ICCFA Magazine June 2015

June 2015
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Catherine-de-SaintAugustin MausoleumColumbarium, Qubec
Mausoleums go green
on top, delighting bees
Planning an anniversary
celebration that draws
the community to you
Going to Guatemala for

lessons in excellence
Marketing preneed to
veterans of Vietnam
Sign up
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for
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ffor the
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6 convention
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Did you know that our 110 Managing Partners:
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Set their own prices
Make all staffing decisions
Determine their own service offerings
And are truly treated as a partner
Select their own vendors

Carriage Servicess decentralized operating model allows local Managing Partners to
continue to run their operations as owners. If you are considering succession planning
but want to maintain operational control over your business and be treated as a partner,
please directly contact:
David J. DeCarlo
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Email: Dave.Decarlo
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14 mausoleums/going green
Catherine-de-Saint-Augustin MausoleumColumbarium, Qubec. Page 54.

Photo courtesy of Carrier Mausoleum
Construction.
10 Presidents Letter
The obvious, revealed
by Darin B. Drabing
12 Washington Report
FTC Funeral Rule investigators find
violations in 25% of funeral homes;
Important notice to ICCFA members
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
53 New Members
54 Update
60 Supply Line
65 Calendar
66 Ad Index
66 Classifieds
www.iccfa.com
Directories
www.iccfa.com/directories
Web Expo directory of suppliers and
professionals
Association directory
Industry event calendar
Cremation Coaching Center

www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories
Model guidelines
ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs

Committees model guidelines for state
laws and regulations
6
ICCFA Magazine
Historic mausoleums cleaned and greened at Congressional

Historic private mausoleums can add character to a cemetery, but they
also can contribute maintenance challenges. Congressional Cemeterys
first fixes to the leaking roofs on its Mausoleum Row include a green
twist. by Susan Loving
18 Caskets/Cremation
Casket companies responding to cremation

The rising cremation rate affects not only funeral homes and cemeteries
but also the suppliers who provide the products they sell. How are
casket companies responding to the continuing increase in cremation?
interviews by Susan Loving
18 Aurora Casket Co.
20 Passages International
20 Starmark Funeral Products
22 Batesville
24 Sauder Funeral Products
24 Astral Industries
26 Preneed sales suCCess
Veteran or boomer? How do Vietnam veterans see themselves?

Does your tried-and-true way of marketing to veterans work when
it comes to our current preneed target market of Vietnam veterans?
Its something you should think about.
by Candace Franco
28 management/Community outreaCh
17 tips to help you celebrate your companys anniversary

Every cemetery and funeral home that stays in business reaches
milestone anniversaries. Observing your 100th or even your 10th
anniversary can improve your community outreach, help you finish
some projects and highlight the importance of remembrance.
by Judith C. Mitchell, MA, MBA
32 Day retires after 40 years at Kensico Cemetery
40 management/international
Going to Guatemala to study excellence & another culture

Touring a successful funeral home or cemetery operation can be
educational, providing ideas and inspiration. Visiting one located
in another country adds another dimension to the experience.
by Christine Toson Hentges, CCE
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Dakota AD
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4-COLOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ICCFA news
49 Submit your session proposals
for the 2016 ICCFA Annual

Convention & Expo
in New Orleans, Louisiana
Deadline: August 3
49 San Antonio convention
recordings available for purchase
50 Telephone Doctor
will discuss the Golden Nuggets

of Sales & Service
50 Online store sale:
Love is the Killer App: How to Win

Business and Influence Friends, by
Tim Sanders, and Will You Dance,
by Annette Childs-Oroz
50 2016 ICCFA Wide World of
Sales Conference for presentations

Deadline: July 15
51 ICCFA University
An educational experience like none

other in the industry
July 17-22
ICCFA calendar
ICCFA Member Webinar Series
June 24 Nancy Friedman, The Telephone
Doctor
2015 ICCFA University
July 17-22 Fogelman Conference Center,
University of Memphis, Memphis,
Tennessee Chancellor: Jeff Kidwiler, CCE
Cremation Arranger and Crematory
Operator Certification Course
September 9-10 Dallas Institute of
Funeral Service, Dallas, Texas
2015 Fall Management Conference
September 30-October 2
Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Arizona
Co-Chairs:Stacy Adams and John Gouch
2016 Wide World of Sales
Conference
January 13-15 Monte Carlo Resort
& Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
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
8
ICCFA Magazine
At Star Granite & Bronzes booth at the 2015 ICCFA Annual Convention &
Expo. Full convention coverage will appear in ICCFA Magazines July issue.
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Presidents Letter
by iCCFa
2015-2016
President darin
B. drabing
ddrabing@forestlawn.com
Drabing is president
and CEO of Forest Lawn

Funerals, Cremations and
Cemeteries.
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.
The obvious, revealed
eturning home from our Annual

Convention in beautiful San Antonio,
I started my term as the new president
of the ICCFA. Immediately, I began receiving
numerous emails and handwritten notes
of congratulations from many friends and
colleagues. I guess thats to be expected to some
extent, but to be honest, I was surprised.
It wasnt just the sheer number of notes that
astonished me, but the content. These werent
simple messages of congratulations. They were
written with care, full of thoughtful phrases that
let me know it was important to the senders to
express themselves. And without fail, they all
shared a similar message: Please let me know
what I can do to assist you as president. Just
tell me how I can help. Whatever you need, just
call. You can count on me.
These repeated sentiments, in their various
incarnations, speak volumes and truly capture
the essence of this association. The words
reveal to me why I value the ICCFA so much:
Its our members. As I reread each note, what I
have always known to be true suddenly became
obvious.
This organization succeeds not because
someone is elected president, but because its
filled with dedicated members who contribute
their time, resources, and wisdompeople who
get it and have dedicated their lives to serving
others, including their fellow professionals.
Our immediate past president, Fred Lappin,
often remarked how our association is one of
inclusion. Hes correct. But there is so much more
to it. There is a desire within our organization to
help one another, to share, to support, to improve.
Dont get me wrong; its an amazing honor
iCCFa officers
magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com
10
ICCFA Magazine
to be the president of the ICCFA. I have the

privilege of working closely with an exceptional
slate of officers and past presidents; a first class
staff in our home office in Sterling, Virginia;
a progressive board of directors that challenge
each other for the good of the whole; supportive
vendors who provide a variety of options to
shape our future; and a membership that demands
excellence and is looking to achieve it. I am
extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead this
stellar association.
However, after many years of participation in
the ICCFA, I know my place. This is a position
of servitude. So, if I can help you in any way, just
call. You can count on me.
r
June 2015
VOLUME 75/NUMBER 5
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
ICCFA 2015-2016 President Darin Drabing presents 2014-2015 President Fred Lappin, CCE,
with a plaque thanking him for his service to
the association at the recent ICCFA Annual
Convention & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas.
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
Robert Treadway, director of
communications & member services
robt@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
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 pub
lished by the International Cemetery, Crema
tion 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
2015 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
20164-4468. 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.
Worsham AD
FULL PAGE
page 11
4-COLOR
Washington Report
by iCCFa
general Counsel
robert m. Fells,
esq.
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 reSOurCeS
Wireless. ICCFA
members, send us your
email address and well
send you our bi-weekly
electronic newsletter full
of breaking news.
FTC Funeral Rule investigators find

violations in 25% of funeral homes
he Federal Trade Commission recently

announced that it had conducted undercover
investigations of funeral homes in six states
during 2014 to check compliance with the Funeral
Rule. Specifically, funeral homes were checked to
determine whether they were providing written price
disclosures in a timely manner, i.e., at the beginning of
discussing funeral arrangements.
According to the FTC announcement, 27 out of
100 funeral homes checked failed to give the price
disclosures.
In addition, the FTC identified a number of homes,
within the six states with only minor compliance
deficiencies. In such cases, the FTC requires the
funeral home to provide evidence that it has corrected
the problems.
According the FTC, Key provisions of the rule
require funeral homes to provide consumers with an
itemized general price list at the start of an in-person
discussion of funeral arrangements, a casket price
list before consumers view any caskets, and an outer
burial container price list before they view grave liners
or vaults. The rule also prohibits funeral homes from
requiring consumers to buy any item, such as a casket,
as a condition of obtaining any other funeral goods or
services.
The results of the FTC inspections for price list
disclosures by region are as follows:
in Northwest Arkansas, five of the 16 funeral
homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
in Bakersfield, California, seven of the 11 funeral
homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
in Annapolis, Maryland, and vicinity, four of 13
funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list
disclosure;
in St. Louis, Missouri, three of 16 funeral homes
inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
in Westchester County, New York, three of 29
During the meeting with the ICCFA,

commission staff expressed their concerns
that though the Funeral Rule has been in
effect for over 30 years, the violation rate
continues at between 25 to 30 percent of
the funeral homes tested.
funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list
disclosure; and
in Seattle, Washington, five of 15 funeral homes
inspected failed to make a price list disclosure.
All but two of the 27 funeral homes found in
violation of the rule decided to enter the Funeral Rule
Offenders Program (FROP) administered by the
NFDA. FROP is an alternative to facing civil penalties
action by the FTC and involves a voluntary payment
to the U.S. Treasury in lieu of the civil penalty
imposed by the FTC.
Since the FROP program began in 1996, the FTC
has inspected more than 2,900 funeral homes, and
found 503 homes with violations, 486 of which have
agreed to enter the FROP program, with the remainder
subject to FTC law enforcement actions.
ICCFA representatives from the Government and
Legal Affairs Committee met with FTC staff in March
to discuss the future of the Funeral Rule. The rule
is scheduled for a review in 2019, at which time its
provisions could be expanded or curtailed, or the rule
itself repealed by the commission.
During the meeting with ICCFA, commission staff
expressed their concerns that though the Funeral Rule
has been in effect for over 30 years, the violation rate
continues at between 25 to 30 percent of the funeral
homes tested. FTC staff felt that this rate was high
considering the three decades that the rule has been in
force.
r
Important notice to ICCFA members

F
or some time now, the ICCFA has been
cooperating with government investigators in
several states concerning the activities of Heritage
Cremation Provider. The online company (http://
heritagecremationprovider.com) is not and never
has been a member of the ICCFA. However,
its website displays the ICCFA logo, implying
membership.
We have contacted the entitys owner, A.J.
Damiano, and repeatedly insisted that the ICCFA
logo must be removed from its site because it is
12
ICCFA Magazine
misleading and deceptive. The state authorities

are aware that Heritage Cremation Provider has
no affiliation with the ICCFA and the association
has filed a complaint with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation through its online facility, the Internet
Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
If you are contacted by Heritage Cremation
Provider, please proceed with caution and
report any such contacts with ICCFA Executive
Director Robert M. Fells at rfells@iccfa.com or
1.800.645.7700.
r
Paradise AD
FULL PAGE
page 13
4-COLOR
by iCCFa magazine
managing editor susan loving
sloving@iccfa.com
m au s o l e u m s / g o i n g g r e e n
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
pwilliams@congressional
cemetery.org
Paul Williams has

been president of the
Association for the
Preservation of Congressional Cemetery since
2012. He had served as
executive director of Historic Dupont Circle Main
Streets in Washington,
D.C., since 2008.
Historic private mausoleums can add character to a cemetery,

but they also can contribute maintenance challenges.
Congressional Cemeterys first fixes to the leaking roofs
on its Mausoleum Row include a green twist.
He attended Roger Williams University,

Bristol, Rhode Island, and Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He has been the
proprietor of Kelsey & Associates since
1995, specializing in the historic research
of houses and buildings in Washington.
He has also authored 16 books on various
Washington neighborhoods and themes.
Congressional Cemetery, located
on 35 acres fronting the Anacostia River
on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., was
founded in 1807. Initially known as the
Washington Parish Burial Ground, it became the first truly national burial ground
as Congress bought sites, buried noted
civil servants and funded the infrastructure. It is owned by Christ Church and has
been operated by the nonprofit Association for the Preservation of Congressional
Cemetery since 1976.
www.congressionalcemetery.org
The roofs of the Graham and Hodges mausoleums on Congressional Cemeterys

Mausoleum Row have been repaired and converted into green roofs, providing
food for the bees housed in the blue boxes, seen in the background.
Historic mausoleums cleaned

and greened at Congressional
ausoleum Row at Congressional

Cemetery, a strip of 17 small
buildings as tightly spaced as
the rowhouses in any city, has started
undergoing a form of urban renewalwith
an ecological twist. Leaking roofs are
being repaired, and concrete replaced with
lighter materials and topped with greenery.
Congressional Cemetery President
Paul Williams said the cemetery had taken
over care of the more than 100-year-old
mausoleums. They are so old that the
families have been dispersed, he said,
and the families had never really done
maintenance on the structures in any case.
The mausoleums were increasingly in
need of repair, as evidenced by the cracked
concrete atop some and the fact that they
were leaking.
Some of the roofs were capped with
14
ICCFA Magazine
concrete, Williams said, and one person

even put a slate roof up there, which didnt
make much sense at all, with the freeze/
thaw cycle and the fact that its a flat roof.
Since the mausoleums are so close
together, problems with one tend to affect
its neighbors, and theres a drainage prob
lem caused by the fact that the mausoleums are built into a hillside.
The back of the mausoleum is obviously dirt, Williams said. Water from
the slope goes onto the roofs, and there
hasnt been anyplace for it to go other than
through the roof, eventually.
As part of the renovation, we were
able to solve that, Williams said of the
drainage problem. We have a kind of side
tunnel that takes the water out into the
front.
How did they decide where to begin,
Merendino AD
FULL PAGE
page 15
4-COLOR
mausoleums/going green
Part of Congressional Cemeterys Mausoleum Row, built into a hillside. Blue beehives can be seen peeking above one of the
roofs, and near the end are the Graham and Hodges mausoleums, which look like twins and at the moment also stand out
because they have been cleaned as part of the restoration process.
since repairing all 17 roofs at once was

not fiscally feasible? We started with the
ones that were in the worst shape. We got a
grant from The National Trust for Historic
Preservation and American Express to
repair two mausoleum roofs.
They knew the roofs were leaking, but
were not sure what repairing them would
involve. We didnt really know how deep
that soil was, where the barrel vault was or
what condition it was in, Williams said,
Now that we have excavated two of them,
we know what were in for with the others.
They kind of dug down to the
barrel vault roof, repointed it, filled it
with polystyrene, oddly, because its a
lightweight material, and then they put a
rubber roofing on top of the that and the
concrete.
On top of everything sit the plants that
the local bees find so appealing.
The plants used were chosen by the
contractor. We told them we wanted
something drought-tolerant and low
maintenance, but blossoming, because of
the bees. So far, the roof has performed as
hoped, and made it through the winter.
They are very drought-tolerant,
Williams said. They can take a lot of wear
16
ICCFA Magazine
and tear with the environment, so that they

dont require a lot of upkeep from us. We
really have to water them only if it hasnt
rained for about six weeks.
The bees are a few mausoleums away,
and when we planted the green roof last
fall, it was in blossom. So the bees made a
beeline for the green roof.
The bees like the blossoms and pollen,
and Congressional staffers like the fact that
the bees are making honey they can sell
in the cemetery gift shop. Its kind of a
viscous cycle, a green cycle.
A social media benefit
The competition for the grant had the nice

side effect of building up Congressionals
social media presence, Williams said.
The cemetery was on a list of more than a
dozen organizations in Washington, D.C.,
competing for $50,000 in grant money.
Part of the competition involved getting
people to vote for your organization on the
American Express website.
We used four forms of social media to
advertise the contest: Facebook, Instagram,
Four Square and Twitter.
The cemetery reached out to friends and
supporters, including the dog walkers that
support the cemetery through an annual

membership, asking them for votes.
They had been concerned about the
social media campaign being labor
intensive for the staff, but it ended up
helping raise Congressionals online
profile. We went from 200 likes on
Facebook to 1,600 in a two-month period.
Williams said the cemetery hopes to
add more green roofs. Now that we know
what the typical cost is, we can go after
grants and say, for $30,000 you can add a
green roof on a mausoleum.
Where do you find such grants? I look
anywhere, really, Williams said. Even
families who want to donate and would
like a specific project they can pay for
from beginning to end, and are a little
green-thinking. If they donate $30,000, we
can do a green roof in their honor and put a
plaque on it.
For the initial project, the cemetery
also received a rebate, from the nonprofit
Anacostia Watershed Society. (The
cemetery abuts the Anacostia River.) The
society provides a $3,000 rebate per green
roof, if it meets their standards. So well
get a $6,000 check just for installing those
two roofs.
r
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interviews by ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving
sloving@iccfa.com
C A S K E T S / C R E M AT I O N
The rising cremation rate affects not only funeral homes and cemeteries
but also the suppliers who provide the products they sell.
How are casket companies responding to the continuing increase in cremation?
Casket companies responding to cremation
ome things that affect funeral and cemetery service, such

as the state of the economy, fluctuate over time. But one
thing that has been on a steady course for decades is the
cremation rate. The economy goes up and then down again, but
the cremation rate moves in only one direction, rising inexorably.
Marty Strohofer and Michael Quinn,
Aurora Casket Co.:
Strohofer: Ive seen a shift as far as
funeral homes approaching cremation
in a more progressive way. As a casket
company, we try to provide solutions
that help funeral homes educate
consumers about the choices they have
for memorialization, for saying goodbye,
of having serviceswhether thats a full
visitation, a more traditional visitation
followed by cremation, something more
private or even immediate disposition.
We provide tools to help our funeral
home customers educate consumers
about the choices that they have and let
consumers make the decisions. Thats a
matter of training people on how to answer
the phone, how to help families through
the arrangement.
If a family chooses cremation with
a full service, terrific. If they want a
cremation without service, then so be it.
But lets give the funeral director the tools
to educate families so they can provide the
service the family needs.
In terms of the products we offer, one
thing weve done is really expand the
selection of cremation-specific products.
We just added more than 100 new urns
and keepsakes and memorial items to our
catalogue.
Weve always offered urns, but were
looking to add more contemporary designs.
We sell a lot of the more traditional urns,
but we know consumers are looking for
other choices, as well.
Weve got a lot of new urns: Urns that
play videos that the family can upload;
urns that look like shadow boxes. Theres
a whole new collection of products weve
introduced, keepsake products families can
18
ICCFA Magazine
How is this affecting the business of selling caskets? ICCFA

Magazine talked to representatives of a number of casket
manufacturers exhibiting at the 2015 ICCFA Annual Convention
& Exposition about how the rising cremation rate is affecting the
industry in general and their businesses in particular.
Marty Strohofer, Aurora Casket Co.
put in their gardens. Jewelry items, some

of which hold cremated remains.
Were adding more cremation caskets to
our line as well. A couple of years ago we
added a newly designed ceremonial casket,
which other people call a rental casket.
Weve introduced a number of new
caskets designed specifically for cremation,
and we continue to add products geared
toward private family viewings rather than
full-service visitations, products that are
appropriate for transporting bodies in cases
where there may not be a service.
We want to provide all of the products
funeral homes need to serve their
communities and to provide the different
types of services their families want.
Quinn: Our customers markets range
from 80 percent cremation in some
coastal areas to five percent cremation in
some very traditional areas. I talked to a
gentleman from Texas who

said his cremation rate was
six percent last year. And
we do offer products that
give all of our more than
5,000 customers choices so
they can serve the families
in their communities.
But we are doing
more
things as the market
Michael
changes.
Weve created a
Quinn
set of tools that can help
drive more leads to our funeral home
customers. As our customers revenue
picture changesif traditional burials are
going down and cremations are going up
and revenue for the firm is going down
they need to revise that picture.
How can they do that? By getting more
leads so they can serve more families. We
work with them through education and
r
other tools to help them do that.
to page 20
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CASKETS/CREMATION
Darren Crouch, Passages International.
Darren Crouch, Passages

International: For the first 10 years, we
only did urns, with some baby cremation
caskets. But about five years ago we
added wicker caskets. A lot of our caskets
get cremated; theyre an alternative
between a transporter-type product or
a cardboard box and cremating in a
wooden casket. But a lot of our caskets
are buried. More natural burial grounds
and green sections in cemeteries are
opening up, and many people see value
in these alternative products.
With where cremation is going, I
think were going to see fewer traditional
caskets being sold. I just dont think
consumers get as delighted about
traditional caskets as funeral directors
do. For a funeral director, seeing a casket
is like seeing a brand new car. But I go
to green festivals, and the people who
attend really get excited about green
products.
Were finding that people are not
going completely green; theyre choosing
the green elements that are important to
them. For example, a New Jersey funeral
director made a removal from Maryland
Chad Eversole, Starmark

Cremation Products: Vandor
Corp., Starmarks parent company,
has made casket components
for every manufacturer, but that
business has slowly declined as the
cremation part of our business has
evolved.
We now make a lot more
cremation-type products, but we
still do business with a lot of the
large casket manufacturers. So we
can kind of judge a little bit about
how the casket industry is doing
based on our sales of our Vandor
Corp. products. We notice that, for
example, a company that has bought
a certain number of casket inserts
Chad Eversole, Starmark Cremation Products.
for years has decreased its order.
rate drop, you know youre not always going
When I started working with Vandor in
to be making interior components for other
1998, before Starmark even existed, we ran
companies.
two shiftswe were running all the time.
So in 2005, we started Starmark. Our
Now we run one shift; that work has slowly
president, Gerald Davis, was co-founder of
declined.
Elder Davis Inc. When that business was
Fortunately, Vandors management was
sold, it probably had the highest cremation
keeping an eye on those trends. When you
market share in the United States.
watch the cremation rate rise and the burial
Today, the cremation rate is rising in a
20
ICCFA Magazine
to upstate New York because the family

couldnt find a place in Maryland to
do the green burial they wanted. Most
people would say thats not green. But
to that family, being buried in a green
cemetery was really important, despite
the fact they were burning all that fuel
driving hundreds of miles to do it.
Or someone might choose a wicker
casket for grandma, but they have a vault
and a headstone because shes being
buried next to grandpa, who was buried
in a traditional cemetery.
I dont think theres going to be a huge
movement toward hand-dug graves and
putting people in shrouds in the ground.
There will be some of that, but I think
what well see is people incorporating
an element of green, whether its an ecofriendly register book or a biodegradable
urn, into their funeral.
Weve had cases where direct
cremation was chosen preneed, then at
the time of death, the family selected a
$1,700 casket. That tells me that when
the family bought preneed, they werent
presented with all the options.
I think that as cremation increases,
to page 21
different way. The lowend side has been steadily

increasing, and weve
had to look at how we
market our products.
We make some low-end
products, but our main
focus is trying to get
funeral directors to think
about cremation not as a
volume business but in
terms of getting back into
the service business like
they have done with burial
families all these years.
Using rental or clothcovered caskets is a trend
for cremation. Funeral
directors are getting more
service-oriented: Do you plan on having a
visitation before cremation? Were seeing
more of that.
Our rental insert sales are great. Were
definitely seeing a trend toward a rental
casket system that gives funeral directors an
opportunity to offer a whole package they
usually would for burial families. People see
to page 22
CASKETS/CREMATION
Crouch, from page 20
were still going to see our casket sales
increase, because our caskets are suitable for
cremation.
I also think people got so disenchanted
with traditional funerals they started opting
for cremation. Weve had people on our
Facebook page post that they hate the idea
of being burned, but felt the traditional
funeral option was worse. As people become
more familiar with green options, thats
actually great for cemeterians. I think smart
cemeterians are going to get back some of the
people they lost to cremation.
Were not anti-funeral; I have nothing
against traditional caskets or urns. All Im
saying is funeral directors can do traditional
services in their sleep, but the number of
people who see value in those things is
changing, and we encourage funeral directors
to offer alternative products to appeal to those
consumers.
I believe what happened with cremation
is that when people started asking for it,
some funeral directors said, No, we dont do
cremation; go see Jimmy down the street.
So somebody in each market decided to focus
on cremation, and thats how people became
accustomed to plastic boxes and cardboard
boxes, no services.
What if funeral directors had said,
Absolutely. Well have a memorial service
with the casket present and cremate it
afterward. Many did, but in many cases,
they didnt.
I tell people in Alabama and Mississippi
theyre lucky their cremation rate is so low,
but they should not be making a cardboard or
plastic box their minimum container, because
if they do, thats what people are going to
expecttheyre going to expect a free plastic
box from you.
A funeral home doesnt have to sell a $900
ornate bronze urn to make money, because
only one out of 500 people is going to buy
that urn. People will buy a $95 scattering
tube. Maybe dad was a veteran, so they buy
the one with the American flag on it.
Being a funeral director is difficult. Youre
dealing with the deceased and with a grieving
family. Youre arranging an event, sometimes
several in a day. Youre coordinating things,
and you have to do a bit of sellingyoure
selling your expertise, which is where I think
your value is. I think the really smart funeral
directors charge a relatively low margin on
products and make most of their money on
r
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June 2015
21
CASKETS/CREMATION
Teresa Gyulafia, director, brand and
marketing communications, Batesville:
The rise in cremation has presented
economic challenges for funeral homes and
suppliers. At Batesville, weve invested
a significant amount of time and money
in research with funeral professionals
and consumers to understand what drives
consumers decisions about funerals and
funeral planning,
including their
choice of products,
services and
disposition.
In some cases,
our research
validates what we
thought we knew,
while in others, it
highlights areas
where we might
be leaving money
on the table. The
biggest areas of
opportunity we
found are with
Nectar Ramirez, Options at Batesville.
product selections
and service
in added revenues for the industry.
revenues. In both areas, the research shows
Service frequency is another area of
were not truly meeting the product and
opportunity. Even after several decades of
service needs of cremation families.
educating families about the importance of
On the product side, theres a significant cremation services, more than 40 percent
gap in what consumers say they are
of todays families select a minimal or no
interested in purchasing and what they end
service. Another 16 percent choose private
up buying. For example:
identifications.
51 percent of consumers say they
That means almost 60 percent of
would choose a container above the
cremation families dont hold a service
minimum offering, but 71 percent are
with the funeral home. But as our research
putting their loved one in a container
showed, that doesnt mean that families
with no pillow. With the current rate of
arent holding some kind of gathering. In
cremation, thats roughly 800,000 times a
many cases, the families are just choosing
year.
to bypass the funeral home. In fact, more
66 percent of those surveyed indicated
than 37 percent of families are having
they would buy an urn above the minimum, services elsewhereat a restaurant, in a
but only 56 percent do.
park, a family members home or other
39 percent of consumers say they
location. And in these cases, the funeral
would purchase memorial keepsakes, yet
home is not involved at least 50 percent of
only 21 percent are actually doing so.
the time.
Imagine the revenue impact to the
In the end, education and awareness
funeral homeand to the industry as
are critical if were going to close the
a wholeif we closed this gap. The
profitability gap with cremation. We
improvement from the alternative container cant afford to make assumptions about
alone is astonishing. Moving families from
families preferences and continue to
a minimum cardboard container to a more
fulfill at the lowest common denominator.
dignified alternative with a minimal interior Be the educator. Take time to understand
and a pillow would improve the funeral
each familys needs and make sure they
homes margin by at least $50 per container understand all of the product and service
sold and produce an additional $40 million
options you have available to them.
r
Eversole, from page 20

a casket that looks like its going to be buried,
but after the service, the insert comes out
and goes to the crematory. Thats basically a
traditional funeral, but with body disposition
being cremation instead of burial, and were
just seeing that every day.
And all markets are different; the charge

for a basic cremation varies widely.
We tell funeral directors that what
were suggesting isnt going to work for
everybodybut its going to work for a lot
of people. Weve had funeral directors call
and say, The best thing Ive done since Ive
22
ICCFA Magazine
been in the funeral industry is stop selling the

plain cardboard box for cremation. Families
say, we didnt know all these options were
availablebecause no one ever told them.
I think this trend is going to continue; its
definitely not a fad, and we think we have the
right product.
r
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June 2015
23
CASKETS/CREMATION
Tom Warner, Sauder Funeral Products:
Our product works well for either burial or
cremation, but we definitely the last couple
of years have focused more on the product
development side on cremation, knowing that
is obviously growing.
The other thing that were trying to do
with our product is give families an opportunity for a low-cost memorial service or
viewing. We offer caskets with a price point
that typically has been limited to clothcovered casketsour caskets are engineered
wood with a decorative laminate veneer.
Were trying to give funeral directors and
families opportunities for something other
than a cloth-covered corrugated casket.
Were fairly new in the business; weve
been at this about eight years. Were a furniture company by trade, but this is a good fit
for us. Our parent company, Sauder Woodworking, makes ready-to-assemble furniture.
We were looking for other opportunities that
would fit our manufacturing process, and this
one got us totally away from furniture, but we
could use our existing equipment.
We believe were at the right place at the
right time for this industry because of families
spending less on caskets. And we believe
when they do that, there are opportunities for
them to spend some of those saved dollars on
Tom Warner, Sauder Funeral Products.
the memorial side of things, whether it be the

celebration after the funeral or the burial.
When we first got into this, we went to
a local supplier that was going to do some
interiors for us, and they said, Are you sure
you want to do this? Anytime the furniture
industry gets slow, it seems like they all
want to get into the casket industry. Thats
why we didnt go at it in a big way to start
out, but we really believe now that there is a
Dave Hazlett, Astral Industries:

Cremation can be immediate
disposition or it can be a
disposition with a memorial
service. Funeral directors are
taking the opportunity to show
families how celebrating a life
lived can be done with cremation;
cremation doesnt have to be a
detriment to the funeral industry.
Cremation families are looking
for a different kind of product than
burial families. Astral Industries
key role is to produce caskets for
families who dont want to spend
money on thick metal caskets that
have gaskets and locks. They just
want something to display the
remains in a dignified, beautiful
Dave Hazlett, Astral Industries.
waythats where our strength
is. Families can afford to buy our
when families came in with insurance
caskets and still have a great memorial
policies and bought complete funerals with
service for their loved one.
embalming, vaults and expensive caskets.
Im in my 42nd year with Astral. We feel
Today families dont buy insurance
that America today is looking for a different policies like they used to. Families are
kind of casket than America prior to 2008,
coming in with members out of work,
24
ICCFA Magazine
market for our product.

I think sometimes families need to be
educated about their options, on ways they
can hold down costs but still have a service,
an opportunity to grieve. Too many times,
I think because of cost people go with
cremation and dont understand they could
still have something, even a viewing. There
are definitely opportunities in this industry
to serve cremation families differently in the
future.
Our furniture is ready to assemble, so our
first idea was to make a casket that was ready
to assemble so the funeral director could store
them in a carton and pull them out as needed.
We found out very early on that funeral
directors dont have time and dont want to
mess with assembling a casket.
If you read about how to develop a new
market, most experts will say you should
accept that your first idea is going to be
wrong, and our ready-to-assemble casket
idea was wrong. But we went back and
reengineered the product.
Today, were pleased with the growth
weve seen. Weve learned in this industry
that you just have to be patient. You have to
earn peoples respect and confidence, and I
believe we've done that and funeral directors
are starting to understand who we are.
r
upside down on their mortgages,
with less disposable income.
So families are looking for
eye appeal and price, with a
memorial service that celebrates
a life lived. The funeral homes
that are making that transition are
doing well and growing.
We have changed our product.
We used to follow the typical
casket company methodology
of having caskets look better by
offering such things as gaskets
and locking devices and thicker
metal.
No one who buys an
automobile has any idea how
thick the steel is. The automotive
industry has never told America
what gauge steel is on the door
that protects your grandchildren
riding in the back seat.
As we realized America cant afford
expensive funerals any longer, we started
producing caskets with great eye appeal and
low price.
r
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page 25
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by Candace Franco, CPC

CFranco
@theoutlookgroup.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Franco, CPC, BSN,
MHA, is training director

for The Outlook Group,
Franklin, Ohio. She is
a certified preplanning
consultant with 18 years of experience in
advance funeral planning.
She has written numerous articles,

conducted seminars and provided
continuing education programs. She has
been director of The Academy, the companys training and education program.
The Outlook Group offers a wide range
of distinctive preneed, continuing care,
training and marketing services. Services
include consulting; preneed program development, enhancement or expansion;
skills development training through The
Academy; continuing education (for funeral directors); web-based preneed lead
tracking system and strategic marketing
partner programs.
www.theoutlookgroup.com
Editors note
Preneed Sales Success, an ICCFA Magazine column by various authors, focuses

on building success in sales, particularly
the preneed sale of cemetery, cremation
and funeral products and services. Submission inquiries are welcome. For details,
contact ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor
Susan Loving, sloving@iccfa.com.
PRENEED SALES SUCCES S

Does your tried-and-true way of marketing to veterans
work when it comes to our current preneed target market
of Vietnam veterans? Its something you should think about.
Veteran or boomer? How do

Vietnam veterans see themselves?
e should, and do, honor all

veterans. So, why focus on the
Vietnam veteran as we consider
our preneed programs? Quite simply, its
demographics.
Many World War II veterans are no longer
with us; those alive today have a median age
of 96. Surviving Korean War veterans have a
median age of 83. On the other hand, for Gulf
War veterans, the median age is 45.
When we consider where to focus our
veteran programs and marketing dollars, we
see that the Vietnam veteran, with a median
age of 64, is squarely in our target market.
When we want to secure future business
through advance funeral planning, the
Vietnam veteran should be on our radar.
But something else needs to be consi
dered: Do those who served in Vietnam
identify more as veterans or as members of
the baby boom generation? Am I splitting
hairs, or do we need to reconsider how we
approach and serve this particular group of
veterans?
Different wars, different generations
WWII literally defined the GI generation.

Dubbed The Greatest Generation by Tom
Brokaw, these veterans came home to family
and friends who shared their experiences, if
not in battle, then through the contributions
made by those at home, who were subject to
rationing, who bought war bonds.
Those returning WWII vets found family
and friends who were thankful for what they
had done, who were interested and eager to
hear their stories. Everyone shared in victory.
Contrast that to the war fought 20 years
later. If you remember the 1960s, you
remember the division, controversy and
confusion that surrounded the Vietnam War.
The soldiers who fought in Vietnam merit
special attention and consideration because
their experience was so singular.
Vietnam veterans returned to a very
different situation from the one that greeted
26
ICCFA Magazine
The Greatest Generation. Public opinion was

divided; some veterans were embarrassed
by the war, others were angry and still others
were just confused.
This was the first time the United States
was involved in a war in which we were not
victorious. Our veterans came home to mixed
reactions. Some were booed and even spat
upon. These veterans came home to a public
that, at the very least, wanted to put the war
behind them.
When you read their stories, an often
repeated theme is I really never talked about
it. Many wives and children know very little
about where these veterans served, what they
did or who their buddies were.
The vast majority of Vietnam veterans
just quietly moved on with life. Seventy
two percent took advantage of the GI Bill
to further their education. Contrary to the
troubled veteran image often portrayed in
the movies, the average Vietnam veterans
personal income actually exceeds that of the
same nonveteran age group by 18 percent.
These Vietnam vets had children, went
to work, took up golf or hunting, sang in
the church choir and coached Little League.
Their military service is just one thread in the
fabric of their lives. The question we need
to ask ourselves is what do we do about that
thread?
There are many instances where the
caring and compassion of funeral home staff
is showcased. When it comes to services
provided for active, retired or former military
personnel, most funeral professionals are at
the top of their game.
Flags fly, white gloves come out and the
service is carried out with military precision.
Rightly soafter all, these individuals
put themselves in harms way to protect
and serve us. All military veterans deserve
acknowledgment for their contribution. The
question is, will these particular veterans want
the acknowledgement we offer?
Can we expect the Vietnam veteran to
PR E NEED
S ALE S S U CCES S
Contrary to the troubled veteran
image often portrayed in the
movies, the Vietnam veterans
personal income actually exceeds

that of the same non-veteran
age group by 18 percent.
respond to our veterans programs and funeral

service options in the same way their GI
Generation predecessors did? I wonder: Do
they connect with the field of flags, white
gloves and other special touches provided for
those who die in service today?
Perhaps we need to make a special effort
on their behalf. In addition to providing
information about the burial benefits to which
the veteran is entitled, perhaps we should
reach out and offer an opportunity for these
veterans to remember and share their stories.
We can update our veterans programs
to talk about their war. We can invite their
wives, children and grandchildren to these
events. We can aid in opening the dialogue.
By doing so, we can help ensure the wives
and children of these veterans do not arrive
at the atneed arrangement conference table
unsure and unaware of how to honor their
family members military experience.
While making prearrangements with these
veterans, we should go a little deeper. Before
we review the military rites, monuments and
markers, lets lean back in our chair, put the
pencil down and ask: Where did you serve?
When were you there? Have you kept in
touch with anyone who served with you?
What does your family know about your
service? How would you like for us to honor
your military service? Do you have pictures?
Would you want some of them included in
your photo tribute? Do you have medals or
your uniform you would want displayed at
your service?
Listen. And remember, its never too late
to say, Thank you for your service.
Funeral service today is capable of so
much. Many funeral service providers,
funeral directors, celebrants and advance
funeral planners work very hard to make the
service a reflection of the individuals life.
The fabric of life is complex, made up of
many different threads; we are the sum of
our experiences. We just need to know how
much, or how little, the Vietnam veterans
military experience should be reflected in his
or her service. It is a question that begs to be
r
asked.
Madelyn AD
1/4 H
4-COLOR
June 2015
27
by Judith C. Mitchell, MA, MBA

judy.mitchell
@kensico.org
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Mitchell is president
of Black Forest Communications, which

offers public relations
and business communications consulting services. Kensico Cemetery has been her client for 21 years. For
the past 10 years, she was associate professor in communication studies at Mercy
College in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
M A N A G E M E N T / C O M M U N I T Y O U T RE A CH
Every cemetery and funeral home that stays in business reaches

milestone anniversaries. Observing your 100th or even your 10th
anniversary can improve your community outreach, help you finish
some projects and highlight the importance of remembrance.
The 460-acre Kensico Cemetery,

Valhalla, New York, was organized in
1889 and has been celebrating its 125th
anniversary. It is a nonprofit membership
corporation serving the burial needs of the
New York metropolitan area.
www.kensico.org
It was a sweet year: Kensico Cemetery spent all of 2014 celebrating its 125 years of
service to the community. Give-aways included these candy bars.
17 tips to help you celebrate

your companys anniversary
read Kensico Cemetery

hroughout 2014,
Celebrating 125 Years!
Kensico Cemetery
in Valhalla, New
greeted the 350 lot owners
York, celebrated its 125th
and their guests who attended.
anniversary with activities and
Minicupcakes that spelled out
initiatives to honor its history,
125 were served at the end
connect with the community
of the meeting.
and celebrate its role as a
Tip: Take advantage of
place of remembrance.
regularly scheduled events to
From planning to execution
form the basis for anniversary
to final wrap-up, Kensico
celebrations. With a few
learned lessons valuable to
extra perks and thoughtful
any organization approaching
details, an ordinary event can
a milestone year.
Tote bags were among become an extraordinary and
1. The kick-off for
memorable one.
the give-aways at the
October 2013 kickoff of
the celebration took place
Our annual meeting is
Kensicos anniversary
at the annual meeting in
special every year, said then
October 2013. This luncheon celebration.
Kensico President Chet Day,
meeting featured festive
but the last two we made a
table decorations; Kensico
celebration of remembrance
tote bags and chocolate bars; the annual
and history. Those present were part of the
report, 125 Reasons to Celebrate; a 2014
celebration and said they felt it.
celebration calendar; and the presentation of
2. To mark the actual anniversary date
a remembrance wreath with 125 carnations. on January 19, 2014, front office staff wore
A 14foot blueandwhite banner that
corsages, and a hospitality table offering
28
ICCFA Magazine
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MANAGEMENT/COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Whether your cemetery is 4 acres or 400, use the anniversary celebration
to pay tribute to the land as sacred space. Consider a reinvigorated tree identification
program or a photo contest celebrating the plantings on your property.
Kensico arranged trolley tours of the cemetery one month. Tours highlighted the cemeterys landscaping and architecture,
Westchester County history and entertainers buried at the cemetery.
coffee, cookies, flowers and free calendars

was set up in Kensicos main waiting area.
A pizza party for all employees was held at
lunchtime the previous Friday.
Tip: Dont forget your employees.
Celebrations should start from the inside
and work their way out to the community.
These are your first-line people. Include
them in the planning, solicit their
suggestions, welcome their participation
and celebrate their years of service.
3. A candle commemorative in
which a batteryoperated candle symbol
izing remembrance and hope was placed
every week in one of the windows of
the administration building continued
throughout the year. By the conclusion of
the anniversary year in January 2015, 52
windows of the building were lit.
Tip: Think symbolism. Identify a
tangible, visible item that can represent the
meaning of your celebration throughout the
entire anniversary year.
4. A 2014 calendar featuring the trees at
Kensico was produced and distributed at all
30
ICCFA Magazine
events and served as a reminder of the long

term commitment the cemetery has to the
environment and green space.
Tip: Reconnect with your environment.
Whether your cemetery is 4 acres or 400,
use the anniversary celebration to pay
tribute to the land as sacred space. Consider
a reinvigorated tree identification program
or a photo contest celebrating the plantings
on your property.
Our trees share more of our history than
any other living being, so it was natural for
us to focus on the maples, the sycamores,
the birches and the flowering pear trees
for their magnificent contribution to the
landscape.
5. What started as a casual lunch
with the staff of the Westchester County
Historical Society culminated in a cover
story about the history of Kensico Ceme
tery. Extra copies were purchased and
distributed at the annual meeting, in tour
packets and in waiting areas.
The Metropolitan Cemetery Association
recognized our 125th anniversary by having
its fall 2013 meeting on the cemetery

grounds and presenting Kensico with a
commemorative plaque.
Tip: Reach out to organizations with
similar missions. Partnering with the
Westchester Historical Society to help
spread the word about our history in their
magazine was priceless, Day said, as
was having local experts in history, art
and nature narrate their perceptions on the
trolley tours.
6. A Veterans Remembrance Service
honoring deceased members of the military
and Medal of Honor recipients buried in
Westchester County has become a new
tradition at Kensico on the Friday before
Memorial Day.
During the anniversary year, this
ceremony took on added significance,
involving public officials who remind the
community of the perpetual importance
of cemeteries and their service to the
community.
Tip: Put a public face to your everyday
service. For cemeteries, every day is
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Day retires after 40 years at Kensico Cemetery

I
n January, Kensico Cemetery wrapped up
a year of reflection, memorialization, and
celebration as part of its 125th anniversary.
The anniversary year marked another
milestone, the retirement of Chet Day as the
secondlongestserving president of Kensico.
Day had announced his retirement at the
2014 Annual Meeting of Lot Owners. Day
witnessed and took part in the growth of
Kensico Cemetery from 200 developed acres
in 1974 to 400 developed acres today.
We were able to follow the dream of
1889, face the challenges through good and
difficult times and verify that the process
works for the growth, preservation, and
financial well-being of the cemetery, Day
said.
Continuous improvements, the variety of
trees, our ongoing maintenance programs,
the growth of the trust funds, plus 365 days
a year of service to our lot owners makes the
Kensico organization special. This is what
was promised. This is what we do.
Day started his career with Kensico
Chet Day, retired head of Kensico Cemetery, with his wife, Laurie.
as comptroller in May 1974 and in 1976

was elected to the Board of Directors and
appointed vice president and controller. He
served as vice president and CFO from 1991
to 1995 and vice president, secretary and
COO from 1995 to 1998. In October 1997 he
was elected president, CEO and treasurer.
Day is a past president of the
Metropolitan Cemetery Association and the
New York State Association of Cemeteries.
He received his bachelors degree in
accounting from Sacred Heart University in

Fairfield, Connecticut.
He is an Army veteran and a member
of the Hawthorne American Legion Post
112, where he serves on the New York State
Medal of Honor Cemetery Committee.
Days service was celebrated at a dinner
held December 3, 2014. He regaled family
members and cemetery officials with
recollections and stories of his 40 years of
service.
He received a proclamation from the
Westchester County executives office
stating: Under the distinguished leadership
of Chester S. Day over the past 17 years,
Kensico Cemetery has maintained and
enhanced its position as one of the areas
preeminent cemeteries, strengthened its rural
tradition and established a widelyattended
annual service to honor deceased military
members each Memorial Day.
Day remains in his role as chairman of the
Kensico Board of Directors.
r
Memorial Day, but by inviting

local fire companies standing
the participation of organizations
at attention alongside their fire
and government agencies, you
equipment.
can use their voices to help
Based on monument
broadcast the important role
design and photographs in the
of your cemetery as a place
newspapers of 1899, Kensico
commissioned and erected the
for lasting tribute to our armed
memorial which was reportedly
forces.
planned but never completed at
7. To celebrate the
anniversary with the
the time of the fire, reinforcing
community, Kensico organized
A 2014 Kensico calendar celebrated the cemeterys landscape. the cemeterys role as a place of
trolley tours in June that
burial and remembrance of the
reputation of Kensico.
highlighted landscaping and
dead.
Perhaps some lot sales will result,
architecture, Westchester County history
Tip: Check your wish list. Is there a
but we were looking to share the history
and entertainers buried at the cemetery.
project you always wanted to do but never
Tip: Have fun with the celebration. Even and beauty of the cemetery with the
got around to completing? An anniversary
if it takes extra hours to organize, help your public and celebrate the anniversary with
celebration is the perfect occasion for
our employees who have made Kensico
community see the beauty and history of
tackling that project with new meaning.
successful over the years.
your organization with a familycentered
9. At the Annual Meeting of the Lot
8. In recognition of National Fallen
event. This is also the time to learn which
Owners on October 23, table decorations,
Firefighters Memorial Weekend,
publicity outlets work best while reaching
luncheon selections, tote bags, candy bars
new constituencies. You always want to ask, on October 9, a 52inch black granite
and gourmet cupcakes were reprised as
monument to the 31 unidentified dead
How did you find out about this event?
part of the 125th anniversary celebration.
from the Windsor Hotel Fire of March 17,
Tip: Invest in your image. Since
Navy veteran and Gannett newspaper editor
1899, was unveiled at a ceremony with
we had no income associated with these
Milton Hoffman was recognized for his
readings, blessings, the placement of 31
events, Board Member Catherine Biddle
help in getting the story out about Kensico
white roses, remarks by historians and fire
said, they were solely expenses. But we
Cemetery in the local press.
commissioners, a bagpipe salute at the
felt that the goodwill associated with the
Tip: Remember those who support your
celebration events can only be helpful to the gravesite and volunteer members from
work the most. An anniversary celebration
32
ICCFA Magazine
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This is also the time to learn which publicity outlets work best while reaching new constituencies.
You always want to ask, How did you find out about this event?
The Westchester Symphonic Winds Orchestra plays a program of contemporary

and classical pieces based on Kensico Cemetery themes.
Pearl Harbor Day is commemorated at Kensico Cemetery.
provides a platform for recognizing in a

special and public way all those individuals
who volunteer their expertise and energy to
make your organization thrive.
10. On November 9 at the Tarrytown
36
ICCFA Magazine
Music Hall, the Westchester Symphonic

Winds played an entire program of
Kensicothemed classical and contemporary
pieces, including a salute to the military, a
Rachmaninoff prelude, a Broadway medley
and an original composition called City

Trees.
Tip: Try something different. Anniver
sary celebrations are milestones and ideal
opportunities to attempt an event onsite or
offsite that showcases an aspect of your
operations.
We had never done anything in the
performance arts before, and the concert
turned out to be a surprising and successful
experiment. It had the added bonus of
introducing our organization to a whole new
audience.
11. In recognition of Pearl Harbor
Day, on December 7, a ceremony was
conducted at Kensicos Lake Mineola, a
commemorative wreath was released into
the water and Roosevelts address to the
nation was read by members of Hawthorne
Post 112 of the American Legion.
Tip: Recognize the role you play on
the national stage. Whether or not there are
individuals buried at your cemetery who
perished at Pearl Harbor or in any World
War or military conflict, include in your
anniversary planning an occasion to remind
the community that cemeteries document
historical events and play a role in the
collective memory of American history.
12. The founding fathers of Kensico
were honored in a special ceremony on
December 17 that dedicated the family
waiting area as The Founders Room.
The names of the cemetery founders were
inscribed on the ribbon used in the ribbon
cutting, and the area was refurbished with
paint, window treatments, new furniture and
table decorations.
Tip: Honor your origins. Include in
your celebration some type of event that
acknowledges the talents and vision of
those who came before. After all, it was
their sense of mission that created the
organization you are today.
13. An expanded issue of the Kensico
employee newsletter included extra
pages dedicated to the 125th anniversary
celebration wrapup. Articles and photos
from the Windsor Hotel Monument Dedica
tion, the Kensico Concert and the Founders
Room Dedication created a souvenir
scrapbook of the anniversary events.
Tip: Write your story as you go. Dont
let time get away from you. It will be a
challenge to remember and reconstruct all
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June 2015
37
Above left, Kensico President Chet Day

thanks employees for serving as witnesses to the burial of the Kensico time
capsule. Above right, a closeup of the
time capsules resting place.
the details of your anniversary celebration

weeks or months later.
Designate someone to collect, photograph,
document and describe all aspects of your
celebration, not only for your own records but
also to help inform a future generation tasked
with the next milestone celebration.
14. A time capsule capturing the spirit of
todays Kensico was buried on January 16,
2015, to conclude the official recognition of
the 125th anniversary. The capsule contained,
among other things, annual reports; hand
written messages from the board chairman,
president, a board member and an employee,
that days newspaper; a horseshoe and
railroad spike found years ago on the
property; the ribbon from the Founders Day
dedication; and the minutes from the October
2014 annual meeting. The traditional Kensico
Anniversary Pizza Party followed.
Tip: Create a memorable ending. It
doesnt have to be a spectacle, but the
conclusion of your anniversary celebration
should be meaningful. Wrapping things up
with a photo display, new website content,
a local library exhibit or a scholarship
announcement can help end the anniversary
year on a high note.
I think the big thing here is we tried to get
everyone involved, Day said. I even used
38
ICCFA Magazine
Chet Day thanks Veteran Milt Hoffman at the Annual Meeting of Lot Owners for his
work in support of Kensicos veterans remembrance programs.
my retirement dinner to remind those present

of the importance of our 125th.
Two final tips
Start the planning process early. Even if

your milestone anniversary is years away,
said Biddle, begin the planning at least two
years prior to be able to brainstorm.
With more time available to secure
reservations for spaces, our calendar may
have had a different timeline, and we might
have been able to create events we were
unable to because of time constraints.
Keep records. Its really a group effort
between the board and the staff to ensure

that records are kept, photos are taken and
memorabilia is organized, Biddle said.
Take an annual photo of the employees, and
be sure that any publicity is archived. When
anyone retires, they should be interviewed
and their recollections/memories recorded.
Congratulations! Youve now begun the
planning process for an exciting anniversary
year. If anyone would like samples of our
annual reports, information about time
capsules, or has questions about any aspect
of our celebration, contact us at Kensico@
kensico.org.
r
June 2015
39
by Christine Toson Hentges,

CCE
christieh@tribute.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Hentges is president
of The Tribute Companies Inc., Hartland, Wisconsin. She previously

headed the companys
cemetery division.
M A N A G E M E N T / I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Touring a successful funeral home or cemetery operation can be

educational, providing ideas and inspiration. Visiting one located
in another country adds another dimension to the experience.
www.tributeinc.com
She is a vice
president and former
secretary and board member of the ICCFA
and a former president of the Wiconsin
Cemetery Association.
The Tribute Companies consists of Tribute Cemetery Systems, which owns cemeteries in Wausau, Green Bay, Milwaukee
and Hartland, Wisconsin; Tribute Precast
Systems; and Tribute Design Systems.
More about this topic
ICCFA University College
of International Studies,
July 17-22, University of
Memphis Fogelman Executive Center, will discuss how to serve a variety of ethnic, religious and national groups,
including Roman Catholics and people from
Latin American countries. Andrs Aguilar
will be speaking about Capturing the
Hispanic Market.
Christine Hentges, CCE, will give the
following presentations at ICCFAU:

Employee reviews, evaluations, incentives
and effective morale-boosting programs and
events (College of Leadership, Administration & Management).
Community outreach and Developing hidden treasures on your property
(College of Land Management & Grounds
Operations).
ICCFAU includes seven colleges, plus
masters and CEO programs. Additional

information about the colleges and deans
can be found on page 51 The full university
curriculum and registration information can
be found at:
http://www.iccfa.com/university
40
ICCFA Magazine
Visitiors walk toward El Portal de las Bellas Artes (The Fine Arts Portal) at Los
Parques cemetery in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The center attracts families both
for art and entertainment and for cremation services. It includes art galleries,
museum displays, a lounge, cremation niches, a room for services and a retort.
Going to Guatemala to study

excellence & another culture
n late 2014, a small group of us

representing cemeteries, funeral homes,
insurance companies and memorial
suppliers traveled to Guatemala City,
Guatemala, to learn more about how our
profession is practiced in a different culture
and to have a great adventure.
Andrs Aguilar from Seoriales Funeral
Homes and Los Parques Cemetery needed a
firm nudge from Abbie Brammer Quiocho
to carve out some dates to host the group,
but once the trip was organized, it went off
without a hitch.
Andrs, his wife Renee and their
daughters Andrea and Ana were wonder
fully gracious hosts who dropped every
thing going on in their regular lives to
welcome the group and show us a slice

of their lives. Besides making spectacular
arrangements for fun, learning and travel for
the group, they fed us constantly, causing us
to wonder if all they did was eat.
Prior to the trip, many of my friends
and Wisconsin colleagues asked why I
was going to Guatemala. The look of utter
confusion I received when I explained
the purpose of the trip was universal.
Unfortunately, in our country a lack of
knowledge about other cultures is common,
and often we take far too much for granted.
Many of my friends simply could not
understand what I could possibly expect
to learn from a Guatemalan funeral and
cemetery company. I explained that based
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MANAGEMENT/INTERNATIONAL
Andrs Aguilar talks about the Guatemala veterans memorial at Los Parques.
on my conversations with Andrs over the

years, I knew I would be bringing back
ideas I could use daily. As it turned out, that
was an understatement.
A culture of superior service
Seoriales and Los Parques offer the Ritz

Carlton experience for their families. The
service we observed and received from
the staff was second to none; no detail
went unnoticed. All team members were
fully engaged in their positions and did
everything they could with grace, energy,
enthusiasm and a passion for doing their
best.
Those of us on this trip continually
talked about the organizational culture
we were observing and how hard it was
to capture the essence of what we were
experiencing. We knew it was something
we all hope to inspire within our own
organizations.
Trying to fully communicate the exper
ience to my team was impossible. I tried to
share details, stories, the experience, ideas
and pictures of what I saw the best I could,
but I couldnt quite get across what I had
hoped to, and Im not sure I ever will be
able to.
It was clear that the families at Seor
iales and Los Parques were receiving
the funeral experience we so often talk
about, whether at staff meetings or during
convention workshops. And this experience
seemed to be provided flawlessly because
the employees felt compelled to impress
everyone around them, especially the
families they serve. An aura of excellence
was prevalent.
One exceptional employee who took
42
ICCFA Magazine
us under his wing was Renato Lopez,

Seoriales marketing manager, who guided
us through a full tour and mock funeral,
procession, cemetery interment and life
celebration event.
When asked how much planning went
into preparing this special presentation for
us, he was humble and gracious. When
we asked how much Andrs had been
personally involved in the planning, Renato
said Andrs had simply said, impress me.
That comment really resonated with me,
Clockwise from top, a visitation room,

a casket being carried out to where a
coach will take it to the cemetery and
food and beverage service available at
the cemetery and the funeral home.
since I catch myself getting far too involved

in details that I should be leaving up to
others to handle. Since the trip, every day
I think about that example of delegating
responsibility, and I try to impart that idea
to my team, as well.
I asked some of my colleagues from the
trip what their greatest takeaway was. Their
responses didnt surprise me, based on what
I had seen:
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43
The trip to Guatemala included time for

hiking a volcano, roasting marshmallows on the volcano and visiting a lava
shop.
always placed first. Culture is extremely

important to the success of the company. It
is lived from the top down. The Guatemalan
culture characteristic that is visibly strong is
sense of family first, job second.
Delana Pratt, Forethought: The
company culture is like no other I have
ever experienced. Each individual who is
employed within the organization feels
appreciated and therefore is committed to
making Seoriales the best it can be.
They are each proud to be a part of
the business and feel a personal sense of
ownership, pride and great accomplishment.
The funeral experience is very much a
community celebratory event that I found to
be quite moving. Seoriales leaves nothing
undone; the attention to detail is unmatched
by any other facility I have seen.
The most admirable characteristics of
the Guatemalan culture are the work ethic
and also the family dynamic. Regardless
of monetary status, the family works
together to provide for one another. Should
the children obtain food at school, they
eat small amounts and take excess home
to their family. To see this first-hand was
incredibly powerful, and I will never forget
the amazing love that I witnessed.
Abbie Brammer Quiocho, Gibraltar
Remembrance Services: Having heard
Andrs speak at ICCFAU, I knew he had a
44
ICCFA Magazine
Visiting with
some of the
children of
the Asociacin
Bendicion
de Dios,
where
company
staff members help
out as a way
of giving
back to the
community.
remarkable organization. His staffs participation and desire to better themselves

always impressed me. After visiting Seori
ales, I know that the reason for their success
is their leader.
The staff fully believes in Andrs

vision and are committed to the goals
they set out to achieve. His passion and
commitment to his staff enable them to
better serve families in a way that is making
MANAGEMENT/
INTERNATIONAL
A familiar sight to North American visitors, a tent setup for a graveside service.
a difference to their organization and their

community. Leadership and vision make a
huge difference in our industry, especially
when embracing change.
Giving back to the community
Those of you who have attended the

sessions lead by Andrs Aguilar at the
ICCFAU College of Sales & Marketing
have heard him speak about the culture of
personal development at his organization.
Every year, he mentions how his staff
sponsors and volunteers at an impoverished
school outside of Guatemala City. Their
involvement is personal and emotional,
and his team walks away with a sense of
renewal and motivation from every visit.
Some of the people in our group were
fortunate enough to experience a day with
the children of Asociacin Bendicion de
Dios. The children welcomed us into their
school and told us about the difference the
school has made in their lives.
Most impressive, they thanked Andrs
and his organization for their involvement
and the positive impact their involvement
has made in their lives. The children of
Asociacin Bendicion de Dios are grateful
for the opportunity to learn and to dream.
After visiting the school, the same group
was honored with a tour of the community,
including a couple of the students homes.
One was a home the staff of Seoriales built
for one of the families and the other was
typical housing for the area.
to page 46
June 2015
45
As the group was leaving, we walked through their local cemetery. It provided a stark
contrast to Los Parques. Due to the poverty in the area, the maintenance at this cemetery
was minimal and stark. Nevertheless, it was clear that those buried in the cemetery
were respected and remembered, as every grave had flowers placed on it.
Clockwise from above, carrying an urn ark in the niche room of The Fine Arts Portal; a flower cart at the cemetery; and at the
new family estates section at Los Parques, with memorial park marketing manager Renato Lopez at right.
able to learn from the best is generally

from page 45
It was humbling and rewarding
the greatest value that many people
to see the impact Andrs Aguilar
get from their ICCFA membership.
and his organization were making
This trip was a great example of
on a community. His organization
that benefit, reminding all of us how
is involved with the school and
generous our colleagues are and how
community for no professional gain,
open most of them are to sharing their
but rather to enrich the lives of those
passion and secrets to success.
around them.
The trip to Guatemala is just the
As the group was leaving, we
beginning for our group; we intend
walked through their local cemetery.
to plan a learning trip annually. We
It provided a stark contrast to Los
discussed the value of learning from
Parques. Due to the poverty in the
other cultures, as well as from each
area, the maintenance at this cemetery
other, during these sessions.
Cemetery staff waiting for a procession to arrive.
None of this would have been
was minimal and stark. Nevertheless,
it was clear that those buried in the
possible
without the connections
The cemetery was clearly for the living to
cemetery were respected and remembered,
weve
created
through
our involvement with
remember and reflect on their loved ones.
the
ICCFA.
as every grave had flowers placed on it.
r
Having the privilege and opportunity to be
46
ICCFA Magazine
Doric AD
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If youre a funeral industry supplier but not an IMSA member, you should
know what our members are getting that youre not: the best booth pricing
at the major tradeshows, hours of free one-on-one consultation from top
industry experts, business-boosting webinars, networking with other IMSA
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I C C FA N E W S
Submit your session proposals for the 2016 ICCFA Convention
n preparation for the ICCFA 2016 Annual Convention & Exposition, April 13-16, in New Orleans, convention Co-Chairs
Jay Dodds, CFSP, and Lee Longino have issued a call for presentations. If you have expertise in a particular area of cemetery,
cremation and funeral service, this is your opportunity to give back to your profession. Proposals are due to the ICCFA by
August 3. Guidelines are as follows:
1. Include your name, title, company name, address, phone, fax and email.
2. Include a description of your session (approximately 100 words). Session descriptions should name at least two or three
specific skills, techniques or ideas the attendee will take away from the session. We are most interested in sessions that share
concrete, proven techniques and programs, as opposed to theory or opinion.
3. Include a brief bio regarding your experience and qualifications within the industry as well as any speaking experience you
may have.
4. Include information on which areas of our profession are the intended audience, e.g., cemetery owners and managers, funeral
home owners, funeral directors, sales managers, etc.
5. Let us know how long you anticipate your presentation will take. Most presentation time slots are 50 minutes; however,
there are a limited number of longer slots. In addition to full-length sessions and workshops, we are interested in shorter
presentations that can be combined to form panel sessions.
6. Indicate what types of audio/visual aids you will use, if any.
7. Include a list of anticipated handouts.
8. Note that we ask that speakers refrain from speaking about prices or other issues subject to antitrust legislation. In addition, we
ask that speakers refrain from any type of promotional marketing or selling of any product or service.
ANy rEquEst FOr COmPENsAtION must bE INCludEd IN yOur PrOPOsAl Or It WIll NOt bE GrANtEd.
We typically receive many more proposals than we can fit into the program, so please be sure to follow the guidelines and clearly
explain the value proposition for attendees. Submit your proposal via our new online submission system by August 3 by visiting
www.iccfaconvention.com. Questions? Call Kirsten Kase at 1.800.645.7700 or email her at kase@iccfa.com.
q
NEW
ORLEANS
ICCFA ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO

APRIL 13-16, 2016 New ORLeANs
Morial Convention Center & Hilton Riverside Hotel
San Antonio convention recordings available for purchase
issed the ICCFA Annual Convention? Couldnt attend

a session you really wanted to? Want others in your
company to learn the information shared? You now have
two ways to purchase individual session recordings.
1. As audio recordings for just $10 each as a file download, or
$15 to receive them on a CD. A copy of the presentation for the
session will be included if the speaker has given us permission
to do so. Visit www.iccfa.com, hover over Store and click on
2015 Convention Recordings.
2. Video recordings of the two rooms that were live-streamed
from the convention, including 16 sessions in all. If you complete
and pass a short test for each session, you can even receive
continuing education credit for them. Cost:
For companies that had a staff member present at the
convention: $49 per person wanting CE credit. Thats 16
hours of CE credit for just $49! Visit
www.colmaeducation.com/iccfa-referral to purchase these
video recordings now.
For companies that did not have a staff member present
at the convention: $295 flat-fee. Visit

www.colmaeducation.com/iccfa to purchase the video
recordings now.
Some popular recordings include:
Inbound Marketing: The Future of Funeral Home Marketing,
John Callaghan
Effective Communication: Influencing the Unwilling,
Unconcerned & Unmotivated at Work, Shannon Leahy
Funeral Experiences of the Future, Today!, Brad Rex
The Ultimate Cremation Sales Toolkit in Just 50 Minutes,
Lacy Robinson & Steve Jones
Relationship Power! How to Win Business & Influence
People, Tim Sanders (video)
Guerrilla Branding: Online Strategies for Funeral Homes,
Eric Spellmann
Programming and Fundraising for Historic Cemeteries, Paul
Williams
Nuts and Bolts of Sustainable Cemetery Management,
Matt Alcide
q
June 2015
49
I C C FA N E W S
Telephone Doctor will discuss the ONLINE STORE SALE

Golden Nuggets of Sales & Service Love is the Killer App: How to
our company
spends big bucks
to make its phones
ring and attract customers.
If those contacts arent
handled just right, all that
money is wasted.
ICCFA members may
learn how to retain these
prospective customers
from Nancy Friedman,
the telephone doctor,
during the next installment of the ICCFA member Webinar series on
Wednesday, June 24, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Friedman is a subject matter expert on the topics of sales,
communication skills and customer service. She was a crowd favorite
at the 2015 ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference. Shell pack this
30-minute webinar with her unique insights and techniques to ensure that
you never waste another dollar of your marketing budget again. Friedman
helps companies who want to leverage their customer service. Each
nugget of sales wisdom is designed to capture more business and keep the
customeron the phone or in person. Learn brilliant telephone sales and
customer service techniques for your business.
To register for this members-only webinar, go to www.iccfa.com and
click on Events.
q
Win Business and Influence

Friends by Tim Sanders
Do you want to know how you can

maintain and add to your value during
these rapidly changing times? Are
you wondering how the word love
can even be used in the context of
business? Instead of wondering, read this book
and find out how to become a lovecata nice,
smart person who succeeds in business and in life.
Learn how by reading this book from 2015 ICCFA
Annual Convention keynote speaker Tim Sanders.
Autographed copies are just $20 plus shipping.
Will You Dance? by Annette Childs-Oroz
This beautiful, full color, 144-page hardback book

is as soothing to the eye as it is to the soul. Will
You Dance? takes the reader on the heros journey,
the trek from innocence to hard-earned wisdom. Its
beautiful metaphor speaks to the wisest part within
each of us, reminding us that we are all part of the
same universal story of loss and renewal. Copies
are just $0.99 each plus shipping.
Purchase either or both of these titles by visting
www.iccfa.com/store.
q
2016 ICCFA Wide World of Sales Conference call for presentations
he ICCFA Sales & Marketing

Committee is preparing for the
2016 Wide World of sales
Conference, January 13-15, at the
monte Carlo Hotel & Casino in
las Vegas, Nevada, and we invite
you to share your expertise with your
colleagues.
The Wide World of Sales is the only
conference specifically for sales and
marketing professionals in the cemetery,
cremation and funeral service profession.
We are seeking the very best, most
relevant and most thought-provoking
sales and marketing programs, tools and
techniques being used today. We want
presentations with concrete, how-to
information, with an emphasis on the
how rather than the why.
If you have expertise to share, this
is your opportunity to give back to the
profession. The committee invites you to
submit a session proposal, to include:
Your contact information
50
ICCFA Magazine
January 13-15, 2016 Las Vegas, NV

Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino
A detailed description of your howto topic, including the specific tools,

techniques and/or initiatives the
attendee will be able to put to use
immediately
The primary target for your
presentation (managers, counselors
or both; cemeteries, funeral homes
or both)
A list of handouts you will provide
for our attendee on-site binder
supplementing your presentation
(handouts are required)
A brief bio regarding your background
and qualifications, including any
previous speaking experience
The format for this conference calls

for numerous breakout sessions 50
minutes in length, so please narrow
your topic to one or two key points that
you can fully develop and communicate
within that time period.
ANy rEquEst FOr
COmPENsAtION must bE
INCludEd IN yOur PrOPOsAl
Or It WIll NOt bE GrANtEd.
Speakers will receive a complimentary
registration to the conference. Panelists
or speakers sharing the stage with three
or more people will be offered the option
to purchase a full registration at the oneday rate ($250 in 2015).
Submit your proposal via our new
online submission system by July 15 by
visiting www.wideworldofsales.com.
Questions? Call Kirsten Kase at
1.800.645.7700 or email her at
kase@iccfa.com. Thank you for your
willingness to share your time and your
knowledge.
q
I C C FA N E W S
university
iccfa
An educational experience like none other in the industry
CCFA university, July 17-22, at the Fogelman Executive

Center at the university of memphis in memphis,
tennessee, is the premier educational opportunity available in
our profession.
This one-of-a-kind program is designed by top experts in the
cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession. It offers
a unique blend of intensive, practical classroom training and
continual informal idea-sharing.
It is considered by many to offer the most comprehensive
funeral service education outside of attending a mortuary school.
And for some members of our industry who may not have had the
chance to earn a formal degree, attending and graduating from
ICCFA University after four years of study may be there only
chance for a higher learning experience.
There are seven colleges to choose from, each with courses
that combine proven business theory with practical operational
instruction. ICCFAU classes are led by top cemetery, cremation
and funeral service professionals as well as business and
economics faculty from the University of Memphis.
College of
21st Century Services
DEAN: Glenda Stansbury, CC
Stansbury
How do you respond to a family who says, We

dont want a traditional funeral? Youll learn how
to go beyond tradition with innovative offerings
and become certified as a funeral celebrant trained
to provide meaningful alternatives to clergy-led
services.
funeral customs of all major religions and population groups from

around the world.
College of Funeral Home

Management
DEAN: Todd Van Beck, CFuE
Van Beck
College of Land Management
& Grounds Operations

DEAN: Gino Merendino
Exceptional cemetery service starts with the

grounds and operations department. Without
effective land management and a commitment
to an attractive, well-maintained property, there
Merendino will be no sales or service. Youll learn how
your grounds management team can succeed and
continuously improve interments, landscaping,
buildings, grounds maintenance and exceptional client experience
and satisfaction.
College of Leadership,
Administration & Management
DEAN: Gary Freytag, CCFE
College of Cremation Services

DEAN: Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE
Starks
Cremation doesnt have to mean no service or

no memorialization. Youll discover how to
better serve families, improve cremation operations
and increase your companys cremationrelated revenues. Youll also earn three types of
certifications: Operator (required in 16 states),
Arranger (exclusive to ICCFA), and Administrator
(only offered once a year: at ICCFA University).
College of
international studies
DEAN: Jim Hammond
Hammond
NEW!
Globalization is making the world a much smaller

place to live in. Are you sure that you know how
to serve families of all nationalities and religious
backgrounds in your community? Learn about the
Too many managers consider creativity someone

elses department. In funeral service, creative
management is the key to differentiation. Youll
learn Dr. W. Edwards Demings creative service
management system and its specific applications to
our profession.
Freytag
The cemetery, cremation and funeral service

profession is changing, and so are the skills
needed to manage and lead effectively. Youll
receive solid, relevant, results-focused training
targeted at todays required core competencies.
J. Asher Neel College of

Sales & Marketing
DEAN: Gary OSullivan, CCE
The principles of sales and marketing dont

change; only technique and application do.
Learn how to take the tried-and-true principles of
cemetery and funeral sales and apply them within
OSullivan
todays highly mobile, multi-cultural,
high-tech, information-driven marketplace.
register by June 17 to secure your spot in the
college of your choice. For a complete course listing and to register
to attend this years ICCFA University, visit www.iccfa.com/
university.
q
June 2015
51
New Members
Providing exceptional education, networking
and legislative guidance and support to
progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation
professionals worldwide
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.
Regular
Hunsaker Partners
Decatur, Georgia
Affordable Burial & Cremation Service
Austin, Texas
Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Homes Inc.
Hamilton, New York
Fletcher-Nasevich Funeral Home
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Garfield Funeral Chapel
Naples, Florida
Goldfinch Funeral Services
Conway, South Carolina
Hughes Family Tribute Center
Dallas, Texas
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 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.
Langeland Family Funeral Home

Kalamazoo, Michigan
Nichols Life Tribute Funeral & Memorial
Services
Muscatine, Iowa
Pace-Stancil Funeral Home
Cleveland, Texas
Pellerin Funeral Homes Inc.
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Pompes Funebres Caton
Olivet, France
Stephens Family Chapel
Grants Pass, Oregon
Woodard Funeral Home
Greensboro, North Carolina
Wyers-Bollinger Funeral Chapel
Elyria, Ohio
Professional/Supplier
Ceremony Masters
Monroe, Washington
Forever in Glass
Somerset, Massachusetts
Omneo Group Americas Corp.
Miami, Florida
Stilo Guard
Beverly Hills, California
Vaughan Landscape Planning & Design
Ltd.
West Vancouver, British Columbia
World by the Tail
Fort Collins, Colorado
r
CEMETErIES CrEMATorIES FuNErAL hoMES SuppLIErS pET LoSS proFESSIoNALS
Submit your news to ICCFA Magazine
have you held a groundbreaking or grand opening for a new facility? hired or promoted someone?
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? Added a grief therapy dog to
your staff?
Share your news with colleagues all over the worldsend it in to ICCFA Magazine!
Its a simple way to receive some well-deserved publicity for you & your staff & to share ideas with peers.
heres how to get your news in 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 & how (and sometimes Why).
n Send it in:
Email your Word document as an attachment to sloving@iccfa.com, or write your release in the body of your
email. please include your full name and title and the companys name and location in the body of your email.
If your email is a large file and bounces back, send it to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.)
photoshigh-resolution jpgscan be emailed. remember you must adjust digital camera settings to take highresolution 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 the size they are to be printed.)
Questions? Need some guidance? Email ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving at sloving@iccfa.com.
June 2015
53
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.
photos CourtesY oF Carrier mausoleum ConstuCtion
above, some of the 12 sections with cenotaphs and stained glass. below, the exterior of the mausoleum.
n Saint-CharleS Cemetery, in the heart of the Diocese of Qubec, Province of Qubec, has built its second mausoleum, the first part of a phased plan. Catherine-de-SaintAugustin Mausoleum-Columbarium, which will be dedicated
in August, includes 156 crypts and 3,168 niches. The niches are
of various dimensions, providing families with a wide range of
54
ICCFA Magazine
UPDATE
photos CourtesY oF
Carrier mausoleum ConstuCtion
above, the chapel room. the main altar

will be placed on the granite base.
right top, a view of the mausoleumcolumbarium from the main entrance.
saint-Charles Cemetery in Qubec.
right, a close-up of part of the columbarium part of the mausoleum.
price and location.

The two-story building, which encompasses 7,000 square feet on each level,
includes a magnificent chapel with 12
stained glass windows recovered from an
ancient church. The main altar was designed by a famous sculptor from Qubec
and brings a contemporary touch to this
work of art.
The exterior finish is made of Lafitte
stones, high-grade architectural blocks and
Kodiak granite. Materials used include
White Pirgon marble from Greece for
the crypt fronts; Beige Positano marble
from Italy for the 12 cenotaphs planned to
receive striking figures from the history of
the church and society; and Cosmos granite from Italy for the base of the main altar.
The bronze collection Immortale,
chosen to adorn this magnificent mausoleum, offers a variety of luminaires as well
as crypt and niche vases. Exclusive to this
mausoleum, the bronze letterings Romano
Esmerilado from Italy will be used for all
inscriptions and epitaphs.
This prestigious turnkey project was
designed by Martin Frenette Architect and
built by the professional team of experts
from Carrier Mausoleums Construction
r
Inc., Qubec.
June 2015
55
UPDATE
British
Institute
of Embalmers
President
Craig L.
Caldwell,
CCO.
PHOTOs COURTEsY OF THE TRIBUTE COMPANIEs
Above, work begins on phase three of the Canarsie Cemetery garden mausoleum
project. Below, one of the completed phases.
n Work has begun on phase three of

the garden mausoleum project at Canarsie Cemetery, Brooklyn, New
York. The original concept creates several
unique structures that draw from the local
history of the area while complementing the existing architecture within the
cemetery.
The initial development, consisting of
204 garden crypts and the infrastructure
for all future developments, began in 2013.
This approach allowed cemetery manage-
56
ICCFA Magazine
ment to introduce the mausoleum to the

families it serves and quickly develop
future buildings as demand increases.
This phased approach includes five garden
buildings faced in beige brick veneer
and limestone fascia complemented by
polished gray granite. When complete, the
buildings will include 1,590 crypts and
336 niches.
The project is by The Tribute Companies, Hartland, Wisconsin.
r
n The British institute of

emBalmers recently installed Craig
l. Caldwell, CCo, of the Dodge Co. as
its president. A first-generation funeral
service practitioner with a 40-year career,
he serves as the managing director of both
Dodge Australia and of The Dodge Co.
in the UK, in addition to serving as vice
president of strategic planning and business develpment for The Dodge Co., Billerica, Massachusetts, where he has worked
for 16 years. The association, comprised of
1,300 funeral service practitioners, has divisions in the United Kingdom, as well as
other international divisions in Australia,
North America, Ireland and Belgium.
n John Goobeck was
recently installed as president of the north texas
region of the texas
funeral DireCtors
assoCiation. Goobeck
is vice president and director
in charge of Greenwood
Funeral Homes and CremaGoobeck
tions, part of the historic
Mount Olivet Cemetery Association, Fort
Worth and Arlington, Texas. He is a graduate of both Cameron University and Dallas
Institute of Funeral Service.
n the GarDens at Gethsemane, Boston, Massachusetts, held
its 15th annual easter sunrise service
this year. The Rev. Cal Steinbrech of
The Stratford Street United Church in
Boston conducted the service. Music was
provided by members of The Tremont
Temple Gospel Choir, led by the Rev. Dr.
Geoffrey Dana Hicks. Heated tents and a
complimentary breakfast were prepared by
Putterman Grille, Chestnut Hill.
n arkansas state universitymountain homes (ASUMH)
funeral science program received a
UPDATE
Above left, the Easter egg hunt at West Laurel Hill Cemetery. Above right, some of the Kentucky Derby party attendees enjoy a
carriage ride through the cemetery grounds.
three-year accreditation in April 15 from

the American Board of Funeral Service
Education (ABFSE). Programs of funeral
service or mortuary science education
accredited by the ABFSE are required to
undergo a comprehensive evaluation at
least once every seven years.
ASUMHs funeral science program
is guided by a 12-person advisory board
made up of industry professionals from Arkansas and Southern Missouri. It is one of
ASUMHs most successful areas of study,
with more than 50 students participating
in the program during this academic year.
Funeral science students are prepared for
entry into the profession after graduation.
Many graduates of the program are now
industry leaders across the region.
n West laurel hill Cemetery

invited members of the community to
watch the 141st running of the kentucky Derby at the cemetery. The
cemetery sold tickets to the event, which
included horse and carriage rides and complimentary mint juleps and hors doeuvres.
Attendees were encouraged to dress in
their finest Southern attire for a chance to

win prizes. Proceeds were donated to Hope
Springs Equestrian Therapy.
The cemetery also held its 13 annual
Easter egg hunt, drawing hundreds of
children and their parents. Mr. and Mrs.
Bunny were on hand to pose for pictures
with attendees, who hunted for thousands
LED Lighting Solutions

for Memorial Products
E N E R G Y S AV E R
LED light bulb for Crypt

& Niche Fronts
Warm color for Bronzes
E A SY TO I N S TA L L
www.septechnologies.com
1 877 515-4672
Left, Matt Buel, funeral science program

director, and Brad sheppard, funeral
science instructor, receive notification
of full accreditation for AsUMH from
the American Board of Funeral service
Education.
June 2015
57
UPDATE
PHOTOs COURTEsY OF TIM BLAIsDELL
Above and below urns on display in Historic Oakwood Cemeterys mausoleum.
n historiC oakWooD Cemetery,

Raleigh, North Carolina, opened its gates to
over 300 people on a rainy sunday afternoon in april for the urn art & Garden
faire, which featured a display of 90 urns.
The Raleigh Trolley escorted people from
outside the cemetery to its chapel mausoleum to enjoy the art; listen to a bluegrass
band, The Boys from Carolina; and taste
some sweets. The top 20 urns were put on
exhibit at the United Arts Council in Glenwood South in May.
The show, juried by Roger Manley,
director of the Gregg Museum of Art &
58
ICCFA Magazine
Design at North Carolina State University;

Jeni Sandberg of Antiques Roadshow; and
Sheridan Lee, manager of Bryan Lee Funeral Home in Garner, was a success.
The winners were:
1st Place: The Red and White, by
Jerry Wade, Carmichael, California;
2nd Place: Vessel, by Michael Gillis,
Aptos, California;
3rd Place: Spalted Holly Companion
Urn, by Jason Van Duyn, Raleigh.
The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery
sponsored the event. Plans are already
under way for another show next year.
r
of prize-filled and chocolate eggs from Zitners Fine Confections. Balloon twisters,
caricaturists, a magician and art activities awaited children before the hunt, and
music by More FM played throughout the
morning. Twenty-five lucky winners also
went home with golden eggs and other
special prizes.
n todd W. van Beck has
been appointed as director
of continuing education at
John a. Gupton ColleGe, Nashville, Tennessee. He will be developing
continuing education courses,
seminars, lectures and articles
for practicing funeral directors Van Beck
to be offered by the college.
Van Beck has been in funeral service for 47
years, has authored more than 600 articles
and has written more than 65 books and training manuals. He was most recently general
manager of Forest Hill Funeral Homes in
Memphis.
Van Beck was a seminar presenter for 25
years at the Dodge Sunshine Seminars and
served on the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Thanatology at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. He served
on the Shelby County Historical Commission
and on the board of the Memphis Salvation
Army, and continues to serve as a member
of the Zion Christian Cemetery Board, all in
Memphis, Tennessee.
In 2014, Van Beck was awarded the first
ever Inspiration Award by the International
Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association Educational Foundation, and also the
Distinguished Service Award by the Fountain National Academy of Embalming and
Restorative Art.
n the international orDer
of the GolDen rule, Austin, Texas,
recently installed the following officers:
President William Brock Jr., Vanderplaat
Funeral Home, Wyckoff, New Jersey;
President-elect Peter Skip Urban, Anton
B. Urban Funeral Home, Ambler, Pennsylvania; and Secretary-Treasurer Charles
A. Castiglia, Lakeside Memorial Funeral
Home, Hamburg, New York. Returning to
the board for an additional two-year term
was Adam Miles Martin, Miles T. Martin
Funeral Home, Mt. Morris, Michigan.
Richard OHara, McAvoy OHara Co.Evergreen Mortuary, San Francisco, California, was sworn in as a first-time board
member to a two-year term.
n the louisiana funeral DireCtors assoCiation, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, has announced the three recipients of the 2015 Gerald m. robbins sr.
UPDATE
In memoriam
Dave Bishop
Dave Bishop, vice president

of sales for McCleskey Mausoleums, died on May 2.
Upon graduation from high
school in 1960, he enlisted in
the U.S. Air Force and served in
various capacities and in several duty stations,
including Viet Nam from 1969 to 1970. He
retired from the Air Force in 1980 and joined
the Georgia Marble Co. as the sales manager
for the memorial and dimensional stone
group. In 1983, he joined the McCleskey
team and served the company, the industry
(as past president of the Mid America Cemetery Supply Association) and his clients with
dedication and professionalism.
Survivors include his wife, Angie, sons
Keith and Jeff, two granddaughters and a
great-granddaughter.
Scholarship, awarded to Louisiana residents
attending accredited colleges of mortuary science who show high academic achievement
as well as community involvement. Amelia
Desonier, Lafayette, is studying at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in
Houston, Texas, and will receive her degree
in December. Chastity Gabrielle Hartman,
Metairie, is studying at Delgado Community
College in New Orleans and is employed at
Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home. She will
complete her degree in May 2016. Boyd
Mothe III, Belle Chasse, is studying at the
Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in Dallas
and is employed at Mothe Funeral Home in
Algiers, Louisiana, and Williams Funeral
Directors in Garland, Texas. He will complete
his degree in November.
r
PHOTOS
COURTESY OF
MCCLESKEY
MAUSOLEUM
CONSTRUCTION
CO.
Ascension
Mausoleum
at Our Lady
of Mercy
Cemetery
in Miami,
Florida.
n Our Lady Of Mercy ceMe

tery, Miami, Florida, is constructing
phase one of its newest mausoleum. The
one-acre Ascension Mausoleum has 12,594
crypts and 6,148 niches. Exterior materials
are Spring Rose and Impala Black granite,
while interior materials are Loredo Chiaro
and Dark Emperador marble. Features

include eight mosaic niche panels, glassfront chapel niche walls, a 35-foot stained
glass cross, life-sized wooden carved statues
of Mary and Joseph and a five-foot bronze
crucifix. The project is by McCleskey Mausoleums, Buford, Georgia.
r
AFCTS AD
1/3 H
4-COLOR
June 2015
59
Supply Line
Above, Wilbert Funeral Services new

Educated Selection Process screen.
Below, the cloud-based application in
use in a selection room.
Sauders new Windham casket.

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.
60
ICCFA Magazine
n Wilbert Funeral ServiceS,

Broadview, Illinois, has launched the Wilbert
educated Selection Process, a customized,
cloud-based application that facilitates
education and selection of a burial vault.
Through slides, video and funeral professional guidance, families concisely learn about
burial vaults and personalization options. An
on-screen display of specific Wilbert vaults offered by the funeral establishment, along with
their retail pricing, guides families through
the selection process. At the end, a summary
of the selection and other details such as service dates and times for at-need arrangements
is generated and stored.
Wilbert ESP can be used for both at-need
and preneed situations on virtually any computer, tablet or other device. It can be easily
incorporated into an electronic showroom or
an existing traditional display. When arrangements are made, designated personnel are
automatically notified via email. Useful management reports are built into the program,
providing visibility into key indicators.
1.888.WILBERT; www.wilbert.com
n Sauder Funeral ProductS,
Archibold, Ohio, has introduced a trio of
new caskets in classic designs. The Bancroft
casket comes in a light Amber pine finish and
has dual lugs. The Langston is a two-button
oak casket with one continuous lug in a
traditional medium Carolina oak finish. And
the Windham casket comes in a new Sauder
finish, a beautiful American cherry, with
individual lugs, also new for Sauder. All have
a full adjustable lift bed with tilt at the head,
swing arms, and all three are also available in
full couch. 1.866.419.3010;
www.sauderfuneralproducts.com
n checkers industrial Products, broomfield, colorado, has partnered with Jack
roser, president and owner of alturnamatS, Titusville, Pennsylvania. The
combined Checkers product offering now
includes matting, cribbing, ClearMATS,
AlturnaMATS, VersaMATS, and safety tech
outrigger pads, all falling under Checkers
ground protection product category. AlturnaMATS will continue operations out of its
current facility in Titusville, a satellite office to
Checkers Broomfield headquarters, and Jack
Roser will continue to oversee the operations
in Titusville. 814.827.8884;
basmith@altmats.com;
www.alturnamats.com
n PughS earthWorkS, Memphis,
Tennessee, has offered its property maintenance and management services to the
funeral home and cemetery industry since
2003. The company, which serves the MidSouth region of the country, can also handle
pest control inside and out. It also has offices
in Little Rock, Arkansas; Nashville, Tennessee;

and Jackson, Mississippi. 901.546.0099;
www.pughsearthworks.com
n the tribute comPanieS, Hartland, Wisconsin,
has added Scot Schmidt,
aia, and John Sorenson to
its cemetery development
team. Sorenson is territory
representative for Tribute
Precast Systems and Schmidt
is project managing architect Schmidt
for Tribute Design Systems.
Sorenson is a graduate of Marquette University in Wisconsin. He previously managed
sales for a leading glass door
manufacturer. Schmidt is
joining Tributes architectural
design division. Before joining
Tribute, he was principal of his
own firm. He has more than
Sorenson
20 years of commercial and
residential expertise in the planning, design
and construction of new and renovated projects. www.tributeinc.com
n homeSteaderS, Des Moines, Iowa,
has announced findings from its most
recent customer satisfaction survey. The
survey asked Homesteaders funeral home
customers to provide feedback about their
experiences, with virtually all of the respondents (99 percent) indicating satisfaction with
the company overall.
Also, homesteaders has
hired ric burnette as an account executive. He has nearly
three decades of experience,
having worked in several
areas of the funeral profession,
including showroom merchandising, cemetery sales,
pet memorials, funeral service Burnette
marketing and preneed sales. He is a graduate
of the University of Florida, where he studied
business adminstration and management,
and has been a licensed insurance agent in
Georgia since 1986.
Also, A.M. Best Co., a global rating
agency focused on the insurance industry, announced that it has affirmed homesteaders
life companys financial strength rating of
a- (excellent) with a stable outlook.
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
n the dodge co., Billerica, Massachusetts, has hired al cody as a sales representative. His territory will include Oklahoma,
western Kansas and the Texas panhandle. He
has been a licensed funeral service practitioner in Kansas since 1994 and is an experienced funeral director and embalmer.
1.800.443.6343; www.dodgeco.com
to page 62
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s u p p ly l i n e
Astrals new Solace almond casket.
Aeons new catalog.
Tile Artisans new urn
62
ICCFA Magazine
n aStral induStrieS, Lynn, Indiana,

showcased its newest casket, the Solace,
at the iccFa convention & expo. The
20-gauge, non-gasketed casket is available in
nine colors, with a praying hands theme and
swing-bar hardware.
1.800.278.7252; sales@astralindustries.com
www.astralindustries.com
n aeon, Harbor City, California, has released its new catalog. The catalog highlights
several new offerings to the industry as well as
their standard product lines. The firm is best
known for manufacturing entry to mid-level
cremation urns, flower vases, industry specific
hardware lines, cemetery equipment and columbarium units. Aeon also produces custom
products and manufactures component parts
for other firms in the death care industry.
1.800.225.6396; www.aeonmfg.com
n PaSSare, San Francisco, California, has
entered into an agreement with the directors investment group to form a strategic
relationship. DIG has made a significant
investment in Passare, which is now a subsidiary of DIG. Passares board of directors, made
up primarily of funeral service professionals,
will remain intact. DIG is also the parent
company of Funeral Directors Life Insurance
Co. Passare will be able to grow its customer
base of network subscribers through a distribution agreement with FDLIC. 925.968.9495;
renee@philosophypr.com; www.passare.com
n tile artiSanS digital imaging, High Springs, Florida, has introduced
an innovative granite monument urn. The
urn has a covered and sealed memorialization
panel. These new monument urns are relatively lightweight and mobile, and are ideal for
placement in cremation gardens and for uses
such as home garden memorials and pet memorials. The urn is available in several marker
sizes with standard urn capacities from 75 to
225 cubic inches to accommodate any need.
Companion monument urns and custom
sizes are also available. 1.800.601.4199;
www.tileartisans.com;
www.artisanmemorialportraits.com
n JohnSon conSulting, Scottsdale, Arizona, has launched a new website.
Designed with a fresh new look, user-friendly
navigation and the latest information about
products and services, the site aims to provide
quick and easy access to valuable resources for
business owners and managers. It is smartphone compatible and updated frequently.
1.888.250.7747;
info@johnsonconsulting.com;
www.johnsonconsulting.com
n Funeral directorS liFe inSurance co., Abilene, Texas, has hired Jason
Prodoehl as market center manager for the
lubbock area in West texas.

He has more than a decade of
experience as a sales manager
and business development
specialist in both finance and
retail sales distribution. He
served in the US Navy for four
years and graduated from the
University of Houston with a Prodoehl
bachelors degree in finance.
Fdlic also was recently named to the
best companies to Work for in texas list
for the second consecutive year. For 2015,
FDLIC was ranked as the No. 2 Best Company to Work for in Texas in the mid-size
company category after participating in a
state-wide survey. In 2014, FDLIC participated in the survey for the first time and was
ranked as the No. 1 Best Company to Work
for in Texas in the mid-size company category. The awards program was created in
2006 and is a project of Texas Monthly, the
Texas Association of Business, Texas SHRM
and Best Companies Group.
www.funeraldirectorslife.com
n great WeStern, Ogden, Utah, has
appointed John a. lindquist
ii as president. John E.
Lindquist will continue in his
roles as chairman of the board
and CEO, and will pass the
leadership and day-to-day
management of the company
on to his son.
As COO, Lindquist
John A.
led the strategic vision for
Lindquist
Great Western and directed
the coordinated efforts of
operations in support of the
companys customers and
clients. Along with his financial experience, he has been
in the funeral industry since
1998. Prior to joining Great
Western he was executive
vice president for Lindquist
John E.
Mortuaries/Cemeteries. He
Lindquist
has a bachelors degree from
the University of Puget Sound, as well as
an MBA from Willamette University and
a masters degree in health administration
from Weber State University. 866.689.1415;
www.gwsupply.com
n Frontrunner, Kingston, Ontario, has hired Sam khan as its new chief
technology officer. The partnership brings a
formal partnership with iSTORM New Media
Inc., an expert in analytics and ROI-driven
software development. It will help enhance
and expand FrontRunners Pulse Business
System platform.
866.748.3625; www.FrontRummer360.com
s u p p ly l i n e
Above, Debbie Lee with the tribute

blanket Funeral Home Gifts made for
her to memorialize her son, a US Navy
SEAL killed in Iraq. Left, Funeral Home
Gifts President Karl Weisenbeck with the
companys new cap panels.
n Funeral home giFtS, Lynn, North

Carolina, has introduced custom cap panel
inserts/cremation panels as its latest personalization offering. Funeral Home Gifts
cap panels are dye sublimated on a polysatin material and then individually hand
assembled onto a rigid foamcore board for
strength and durability. Each cap panel is
available in standard sizes that will accommodate major casket brands with a perfect
friction fit (without the use of spacers), and
are also available in custom sizes for use in
any casket.
The company also offers frame choices
for families wishing to display their cap
panels in their homes. The online ordering
process allows customers to upload photos,
select a background design and add text,
then order the order cap panels for next-day
delivery.
Also, Funeral home gifts President
karl Weisenbeck attended an americas
mighty Warriors benefit which raised more
than $17,000. The organization was founded
by Debbie Lee, the mother of Petty Officer
Mar Alan Lee, the first U.S. Navy SEAL to
be killed in the Iraq War. At the event, she
was presented with a tribute blanket honoring her son. 1.800.233.0439;
karlw@funeralhomegifts.com;
www.funeralhomegifts.com
n eagle granite, Elberton, Georgia,
has recently partnered with a state-of-theart, 40,000-square-foot sand cast foundry
near Pittsburgh to begin offering assemStart every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
bled bronze and granite markers; bronze

niche plates; mausoleum, wall and lawn
plaques; and bronze vases. The company
will offer a larger range of bronze memorial
designs in the traditional, contemporary
and bronze image lines, all made in the U.S.
There is also a new line of contemporary
memorials with the ability to cast in bronze
almost any design previously offered only in
a granite marker.
The new foundry also has onsite patternmaking ability to produce a large variety
of sizes, styles, edge patterns, emblems and
fonts, while the new bronze image memorials integrate portraits and other custom
images onto the bronze marker. The new
line of cemetery bronze consists of the highest quality bronze memorial, cast with 87
percent copper and finished with the best
clear coat on the market. In addition, Eagle
will offer online selection, design, personalization and ordering with accurate layout for
approval in two to four business days and
delivery of product in four to six weeks.
1.888.357.8452; www.eaglegranite.com
n Forethought liFe inSurance
co., Indianapolis, Indiana, has launched
a new business analytics tool called Forethought inSight. Forethought, a corporate
sponsor of the 2015 ICCFA Annual Conference & Expo, launched InSight at this years
event in San Antonio, Texas. As the only
international trade association representing
all segments of the cemetery, funeral service,
cremation and memorialization profession,
the ICCFA offers a unique setting in which

to debut this transformative sales tool to a
wide variety of funeral professionals. InSight
improves upon existing reporting mechanisms by providing sales agents instant access
to a visual representation of their books of
business. This innovative system lets agents,
managers and Forethought representatives
align their sales conversations and collaborate
in real time to facilitate decision-making and
increase sales. Users can view and filter data
in useful new ways, monitor sales trends, and
easily track sales performance in different
locations. www.forethought.com
n kelco
SuPPly co.,
Minneapolis,
Minnesota,
has launched
a refreshed
logo design.
The new deKelcos new logo.
sign incorporates two traditional elements of the longstanding brand,
the green Kelco name an oval and the hand
and beaker image. Concurrently, with the exception of cremation urns and remembrance
products, which will continue to be marketed
under the Infinity brand, all of the products
in Kelcos line will be marketed directly under
the Kelco brand. The company is discontinuing the use of its sub-brands Thanatomics and
Thanatech. 1.800.328.7720;
www.kelcosupply.com
to page 64
June 2015
63
s u p p ly l i n e
ultimately works its way to the topic of future
planning. 219.613.6481; alice@netnitco.net
n legacy.com, Evanston, Illinois, has
entered into an agreement to acquire tributes.com. In doing so, Legacy.com adds a site
with more than 5 million monthly unique
visitors to its network of nearly 35 million
monthly unique visitors. The combined company will have partnerships with more than
1,500 newspapers, 2,500 funeral homes and
140 broadcast stations. www.legacy.com
Life Celebrations
e-learning
animation.
n liFe celebration inc., North

Wales, Pennsylvania, has launched a
new training platform for funeral home
members. The e-learning platform features
engaging animation in a self-paced course.
Thus far, two courses have been created,
The Resource Center, a refresher for the
core concepts, framework and teachings the
company espouses, and The Touchpoints,
a deeper exploration of the companys curriculum. 1.888.887.3782;
jcummings@lifecelebration.com;
www.lifecelebrationinc.com
n QeePr, Montreal, Quebec, has extended its offering to allow funeral homes
an alternative way to publish media-rich
memorials. Qeepr allows funeral homes to
publish memorials on their existing websites
with minimal technical knowledge. Their
technology allows integrated condolences,
unlimited video and image uploads with social commenting and liking capabilities and
genealogy. Multiple keepers are allowed so
that family members can have easy access to
collaborate and add unlimited content. The
platform also allows linking of the cemetery
monument to the obituary, photos, videos
and condolences through the mobile app.
514.886.7900; info@qeepr.com;
www.qeepr.com
n a good goodbye,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is
offering mortality minute,
an advertising opportunity
for funeral-related businesses. Each 60-second miniprogram provides a light look
at serious subjects related to
death, dying, and developing
Rubin
trends in end-of-life issues.
From cremation to caskets, obituaries to
obesity, Death Cafes and more, these upbeat
Mortality Minute spots educate listeners
on what they need to know before theres a
64
ICCFA Magazine
death in the family.

The series is hosted by Certified Thanatologist Gail Rubin, host and author of A
Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those
Who Dont Plan to Die. She developed it
with creative director Dan Katz of LA ads,
Northridge, California. Every program
concludes with a 10-second slot to allow a
customized sponsors message for their own
company. Geographic exclusivity is offered
to each sponsor. Demo spots are available at
http://agoodgoodbuy.com/radio-tv/mortalityminute/. 505.265.7215;
gail@agoodgoodbye.com;
www.AGoodGoodbye.com
n Funeraltech, Kingston, Ontario,
has introduced new parallax web designs.
Parallax is an effect whereby the position or
direction of an object appears to differ when
viewed from different positions. Clients are
able to change their websites design with the
click of a button. Some of the themes released
for the new parallax website designs include
patriotic, American eagle, Statue of liberty,
butterflies, American flag, Washington
Monument, summer sunset, beach, forest,
rainbow, fall, sky, dove, family, winter and
roses. Each website will come with roughly
16-20 stock themes. 1.800.480.6467;
www.funeraltech.com
n kyle & aSSociateS, Hebron, Indiana, has developed a funeral home aftercare
newsletter program. The 12-issue series,
entitled Daisies, is designed to be mailed
out to families who have recently experienced
a loss. Each issue is designed to appear as if it
was produced by the local funeral home. The
four-page, full-color publication addresses
such matters as taking care of yourself following a loss, what to do when people stop calling, how to handle the feelings of grief, helping someone who is grieving, Social Security
and veterans survivors benefits and dealing
with unfinished business. The monthly series
n the SnoW & ice management

aSSociation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
has launched a new training program, the
advanced Snow management course. It
is designed to help people deal with winter
weather. The program includes segments on
core principles, plowing operations, sidewalk
operations and ice management.
414.375.1940; info@sima.org; www.sima.org
n unity Financial
liFe inSurance co.,
Cincinnati, Ohio, has named
adam m. goller as assistant
vice president, marketing
and technical services. He
has been with the company
since 2006, and previously
served as Unitys director of
Goller
marketing and technical services. 1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
n celebrate me home, Norwalk,
Connecticut, has developed an online
planner to help people create customized
celebrations of life. The site includes ideas,
themes, supplies and even assistance from
a staff member. The site is aimed at families opting for cremation and not wanting
a traditional funeral. Users can create a
memorial tribute using the extensive libraries
of prayers, poems and songs or start with a
memorial theme with preselected choices.
People also can order merchandise such as
personalized prayer cards, thank you notes
and guest books.
www.CelebrateMeHomeCT.com
n hunter induStrieS,
San Marcos, California, has
hired dennis Wagner as a
sales manager. He brings
many years of golf industry
experience to Hunter. He is
a graduate of Sam Houston
State with degrees in mathematics, business administraWagner
tion and physics and is a Texas
licensed irrigator. He also serves as the vice
president of the Golf Course Builders Association of America. 760.744.5240;
www.hunterindustries.com
r
Calendar
E-mail calendar listings and additions or
corrections to Association Pipeline to
bclough@iccfa.com.
June 6-11: Pennsylvania Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention & Expo, Holiday Inn,
Grantville. www.pfda.org
June 7-9: Tennessee Funeral Directors Assn.
112th Annual Convention, Embassy Suites Hotel
& Conf. Center, Murfreesboro. www.tnfda.org
June 7-9: Georgia Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, King and Prince Beach
Resort, St. Simons Island. www.gfda.org
June 7-10: West Virginia Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention. www.wvfda.org
June 8-10: Two Hearts Pet Loss Centers
Pet Loss & Grief Companioning Certification
Course, Scottsdale, Arizona. 317.966.0096
June 8-11: Tennessee State Funeral Directors
& Morticians Assn. 92nd Annual Convention,
Memphis. www.tennesseefdma.org
June 8-11: Funeral Service Assn. of Canada
& Alberta Funeral Service Assn. Annual Joint
Convention, Lake Louise, Alberta. www.afsa.ca
June 11-12: Australasian Cemeteries &
Crematoria Assn. Mid-year Sem., Novotel
Melbourne, St. Kilda. www.accaweb.com.au
June 12-14: UK National Funeral Exhibition,
Stoneleigh Park.
www.nationalfuneralexhibition.co.uk
June 14-16: Louisiana & Mississippi Funeral
Directors Assn. Joint Annual Convention, Royal
Sonesta Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana.
www.lfdaweb.org
June 14-16: Southern Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Assn. Convention in conjunction with
the North Carolina Cemetery Assn. & South
Carolina Cemetery Assn., Embassy Suites Hotel
at Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina. www.sccfa.info
June 14-17: Virginia Funeral Directors Assn.
127th Annual Convention, The Hotel Roanoke &
Conf. Center, Roanoke. www.vfda.net
June 15-17: Funeral Directors & Morticians
Assn. of North Carolina Annual Convention,
Embassy Suites, Concord. www.fdmanc.org
June 17-19: Funeral Directors of Kentucky
133rd Annnual Convention & Mid-West Regional
Funeral Trade Show, Hyatt Regency Hotel,
Louisville. www.fdaofky.com
June 18-20: Buckeye State Funeral Directors
& Embalmers Assn. Annual Convention, Deer
Creek State Lodge & Convention Center.
www.bsfdea.net
June 19-20: (UK) National Assn. of Memorial
Masons Trade Exhibition, Warwickshire
Exhibition Center, UK. www.namm.org.uk
June 21-23: Montana Funeral Directors Assn.
& Wyoming Funeral Directors Assn. Joint
Convention, Red Lodge, Montana.
www.montanafuneraldirectors.org
June 21-24: Florida Morticians Assn. 91st
Annual Convention, Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orlando,
Florida. www.floridamorticians.org
For continually updated meeting listings

and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Directory, then Industry Association Directory.
To see all industry conventions and meetings for

a particular month, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Find a Member, then Industry Calendar.
PHoToS CoURTESy oF THE NATIoNAL MUSEUM oF FUNERAL HISToRy
The Faces of Abe display within the Presidential Funerals exhibit at the National Museum of Funeral History.
Anna B. Temple - Her

Diaries on display
within the Presidential
Funerals exhibit at the
National Museum of
Funeral History.
n The national museum of

Funeral history has several
events happening in June. First,
a unique car show on Saturday, June 13, featuring vintage
professional cars such as funeral
hearses, ambulances, fire trucks
and limos. Plus, there will be
chance to see a fire truck from
9/11 that was used in 28 funerals
for fallen firefighters. Then, over
Fathers Day weekend, June 2021, the museum will be paying
tribute to the life and legacy of
Abraham Lincoln. A Lincoln
impersonator will provide
photo ops and living history
lessons and will debut some new
Lincoln-related artifacts, including some rare stamps and coin
r
collections.
Replica of Lincolns
death mask by Houston artist S.J. Stout
on display within the
Presidential Funerals exhibit at the
National Museum of
Funeral History.
Two of the vehicles that will be on display at the National Museum of Funeral
History during a car show June 13.
to page 66
June 2015
65
AD INDEX
33 Abbott & Hast
55 AFCTS
27 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
43 ASDAnswering Service
for Directors
21 Axis Corp.
5 Carriage Services
67 Carrier Mausoleums Construction
3 Coldspring
29 Continental Computer Corp.
7 Dakota Granite Co.
47 Doric Products
9 Ensure-A-Seal
43 Flowers for Cemeteries
45 Funeral Call Answering Service
2 funeralOne
21 Grever & Ward
37
48
23
61
27
17
41
15
43
45
27
39
23
57
35
68
41
4
23
33
21
39
25
19
33
31
43
11
37
41
Holland Supply
IMSA
Kryprotek
Live Oak Bank
Madelyn Co.
Matthews International
McCleskey Mausoleums
Merendino Cemetery Care
Messenger
Miles Supply
Milne Construction Co.
National Mortuary Shipping
Nomis Publications
Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
13 Paradise Pictures
57 SEP Technologies
34 Star Granite & Bronze
Star Granite & Bronze

StiloGuard
Supply Link
SuperNova International
SVE Portable Roadway Systems
The Tribute Companies
Timberland Urns
Triple H Co.
U.S. Metalcraft
Vantage Products Corp.
VKM International
Wilbert Funeral Services
WithumSmith + Brown
Worsham College
Wuxi ANA Industries Ltd.
Zontec Ozone
CAlENDAr
from page 65
June 21-24: Alabama Funeral Directors Assn.

129th Annual Summer Convention, Marriotts
Point Clear Resort. www.alabamafda.org
June 22-25: Western Pennsylvania Funeral
Directors 107th Assn. Annual Convention, The
Ambassador Conf. Center, Erie. www.wpfda.org
June 22-25: Illinois Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Peoria Civic Center &
Marriott Pere Marquette, Peoria. www.lfda.org
June 23-24: New Hampshire Funeral Directors
Assn. Summer Mtg., Ashworth by the Sea,
Hampton Beach. www.nhfda.org
June 24-25: Wisconsin Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Madison Marriott West,
Middletown. www.wfda.org
June 25-27: Southern Monument Builders Assn.
Annual Convention,Embassy Suites San Marcos,
Texas. www.montanafuneraldirectors.org
Classifieds
June 26-28: California Funeral Directors

Assn. Annual Convention, Hyatt Regency San
Francisco. www.cafda.org
June 28-July 1: Virginia Morticians Assn. 87th
Annual Convention, Renaissance PortsmouthNorfolk Waterfron Hotel, Portsmouth.
www.virginiamorticiansassociation.org
June 28-July 2: Maryland State Funeral
Directors Assn. 96th Annual Convention,Clarion
Resort & Conf. Center, Ocean City.
www.msfda.net
July 10-12: The Compassionate Friends
38th Annual National Conf., Hyatt Regency
Downtown, Dallas, Texas.
www.compassionatefriends.org
July 10-12: Australasian Cemeteries & Crematoria Assn. Mid Year Sem., Novotel Melbourne,
St. Kilda, Victoria. www.accaweb.com.au
July 12-15: Michigan Cemetery Assn. 55th
Annual Summer Conf., Crystal Mountain Resort,

Thompsonville. www.mcainfo.org
July 16-18: Florida Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Assn. Convention, Bonita Springs.
www.thefccfa.com
July 17-18: Associated Cemeteries of
Missouri Annual Convention, The Resort
at Port Arrowhead, Lake of the Ozarks.
westbydale@sbcglobal.net
July 17-19: Association of Independent
Funeral Homes of Virginia Annual Convention,
Homestead Resort, Hot Springs. www.ifhv.org
July 17-22: ICCFA University, Fogelman Conf.
Center, University of Memphis, Memphis,
Tennessee. www.iccfa.com
July 18-20: Colorado Assn. of Cemeteries
& Colorado Funeral Directors Assn. Annual
Joint Convention, Cheyenne Mountain Resort,
r
Colorado Springs. www.cofda.org
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm

To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
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66
ICCFA Magazine
Carrier AD
FULL PAGE
page 67 (C3)
4-COLOR
Stilo Guard AD
FULL PAGE
page 68 (C4)
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ICCFA Magazine June 2015

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ICCFA Magazine June 2015

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June 2015

Going to Guatemala for

Transform your cemetery

A partnership with Coldspring includes comprehensive

For more information call 800.328.5040 or visit our website coldspringusa.com

Browse our full cremation product

Break away from traditional cremation solutions with our

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And are truly treated as a partner

Select their own vendors

3040 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77056

Catherine-de-Saint-Augustin MausoleumColumbarium, Qubec. Page 54.

Cremation Coaching Center

Links to news and feature stories

ICCFA Government and Legal Affairs

Historic mausoleums cleaned and greened at Congressional

Casket companies responding to cremation

26 Preneed sales suCCess

Veteran or boomer? How do Vietnam veterans see themselves?

17 tips to help you celebrate your companys anniversary

Going to Guatemala to study excellence & another culture

for the 2016 ICCFA Annual

49 San Antonio convention

recordings available for purchase

will discuss the Golden Nuggets

50 Online store sale:

Love is the Killer App: How to Win

50 2016 ICCFA Wide World of

Sales Conference for presentations

An educational experience like none

Subscribe to ICCFA Magazine

r One-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*

Name as it appears on card

Security ID (3-digit # on back of card or 4-digit # on front of AmEx)

and CEO of Forest Lawn

n To apply for ICCFA

The obvious, revealed

eturning home from our Annual

Susan Loving, managing editor

to be the president of the ICCFA. I have the

Darin B. Drabing, president

Michael Uselton, CCFE, president-elect

Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

2015 by the International Cemetery, Cremation

Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

FTC Funeral Rule investigators find

he Federal Trade Commission recently

During the meeting with the ICCFA,

Important notice to ICCFA members

misleading and deceptive. The state authorities

ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight

Paul Williams has

Historic private mausoleums can add character to a cemetery,

He attended Roger Williams University,

The roofs of the Graham and Hodges mausoleums on Congressional Cemeterys

Historic mausoleums cleaned

ausoleum Row at Congressional

concrete, Williams said, and one person

since repairing all 17 roofs at once was

and tear with the environment, so that they

A social media benefit

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