February 22, 2008

Pet Survey Now Open

American Funeral Director and American Cemetery are interested in your take on the pet memorialization business. Please take a few minutes to fill out the following brief survey to help us understand your needs in this area.  click here to take the survey...

Added Value of Memorial Tributes By Lucy Galbraith

Most funeral directors by now have heard of memorial tribute videos. But to experience one is to truly understand its impact: To feel the swell of emotion as the video plays, to hear the bereaved discuss it as they depart the service, to receive a phone call from a wife who shares how much the video helped her with the grieving process after losing her husband.

A memorial tribute not only helps personalize a service, it helps the bereaved to concentrate on celebrating the life that was lived, rather than on the death that has occurred. And it also provides the funeral director with another way to comfort grieving families. click here to download the full story...

The Changing Face of Education
By Laura Oettinger & Erin Casey

How do you choose continuing education? By topic? By faculty? By location? By social networking value? How about by learning style? Online funeral continuing education offers participants multiple choices.

Continuing education has changed quite a bit over the past several years. More states are requiring that their funeral professionals complete continuing education courses to renew their licenses and stay current with advances in technology, communicable diseases and specific laws. Some states are implementing mandatory subjects while others require a certain amount of credits that fall within specific categories of study. Still others allow the professional to choose whichever topics interest them the most. click here to download the full story...

Court Documents: Funeral Service Executive Stole $1.8M

LACEY, WASH. - The former vice president of Southwick Corp., which controls the Forest Funeral Home in Shelton and the Woodlawn Funeral Home in Lacey, admitted to stealing $1.8 million from the family funeral business, according to charging documents, the Tacoma News Tribune reported. read more...