Stories of Funeral Director- Story 1

vfunerals • Oct 25, 2016

There are so many stories and things that have happened at funerals.  Some are funny and inspirational and others sad and depressing.  But, let start story #1 with a funny story.

I had just became a manager of a corporate owned funeral home in Kansas.  I will not say where, to protect the innocent.  Here I was a 20 something year old and was just left with managing a funeral home.  Corporation had fired the previous managers.

I was excited but yet very scared.  I could just imagine hearing people I am was trying to service in the worst times of their lives say, “This snot nose kid doesn’t know anything!”   That went through my mind all the time.  It was important to me that everything I did was perfect.  Of course, it did not always go perfect.  Here is a example:

It was a beautiful day, people were arriving to funeral home.  I was handing out folders for service and sitting people.

The family wanted “Amazing Grace” and “Old Rugged Cross” for songs at service.  I remembered we had some Merrill Womack recorded music.  So, an hour before service, I get the music out and see if it worked.  Of course I heard, “Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound……”.  Ok, checked other song, sounded great.  Perfect, I was ready to go.  Well, I just listen to the first verse.

So, all the friends and family arrived.  It was a full chapel, which was wonderful.  Preacher started service and I had a order of service so I would know when to play the songs.  So, minister sits down and now a song,  I pushed play and Amazing Grace started playing, perfect.  I adjusted the sound a little and then went to the back of the chapel to hear if the volume was good for everyone.  As the beautiful song was playing and me standing in the back, all of a sudden over the speakers, I heard, a door open and close and then a voice, “It’s me!!”.  Horrified, everyone in the chapel turned and looked at the back of the chapel, here I was standing there and everyone looking at me.  I calmly walked back to the music room and waited for the song to be over.

After, the service the minister came up to me and was questioning me about the music.  I said, “I don’t know”.  Minister said, “I should have said when that happened, “Jesus is here”.  We chuckled together.  But, I was still so worried about what the family would say.  Thank goodness they  were a great family and they chuckled about it.

So, after everything was over, I stormed into the music room and played “Amazing Grace” again.  It did it again.  Well come to find out the previous managers of the firm re-recorded the song from another tape or cd.  Well, why they were doing that the microphone was on and recorded the individual coming in the back door of funeral home.  Still don’t know who the voice of individual belong too.  Maybe it was Jesus!!!!

A close up of a person 's hands out.

Religion/Faith/Beliefs: The Decline in Funeral Services

By vfunerals • 30 Nov, 2016
I do believe that every person has a right to whatever is best for them concerning religion, faith or beliefs. Or, whatever keeps them moving forward through this life. I hope not to offend anyone with topic. Keep reading and you will know why I thought about this subject.
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Holiday Grief

By vfunerals • 28 Nov, 2016
Grief and any feelings of loss about someone we love is the toughest during the holiday season. Grief and the grieving process are different for every individual. Here are some helpful suggestions that may just help you get through the holidays and may help you move forward in the grieving process of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
A man is running down a wet road at sunset.

Model T to Lamborghini: Today’s way of dodging emotions 

By vfunerals • 16 Nov, 2016
Emotions and feelings -some wear them on their sleeves and communicate how they are feeling while others run as fast they can away from any type of uncomfortable feelings or from communicating about it.
A group of people are standing in a church hugging each other.

CHANGE: Personalized or Old Fashioned Service  

By vfunerals • 16 Nov, 2016
Some funerals are just the typical “old fashioned” service – nothing fancy. Many times families are not offered different options or ways of making a service memorable or the funeral home just does not want to change the way they typically handle services. Sometimes during the service we are attending we don’t hear personal stories about who we are there to respect.
A cemetery with graves in the grass in front of a building.

The Shell of a Life

By vfunerals • 10 Nov, 2016
The Ancient Romans held that the soul of man, although separated at death from the body, hovered around the place of burial for its continued peace and happiness, and required constant attention from the descendants in the form of offerings of food and drink. Should the offerings be discontinued, the Romans thought that the soul would cease to be happy, and even become a spirit of evil to bring harm upon those who had neglected the proper rites. This is from the book, “The History Of American Funeral Directing”.
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HOW TO FOLD AND MEANING OF FOLDS OF AMERICAN FLAG

By vfunerals • 07 Nov, 2016
I believe the American Flag is absolutely beautiful.
A urn is sitting on a table next to candles.

Cremation and Families Options 

By vfunerals • 01 Nov, 2016
Cremation has been on the rise for many years. Some families choose cremation because of cost and some because family can not get together to have a service for their loved one right away due to living in another state or country. Cremation can take place and then the family chooses a time to get together for a service and burial at a later date.
A pen is sitting on top of a notebook on a wooden table.

Stories of Funeral Director- Story 1

By vfunerals • 25 Oct, 2016
There are so many stories and things that have happened at funerals. Some are funny and inspirational and others sad and depressing. But, let start story #1 with a funny story.
A trumpet is sitting on top of an american flag.

HONORING A VETERAN- THE STORY of TAPS

By vfunerals • 25 Oct, 2016
It is still amazing to me even after 20 years of conducting funerals for veterans how the playing of TAPS still gets me choked up. How can a song have such a effect to honor a deceased veteran? As TAPS is played at Veteran’s funeral, if you don’t get choked up, then that is very sad. I have seen medals received by veteran’s that the families bring to funeral home, sometimes if medal is still in the box, there is a description of why and how this medal was earned. Absolute amazement what some Veterans did and survived for their fellow comrades and the country.
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Death, Grief and a Funeral Director

By vfunerals • 21 Oct, 2016
Death and grief can be traumatic and life altering. Death of a loved one and how we cope with it is important. The grief process can only start with viewing and being able to face the reality that a person we loved is not coming back to us. Every single person handles grief in a different way. I strive for a individual or a family to a have a chance to see a loved one and start the process of moving forward after a death by saying “goodbye” and facing the reality that the death has happened. As a funeral director, I believe my three main goals are: to use as much time as it takes to make a viewing of their deceased loved one the best it can be; to make the service as personalized in rememberance of the deceased and for the family; and to get a family or an individual moving forward in the grieving process.
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