearing Halloween costumes, all while helping to support local charities. Families enjoyed more than 150 cars. There was a contest for the best decorated car.
Proceeds from the show went to several charities.
May 3-6: Texas Cemeteries Assn. Annual

Convention, San Antonio. www.txca.org
May 8-11: Tri-State and Kansas Funeral
Directors Assn. Convention. www.ksfda.org
May 9-11: Nebraska Funeral Directors Assn.
Convention. www.nefda.org
May 11-13: South Dakota Funeral Directors
Assn. 117th Convention, Sioux Falls.

www.sdfda.org
May 17-19: Iowa Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Altoona. www.iafda.org
May 17-19: 136th Ohio Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention & Exhibition, Hilton
Columbus at Easton. www.ofdaonline.org r
ACMC AD
1/6 H
March-April 2016
137
ad i n de x
135 Abbott & Hast
65 A.C. Furniture Co.
101 AFCTS
137 American Cemetery/
Mortuary Consultants
59 ASDAnswering Service
for Directors
133 Axis Corp.
107 Batesville Casket
81 Biondan North
America Inc.
Classifieds
27 Carriage Services Inc.

51 Carrier Mausoleums
Construction
31 CemSites
91 Checkers Industrial
Safety Products
73 Cherokee Casket
43 Clearpoint Federal Bank
Trust
3 Continental Computer
Corp.
Check the classified announcements

at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm
To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
CAST ALUMINUM LOT MARKERS

3, 4, 5 X 5
SPIKE OR SPLINE MARKERS
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE BROCHURE!
Andover Markert Company
634 Berkley Street
Berkley, MA 02779
TEL: (508) 822-3127
FAX: (508) 824-5895
VISIT OUR WEB SITE/WWW.ADOVERMARKER.COM
Aquamation bizz card ad pick

up from February page 62
Premier Columbaria new bizz card ad
138
ICCFA Magazine
91 Cooperative Funeral Fund

47 Custom Air Trays
83 Doric Products
35 Eagle Coach Co.
109 Eagle Granite Co.
61 Eagles Wings Air
89 Eickhof Columbaria Inc.
93 Ensure-A-Seal
19 Federal Coach Co.
113 Flowers for Cemeteries
117 Forethought Life
Insurance Companies
67 Franklin Wrap
133 Funeral Call Answering
Service
49 Funeral Data Manager
99 Funeral Services Inc.
11 funeralOne
4 Great Western
Insurance Co.
133 Grever & Ward
97 Holland Supply
9 Homesteaders Life Co.
77 Huntington Bank
56 IMSA
11 Inman Shipping
Worldwide
109 J. Stuart Todd Inc.
29 Johnson Consulting
71 Johnson Consulting
115 Kelco Supply Co.
41 Kryprotek
129 Live Oak Bank
93 Love Urns LLC
13 LP Bronze International
105 Madelyn Co.
113 Matthews Environmental
Solutions
140 Matthews International
123 Mausoleum Supply
59 McCleskey Mausoleums
121 Meadow Hilll Corp.
39 Merendino Cemetery Care
69 Miles Supply Inc.
95 Miles Supply Inc.
45 National Guardian Life
Insurance Co.

115 National Mortuary

Shipping
125 Nomis Publications
123 NorthStar Memorial
Group
137 Obermayer Rebmann
Maxwell & Hippel
55 Paradise Pictures
23 Perfect Memorials
47 Pontem Software
125 Precious Vessel Fine
Jewelry
73 Qeepr
25 Rock of Ages
69 RKS Lanka
37 Security National Life
Insurance Co.
73 SEP Technologies
6 Southern Cemetery,
Cremation & Funeral
Association
17 SRS Computing
79 Star Granite & Bronze
103 Starmark Funeral Products
5 StoneMor Partners
33 SuperNova International
129 Supply Link
75 Terrybear Urns &
Memorials
119 Terrybear Urns &
Memorials
7 Thacker Caskets
87 The Foresight
Companies
41 The Tribute Companies
91 Timberland Urns
85 Trigard
37 Triple H Co.
61 Triple H Co.
2 U.S. Metalcraft
115 Vantage Products Corp.
135 VKM International
53 Wilbert Funeral Services
113 WithumSmith + Brown
111 Worsham College
97 Wuxi ANA Industries
125 Xiamen Ever-Rising
Stone Co.
r
59 Zontec Ozone
exhibitor profiles
A New Orleans Second Line (a walking/marching parade)
will kick off this years ICCFA Expo on Wednesday, April 13, at 3:30 p.m.,
near the main entrance of the convention center.
This truly grand opening will be followed by hours of uninterrupted time to talk
Be sure to be there
Wednesday!
to suppliers, ask questions and see products in person. No educational sessions
PRIZE DRAWINGS
are scheduled during expo hours. Free food and beverage service means you
every half hour during

Wednesday Expo hours!
Must be present to win.
Expo hours
Wednesday, April 13
4-7 p.m.
Grand Opening Reception
(open bar and heavy hors
doeurvres)
Thursday, April 14
noon-5 p.m.
Lunch at the Expo &
IMSA happy hour
Friday, April 15
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Lunch at the Expo
Editors note:
For an up-to-date list of exhibitors,
including many not listed here, and booth

numbers, or to see the Expo Hall floor plan,
go to www.iccfa.com/group/2016annual-convention-expo-floorplan.
Profile information is provided by the
exhibitors; ICCFA Magazine and the ICCFA

are not responsible for content. Inclusion in this
section is provided free to all exhibitors meeting
submission deadlines and requirements.
An Expo Hall booth number is listed

after the company name. The booth numbers
also will be found on the Expo Hall maps in
the convention onsite program that will be
distributed in New Orleans.
22
ICCFA Magazine
can grab lunch or enjoy appetizers before heading out to enjoy New Orleans.
The 2016 ICCFA Expo
A Simple
Thank You
(#1010)
A Simple
Thank You is
the leading
provider in
digital registry and preneed leads. Our
latest app, ASTY 2.0, is revolutionizing
the funeral industry with cutting-edge
capabilities which will grow your revenue
and simplify your business. Ask us how
you can get started with a free iPad today.
Contact us at 1.800.483.0671 or
www.asimplethankyou.com
Abbey
Press
Publications
(#1300)
Your
support doesnt end with the funeral
service. Let Abbey Press Publications
selection of more than 100 Grief CareNotes booklets and CareCards help you
create an effective, supportive aftercare
program. CareNotes are the perfect take
one literature to be displayed for family
and loved ones during funeral planning
and visitation. To see our complete line of
resources:
www.CareNotes.com/aftercare.
Able Caskets
(#1218)
Modern caskets.
Able Caskets
redefined the traditional caskets
functionality with the allure of motion,
wrapped in a stunning celebration of sculptural elegance poised with visual drama.
Expressively for the discerning clients in
contemporary times. Designed and crafted
in USA.
AC
Furniture
Co. Inc.
(#330)
AC Furniture Co. Inc. is the leading manufacturer
of contract seating for the hospitality,
health-care, funeral home and food service
markets. In addition to offering a broad selection of goods, the company also excels
at producing unique custom products to
meet our customers needs. Visit us online
at www.acfurniture.com; 1.276.650.3356.
Academy of
Professional
Funeral Service
Practice (#228)
The academy offers
a voluntary certification program for
funeral directors who
are interested in earning the professional
designation of Certified Funeral Service
Practitioner (CFSP), the highest professional designation awarded in the funeral
profession. Information is available at
apfsp.org.
Affirmativ Diagnostics (#503)

Affirmativ Diagnostics is a national DNA
biobanking facility located in Bellingham,
Washington. We offer comprehensive
DNA banking services for preserving
postmortem DNA for families seeking to
establish DNA-based medical histories
for future family benefit. We are a private,
doctor-owned pathology laboratory specializing in anatomic and clinical pathology and in niche medical services such as
dementia-related brain autopsies and DNA
biobanking.
Perfect Memorials AD
FULL PAGE
page23
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
AFP Horizon (#1306)

AFP Horizon is an innovative preneed
funeral marketing service. We are a group
of funeral and insurance experts with over
a century of experience serving the funeral
profession. Let us help you grow your market share and client base using tools such
as internet marketing, direct mail services,
community presentations, radio and television. Visit us at www.afphorizon.com.
Algordanza
(#750)
Creating
Memorial
Diamonds
since 2004
in our own laboratories in Domat/Ems,
Switzerland. Precision, respect and discretion are pillars of our success. Guaranteed
and certified: weight, cut, color, authenticity and origin of diamond creation solely
from the provided cremation ashes. Please
visit our booth and enter the Algordanza
contest for a free trip to our laboratory in
Switzerland. 1.936.828.1191;
www.mymemorialdiamond.com
American Airlines (#302)

American Airlines is serious about the care
and sensitivity of transporting departed
loved ones. Our TLC specialists work
directly with funeral homes and mortuaries
on the advance arrangements required to
ship human remains, including: premium
boarding priority, a 100 percent guarantee,
daily scheduled service around the globe,
premium handling, online tracking and
notification and trained interline specialists
for international transportation.
American
Cemetery
Supplies
(#818)
American
Cemetery
Supplies manufactures quality cemetery,
vault and funeral home supplies from the
smallest crank to tribute carriers at our
Portsmouth, Virginia, plant. Specializing
in tents, we are well known for quality.
We distribute all major death care industry
lines such as Ferno, Frigid and Mipro PA
systems. Please visit our booth or call, for
all your needs, 1.800.515.0400.
24
ICCFA Magazine
American
Coach
Sales
(#427)
For more than 50 years, Bob Mazzarella
and his team at American Coach Sales
have specialized in the worldwide sale of
new and pre-owned limousines, hearses,
first call cars and specialty vehicle like
the Mercedes Sprinter. They also are able
to offer customer leasing and financing.
For more information, please call Bob at
1.888.321.6613 or visit their website at
www.americancoachsales.com.
American Funeral
& Cemetery Trust
Services. (#310)
Established in
1993, AFCTS is
a nationwide
preneed, endowment care master
trust and third-party administration provider. We help individual funeral homes,
cremation providers, cemeteries and
state associations maintain focus on their
clientele and communities by providing
the most comprehensive, efficient and
compliant services available. To schedule
an appointment, please contact Krista
Kaysner at kkaysner@afcts.com.
American
Funeral
Financial
(#400)
American Funeral Financial is the leading
provider of insurance assignment funding
services to funeral homes nationwide. No
longer is there a reason to wait on funds
from an insurance company. AFF not only
will verify the policy but will fund the
proceeds to cover the funeral in 24 hours.
Call us today at 1.877.213.4233.
American Funeral Supply Co. (#502)

A division of American Hotel Register Co.,
American Funeral Supply Co. leverages our
parent companys buying power to offer
competitively priced products and everyday
supplies for your business. Our in-house
engraving shop specializes in overnight
delivery of custom-engraved urns. Shop our
wide selection of urns and all 50,000 items
we sell at americanfuneralsupply.com, or
contact us at 1.800.671.9366.
Bailey & Bailey

(#1423)
Bailey & Bailey designs, manufactures and
sells cremation jewelry,
fingerprint jewelry,
photo jewelry. We offer
high-quality, beautifully designed precious metal and stainless steel pendants.
Outstanding quality, lowest prices, highly
accurate order fulfillment, proven popular
styles, easy to handle square screw and
screwdriver provided. 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed. Call 1.877.995.8767 or
visit www.BaileyandBailey.com for a free
fingerprint display.
Batesville
(#618)
For more than
100 years,
Batesville has
been dedicated to helping families honor
the lives of those they love. Our history of
manufacturing excellence, product innovation, superior customer service and reliable
delivery helped us becomeand remaina
market leader. Batesville offers the most
comprehensive portfolio of quality burial
and cremation products, memorial tributes,
innovative technologies, and profit-enhancing
business solutions.
Blackstone Cemetery Development

(#1329)
Blackstone Cemetery Development is a
full-service cemetery development company specializing in every scope of cremation
garden master planning. From planning and
installing your garden to helping you market it and digitally map it, we are your go-to
cremation garden development company.
For more information, call 423.439.9181.
Biondan (#529)
We provide more than
cast bronze products. We
provide solutions to memorialization challenges.
Biondan is a leading supplier of memorial products
worldwide since 1956. We
are a family-owned and
-operated business. Our
commitment to manufacturing a quality
product and providing timely delivery is
unwavering. Biondanour name is on the
product. Visit our booth and see why.
Rock of Ages AD
FULL PAGE
page 25
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
Body Scoop by B-Mobile (#960)

Best purchase I ever made. If I started
over, I would install my embalming table
with the Body Scoop above and design the
prep room around them. It takes only one
person to effortlessly handle each lift with the
Body Scoop and its 1,000-pound lift motor
with room-covering system. Its reliable,
medical-grade equipment. bodyscoop.
bmobile@gmail.com; www.bodyscoop.net
Body Sealer (#445)

Manufactured in the U.S., is a hermetically
sealed, 40-inch folded width, biohazard
containment pouch. Its a fluid and vapor
barrier where biohazard containment is
required for mortuaries, coroners, medical
examiners, evidence collection, disaster
preparedness organizations and mausoleums. Its used for the shipment of caskets or
human remains,thats accepted by many airlines both domestically and internationally.
www.bodysealer.com; call 1.888.848.3113.
Bright
Corp.
(#409)
We are a
75-yearold family-owned and -operated company
serving thousands of cremation memorial
customers with our custom products, including afghans, portraits, urns, scattering tubes,
jewelry and memorial keepsakes. Stop by our
booth for a chance to win a custom memorial
package including an urn, afghan and portrait.
Personal service, quality product and affordable pricing. www.brightcorporation.com or
1.800.428.6424
Carriage Services (#1335)

Meet the company that has turned the
standard consolidation model upsidedown. Carriages decentralized model
means that we have shaken out all budgets,
bureaucracies and anything or anybody
that gets in your way, and our Houston
support center handles the back office
tasks that distract you from doing what is
most importantserving families. Dave
DeCarlo: 713.332.8413; Michael Cumby:
336.906.7153; www.carriageservices.com
26
ICCFA Magazine
Carrier
Mausoleums
Construction
(#442)
Offering the best
in mausoleums,
niche buildings,
glass-front niches, columbaria, cremation
equipment and bronze accessories, we
also build a legacy of quality, craftsmanship and reliability. No matter the size of
your project, well handle it efficiently,
elegantly and cost-effectively. For more
information, please visit us at booth #442.
1.800.663.7954; info@cmc-carrier.com;
cmc-carrier.com
Catholic Extension (#1009)

Catholic Extensions ministry is to build
faith, inspire hope and ignite change in
parishes alive with faith and spirit but lacking sufficient financial resources to support
their ministries and programs. One of the
many ways we provide assistance is by giving the entire profit earned from the sale of
our Catholic calendars to the more than 90
US mission dioceses.
Cemetery360 (#808)
Cemetery360 offers the ultimate sales platform through immersive technology. Our
360-player allows you to showcase your
business through our virtual reality experience. Cemetery360 is fully integrated with
the webCemeteries.com sales app. The fully
integrated cemetery listing service offers
you the ability to manage available location
listings with your team in real-time. Visit
us at CemLS.com and cemetery360.com for
further information.
Cemetery Funeral
Supply (#1334)
Cemetery Funeral
Supply is a manufacturer and distributor of products
for the death care
industry. We continue to be a leader
in the tent, funeral home, burial vault and
cemetery equipment market. The quality of
our merchandise is superior to any and our
prices are competitive. Our guarantee is
complete customer satisfaction.
CemSites
(#1209)
Tired of
outdated,
expensive and unresponsive software?
CemSites cemetery record management software is the most complete and
customizable cemetery software on the
market, and it is always up-to-date. Let
our software streamline your workflow
with tools to visualize your data like never
before. Mapping, finances, sales and
more. Schedule a demonstration today:
1.877.783.9626; www.cemsites.com.
Chapter Eternal Enterprises (#212)

Chapter Eternal Enterprises LLC provides
the funeral services industry with low-cost
and easy-to-use post-mortem DNA collection kits that will add new revenue and
liability protection for your business. The
first 200 visitors to our booth #212 at the
ICCFA Expo will receive a free, personal
DNA collection kit. 1.877.990.1213;
www.ChapterEternal.com;
info@ChapterEternal.com
Chateau
Urns
(#335)
We invite
you to
explore
the world
of Chateau Urns,
where with the knowledge of tradition, innovation and a sense of elegant functionality, we present to you high design selections
from our Chateau and Society collections.
We create our products with passion, care
and a great love of detail and are personally committed to the highest quality and
service.
Cherokee Casket
Co. (#1011)
For 75 years,
Cherokee Casket Co. Inc. has
worked in partnership with funeral professionals
around the world
to provide families with thoughtful and
unique options for saying goodbye to their
precious child. From the most elaborate to
the simplest, we strive to provide the highest quality caskets and funeral products
offered in the funeral industry.
Additional information: 1.800.535.8667;
www.cherokeechildcaskets.com.
Carriage Services AD
FULL PAGE
page 27
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
Church
& Chapel
Metal Arts
(#1213)
Church
& Chapel Metal Arts, serving the funeral
industry since 1933. We offer a complete
line of supplies to the funeral industry,
including torchiere lamps, lecterns, kneelers, cremation urns and many other products
necessary to the delivery of funeral service.
2616 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60612;
773.489.3700; Fax: 773.489.3434; toll
free:1.800.992.1234; Fax: 1.800.626.3299.
Visit our website: www.church-chapel.com;
e-mail: info@church-chapel.com.
C.J. Boots
Casket Co.
(#1353)
C.J. Boots
Casket Co.
manufactures only the highest quality solid
hardwood, veneer and cremation caskets. We
continue to develop new and innovative manufacturing processes in an effort to bridge the
gap between Old World craftsmanship and
lean manufacturing. Located in Anderson,
Indiana, C.J. Boots currently supplies caskets
to other casket companies and distributors
throughout the United States and Canada.
ClayLinks
(#1406)
Dont send
families home
empty-handed.
Experienced
bereavement
professionals like you know that personal mementos, called linking objects, help grieving
families remain deeply connected with loved
ones who have died. ClayLinks kits provide
an easy, affordable way to create this kind
of personalized memento. Simply knead our
special-formula clay, make the print, decorate
and bake. 1.800.248.2820;
www.caringwisdom.com
ClearPoint Federal Bank & Trust (#745)

ClearPoint Federal provides unparalleled trust
products and services exclusively to funeral
homes and cemeteries throughout the United
States. ClearPoints specialized in-house
services encompass trustee, investment
management and recordkeeping for funeral
and cemetery trusts. ClearPoint provides
extensive industry and trust expertise to
funeral homes and cemeteries and is responsible for over $600 million in trusted assets.
1.800.763.0234; www.clearpointfederal.com
28
ICCFA Magazine
Coeio (#856)
Coeio is the maker of
infinity burial suits
and shrouds. Started
by co-founder Jae
Rhim Lees worldfamous TED talk, My
Mushroom Burial Suit, our products create
a beautiful, green funeral. We combine patent-pending technology, speeding a natural
return to the earth and toxin neutralization,
with design created by world famous fashion designers. Contact: Mike Ma, hello@
coeio.com, 937.964.5362; www.coeio.com.
Columbarium by
Design, LLC
(#651)
Columbarium by
Design is the
leader in the design, manufacture, sales
and installation of niches to accommodate
any columbarium architectural design.
CDB has been involved in more than 600
projects throughout USA, Mexico, Central
and South America. It offers free on-site
assessments and complementary use of its
in-house architectural and design services.
Contact Gerardo G. Garcia at 915.504.5458;
g.garcia@columbariumbydesign.com;
www.columbariumbydesign.com.
Columbian
Financial
Group (#954)
Columbians
preneed program was built
around the expertise of our valued funeral
service associates. We know that simplicity
and service are two of the most important
features of a successful program; that is
what we provide. Our priority is turning
your business around quickly and easily so
that you can focus on your most important
priorityyour clients. www.cfglife.com
Conrad Pickel Studio (#1034)

The Pickel Studio, with over 70 years of
history, continues to create stained glass
windows, mosaics, bronze, wood and stone
sculptures, as well as space-saving NarroNiches. The studio is noted for dynamic
figure design, including exceptionally fine
facial features and expressions. Using only
quality materials, an enthusiastic talented
staff works together to create timeless
works of art.
BOOK SIGNING
Watch for the book
sale & signing on
Thursday in the
Expo Hall by
keynote speaker
chef John Besh.
Continental Computer (#1347)

Recognized as the industry leader, Continental Computer provides superior products and
service to the death care industry. The Directors Assistant is globally recognized as the
premier funeral home management software
package. This recognition has enabled Continental Computer to establish TDAW as a
recognized brand among death-care professionals. www.continentalcomputers.com
Cooperative
Funeral Fund
(#1341)
Cooperative Funeral Fund (CFF)
is a preneed and
perpetual care
fund management company
established in 1989 specifically catering
to the death care industry. CFF manages
investment, accounting, compliance and
payout for over 900 clients and 435 million in assets. No startup costs or account
minimums. Account information available
online. Free personalized agreement forms.
Simple and quick claim/payment process.
1.800.336.1102;
CooperativeFuneralFund.com
Crowne
Vault
(#1003)
Crowne
Vault
offers
attractive,
sturdy,
value-priced urn vaults. Constructed of a
high impact ABS plastic, these vaults provide protection while ensuring integrity of
the cemetery ground. The single vault has
a low profile and works well for second
right of interment. Double vault accommodates two urns or most over-sized urns.
Easy to personalize.
Johnson AD 1 of 2
FULL PAGE
page 29
4-COLOR
Eat, drink, browse and

get to know the suppliers
The ICCFA Expo Hall features free continuous
food and beverage service so that attendees
can spend more time in the hall, learning
about all the products and services available.
Many exhibitors offer seating so that cemeterians and funeral directors can relax and get
to know them in a comfortable setting.
exhibitor profiles
Crystal Remembrance
(#1302)
Crystal Remembrance
is hand-crafted to
memorialize your loved
one in an elegant, bold
and unique piece of
glass art. Interweaving a small amount of
cremated remains with
a swirl of your chosen
color, our artists create a one-of-a-kind
memorial. Our artists are degreed, and
accomplished professionals who strive to
make each piece extraordinary.
Design Mart (#304)

Since 1968 Design Mart has provided
monument sales materials to the funeral
industry. In the 90s we became the industry
leader in CAD software for monument sales
and production. Were continuing that commitment with our all new online monument
designer and catalog, allowing monuments
to go straight from sales to productionat
the monument manufacturer(s) of your
choice.
30
ICCFA Magazine
Destiny
Casket
(#956)
Destiny Casket provides
a unique combination of quality burial and
cremation products for our funeral home
customers, including metal and wood
caskets, monuments, plastic garments,
church trucks and hardware for the funeral
business. Save money; improve your profit
margin and competitiveness. Contact Coco
Zhan, 1.408.850.0082;
destinycasket@yahoo.com;
www.destinycasket.com.
Dodge
(#1253)
Dodge is
a familyowned
and -operated business since 1893. We
manufacture and distribute a full line of
funeral, cremation and cemetery supplies
and equipment. Please visit our website
with access to the Dodge webstore at
www.dodgeco.com. Our partners, Consolidated Funeral Service, InSight Books and
Capture Bead Keepsakes, offer solutions to
enhance your business. Helping You Make
All The Difference.
Doric
Products
Inc. (#1012)
Doric Products Inc., a
leader in the
burial vault
industry
since 1955, boasts over 130 dealer locations in the United States and Canada.
Doric, committed to quality products and
services, offers double-wall, triple-wall
and quad-wall burial vault choices. Doric
also offers a full line of urns, urn vaults
and air seal Classic Metal Vaults.
Telephone: 1.888.55.DORIC;
e-mail: info@doric-vaults.com;
www.doric-vaults.com.
Eagle Coach (#219)

Expect Excellence is more than a slogan;
its the driving force behind the success
of Eagle Coach Co. Eagle Coach Co. is
dedicated to producing the highest quality
professional vehicles that reflect positively on the funeral homes that use them.
When you purchase an Eagle professional
vehicle, expect excellence.
CemSites AD
FULL PAGE
page 31
4-COLOR
Continental AD
FULL PAGE
page 3
4-COLOR
Great Western AD
FULL PAGE
page 4
4-COLOR
StoneMor AD
FULL PAGE
page 5
4-COLOR
SCCFA AD
FULL PAGE
page 6
4-COLOR
Thacker Caskets AD
FULL PAGE
page 7
4-COLOR
M AR C H - APR I L 2 0 1 6 T a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association :
Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
18 Management/legal
Inspiration for expanding your community outreach program (story, page

88). Clockwise, from upper left: a flowerarranging workshop at Valhalla Funeral
Home and Memory Gardens, Huntsville,
Alabama; Breast Cancer Awareness
Month at Heritage Family Cemetery,
Johnson City, Tennessee; pumpkins left
over from Pumpkin Day at The Gardens
of Gethsemane, West Roxbury, Massachuetts, delivered to the YMCA; Day
of the Dead celebrated at Los Parques,
Guatemala; people enjoy refreshments
following a 9/11 observance held by
Forest Hills Funeral Home & Cemetery,
Memphis, Tennessee; and an Easter egg
hunt at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala
Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
14 Presidents letter
The futures so bright,
I gotta wear shades
by Darin Drabing
16 Washington report
The ICCFA submits testimony on
Pennsylvania, Tennessee legislation
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
64 Meet Your Association Leaders
Darin Drabing, Forest Lawn
Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries
66 Coleen Ellis, Pet loss pioneer
68 Lauren Blevins, CCFE, CC,
Williams Funeral Home & Crematory and Polk Memorial Gardens
70 Tim Hoff, Hoff Funeral &
Cremation
70 New Members
1 24 Supply Line

128 Roberts & Downey provides
podium for Blue Bloods
Can you just tell me ...? How to handle 3 common requests for
funeral/cemetery information. You know what to do when someone
asks for a General Price List or a list of interment options. But do you
know what to do when someone asks for information thats more personal? Make sure you and your employees know what youre allowed to
provideand to whom.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
21 The ICCFA 2016 Convention
Some reminders: Ride to the Expo Hall in comfort; attend the reception
just for first-timers; dont miss the ICCFA Educational Foundation reception
22 exhibitor profiles
The 2016 ICCFA Expo A New Orleans Second Line (a walking/marching parade) will kick off this years ICCFA Expo on Wednesday, April 13,
at 3:30 p.m., near the main entrance of the convention center. This truly
grand opening will be followed by hours of uninterrupted time to talk to
suppliers, ask questions and see products in person. No educational sessions are scheduled during expo hours. Free food and beverage service
means you can grab lunch or enjoy appetizers before heading out to enjoy
New Orleans. (A floor plan and an updated list of exhibitors will be in the
onsite guide.)
22 Expo hours
30 Eat, drink, browse and get to know the suppliers
38 Convention sponsors
46 Look for PLPA members, first-time exhibitors and KIP winners
54 Check out the ICCFA Welcome Lounge in the Expo Hall
74 celebrants
Hot rods at the funeral home help give car fan the perfect sendoff
The celebration of life for a man whose life revolved around family and
cars was filled with both.
by Heidi Thimke, CC
76 management/safety
GHS deadline approaching for your new right-to-know program

If you use any kind of hazardous chemical, whether its embalming fluid
or weed killer, you need to be on top of the changing regulations regarding their labeling and handling. The final deadline for conforming to the
new standards is June 1.
by Shannon Decamp
78 service to families
How to help wheelchair users visiting your building or grounds

ICCFA Magazine
to page 10
Homesteaders AD
FULL PAGE
page 9
4-COLOR
1 31 Update

131 After 94 years, Medal of
Honor winner laid to rest

by Richard Sells, CCE, and Bill Heard

134 Ruling affirms right to
exclusive use of cremation society
in New Hampshire
1 37 Calendar
1 38 Classifieds
1 38 Ad Index
ICCFA news
57 KIP Awards to be presented during
58
58
60
60
60
60
62
72
72
2016 convention
More reasons to attend the 2016
Annual Convention
BOBO Introducing BOBO (buy one,
bring one)
ICCFA convention Thank you to
our sponsors
ICCFA convention Livestreaming
sessions offered by One Room
ICCFA convention Annual meeting
of members reminder
PLPA Save the date: PLPA College
this September
Wide World of Sales
Sales professionals inspired, taught
best practices and have fun at
Wide Wold of Sales Conference
ICCFA staff profile:
Bly helps members, reads about
& studies the industry
ICCFA staff profile:
Devins makes sure association
members stay informed
TABLE O F C ONTENTS
How easy is it for people who use wheelchairs to park, enter and get
around your facilities? Can they easily attend visitations or services at
your funeral home? Can they attend graveside services or visit the graves
of loved ones at your cemetery?
by Paul Elvig
80 Learning from a friend who uses a wheelchair
82 professional development
The keys to service: Treating all with respect Having respect for everyone sounds like a basic requirement of being in funeral/cemetery service, but
its often not an easy one to fulfill.
by Todd W. Van Beck
86 Essay
Living your life with the fewest regrets At the end of life, people often
talk about what they regret having doneor not done. Make sure you
dont end up with these regrets.
by Doug Wagemann, CCFE, CFSP
88 community outreach
Plan to expand your community outreach If your funeral home or

cemetery is engaging with the community only during death-related
occasions (arrangements, visitations, funerals and committal services),
you need to rexamine how youre spending your time. Community
outreach isnt a luxury, its a necessity.
by Susan Loving
94 community outreach
Cemetery-inspired cookbooks to die for

book review by Susan Loving
96 Recipes: Coffee angel food cake, Cemetery ginger cookies
98 Recipes: Deviled eggs
100 management
Cemetery Impossible: How can you sell every mausoleum crypt, even
the ones on the less popular levels? All men might be created equal,
but all mausoleum crypts are not. Any cemeterian who has a mausoleum
knows that crypts on certain rows are more popular with families than
others. But you need to sell them all. Heres how to do it.
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
102 preneed finances
www.iccfa.com
Find a member
Web Expo directory of suppliers
and professionals
Industry associations
Industry calendar
Cremation Central
www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories
from all over the world
Are your preneed funds earning what they need to? The effect of
inflation on preneed funds always needs to be taken into account, but
thats especially true when interest rates are keeping fund earnings low.
by Susanna Pau
106 service to families
Memorial Park 2026: A trip to the future as it could beas it must be if

death care is going to be thriving in 10 years
by John Bolton, CCE, and Lori Salberg
114 management/finances
Deciding the legal set-up your company should have Do you know the
tax consequences of your company being a GP, LP, LLC, LLP, S-corp or
sole proprietorship? Do you know whether changes in the tax laws mean
you should reconsider how your company is structured? This article ad
10
ICCFA Magazine
to page 12
funeralOne AD
FULL PAGE
page 11
4-COLOR
TABLE O F C ONTENTS
ICCFA calendar
dresses these questions and issues.

by Marcus Dyer, Esq., CPA
go to www.iccfa.com for program,

registration & scholarship information
2016 Annual
Convention
& Exposition
April 13-16
Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center & Hilton New
Orleans Riverside, New Orleans,
Louisiana Co-Chairs:
Jay Dodds, CFSP, and Lee Longino
Cremation Training
April 19 (arranger) & 19

(operator) Gupton-Jones
College of Funeral Service,
Decatur, Georgia
ICCFA Cremation Program
Coordinator Poul Lemasters, Esq.
Cremation Training
May 25 (operator) & 26 (arranger)

Dallas Institute of Funeral Service,
Dallas, Texas
ICCFA Cremation Program
Coordinator Poul Lemasters, Esq.
2016 ICCFA University
July 22-27 Fogelman

Conference Center, Memphis,
Tennessee
Chancellor:Jeff Kidwiler,
CCE, CSE
2016 Fall Management
Conference
October 5-7 Kiawah Island Golf

Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
2017 Wide World of Sales
Conference January 11-14
120 management/technology
How software can address difficult cemetery issues Change is happening so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up with the ways technology can help you better run your cemetery. These case studies might
help you recognize ways you could improve your record keeping, sales
process and revenue.
by Sean Johnson
Cemeteries Crematories Funeral homes Suppliers Pet loss services
Submit your news to ICCFA Magazine
Have you held a groundbreaking or grand opening for a new facility? Is your company
offering a new or updated product to cemeteries and/or funeral homes? Have you
recently held an unusual service or a successful seminar at your location? Share your
news with colleagues all over the worldsend it in to ICCFA Magazine!
n Write it down. It doesnt have to be written perfectly (thats why we have editors)it
just needs to include the facts. Remember the basics: Who, What, Where, When, Why
& How.
n Send it in:
E-mail your Word document as an attachment to sloving@iccfa.com, or write your
release in the body of your e-mail. Please include your full name and title and the companys name and location in the body of your e-mail.
Photoshigh-resolution jpgscan be e-mailed. Remember you must adjust digital
camera settings to take high-resolution images before taking the photos! Check the
owners manual for instructions. (If youre scanning in glossies, they must be scanned in
at a minimum of 300 dpi at print size.)
Questions? Email Susan Loving at sloving@iccfa.com or slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
Subscribe to ICCFA Magazine
r One-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*

r Two-year subscription for just $69.95*
* These rates for U.S. subscriptions only. In Canada: $45.95 U.S. per year; outside U.S. and Canada: $75.95 U.S. per year.
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Address
2017 Annual Convention

& Exposition
March 29-April 1
Charlotte Convention Center &
The Westin Charlotte, Charlotte,
North Carolina
City
SAVE THE DATE!

The ICCFA 2017
Convention & Expo,
March 29-April 1, 2017,
Charlotte, North Carolina
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ICCFA Magazine
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LP Bronze AD
FULL PAGE
page 13
4-COLOR
Presidents Letter
by ICCFA
2015-2016
President Darin
B. Drabing
Im proud to be a member of the ICCFA. Its the most powerful

and inclusive platform from which our professions finest service providers,
vendors and thought leaders connect, share and learn.
The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades
T
ddrabing@forestlawn.com
Drabing is president
and CEO of Forest Lawn

Memorial-Parks &
Mortuaries.
www.forestlawn.com
n To apply for ICCFA

membership:
Download an application
at www.iccfa.com, or
Call 1.800.645.7700
Check us out on
Facebook!
Like us
and friend
ICCFA Staff.
hats right; Im quoting lyrics from Timbuk

3, the one-hit wonder band, circa 1986. Im
sorry if it compels those unfamiliar with the
song to Google it, but thats what comes to mind as
I spend this early Saturday morning sitting in my
backyard, reflecting on my year as the president
of the ICCFA. Theres a line from that song that
seems to be spot on in terms of describing my
perspective of our organization: Things are going
great, and theyre only getting better.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve
as the president of the International Cemetery,
Cremation and Funeral Association for the past
year. Being trusted by peers to represent them at
home and abroad, working closely with our staff
to implement programs and member benefits,
monitoring legislative issues facing our profession
and overseeing our associations financial health
have all been immensely rewarding.
Ive not only had the good fortune of meeting
many wonderful people from different parts of
the world, but Ive had the pleasure of seeing the
diversity of our profession first hand and the many
facets that come together in the service of others.
I am very proud of who we are as an association
and all that we represent. Were alive and thriving.
Without question, its the collective work of so
many member volunteers and the committed staff
at our home office in Sterling, Virginia, that makes
this association so successful. I was fortunate
to take the reins of an incredibly well-managed
organization, courtesy of the groundwork laid by
so many of my capable predecessors.
My goal was to keep the organization moving
forward, capitalizing on momentum established by

March-April 2016
VOLUME 76/NUMBER 3
ICCFA officers
Darin B. Drabing, president
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president
Paul Goldstein, vice president
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, vice president
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, treasurer
Daniel L. Villa, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com; slovingiccfa@yahoo.com
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager
rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
14
ICCFA Magazine
our strategic plan, and implementing many of the

tactics outlined within it. With the help of so many,
I hope Ive achieved that objective.
As members of the ICCFA, we have so much
to be proud of. Year after year, our association
continues to grow, developing new offerings
such as the College of International Studies at
the ICCFA University and expanded cremation
training. We continue to strengthen our
relationships with our sister associations, such as
ALPAR, FSAC and FIAT-IFTA. We consistently
find new ways to add value to our members, and
there is no reason to think well be slowing down.
Our association is progressive, innovative and
energetic, filled with fantastic people seemingly
cut from the same cloththe kind of people who
get things done!
With Mike Uselton as our incoming president, a
slate of quality officers with a proven track record
of leadership, a board chalk full of committed
members eager to participate, a stellar staff and an
engaged group of past presidents whose collective
wisdom is invaluable, we are in very good hands.
The future is bright indeed!
Im proud to be a member of the ICCFA. Its
the most powerful and inclusive platform from
which our professions finest service providers,
vendors and thought leaders connect, share
and learn. I truly appreciate all the support and
fellowship I have received from so many friends
and colleagues over this past year.
As the morning unfolds here in beautiful
Southern California, the sun is starting to peak
over the rooftop. Pardon me while a reach for my
r
sunglasses.
Robert Treadway, director of

communications & member services
robt@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Katherine Devins, communications assistant
kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1218
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
publisher
rfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
Brenda Clough, office administrator
& association liaison
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1214
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

(habla espaol)
danielo@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215
ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is published
by the International Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite
100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400;
FAX 703.391.8416;
www.iccfa.com. Published 10 times per year,
with combined issues in March-April and
August-September. Periodicals postage paid
at Sterling, VA, and other offices. Copyright
2016 by the International Cemetery, Cremation

and Funeral Association. Subscription rates: In
the United States, $39.95; in Canada, $45.95;
overseas: $75.95. One subscription is included
in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to ICCFA Magazine, 107
Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 201644468. Individual written contributions, commentary and advertisements appearing in ICCFA
Magazine do not necessarily reflect either the
opinion or the endorsement of the International
Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.
Washington Report
by ICCFA General
The ICCFA submits testimony on
Counsel Robert M.
Fells, Esq.
Pennsylvania, Tennessee legislation
rfells
@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1212
direct line:
703.391.8401
Fells is
ICCFA executive
director and general counsel,
responsible for maintaining and
improving relationships with
federal and state government
agencies, the news media,
consumer organizations and
related trade associations.
More from this author,

about this subject
Funeral Radio. ICCFA
General Counsel Robert Fells,
Esq., talks about legal and
legislative issues affecting
funeral, cemetery and
cremation businesses, including
the FCA/CFA survey, at
www.funeralradio.com
More resources
Wireless. ICCFA members,
send us your email address and
well send you our biweekly electronic newsletter full
of breaking news.
More from this author

Fells will participate in the
Government & Legal Panel
providing the latest information
about court cases, legislation
and regulations, and answering questions from attendees
at the ICCFA 2016 Convention
& Expo, April 13-16, in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
iccfaconvention.com
16
ICCFA Magazine
n late January, the ICCFA submitted

testimony to the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives concerning a bill that would
prohibit cemeteries from pre-installing or
warehousing vaults and grave liners. The state
has permitted both these practices for decades
and there has been no evidence of consumer
harm as a result.
The proposed legislation is being advocated
by the state funeral directors association. At the
behest of the Pennsylvania Cemetery, Cremation
and Funeral Association, the ICCFA joined in
opposing the bill. Earlier, the Federal Trade
Commission submitted a 14-page letter stating
its opposition to the bill.
The ICCFA testimony reviewed the long
history where cemeteries installed outer burial
containers following their purchase and well
prior to the death of the contract beneficiary.
This practice has been commonplace for
decades throughout the United States and
provides the preneed purchaser with immediate
ownership of this merchandise. We are not
aware of consumer complaints or problems with
this practice. In 1998, the ICCFA authorized
the publication of 28 model guidelines for
state laws and regulations and our model
guideline concerning the constructive delivery
of outer burial containers, including their
pre-installation, has been used by many state
legislatures over the years.
The ICCFA testimony also pointed out the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
established a Preplaced Burial Vault Program
for its 134 national cemeteries in 40 states.
The VA has stated, Preplaced vaults are now
specified in all federal veterans cemeteries and
federally funded state veterans cemeteries.
The cost savings and increased efficiency of
cemetery operations have been cited among the
compelling reasons for adopting this practice.
The Pennsylvania bill also attempts to
mandate that cemeteries must comply with the
FTC Funeral Rule. However, in its comments
the FTC itself addressed how a state cannot
mandate compliance with a federal law unless
the states adopts the law itself.
The ICCFA agreed that the bills proposal
to place cemeteries under the Funeral Rule is
misguided and legally unsound. At this writing,
the bill is still pending in the Pennsylvania
House.
Tennessee legislation
In early March, the ICCFA submitted testimony

to both the Tennessee House and Senate
concerning a bill that would restrict any
administrative or processing fee charged by a
cemetery to $100.
The ICCFA did not recommend any specific
dollar amount but stated that it strongly
disfavors statutory language that mandates a
certain set fee, i.e. $100, for an administrative or
processing fee. Such dollar figures are typically
not indexed for inflation or market increases
in the cost of doing business, and therefore
become woefully outdated shortly after such
provisions are enacted. Also, the dollar amount
stated in such legislation tends to be arbitrary
and subjective and unrelated to the actual costs
incurred for which the fee is meant to defray.
The ICCFA testimony continued, The
components of this type of fee include labor
time, overhead, business insurance, computer
maintenance and related expenses. Whether
a business chooses to defray these expenses
through an administrative or processing fee, or
shift such expenses to the cost of goods sold,
should be left to the judgement of the owner
rather than mandated by government fiat. The
needs of consumer protection require that
such fees be disclosed, but not that the dollar
amounts be set by government statute.
The ICCFA continued, stating that it
understands the legislatures concern with
businesses overcharging or attempting to
recover a lost sale by imposing an arbitrary
fee in a particular transaction. We recommend
that instead of mandating a set fee, the more
constructive approach is to establish a marketrate cap that allows for gradual increases based
on a cost-of-living index. In any case, the
amount would be determined through objective
means.
The ICCFA cautioned that by restricting
legitimate fees, sellers would be discouraged
from offering prearrangements. Consumers
would have fewer choices and face potentially
higher costs by making arrangements only at the
time a death has occurred.
At this writing the Tennessee House and
Senate versions of this bill are pending. The
ICCFA testimony in both Pennsylvania and
Tennessee can be viewed on the ICCFA website
r
at www.iccfa.com.
SRS Computing AD
FULL PAGE
page 17
4-COLOR
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.

M ANAGE M ENT / LEGAL
You know what to do when someone asks for
a General Price List or a list of interment options.
But do you know what to do when someone asks for information

thats more personal? Make sure you and your employees
know what youre allowed to provideand to whom.
513.407.8114
poul@lemastersconsulting.com

Lemasters is principal of Lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.lemastersconsulting.com
He is an attorney and funeral director,

graduated from the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science in 1996 and from Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of
Law, in 2003. He is licensed as a funeral
director and embalmer in Ohio and West
Virginia and admitted to practice law in
Ohio and Kentucky.
ICCFA membership benefit
Lemasters is the ICCFAs special
cremation legal counsel. ICCFA members in good standing may call him to
discuss cremation-related legal issues
for up to 20 minutes at no charge to the
member. The association pays for this
service via an exclusive retainer.
Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA members in good standing, free GPL reviews to
check for Funeral Rule compliance.
Go to www.iccfa.com to the Cremation Support section, where you can post a

question for Lemasters to answer.
Lemasters will
be part of the
Cremation Central
Live! program at
the ICCFA 2016
Convention &
Expo, April 13-16,
in New Orleans,
Louisiana, speaking about Cremation
Headaches: How to Handle the Day-toDay issues. iccfaconvention.com
18
ICCFA Magazine
Can you just tell me ...?

How to handle 3 common requests
for funeral/cemetery information
he questions are common: Can we

have a copy of the death certificate?
Can you give me information about
all my ancestors who are buried here? Can
you give me a copy of the final bill?
And the questions are plentiful. Every
one wants something. But its no big deal,
right? Its just a copy of something.
Or is it a big deal? Are there any rules or
regulations we should be following when
asked to provide people with information?
This article considers three common
requests funeral homes or cemeteries
receive, and includes some tips about how
to handle them. In no way does this article
cover every requestor every scenario, but
it does offer some guidelines and protocols
that can help you keep consumers happy,
and maybe even keep you out of trouble.
Death certificate
This may seem like the easiest request to

handle. Someone asks for a copy of the
death certificate, you collect money to file
for a copy and voil! But its not always
that straightforward. There are some rules
and restrictions on filling these requests that
you need to know about.
Some states now restrict who can get
a copy of the death certificate. New York,
for example, limits recipients to those who
have a lawful right of claim, including the
spouse, parent, child or a person who has
obtained a court order requiring a copy of
the death certificate.
Some states specify that different
versions of the death certificate be provided,
depending on who asks. Florida, for
example, mandates that the death certificate
listing the cause of death be available

to family of the deceased, and a second
version that does not list the cause of death
be available to others.
There are also states that place no limits
on who can obtain a death certificate, as
long as the application is filled out and the
fee is paid.
What do you need to know? Know
your states requirements and limits. Your
organizations policies should mimic your
states requirements in order to avoid
conflicts and potential issues.
Many times people will ask for a copy
of the death certificate. They may not need
an original, and for that reason some people
might be quick to comply. However, you
should know if it is in fact OK to provide
even a copy.
Many states are limiting who can get a
death certificate and what information can
be provided. Make sure your business isnt
going beyond your states limits.
Genealogical information
If you had a nickel for every time someone

asked for past funeral or cemetery
recordsyoud have a lot of nickels!
Waitcan you charge a nickel
every time someone asks you for this
information? The quick answer is that you
can charge a fee for providing genealogical
information, but whether or not you
charge, and how you list it, might involve a
business decision.
There seems to be a split among deathcare providers about the genealogical
information they have and what to do with
it. On one end of the spectrum are those who
Federal Coach AD
FULL PAGE
page 19
4-COLOR
M ANAGE M ENT / LEGAL
It may seem like if one of the children of the deceased asks for a copy of the final invoice
you should provide it. Its all in the family, right? But if that child asking for a copy of the bill did not
sign the contract, you are breaching your relationship with whomoever did sign the contract.
feel dealing with requests for this type of
information is a pain, and they dont do it. On
the other end are those who think its a pain,
but they do it because its good for business.
The real issue should be whether you
may do it. And the short answer is that you
maywith some limitations. Basically,
you need to protect information that is
confidential in nature.
Keep in mind that one of the biggest
issues consumers are concerned about these
days is identity theft. As a business, you
want to make sure any information you
provide is general/public, and not protected
or confidential. An example of non-public
information that you do not want to release
is a Social Security number.
So, what about HIPAA regulations?
Dont they prohibit any business from
sharing information?
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act) was created and
used to protect peoples private information,
including individually identifiable health
information. That includes name, address,
birth date and Social Security number.
The information covered has grown, and
some businesses cite HIPAA in refusing to
share any personal information.
However, HIPAA only applies to
covered entities. What is a covered entity,
you ask? Covered entities are health plans,
health care providers and health-care
clearinghouses. Furthermore, this only
covers their transmittal of information in
electronic form.
What does this mean? It means funeral
homes and cemeteries are not covered under
HIPAA, and you and your organization
are allowed to share certain information,
again with the caveat that you do not
share protected information such as Social
Security numbers.
Your organization might want to have
policies and procedures in place about what
information you will share, and how you
will do so. You could require all information
requests to be made in writing. You could
provide a list of what information you will
and will not share.
You might want to have information
included in your contracts that sets forth
what public information you will make
20
ICCFA Magazine
available upon request. As always, being

transparent with families about what you do
is the best policy.
Copy of the invoice/contract
Many times people want or need a copy of

the bill or the contract. But who is allowed
to receive this information?
Because the bill represents a contract
between an individual and your business,
the concept of privity covers it. Simply put,
it means that there is a legal relationship
between the two parties involved, and you
cannot do certain things without the other
partys permission.
It may seem like if one of the children
of the deceased asks for a copy of the final
invoice you should provide it. Its all in the
family, right? But if that child asking for a
copy of the bill did not sign the contract,
you are breaching your relationship with
whomoever did sign the contract.
As a general rule, you should always
ask the person who signed the contract
for permission before providing a copy
to anyone else. This applies even if the
person who signed the contract was not the
authorizing agent.
For example, if the spouse agrees to
cremation and is the legal next-of-kin, but
a friend or child signs the contract because
they are paying, then only that friend or
child should have access to a copy of the
bill. If the spouse wants a copy, permission
from the friend or child (whoever signed the
contract) is needed.
There is one exception to the permission
rule, and that is the subpoena. Sometimes a
provider will receive a subpoena to produce
various documents, including final paid
invoices, contracts or even statistical files.
As a business, you must comply with
a subpoena because it is a court order.
However, there are a few things to think
about before handling over the file or
requested information.
First, its a good idea to understand why
the information is being requested. A copy
of an invoice may be needed to settle an
estate, while a copy of a file or contract may
be needed to resolve an issue of who paid.
However, these documents also might
be sought as evidence by someone trying
to prove that your business is guilty of

wrongdoing. The point is that you need to
understand if you are helping someone or if
you are part of the problem.
Second, all records are not the same.
Some requested records may be confidential
or protected, and therefore you may not
or should notprovide them even under
subpoena. If you are not sure, its a good
idea to find out before you do anything.
Also, remember that even if you are sure
the documents requested are protected or
confidential, it doesnt mean you can ignore
the subpoena. You still have to notify the
court that youre not going to produce the
information, and document why.
Third, you may want to put people on
notice. There is normally no requirement
that you notify people that their information
has been subpoenaed. However, if you have
a file on Mrs. Smith and you get a court
order to provide the file to a law firm, it
might be a good idea to start by calling the
Smith family and seeing what they know
about it.
Fourth, and finally, call an attorney. While
you can probably handle this on your own,
it may be wise to contact your attorney and
have them double-check everything.
Keep in mind that it is always better
for an attorney representing you to make
any needed calls to other attorneys. Not
because theres a secret language between
attorneys, but going through an attorney
offers protection.
If you call someone elses attorney, you
might say something that could be used
against you. If your attorney calls another
attorney, the communications are protected.
Just another tip to keep in mind.
Understand that there are a lot of people
out there who want the information you
have at your funeral home or cemetery,
and your business is the gatekeeper to that
information.
When you are the gatekeeper of
information, you should know what you
have, who can be given access to it and
how much of they can be given. Knowing
all of this and having uniform policies and
practices in place can help protect you
and your organization, and help prevent
r
complaints and lawsuits.
I C C FA 2 0 1 6 C O n v e n t i o n & E x p o i n N e w O r l e a n s
Ride to the
Expo Hall
in comfort
If you dont want to stroll from

the hotel to the convention
center where the Expo Hall will
be, take the bus. Continuous
shuttle bus service will be provided during expo hours.
Read about some of the companies that will be exhibiting on
the following pages, and turn to
page 57 (ICCFA News) for more
information about the convention, including this years Buy
One, Bring One program allowing you to bring one first-time
attendee free of charge with
each full convention registration.
Attend the reception

just for first-timers
Thursday, April 14, 5-6 p.m.
The First-Timers reception is your chance to

meet the associations board members and officers, as well as other first-time convention attendees, in an informal setting. Enjoy a drink,
meet some new people and do that networking youve come to New Orleans to do.
Admission to the reception is included
with every full registration.
Dont miss the ICCFA

Educational Foundation
Reception (ticket required)
Thursday, April 14, 6-7 p.m. Join us for a reception to
honor donors and scholarship recipients, and to present

the ICCFA Educational Foundation Lasting Impact Award to
Jim Darby for his contributions toward advancing education within our profession. Tickets: $50. Refreshments and
hors doeuvres will be served. All proceeds will benefit the
Educational Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity that
supports the associations educational programs.
For more details and the latest updates about the convention, go to iccfaconvention.com
In New Orleans, refer to the onsite program included in your registration packet to stay on top
of the schedule of events and to find exhibitors (a list and an Expo Hall map are included).
March-April 2016
21
exhibitor profiles
EDA Land
Planning
(#440)
Better Design
for a Better
Bottom Line.
PRIZE
Design is the backbone of a beautiful cemDRAWINGS
etery and helps drive sales. EDA will work
with you to design a beautiful cemetery
every half hour during
with cremation, estate and traditional lot
gardens, fully utilizing space and miniWednesday Expo hours!
mizing maintenance Every cemetery is
Must be present to win.
unique; we provide innovative solutions.
Let us help improve your bottom line.
801.924.2296 www.edalandplanning.com
Eagle Granite Co.
Eickhof
(#1431)
Columbaria (#929)
Eagle owns and operates
Eickhofs mission is
several granite quarries
to serve our clients
and manufactures memowith the highest
rials in 16 beautiful granite
quality cremation
colors. In addition, Eagle
memorial solutions
houses a large inventory
through progressive
of popular import designs engineering, superior materials and peoplefor faster delivery on many standard monufocused customer service. Let the Eickhof
ments. Large mausoleum and columbarium
sales team show you its new innovation
designs are also hand-crafted in our state-ofthe above-ground preassembled ossuarium,
the-art manufacturing facility.
which is a columbarium and ossuary
Call 1.888.357.8452 or visit our website at
combined to accommodate nearly 400 urns.
www.eaglegranite.com
Visit www.eickhofcolumbaria.com to learn
Eagles more about what we can provide.
Wings
Air
(#609)
Eagles
Wings Air (EWA) is the nations leading
Eko URN (#611)
provider of logistics services to North
Eko URN is a subsidiary of Willibald
American funeral homes and shipping
Volsing KG. Incorporated in 1948, it is a
services. Through a centralized customer
privately-owned company based out of
service center, EWA leverages proprietary
Germany. Volsing is now in its third generasoftware and its knowledge of global
tion of family ownership and prides itself
airline networks to deliver the best transon manufacturing to the highest standards
portation solution and proactive manageand is dedicated to maintaining excellent
ment for human remains transport. Learn
customer service for our clients. Contact us
more at www.EWAcares.com or by calling
at 305.424.8907; www.eko-urn.com.
1.866.550.1EWA.
Enduring
Eckels
Images (#1204)
(#1119)
Enduring ImEckels
ages is introducis a fully
ing an exciting
divernew keepsake
sified funeral service supply company
product, the Picture Palm Stone. Made
dedicated to providing quality products and using high quality glazed ceramic, our
outstanding service to funeral, cemetery
palm stones are customized with a picture
and cremation professionals across North
of the loved one or a religious symbol of
America. Founded in 1895, Eckels special- significance. The photo will never fade,
izes in embalming chemicals, clinical care
creating a keepsake to be passed through
products for funeral home care suites and
the generations. A gift to truly cherish.
also provides a wide range of cemetery and www.ceramicprinting.com/palm-stones/;
crematorium products.
1.800.905.3295
Be sure to be
in the Expo Hall
Wednesday, 4-7 p.m.!
32
ICCFA Magazine
EnsureA-Seal
(#1032)
Ensure-ASeal offers
premiumquality casket protection and ongoing
consultation services to keep mausoleums
clean, safe and eliminate maintenance problems and the costs that go along with them.
By completely sealing caskets in EnsureA-Seal casket protectors, you can keep
mausoleum buildings in excellent condition.
Ensure-A-Seal products have been tested
with proven results, are easy to install and
come with our comprehensive warranty.
Express Funeral Funding (#836)

Express Funeral Funding is an industryleading insurance assignment funding company serving funeral homes and cemeteries
nationwide. With every claim we fund, you
will experience the friendliest, most professional and efficient administration of your
life insurance assignments. We welcome
you to stop by and let us share why we are
the fastest and easiest funding company
serving the funeral industry.
Facultatieve Technologies (#629)

Facultatieve Technologies, your partner in
providing cremation systems equipment. Our
designs and innovations provide maximum
energy and operational savings and most importantly, operator safety. We provide recommendations for complete turn-key solutions.
Our customer care unit provides support and
FT cremators are equipped with broadband
connection for 24/7 technical assistance
at no charge. Contact Ernie Kassoff, ernie.
kassoff@facultatieve-technologies-usa.com.
Family Bronze
(#249)
Our growth has
been based on
word-of-mouth
from one cemeterian
to the next. We are
praised for stunning
quality, immediate
response and consistent fair pricing. We are
willing to take the extra step to help make
your customers more than satisfied with
your services and pass the word along to
their friends as well.
Supernova AD
FULL PAGE
page 33
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
Forston
Lifts
(#1053)
EmpowerFederal Coach (#319)
ing
professionals
for
the
heavy
duty
tasks
Federal Coach has built a reputation
in mausoleums and funeral homes, Forston
for being the industrys quality, styling,
& Associates LLC is in its 25th year, having
service and value leader. Federal Coach
delivered and supported over 2,000 lifts in
takes pride in producing quality vehicles.
the field. Forston lifts are modular and can
Combining attractive styling and reliable
be upgraded with the latest options, giving
construction, with the most sought-after
them new life and new lift warranties.
features, Federals specialty vehicles are
www.casketlifts.com
some of the best-selling models in AmeriFrankca. Federal Coach is intelligent by design.
lin Wrap
(#1257)
Developed
for cemeteries by
cemeterians,
Fidelity Bank (#407)
Franklin
Fidelity Bank has met the needs of busiWrap
addresses
concerns
associated
with
nesses for over 40 years. We understand that
mausoleum entombment. Benefits include
every business has its own goals, strategies
and opportunities. Thats why we work with a two-way ventilation system that works
you one-on-one to understand your compa- with your mausoleum; transparent; a safe,
simple six-minute process to apply; and
nys financial needs. We offer a wide array
of banking tools to help you do what you do the most affordable product on the market
bestrun your business. Contact Alan.Mul- today. Please visit FranklinWrap.com to
watch our video presentation.
ligan@LionBank.com; 704.907.9417
Flowers for
Cemeteries (#933)
Flowers For Cemeteries is a leading
supplier of silk
Frazer Consultants (#1225)
cemetery flowers.
Our products include Frazer Consultants is a personalization,
technology and consulting company for the
flowers for ground
funeral profession. Our primary products
vase, mausoleum,
niche and monument and services include interactive funeral
saddle. Ruby and Da- home website design, funeral tribute video
software, digital registry, personalized
vid Broel have spent over 40 years serving
the cemetery/funeral industry. The products funeral stationery and funeral keepsakes.
produced by their company are designed for Its our focus to provide world renowned
solutions that help funeral home client
your families. The very best quality. Please
families better honor, celebrate, remember
stop by our booth for information.
and tell the life story.
www.flowersforcemeteries.com
Forethought Life Insurance Co. (#840)
FrontRunner Professional (#1025)
FrontRunner technology and marketing
solutions. Winner of the NFDA Innovation
Forethought Life Insurance Co. provides a
full suite of annuities and a leading preneed Award, the single-data-entry Pulse Business
life insurance platform to help solve the pre- System takes care of your website, management, marketing, arrangement, stationery
retirement, retirement and end-of-life challenges facing Americans today. Forethought and DVD needs in one integrated platform.
Diversify and grow new markets with the
is a subsidiary of Global Atlantic Financial
nationally-branded, turn-key cremation
Group LTD, a financial services company
and pet loss business solutions and see the
focused on the annuity, life insurance and
unveiling of the new TributeArt by worldreinsurance markets with over $40 billion
renowned artist Wyland.
in assets.
www.FrontRunner360.com
34
ICCFA Magazine
FRSR
Crematory
Repair (#1410)
FRSR Crematory Repair is
a full-service
operation. We
provide quicker service, better material and
more options to fit your crematory needs.
Not only do we provide service and repairs,
but we offer parts, supplies and accessories.
We are here to keep your business running.
Dont forget to visit our booth for our free
giveaways. www.frsr.us; 651.429.2537
Funeral Call (#958)

FuneralCall is the team of professional,
friendly receptionists exclusively serving
a variety of death care professionals. We
handle your callers with the same care and
compassion your own staff would display;
we essentially become an extension of
your funeral home or business. Visit our
website and hear how well take care of
your calls via our online call demos.
www.funeralcall.com
Funeral
Donation App
(#1004)
The
Funeral
Donation app is a free downloadable app to
either iPhone or Android products. It allows
simple and painless donations to either the
funeral home or to a chosen charity or organization of the family. The funeral homes
will generate revenue for themselves each
time the app is used and is no cost to funeral
home as well.
Funeral
Home
Gifts
(#945)
Funeral
Home
Gifts is the
premier
provider
of woven
Tribute Blankets and custom cap panels to
funeral homes throughout North America.
Delivered next day, our products comfort
families, provide revenue through re-orders
and provide vision to transition families
from direct cremation to personalized
memorial services. Call 1.800.233.0439 for
a free sample to try at your next service.
www.funeralhomegifts.com
Eagle Coach AD
FULL PAGE
page 35
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
FuneralOne (#829)
FuneralOne is an innovative solutions company leading a movement of change for the
funeral profession. We help funeral professionals innovate, connect with their families
in new ways and become more profitable.
Our award-winning solutions include: the
f1Connect website platform, Life Tributes
personalization software and The Sympathy
Store website plug-In. www.funeralone.com;
1.800.798.2575
Funeral Research & Insight (#1106)

Funeral Research & Insight is a full-service
market research firm specializing in the funeral profession. We provide mobile, online
and phone family satisfaction surveys with
a bullet-point results summary and recommendations, new funeral home location
research and funeral supplier research of
all kinds. Contact Rose at 317.865.1413 or
rose@funeralresearch.com for more information or visit www.funeralresearch.com.
Funeral
Services
Inc.
(#1301)
Funeral
Services Inc.
(FSI) is a
preneed administration and contract recordkeeping company that provides trust solutions
to funeral homes, cemeteries, associations
and financial institutions. With more than 35
years of experience, FSI offers expert knowledge of the funeral service profession and
web-based technology designed specifically
for preneed and perpetual care programs. For
more information, visit fsitrust.com.
FuneralTech (#613)
FuneralTech innovates technology to help
firms of all sizes. Firms are experiencing
increased market share, new revenue opportunities, stronger family loyalties and higher
profit margins. Our solutions incorporate
management, website, personalized tributes,
marketing, reporting and funeral planning
apps, combined with an unprecedented
ecommerce system. With the profession
changing, technology is more important
than ever. See how FuneralTech can help.
www.funeraltech.com
36
ICCFA Magazine
Gama Sonic
Solar (#553)
Gama Sonic
Solar is the
leading manufacturer of high
quality solar
lamp posts lights. Our solar lights can be
easily installed anywhere outdoors without
the hassle of digging, trenching and running
electrical wiring. If youre in the market
for a more sustainable lighting solution,
then the Imperial II solar lamp post light
is a viable option. Matt@gamasonic.com
1.800.835.4113 x104; www.gamasonic.com
Garfield Refining
Co. (#1105)
For 125-years, Garfield Refining Co.
has specialized in
providing recycling
and refining solutions for the dental,
jewelry and death
care industries. With generations of satisfied
customers worldwide, Garfield has thrived
in both bull and bear markets, providing a
stable and reliable marketplace for the recycling and refining of scrap metals. Please
visit our website for more information.
www.GarfieldRefining.com
Glass
Remembrances (#403)
Glass remembrances are
created as a work of art that
contains a small portion of
the cremains of your loved
one and keepsakes that
encase jewelry and flowers
and other memories. In todays highly mobile society,
people can be separated
from a dear friends resting
place. We create portable
tributes that can always be part of your life.
Great Western
(#655)
Great Western is
a preneed funding company,
founded by a
fifth-generation funeral home family. This
funeral home background provides the insight necessary for the most effective policy
design available. We bring preneed products
and marketing strategies to your funeral
home that will help mold your firm into the
type of preneed program and success you
want and expect. www.gwic.com
Grever & Ward Inc. (#1343)

Grever & Ward Inc. is the most widely
experienced cemetery design/planning firm
available, specializing completely in the
industry. With over 4,000 cemetery projects
completed since 1939, offering responsive service to all cemeteries, including
cemetery master plans, site plans, section
plans, cremation gardens, space recovery
programs, feature and landscape design,
lot layout and sales maps. Visit us at booth
1343. www.greverandward.com
Heirloom Bible
(#913)
We have been a leader
in supplying the deathcare industry with the
highest quality Protestant and Catholic
family bibles for over 50 years. The goldstamping service and valuable supplemental material provided with every order
will set your business apart in creating a
treasured personalized keepsake for the
families you serve. Visit us at www.heirloombibles.com or call 1.800.676.2448.
Holland
Supply
(#1047)
Holland
Supply
is the
Granite Resources and Phoenix Bronze
industrys
Resources (#755)
leading
Granite Resources and Phoenix Bronze
manuResources will meet ALL your memorial
facturer
needs. Phoenix Bronze Resources provides
of cemetery/funeral grounds and set-up
bronze memorials and architectural plaques
equipment and supplies. We offer a complete
manufactured at our foundry in Aliquippa,
line of products. Some of the items we offer
Pennsylvania. Granite memorials, markers,
columbariums, mausoleums, benches, statues, are all varieties of tents, lowering devices,
cremation features, sandblast carving and let- cremation and device stands, lot markers,
tering, diamond and laser etching. Visit online probes, urn vaults, casket carts, dump trailers,
mausoleum lifts and more. 1.800.527.8818;
www.grcgranite.com or www.pbrbronze.com
www.hollandsupplyinc.com
for more information.
Triple H AD 1 of 2
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Convention sponsors
Sponsors enable the ICCFA to offer excellent
programming while keeping registration fees low.
Sponsorships still available.
For information, visit
www.iccfa.com/exhibiting
Academy of Professional Funeral Service
Practice
AlanCreedy.org
American Memorial Life Insurance Co.
Answering Service for Directors (ASD)
Assurant Solutions
Batesville Casket Co. Inc.
Biondan North America Inc.
Blackstone Cemetery Development
Carriage Services
Clearpoint Federal Bank & Trust
Coeio
Coldspring
Cypress Lawn
Disrupt Media
Eagles Wings Air
Eckco Products
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks
and Mortuaries
Forethought Life Insurance Co.
Foundation Partners
Funeral Directors Life Insurance Co.
exhibitor profiles
Hiyi
Woodwork
Factory
(#753)
We have more
than 12 years
of experience in manufacturing wood urns,
chests and boxes, have cooperation with
over 200 customers around the world, offer
pet urns in a variery of woods to meet your
needs. maverick@wood-urns.com,
www.wood-urns.com
Holy Land
Stone
Co, LLC/
Jerusalem Stone
(#1359)
Creator
of the Jerusalem Stone Comfort Cross, the
Angel of My Heart, Eternity Heart and
Mitzpah Star made in America of stone
quarried in the Holy Land. Visit our booth
and discover how to truly connect with
your at-need families while increasing your
preneed sales. sales@holylandstone.com;
1.800.952.3412; www.holylandstone.com
Gibraltar Remembrance Services

Green Hills Memorial Park
Guerra & Gutierrez Mortuary
Howard Miller
(#1001)
Howard Miller delivers
high quality, attractive,
name-brand cremation products to funeral
providers nationwide.
Our memorial line includes mantel clock
urns, chest urns, keepsakes, scattering tubes
and medallions. Hekman Furniture is a sister
company of Howard Miller and offers its fine
contract grade furniture with factory direct
pricing to funeral homes and cemeteries.
Huian Chongwu Longheng
Stone Co. (#1312)
Huian Chongwu Longheng Stone Co. Ltd.
focuses on the monument product.
With the first-rate
quality, technology and innovation, professional service and
characteristic products, our company could
satisfy the diversified requirements from cus
tomers. Contact Jiaqiang Zeng by tel. 0086.
595.87676575 or fax 0086.595. 87685246 or
Jasonzjqk@hotmail.com. Visit
www.longhengstone.cn or Xidi Industry Area,
Chongwu Town, Huian County, Quanzhou
City, Fujian Province, China 362100.
Hauck Enterprises
Holman Howe Funeral Home
Homesteaders
IMSA
Independence Trust Co.
Inman Shipping Worldwide
Johnson Consulting Group
Legacy.com
Live Oak Bank
Madelyn Co.
Matthews International Corp.
NGL Insurance Group
NOMIS Publications Inc.
NorthStar Memorial Group
PlotBox
Precoa
Progressive Environmental Services
Regions Bank
Rick Miller, CCFE
Riviera Tailors LTD
Service Corporation International
Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum
StoneMor Partners LP
The Gardens at Gethsamane
The Signature Group
Trigard
Wilbert Funeral Services
Visit www.iccfa.com
for an up-to-date list of sponsors
38
ICCFA Magazine
Homesteaders (#600)
Homesteaders is a market-leading, preneed
funding company that provides safe, secure
products and services. Our customers benefit from the support provided by knowledgeable account executives; relationships
with Americas top-producing preneed
marketing organizations; superior customer
service; and innovative business management tools. Rated A- (Excellent) by A.M.
Best Co. Stop by booth #600 to learn more
or visit us at homesteaderslife.com.
Honor and
Remember
(#230)
Honor and
Remember
Recognizes
the sacrifice
of generations of fallen service members by establishing a national symbol of
remembrance, educating, comforting and
presenting personalized flags to fallen hero
families. Honor and Remember Inc. PO
Box 16834, Chesapeake, VA 23328
contact@honorandremember.org;
www.HonorandRemember.org
Huntington Bank (#306)

Huntington is a federally-regulated national
bank with trust powers. Our dedicated team
of trust professionals specializes in providing
solutions for investments and trust services
as we work with the funeral, crematory and
cemetery industry. Huntington currently services nearly 1,000 funeral homes, cemeteries and cremation providers in 11 states with
initiatives to expand. Contact Denise Stone at
1.866.737.4590 or denise.stone@huntington.
com.
Hunyuan Shixinchang Stone
Trading Co. (#513)
Shixinchang Stone
Trading Co. Ltd./Shi
Xin Group( SXG),
with 20 years history
and three factories, is the best Shanxi Black
granite monuments supplier. Contact Business Manager Xiaolei Chen by tel. 0086.
(0)352.8425093, fax 0086.(0)352.8425093
or chenxiaolei@shixingroup.com. Visit www.
shixingroup.com or www.shanxi-black.cn or
Dachang Hotel, Hengshan N. Road W., Yongan Town, Hunyuan County, Datong City,
Shanxi Province, China 037400.
Merendino AD
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exhibitor profiles
Intrix
(#1303)
Intrix
Independence Trust (#1040)
is an
Since 1997, weve served cemeteries and
industryfuneral homes as trustee, investment advisor
leading, complete payment systems provider.
or escrow agent. We believe the families
Our solutions provide members with the abilyou serve are the most important aspect of
your business and strive to handle the trusts ity to handle one-time to recurring payments,
ranging from funeral services, insurance or
professionally to allow you to focus on
your families. Federally chartered, we work lending payments. From funeral homes to
insurance firms, our payment technologies
across the United States with single locawill help optimize operations, perform transtion, regional multi-location and national
actions securely and is intuitive. Visit us at
companies.
www.intrix.com or call us at 855.546.8749.
Ingram Construction
J Stuart Todd
Co. (#1336)
Architects (#1235)
Ingram Construction
JST Architects specializes
Co. Inc. specializes in
in the particular requiremausoleum and coments of funeral industry
lumbarium design and
and cemetery architecconstruction. Since
ture. Whether it is funeral
1978, we have built over
672 projects in 38 states. home designwhich must include special
knowledge of funeral home operations,
We are a design/build firm with a staff
preparation and dressing facilities, selections
consisting of engineers, master planners,
rooms and merchandising centers, viewing
construction managers and craftsmen who
areas and reception centersor crematory
perform or direct every aspect of design
design, JST Architects has the knowledge and
and construction. We can be reached at
experience to get the job done.
1.800.346-3395 or 601.856.4906.
Jack Goodnoe
Cemetery Planning and
Design (#721)
Every cemetery has
unique opportunities,
needs and goals for their
Inman Shipping Worldwide (#909)
future growth and develInman Shipping Worldwide is Americas
opment. Jack Goodnoe
oldest, most comprehensive, and most
will work with you to
reliable international shipping ervice. Over
establish strategies for using your land
the past 35 years, Inman has become the
resources to full advantage. He can help
leader in nationwide shipping, offering its
you develop a master plan, design sections
same experience, integrity and personal
and columbarium facilities, establish phasservice globally. We guarantee our price
ing strategies and secure agency approvals.
and the quality of service that we provide.
Please visit our website at
We are everywhere you need us to be.
www.jackgoodnoe.com or call
1.800.321.0566, www.shipinman.com
734.769.1400.
Insight
Books
(#1261)
For
over 30
years,
Doug Mannings publishing company
Johnson Consulting (#610)
has been providing quality resources in
Johnson Consulting Group is a funeral home
the areas of grief and bereavement that
allow funeral directors to be valued guides and cemetery consulting firm specializing in
mergers and acquisitions, business valuafor their families. Our Certified Funeral
Celebrant training offers new ways for the tions, bank lending, accounting services,
profession to serve families. Our goal is to strategic planning, business performance
analysis, business performance improvement,
improve funeral service for firms and for
customer survey/sales analysis program and
families. 1.405.810.9501;
incentive compensation programs. Contact us
www.insightbooks.com
today at 1.888.250.7747 or visit us at
www.JohnsonConsulting.com.
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ICCFA Magazine
Kanga-Woo (#552)
Kanga-Woo first call pouches provide an
exclusive, top-quality, tailored-made first
call pouch. Unlike the traditional first call
pouch, Kanga-Woos technology presents a
more efficient first call pouch that focuses
on ease and use that standard pouches
miss. Visit www.Kanga-Woo.com to view
the complete line of new features with
modern colors and fabric designs.
Kelco
(#608)
Kelco is a
respected
supplier
dedicated
to serving funeral
professionals. With a comprehensive line
of funeral and cremation products, our
core mission is to provide our clients with
the same exemplary level of service and
respect that they provide for the deceased
and bereaved. Like youre there for your
families, were there for you! Contact us at
kelcosupply.com or 1.800.328.7720.
Kinkaraco (#824)
Mort couture. Designers of the first original
constructed shroud
(as seen on Six Feet
Under in 2005). For
green burial, cremation, resomation
and pets. The most
beautiful and trusted
American-made green funeral products in
the industry. The highest quality products at
the best value that the public wants to buy.
Come join our Kinkaraco reseller network:
www.kinkaraco.com.
KMI Columbaria (#505)

KMI Columbaria Inc. has supplied custom
designed and engineered columbaria to
the US and Canadian markets since 1999.
We lead the industry as inventors of the
all-aluminum niche system with patented
security system. We invite you to see how a
KMI columbarium can easily fit within your
available space and existing architecture
www.kmicolumbaria.com; 1.866.562.4744
Kryprotek AD
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exhibitor profiles
Kryprotek (#438)
Kryprotek, the big black box, is the best
protection available for your mausoleum,
staff and customers. For over 20 years,
the durable, lightweight, easy-to-use
Kryprotek has been helping cemetery professionals contain spills, transport remains
and keep their facilities clean. Come visit
us at booth #438. www.Kryprotek.com;
1.800.826.9406
Legacy Touch Inc. (#1109)

Legacy Touch specializes in creating
beautiful, personalized keepsakes to help
celebrate the unique life of a loved one.
Our memorial keepsakes feature engraved
fingerprint images, as well as personalized
inscriptions. We offer 24-hour turnaround
on the majority of our keepsake products. Through our commerce experience,
LTkeepsakes.com, families can order online
and funeral homes are always credited.
LegacyTouch.com; 1.855.802.6800.
Legacy.com (#652)
Legacy.com is the leader in the online
memorial and obituary market, collaborating with more than 3,500 funeral homes
and 1,500 newspapers worldwide. In 2015,
Tributes.com joined Legacy, creating the
largest obituary network with more than 37
million unique visitors each month. Visit
our booth to get a free SEO consultation for
your funeral home website.
Life Cycle
Urns (#758)
First time
exhibitors
at ICCFA.
Beautiful solid
gold and silver
cremation
beads designed
to fit Pandora.
Individually hand-crafted with love. Styles
include pet designs. Distributors of Mevisto memorial gemstones; sapphires and
rubies made from cremation ashes. Beads
and other memorial jewelry can be ordered
online from
www.wholesale-cremation-jewelry.com.
42
ICCFA Magazine
Live Oak
Bank (#1131)
Live Oak
Bank specializes in funeral
home lending
for refinance,
acquisition, expansion or renovation. With
the addition of Live Oak Trust, providing
preneed funeral, cemetery merchandise
and service and perpetual care cemetery
trust services, Live Oak continues its dedication to the death care space. Let us be
your financial solution. Contact us to learn
more. liveoakbank.com/funeral
Love Ashes (#752)
Love Ashes is an
award-winning company that offers handcrafted dichroic glass
memorial jewelry that
encases ashes, soil or
hair. Our work has
been featured in numerous trade publications and has been acclaimed by customers
across the globe. To learn more about how
you can boost your sales by offering Love
Ashes cremation and memorial jewelry, call
1.888.452.7278 or visit www.loveashes.com.
Mabrey Products (#1013)

We hand craft personal memories daily.
Handmade in our woodshop in Chico,
California, by craftsmen (and women), our
urns are built with solid hardwoods and
feature personal photography, laser engraved personalization, exotic wood inlays
and custom care. Were proud of the high
quality urns we produce the old-fashioned
way, one at a time in America by people
who care.
Madelyn Co.
(#436)
Madelyn Co. is a
respected keepsake
pendant supplier
serving funeral
directors and their
families since 1993.
They have always had a simple
purpose: to enable
others to cope more easily, to hold a source
of comfort in their hands and to find peace
in their hearts. 1.800.788.0807;
www.Madelynpendants.com;
Matthews Cemetery Products (#819)

With unmatched quality and expertise,
Matthews Cemetery Products is an industry
leader with valuable customer tools and a
comprehensive product offering of bronze
and granite memorials and monuments,
cremation memorialization products, mausoleums and cemetery features and statues.
Ask about our innovative memorialization
options and how to better serve cremation
families. www.matw.com
Matthews Environmental Solutions

(#1019)
Matthews Environmental Solutions, a division
of Matthews International Corp. (MATW)
is focused on the success of our clients and
environmental responsibility. As a total solutions provider of innovative products and
services, Matthews Environmental Solutions
produces cremation equipment, crematory
accessories, environmentally-friendly caskets
and service support materials to serve clients
worldwide. Contact 1.800.327.2831 or
MatthewsCremation.com.
Mausoleum
Supply Inc.
(#861)
The Mausoleum Protector (MP)
is the most
advanced
casket enclosure. MPs are the only enclosure
to offer lifting handles, providing an easier
and safer entombment process. Pete Flood
has made several product improvements to
his original MausoGuard design, including
locking rails with compression legs, rail
joint clips and a cold weather rail design.
Contact Mausoleum Supply, 1.863.646.2222
or www.mausoleumsupply.com.
McCleskey
Mausoleums (#708)
Since 1961, McCleskey has
been a trusted partner with
knowledgeable personnel
who have designed/constructed over 1,000 custom
mausoleums in over 40 states. As market
conditions changed, McCleskey developed
innovative concepts that better served clients,
creating a personal approach that resulted in
outstanding repeat customers. McCleskey professionals are now ready to discuss your next
project. Corporate office: 1.800.622.5759.
Clearpoint AD
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exhibitor profiles
Meadow Hill (#723)

... makes it easy to offer Thumbies and
Buddies. Fingerprints are captured with the
Thumbies scanner, which now grades the
quality of prints in real time; Print Vaults
double encryption removes worry of print
protection for both preneed and at-need
prints; and in 2016 Last Touch gives you a
true chain of custody, allowing comparison
of prints taken at different times.
Memorial
Business
Systems
(#1428)
NEXUS: the best way to start your day.
Software that thinks like you do: inventory,
ownership, installment accounting, automated
taxes, trusts and commissions, integrated
with color-coded GIS mapping and 250+
reports. Customer-approved data conversions,
legendary live support, two-three free annual upgrades and now with a funeral home
module. Call 1.800.844.4447. Want a cloud
option? MBS does that, too.
Memory
Glass (#1440)
Memory
Glass, the
original glass
keepsake
company, remains the market leader since
2002. Skilled artists create memorial keepsakes utilizing a small amount of cremated
remains suspended within solid glass. Not
just for cremation, soil or sand can also be
used. Designed for incremental sales, not
to replace urn sales. Become a vendor by
emailing Kim@memoryglass.com or call
813.765.7386.
Merendino
Cemetery
Care (#1327)
Experience
the difference.
Merendino
Cemetery
Care offers exceptional mowing, trimming,
interment, entombment and cemetery care
services to clients in the Midwest and
Northeast. Specializing in cemetery care,
the Merendino team receives ongoing sensitivity as well as quality and operational
training. We are here to help you bring the
best possible experience to the families
you serve.
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ICCFA Magazine
Messenger (#1108)
Messenger has been the leading manufacturer
of funeral stationery products, including
register books, service folders, acknowledgements, prayer cards and laminated bookmarks, since 1913. We also lead the way in
technology solutions with our digital Expression Guest Registry, Floral Xpress, Xpress
Donations, Legacy Touch Keepsakes, Make
It! personal printing software and more.
Satisfaction guaranteedits our promise.
Experience the difference.
www.messengerstationery.com
Miller
Architects
(#860)
Miller
Architects
& Builders
is your single-source funeral home specialist for development, architectural design and
construction services. With over 140 years in
business and 40 years in funeral home design
and construction, we understand the needs
of the funeral home industry. Planning new
construction, a second location, expansion/remodeling, let our team guide you through the
process. 1.800.772.1758; www.millerab.com
Morgan Stanley (#507)

Portfolio management for your cemetery and
funeral trusts. Working with your existing
trust provider or through one of our third-party trust partners, Morgan Stanley can provide
you custom asset allocation services tailored
to your goals and risk tolerance. Contact:
Jim Cholet, vice president/financial advisor
at james.cholet@morganstanley.com or call
301.631.7104 to learn more. 30 W. Patrick
St., Frederick, MD 21701
Mortuary Lift Co.
(#1207)
Since our inception, the Mortuary
Lift Co. has been
providing top
quality, dependable
body lifts to funeral
homes, morgues and hospitals worldwide.
For over 50 years, our Ultimate 1000 lift
and track systems continue to be one of the
best selling lifts in the funeral industry. We
stand behind our product because it is the
ultimate in prep-room lifting.
National
Guardian
Life (#1219)
National
Guardian Life Insurance Co. (NGL) provides a
competitive funeral prefunding portfolio,
cremation awareness marketing materials
and more. NGL has been one of Americas
most successful and highly rated independent mutual life insurance companies for
over 100 years, supported by an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best and assets
exceeding $3.3 billion. Learn more at
NGLIC.com.
National
Mortuary
Shipping
(#311)
NMS assists
hometown directors with out-of-town deaths and has been
the funeral industrys trusted source as a
full-service provider for over 30 years. We
are proud to offer domestic and international shipping, cremations, removal services, embalming, livery, airline transfers,
flight booking, graveside services and
disinterments, as well as assistance with
shipping requirements, death certificates
and airline requirements.
Natural
Legacy
USA
(#1000)
Looking for
an easy-toimplement
natural burial option? Natural Legacy offers
an innovative line of biodegradable woolen
caskets that are gentle on the eye and soft to
the touch. Combine our casket with a Grave
Guard outer burial container for an easyto-implement natural burial in any cemetery.
Visit us at www.naturallegacyusa.com or call
1.877.421.4242 for more information.
NFDA
(#1002)
NFDA is
the leading
and largest
funeral
director association in the world. NFDA
is the strongest advocate for the funeral
service profession. We offer comprehensive
educational resources and access to the largest network of funeral service experts. Join
us in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October
23-26 for the NFDA International Convention & Expo. Visit www.nfda.org today.
NGL AD
FULL PAGE
page 45
4-COLOR
exhibitor profiles
Look for the signs

in the Expo Hall
first-time exhibitors (above, So
Impressives booth
at the 2012 convention), PLPA (Pet
Loss Professionals
Alliance) supplier
members and 2015
KIP (Keeping it
Personal) award
winners.
Look for the KIP Award display in the

Expo Hall to learn about the 2015 winners.
46
ICCFA Magazine
Nomis (#952)
Nomis Publications Inc. publishes the most widely
circulated media
for the funeral
and cemetery industries. Annual publications include the Funeral Home & Cemetery
Directory and Buyers Guide. Funeral Home
& Cemetery News, a trade newspaper, is
published monthly. www.nomispublications.
com offers a comprehensive online directory,
FH&C News online and online classifieds.
P.O. Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514;
1.800.321.7479; Fax 1.800.321.9040;
www.nomispublications.com;
info@nomispublications.com
OrthoMetals
(#1360)
We process metals after cremation. OrthoMetals is a fully
certified and registered company with more
than 15 years of experience. We conduct the
collection and recycling of metals for crematoria worldwide. Get to know us; we will be
more than happy to demonstrate how we can
serve your crematorium.
www.orthometals.com
Paradise Pictures
(#727)
Paradise Pictures
provides beautiful
porcelain memorial
portraits made entirely in the United
States. In addition to our portraits, we offer
state-of-the-art GPS connected online. No QR
Code required. Please stop by our booth for a
personal demonstration of our technology and
to see our beautiful work. 1.800.960.8040;
scott@paradisepictures.com;
www.paradisepictures.com/iccfa and
www.admiredlife.com
Passages
International
(#1241)
Passages International leads
the industry in
eco-friendly
funeral products. Our extensive selection
of biodegradable urns, scattering tubes and
wicker caskets will exceed your families expectations. We have the profitable
solutions you need, to cater to the nontraditional funeral consumer. Visit booth
#1241 to see whats new and become a
partner provider of aGreenerFuneral.org.
Passages International, The Natural Choice;
1.888.480.6400
Peaceful Memories (#1007)

Peaceful Memories by Memories Unlimited
Inc. Eco-conscious cremation and bereavement tools for human and pet loss. See all
Peaceful Return scattering urn sizes and the
preshand insert sizes for infant cremation.
Learn how a Memory Box and Keepsake
Impressions Kit with no-mix, air-dry molding material can help increase your revenue
with products for pets and humans. phone:
360.491.9819; email: peacefulmemories@
memoriesunlimited.com
PFA (#1310)
PFA tax and accounting professionals are a
full-service accounting firm with more than
100 years funeral industry experience. PFAs
expertise makes us especially valuable to
funeral homes or cemeteries by providing:
financial analysis, budgeting, pricing, FTC
compliance, contracts and billing, succession planning and payroll. We also work with
several software providers to maximize your
existing technology and increase productivity.
Physicians Mutual (#1035)

Innovative products, proven solutions:
Thats what youll get when you join the
Physicians Mutual family. By collaborating with The Outlook Group, were able
to provide busy funeral home owners with
the products and marketing solutions that
make sense for you. Let us help you grow,
maximize and protect your preneed business. Call us today at 1.877.932.3239 or
visit www.physiciansmutual.com/preneed.
Pittsburgh Institute
of Mortuary
Science (#1345)
PIMS is one of the
premier funeral service
educational institutions
in the country. The institute offers three
different programs, in-residence, which
vary from three to five trimesters in length,
and four different bachelor degree options.
PIMS OnLine now enables the student to
pursue professional funeral service education at a distance from home or office via
the Internet. 1.800.933.5808; www.pims.edu
Pontem
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Custom Air AD
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exhibitor profiles
PlotBox
(#1325)
PlotBox
provides data
migration,
cemetery
mapping and
software solutions to the burial and cremation industry. The database combined with
the mapping functionality is amazing! And
the mapping app they have makes linking
physical locations to records really fast. And
the support team is great. They are always
quick to respond. Love PlotBox! David
Massey, Park View Cemetery, California.
www.plotbox.io; Leona@plotbox.io
Pontem (#810)
Flexible, affordable, easy-to-useits no
wonder Pontems cemetery management software is #1 among cemeteries nationwide. A
powerful data manager, mapping options including GIS for both large and small cemeteries, and online burial search/kiosk comprise
the core of Pontemsofferings. Pontem easily
shares data with best-in-class partner products
for accounting, mobile apps, 360-degree imaging and sales. Call 1.888.742.2378; sales@
pontem.com; www.pontem.com/bestinclass
Precoa (#637)
Precoa (The Preneed
Company of America) continues to be
a preneed industry
leader, providing
funeral homes with
solutions to build their market share and
serve more families. Our proactive preneed
program offers leading funeral homes
proven sales methods, effective marketing programs, innovative technologies and
positive customer experiences. Coupled
with excellent financial security, Precoa
builds lasting partnerships with unrivaled
results.
Preneed Builders (#331)

Preneed Builders is a new marketing
platform that helps funeral homes increase
preneed leads and gain market share. Our
suite of proactive marketing tools helps
connect you with more families that are
interested in preplanning and our builtin lead management tool makes it easier
than ever to keep your name top of mind.
Learn more at www.preneedbuilders.com.
48
ICCFA Magazine
PSM
(#345)
PSM, the
Picture
Specialist for
Memorial offers memorialists superior
quality memorial portraits backed with our
unconditional guarantee. With 120 years of
knowledgeable experience, PSM produces
the finest quality cameos in porcelain,
SLIM enameled steel and our DEDO
Classic, as well as an extensive collection
of bronze frames. You may contact us at
1.866.810.9500 or at info@psm.qc.ca.
Visit us at psmportraits.com.
Qeepr
(#858)
Qeepr
[kee-per]
is the
first social memorial platform connecting
funeral professionals and their families.
Turn every cemetery record into an interactive online memorial, viewable directly on
your current website. Use Qeepr Mobile
to instantly store and provide cemetery
directions, and allow visitors to scan a
monument to reveal the tribute. Utilize the
interactive kiosk for mausoleum mapping
and sales. www.Qeepr.com
Randolph Rose
Collection (#211)
Family-owned
and -operated, we
specialize in the
finest quality bronze
sculpture, planters,
urns and fountains.
The extensive collection includes lifesize pieces depicting children, families and
pets.Our elegant and timeless pieces draw
interest and enhance the landscape as well
as interior design.We can create custom
designs for any project or inspiration.
www.randolphrose.com; 1.800.423.2047
Regions Funeral & Cemetery Trust

Services (#508)
Regions Funeral & Cemetery Trust
Services takes a consultative approach to
providing comprehensive solutions that
meet the investment and trust administration needs of our clients. Learn how our
dedicated team can help you. Call David
Falconer, director of administrative services, at 713.693.5300.
Remembrance
Creations
(#1112)
The Urn Memorial delivers a dramatic
presentation
of the urn and
displays a framed portrait photo and mementos of the dearly departed at the cremation
memorial service. The urn is placed upon an
illuminated glass surface where the patented
LED light box produces a soft glow effect
to the urn, creating a unique visual presence.
Complete product line at
www.remembranceltd.com.
Riviera Tailors (#907)

Since 1962, Riviera Tailors has been the
leading custom tailor from Hong Kong
specializing in custom-made shirts, suits
and uniforms. Our quality and value will
make you come back to us again and again
with confidence. Visit George Balani at our
booth for a complete range of fabrics for
shirts and suits. 718.809.4234;
email: gbalani@rivieratailors.com
RK Productions
(#1201)
The Everafter Collection, unique carved
stone urns, keepsakes
and candle holder urns
all handmade in North
America. Original
designs; custom engraving available. Hand-painted, real natural
carved stone designed with families in mind.
Celebrating life with art, all at very affordable
pricing. We are the largest North American
producer of handmade stone products. Toll
free, 1.888.275.7763; www.rkurns.com
SecuriGene (#1437)
SecuriGene is the only
accredited laboratory providing DNA
preservation and testing
services through our
network of over 1,600
partnered funeral
homes. Our DNA capsule allows families to
preserve the genetic
legacy of their loved one, and provides them
with new opportunities for genetic testing
in the future. Become an authorized retailer with zero obligation or upfront costs.
1.877.714.6359; www.SecuriGene.com
Funeral Data Manager AD

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exhibitor profiles
ShivaShade (#447)
Eco-friendly products made in USA: Absorb-It (for purging), Blood BeGone soap
(removes dried blood, makeup and fingerprint ink), Very Berry or Lavendar (room
deodorizer to neutralize de-com). Also gel
caps for coolers. Biomint used for cremations. Suture BeGone adhesive bonds skin
or cranium (dries clear; put makeup on
over it). We carry BodySealer, a hermetically sealed biocontainment pouch.
Skyways Media
(#754)
Skyways Media
individually designs
and publishes Funeral
planning guides at
zero costs to funeral
homes, cemeteries
and crematoria,
with offices in UK,
Europe, Canada and now USA our no-cost,
high-quality guides provide you with an
impressive marketing tool whilst offering
your clients and your community invaluable
information on preplanning, arranging a
funeral/cremation and aftercare.
Southern Cemetery, Cremation and

Funeral Association (#340)
The Southern Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association is a regional organization established to help promote the
funeral industry in our southeast region
by coming together as family. Please
stop by our booth to see how being part
of the Southern can benefit you. Join us
at our June 2016 annual convention at the
Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, South
Carolina.
SpartaCraft
(#500)
SpartaCraft
has been
providing
hand-crafted heirloom quality flag cases to
funeral homes and the United States military for over 25 years. Our American-made
flag cases are a perfect way for funeral
directors to create lasting impressions for
veteran services. We offer same-day shipping and custom engraving. Contact us at
sales@spartacraft.com or 1.800.282.8044.
www.spartacraft.com
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ICCFA Magazine
Star Granite and Bronze (#1137)

Star Granite and Bronze offers a comprehensive product line of bronze and granite
memorials which include elegant private
estate mausoleums. We stock a large inventory of import memorials which means
quicker delivery times. For superior quality
memorials, blended with excellent customer
service let Star be your preferred vendor
of choice. Call 1.800.241.7242 or visit our
web site at www.stargranite.com.
Starmark Cremation Products (#1453)

Starmark products are sold direct to funeral
homes, cremation societies and crematories
nationwide. Products are packaged on skids
and shipped via common carrier to provide
the most competitively priced products
available. Starmark products are designed to
appeal to consumers in design, function and
price while providing funeral professionals
the ability to price their products competitively and generate higher profit margins.
StoneMor Partners (#834)

Youve worked hard to get where you are.
Selling your business is a life event. It pays
to talk to the right people. Let your property
join our growing family of death-care properties. Meet our acquisition team: Gregg
Strom, 215.826.2805 and Nancy Lohman,
386.615.1100. StoneMor Partners: Professionals for over four decades. The trusted
name in our business. www.StoneMor.com
Summit Achievement
Group (#852)
Stop bronze theft and
paying too much.
To see the new line
of replacement vases
and memorials from
New Life Memorial Ltd. Made in the USA. At booth 852.
And call Rick at 832.818.4897 or Bill at
423.290.9808. bparks@optilink.usa or
www.newlifememorialltd.com
Sunset
Memorial
(#905)
With over
22 years
of experience
manufacturing custom columbaria, Sunset Memorial is turning heads in the industry for
its high quality granite designs. Working
collaboratively with cemetery management
and architects from coast to coast is our
forte. Sunset is recognized for its innovation, quality craftsmanship, key lockable aluminum or Nylene interior niche
design and outstanding customer service.
1.800.363.3393; www.sunsetstone.com
Terrybear Urns & Memorials (#1149)

At Terrybear Urns & Memorials we
believe in exceeding expectations by
designing and distributing the highest
quality products for loved ones and loving
pets. Our mission is to provide families
with beautifully handcrafted, affordable
cremation urns and keepsakes. View our
product catalogs at www.terrybear.com. US
and international distributor opportunities
currently available. Contact us today at
1.888.588.8767.
The Champion Co. (#719)

For the last 135 years, The Champion Co.
has provided the funeral profession with
leading edge technology in the development of preparation products. Champion
presents a full line of traditional, reduced
exposure, formaldehyde-free and ecocertified products. Consider Champions
specialty products, formulated for even
the most difficult of cases. Call us at
1.800.328.0115 or view us online at
www.thechampioncompany.com.
Carrier AD
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exhibitor profiles
BOOK SIGNING
Watch for the
book sale &
signing on
Thursday in the
Expo Hall by
keynote speaker
Ken Blanchard.
The Davey Tree Expert Co. (#1041)

The Davey Tree Expert Co.s more
than 8,000 employees provide tree care,
grounds maintenance and environmental
consulting services for the residential, utility, commercial and government markets
in more than 47 states and five Canadian
provinces. Davey has provided Proven
Solutions for a Growing World since
1880 and has been employee-owned for 35
years. For more information, visit
www.davey.com.
The Davis Whitehall Co. (#1237)
Davis Whitehall
creates one-of-akind customized
cremation urns.
Handcrafted in
America, using
domestic and exotic
hardwoods, each
urn is designed to
honor and memorialize the uniqueness
of every individual. When preserving
a memory, it must be perfect.Terry
School, president of The Davis Whitehall Co. Contact us at 1.800.818.8414 or
design@davis-whitehall.com. Visit our
website at www.davis-whitehall.com.
The Foresight
Companies
(#1101)
We are the
leading
provider of
financial and management consulting for
the funeral home and cemetery profession, offering comprehensive solutions
in accounting, human resources, surveys,
valuations, M&As, financing, succession
planning and re-engineering. Our professionals can help you increase business
efficiency and profitability while you focus
on the compassionate delivery of service to
your community.
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ICCFA Magazine
The Tribute
Companies
(#828)
Your success begins with Tribute.
For over 40 years,
our company has
provided cemeteries with quality solutions
to meet their management and development needs. Our divisions include cemetery professionals offering generations
of experience, design and construction
creating value through custom-build services, precast products, mausoleum crypts,
cremation niches, lawn crypts and burial
vaults. Contact us for your quality solution. 262.367.9991; www.tributeinc.com
The
Wilbert
Group
(#1125)
The
Wilbert Group offers diverse products
and services, including burial vaults and
cremation products through the Wilbert
Funeral Services network of licensees;
Pierce Chemicals and related supplies;
Signet Supply caskets; granite products
through Wilbert Cemetery Construction;
monuments through Wilbert Memorials;
and funeral service education through
Pierce Colleges. Commemorating life with
respect is the essence of what we do. Visit
www.wilbert.com.
Tribute Memorials (#859)
TributeMemorialsaz.com utilizes innovative features that set it apart from the norm
in memorial urns. Our line-up of urns are
inspired by the experience of losing a family member of our own. Highly developed
materials, processes, hardware and designs
exclusive to Tribute Memorials make our
urns appeal to consumers. Products are
offered factory-direct to funeral homes and
crematories with competitive prices.
Trigard
(#735)
Why
should
you visit
a vault
companys
booth while at ICCFA? You want to grow,
and so do we. Trigard has proven tools to
help you generate new revenue streams.
We will help put money back in your
pocket by increasing your average vault
sale and introducing you to new cremation solutions that will help you grow.
1.800.637.1992. www.trigard.com
Triple H (#908)
Triple H manufacturers and distributes
cemetery, crematory, mausoleum and
funeral products. It
was founded in 1950 by cemeterians Robert E., David N. and David W. Hepburn.
For many years the tradition continued
under the supervision of Robert, Ellen and
Jim Hepburn. Today, Jim and his fine staff
continue to provide quality products and
service. Call 1.800.252.3444; website:
www.triplehcompany.com.
Trust 100
(#504)
Trust 100
specializes
in preneed,
having
demonstrated
longevity and stability since 1979. We have
the programs, the systems, the strategies
and the people to help funeral home owners
prepare for the new era of funeral service.
Partnering with Trust 100 assures you have
a committed focus for the future of your
business. Bob Ekins, 513.470.1266; bob.
ekins@trust100.com; www.trust100.com
Unity
Financial
Life
(#1405)
What
makes Unity Financial
Life the fastest growing privately-held life
insurance company in America, according to INC Magazine? Simple solutions,
demonstrated strength and exceptional
value. Unity Financial Life Insurance Co.
provides you exceptional economic value
by offering a rewarding mix of quality products, policy growth, competitive
commissions and affordable premiums.
Visit us online at www.uflife.com or call
1.877.523.3231.
U.S.
Cremation
Equipment
(#410)
A manufacturer
of high-quality human and pet cremation
systems specifically designed for the demands of your business. Our company also
offers a full range of services related to the
zoning, permitting, installation, operation
and service of our cremation equipment.
We also offer a complete line of urns and
memorial products.We look forward to
meeting you. Enjoy the conference!
Wilbert AD
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exhibitor profiles
Vantage
Products (#910)
Vantage Products Corp. is a
premier manufacturer and provider of a
wide range of funeral and death care interment products. Vantage has spent years
of R&D to create and provide products
that exceed all expectations, made from
engineered materials that deliver superior
performance for the ultimate in strength
and protection. Vantage Products Corp.,
960 Almon Road, Covington, GA 30014;
1.800.481.3303.
webCemeteries.com
(#812)
Our 10th
year offers
lots of
upgrades. Come see our new cemetery
website portal with interactive maps,
memorials and lead generating tools, our
new Enterprise Sales app and our integration with Cemetery360 ground level views.
Presenting and selling your cemetery has
never been easier. We can scan and enter
your paper records, and integrate these
tools into most records platforms.
Whitehall Products (#1208)

Whitehall Bronze memorials feature
an aluminum core, encased in a bronze
shell. Thirty-year-equivalent corrosion
and weatherization testing showed zero
cracking, chipping, breakdown or UV
fade. As an extra measure of preservation,
Whitehall Memorials are sealed with a
durable clear coat that resists impact and
scratching from lawn maintenance equipment. This revolutionary process reduces
cost without compromising performance.
Guaranteed.
Above, ICCFA Vice President Jay Dodds, CFSP, this years convention cochair (with Lee Longino), at last years ICCFA Educational Foundation booth.
While in the Expo Hall, stop by the foundations booth and the ICCFA Welcome
Lounge, which will be at the entrance to this years expo, for information about
association programs, benefits and products.
WithumSmith+Brown (#546)
We are a full-service public accounting
and consulting firm serving private and
publicly-held companies, with specialized
support to more than a dozen major industry
sectors, including death-care services.
Our team of 700+ staff across seven states
brings a unique level of quality to every
client engagement, providing greater assurance, increased profitability and long-term
r
growth. www.withum.com
54
ICCFA Magazine
Paradise Pics AD
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IMSA AD
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I C C FA N E W S
2015 KIP Awards to be presented during 2016 convention
he ICCFA has named its 2015 Keeping

It Personal (KIP) Award winners. KIP
recognizes the best in personalization in
the cemetery and funeral profession. The five
categories are:
Most Personalized Service or Memorial
Best Practice/Personal Touch
Best Event
Innovative Personalized Product (suppliers)
Most Personalized Pet Service or Memorial
Most Personalized Service
First Place and Grand Prize Winner

SCI/Striffler-Hamby at Parkhill Cemetery:
Personalization for a Young Fishermans
Visitation
Columbus, Georgia
When a young man was killed in a car wreck, Striffler-Hamby at
Parkhill created a unique display to showcase his love for fishing
during the visitation. They asked the family to display the mans
favorite fishing rods, hats and tacklebox set around an old fishing
boat.
Since the man also loved Mountain Dew and skateboarding,
there was also a tub of Mountain Dew and a picture gallery
of him skateboarding next to his skateboard. The family was
overwhelmed by the detail that went into the visitation display
and the guests were impressed by the attention to detail.
Best Practice/Personal Touch
First Place
Rose Hill Cemetery of Hagerstown Maryland:
Cremation Memorial
Hagerstown, Maryland
Rose Hill Cemetery noticed a problem during some of their
cremation burials. Many people chose to display their loved ones
in the complimentary container, but were displeased with the way
the container looked.
Since the cremains were being buried, purchasing a more
decorative urn was not a reasonable option. Rose Hill responded
by creating a memorial urn cover made of cherry wood, offered
at no cost to the families. The urn cover comes with a glass
votive that can be personalized for the family to keep, as well as
additional votives available for purchase.
Since the cemetery started offering this option, every family
has used the urn cover and has been delighted with the results.
Honorable Mention
Cook Funeral and Cremation Services (Cook Family
Services): A Holiday Remembrance
Grandville, Michigan
Best Event
First Place
Catholic Cemeteries Archdiocese of Newark: Birdhouse Event
Newark, New Jersey
In what began as an effort to educate students in the value of
cemeteries, the archdiocese cemeteries created a birdhouse
building program. Students assemble these birdhouses during the
summer work program and share stories about

people close to them who have passed on. They
are allowed to personalize their birdhouses in
memory of their loved ones and the cemetery
provides a small plaque for these houses. Media
coverage surrounding the event has brought new
visitors to see the birdhouses, as well as people
who are interested in sponsoring them.
Honorable Mention
Cook Funeral and Cremation Services
(Cook Family Services):
Widows and Widowers Picnic
Grandville, Michigan
Innovative Personalized Product
First Place
Cemetery360: Virtual Reality Experience
Sacramento, California
Cemetery360 offers a unique way for consumers to engage with
cemetery properties if they are not on the premises. Their virtual
reality experience gives them a personalized experience using
any type of smartphone placed in virtual reality goggles. Users
are immersed in the cemetery environment, allowing them to
navigate the cemetery as if they were physically there.
Honorable Mention
Answering Service for Directors: Web Chat Connect
Media, Pennsylvania
Honorable Mention
Frazer Consultants: Tribute e-Guest
Middleton, Wisconsin
Honorable Mention
FrontRunner Professional: Simpler Times
Kingston, Ontario
Most Personalized Pet Service or Memorial
First Place
Beyond the Rainbow Pet Hospice & Memorial Center:
Honoring the Life and Service of Pepper
Fort Worth, Texas
When K-9 Officer Pepper of the Wise County Sheriffs
Department was shot and killed in the line of duty, Kate Branson
of Beyond the Rainbow contacted the sheriffs office to offer a
line-of-duty funeral for the dog.
Kate and Terry Branson worked closely with the department to
provide a service that was just like services provided for human
officers killed in the line of duty. An honor guard transported the
remains of Pepper in a custom urn to the church service. More
than 50 K-9 units joined the 800 fellow officers and friends from
all over the United States to pay their respects to Pepper.
All first place and honorable mention winners will be
recognized at the 2016 Annual Convention & Expo in New
Orleans, Louisiana. The Grand Prize winner receives a free entry
to the convention. They will also be featured in the May issue
of ICCFA Magazine. For more information on all winners, visit
www.iccfa.com/kip.
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March/April 2016
57
I C C FA N E W S
More reasons to attend the 2016 ICCFA Annual Convention
he ICCFA Annual Convention,

April 13-16 in New Orleans,
Louisiana, offers several educational
tracks that allow you to learn best practices
and successful techniques specific to the
functions you carry out in your job every
day. Here are some highlights of two of the
educational tracks:
Sales & Marketing
Friday, April 15, 2 p.m.

Can We Really Borrow Business
Strategy from Walmart?
Paul J. Seyler, president, Competitive
Resources, New Orleans, Louisiana
Its fair to say most independent opera
tors want to be the opposite of Walmart
smaller, locally-owned and nowhere near
those razor-thin profit margins. Surpri
singly, there are some strategy lessons
independents can learn from the retailing
giant about leverage, facilities, collabora
tion and competitive advantage. This
presentation looks at a few of the less well
known factors in Walmarts success and
how independent firms can use them to
build a better, more competitive business.
Friday, April 15, 4 p.m.

Bringing Leads into your Sales Pipeline
Dale Filhaber, president, listologist
supreme & direct marketing commentator,
Dataman Group Direct, Boca Raton,
Florida
Every cemetery and funeral home needs
to market. The key to success is to market
wisely and generate quality leads on an
ongoing basis. One way to do this is to
develop a strategic lead generation program
that brings leads into the sales pipeline dayin/day-out.
There are different tactics for develop
ing preneed leads, creating high visibility
for at-need and finding the right prospects
for final expense. This session will cover
prospecting by direct mail, telemarketing
and e-mail, as well as the opportunities for
maximizing in-house lists. Also discussed
will be how search engine optimization

(SEO), social media and becoming a
community resource can impact your lead
generation.
Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m.

Stay Relevant: Giving Families What
They Want
Heather Garman, director of marketing,
and Tracy Fetters, marketing &
communications supervisor, Messenger,
Auburn, Indiana
Are you delivering what your consumers
really want? Have you ever had a family
bring in their own merchandise or choose
the lowest priced something because
they didnt find something they liked? Do
you deliver product options families find
real meaning in and that make them feel
positively connected to you for providing it
to them?
Listen and learn from real snippets of
consumer research. Hear it from real families
who were thrilled, somewhat satisfied or
disappointed with lack of memorialization
options. Garman and Fetters will discuss
ways to apply active listening skills, feedback
tracking and evaluation along with customer
satisfaction surveys to help you stay relevant
and really make a wow statement.
Inconvenient Truths about Funeral &
Cemetery Marketing
Dan Katz, president and creative director,
LA AdsA Marketing Agency, Northridge,
California
Dan Katz will explore the seven key
inconvenient truths that every funeral
service marketer needs to acknowledge,
understand and embrace in order to
overcome the barriers of audience
indifference, limited financial resources,
changing markets, new technologies and
competitive pressures. Within the context
of each of these inconvenient truths, he
will share specific strategies and tactics
marketers can put to use that can have
a direct impact on the outcomes of their

marketing efforts.
Management
Saturday, April 16,11 a.m.

Staff Retention: How to Keep the Best
and Change the Rest
Shannon Leahy, founder/head honcho,
Raystorm Communications, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
Attracting and inspiring employees
is one of the most challenging parts of
leadership. So how do you attract people
who love what they do, work hard and stay
dedicated to making a difference in the
world? The business-as-usual job posting
wont attract them. Business-as-usual
interview questions wont inspire them.
You can attract the best people for your
business by showing them what youre
building and asking them what they see. By
making a few simple changes during the
interview process, you can attract the best
people for your business, your families and
your life.

When Does a 1% Increase Mean a
20% Decline for Your Trust? Managing
Portfolio Risk in a Rising Interest Rate
Environment
James M. Cholet, CRPC, vice president
wealth management and financial advisor,
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management,
Frederick, Maryland
After 35 years of declining interest rates
and stable bond prices, the Federal Reserve
has stated its intent to begin raising rates.
What effect might that have on your bonds,
mutual funds or exchange traded funds?
Attend this session, presented by veteran
advisor Cholet, to better understand how
increasing interest rates affect bond prices
and what steps you may take as a fiduciary,
to help protect your portfolio.
You can still register to attend the
ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo at
q
www.iccfaconvention.com.
Introducing BOBO! (Buy One, Bring One)

For each full registration to the convention, you may bring a first-time attendee FREE of
charge (registration must be of equal or lesser value; does not include the Closing Dinner
or any ticketed events). To take advantage of this offer, visit www.iccfaconvention.com.
58
ICCFA Magazine
ASD AD
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Zontec AD
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March-April 2016
59
I C C FA N E W S
Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice B AlanCreedy.org B American Memorial Life Insurance Co.
B Answering Service for Directors (ASD) B Assurant Solutions B Batesville Casket Co. Inc. B Biondan North
America Inc. B Blackstone Cemetery Development B Carriage Services B Clearpoint Federal Bank & Trust B
Coeio B Coldspring B Cypress Lawn B Disrupt Media B Eagles Wings Air B Eckco Products B Forest Lawn
Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries B Forethought Life Insurance Co. B Foundation Partners B Funeral Directors
Life Insurance Co. B Gibraltar Remembrance Services B Green Hills Memorial Park B Guerra & Gutierrez
Mortuary B Hauck Enterprises B Holman Howe Funeral Home B Homesteaders B IMSA B Independence Trust
Co. B Inman Shipping Worldwide B Johnson Consulting Group B Legacy.com B Live Oak Bank B Madelyn
Co. B Matthews International Corporation B NGL Insurance Group B NOMIS Publications Inc. B NorthStar
Memorial Group B PlotBox B Precoa B Progressive Environmental B Regions Bank B Rick Miller, CCFE B
Riviera Tailors Ltd. B Service Corporation International B Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum B StoneMor
Partners LP B The Gardens at Gethsamane B The Signature Group B Trigard B Wilbert Funeral Services
Livestreaming sessions offered by One Room
he professionals at One Room will

offer livestreaming of all general
sessions and educational breakout
sessions at the ICCFA Annual Convention
& Expo, April 13-16, in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
The service will cost $300. Sessions
will be available for viewing at their
advertised times only (Note: New Orleans
is on Central time). No continuing
education credit will be available by
watching these sessions. Registration
for this service will be made public on
Monday, March 28, at
www.iccfa.com/livestream.
q
Funerals are important on many levels,

but it can be challenging to bring everyone
together on the day. One Room provides a
simple and reliable way to include people, no
matter where or when they are able to watch
the service. Nothing replaces being there,
but One Room ensures this important life
celebration can be shared and kept.
Save the Date: PLPA College this September
he Pet Loss Professionals Alliance has decided to hold its sixth annual PLPA
College September 25-27, 2016, in Chicago. This event covers a multitude
of topics unique to running a successful pet loss services business. Attending
PLPA College is a prerequisite for obtaining a Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP)
certification. Look for more details coming this summer.
q
60
ICCFA Magazine
ANNUAL MEETING OF
MEMBERS REMINDER
Just a reminder: The ICCFA
Annual Meeting of Members
will take place at the Annual
Convention & Expo on
Thursday, April 14, from 8 to
9:30 a.m. in Halls D&E of the
Morial Convention Center in the
General Session area.
Vote for members to represent
you on the Board of Directors,
listen to officer reports on the
state of the ICCFA and fully
engage in the running of your
association.
q
Triple H AD
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Eagles Wings AD
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March-April 2016
61
I C C FA N E W S
Sales professionals inspired, taught best practices

and have fun at Wide World of Sales Conference
crowd of more than 400 sales

counselors and managers attended
the 2016 Sales Olympics, the
theme of the 2016 Wide World of Sales
Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada,
January 13-15, at the Monte Carlo
Hotel & Casino.
Wide World of Sales is the only
industry conference that provides sales
training specifically geared for preneed
and at-need salespeople, sales counselors
and managers, suppliers, insurance agents

and marketing professionals.
This years keynote speakers were
Antarctic Mike Pierce, a polar
marathoner who likened the field of sales
(his main occupation, too) to the sports
arena, and Weldon Long, who shared his
inspiring life story of evolving from a
delinquent young man into a millionaire
in the span of about a decade. Both men
imparted life lessons and applied their
3
62
ICCFA Magazine
unique life experiences to the art of

sales. There were also five other general
sessions, as well as the eight sales
counselor and sales manager breakout
sessions. Nearly every session was rated as
excellent or very good by attendees,
making it one of the most highly-regarded
Wide World of Sales conferences ever.
In addition to the educational sessions,
conference-goers had an opportunity
to meet, eat and greet at the Welcome
Reception on Wednesday and networking
lunch on Thursday. More than 40
people attended the optional tour of the
Zappos.com headquarters on Wednesday
afternoon. Also, more than 150 people
attended the Fireside Chat, this year
featuring Gary OSullivan, CCFE, and
David Wharmby, CCE.
Attendees were given prizes, such as
stress balls, water bottles, whistles and
magnetic clips, every time they were back
in their seat after a break. Congratulations
to the following attendees who won
prizes for completing a conference-related
crossword puzzle correctly:
A free registration to the 2016
ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo:
Joseph Miller, Sunset Memorial
Gardens & Funeral Home, Odessa,
Texas
A free registration to the 2017
Wide World of Sales Conference:
Lori Biskup, family service
representative, Albany Diocesan
Cemeteries, Albany, New York
We hope to see you at next years
Wide World of Sales Conference, January
11-14, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency in
Phoenix, Arizona. Program details will be
announced around Labor Day.
q
4
I C C FA N E W S
1. From left: Tim Hoff, CFSP, Hoff Funeral & Cremation Service, St. Charles, Minnesota; Tom Holland, Assurant Solutions, Atlanta, Georgia; Felix Fridberg, Sunset Memorial Lawns Cemetery, Northbrook, Illinois; and Scott Saltsgaver,
Ivy Hill Cemetery Co., Alexandria, Virginia. 2. From left: Andreea Barbu, Scott Drolet, Angie Ray and Shawna de la
Cruz, all of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, Glendale, California. 3. Dyanne Miller Matzkevich, Pine Forest
& Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Wake Forest, North Carolina; John Gouch Jr., Gethsemane Cemetery & Memorial
Gardens, Charlotte, North Carolina; Edd Sheriff, Citadel Management, Greenville, South Carolina; and William Gaffney,
Charlotte Memorial Gardens, Greenville, South Carolina. 4. Keynote speaker Antarctic Mike discussing the similarities between training for a polar marathon and making a sale. 5. Members of the ICCFA Sales & Marketing Committee hold up flags of member nations during the conferences opening ceremonies. 6. From left: Wide World of Sales
Conference co-chairs Nick Timpe, webCemeteries.com, Virginville, Pennsylvania; and Brad Palmer, Sunset Cemetery,
Galloway, Ohio. 7. Keynote speaker Weldon Long sharing his inspirational rags-to-riches story. 8. Poul Lemasters,
Esq., Lemasters Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio, serving as
master of ceremonies. 9. From left: Scott Pontone, Trust
100, Rye, New York; Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE, Blackstone
Cemetery Development, San Clemente, California; Doug
Gober, Gober Strategic Capital, Kenner, Louisiana; Raymond Ortner, Mountain View Cemetery Association, Oakland, California; Timothy Fish, Forethought Life Insurance
Co., Batesville, Indiana; Angie Ray, Forest Lawn MemorialParks & Mortuaries, Glendale, California; Michael Sinnott,
The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Stu Irwin, Biondan
North America, Toronto, Ontario; and John Bolton, CCE,
Blackstone Cemetery Development, San Clemente, California. 10. From left: David Wharmby, CCE, Western Memorial
Corp., Inglewood, California; and Gary OSullivan, CCFE,
The Gary OSullivan Co., Winter Garden, Florida, conduct a
Fireside Chat with attendees.
q
9
10
March/April 2016
63
Meet Your Association Leaders

by ICCFA 2015-2016
President Darin
Drabing
ddrabing@forestlawn.com
Drabing is president
and CEO of Forest Lawn

Memorial-Park Association,
Glendale, California.
www.Forestlawn.com
64
ICCFA Magazine
Drabing worked his way up from

apprentice embalmer to president
Why did you choose to work in cemetery and/or
funeral service?
My father was a co-owner in a small Southern
Indiana funeral home and I helped in the business
from a very young age. I learned early in my life
that it was the type of work not everyone could do.
I knew it was something I could do.
Tell us a little about your organization.
I am very fortunate to work for Forest Lawn
Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries in Southern Califor
nia. Founded in 1906, we have six combination
operations encompassing 1,400 acres, with an
additional three stand-alone funeral homes and
three more independent sales offices, employing
940 people who serve more than 10,000 families
a year.
We were the very first cemetery to have a
mortuary on its grounds and we pioneered the
use of flush memorial tablets in place of upright
tombstones. We have a world-renowned art
collection and we were the No. 1 tourist attraction
in the Los Angeles area prior to the opening of
Disneyland.
What is your current job and how would you
describe the scope of your responsibilities?
My title is president & CEO. My work could be
described as listening, knocking down barriers,
encouraging collaboration and supporting those
much more talented than I in making the right
things happen. The right things being the delivery
of a high-value service and a commitment to the
long-term promise of care for a loved one at an
affordable price.
I am blessed to work with a highly experi
enced team that focuses in the areas of operations,
human resources, advance planning, marketing,
finance, architecture and engineering and legal/
environmental compliance. I work for them.
How exactly, did you get there? Where did you
start? Was there an ah-ha moment in your
young life that pointed you in this direction?
Growing up in a small Southern Indiana town,
I dreamed of getting out. What better place to
go than L.A.? I did some research, listened to
Johnny Carson and became aware of Forest
Lawn. I applied for an embalming apprenticeship,
interviewed, and was hired.
Just a few days after my 20th birthday, I drove
to Los Angeles in a 1969 Camaro, roamed the
streets to find an apartment and started to work.
Ive been there ever since.
What other jobs have you held, if any, outside the

profession?
My first paying job was as a church janitor at age
12. Growing up in the Midwest, I mowed lawns,
raked leaves, shoveled snow and bailed hay,
engaging in the usual seasonal work. In my late
teens, I was a life guard/pool manager at a resort
hotel.
What part did formal education play in your
career vs. the school of hard knocks?
An equal distribution of both, I suppose. I began

my college experience at Vincennes University
in Indiana, receiving an associates degree in
mortuary science. This enabled me to launch my
career in funeral service as an apprentice embalmer
at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles.
After completing my apprenticeship, I held
a variety of positions, eventually leading to a
supervisory role. It was then that I discovered the
significance of accomplishing more through others
than could be achieved individually.
I went back to college at the University
of La Verne, working full-time and attending
classes at night to achieve a degree in business
administration. I continued to receive opportunities
for greater responsibilities within our organization.
In 2001, I enrolled in the Drucker School at
Claremont Graduate University to pursue my
MBA. Married, two young kids and a job as Forest
Lawns senior vice president of operations, this
was both higher education and the school of hard
knocks.
I wouldnt change a thing. Each step prepared
me to assume the next. Its funny how things work
out.
What is the best experience youve ever had in
your job?
There have been many, but they all pale in
comparison to witnessing an employee who joins
our organization; invests in themselves through
hard work, training and continued education; and
turns a job into a profession and a life-long career.
It really gives me a sense of accomplishment. Its
tough work. Not all who venture the odds succeed.
Those who do should be celebrated.
What advice would you give to young people just
starting out in this profession?
Its not a profession for one possessing a faint
heart or those with morbid curiosity. Its a type-A
world, filled with self-sacrifice and muted financial
rewards. It is, however, the most emotionally and
Drabing
I love to cook and I would be very willing to be a sous chef to experience the excitement
and regimentation of a professional kitchen. Manning the grill for a barbecue shack
or flipping burgers as a short-order cook in a diner might be fun, too.
spiritually rewarding work I could imagine.
What do you see as the biggest benefits of
ICCFA membership?
1. Legislative advocacy, 2. education, 3.
access to innovative suppliers and
4. friendships.
We have thousands of members in the
ICCFA. What drives you to participate at
such a high level?
Im not sure. It ended up as a natural
progression sparked by conversations with
others involved in the association. I think
I just got pulled in to the force I felt when
exposed to those already in leadership
positions.
I felt passion, commitment, a real drive
to do something. Those leaders seemed to
shun bureaucracy, value relationships and
enjoy getting things done.
It became the place I felt at home profes
sionally. The more I understood about the
ICCFAs history and its commitment to our
future, the deeper I fell into commitment.
What is the biggest challenge facing the
profession and how is the ICCFA working
to address it?
1. Addressing the long-term effects of
the race to the bottom promoted by
discount cremation providers (and some
traditional funeral homes) who fail to
educate consumers on the emotional and
psychological value of ceremony and
permanent memorialization.
Our association provides many oppor

tunities for its members to gain more
from access to world-class innovative
suppliers, to learn more, to question ideals,
to provide content and to gain exposure
to best practices through a wide variety of
seminars, conferences and conventions held
throughout the country.
2. Continued support by other trade
associations of anti-competitive legis
lation that exists in some states, legislation
designed to protect the limited advantages
of funeral professionals to the detriment of
the consumer.
Our association supports open compe
tition and has filed numerous friend of the
court briefs in support of efforts to increase
competition.
What are your outside interests?
Focusing on my 18-year old twins expo
sure to the variety of freshman college
experiences, rooting for their sports teams
and worrying about their present situations
and their future opportunities. One attends
Indiana University and the other Boston
University.
If you have children (now or in the future)
would you encourage them to join you in
the profession? Why/why not?
No, I would not encourage them to join me
in this profession. Their future is for them
to discover.
My parents were in this profession. I
saw how hard they worked and sacrificed in
a small town of 2,000 people. If anything,

they tried to persuade me to find a different
path. Fortunately for me, I was cut from
the same cloth. My children, I suspect, are
destined for different things.
Who are your heroes/role models?
Angus Young, Leonardo Da Vinci and
Ronald Reagan.
If this were not your chosen profession,
where would your passions lead you?
Food. I love to cook and I would be very
willing to be a sous chef to experience
the excitement and regimentation of a
professional kitchen. Manning the grill for
a barbecue shack or flipping burgers as a
short-order cook in a diner might be fun,
too.
If you could retire, how would you spend
your time?
I think I would apply for a job on a golf
course. I would love to mow the fairways
and rake the sand traps. It would be the type
of job where I could eat my lunch under
a tree and look over my shoulder and see
what Ive accomplished. In my experience,
that doesnt seem to happen very often.
What three things would our readers be
surprised to know about you?
1. I played in a punk band in high school.
2. Ive listened to Howard Stern almost
every morning since 1989.
3. Ive finished two marathons, four
r
weeks apart. Times: 3:51 and 4:03.
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March-April 2016
65

by ICCFA Board
Member Coleen
Ellis, CPLP
Coleen@thepetloss
center.com
Ellis is a pet loss pioneer
with The Pet Loss Center,
Dallas, Texas, with locations throughout Texas and
Florida.
www.ThePetLoss
Center.com
She is co-founder and
co-chair of the ICCFAs Pet
Loss Professionals Alliance.
More from
this author
Ellis will be part of a

roundtable, Details of a
Pet Loss Business, at the
ICCFA 2016 Convention &
Expo, April 13-16, in New
Orleans, Louisiana. For
more invomation, go to
iccfaconvention.com
66
ICCFA Magazine
Coleen Ellis, pet loss pioneer

funeral service?
Well, it actually chose me. Right out of college
I was looking for my first break and it came
to me wrapped in a pretty interesting cover:
selling Bibles in the funeral and cemetery market
segments. Not Paper Moon-ish, but primarily
for preneed advertising and marketing purposes.
I learned about the industry, fell in love with it,
and my next journey with Forethought Financial
Services began shortly thereafter. And, I guess as
they say, the rest is history.
your job?
The best experience has been the entire journey
I truly mean that. However, I suppose if I had
to narrow it down to a chapter, it would be my
time spent as a pet loss professional.
The stories about these little creatures, their
unconditional love, their spirits; its all very
overwhelming and deep with how much love
there is. In a world where human relationships
can be complicated, the bond with an animal is
pure and without an agenda. Its all about true
love. So as you can imagine, when the death of a
loved pet happens, its true grief.
What was the most difficult experience, and
what did you learn from it?
When my husband Chris and I opened the first
stand-alone pet funeral home in the country, we
started a journey that we only believed in our gut
would work. There werent any market studies to
point the way, and our vision was too conceptual
to even conduct consumer focus groups early
on. I reflect on the beginning of that journey and
wonder to this day how we survived.
We hung our shingle and I began making sales
calls on veterinarians in my market. Holy cow! I
thought I was a good salesperson, but selling into
the vet industry is a vicious beast.
I remember many nights just sobbing my eyes
out and questioning this decision wed made. And
my husband, knowing me like he does, would say
Well, then lets make plans to close the doors.
Of course I would sob and scream, Not on my
watch will I give up! Great reverse psychology,
huh? I really do feel with that experience I
learned so muchto follow your heart and
passion, dont give up, its going to be hard, so
what. Living through that, there really isnt too
much that scares or intimidates me now.
What was the most unusual request you ever
had from a family (or client) and how did you
The day that you get up in this amazing

profession of death-care services
and announce that you HAVE to go
to work, get another career.
handle it?
Not necessarily my most unusual request, but
probably one that still resonates with me in what I
do in pet loss. A family sat in my Carmel, Indiana,
pet funeral home discussing prearrangements
for their beautiful golden retriever, Callie. They
wanted her taken back and buried in Wisconsin,
where they were both from.
There were numerous details we had to
coverthe pet cemetery requirements, the time
of the year and if burial would be possible then,
the timing of the death and holding her body,
transportation of her body back to Wisconsin, and
much more. I had already made numerous calls
to the cemetery and was making my way through
the details from my end.
During one of our consultations, I happened to
mention to the family another option for Callie,
cremation. Both of them looked at me, with a
look Ill never forget, and said When Callie
came to us she was full of cigarette burns from
being abused. We promised her she would never
be burned again, so cremation is clearly out. I
will never forget the look on their faces and the
love they had for her.
As my mentor and friend Dr. Alan Wolfelt says,
Follow your passion and your pension will
find you. Do what you love and love what you
do. The day that you get up in this amazing
profession of death-care services and announce
that you HAVE to go to work, get another
career.
Find that activity labeled as work where in
your head you find yourself saying, I cant
believe I get paid to go to that place and do what I
love every day! Thats nirvana. Thats living life.
ICCFA membership?
My biggest benefit is the fact that through
membership, I gain a whole new family. Its my
professional family; a family that I get to learn
with, share with, celebrate life with and know that
if I ever need anything in another market, I have
a whole roster of people I can call and start the
conversation with: I, too, am a member of the
E lli s
ICCFA
of it. I can count on one hand
how many times I heard her
Why did you wish to serve as
complain about what she did
an ICCFA board member/
for her career.
officer?
Not only is she my hero
With the start of a new
in that area, but she lives the
committee, the Pet Loss
Golden Rule to the max. She is
Professionals Alliance, it was
amazing.
an opportunity for me to begin
My role model is my
the education of this new
husband, Chris Burke. I learn so
concentric circle of death care.
much from him and have been
The board was the start of
blessed to have him not only as
that education and the group
my life partner but also as my
that I knew would assist me in
business partner and business
carrying the learning torch of
coach.
this new emergence of care. Not
photo by liz Kay Photography
If you could do lunch today
only am I proud to be a board
Ellis with fur-kids, from left, Harry, Crisco and Ellie Mae, also
with anyone in the world,
member, but I also consider it
pictured with her in the photo on the facing page.
living or dead, whom would
one of the highest honors of
Well,
of
course,
anything
to
do
with
my
you choose and why?
being a member of the ICCFA/
precious
little
fur-kids.
Crisco,
Ellie
Mae,
PLPA.
My Grandma. She was the love of my
Rudy and Harry are so much fun to just be world. She died last year at 94 years
What is the biggest challenge facing
with. Our human children, Amy and Brian, young and folks came to her funeral not
the profession, and how is the ICCFA
are also at fun times in their lives, so its
necessarily saying, How sad, shes died,
working to address it?
rewarding to be with them and their little
but instead How she really lived life.
I believe the biggest challenge is our
families.
With 11 kids, me being the oldest of 35
interpretation of issues. We think families
I also love a good run, as well as holing grandkids and 54 great-grandkids, she
want less when in actuality they want
up in my creative room and refinishing
knew family, love and life experiences.
more. We are just not doing a good enough a piece of furniture, stitching together a
The very embodiment of a matriarch.
job of determining what their definition
quilt and firing up my embroidery or vinylI dont think any of us can fathom what
of more is. And we assume people
cutting machines. I love hand-making
her generation went through, and I want to
understand the process when they truly
things and giving something personal as
hear her whole life story, from beginning
dont.
gifts. Pinterest has absolutely become my
to end. I heard some of these things when
People live their life to leave a legacy
new drug.
she was living, but its now that shes gone
of something. What is that legacy and
that I want so much more and feel guilty
how can that be acknowledged at their
for taking her time on earth for granted,
My
Mom
is
my
hero.
In
2015,
she
retired
final event on this earth? Dive deep. Ask
assuming she was immortal, and not
after
50
years
as
a
hair
dresser.
The
same
questions. And ask the right questions.
r
getting those stories.
beauty shop. The same chair. Every day,
50 years. And she loved every minute
Franklin Wrap AD
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March-April 2016
67

by ICCFA Board
Member Lauren A.
Blevins, CCFE, CC
laurenablevins@gmail.com
Blevins is COO of Williams Funeral Home & Crematory and Polk Memorial
Gardens, Columbia, Tennessee, owned and operated by
the Blevins family.
www.williamsfh.com?
She graduated in 2008

from Belmont University,
Nashville, Tennessee, with a
degree in business administration, and has been a
licensed funeral director
since 2009. She received a
masters degree in business
administration from Tevecca
Nazarene University in
2013.
She is a Certified Cemetery and Funeral Executive,
a Certified Celebrant and
certified crematory operator. She also serves on the
boards of the Southern
Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Assocation and the
Cemetery Association of
Tennessee.
68
ICCFA Magazine
Blevins: After time in Nashville,

funeral service hit the right note
funeral service?
I am not sure that I really chose to work in this
industry; I would say that it was just a part of me.
I started getting off the school bus at 6 years old
at the funeral home. We lived in the top of our old
funeral home during my early childhood years.
Growing up, I was determined I wanted to be a
lawyer. So I prepared for that; I worked at a local
law firm while in college. I quickly determined that
this was not for me. A change of major and change
of job landed me in the music industry smack
in the heart of Nashville. I had a few amazing
internships at places such as BMI and Sony, and
yet I was still not content.
Following the completion of my first degree,
I came home to help my father figure out how to
restructure some of the positions he had open in
his company. It only took two weeks, and we did
restructureincluding adding me.
I have now been here over 11 years, and
wouldnt have it any other way. It was like coming
home; it felt right.
your job?
There is one on-going experience that we thrive
on, and that is the hugs and thank-yous from
families we have helped in one way or another.
There is not a better feeling.
Singling out one moment from my career is
difficult, but I would say re-opening our main
location a year after a traumatic fire, standing there
with my family and staff. That is one of the most
significance moments to date.
What was the most difficult experience, and what
did you learn from it?
There have been several difficult experiences that
have changed the course of my career by changing
the way I think about it, the first being the loss of
several family members.
Losing family members and having to go
through yourself what you normally help others
go through gives you a clarifying perspective
probably not achievable any other way. Knowing
how it feels to sit on the other side of the table and
be the one who is grieving is a humbling reminder
of what a family may go through while making
arrangements.
The loss of our building a few years ago,
followed by the rebuilding and continued operation
while all this was happening taught me more
things that I would ever be able to record in a few
Blevins
with her
father,
Alan,
company
CEO,
who
bought
Williams
Funeral
Home
in 1982,
later buying a memorial park and adding a
crematory, a memorial company and a pet loss
division.
short sentences. The key thing, however, is the

importance of your team. Your staff is the key to
so many things; whom you surround yourself with
is the first imperative. I am proud of everyone
who works here and the value they contribute to
Williams Funeral Home.
What was the most unusual request you ever had
from a family (or client) and how did you handle
it?
I read this question and laughed, because my first
response was, just wait for the book I swear Im
going to write someday.
I would have to say the most bizarre thing that
has been requested of us is use of a flatbed tractortrailer instead of a hearse, which honestly wasnt
a problem. A little different, but that never bothers
us.
It was when the wife of the deceased informed
me that she would be riding on top of the casket,
which sat on the flatbed, that it became a problem.
I obviously was not a proponent of that happening,
for about 8,000 reasons.
Be as creative as you can when helping a family.
Dont ever get stuck in the this is the way we
have always done it methods many will try to
teach you. Look for ways to be different; let your
differences define you.
Go through celebrant training.
Be prepared to worka lot.
Find and learn from people better than you.
What do you see as the biggest benefits of ICCFA
membership?
I have constantly sought out people and mentors
Ble v i n s
Losing family members and

having to go through yourself
what you normally help others
go through gives you a clarifying
perspective probably not
achievable any other way.
from whom I believe I can learn. I believe

the people you surround yourself with is
crucial. The ICCFA provides different types
of environments where you can find people
of every make and model and learn from
them in different ways. The networking has
been invaluable to me throughout the last
10 years.
Why did you wish to serve as an ICCFA
board member/officer?
I was looking to
be a part of the
organization that
has meant so much
to us and helped
shaped who I have
become.
What is the
biggest challenge
facing the
profession?
Blevins with her
brother John, who is It is my belief
in charge of public
that the biggest
relations for the fam- challenging facing
ily firm.
our profession
is the perceived
value of what we do. It does not matter so
much if its cremation or traditional burial,
but rather the value people they see in them.
Fortunately for me, I live just south of
Nashville, as music has always been a
passion. Playing it and listening to it is
something that I spend a lot of time doing.
Besides the music scene, when we have
good weather, most of my family and I can
probably be found playing some type of
competitive sport.
My heroes are honestly varied and many.
Many of my friends, for instance, for
individual qualities I admire. Many of my
colleagues for their gifts and ability to foresee
changes in our industry and willingness to
try to be different and new. I would not say
that I have one hero but that I admire many
r
things about many different people.
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March-April 2016
69

by ICCFA Board Member
Tim Hoff, CFSP
hofftimj@
gmail.com
Hoff is funeral
director at Hoff
Celebration of Life
Center, Winona,
Minnesota, part
of Hoff Funeral &
Cremation Services,
which has five Minnesota locations.
www.hofffuneral.com
Keep your mind open to change.

Embrace it and leverage it to be
better and more competitive in
your market.
New Members
Membership applications
Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires

a majority vote of those present and voting at any
meeting of the executive committee. The names of
all applicants must be published in this magazine.
ICCFA members objecting to an application must
Regular
Anointed Hands Embalming Service

Houston, Texas
Carolina Funeral & Cremation Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
Clark Associates Funeral Home
Katonah, New York
Ferguson Funeral Home Inc.
Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania
Gove Hill Cemetery
Thetford Center, Vermont
Greco-Hertnick Funeral Home
Weirton, West Virginia
McCormick & Son Mortuaries
Laguna Hills, California
Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home
Mattoon, Illinois
Mt. Calvary Holy Family Cemetery
Association
Davenport, Iowa
70
ICCFA Magazine
Tim Hoff, Hoff Funeral & Cremation

Why did you choose to work in cemetery
and/or funeral service?
I grew up in it. I was raised in the apartment
above the funeral home in St. Charles. I
wanted to follow the path my dad had begun.
What is the best experience youve ever had
in your job?
Getting hugs from families we serve, when
the funeral is over.
What was the most difficult experience, and
what did you learn from it?
An extremely upset family. I learned that this
kind of response is not a rejection of me, but
is rather the process they are going through in
their grief.
Nothing has meaning, except for the
meaning you give it.
What advice would you give to young people
just starting out in this profession?
Keep your mind open to change. Embrace
it and leverage it to be better and more
competitive in your market.
ICCFA membership?
Open exchange of ideas. Quality educational

opportunities that are forward-thinking.
Networking.
Why did you wish to serve as an ICCFA
board member/officer?
To give back to an organization that has made
me better, as well as to meet other funeral
service professionals who can offer good
ideas and insight.
What is the biggest challenge facing the
profession, and how is the ICCFA working
to address it?
The changing consumer we serve, reflecting
the changing values they desire from the
services we offer. The ICCFA helps by
offering good learning and networking
opportunities to address these changes.
Golf, time with my kids and travel!!
I have four kids, but no grandkids yet.
Looking forward to a new generation of
family.
Wayne Dyer.
r
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support

to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
do so in writing to the ICCFA executive director
within 45 days of publication. In the event of an
objection, the executive committee will conduct
an inquiry. If an applicant is rejected, they will be
granted an appeal upon written request. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.
Scoggins Funeral Home

Van Alstyne, Texas
Serenity Funerals & Cremations
Fort Worth, Texas
St Johns Dixie Cemetery & Crematorium
Mississauga, Ontario
Sullivan-King Mortuary Inc.
Anderson, South Carolina
The Groffs Family Funeral & Cremation
Services
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Township of Clay
Algonac, Michigan
Walter J. Kent Funeral Home
Elmira, New York
Professional: Pet Loss Services

Pet Legacy Marketing
Dover, New Hampshire
For information about the ICCFA and

Membership:
Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download
a benefits brochure and an application form.
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information faxed or mailed to you.
Professional/Supplier
Commemorative Rosaries
Des Plaines, Illinois
Delaware County Bank
Powell, Ohio
Design Mart LLC
Elberton, Georgia
Empower Sound
Oviedo, Florida
Faithful Friends Pet Cremation Services
Elkhart, Indiana
Hualan Enterprises Inc.
El Monte, California
My Crystal Companion LLC
Brick, New Jersey
RKS Lanka (PRT) Ltd.
Katunayake, Western Sri Lanka
Urns in Style
Glencoe, Illinois
r
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I C C FA S TA F F P R O F I L E s
Bly helps members, reads about & studies the industry

Name: Julie Ann-Brown Bly (Juls to many)
Started with the ICCFA: April 24, 2015
Job title: membership coordinator
What you do for our members (primary

duties): Retain and solicit membership by
assisting current, potential and new members.
Professional background prior to coming

to the ICCFA: I started in December 2004
as a membership associate dealing with
solicitation and retention of 3,000+ memberships with PASBO (Pennsylvania School
Business Officials), eventually moving up to
become exhibit coordinator.
I established vendor connections;
handled exhibit booth sales to four different
conferences for PASBO and PETE&C
(Pennsylvania Education Technology Expo
& Conference) with exhibits ranging from
50 to 330 booth spaces; was staff liaison
to the exhibitor advisors and caring and
sharing committees; and was charged with
coordinating yearly community fundraising
efforts at the multiple conference events.
What do you like most about working
at the ICCFA? ICCFA staff is a tight-knit
group of people who work very well together. Group cohesiveness like that is many
times lost in organizations and lack thereof
ICCFA Membership Coordinator Julie Bly at home with Grant and Myka.
is what can destroy an organization very easily. The staff at ICCFA is above and beyond
what many organizations have, or even wish
to come close to.
What have you learned about the cem
etery or funeral profession that has
surprised you the most? How interesting
it is to learn about! Since Ive been here,

Ive acquired five books from people in the
industry, read two of them and am on the
third now.
There is so much to learn from the
leaders in the industry, from leadership
qualities to opening up and just being in
Devins makes sure association members stay informed

Name: Katherine KD Devins
Started with the ICCFA: July 2015

Job title: communications assistant
What you do for our members (primary

duties): I work on all aspects of communications: designing graphics, creating email
blasts, updating the website and maintaining the social networking sites. I also
organize the KIP awards.
Professional background prior to com

ing to the ICCFA: Freelance and in-house
graphic design and production work as
well as graphic design for a government
contractor. I have also worked as a sign
artist at a well-known grocery store.
What have you learned about the
cemetery or funeral profession that has
surprised you the most? I am surprised
at all of the jobs that I never thought about

being associated with the funeral business.
Architects, florists, suppliers and horticulturalists deal with some important aspects
of the business.
Whats your answer to people who say,

You work where? Most people I know
think working for a funeral association
sounds amazing! Yes, they do ask if we
keep bodies in the office (and the answer is
no, we dont).
Outside interests/hobbies/accomplish
ments: Aside from being with friends and
family, I am usually with my entourage
of adopted dogs, Mdchen Illustrious (6.5
years) and Baron Loki (5.5 years). I am
often working on some sort of art project,
like making custom vinyl figures. I love
going to used book sales and reading. r
Devins with her assistants, Madi and Loki.

72
ICCFA Magazine
STAFF PROFILEs
the now. It has been truly inspiring to hear
and read their stories and learn about their
extreme caring for each other and their
communities.
Whats your answer to people who say,

You work where? I say the whole name
very slowly again. I let it sink in. I tell them
about my office pets Lurch and Thing (a
betta fish with a living moss ball). They generally start backing away at this point, and I
finish it off by saying the only thing a person
would say by that point: We dont store that
many bodies there.
Oh the looks! My husband, Jason,
usually sucks the fun right out of it and
explains to them what the organization
really does. Now, where is the fun in that?
Outside interests/hobbies/accomplish
ments: I like to be busy. Right now I am in
my last few months of obtaining a masters
degree in organizational leadership and look
to begin my CAE certification in approximately a year. I will be starting research very
soon for my degree capstone project that
will involve the greening of the death industry and its effects on the employee mindset.
I am finishing my first paper on the
history of women in the industry. This white
paper is focusing on the discrimination
aspect, overcoming their obstacles in the
early 1900s and how they are changing the
industry.
Also, I am a member of the Round Hill
Community Fire Department, assisting
with membership recruitment, holiday
events and more. My husband and I run
an open wheel media production company
(PAPosseracing.com). We also started and
manage the Williams Grove National Open
Kick-It Tournament to kick it to childhood
cancers. Total combined raised in four years
is over $80,000 for Jeff Gordons Children
Foundation through the Kick-It tournaments.
I enjoy reading all kinds of books, from
leadership to science fiction, and I am a
huge fan of Ancient Aliens, American
Pickers and Ghost Hunters. The only
way the ancient astronaut theory can be
disproven is when the extraterrestrials
show up and say we were never here in the
pastGiorgio A. Tsoukalos.
Finally, my husband and I love to
camp in our travel trailer as much as we
can in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with our
two kids, Trent and Leigha (pronounced
Leah), ages 15 and 11, and two dogs,
Myka and Grant, black Labs ages 7 and 6.r
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March-April 2016
73
by Heidi Thimke, CC
hthimke@
buschcares.com
C E L E BR A N T S
The celebration of life for a man whose life revolved

around family and cars was filled with both.
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Heidi is a Certi-
fied Celebrant with

Busch Funeral and
Crematory Services,
Cleveland, Ohio,
who also works with
families to create
and produce their memorial DVDs.
Busch Funeral and Cremation Services was started in 1905 as RehburgBusch Funeral and Hardware Store. The
company, still owned and operated by the
Busch family, owns six funeral homes,
in Avon, Avon Lake, Cleveland, Elyria,
Fairview Park and Parma.
www.buschcares.com
How to become a celebrant
Attend ICCFA Universitys College of 21st

Century Services, led by Dean Glenda
Stansbury. ICCFAU 2016 will be July 22-27
at the University of Memphis Fogelman Executive Center, Memphis, Tennessee. More
details will be forthcoming at
www.iccfa.com
Contact Stansbury (glenda@insightbooks.

com) or go to www.insightbooks.com,
the In-Sight Books website, for information
about celebrant training sessions scheduled
around the country.
74
ICCFA Magazine
Photo courtesy of Bruce Bishop, chief photographer, Chronicle-Telegram
Classic hot rods were parked at Busch Funeral Home for the celebrant-led
service held for a classic car fan.
Hot rods at the funeral home help

give car fan the perfect sendoff
he community members who knew

Dave smiled as they arrived at the
funeral home, where the parking lot
held more than a dozen vintage hot rods and
other customized cars. You couldnt miss the
1932 Ford coupes, one bright red and one
vibrant yellow, sitting on the front lawn.
This was not going to be your typical
funeral; it looked more like one of those
weekend rallies that Dave loved so much. He
owned 14 or 15 classic cars, and his whole
family was into collecting, restoring, showing
and driving those cool rides.
The passion for these machines never
fades, so it was natural that Daves obituary
requested that his friends would honor
his memory by showing up in Street Rod
T-shirts, blue jeans and their hot rods.
At Busch Funeral Home, in addition to
serving as a celebrant, I also create DVDs for
families. I was working with Daves family
on one when they asked if I would also
be their celebrantin other words, design
and conduct the service for Dave. This was
obviously a family who wanted to have a
meaningful, personalized farewell, so having
a celebrant service was the best fit.
It was my honor and privilege to help
create a meaningful and highly personalized
memorial tribute DVD, as well as Daves

celebration of life memorial service. The
family was so deeply saddened by the loss of
their rock, the man who had served as the
familys foundation and lovingly cared for
them his whole life.
I was sad along with them, and found
myself both laughing and tearing up with
them as they told me many colorful and
touching stories about Daves life. In the
course of getting to know Dave and the
family he left behind, I learned that they knew
my in-laws through the Hot Rod Association
and had been to many car shows. In addition,
many of them had come my mother-in-laws
services back in 2009 to pay their respects.
My connection to this family was
immediate and special. In my heart, I knew
I had to make this service the very best that
it could be to help the family honor Dave as
a husband, father, brother, grandpa, uncle,
cousin, nephew and friend.
The evening of the visitation and
celebration of life came on a warm October
night. The funeral home was overflowing
with those who loved Dave and wanted to
support his grieving family. His brother Gary,
wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase
Life is short drive a hot rod, greeted
C E L E BR A N T S
friends outside the funeral home.
People were also greeted by the sight
of two colorful, sharp hot rods parked
on the front lawn of the funeral home
per instructions from the manager of our
Elyria location, funeral director Jeff Hogan.
(Celebrants and funeral directors work
together to make sure everything is perfect
for the family.)
The family members all decided to drive
their hot rods to the services, so many were
parked outside the funeral home and in the
outer parking lot. The result was that people
were gathering to pay tribute to Dave with a
car show, something he loved.
Daves wife, Vivian, drove the sedan that
Dave and their son Michael customized and
detailed specifically for her. The local press
covered this special service, of course. The
following is an excerpt from the Chronicle
Telegram article by Steve Fogarty, which was
accompanied by Bruce Bishops photo of the
hot rods on the front lawn:
One of Davids first cars was a 1956
Chevy station wagon that came out of a
junkyard, according to Gary, who said that
his brother may have wanted to race the car,
but it didnt work out that way. Every turn

he took with it, he would break something,
Gary said with a grin as he recalled the car.
As he recalled happier times, Gary joked
about the red and yellow Ford coupes on the
funeral homes front lawn. They were Fords
with Chevy engines of course, he said.
One of the vehicles David drove to local
cruise-ins at fast-food restaurants and the Big
Lots parking lot on East Broad Street was
a 1940 Ford Deluxe Sedan Delivery, which
the family now had sitting in the funeral
home parking lot. That is a rare car, Gary
Lowery said. There were only about 3,000
made.
The car featured smoothly-rounded
contours and an Art Deco dashboard.
One of Daves friends who stood by the
vehicle said he was always impressed by the
brothers for their willingness to take their
custom cars out, regardless of the weather.
A lot of guys wont take their cars out if it
looks like rain, said the man, who declined
to give his name. If they couldnt drive them,
they didnt want them.
A truck driver by profession, David always
knew when there was anything car-related
going on, according to the friend.

He loved the Blue Suede Cruise at
Norwalk dragstrip. Thats a big deal. It runs
for three days, he said.
The fondest memories for any of the
brothers were made taking road trips to
custom and hot rod car shows and cruise-ins,
according to Gary Lowery.
Those shows took them to Memphis, Tenn.,
Columbus, Louisville, Ky., Oklahoma City,
Okla., and St. Paul, Minn. Gary Lowery and
another man noted recent turnouts of 11,000
vehicles at shows in Louisville, and even
more in Minnesota. A lot of us are getting
older, but there are some young guys who
keep the flame going, Gary said, nodding to
Davids son, Mike, who stood nearby talking
with others who stopped by to honor their
custom car-loving friend. He was a true
street rodder, according to Gary.
I delivered the celebration of life service
to a packed chapel; the outer rooms were
standing room only. It was a service full of
both laughter and tears that truly was custommade for a loving and one-of-a-kind family
man, a man whose life was well-lived.
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March-April 2016
75
by Shannon DeCamp
shannon_decamp
@tencon.net
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
DeCamp is client
services manager
for TechneTrain Inc.,
Milford, Ohio.
1.800.852.8314
MANAGEMENT/SAFETY
If you use any kind of hazardous chemical,

whether its embalming fluid or weed killer, you need to be on top
of the changing regulations regarding their labeling and handling.
The final deadline for conforming to the new standards is June 1.
www.technetrainonline.com
She researches OSHA safety regulations and initiatives in order to help businesses stay in compliance and develops
products to help businesses conduct
safety training.
TechneTrain has a full line of training
programs and reference materials to help
you keep your cemetery, funeral home
or crematory in compliance with OSHA
regulations. These products are available from the ICCFA at discounted prices.
Contact the ICCFA for more information at
1.800.645.7700.
More About this topic
TechneTrain has training modules for
Hazard Communication to help you with

your transition to the GHS. These products and others are available from the
ICCFA at discounted prices. For further
information regarding OSHA Compliance requirements for cemeteries and
funeral homes, visit www.technetrainonline.com, or contact TechneTrain Inc. at
1.800.852.8314.
GHS deadline approaching for

your new right-to-know program
he final regulatory deadline for

the new Hazard Communication
Standard is rapidly approaching,
so heads up! If you use even a single
hazardous chemical in your workplace
and almost every funeral home and
cemetery doesthis affects you.
Hazard communication and the GHS

The Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
(GHS) is an internationally agreed
upon system that replaces the various
classification and labeling standards used
in different countries.
The OSHA Hazard Communication
Standard was revised in 2012 to conform
to the GHS. The revised regulation
established four deadlines as a phased
approach to meet various requirements
of the new standard, three of which have
already passed.
What has changed?
The old standard allowed chemical

manufacturers and importers to convey
hazard information on labels and material
safety data sheets (MSDS) in whatever
format they chose.
The modified standard provides a single
set of criteria for classifying chemicals
according to 10 health and 16 physical
hazards, and specifies hazard communication
language for both labeling and safety data
sheets (SDS).
Pictograms: Labels now contain
pictograms to alert users to the chemical
hazards to which they may be exposed. Each
pictogram consists of a black symbol on a
white background framed within a red border.
The pictogram on the label is determined
by the chemical hazard classification.
(Pictograms are shown at the bottom of this
page.)
Labels: The new requirements for
labeling offer workers better protection from
Pictograms alert users to the

chemical hazards to which
they may be exposed. Each
pictogram consists of a black
symbol on a white background
framed within a red border.
The pictogram on the label is
determined by the chemical
hazard classification.
76
ICCFA Magazine
MANAGEMENT/SAFETY
protection
Section 9: Physical and
chemical properties
Section 10: Stability and
reactivity
Section 11: Toxicological
information
Section 12: Ecological
information (nonmandatory*)
Section 13: Disposal
considerations (nonmandatory*)
Section 14: Transport
information (nonChemical manufacturers and importers must provide
mandatory*)
a label that includes a product identifier and supSection 15: Regulatory
plier information, a signal word, pictogram(s), hazard
information (nonstatement(s), and precautionary statement(s) for each
mandatory*)
hazard class and category.
Section 16: Other
chemical hazards, while also reducing trade
information including
barriers and improving productivity for
information on preparation and revision of
American businesses that regularly handle,
the SDS
store and use hazardous chemicals.
*Note: Since other agencies regulate this
Safety Data Sheets: SDS now replace
information, OSHA will not be enforcing
MSDS. The new format requires 16 specific
sections 12 through 15.
sections, ensuring consistency in presentation
of important protection information.
What should be done by now?
Employers must ensure that SDSs are readily GHS requirements in effect as of December
accessible to employees.
1, 2013
Section 1: Identification
You should have already trained your
Section 2: Hazard identification(s)
employees how to read the new GHS labels
Section 3: Composition/information on
and Safety Data Sheetsthat deadline was
ingredients
December 1, 2013.
Section 4: First-aid measures
GHS requirements in effect as of June
Section 5: Firefighting measures
1, 2015
Section 6: Accidental release measures
As of June 1, 2015, manufacturers and
Section 7: Handling and storage
importers provide all new products with
Section 8: Exposure controls/personal
the new GHS labels and SDS (Safety Data
Sheets)
in GHS
format.
Suppliers
could
still ship
existing
stock
with old
labels and
MSDS. As noted above, your employees
should know to expect these changes and
must know how to read the new labels and
SDS.
GHS requirements in effect as of
December 1, 2015
As of December 1, 2015, chemical
manufacturers, importers and distributors
may only ship containers with GHS labels,
and all Safety Data Sheets must be in GHS
format. At this point, every new product you
receive should conform to the new standard.
What do I still need to do?
GHS requirements in effect as of June 1,

2016
The deadline for full compliance with
the new Hazard Communication and other
standards affected by the GHS is June 1,
2016.
After meeting all of the previous
compliance deadlines, by this date you must
update your hazard communication program
as necessary and provide additional employee
training for newly identified physical or
health hazards.
If you provide alternative workplace
labeling of chemicals, these must also comply
with the new label standards.
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March-April 2016
77
by Paul Elvig
paul@elvig.org
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Elvig retired in 2008 as
How easy is it for people who use wheelchairs

to park, enter and get around your facilities?
Can they easily attend visitations or services at your
funeral home? Can they attend graveside services or
visit the graves of loved ones at your cemetery?
general manager of Evergreen-Washelli Memorial

Park and Funeral Home,
Seattle, Washington.
He is a past president
and former secretary of the ICCFA. His
interest in cemeteries as guardians of our
nations heritage continues.
Elvig previously worked as an administrator at the Washington State Department

of Licensing, where he assisted in the
redesign of Washington cemetery law.
He has testified in Washington, D.C.,
on behalf of the ICCFA a number of times,
including at the hearings of the Senate
Special Commitee on Aging.
www.washelli.com
How difficult this wheelchair users visit to a grave will be depends on the type of
wheelchair hes using, the curb at the edge of the roadway and the slope and condition
of the ground hell have to cover to reach the grave.
How to help wheelchair users

visiting your building or grounds
our receptionist reports that an atneed family is here to select graves

as near as possible to other family
members. And, oh yes, the husband of the
deceased is in a wheelchair, he is putting
the chair together now and should be in
your office within minutes.
Wheelchair! Putting it together!
Thoughts race through your mind: Does
he need help assembling it? Will we need
to open the door for him? Is he recovering
from something? What if he wants to
use the restroom? How do we greet him,
standing or sitting?
Hardly a cemeterian or funeral director
hasnt dealt directly with such questions.
Most offices these days have ramps
that allow for wheelchair access, and most
offices have restroom doors designed to
allow easy passage for such chairs. Same
78
ICCFA Magazine
with selection and viewing rooms.

But traveling across cemetery grounds
can be a very different story. How about
wheelchair access where the graves to be
visited are located on a hill some 50 yards
from the cemeterys roadway, following
a long wet spell? Or maybe there is a mix
of upright memorials clustered together
near the area where the person using a
wheelchair wants to go.
More than once, this writer has
watched funeral processions arrive at
graveside, pull up before a tent covering
an open grave and then observed a very
professional funeral director gather
folks around the family car, allowing the
surviving spouse to take their place in their
chair, and then proceed to the open grave
with all following.
And of course there is the occasional
Star Granite AD
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A long-time
wheelchair
user may be
adept at getting in and out
of vehicles
himself, while
the family of
someone who
has recently
started using
one might
appreciate an
offer to help
with the logistics involved.
Its best to ask.
Learning from
a friend who uses
a wheelchair
y wife LaDonna and I become

close friends with Glen Sayes,
who had polio, and his wife of 42
years, Helen, while attending the same
church. We have traveled the Pacific
Northwest together on overnight trips.
Glen is a professional photographer
and has faced the challenge of using a
wheelchair while working at hundreds
of weddings and some funerals. (He
enjoys telling about the time his
chair failed to hold its place on a hill,
rolling backwards, out of control,
unable to stop and of the wedding
participants reactions.)
Glen drives his own car; the brakes
and gas pedal have been modified to
work with hand controls. He assembles
and takes apart his wheelchair by
himself when he drives. He cam
paigned for county council, waving a
campaign sign from his chair at city
street corners.
It has been an education to watch
the world around Glen, and to observe
him while attending several graveside
services.Paul Elvig
You probably dont

give much
thought to
the type of
curb at the
edge of your
roadways,
but it makes
a difference
to someone using
a wheelchair to get
around.
80
ICCFA Magazine
service where the person in a wheelchair is

ignored, left to make it on their own, trying
to keep up with folks who are headed
toward the open grave.
When first meeting a person using a
wheelchair at your facility, you might ask
how long theyve been using a chair. This
allows the visitor to open up as much as
they care to. You may find they have just
recently started using a wheelchair. It
seems most who have used one during the
better part of a lifetime will be open and
honored to be asked.
You might offer to open a door for
them, but dont be surprised if are you are
told, Actually I can handle it, thank you.
Offering to push a non-motorized chair is a
kind gesture, but again, dont be surprised
if the offer is declined.
On the other hand, traveling up
cemetery hills, or simply across lawns,
most likely will require assistance if
the person is in a non-motorized chair.
However, in
most cases,
motorized
chairs with
wide tires
can handle
wet lawn
crossings
without any
problems.
When
visiting with
an at-need
customer
in a wheelchair, should you be seated

for eye-to-eye contact, or standing? You
will find the answer varies depending on
the nature of your relationship with the
wheelchair user. You will learn to adapt;
communication will come as second
nature.
Handicapped parking should have
tapered or sloped curbs, allowing for ease
of access to your office. Curbs along the
side of cemetery roadways can prove to be
a real issue for wheelchair user.
You might consider driving through
your cemetery with an eye to what it looks
like to someone in a wheelchair, what
difficulties your landscape poses for that
person when trying to visit a grave.
The wheelchair user interviewed for
this story feels it is wise to have your staff
learn what it is like to be escorted to an
arrangement room while in a wheelchair.
Having staff practice riding and pushing
will put them at ease with a situation they
are likely to encounter, if they havent
already.
Be sure to check with a mobility sales
and rental firm in your community for
additional advice. Some funeral homes
and cemeteries purchase a scooter-cart for
general usenot a bad idea.
If you offer families concierge-type
services or are going off-site for any
reasons, you need to remember to check
on handicapped accessibility when
making reservations for (or making
recommendations for) dinners or hotel
r
stays.
Biondan AD
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by ICCFA Magazine columnist

Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
toddvb52@gmail.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Van Beck is one of the
most sought-after speakers and educators in

funeral service.
www.toddvanbeck.com
He is the director of
continuing education for
John A. Gupton College, Nashville, Tennessee.
www.guptoncollege.edu
Van Beck is dean of ICCFA Universitys

College of Funeral Home Management
and received the ICCFA Educational
Foundations first ever Lasting Impact
Award in 2014.
Like Todd Van Beck

on Facebook today!
Van Beck will

present Dueling
Funerals, about
the funerals of
Abraham Lincoln
and Jefferson
Davis, at the
ICCFA 2016
Convention & Expo, April 13-16, in New
Orleans, Louisiana. iccfaconvention.com
Van Becks new book
is Reverence for the

Dead: The Unavoidable
Link. The book addresses in detail the ethical
standards of caring for
the dead and the ethical
consequences of not doing so. It can be ordered
at www.amazon.com.
ICCFA University 2016
will be held July 22-27

at the Fogelman Conference Center, University of
Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. Van Beck
is a dean and professor. Curricula and
registration information will be available in
the spring at www.iccfa.com/events.
82
ICCFA Magazine
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Having respect for everyone sounds like a basic requirement of being

in funeral/cemetery service, but its often not an easy one to fulfill.
The keys to service:

Treating all with respect
as anyone noticed that it seems that

culturally in 2016 the notion of
respect for other human beings has
changedand not in a good way?
Not to sound negative, but it seems
evident that, culturally at least, our ability to
be respectful to others is changing and has
changed, just possibly not for the good.
Have you ever seen an elderly person
who just cant seem to find anyone to hold
a door open for them? Ever tried to make a
lane change on the interstate and experienced
numerous unmistakable reactions from other
people using their digits?
I suspect every reader knows precisely
what is being addressed in this article. I
would like to suggest that one essentialand
yes, there are hundreds of essentials in the
funeral/cemetery interview and experience,
but this one, basic human respect, is vital.
I have concluded that showing others
basic human respect is not a character trait
you can magically develop by reading a
book, or listening to a motivational tape,
or even reading this article. Respect is a
core character trait. Some people will never
develop it, and in these cynical times, some
people seem to have as a source of pride that
they dont respect anyone. You know, the
take no prisoners attitude.
I would humbly like to suggest that having
no respect for our bereaved client families
is not just dangerous, in a caring profession
like funeral/cemetery service it is cruel,
thoughtless and downright ridiculous.
Respect for the client family and their
world involves a sincere interest both in them
and in their world. We show this interest by
the manner in which we attend to themyou
know, fuss over them.
We show respect by carefully excluding
outside interference as much as possible
while we are there with them, and exclusively
for them, and by demonstrating that what is
important to them is important to us.
That last sentence sounds goodvery
attractive, in fact. But theres one glaring truth

we have to acknowledge: Showing respect
to people is not easy at times. Many times,
doing so is simply nearly impossible.
The insight concerning mutual respect is
that we dont have to like all our client fami
lies, but we are expected to respect them, and
doing so is often the most difficult thing to
do.
Showing people respect involves uncon
ditional forgiving, unconditional patience,
unconditional kindness, unconditional
understanding and unconditional support, or
at the very least the magnanimous attempt to
give unconditional our best effort.
Taking this approach to respect is diame
trically opposed to judging a client family
and deciding theyre weird, kooks,
impossible or high maintenance. We
dont have to like them, but we do have to
respect them.
Accepting the client family
All of us in this honored and beloved

profession have thought about the important
concept of acceptance and the role it plays
in the funeral/cemetery interview and
experience. As helping people, funeral/
cemetery professionals cannot not think
about acceptance.
Acceptance is one of the core values
inherent in our practicing our great
profession, and has long been a hallmark of
it. Most funeral professionals are accepting
people. But not all are.
Basically, to me, acceptance of others
means treating the members of a client
family as equals and regarding their
thoughts and feelings with sincere respect,
equal with my own thoughts and feelings.
But its important to note that acceptance
does not mean agreeing with them; it does
not mean thinking or feeling the way they do;
it does not mean valuing what they value. It
is, rather, the attitude that the client family
has as much right to their ideas, feelings
Doric AD
FULL PAGE
page 83
4-COLOR
Its important to note that acceptance does not mean agreeing with them; it does not mean thinking or feeling the
way they do; it does not mean valuing what they value. It is, rather, the attitude that the client family has as much
right to their ideas, feelings and values as I have to mine, and that as a funeral/cemetery professional, I want to
do my utmost to understand their life in terms of their ideas, feelings and values rather than in terms of my own.
and values as I have to mine, and that as a
funeral/cemetery professional, I want to do
my utmost to understand their life in terms of
their ideas, feelings and values rather than in
terms of my own.
This is not always easy to do, but its
an extremely valuable attitude to strive for.
Such an attitude is often difficult to maintain,
especially when confronted with the
difficult/dysfunctional client family, who
seem to be growing in number every year.
The nave idea that all bereaved client
families are like the Waltons is simply a
myth. The Waltons were a television family
featuring make-up, costumes, memorized
lines and predetermined situations. It is the
rare 2016 American family that would mirror
the ideal portrayed by the Waltons. Those
families are out theremany of us wish we
were part of onebut the fact is, they were
and are rare.
I have encountered many different family
situations over the years. Some have inspired
me by showing me the limitless possibilities
of the human spirit to prevail against the
greatest of odds and obstacles, and some
have been so complicated, so dramatic, so
dysfunctional, that I would just leave the
funeral home shaking my head, and hoping I
was good enough to get through this.
Client families may be highly emotional
or highly intellectualor the opposite. They
may be crystal clear to meor not. They
may seem good to me or bad, or even
ridiculous and incomprehensible.
Regardless of the family, as a professional
I must try to understand the client family
and, no matter what, to treat whatever they
say with respect. I must try to treat the client
family as of equal worth as myself. I dont
always succeed, but I make the attempt,
despite the fact that many times the effort is
exhausting and not productive.
Another very important aspect of
acceptance is the ability to treat as a respected
equal someone of another culture, race,
ethnicity or faith. This type of professional
behavior and opening of our hearts becomes
more important every day as we watch the
globe literally shrink before our eyes.
Acceptance does not require strong liking,
but acceptance is impossible when strong
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ICCFA Magazine
dislike is present. In my opinion, we cannot

truly help a person we cannot accept and/or
strongly dislike, and there appears to be little
anyone can do to change the perverted world
view of a bigot.
The inability to accept someone may
occur even when cultural differences are
absent. An honest, authentic, true incompa
tibility of personalities may existI know
this has happened to me.
First and foremost, we should strive to
accept ourselves, our ideas and feelings,
because if we accept ourselves, usually
accepting others becomes much easier.
Our range of acceptance may or may not
broaden with time and maturitywe might
well be stuck. But in the end, the truth is we
can help only when we can accept another
person and his or her feelings. There is no
way around or a detour to this truth.
Genuine liking, a key in creating

respectful rapport
A genuine liking for people is a gift from

heaven. We are either born with it or we are
not; it is terribly difficult to fake. Those upon
whom the gift was not bestowed are neither
better nor worse than other people, but they
do lack a trait highly valued in a helping
profession such as funeral/cemetery service.
If our personal preferences lead us to
great interest in, say, machines, plants,
animals, abstractions or whatever, but not
to people, we should indulge and foster
such preferences and probably steer clear of
funeral service.
Some professions do not demand and
some even exclude a genuine liking for
people. But for those of us in funeral/
cemetery service, a genuine liking of people
is essential and it is a real asset in establishing
respect.
Funeral/cemetery professionals who
genuinely like people tend to be optimistic
about humankind. They feel involved with
those about them, whether this is on an
individual level or through service to the
wider community.
Funeral/cemetery professionals who
genuinely like people tend to be tolerant
of their weaknesses and foibles and are
also convinced that people have it within
themselves to act heroically and selflessly.

The funeral/cemetery professional who
feels genuine warmth toward people likes
to learn about them and their behavior and
motives and to reflect on their inner lives.
The people-liking funeral/cemetery
professional tends to delight in professional
literature and human psychology. This type of
respectful funeral professional stays clear of
pettiness, gossip and acrimony.
If this funeral/cemetery professionals
liking for the human race is indeed genuine,
he/she usually is not so insecure as to need
to be liked in return. In other words, this
respectful professional has learned and
accepted the lesson that you cannot be all
things to all people.
Case study
During my career I have encountered some

of the finest, most outstanding human
beings imaginable. From this single aspect,
I have been most blessed.
One person emerges as a
true contender for the Todd
Van Beck Most Respectful
Human Being Award, the
late Ralph S. Turner, who
owned A.S. Turner & Sons
Funeral Home in Decatur,
Georgia. Ralph and I were
Turner
good buddies, and he and I
spent many hours together
discussing our personal philosophies and
world outlooks.
Ralph Turner was a wonderful man
who genuinely liked, and most important,
respected everyone. Let me share with
you an example. Nothing earth-shattering,
nothing overly dramatic, but something
abundantly human.
Ralph and I were traveling together,
and he was driving. We were on a terribly
busy street in Atlanta, and the traffic was
horrendous. Down the street from where
we were was a huge city transit bus trying
to dodge traffic. The bus driver was trying
to pick up passengers and drop them off,
and then trying (mostly in vain) to slip back
into traffic easily. The other drivers were
shaking their fists at the bus driver, honking
their horns, cutting off the bus and coming
Trigard AD
FULL PAGE
page 85
4-COLOR
by Doug Wagemann, CCFE, CFSP

Wagemann
with Lady, who
comes to the
funeral home
most days to
comfort families.
dgwagemann@
gmail.com
ICCFA
Magazine
author
spotlight
Wagemann
is president of
Cohrane & Wagemann Funeral Directors in Roseville
and Cremation
Society of Placer
County, California. He began his
career in the funeral service profession in 1973. He graduated from
the mortuary science program at Cypress College in 1979, then
received a bachelors degree in operations management from Cal
Poly, Pomona, and M.B.A. from Cal State, San Bernardino.
www.cochranewagemann.com
He is a current board member of Sutter Care at Home and
has served on the boards of Eskaton Foundation and the

National Hospice Foundation and the Foundation for Hospice of
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Wagemann will present Hospice: Developing a relationship that

matters, about developing valuable
relationships with hospice decisionmakers, at the ICCFA 2016 Convention & Expo, April 13-16, in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
iccfaconvention.com
E S S AY
At the end of life, people often talk about

what they regret having doneor not done.
Make sure you dont end up with these regrets.
Living your life with

the fewest regrets
orking with hospices locally and around the nation for

the past 40 years means I have had the honor of talking
with patients and family members as they come to terms
with the passing or imminent passing of a loved one.
Over time, these interactions have taught me about whats really
important in life and where I should focus effort. So often, I hear
the phrase I wish I could go back and ..., and nearly every time,
its usually followed by a story of regret.
Below is a list of most common regrets, meant to encourage
others to start thinking about their lives and ways to be in the
moment rather than with going through life without looking up.
I never pursued my dreams and aspirations.
I worked too much and never made time for my family.
I should have made more time for my friends.
I should have said I love you a lot more.
I should have spoken my mind more instead of holding back
and resenting things.
I should have been the bigger person and resolved my conflicts.
I should have saved more money for retirement.
Happiness is always a choiceI wish I knew that a lot earlier.
Its not too late to start removing any regrets from your list.
It can start today with a phone call or even something as simple as
a hug.
I hope I have provided helpful information that will create
meaningful changes in how you look at life and how to address the
inevitable closures of life we will all experiencewithout regret. r
dangerously close to hitting it. It was just a
mess, until Ralph Turner pulled up behind
the bus.
Ralph flashed his headlights, and took
his hand and waved the bus to pull out
in front of us, saying aloud, as if he were
talking to the bus driver one-on-one, Go
ahead, my friend; youve had enough
trouble today.
I sat in the passengers seat and was
witness to a great example of simple and
authentic respect for another person. I
looked at him and said, Ralph, I will never
be as kind and nice a person as you are.
Ralph didnt respond. He simply drove on,
letting the bus go in front of us for the rest
of our trip.
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ICCFA Magazine
When is the last time you have had

someone be that respectful to you? Here is
a challenge. Go purchase small note pads,
hand them out to your work associates
with a small pencil, and ask the group and
yourself for one week to write down every
respectful gesture or action they make
toward another person.
After the week is up, have everyone read
their lists. I hope everyone will have pages
of things they did to show respect to other
people. I do hope so.
We live in a very cold universe at times.
We live in seemingly very cynical times.
We live in a world that appears to be
addicted to the negative and to proclaiming
the negative in every way possible.
Maintaining the practice of acting with

basic human respect in such an impersonal
climate can be difficult. But it is my firm
conviction that our beloved profession has
encountered difficult times in our long and
rich history of service to humanity, and in the
end, it has always prevailed. We may have
come out with scars and wounds, with some
warts and blemishes, but we have prevailed.
The esteem in which our beloved pro
fession is held has always been attributable

to the basic respectful decency of the
typical funeral/cemetery professional who
holds tight to the worthy mission of being
simultaneously the caretaker of the dead
and the caregiver to the living. It is indeed
an honorable calling.
r
Foresight AD
FULL PAGE
page 87
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by ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving

sloving@iccfa.com
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
If your funeral home or cemetery is engaging with the community only during
death-related occasions (arrangements, visitations, funerals and committal services), you need
to rexamine how youre spending your time. Community outreach isnt a luxury, its a necessity.
Plan to expand your community outreach
n page 57 of this issue, youll see a

list of the KIP winners in the event
category for 2015: the Catholic
Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newarks
bird-house building project that brings teenagers into the cemetery and Cook Funeral
Home & Cremation Services picnic for
widows and widowers.
Are you thinking to yourself, Our
organization does things just as creative and
beneficial to the community? If so, good
for youand good for your families. Please
send in an entry for the 2016 contest, and/or
information for a news item in the magazine.
(On page 12, youll find brief instructions
for writing up and sending in news items.)
The KIP Awards are designed to
encourage the sharing of ideas, because
funeral homes and cemeteries need to get
more creative about reaching out to families
before they need end-of-life services if
theyre going have a chance to serve and
help familiesand to survive in the 21st
century.
If you feel your cemetery or funeral
home does not hold any events worth
sharing with colleagues, its time to think
about that situation, to brainstorm with your
staff, to at least start collecting ideas.
(You do have all those Smitty & Fife
columns about events at Spring Grove
Cemetery & Arboretum, stories about past
KIP winners and articles and Update items
about successful funeral home and cemetery
community outreach events saved in a file or
binder, dont you? If theres a story we ran
but you didnt save, email me, and if youre
an ICCFA member, Ill email you back a
pdf copy.)
You dont have to reinvent the wheel, but
you do have to make sure any events you
plan fit your organization, your clientele
(and/or potential clientele) and your
community.
Its a bit late for making New Years
resolutions for 2016, but its a good time
to think about resolving to add to your
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ICCFA Magazine
group of volunteers, you dont have to do

everything yourself. Teaming up with other
organizations also interested in community
outreach (hospices and estate planners both
deal with end-of-life issues, for example),
finding someone who would be willing to
or even love to speak about a certain topic if
you can offer them a place and an audience
and even paying to bring in a speaker or
traveling exhibition are options.
Theres another who question you
Why?
need to ask: Who will attend? Marketing
Why bother? Holding an event always takes for events such as remembrance services
work, sometimes (but not always) a lot of
and grief workshops are often targeted to
work, and a certain amount of money. But
families who have a relationship with the
as the traditional my family always used
funeral home or cemetery.
that funeral home/cemetery so Ill use it, too,
If youre primarily trying to provide a
and purchase the same basic products and
service to existing clients, you can restrict
services cycle continues to break down,
announcements to your newsletter, email
you need to work harder to stay top-of-mind. notices and personalized invitations.
If youre holding an event especially
You need to strengthen connections with the
for a particular groupreligious leaders or
families you serve and forge connections
hospice workers, for example, youll need to
with the families you hope to serve.
You need to make sure people dont
work with the appropriate groups to invite
think of your cemetery as a place you visit
those individuals.
only if you want to look for some ancestors
If youre hoping to attract the general
gravesite and your funeral home as a place
public, you will need to broaden your
you only step inside if obligated to attend a
approach: ads wherever they work best in
funeral or memorial service.
your community (newspaper, radio, church
bulletins, Facebook), Facebook posts (with
Who and how?
photos, please!), any community calendar
If you decide to start a new event, who
listings available and maybe, if your budget
will be in charge? How will you pull it off?
can handle it, direct mail invitations.
Someone has to do the planning. Someone
People have more and more demands on
has to deal with the details, from making
their time, and it can be difficult to attract a
sure theres enough publicity ahead of time
crowd to a new event no ones ever heard
to handling the logistics on the day of the
of; it takes time and repetition to build wordevent and then doing any follow-up called
of-mouth. Starting with an event targeted
for. Some combination of time and money
to a more limited group might be less
will be involved.
overwhelming and allow you to work out
You need to figure out what staff time
the glitches before you tackle a major event.
can be allotted, and that will affect what
kind and how many events you schedule.
Where?
If youre at a cemetery with a friends
There are two schools of thought about this.
group or other volunteers willing and able
On the one hand, if youre mainly trying
to run or help with events, thats a huge
to reach people with informationsay you
advantage. But even if you lack a ready
want them to come to an estate planning
community outreach program in 2017.

Isnt spring the season of renewal and new
growth, the time to plant and nurture seeds
to bring forth that new growth?
The classic guideline for writing a news
item is to cover who, what, where, when,
why and sometimes how. Im going to
use this as a template for talking about
community events, and tackle them a bit out
of order.
Eickhof AD
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
seminar that includes information about
funeral and cemetery preplanning and think
people will be reluctant to set foot into
your funeral homeyou could choose to
find space somewhere neutral such as a
community center.
But that wont work if one of the reasons
for the event is to showcase your property
and get people used to coming into your
funeral home or cemetery.
A cemetery should be able to include in
its advertising photos that highlight its parklike setting, and/or any specific area (such as
a veterans memorial, or a childrens garden)
relevant to the event.
A funeral home needs to make sure it has
a space thats appropriate for the event in
question and include photos of it. This could
be the chapel, in the case of a remembrance
service, or a reception/multi-purpose area in
the case of a seminar or workshop. It could
even be the parking lot and lobby for some
events (a pet fair where booths will be set up
in the parking lot, for example).
If you do have a reception area/
multipurpose room, give it a name, a name
that makes it sound like a place where
people gatherand not only for a funeral.
If you cant afford professional photos of
your facility, its likely you have someone
on staff (or someone related to someone on
staff) who has a decent camera and knows
how to use it to take photos that show off
your facility properly.
What?
The cemetery default event seems to be

Memorial Day observances. For funeral
homes, the default event is the holiday
remembrance service. Some organizations
have turned these classic events into ones
that draw huge crowds, create tremendous
goodwill and are so well established in their
communities that they almost publicize
themselves.
The Memorial Day service at Green
Hills Memorial Park (Rancho Palos Verdes,
California) draws thousands of people
every year to hear speeches and musical
performances and to see displays of military
vehicles and additional touches such as
aerial fly-overs. It is the place to go to
observe Memorial Day in the region.
The annual Mass of Remembrance
sponsored by Guerra & Gutierrez Mortu
aries (Los Angeles and Whittier, California)
on the Saturday after Thanksgiving fills
a large church with hundreds of people.
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ICCFA Magazine
People line up to see a helicopter at a

barbecue held by Rose Hill Burial Park
& Mausoleum, Ashland, Kentucky, a
Saber Management property, to thank
first responders. Bringing vehicles to an
event focusing on first responders and/
or veterans is a good way to help draw
attendees and provide photo opportunities for the media.
Because it features a popular priest and well

known mariachis and is always held that
same Saturday, the funeral home doesnt
have to do any heavy advertisingpeople
know they want to attend, and they know
when the service will be held.
Your events dont need to be on this
scale to be successful and become well
established in your community. If your
cemetery has hosted the local Memorial
Day parade/wreath-laying/speech-making
for years (or decades), thats great, though
you might want to think about how to attract
more people.
You could invite people to bring in
photos of their loved ones in uniform, set up
a special display in your chapel mausoleum
and serve refreshments. You could get local
troups of Boy and Girl Scouts involved
in marking veterans graves with flags.
You could check into having displays of
military equipment set up somewhere on the
grounds.
But if another funeral home or cemetery
already has made a particular service or
observance its signature event, you should
look elsewhere.
Of course you should know about any
events appropriate for the major ethnic and
religious groups and/or nationalities you
serve (or want to serve). Surely by now
every firm with a significant Latino clientele
observes the Day of the Dead in some
way, and cemeteries serving Asian families
observe the Ching Ming Festival.
Be in touch with the leaders of the ethnic/
religious/nationality groups you serve
to learn what events might have special
meaning for their families.

Think about what would have meaning to
your community. Every city, town or county
offers the possibility for local events, ones
that have meaning specifically to that area
and its people. These could be either annual
or one-time events.
For example, West Laurel Hill Cemetery
in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, has started
holding an annual service to observe the
anniversary of the Duffys Cut Memorial
Service, held when the remains of five
Duffys Cut workers were reburied at the
cemetery. The workers were part of a group
of Irish immigrants who died soon after
bring brought over in 1832 to work on the
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. This
years fifth anniversary service featured
Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor,
Philadelphias mayor and a state senator as
speakers.
You dont have to come up with
something new around which to design
an event. Perhaps theres an established
local celebration or festival, something
that lasts all day or all weekend, that you
could piggyback onto. This approach can
help with publicity, if youre included on
an overall schedule of events for the local
harvest festival or heritage day, for example.
You could host a speaker or a hands-on
workshop in your facility that ties into the
events theme.
When?
When is pretty straightforward in some

cases. Memorial Day observances might
be anytime that weekend, but many are
held on that Monday, and theyre not
moved much further. Christmas programs
fall between Thanksgiving and the end of
the year.
Another way to approach deciding
when to hold an event it is to simply look
at a calendar that includes not only the
major holidays but ones less well known.
If youre not going to be a part of a larger
community-wide event, aim for an event
that offers something different rather than
one that will be competing with events
already taking place in the community.
This can be especially important if
youre hoping for free publicity from
media coverage. Theres a lot of compe
tition for cameras when it comes to
Memorial Day, Christmas and other major
holidays.
On the other hand, if right now there
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
are no Memorial Day observances for the
media to cover in your area, if you start
one youll have a good chance of being
featured.
Dont forget the new in news. If
youre offering the community something
new, or something that at least offers
a new twist, thats more newsworthy
than if youre holding one of 10 holiday
remembrance services in your town.
Lets go through a calendar year and
consider some possibilities.
Spring
Spring usually means temperate weather (or
at least a lot less snow) and more daylight
hours. Cemeteries that close at dusk are
open longer, and its safer for people to
drive to early-evening events.
Easter, whenever it falls, is the major
spring holiday. A cemeterys sunrise service
or a concert in the funeral home chapel
is appropriate for a Christian-oriented
event, and the Easter bunny provides the
nonsectarian option of an Easter egg hunt.
Of course cemeteries generally have
an advantage in terms of room for an egg
hunt, but any organization with indoor
space could opt not to compete with the
groups offering egg hunts and hold an
egg-decorating workshop the week before
Easter, maybe even arranging for the Easter
bunny to drop in for photos.
Spring also is a natural time for a
gardening or flower-related event. You
may have someone on staff (especially at
a cemetery) who can talk about gardening
or landscaping. Local garden clubs and
Extension offices can provide knowledge
able speakers or workshop leaders.
A cemetery with showy spring beds
should invite the public in to enjoy their
flowers, and consider holding a plant sale to
concide with peak bloom.
Any organization with indoor meeting
space can follow the example of Valhalla
Funeral Home and Memory Gardens,
Huntsville, Alabama, which held a flowerarranging workshop close to Mothers Day,
and was planning to repeat it later in the
year (maybe close to Fathers Day), when
local florists would not be as tied up with
weddings.
One of my favorite events, from years
of reading over KIP entries, Update items
and company newsletters, was the grief
garden-themed remembrance service
Pinelawn Memorial Park, Milwaukee,
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March-April 2016
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Wisconsin, held one spring. The metaphors
inherent in the natural cycle of death and
rebirth were woven into the service, at
which attendees received a packet of flower
seeds and a memento-sized watering can
containing potting soil.
Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Zion,
Illinois, held a butterfly release one spring
in its butterfly garden, providing a lovely
way to help people express and release
their grief.
Though these services were held at
cemeteries, they could be done at a funeral
home.
Summer
Fathers Day doesnt have the cachet of
Mothers day, which means less competition
for attendees and publicity if you decide
to schedule an event focused on honoring
fathers.
Many cemeteries observe the anniver
sary of 9/11; many have built memorials to
those who died in the terrorist attacks and
make those memorials the focus of annual
observances.
At this point, if you have not already
established a tradition of gathering at your
cemetery to mark 9/11, it might be a bit late
to start, unless no one in your area is doing so
and you would like to offer the community a
place to gather and remember.
Emergency response personnel as well
as veterans are generally the focus of these
events, and you should be sure to coordinate
any efforts to observe 9/11 with local fire,
police and rescue personnel.
National Pet Memorial Day is celebra
ted the second Sunday of September. You
dont have to offer pet services to hold a pet
event, but if you do, this is an opportunity for
a pet-themed event other than the traditional
Blessing of the Animals, usually held around
October, 4, the feast day for St. Francis of
Assisi.
Fall
Halloween is another magnet for cemetery
events. The weathers usually good. The
foliage is beautiful. The need for constant
summer grass-cutting and string-trimming
has dropped off.
Pumpkin drawing contests (note I
said drawing, not carvingyou can
imagine what Poul Lemasters, Esq., would
say about putting knives into the hands of
children!), all-day Halloween festivals and
Day of the Dead celebrations can bring
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ICCFA Magazine
are fall events. Depending on the weather,

they may seem more like winter events
another reason to seriously consider copying
Guerra & Gutierrezs early scheduling of a
holiday remembrance service. Of course,
your holiday event does not have to be
a remembrance service. There are many
options for both cemeteries and funeral
homes, including:
A holiday concert and/or carol singalong. Concerts by school groups, church
groups and senior citizen groups draw friends
and family, or you can book professional
musiciansor do both, and/or set up a
concert series between Thanksgiving and
Christmas.
Photos with Santa. A Santa who comes
with Mrs. Claus is nice, as some children
Sunset Memorial Park, Danville, Illinois,
are afraid of Mr. Claus. This works as a
a Trigard property, partners with a local
pet-themed event, too. You can turn it into a
animal shelter for a Paws in Motion pet
charity fund-raiser by asking people to bring
walk to raise money for the shelter. The
event includes pet photos, face painting, donations for the local food pantry (or the
local animal shelter) or warm clothing to
food and pet vendors. A pet-centered
donate to those in need.
event is a good way to call attention to
any pet services your funeral home or
Normally I would say you either need to
cemetery offers, but you can hold one
be located be in a temperate climate or have
even if your organization does not offer
an indoor location for winter events to be
pet services.
practical, but Cook Funeral and Cremation
Services in Grandview, Michigan, drew
families into the cemetery.
a crowd to its 2014 KIP-Award winning
October is also Breast Cancer Aware
remembrance service, held in tents outside.
ness month. Heritage Family Cemeteries,
(They provided attendees with hot cocoa.)
Johnson City, Tennessee, set up a program
Valentines Day is really winters big
to promote early detection. This is a good
opportunity for an impressive and unusual
example of how you can do community
event. Im honestly surprised more funeral
outreach even if you dont have a good
homes and cemeteries dont try organizing a
space for hosting an event. Heritages
Valentines-themed event.
program involved reaching out to the
Cemeteries can do love-themed tours, if
community all month through flyers,
they have someone who can do the research
banners and gift baskets, rather than
involved.
bringing people in for a one-day event.
Anyone with indoor facilities can do what
Holiday remembrance services are
generally scheduled the first couple of weeks Toland-Herzig Funeral Home, Dover, Ohio,
did to win one of the first KIP Awards, in
of December, before peoples calendars
2001: A Valentines Day blood drive. People
become too crowded. Not only funeral
were encouraged to honor and remember
homes but also cemeteries, especially ones
their departed loved ones by donating blood
with chapel mausoleums, hold services to
help families remember their departed loved in their memory.
Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service
ones in a supportive environment.
In most cases, local ministers and priests has started reaching out to widows and
widowers with Valentines Day events at its
are called to lead the services, but any
Hoff Celebration of Life Center in Winona,
organization with a Certified Celebrant on
Minnesota.
staff should consider tapping that person to
Because no one associates funeral homes
lead the service.
and cemeteries with Valentines Day, you
should have little trouble getting news
WINTER
coverage if you decide to do something
Technically, winter doesnt start until
creative on this holiday, which can be just as
December 21, so holiday remembrance
difficult for grieving spouses as Christmas. r
events (at least according to the calendar)
Love Urns AD
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March-April 2016
93
C ommunity outreach
A page from
Food to Live
For, the followup to Food to
Die For. The
new cookbook
includes many
photos of the
public enjoying
Old City Cemetery, Lynchburg, Virginia.
This page shows
schoolchildren
learning about
composting at
the cemetery.
Both Food to
Die For and
Food to Live
For can be ordered from Old
City Cemeterys
cemeterys gift
shop at www.
gravegarden.org.
Bestsellers at the cemetery gift shop
Cemetery-inspired cookbooks to die for
und-raising,
and chowders, salads, vegetables
creating
and side dishes, breads, breakfasts
community
and desserts. But what is A
outreach and generating
supper that waits? A meal you
publicitythe cookbooks
can cook that can be prepared
sponsored by the
ahead of time and that will keep
Southern Memorial
well until its time to eat.
Association/Old City
There is also a bonus apple
Cemetery, Lynchburg,
chapter, dedicated to Lynchburg
Virginia, have delivered
resident Tom Burford, author of
all three. Food to Die
Apples of North America.
For, published in 2004,
Food to Live For intersperses
sandwiched advice about
photos that showcase the
funeral and mourning
cemeterys beauty and its
customs between recipes Food to Die For: A Book of Funeral Food, Tips and Tales, compiled extensive use as a community
for comfort food, and is in by Julia Bemis Ward, was featured in Southern Living Magazine.
resource with the recipes,
its 10th printing. (ICCFA Our sales have been terrific because of the national exposure, said emphasizing the authors belief
Magazine reviewed it in Karen Bracco, public relations & visitor services manager of Old City that Old City Cemetery is the
Cemetery Museums & Arboreum. The follow-up cookbook, Food
2004.) The follow-up,
perfect place to share a meal,
to Live For: Were Alive and Cooking, was also compiled by Julia
published in 2013, is
conversation and bask in the
Bemis Ward, and features more recipes, while photos focus on what
called Food to Live For. a lively and interesting place the cemetery is for visitors. Both books beauty of these 27 acres.
Both were compiled
Photos show that the cemetery
are spiral bound, so they will sit flat on a counter or in a book-holder
by Jessica Bemis Ward,
is full of life. They include the
for easy reading of recipes.
whose charming writing
cemeterys beekeeper presenting
style defines the volumes and makes them the
a program about (what else?) bees; a Baptist
pages 96 and 98, with permission, are from
sort of cookbooks you want to sit down with
Church choir participating in a church history
and read for pleasure, not simply flip through Food to Die For. Surely every cemetery
walking tour of the cemetery; a botanical
when youre searching for something to whip and funeral home will want to offer visitors
illustration workshop; a crowd gathered
homemade Cemetery Ginger Cookies.
up for dinner.
around the chapel, decorated for the Wreaths
The newer cookbook is dedicated to foods Across America cememony; a school group
The first book emphasized recipies for
for family meals or celebrations. Categories
foods to deliver to the bereaved or take to
learning about composting; people wearing
include some standardsappetizers, soups
a funeral gathering. Recipes reprinted on
period attire for Confederate Memorial Day;
94
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C ommunity outreach
Coffee angel food cake
Heres my hands-down favorite dessert recipe. Its much too

easy to be as good as it is. In its original form, it came from
the Helen Corbitt Cookbook, one of my most favorite noncommunity cookbooks. Its a bit changed from the original
recipe because I use a Duncan Hines mix rather than making
the angel food from scratch as Helen Corbitt did. Another tiny
adjustment was made because of the advent of freeze-dried
coffee. Unlike powdered instant coffee, it needs to be dissolved
in the water called for in the mix instructions before adding.
Julia Bemis Ward, Food to Die For, Southern Memorial
Association/Old City Cemetery
1 Duncan Hines angel food cake mix
1 T freeze-dried coffee (be safe and use decaf)
Dissolve the coffee in the water called for and make cake
according to package instructions. When cooked,
ice the cake with Butter icing.
Butter icing
1/2 C butter
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C sifted confectioners sugar
3-4 T milk
1 t vanilla
2 T freeze-dried coffee
slivered toasted almonds for garnish
Dissolve coffee in the milk. Cream butter

with electric mixer. Add salt and sugar,
a small amount at a time, beating all the
while. Add milk as needed. Add vanilla.
Beat until light and fluffy. Top cake just
before serving with slivered, toasted
almonds. The almonds are essential!
Cemetery ginger cookies
Heres another recipe that has made frequent appearances in community cookbooks. Ann Richard, daughter of Hazel Mandot, who is
responsible for the remarkable marzipan cake included in this book, contributed this cookie recipe to an earlier Lynchburg cookbook. I would
be reluctant to include it here except for the fact that these cookies have been strongly connected with Lynchburgs Old City Cemetery and are
frequently served at cemetery social functions. We have the presumption to refer to them as Cemetery Cookies.Julia Bemis Ward, Food to
Die For, Southern Memorial Association/Old City Cemetery
3/4 C butter
1 C sugar
4 T molasses
1 egg
2 C flour
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground cinnamon
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
and visitors browsing rose cuttings for sale at
the cemeterys annual Antique Rose Festival.
Food to Live For also includes a section
called Cooks in the Gravegarden, which
provides biographies of several cooks buried
in the cemetery.
Ward includes helpful hints for cooking,
96
ICCFA Magazine
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in molasses and egg.

Mix in dry ingredients.
Chill dough for several hours to make it easier to handle.

With hands, roll dough into small, marble-sized balls.
Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on greased baking sheet. Flatten each ball with the flat bottom of a glass.
Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Makes 4-6 dozen cookies.
more recipies on page 98

entertaining and being a good guest. Not
to mention, Housekeeping tips from
a person with dubious housekeeping
credentials. Despite the self-deprecating
title, like everything else in the book,
its worth reading. One tip from Ward:
Take Wineaway (a product to spray on
immediately after wine has been spilled to

avoid a stain), rather than wine as a hostess
present. Or take a small, really good bottle
of olive oil. As you can see, even if you
dont do a lot of cooking, these cookbooks
are full of helpful advice.ICCFA Magazine
Managing Editor Susan Loving
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from page 96
C ommunity outreach
Deviled eggs
A big space in the portable food repertoire can be allotted to deviled eggs. Just
as for pimento cheese, potato salad and chicken salad, the range of concoctions
resulting in deviled eggs is limitless. Although it is possible to drift into the
exotic (curry) or the expensive (caviar), deviled eggs that turn up at most
occasions are limited to simple items from the ordinary pantry.
My familys recipe for deviled eggs gives an example of how quickly recipes
evolve and adjust as they travel from one cook to another. Years ago I asked
two relatives for my grandmothers much acclaimed recipe for deviled eggs.
Well, heaven knows what her recipe really was! Within the confines of the
ingredients used for deviled eggs, the recipes were totally different. Lil and
Oleta had taken the recipe given by Mur (my grandmother) and over time it
had become two new and equally wonderful and satisfying recipes for deviled
eggs. Over the years, I had stopped checking the recipes, and so my concoction is a third-generation offshoot. I was surprised to see how far
Id strayed when I was checking the ingredients for this book. Here are offered all three deviled egg recipes. Ready, set, start making your own
adjustments.Julia Bemis Ward, Food to Die For, Southern Memorial Association/Old City Cemetery
Lils recipe
Here is Lils recipe for Bemis Stuffed Eggs,

just as it was jotted on a recipe card: Start
with 6 egg yolks hot enough to melt 2 pats of
butter. Add 1 t of vinegar and 1 1/2 t of sugar.
This should have the yolks about ready to
stuff whites(add) chopped gherkins as
much as you want. If your mixture is dry, add
Hellmans mayonnaise to make it right. Go
back and forth. If it is too sweet, add vinegar;
if it is too sour, add sugerbut I believe this
is about the way to begin.
Oletas recipe
Hard boil one dozen eggs. Peel 3 eggs while they are as hot as
you can handle. Be prepared to burn your fingers. Cut eggs in half
and put yolks over a heaping T of butter. Reserve all egg whites.
Let the hot yolks melt butter in your mixing bowl. Mash this mixture
until smooth. Peel remaining eggs, cut in half and add yolks to
butter mixture. Mash until smooth. Chip three or four midget-size
sweet pickes as fine as possible and add these with 3 t of the
sweet vinegar from the pickles. Add 3 t of cider vinegar. Add salt,
dash of white pepper and a sprinkle of sugar to taste. Add all these
things very slowly and taste as you go along. Mix all until smooth
and return to egg whites that have been reserved.
My most abrupt departure from the original recipe came when I moved to Lynchburg and discovered that my husbands family
regarded sweet deviled eggs as undesirable. I should say, unthinkable! Although still fond of pickes in deviled eggs myself, I abandoned
them and took a slightly different path to deviled egg nirvana. Heres a rough guide to the deviled eggs I frequently make these days:
Julia Bemis Wards recipe
Eggs, hardboiled, split in half with yolks removed to a mixing bowl

Butter, melted
Mayonnaise
Cider vinegar
Dry mustard
Sugar
Salt & pepper
Mash egg yolks. Add up to a T of butter for 6 yolks. Add mayonnaise to achieve stuffing consistency. Start with a couple
of Ts. Add a capful of cider vinegar. Add 1/2 t of dry mustard, and dont tell, but add 1/2 t sugar. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Mix thoroughly, adjust seasonings to taste and stuff eggs.
I dont know where I picked up the dry mustard. I would have told you it was a part of my grandmothers recipe until I
looked at the two given me. The sugar, as for many savory dishes, does not make the filling sweet, but it does heighten
the flavor, makes it fuller.
Marianne Rhodes says that when she is making deviled eggs in great quantity, she makes the job much easier by mashing the yolks in the processor first.
Choose eggs for boiling that are not just out of the nest. Slightly older eggs peel much more easily. I usually start the eggs
cooking in a pan of cold water, bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat. I let them sit in hot water for 15 minutes or
so, to hard boil.
98
ICCFA Magazine
FSI AD
FULL PAGE
page 99
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by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS

1.800.426.0165
danisard@f4sight.com
MANAGEMENT
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Isard is president of
All men might be created equal, but all mausoleum crypts

are not. Any cemeterian who has a mausoleum knows that crypts
on certain rows are more popular with families than others.
But you need to sell them all. Heres how to do it.
The Foresight Companies

LLC, a Phoenix-based
business and management consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, valuations, accounting, financing and customer surveys.
He is the author of several books, and
the host of The Dan Isard Show.

http://funeralradio.com

Educational information, including
copies of this article, can be found at

www.f4sight.com
You can follow Isard on Twitter at

@f4sight and like his page on Facebook.
Editors note: The Cemetery Impossible
column is written by the staff of The Foresight
Companies. If you have a question you
want to be featured in this column, please
send it to danisard@f4sight.com. Dan Isard
or a member of his staff will call you to get
more information and a recommendation will
be provided via this column, helping not only
you but also others who are facing similar
challenges.
100
ICCFA Magazine
Cemetery Impossible
How can you sell every mausoleum crypt,
even the ones on the less popular levels?
Dear Cemetery Impossible,
I built a new mausoleum and sales started off
very strong. It is a six-level site, and sales of
units in rows one, two and six are very strong.
Sales of units in rows four and five are almost
nonexistent. Is it possible I did something
wrong in the marketing of the site?
when something is about to sell out.

Pricing in the pre-construction stage is
critical. There is a cost to building something.
Dear Stuck With Rows 4 and 5,
That will be part of your consideration. The
Too often we lose sight of what a mausoleum smaller the unit you build, the more it will
is. Most cemeterians see it as a series of
cost to construct.
crypts to hold human remains. To us at
For example, a 108-unit mausoleum
Cemetery Impossible, it is a sales chess game. may cost $100,000 (example for discussion
The chess game has four predictable periods: purposes only), whereas a 216-unit mauso
1. Pre-construction
leum may cost not $200,000 but only
2. Construction and sales
$180,000.
3. The longest period
The per-unit cost typically goes down
4. The final period
when you build a larger facility.
If you think about it, this is similar to what
However, that does not factor in the cost
goes on with a new ground interment area,
of financing. A larger project completed over
but a mausoleum usually has a much shorter
a longer time period could end up cost the
selling period.
same per unit as a smaller one.
In both cases, you cannot look at sales
The initial cost of the units is the most
without looking at pricing, because pricing
important part of the ability to control sales.
drives sales. They are the ying and yang of a
If you price yourself too low, you will sell out
cemetery. One has to be properly managed to too quickly. If you set prices too high, you
keep the other component from failing.
wont make sales quickly enough.
Let me explain the position of each period
So how do you set the initial price of a
in the cycle of sales.
unit in a mausoleum? What is the price of
1. Pre-construction is the time to
your grave, vault and marker? If that price is
design and price your project. Look at it
$3,000 in your cemetery, then the price for a
objectively. Decide how this mausoleum fits
single mausoleum would be about $4,000. If
into your master plan. Make sales assump
a mausoleum in going to be six levels high,
tions. The sales assumptions are critical so
not all units are going to be valued the same.
that you do not overbuild.
The least valued crypt is going to be the
A mausoleum can be built in stages,
top layer (Level 6). Therefore, I would price
either individual buildings of 108 units (six that at $4,000 (in this hypothetical case) and
wide by six high by three deep) or larger. If calculate the price of the other layers based
you are going to make an error, it is better
on that starting point, as described in below:
to build something too small and sell out
Level 5 should be about 10 percent more
quickly than build too big and not sell out.
expensive than Level 6, or about $4,400.
Potential buyers often feel the need to act
Level 4 should be about 10 percent more
MANAGEMENT
expensive than level 5, or about $4,900.
Level 3 should be about 10 percent
more expensive than Level 4, so that is about
$5,400.
Level 2 is typically the most valued,
so that can be 20 percent above level 3, or
$6,500.
Level 1 is usually more attractive than
Level 3 and less than Level 2, so about 10
percent less than level 2, or $5,900.
Note that the second level of crypts is
generally the most valued by consumers,
and is thus priced the highest. The bottom
level (Level 1) is usually considered more
attractive than Level 3, so its price falls
between that of Level 1 and Level 3.
This hypothetical case has the average unit
priced at about $5,200, which should give
you a good beginning profit, assuming your
costs per unit are well below that.
These prices are your beginning point;
you should increase them as you sell off
inventory. For example, every time you sell
off 20 percent of the inventory on a particular
level, raise the prices 20 percent on the
remaining units on that level.
For example, if I have six units in a row
and I sell two of them, I will raise prices
by 20 percent on the remaining four units.
From that point on, every time I sell a unit,
I will raise prices on the remaining units in
that level by 20 percent again. However, the
relative pricing could get out of whack if you
do not adjust up and down as well as side to
side.
In my experience, the most popular units
sold are the top units (in this case, Level 6),
based on price, and the units on Level 2,
because its easy for people standing in front
of them to touch those crypt fronts without
reaching or bending.
So, back to the issue of relative pricing.
After you sell two units on Level 6, you
will increase the prices on those units by 20
percent, and all other units must be raised in
price as well so their relative value remains
equal.
Otherwise, in this case where you sold
units on Level 6 and then raised the price of
the remaining Level 6 units, you would end
up with the crypts on that level being more
expensive than the ones on the more desirable
Level 5.
We want to keep the pricing locked in
relative to supply, which will affect demand.
If Level 5 and Level 4 crypts are the least
popular, they will become more popular as
Level 6 and Level 2 sell out.
2. Construction and sales is the
second phase and typically begins after
a few years of sales or upon selling, in this
hypothetical example, about $120,000 in
units (approximately 20 of the 108 total
units).
You have now recovered your total cost of
development. As you move from conceptual
to tangible, you will take your existing
pricing and increase it by 10 percent, across
the board. As the units become tangible, this
causes an increase in activity and sales on the
mausoleum increase.
Now the crypts on the highest row
might sell outand those on the lower

rows might, as well. As families who have
been contemplating a purchase see sales
increasing, they are motivated to stop
procrastinating and start buying.
3. The longest period is the period after
construction. As sales continue, raise prices
as I explained above. This is the sustaining
period. Nothing special occurs until the next
period.
4. The final period is ushered in when
you have about 20 percent of inventory
remaining. This is when you do two things.
First, let people know that you are in the final
periodfew chances to buy remain.
Second (hear the trumpets blare), when
you have two years of sales remaining in the
initial unit, announce a new site where you
will be selling pre-construction.
The pricing on the existing units will
be used to set the pricing on the newly
announced pre-construction units. The new
crypts will be priced 25 percent below the
existing ones.
The final sales of the existing crypts
are driven by the fact that they already
exist, and there are few of them left.
And the disappearing inventory pushes
preconstruction sales in the to-be-built unit.
If you do things properly, you are not
stuck with Level 4 and Level 5 as existing
inventory forever. The crypts on those rows
sell in harmony with the rest.
Running a cemetery is tough. Running one
without a game plan for sales is Cemetery
r
Impossible.
AFCTS AD
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March-April 2016
101
by Susanna Pau
susanna@cffinc.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Pau is in funeral and
cemetery trust administration and is the western

regional manager for
Cooperative Funeral Fund
Inc. (CFF).
CFF specializes in the management of

preneed and endowment care fund accounts. CFF has provided a program for the
death care industry to facilitate the creation,
investment, tax compliance and payout of
preneed trusts since 1989.
www.cooperativefuneralfund.com
PRENEED FINANCES
The effect of inflation on preneed funds always needs

to be taken into account, but thats especially true
when interest rates are keeping fund earnings low.
Are your preneed funds

earning what they need to?
ngaging in preneed sales involves

inherent risks for both the
consumer and the funeral provider.
Fortunately, if understood, the risks are
manageable and can make it a worthwhile
venture for both parties. One of the risks
the funeral provider takes on that often is
not analyzed enough is the financial risk.
Everyone pays attention to interest
rates. But how many funeral providers pay
attention to the impact inflation rates have
on the interest they are earningas well as
their profits?
The profit margin ratio is a tool that
can be used to measure the amount of
net income earned as a percentage of
sales by comparing net income and net
sales (revenue). In other words, the profit
margin ratio shows what percentage of
sales are left over after all expenses are
paid by the business.
Profit Margin Ratio = Net Income / Net
Sales
This ratio indirectly measures how
well a company is managing its expenses
relative to its net sales. When budgeting
at-need sales, funeral providers are able
to analyse and control their profit margin
ratio by determining ways to generate
more revenue while keeping expenses

constant or keeping revenues constant and
lowering expenses.
But understanding the profit margin
on those preneed sales funded by trust or
insurance means adding the wrinkle of
inflation to the cost side of the equation.
As time passes, inflation may slowly erode
profit margin unless investment returns are
managed carefully.
As an example, lets follow a $5,500
preneed funeral contract over a five-year
period to see how the profit margin would
be impacted by inflation over time. Ill use
the following assumptions: 100 percent
funded preneed trying to maintain a 6
percent profit margin ratio over the fiveyear period from 2009 to 2013.
Preneed sale
$5,500
Cost $5,170
Net income
$ 330
Profit margin ratio
6%
Inflation is the general increase
in prices. The chart below shows the
historical inflation rates on sales with
caskets from 2009 to 2013.
Due to inflation, the original $5,500
sales price of the preneed funeral contract
would grow to $6,156 after the five-year
Inflation rate on preneed sales
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preneed finances
If your trust investments are yielding low returns that are not keeping pace with inflation, then the
longer the contract is active, the more your profit margin decreases. There may even be a point in
time when the preneed investments havent grown enough to cover the costs, resulting in a loss.
period. In order to maintain a 6 percent
profit margin over this period, the returns
you receive on your preneed investment
vehicle need to keep pace with inflation.
You would need to ensure your investment
grows by $656 (i.e. $6,156 - $5,500) to
ensure your 6 percent profit margin ratio is
preserved.
Investment options
Here are some specifics of different

preneed investment options.
Certificates of deposit
Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing
time deposits that have a fixed term and
fixed interest rate. Typically, it is intended
for a CD to be held until maturity.
If you were to go to your local bank and
invest in a CD, you could try to invest your
preneed deposits by combining money
collected from several preneed contracts
to purchase a jumbo CD in an effort to
obtain a higher return.
However, you would have to wait for
each preneed contract associated with
the jumbo CD to be fulfilled (i.e. until
each contract beneficiary dies) before you
would be able to withdraw the CD, or
you could incur a fairly steep penalty for
withdrawing early.
If you choose to invest the funds from
each preneed contract individually, your
options would be to either select a longterm CD with a higher rate (and risk an
early withdrawal penalty if you need
to break the CD before its maturity),
or a short-term CD that would yield
approximately 1 percent in this current
market.
The chart at the top of the page (#1)
shows how a 1 percent CD would have
performed against the inflation for the fiveyear period from 2009 to 2013.
The 1 percent growth on the original
$5,500 over five years would earn $282
interest, so your investment would have
grown to $5,782. However, we previously
calculated that we would need the
investment to grow by $656 in order to
maintain the 6 percent profit margin ratio.
So in this scenario, your profit margin
would have shrunk from 6 percent to -0.08
104
ICCFA Magazine
#1
percent. In other words, even though the
preneed investment was earning interest,
the growth was not able to cover expenses.
Prefunding programs
There are trust administration service
providers that offer other trust investment
vehicles that can obtain higher interest
rates by using the buying power of multiple
preneed accounts to buy into investments.
This next example will show how the
results can change even with a modest
improvement to the return. The chart at
the bottom of the page (#2) shows how an
investment with a 2.5 percent rate would
have performed against the same inflation
for the five-year period from 2009 to 2013:
In this scenario, the 2.5 percent
growth on the original $5,500 over five
years would earn $732 interest, so your
investment would have grown to $6,232.

We previously calculated that we would
need the investment to grow by $656 in
order to maintain the 6 percent profit margin
ratio. In this scenario, your margin would
have grown from 6 percent to 7.22 percent.
By better managing the trust investments
you would have been able to increase your
profit margin by 1.22 percent.
Funeral insurance
Funeral insurance is another investment
option for funding preneed sales. With
preneed insurance, often the funeral
provider is licensed to sell the insurance.
In addition to any growth on the preneed
policy, the funeral provider would also
receive a commission upfront.
Its important to understand the terms
of the insurance product you are using
#2
preneed finances
to fund your
preneed sales,
as normally
the higher the
commission
paid by the
insurance
product, the
lower the rate
of return on
the underlying
investment.
The example
shown in the
chart at the top
of this page (#3)
shows the same
#3
sale funded
by a funeral
insurance policy that pays $100 commission
upfront and a 1 percent return.
With the $100 commission and the 1
percent growth on the original $5,500, over
five years the investment would earn $385,
so your investment would have grown to
$5,885.
As previously calculated, we would need
the investment to grow by $656 in order
to maintain the 6 percent profit margin
ratio. In the first year, the commission paid
upfront helps offset inflation; however, over
time, the low interest rate would not be able
to pace inflation, and as a result your margin
would have shrunk from 6 percent to 1.59
percent after five years, even with the $100
commission.
There may be value to selling preneed
funeral insurance to receive a commission
upfront, but you would have to do the
analysis to understand the long-term impact
of that investment decision. This becomes
especially important when a funeral
provider uses outside insurance salespeople
to sell their preneed. Some funeral providers
like this model, since they wont necessarily
have to pay a salary to the preneed sales
person (i.e. the insurance carrier would pay
the commission to the salesperson), while
they still benefit from having preneed sales
generated for them.
Its important to review which insurance
product is being sold for you in this
scenario, as most likely the insurance
product being sold will be paying one of the
higher commission rates on the commission
schedule to the salesperson while yielding
one of the lowest returns on the schedule for
the funeral provider.
The average life of a preneed contract

is five to seven years. As you have seen
from the previous examples, if your trust
investments are yielding low returns that
are not keeping pace with inflation, then
the longer the contract is active, the more
your profit margin decreases. There may
even be a point in time when the preneed
investments havent grown enough to cover
the costs, resulting in a loss.
Summary
In order to maintain your profit margin,

every funeral provider should determine
whether their preneed investments are
earning enough
to outpace
inflation.
Most state
requirements
limit the allow
able types
of preneed
investments
to secure
investments that
generate very
low returns.
This makes
it difficult to
invest in todays
economy, when
the Fed has
maintained
near-zero interest rates for the past six
years.
Some funeral providers may feel
its easier to simply continue with their
existing preneed investments, but without
understanding how inflation impacts their
businesses, they may be letting it eat away
their profit margins.
There are other investment options
available for preneed while still keeping
the funds in a low-risk investment and
complying with state laws. Now may be the
time to look at what your preneed funds are
invested in and who is selling your preneed
for you.
r
Madelyn AD
1/4 H
4-COLOR
March-April 2016
105

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Profiles of many of the

April 13-16, New Orleans, Louisiana

Live Oak Bank AD

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