1100

YOUR BUSINESS.  March-April 2017

IN YOUR BACK POCKET.

Introducing mobile.9 MAGAZINE

ICCFA Magazine
NASHVILLE, TN APRIL 5-8, 2017 CEMETERY CREMATION FUNERAL

Jan Scruggs: The

man behind the
Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in D.C.
Lemasters on phone
calls & the Funeral Rule
Wagemann on how to
develop a relationship
with your local hospice
Cremation:
Building a successful
online business
Embracing the options
that cremation offers
Creative use of unused
spaces in your cemetery
Sales:
The elements of an
effective selling system
Cemetery Impossible:
Should salespeople tell
you where to set prices?
Forming community

relationships to create
long-term sales success
Also:
Wolfelt on watching
the words you use
Van Beck on silence
Visiting a cemetery
March-April 2017 in Beijing, China

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Jan Scruggs, who led the effort to build
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Wash-
ington, D.C., is reflected in a panel of
the memorial. (Photo by Susan Loving)
story, page 56. (Photo of Nashvilles
Music City Center by Wolf Hoffmann)
12 Presidents letter
Mission accomplished ...
to be continued
by Mike Uselton, CCFE
14 Washington report
Rep. Rush to reintroduce federal
legislation to regulate profession
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
110 Supply Line
111 Memorial jewelry shown at
Golden Globes, Oscars
113 Does your funeral home
have a beautiful seating area?
Enter this contest
115 Update
115 How a birthday card reunited
ICCFA officers
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, president-elect
Jay D. Dodds, CFSP, vice president
Gary M. Freytag, CCFE, vice president
Paul Goldstein, vice president
Christine Toson Hentges, CCE,
vice president
Richard O. Baldwin Jr. CCE, treasurer
Robbie L. Pape, secretary
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
general counsel
Magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor
sloving@iccfa.com; slovingiccfa@yahoo.com
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager
rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
6 ICCFA Magazine
M A R C H - A P R I L 2 0 1 7 Ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association :
Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
16 MANAGEMENT/LEGAL
Its just a phone call: What the Funeral Rule requires The recent story
by NPR News Investigations on pricing disclosures by funeral homes
has once again turned a spotlight on what the FTC Funeral Rule requires
funeral homes to do in regard to disclosing prices over the phone.
Questions, you have questions. Here are some answers.
by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
20 EXHIBITOR PROFILES
The 2017 ICCFA Expo The ICCFA Expo offers hours of uninterrupted
time to talk to suppliers, ask questions and see products in person.
No educational sessions are scheduled during expo hours. Free food and
beverage service means you can grab lunch or enjoy appetizers before
heading out to enjoy Nashville.
(Not a complete list of exhibitors; a floor plan and an updated list can be
found at www.iccfa.com, and will be printed in the onsite guide.)
20 Buses: Ride free on the Music City circuit; Expo hours
28 Eat, drink, browse and get to know the suppliers
36 Book signings
44 Look for first-time exhibitors, PLPA members and KIP winners
52 Check out the ICCFA Plaza & the Educational Foundation booth
56 MEMORIALIZATION
Jan Scruggs career has been dedicated to remembrance,
memorialization & The Wall Jan Scruggs first meeting with Vietnam
veterans to drum up interest in his idea for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C., resulted in exactly one recruit to the cause. His first
fund-raising effort brought in heartfelt letters and $144.50. Yet in only
Cremation and Funeral Association. Subscription
March-April 2017 rates: In the United States, $39.95; in Canada,
VOLUME 77/NUMBER 3 $45.95; overseas: $75.95. One subscription is
included in annual membership dues. POST-
MASTER: Send address changes to ICCFA
Katherine Devins, communications & mem- Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator Magazine, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100,
ber services manager (habla espaol) Sterling, VA 20164-4468. Individual written
kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224 danielo@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1215 contributions, commentary and advertisements
appearing in ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily
Jason Brown, communications assistant reflect either the opinion or the endorsement
ICCFA Magazine (ISSN 1936-2099) is published
jason@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224 of the International Cemetery, Cremation and
by the International Cemetery, Cremation and
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director & Funeral Association, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite Funeral Association.
publisher 100, Sterling, VA 20164-4468; 703.391.8400;
robertfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext.
FAX 703.391.8416; www.iccfa.com. Published
1212 10 times per year, with combined issues in
Brenda Clough, office administrator March-April and August-September. Periodicals
& association liaison postage paid at Sterling, VA, and other offices.
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1214 Copyright 2017 by the International Cemetery,
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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a couple separated in death
120 Miramar National Cemeterys
Veterans Tribute Tower
& Carillon dedicated
122 Packers show about
die-hard fans spotlights what
Green Bay funeral home and
cemetery offer them
127 New Members
128 Classifieds
129 Calendar
130 Ad Index
ICCFA news
101 ICCFA everyday benefits
124 Thank you to our
2017 Annual convention sponsors
125 2016 Keeping It Personal
Awards results are in
126 Ideas shared,
memories made at WWS 2017
128 ICCFA staff profile:
Brown stays on top of digital
media communication
http://bit.ly/2du252P
Follow the ICCFA LinkedIn page to
read breaking news about collegues,
the profession and the association
www.iccfa.com
Find a member
Web Expo directory of suppliers and
professionals
Industry associations
Industry calendar
Cremation Central
www.iccfa.com/cremation
ICCFA Caf
Links to news and feature stories from
all over the world
Blogs by ICCFA members
Model guidelines
Model guidelines for state laws and
regulations
8 ICCFA Magazine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
three years Scruggs and his growing list of supporters managed to build
The Wall, the now iconic black granite memorial that continues to
draw millions of visitors each year.
interview by Susan Loving
58 Praise for impact of Scruggs, The Wall, on memorialization
74 MANAGEMENT/SERVICE TO FAMILIES
Watch your words: The importance of semantics in funeral service
The professional jargon and business terms that you might use when
talking to others on the funeral home staff can make a bad impression
on your families and members of the public. Consider rewording these
sentences you might say without thinking.
by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
76 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The keys to service: The sound of silence Everybodys talking at us, all
the time. Many people have forgotten the value of silence. Certainly it has a
place during funeral and cemetery arrangements. Then there are the times its
a problem. Interpreting and reacting to silence is a skill arrangers must learn.
by Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
80 HOSPICE
Developing a relationship that matters with hospice
A large percentage of the families you want to serve will receive hospice
services. It follows that having a good relationship with local hospice(s)
is good for business. You need to understand hospice and know how to
build bridges between your funeral home and this important service.
by Doug Wagemann, CCFE, CFSP
86 CREMATION
Please, get out of your own way Cremation is the common change
that everyone in the funeral and cemetery profession needs to address.
Approach it with positive thinking and help families embrace the
options it offers.
by Ann Marie St. George, CPC
88 CREMATION/TECHNOLOGY
How to build a successful online cremation business
There are good reasons for death-care businesses to offer online
cremation arrangements, but dont do it until youve carefully
thought it out. Doing it right so that it complements your bricks and
mortar business takes planning.
by Glenn H. Gould
92 CREMATION/L ANDSCAPING
The art of infill: Bringing beauty to unused spaces
Highland Memorial Park is offering cremation families new
custom-designed options by creatively making use of space unsuitable
for traditional casketed burial.
by Jim March
98 SALES/COMMUNITY OUTREACH
For long-term sales success, be involved in life as well as death
If you want people to turn to you for help with death, you should get
involved with their lives. Form relationships that arent based only on
death and create bonds that will help ensure the long-term surivival of
your cemetery.
by Ed Horn, CCE
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 9
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ICCFA calendar
go to www.iccfa.com for program,
registration & scholarship information
2017 Annual
Convention
& Exposition
April 5-8, Renais-
sance Nashville &
the Omni Nashville, Tennessee,
Conference Chairs: Mitch Rose, CCFE,
and Nctar L. Ramrez
2017 Cremation
Certification
May 24-25, CANA opera-
tor training May 24, ICCFA
arranger traning May 25;
Wilbert Funeral Services, Broadview,
Illinois
June 7-8, ICCFA arranger training
June 7, ICCFA operator training June
8; Gupton-Jones College of Funeral
Service, Decatur, Georgia
July 11-12, ICCFA arranger training
July 11, ICCFA operator traning July
12; Dallas Institute of Funeral Service,
Texas
July 18-19, ICCFA arranger training
July 18, CANA operator traning July
19; Cincinnanti College of Mortuary
Science, Ohio
ICCFA Cremation Programs Coordina-
tor Poul Lemasters, Esq.
2017 ICCFA
University
July 20-26 Fogelman
Conference Center, Memphis,
Tennessee
Chancellor: Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
2017 Fall Management
Conference
October 4-6 Indian Wells, California
2018 Wide World of Sales
Conference
January 10-12
New Orleans Marriott, Louisiana
2018 ICCFA University
July 19-25 Fogelman
Conference Center, Memphis,
Tennessee Chancellor:
Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
10 ICCFA Magazine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
100 PRENEED SALES SUCCESS
Creating growth with preneed sales: The elements of a top-
performing sales organization: 2. The fundamental elements of
an effective selling system Even operations with successful systems
in place for managing everything from accounting to lawn-mowing
sometimes throw up their hands when it comes to managing sales.
They believe that selling is somehow different, perhaps dependent
on attracting a team of natural salespeople who will work their magic.
But thats not true. Having a good sales system in place will produce
the results your organization wants.
by Gary OSullivan, CCFE, and David Shipper
104 MANAGEMENT/SALES
Cemetery Impossible: My salespeople say our prices are too high.
Should I listen to them and lower prices? If your salespeople think
your cemeterys prices are too high, does that mean you need to adjust
them? Not necessarily. Maybe you need to take a look at what youre
selling beyond interment rights and how youre selling it.
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
106 INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
A visit to a cemetery in Beijing Whats the first thing you want
to see when you go to China? Well, that depends on whether youre the
average tourist or someone from the funeral and cemetery profession.
by Paul Elvig
Subscribe to ICCFA Magazine
r One-year subscription (10 issues) for just $39.95*
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* These rates for U.S. subscriptions only. In Canada: $45.95 U.S. per year; out-
side U.S. and Canada: $75.95 U.S. per year.
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r Check enclosed (please make payable to ICCFA)
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Send form and payment to: Magazine subscription, ICCFA Magazine,
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164; or Fax 703.391.8416
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
A PICTURE IS WORTH
A THOUSAND MEMORIES
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Presidents Letter
by ICCFA
2016-2017
President Michael
Uselton, CCFE
muselton
@kays-ponger.com
Uselton is a manag- plan: increasing membership, increasing
ing partner of Gibraltar
Remembrance Services,
Palmetto, Florida.
To support Useltons goal
of raising $100,000 to help
fight lung cancer, todays
#1 killer of women, go to
www.iccfa.com/lungforce
n To apply for ICCFA
membership:
Download an application
at www.iccfa.com or
call 1.800.645.7700
f
Check us out on
Facebook!
Like us and is they want everyone to get better, not just
friend ICCFA themselves.
Staff.
12 ICCFA Magazine
Mission accomplished ...
... to be continued
P
roviding exceptional education,
networking and legislative guidance
and support to progressive cemetery,
funeral and cremation professionals worldwide.
The foregoing sentence is the ICCFAs mission
statement, which I have challenged myself to
meet during my term as association president.
I often think about whether our leadership and
I have been achieving our goals as we work to
uphold this statement.
There are three components to our strategic
attendance at events and creating and maintaining
infrastructure to fuel growth.
Breaking down the mission statement, I
can say that our educational events continue to
provide our profession with the most compre-
hensive education available in our profession.
The Government and Legal Affairs Committee
remains engaged in protecting your interests,
and most recently has engaged a Washington,
D.C., lobbying firm, Dykema, to help with this
important work. Our international presence
continues to grow and foster our expanding
membership base. So I would say, yes, we are
well on our way to accomplishing our goals.
I have been blessed during my tenure to meet
cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals
from around the world and have been amazed
by the progressive and thought-provoking
networking that helps all of us improve our
organizations and service to families. During my
travels, stretching from Washington to Florida to
Canada to Central America and points between,
I have witnessed members going to unbelievable
lengths to provide what todays consumers desire.
One thing you can say about ICCFA members
So, can we say, Mission accomplished? In
the words of Lee Corso, not so fast, my friend!
Never be comfortable; always press forward. Our
mission will continue, with the association in
great hands with incoming President Scott Sells
and our stellar vice-presidents and association
staff to fuel our growth.
Our 2017 Annual Convention and Expo Co-
Chairs Nctar Ramrez and Mitch Rose have
put together an impressive line-up of speakers
and events for Nashville. Its not too late to
secure your place to attend and participate in
what will be another excellent educational and
networking venue. Plan to stay for the closing
banquet featuring Grammy-nominated Country
music artist Jo Dee Messina! Special thanks to
Dignity Memorial for sponsoring Jo Dee. It will
be quite the event, topping off an exciting week
of presenters and exhibitors.
Continue to support Lung Force
As I have in the conclusion to all my previous
presidents letters, I wish to personally thank
everyone for your support toward my Lung Force
goal. Your donations have raised awareness
of this important cause, and I have heard from
numerous association members about family
experiences with battling lung cancer.
Help us by continuing your ongoing support
in defeating the #1 killer of women today. The
Uselton family thanks you.
It has been an honor to serve you as president.
The association has a strong leadership bench, so
you are in great hands for years to come. Thank
you.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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Washington Report
by ICCFA General Counsel
Robert M. Fells, Esq.
robertfells@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
direct line: 703.391.8401
Fells is ICCFA execu-
tive director and general
counsel, responsible for
maintaining and improving
relationships with fed-
eral and state government
agencies, the news media,
consumer organizations and related trade
associations.
MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC
ICCFA 2017 Convention & Expo,
April 5-8, Nashville, Tennessee.
Join Fells and additional experts for the
annual Legal & Legislative Session,
Stumped by Trump? The panel will
provide up-to-date information and answer
audience questions about regulation,
taxes, labor law and litigation.
www.iccfa.com
The ICCFA Government and
Legal Affairs Committee Capitol
Hill visits have been scheduled for May
16-18. If you would like to participate, or if
you know a member of either the House
or Senate and could be helpful in arrang-
ing a meeting with a member of Congress,
contact Bob Fells, robertfells@iccfa.com;
1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212; direct line:
703.391.8401.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
Why we vote. A series of
articles on the importance of
engagement in the democratic
process in the United States.
www.iccfa.com
Funeral Radio. ICCFA General Counsel
Robert Fells, Esq., talks about legal and
legislative issues affecting funeral, cem-
etery and cremation businesses at
www.funeralradio.com
MORE RESOURCES
Wireless. ICCFA members, send us
your email address and well send you
our bi-weekly electronic newsletter full of
breaking news.
14 ICCFA Magazine
Rep. Rush to reintroduce federal
legislation to regulate profession
I
n early February, National Public
Radio (NPR) aired a two-part story
on the availability of funeral home
pricing and questioned the ease with which
consumers can obtain this information. The
story, Despite Decades-Old Law, Funeral
Prices Are Still Unclear, can be accessed
at www.npr.org/2017/02/08/504031472/
despite-decades-old-law-funeral-prices-
are-still-unclear.
The NPR story highlighted incidents
where consumers, facing the imminent
death of a family member, sought to
obtain funeral home price information
quickly. The story related only the
frustration of these individuals while
giving no indication of how often such
information is readily obtained. There was
an acknowledgement that most funeral
homes, i.e., 75 percent, provide price
information, including the posting of this
data online.
However, the concerns discussed all
had one element in common: there was no
preplanning or prearrangement involved.
This suggestion was made in a sidebar but
was not part of the main story.
NPR provided data from the Federal
Trade Commission indicating the number
of funeral homes charged with violating
the price disclosure requirements of
the Funeral Rule in a state-by-state
breakdown, including the District of
Columbia. Twenty-nine states had
zero violators, while the remaining 22,
including D.C., had violations in the single
digits. Only two states, Ohio and Texas,
had double-digit violators, totalling 11 and
32, respectively.
Last year, the Funeral Consumer
Alliance surveyed funeral homes in seven
metropolitan areas to determine how many
would provide prices by email or regular
mail, neither of which is required by the
Funeral Rule. According to the study,
some funeral homes refused, though most
complied with such requests. A number
of the metropolitan areas had 100 percent
compliance among the mortuaries checked
by the FCA.
In reaction to the NPR story, Rep.
Bobby Rush (D-IL) tweeted that he
intended to reintroduce his legislation, The
The ICCFA has consistently
opposed this bill due to the fact
that it is silent on the penalties
incurred for violations of its
provisions, some of which are
closer to infractions than major
wrongdoing.
Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act,
into the new Congress. ICCFA members
may recall that Congressman Rush has
introduced his bill in every Congress since
2009.
The catalyst for the proposed legislation
was a series of unlawful practices at
Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois,
where employees illegally disinterred
graves to resell the spaces and pocketed
the proceeds. The individuals were
arrested and later sentenced to lengthy
prison terms. Despite the singular nature
of this incidenteven industry critics
acknowledged that such misconduct was
highly unusualRush insisted that federal
legislation was necessary.
The most recent version of the Rush bill
was introduced last year as H.R. 5212. The
proposal expired when the 114th Congress
adjourned sine die at the end of the year.
The ICCFA has consistently opposed
this bill due to the fact that it is silent on
the penalties incurred for violations of
its provisions, some of which are closer
to infractions than major wrongdoing. In
fact, since the bill sought to create a new
FTC trade regulation, the penalties would
be statutorily imposed at $40,000 per
violation.
At this writing, Rush had not yet rein-
troduced his bill, but is expected to do so.
The ICCFA Government and
Legal Affairs will be reporting on all
developments at the ICCFA Annual
Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, at its
session on April 7.
In May, committee members will be
making their annual Capitol Hill visits
to discuss issues of importance to our
members with key leaders of the House
and Senate, as well as with FTC staff. r
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Which of the 3
funeral business
building blocks
can you do
without?
NONE... You cant build your business
without ALL of the pieces, I know, Ive tried. As a
funeral home owner I understand firsthand the value of
what Johnson Consulting Group can bring to a funeral
home. Without their accounting, management services
and customer satisfaction surveys our organization
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industry knowledge & experience helped me maximize
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satisfaction.
While JCG is legendary for their merger and acquisition
expertise, they are equally experienced in the core
building blocks every funeral home needs. Im using
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Mergers & Acquisitions Valuations Accounting Management Services Financing Customer Surveys

2017 MKJ Marketing

by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
513.407.8114
poul@lemastersconsulting.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
Lemasters is principal of Lemasters
Consulting, Cincinnati, Ohio.
www.lemastersconsulting.com
He is the ICCFAs cremation program
coordinator and special cremation counsel.
He is an attorney and funeral director,
graduated from the Cincinnati College of
Mortuary Science in 1996 and from North-
ern Kentucky University, Chase College of
Law, in 2003. He is licensed as a funeral
director and embalmer in Ohio and West
Virginia and admitted to practice law in
Ohio and Kentucky.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
ICCFA 2017 Convention & Expo,
April 5-8, Nashville, Tennessee.
Learn more from Lemasters at these
sessions:
Crisis communication management:
What to do when your brand or profession
becomes headline news
iCremation: A legal look at the online
world of cremation
Anatomy of a first call a phone call. (OK, this article may include
ICCFA membership benefit
Lemasters is the ICCFAs cremation
program coordinator and special
cremation legal counsel. ICCFA mem-
bers in good standing may call him to
discuss cremation-related legal issues
for up to 20 minutes at no charge to the
member. The association pays for this
service via an exclusive retainer.
Lemasters also provides, to ICCFA mem-
bers in good standing, free GPL reviews to
check for Funeral Rule compliance.
Go to www.iccfa.com to the Crema-
tion Support section, where you can post a
question for Lemasters to answer.
16 ICCFA Magazine
MANAGEMENT/LEGAL
The recent story by NPR News Investigations
on pricing disclosures by funeral homes has once again
turned a spotlight on what the FTC Funeral Rule requires
funeral homes to do in regard to disclosing prices over the phone.
Questions, you have questions.
Here are some answers.
Its just a phone call: What
the Funeral Rule requires
R
ecently there was a two-part story
done by NPR News Investigations
regarding funeral homes, pricing
disclosures, regulations and the over-
all greed and evilness of the death-care
profession: Part 1: You Could Pay Thou-
sands Less For A Funeral Just By Crossing
The Street, NPR News Investigations,
February 7, 2017, NPR.com; and Part
2: Despite Decades-Old Law, Funeral
Prices Are Still Unclear, NPR News
Investigations, February 8, 2017, NPR.
com.
The stories paint the picture of a death-
care profession focusing more on money
than families and more about hiding costs
than being transparent. This article is not a
personal view on whether the NPR stories
are correct, but rather an objective look
at exactly what the FTC Funeral Rule
requires providers to do when they receive
a few comments along the way, but mostly,
its objective.)
In part 2 of the NPR expos, the article
explains that, An NPR investigation
found the rule [FTC Funeral Rule] goes
only so far in protecting consumers, and
that its promise of transparency often goes
unfulfilled.
In the investigation, a consumer, who
happened to be an attorney specializing
in consumer issues, said, It took me,
as a longtime lawyer and professional
consumer advocate, literally an eight-hour
day just to get a solid list of what funeral
services were offered by nearby funeral
establishments and how much they cost.
Eight hours.
So, what does the Funeral Rule require
in answer to this common request from a
consumer: How much does a funeral cost?
The FTC Funeral Rule, enacted in 1984,
states that a funeral provider must provide
clear pricing information when asked over
the telephone. (This article is focused on
telephone disclosures and not the rules
requirements for handing out a GPL in
personwe can tackle that in the next
article.) The requirements for telephone
requests are quite simple. In fact, the FTC
states in its compliance guide:
You must give consumers who
telephone your place of business and
ask about your prices or offerings
accurate information from your
General Price List, Casket Price List
and Outer Burial Container Price
List. You also must answer any other
questions about your offerings and
prices with any readily available
information that reasonably answers
the question.
The basic principle is simple: Provide
your prices to consumers when they call.
However, delivery of this information can
become an issue, and what we typically
see are funeral professionals becoming
more concerned with potential issues
rather than on how to implement the rules
requirement.
Can we ask callers questions before
disclosing prices?
As an example, many providers become
concerned about what they can ask or
explain before giving prices. In other
words, the extreme side of this for funeral
providers is that when someone calls, you
must go directly to price without asking
any questions first.
to page 18
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The Funeral Rule says nothing about the internet.
So, based on discussions with the FTC, you do not have to provide pricing information on your
website, even if you list services and merchandise online. But be assured, this will change.
from page 16
This is not true, and it is important for
funeral providers to know they can ask
some basic questions so they can better
understand what the consumer is asking
and therefore provide better answers.
If the consumer calling doesnt want
to share some basic information, just
remember, the FTC states:
Note: You cannot require callers to
give their names, addresses or phone
numbers before you give them the
requested information. You can ask
callers to identify themselves, but you
still must answer their questions even
if they refuse to do so. You cannot
require consumers to come to the
funeral home in person to get price
information.
But again, this doesnt restrict you from
asking some basic introductory questions
to better gauge the request.
Can we limit who discloses prices
on the phone?
Another common issue/concern among
funeral providers is who must give out the
pricing information on the phone. The rule
states:
You may have an employee answering
your phones who can respond to
easier questions regarding your
offerings and prices by referring to the
printed price lists, but who refers more
difficult questions to you. If you are
unavailable when the call comes in,
the employee can take a message so
that you can return the call later. If you
are in the middle of one arrangements
conference when another family calls
about your offerings, you can take a
message and return the call at a later
time.
The best practice is to train all your
employees to handle pricing questions.
Not only does this help you comply more
easily with the Funeral Rule, its also just
better business practice.
Imagine if you called a local store
for a price on a TV and the person who
answered the phone said no one could
18 ICCFA Magazine
MANAGEMENT/LEGAL
provide that information right now and you
would have to leave a name and number so
someone could call you back. Would you
leave your name and number or simply say
to yourself, I cant believe someone cant
just give me a price, and then go on to the
next store?
Pricing should not be a hidden item,
and should be understood by your entire
staff. However, you can funnel all pricing
questions to a licensed funeral director, but
if you do this, make sure your practice is
consistent.
Do we have to disclose prices over
the phone 24/7?
The last common question about telephone
price disclosure from funeral providers
is what is required when people call after
business hours. Do we have to arrange
a way to give prices out anytime, day
or night? Again, the FTC has offered an
opinion on this:
You do not have to give price and
other information after business hours
if it is not your normal practice to do
so. You can tell consumers who call
during non-business hours that you
will provide the information during
regular business hours. However,
if a consumer calls after hours to
inquire about an at-need situation,
and it is your practice to make funeral
arrangements during non-business
hours, you should provide price
or other information the consumer
requests.
Again, the FTCs advice is to get price
information to the consumer as soon as
possible, if not immediately.
One common question funeral homes
have concerns answering services. Is an
answering service required to give out
your prices? As stated above, you can
choose to handle this in one of two ways.
One way is to educate your service
to provide some basic price information.
The other way is to have your service ask
for a call-back name and number so that
a licensed funeral director can contact the
caller right away or as soon as your normal
practice dictates.
Keep in mind that these days,
consumers expect immediate information,
so making the consumer leave a number
or asking them to call back may satisfy the
Funeral Rule but not a potential customer.
What about posting prices online?
The internet has added a complication
to the issue. Checking a website is not
making a phone call, but according to
the NPR investigation, the internet is the
place most consumers look for any pricing
information.
Does that mean you are required to post
your prices online?
This is a new area for the FTC Funeral
Rule, meaning that it has not been
addressedyet. Keep in mind that the
Funeral Rule was enacted in 1984 and
Al Gore didnt invent the internet until
1990. (OK, ignore the comical reference to
Gore, but do know that the internet wasnt
mainstream until 1999.)
While some states have started dictating
what must be included on your website
(see California Business and Professions
Code Section 7685), the FTC has not done
soyet.
The letter of the Funeral Rule states that
the pricing disclosure requirement goes
into effect either over the phone (you must
provide pricing information to callers who
request it) or in person (you must hand
over a GPL when a consumer asks about
services or merchandise). The Funeral
Rule says nothing about the internet.
So, based on discussions with the
FTC, you do not have to provide pricing
information on your website, even if you
list services and merchandise online. But
be assured, this will change.
So what is the bottom line? Its simple:
Be nice and give out your prices. If you
dont want to be nice, at least be smart and
give out your prices.
And if you dont want to be smart or
nice, there is a last option: Disconnect your
phone and pull the plug on your website.
Let people find you by the sign in front
of your business. Keep in mind the sign
wont say the name of your funeral home,
it will say, For Sale. r
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 EXHIBITOR PROFILES

The ICCFA Expo offers hours of uninterrupted time

to talk to suppliers, ask questions and see products
in person. No educational sessions are scheduled
during expo hours. Free food and beverage service
means you can grab lunch or enjoy appetizers
before heading out to enjoy Nashville.
ridE FrEE on tHE Music city circuit

The 2017 ICCFA Expo

the nashville MtA provides free bus
service on two loops in the downtown area. The
Green Circuit stops at the Music City Center
Convention Center where the ICCFA Expo, key-
notes and breakout sessions will be held. The
buses run from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays 100 Black Women Academy of
and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends. of Funeral Service Professional
You can check maps, stops and schedules at (#425) Funeral Service
www.nashvillemta.org. 100 Black Women Practice (#330)
of Funeral The academy offers
Service Inc. is the a voluntary certifi-

Expo hours nation's premier

organization for
cation program for
funeral directors who
women working are interested in earning the professional
Wednesday, April 5
in the funeral industry, PO Box 916404, designation of Certified Funeral Service
4-7 p.m. Longwood, FL 32791(East Coast); PO Practitioner (CFSP), the highest profes-
Grand Opening Reception Box 411, Compton, CA 90223 (West sional designation awarded in the funeral
(open bar and heavy hors Coast). Phone, 407.595.9277; email, profession. Information is available at
Hundredbwfs@aol.com; apfsp.org
doeurvres) www.100blackwomenoffuneralservice.com.
Contact Elleanor D. Starks, CFSP, executive
Thursday, April 6
director; MaryLouise Winston, president.
noon-5 p.m.
A Simple
Lunch at the Expo & Thank You AFP Horizon (#1509)
IMSA happy hour (#1226) We are an innovative preneed funeral
A Simple marketing service celebrating our 20th
Friday, April 7 Thank You is anniversary. We are a group of funeral and
11 a.m.-2 p.m. the leading insurance experts with over a century of
provider experience serving the funeral profession.
Lunch at the Expo
in digital registry and preneed leads. Our Let us help you grow your market share
latest app, ASTY 2.0, is revolutionizing and client base using tools such as free
the funeral industry with cutting-edge website, direct mail services, community
Editors notE:
capabilities which will grow your revenue presentations, much more. Visit us at
For an up-to-date and simplify your business. Ask us how www.afphorizon.com.
list of exhibitors you can get started with a free iPad today.
and booth numbers, Contact us at 1.800.483.0671 or
or to see the Expo
www.asimplethankyou.com
Hall floor plan, go to
www.iccfa.com and Abbey Aftercare.com (#1239)
select Events/Annual Press Aftercare.com helps your funeral home
Convention & Expo/ Publica- stay in touch with families during the first
Annual Floor Plan. tions year following their loss. Our Aftercare
Profile information is provided by the (#501) Card Program is an automated program
exhibitors; ICCFA Magazine and the ICCFA Allow Abbey Press to help you provide that sends four cards plus a survey to your
are not responsible for content. Inclusion in this care and support to the families you serve. families. Cards include sympathy, birthday
section is provided free to all exhibitors meeting Our full-service AfterWords program sends of loved one, holiday and first anniversary.
submission deadlines and requirements. CareNotes and sympathy card mailings This lets you focus on serving at-need
An Expo Hall booth number is listed personalized from your firm to those families and running the funeral home.
after the company name. The booth numbers you serve marking healing milestones
also will be found on the Expo Hall maps in throughout the first year of loss. We
the convention onsite program that will be personalize and deliver the mailings, but
distributed in Nashville.
e.
the sympathy and support come from you.

20 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Algordanza
Memorial
Diamonds
(#335)
Creating
Memorial Diamonds since 2004 inside
our own lab in Domat/EMS, Switzerland.
Precision, respect and discretion are the
pillars of our success. Guaranteed and
certified: weight, cut, color, authenticity
and origin of diamond creation solely from
the provided cremains. Our diamonds
are as unique as you are. Take a beautiful
Algordanza Memorial Diamond display
home with you today. www.algordanza.com
American
Cemetery
Supplies
(#1235)
American
Cemetery
Supplies manufactures quality cemetery,
vault and funeral home supplies from the
smallest crank to tribute carriers at our
Portsmouth, Virginia, plant. Specializing
in tents, we are well known for quality.
We distribute all major death-care industry
lines such as Ferno, Frigid and Mipro PA
systems. Please visit our booth or call, for
all your needs, 1.800.515.0400.
American Funeral Supply (#524)
A division of American Hotel Register Co.,
American Funeral Supply Co. leverages our
parent companys buying power to offer
competitively priced products and everyday
supplies for your business. Our in-house
engraving shop specializes in overnight
delivery of custom-engraved urns. Shop our
wide selection of urns and all 50,000 items
we sell at americanfuneralsupply.com, or
contact us at 1.800.671.9366.
American
Landmaster
(#302)
Since 1959,
American
LandMaster has
built more than a
million American-
made vehicles. Around here, tough isnt a
virtue. Its a way of life. ALM designs, builds
and tests its UTVs to be tough. American-
built for more than 50 years, ready to take
on anything, anywhere, right there with you
until the jobs done. American LandMaster:
Born tough. www.americanlandmaster.com,
260.432.1596, x617
ASD
Answering
Service for
Directors (#1111)
ASD has been
helping funeral homes manage their
telephone communications since 1972. The
companys custom-built communication
systems and sophisticated mobile tools
were designed solely to meet the needs
of funeral homes. By offering funeral
directors unmatched protection for their
calls, ASD has redefined the role of an
answering service for funeral homes. For
more information, visit www.myASD.com
or call 1.800.868.9950.
Axiom (#914)
Weve been bringing clarity, simplicity and
insight to cemetery operations for 20 years
with state-of-the art technology and solu-
tions. Axiom has all the tools to optimize
your operations, assisting you to make
informed decisions about your cemeterys
strategic directions and future business
planning. Axiom is your partner of choice
when it comes to effective and high-
performing cemetery management.

American Crematory Equipment AngelAire (#2014)

(#1709)
American Crematory thanks you for your
continued business and support over the last
40+ years. We manufacture both human and
pet cremation chambers, service and repair
all cremator makes and models and have
service centers throughout the U.S. so we
can better serve you, our valued customers.
Let American Crematory show you what
Service is Everything is all about.
American Funeral
& Cemetery Trust
Services (#935)
Established in
1993, AFCTS is a
nationwide preneed,
endowment care
master trust and third-party administration
provider. We help individual funeral homes,
cremation providers, cemeteries and
state associations maintain focus on their
clientele and communities by providing
the most comprehensive, efficient and
compliant services available. To schedule
an appointment, please contact Krista
Kaysner at kkaysner@afcts.com.
Introducing the AngelAire Release Urn. Axis (#1010)
AngelAires patented release urn allows Axis Corporation builds equipment for
you to create an elegant ceremony around cemeteries: vault and monument handlers
scattering. Our automated unit releases (including crane models, and our new
cremains into an elegant cloud, taking PathTrack II, which features a boom that
approximately 2 minutes, leaving behind swings right to left making it easier to
no carbon footprint. With cremation on set monuments or vaults); the Axis self-
the rise, AngelAire can help you stay propelled dump trailer; and the truckhoe,
competitive and capitalize on industry a towable backhoe. All Axis equipment is
trends, adding value and profit to your one-man operated, self-propelled, towable
business. www.angelaire.com and wont track up grass.
B-Ecologic Ltd. (#526)
Ashes to ashes, dust to
dust B-ecologic is
a pioneer in developing
ecological products
Armbruster Stageway (#1639) that meet durability
At Armbruster Stageway, we proudly build standards and also
the most elegant funeral cars in the industry decompose in the earth.
today. With our line of classically designed Landstone, our flagship line of burial
funeral coaches and our best-in-class products, provides cremation urns made
limousines, our goal is to introduce you to from pure earth from unique places in the
a new standard of excellence. With world- Holy Land: Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley
class customer service and our direct buying and Galilee. Become a part of the Holy
process, let Armbruster Stageway show you Land forever.
how buying a funeral car should be.

22 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Have you ever wondered about the concept of chasing a Carrot on a Stick? Is it futility or
focus? We think it is a metaphor to say never lose sight of your goals.
What would motivate you to improve your preneed program? Is it higher commissions or growth?
Is it training, staffing or marketing? Is it the most unique preneed insurance product in the industry,
the one that fully meets the needs of the insured and the funeral home? Whatever your motivation
or lack thereof, Great Western can help you craft a workable plan with reachable goals.
Helping you plan and manage a preneed program is just one of the benefits provided by
Great Western Insurance Company.

Lets discover your motivation and put it into action.

866.689.1415 www.gwic.com
 EXHIBITOR PROFILES
B&L Cremation
Systems (#800)
B&L Cremation
Systems Inc. is a
world leader in
the manufacturing Blackstone Cemetery Development
of human and (#1411)
animal cremation Blackstone Cemetery Development is
equipment. Our a full-service cemetery development
commitment to research and development company specializing in every scope of
is unsurpassed. We are an American- cremation garden master planning. From
based crematory company, and all of our planning and installing your garden to
products and accessories are made in the helping you market it and digitally map it,
USA in our manufacturing plant in Largo, we are your go-to cremation garden devel-
Florida. We set the standard which others opment company. For more information,
attempt to follow. call 423.439.9181.
Batesville
Casket
(#1301)
For more than
100 years, Body Scoop by B-Mobile (#1908)
Batesville has been dedicated to helping Best purchase I ever made. If I started
families honor the lives of those they love. over, I would install my embalming table
Our history of manufacturing excellence, with the Body Scoop above and design the
product innovation, superior customer prep room around them. It takes only one
service and reliable delivery helped us person to effortlessly handle each lift with
becomeand remaina market leader. the Body Scoop and its 1,000# lift motor
Batesville offers the most comprehensive with room-covering system. Its reliable,
portfolio of quality burial and cremation medical-grade equipment.
products, memorial tributes, innovative www.bodyscoop.net;
technologies and profit-enhancing business bodyscoop.bmobile@gmail.com
solutions.
Bgin Bronze
Urns (#1627)
Bgin Urns is,
for more than 25
years, a leader Body Sealer (#519)
and a pioneer in Manufactured in the U.S.A. Hermetically
the design and sealed 40 inch wide, biohazard level
production of high quality urns. We offer 4 biocontainment pouch. Its a fluid
exclusive urns and jewelry, along with and vapor barrier that is 7.9ML thick.
an outstanding service. Dare to compare, BodySealer is X-rayable, able to
come visit us at booth #1627. cremate, can be shipped domestic or
www.urnsbegin.com international. Used to ship a casket or
human/pet remains. Coroners, mortuaries,
Biondan North America
medical examiners, disaster preparedness
(#719)
organizations use it for containment of
We produce thoughtful
evidence; its resealable.
solutions to support your
customers' needs, with
original designs and
quality manufacturing.
Biondanfamily-owned C&J Financial (#1108)
and -operated since 1956. C&J Financial is the leader in insurance
assignment funding. C&Js Fast Funding
Group works with thousands of funeral
homes and cemeteries across the United
States processing in excess of 40,000
claims and funding around $300 million
annually. Find out why so many firms trust
C&J for their assignment funding needs.
For more information visit www.CJF.com
or call 1.800.785.0003.
24 ICCFA Magazine
Carrier Mausole-
ums Construction
(#1633)
Offering the best
in mausoleums,
niche buildings,
glass-front niches,
columbaria, cremation equipment and
bronze accessories, we also build a legacy
of quality, craftsmanship and reliability.
No matter the size of your project, well
handle it efficiently, elegantly and cost-
effectively. For more information, please
visit us at booth #1633; 1.800.663.7954;
info@cmc-carrier.com; cmc-carrier.com.
Catholic Extension (#606)
Catholic Extensions mission is to build
faith, inspire hope and ignite change in
parishes alive with faith and spirit but
lacking financial resources to support their
ministries and programs. One of the many
ways we provide assistance is by giving
100 percent of the profit earned from the
sale of our Catholic calendars to the more
than 90 mission dioceses.
Cemetery Funeral
Supply (#1828)
Cemetery Funeral
Supply is a manufac-
turer and distributor
of products for the
death-care industry.
We continue to be
a leader in the tent, funeral home, burial
vault and cemetery equipment market.
The quality of our merchandise is superior
to any and our prices are competitive.
Our guarantee is complete customer
satisfaction.
Cemetery360 (#1229)
Cemetery360 offers the ultimate sales
platform through immersive technology.
Our 360-player allows you to showcase
your business virtually anywhere. Our
fully integrated cemetery listing service
offers you the ability to manage available
location listings with your team in
real-time. Visit us at CemLS.com and
cemetery360.com for further information.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 MKJs Digital 360 is unlike anything else in the
industry. MKJ has designed websites for our
funeral homes, cremation society, cemetery,
and foundation. They manage Facebook and
Yelp content and advertising for each brand.
Our blogs let families learn more on their
schedule. And search marketing and PPC
generated leads the first week we started.

KEN VARNER, Past President, ICCFA

Cypress Lawn | Colma, CA

DIGITAL MARKETING SOLUTIONS

FOR CEMETERIES AND FUNERAL HOMES

Dont wonder if digital marketing is worth the cost

we show you the leads and traffic in regular reporting.
You can even listen to the phone calls.

We offer made-for-you solutions:

Organic and Paid Search Email
Social Media Remarketing
Online Video Websites
CASE STUDY: Blogging
For one client, we saw
7 new at-need and
pre-need calls within WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
the first month of starting Announcing our new midwest
search marketing office in Nashville, home of the
2017 ICCFA Convention.

VISIT US IN BOOTH 1201 OR CALL TO SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-ONE AT ICCFA

WWW.MKJMARKETING.COM | 888.655.1566

CemSites
(#809)
We are
the most
experienced cloud software company in
the industry. CemSites cemetery record
management software offers robust
modules like our sales CRM. Its fully
integrated and allows for complete
oversight of your sales team. It will
help you cultivate leads into customers.
Schedule a demonstration today to see how
our sales module can boost your revenue.
1.877.783.9626; www.cemsites.com
Cherokee
Child
Caskets
(#1809)
Cherokee
Child
Casket Co. has provided the funeral
industry with high quality handcrafted
child caskets for over 75 years. Now
offering a larger selection of personalized
urns, Cherokee combos, memorial books
and additional ways to personalize caskets.
Our specialized line of products gives
funeral directors the opportunity to offer
families unique ways to memorialize their
precious child. 1.800.535.8667;
www.cherokeechildcaskets.com
Church
& Chapel
Metal Arts
Inc. (#1015)
Church &
Chapel Metal Arts, serving the funeral
industry since 1933. We offer a complete
line of supplies to the funeral indus-
try, including torchiere lamps, lecterns,
kneelers, cremation urns and many other
products necessary to the delivery of
funeral service. 2616 W. Grand Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60612; 773.489.3700; Fax:
773.489.3434; toll free:1.800.992.1234;
Fax: 1.800.626.3299.Visit our website:
www.church-chapel.com;
e-mail: info@church-chapel.com.
Cincinnati College
of Mortuary Science
(#428)
Cincinnati College
of Mortuary Science,
leader in the education
of funeral service
professionals; 645 W North Bend Road,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45040. 513.761.2020;
President Jack Lechner Jr.
26 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Clark Grave
Vault (#518)
Founded in
1898, family-
owned and -operated Clark Grave Vault
manufactures metal burial vaults using
steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, premium
grade stainless steel and copper. All Clark
vaults are manufactured using the very latest
technology, including robotic welding and
powder coated finishes. Clark also has a
complete line of cremation urns and metal
urn vaults for those customers selecting
cremation.
ClayPaws (#904)
Personal mementos,
called linking objects,
help grieving families
remain deeply
connected with
loved ones who have
died. Enhance your
businesss reputation by using our one-of-a
kind memory-making tool in your funeral
home or crematory. Capture the love forever
in clay for grieving families with ClayPaws
Kits for pets (www.veterinarywisdom.com)
and ClayLinks Kits for people
(www.caringwisdom.com).
ClearPoint Federal Bank & Trust
(#1001)
ClearPoint Federal Bank & Trust is
independently owned and operated, managed
by industry experts dedicated exclusively
to funeral and cemetery trust business.
Customized in-house services provide
the convenience and simplicity of serving
as trustee, investment management and
recordkeeping. Managing trusted assets since
1998, ClearPoint proudly serves customers
in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
1.800.763.0234; www.clearpointfederal.com
Coldspring (#2019)
From all types of natural stone and bronze
to industrial and diamond tooling products,
Coldspring has been serving the memorial,
architectural, residential and industrial
markets since 1898. With headquarters
and primary manufacturing operations in
Cold Spring, Minnesota, including a bronze
foundry, the company has multiple facilities
and quarries across the country. Visit www.
coldspringusa.com or call 1.800.328.5040 for
more information.
Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs
(#1600)
Top quality wholesale flower bulbs for
fall planting, like tulips, daffodils and
hyacinths. The bulbs come directly from
Holland. No gimmicky pricing. No
scrappy-sized bulbs. Suppler to the trade
for more than 50 years. Colorblends tests
all combinations and will back you up with
a knowledgeable customer service team.
colorblends.com; 1.888.847.8637
Columbian
Financial
Group (#502)
Columbians
preneed pro-
gram was built
around the
expertise of our valued funeral service
associates. We know that simplicity and
service are two of the most important
features of a successful programthat is
what we provide. Our priority is turning
your business around quickly and easily so
that you can focus on your most important
priorityyour clients.www.cfglife.com
Contemporary Concepts Inc. (#504)
Contemporary Concepts provides a
turnkey aftercare program for funeral
homes and cemeteries. The program offers
you three different hardbound memorial
volumes from which you can choose.
These volumes are designed to provide
your families with comfort and consolation
and remains in their home as a lasting
keepsake. See for yourself the content
and quality of our volumes at www.
contemporaryconceptsdirect.com.
Continental Computer (#1535)
Recognized as the industry leader, Con-
tinental Computer provides superior
products and service to the death care
industry. The Directors Assistant is glob-
ally recognized as the premier funeral
home management software package. This
recognition has enabled Continental Com-
puter to establish TDAW as a recognized
brand among death-care professionals.
www.continentalcomputers.com
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 We help heal
a community
one service
at a time.
It means so much to know the community would trust
us in their time of need. They cant do that unless theres a
relationship. Our number one responsibility is to educate
people about why funeral service is so important. People
need to say goodbye. What Batesville does is assist us
in making sure families really have the opportunity to
say goodbye meaningfully and start that healing process.
They have products that support anything we decide
to do. To Batesville, its more than just selling a casket.
Its a mutually rewarding partnership. Theyre standing
behind you, steadying you and moving you forward
helping you do the same for your community.

Mat Forastiere
The Signature Group
Kansas City, Kansas

We pride ourselves on providing funeral directors with an inspiring mix of personalization products
and helping them serve, educate and support their communities. But what inspires us are stories of
compassionate customers like Mat, who believe in creating real healing moments for grieving families.
His passion for truly capturing an individuals impact on life drives us every day.

We listen. We learn. We walk with you.

Hear the rest of the story from Mat Forastiere, learn about Batesvilles personalization
offerings and download personalization tools at Batesville.com/InspiringStories.
2017 Batesville Services, Inc.
Eat, drink, browse and
get to know the suppliers
The ICCFA Expo Hall features free continuous
food and beverage service so that attendees
can spend more time in the hall, learning
about all the products and services available.
Many exhibitors offer seating so that cemete-
rians and funeral directors can relax and get
to know them in a comfortable setting.
Cooperative
Funeral Fund
(#1832)
Cooperative
Funeral Fund
(CFF) is a preneed
and cemetery care
fund management
company since 1989. Specifically
for the death care industry with over
1000 clients and 500 million in assets.
CFF manages investment, accounting,
compliance and payout. No startup costs
or account minimums, free personalized
agreement forms. Account information
available online, claims are simple
and payout is quick. 1.800.336.1102;
CooperativeFuneralFund.com
Cremation
Association of
North America
(#505)
When you register
for CANA certification program, convention,
online class or join as a member, you become
a participant in a community of cremation
experts. Visit our booth and learn more about
how CANA has promoted cremation best
practices and expertise since 1913. For more
information call 312.245.1077 or visit
www.cremationassociation.org.
28 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Crescent
Memorial
(#705)
Crescent
Memorial
is dedicated to high quality products at
great prices, offering the best customer
service available to you, the professional
death-care provider. To maintain that
high quality and to keep costs low, we
manufacture many of our products in
Tupelo, Mississippi. We offer the best
memorial line value in the industry.
1.888.856.4516; www.crescentmem.com
Crowne
Urn Vault
(#605)
Crowne
Vault
offers
attractive,
sturdy,
value-priced urn vaults. Constructed of a
high-impact ABS plastic, these vaults pro-
vide protection while ensuring integrity of
the cemetery ground. The single vault has
a low profile and works well for second
right of interment. Double vault accom-
modates two urns or most over-sized urns.
Easy to personalize.
DCI Donor Services (#1240)
DCIDS (Tennessee, Sierra and New
Mexico Donor Services): Professionals
committed to connecting lives through
donation and transplantation, mobilizing
the power of people and the potential of
technology, extending the reach of each
donors gift. We measure our performance
by the impact we have on peoples
lives, the donors and families making
transplantation possible and the patients
transformed by their gifts.
Dementia
Society of
America
(#324)
Dementia
Society of America is your leading
all-volunteer, all-dementias nonprofit
organization in the United States. Our
mission is to enhance the quality of life for
those living with dementia, their caregivers
and the community at large through
education, life enrichment programs and
recognition of superlative dementia care
and innovation. www.dementiasociety.org;
1.844.DEMENTIA
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 OUR
Since 1999

PRODUCTS
DONT
S
LAST.
The Natural Choice for Scattering Tubes
New Designs!
New Sizes!
Same Great Quality!
And Lower Prices
Starting at Only
$17 ea ((888)
88 480-6400
www.PassagesInternational.com

Design Mart (#1000)
Since 1968, Design Mart has provided
monument sales materials to the funeral
industry. In the 90s we became the indus-
try leader in CAD software for monument
sales and production. Were continu-
ing that commitment with our all new
online monument designer and catalog,
allowing monuments to go straight from
sales to productionat the monument
manufacturer(s) of your choice.
Directors
Choice
Assignment
Services
(#513)
Directors
Choice Assignment Services (DCAS)
makes life insurance assignments fast
and easy for both funeral homes and the
families they serve. Funds are advanced
within 24-48 hours of verification of bene-
fits, dramatically improving cash flow.
DCAS offers digital assignment submis-
sion, an online library of claim forms and
one of the lowest fees in the industry.
www.DirectorsChoiceServices.com
Disrupt
Media
(#905)
Get ready for
1,000 volts
of wake up!
DISRUPT
Media is the go-to social media content
agency that focuses on storytelling for
funeral companies. Our sole purpose is
to make your social media marketing
measurable and effective. We are your
solution.
Doric
Products
(#813)
Doric
Products Inc.
has been a
leader in the
vault industry
since 1955. Doric is committed to quality
products and services. Products include
concrete burial vaults, metal air seal vaults
from classic metal vaults,and a full line
of cremation products. Call 1.888.55.
DORIC or visit us at www.doric-vaults.
com to discover which of our 130 dealers
is closest to you.
30 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Eagle Granite (#413)
Eagle owns and operates
several granite quar-
ries and manufactures
memorials in 16 beauti-
ful granite colors. In
addition, Eagle houses a
large inventory of popu-
lar import designs for
faster delivery on many
standard monuments. Large mausoleum
and columbarium designs are also hand-
crafted in our state-of-the-art manufactur-
ing facility. Call 1.888.357.8452 or visit
our website at www.eaglegranite.com
Eckels
(#1209)
Eckels
is a fully
diversified
funeral service supply company dedicated
to providing quality products and
outstanding service to funeral, cemetery
and cremation professionals across
North America. Founded in 1895, Eckels
specializes in embalming chemicals,
clinical care products for funeral home care
suites and also provides a wide range of
cemetery and crematorium products.
Eco
Cremation
Solutions
(#2020)
Manufacturer
and provider
of bronze
memorials, cremation products, cremation
garden design and construction and the
innovative Omneo Cremation Solution. We
are your one call. Come by our booth and
let us demonstrate how even in a changing
industry, we can help you increase your
bottom-line.
EDA Land
Planning
(#807)
Better
Design for a
Better Bottom
Line. Design
is the backbone of a beautiful cemetery
and helps drive sales. EDA will work
with you to design a beautiful cemetery
with cremation, estate and traditional
lot gardens, fully utilizing space and
minimizing maintenance. Every cemetery
is unique, we provide innovative solutions.
Let us help improve your bottom line.
801.924.2296; danc@edalandplanning.
com; www.edalandplanning.com
Eickhof
Columbaria
(#1825)
Eickhof provides
the highest quality
cremation memorial
solutions through
progressive
engineering, superior materials and
people-focused customer service. Let
the Eickhof sales team show you its new
and latest innovation showcased at this
years convention. The above-ground pre-
assembled ossuariumcolumbarium and
ossuary together in one simply delivered
memorial solution. Visit our website
www.eickhofcolumbaria.com or call
1.800.253.0457.
Elegante Brass (#608)
Since 2001, Elegante
Brass has served the
funeral industry, selling
affordable cremation
urns going to market
through our network of
distributors. Taking great
pride in their innovation
over the years, Elegantes
top priority has been taking care of their
clients. Visit us at www.EleganteBrass.com
or give us a call at 1.800.252.7277
Empower
Sound (#527)
You cant
scream
compassionately,
and without
sound, loved
ones in the back cant hear. I know, you
hate microphones. Come see the amazing
amp, your all-in-one, easy-to-use solution.
Get one at no cost for 30 days. If it isnt
everything you hoped and dreamed, send
it back. Love it? Keep it and we will bill
you. info@empowersound.com;
www.empowersound.com
Eternal
Brandings
LLC (#318)
Add
functionality
and compassion to your brand. We provide
branding solutions exclusively to the
funeral industry. Our personalized products
and affordable prices mean it has never
been easier to show your families branding
that cares. Now, its even easier to order.
Visit our full-service website at
www.eternalbrandings.com.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Let SNL show
you a better way.
Guy Winstead
GuyW@SNLpreneed.com
SUCCESS Your preneed company

DEMANDS should provide more than

just a product. Our goal is

THE RIGHT to provide service-oriented

client relationships with

TOOLS competitive preneed products

and marketing solutions.

www.PreneedSuccess.com

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 31


Express
Funeral
Funding
(#1339)
Accelerate and simplify your funeral homes
insurance assignment procedure with Express
Funeral Funding (EFF), the fasted and easiest,
privately-owned funding company in the
United States. EFF eliminates the challenges
of working with insurance companies by
limiting administration, advancing complete
policy funds and providing immediate
payment. Improve your funeral homes cash
flow and financial management with Express
Funeral Funding. 1.800.231.8383;
www.expressfuneralfunding.com
Facultatieve
Technologies
(#825)
Facultatieve
Technologies,
your partner
in providing cremation systems equip-
ment. Our designs and innovations provide
maximum energy and operational savings
and most importantly, operator safety. We
provide recommendations for complete
turn-key solutions. Our customer care
unit provides support and FT cremators
are equipped with broadband connection
for 24/7 technical assistance at no charge.
Contact Ernie Kassoff, ernie.kassoff@
facultatieve-technologies-usa.com.
Family Bronze
(#1011)
Our growth has been
based on word-of-
mouth from one
cemeterian to the
next. We are praised
for stunning quality,
immediate response and consistant fair
pricing. We are willing to take the extra
step to help make your customers more
than satisfied with your services and pass
the word along to their friends as well.
Flowers for Cemeteries (#1625)
Flowers For Cemeteries Inc., Marietta,
Georgia. We offer a full selection of
beautiful silk flowers for ground vases,
mausoleum vases, niche vases, monument
saddles, holiday wreaths, holiday trees,
the patented Stay-In-The-Vase Christmas
tree and custom designs. No minimums;
free brochures. We are the best in service,
selection and satisfaction. Come by and
say hello to David, Ruby and Michael.
32 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Franklin Wrap
LLC (#1730)
Developed for
cemeteries by
cemeterians,
Franklin Wrap ad-
dresses concerns
associated with mausoleum entombment.
Benefits include a two-way ventilation
system that works with your mausoleum;
transparent; a safe, simple six-minute process
to apply; and the most affordable product on
the market today. Please visit FranklinWrap.
com to watch our video presentation.
Frazer Consultants (#301)
Frazer Consultants is a personalization,
technology and consulting company
for the funeral profession. Our products
and services include interactive funeral
home website design, an innovative
payment platform, tribute video software,
digital registry and personalized funeral
stationery and keepsakes. We provide
world-renowned solutions that help your
funeral homes client families better honor,
celebrate and tell the life story.
Frigid Fluid (#611)
Frigid Fluid is the inventor and manufact-
urer of the casket-lowering device and
trademarked silicone technology line of
embalming fluids. Frigid Fluid has served
the death-care industry since 1892 and
is known as an innovator in the industry.
Visit our feature-rich web store today.
www.frigidfluid.com; 1.708.836.1215
FrontRunner Professional (#1119)
FrontRunner technology and marketing
solutions help funeral, cremation and pet
loss professionals save time with a single-
data-entry, all-in-one website, arrangement
and management solution. Firms can print
stationery and generate DVDs in seconds,
plus integrate their marketing strategy for
increased exposure with FrontRunner's
search engine optimization, social media
management and marketing teams. Ready
to be the FrontRunner in your community?
www.FrontRunner360.com
Fujian Tenghui Stone (#709)
Fujian Tenghui Stone Co. Ltd., established in
1989, specializing in manufacture and export
of monument and sculpture, and located in
Longxi Industrial Zone, Chongwu, Huian
County, Fujian Province, China. Please
contact Elaine Zhang by email tf001@cn-tf.
com or by phone 0086.595.87682220 or fax
0086.595.87882220. Welcome to visit our
website www.cn-tf.com.
Funeral Directors Answering Service
(#503)
Funeral Directors Answering Service is
a family-owned and -operated company
that exclusively provides services for the
funeral industry. FDAS offers personalized
services with the latest technology,
including our mobile app and electronic
death call notifications.
Funeral DNA ID (#1734)
Funeral DNA ID is the brand name for
post-mortem DNA collection kits. Chapter
Eternal Enterprises LLC offers these easy-
to-use, low-cost kits, as well as resources
for sample bio-banking, testing and genetic
counseling services. Save the DNA! Help
protect your familys genetic heritage.
Visit our booth #1734, near the General
Session area. Contact us anytime at
1.877.990.1213; www.FuneralDNAid.com;
info@ChapterEternal.com.
Funeral Home
Gifts (#1431)
Funeral
Home Gifts
is the premier
provider of
woven tribute
blankets
and custom cap panels to funeral homes
worldwide. Delivered next day, our
products comfort families, increase preneed
sales, provide revenue through re-orders
and provide vision to transition families
from direct cremation to personalized
memorial services. Call 1.800.233.0439 for
a free sample to try at your next service.
www.funeralhomegifts.com
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Beautiful Cremation Jewelry for
Loved Ones and Loving Pets

Memor y
of a
Lifetime

Terrybear
terrybear.com
888.588.8767
Urns & Memorials
All designs 1994-2017 Terrybear, Inc. Terrybear and Memory of a Lifetime are registered trademarks of Terrybear, Inc.

Funeral
Innova-
tions
(#1207)
Funeral Innovations is the leading provider
of digital marketing for funeral homes.
We help your website, Facebook and
email marketing work together seamlessly,
growing your business without growing
your workload. Our Social Media Copilot is
the most popular Facebook solution in the
industry, helping over 500 funeral homes
and cemeteries reach over 25 million people
in their communities on Facebook.
Funeral Research & Insight (#1313)
Funeral Research & Insight is the
leading provider of market research
to the funeral profession. Our trained
researchers focus solely on research
so you are assured of accurate and
meaningful results. We provide funeral
business expansion research, paper-
mobile-online-phone family satisfaction
surveys with recommendations and key
drivers, and supplier research of all kinds.
317.865.1413; rose@funeralresearch.com;
www.funeralresearch.com.
Funeral Service
Foundation (#322)
In alignment with its
mission to support
funeral service in
building meaningful
relationships with the families and
communities it serves, the Funeral Service
Foundation supports Have the Talk of a
Lifetime and offers the Foundation 45
Awards, which are designed to help funeral
service professionals unlock their potential
throughout every stage of their career. Learn
more at FuneralServiceFoundation.org.
Funeral
Services Inc.
(#615)
Funeral
Services
Inc. (FSI)
is a preneed
administration and contract record-keeping
company that provides trust solutions to
funeral homes, cemeteries, associations
and financial institutions. With more than
35 years of experience, FSI offers expert
knowledge of the funeral service profes-
sion and web-based technology designed
specifically for preneed and perpetual care
programs. For more information, visit
fsitrust.com.
34 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
FuneralTech (#1004)
FuneralTech supplies industry leading
software and personalized memorialization
products. As your technology partner,
we provide funeral home websites,
management software and collaborative
funeral planning tools. Our solutions
add value to families, increase first call
conversions, increase the average revenue
per funeral and ensure families never say
I didnt know you offered that. For more
information, visit us at funeraltech.com.
Funeral Call Answering Service (#1608)
The Funeral Donation app is a free down-
loadable app to either iPhone or Android
products. It allows simple and painless
donations to either the funeral home or
to a chosen charity or organization of the
family. The funeral homes will generate
revenue for themselves each time the app is
used and is no cost to funeral home as well.
funeralOne (#1519)
FuneralOne is transforming how the
world honors life and deals with loss.
We help funeral professionals innovate,
connect with their families in new ways
and become more profitable. Our solutions
include f1Connect, the professions
leading website platform, The Sympathy
Store ecommerce plugin, Life Tributes
personalization software and more. 8,000
clients and counting. 1.800.798.2575
www.funeralOne.com
FuneralScreen
(#1034)
FuneralScreen
is a truly
thoughtful
approach to
the modern
funeral home. Our services stand alone in
the industry with the highest standards of
digital technology, hardware and software.
We provide customized digital screens
within beautiful framing, and furniture-
grade enclosures and unparalleled
customer service. FuneralScreen digital
displays offer your funeral home a lasting
memorial for loved ones. Visit
www.FuneralScreen.com today!
Garfield Refining
(#613)
For 125 years,
Garfield Refining Co.
has specialized in
providing recycling
and refining solutions
for the dental, jewelry and death-care
industries. With generations of satisfied
customers worldwide, Garfield has
thrived in both bull and bear markets,
providing a stable and reliable marketplace
for the recycling and refining of scrap
metals. Please visit our website for more
information. www.GarfieldRefining.com
Global Atlantic Financial Group (#819)
Global Atlantic Financial Group, through
its subsidiaries, offers a broad range of
retirement, life and reinsurance products
designed to help Americans customize a
strategy for their protection, accumulation,
income, wealth transfer and end-of-life
needs. Global Atlantics success is driven by
a unique heritage, combining deep product
and distribution knowledge with insightful
investment and risk management, alongside
a strong financial foundation.
Global Bronze
(#1101)
Global Bronze
is an industry-
leading designer
and manufacturer of unique memorialization
products for cemeteries, funeral homes,
churches and monument builders. Products
include glass-front niches, columbarium
niches, cremation gardens, statues, reliefs
and an assortment of bronze memorialization
accessories such as vases, emblems, lights,
light vases, letters and E-Z Plaques. Global
Bronze also offers a state-of-the-art website
to purchase products online.
Granville Urns (#1814)
Granville Urns, a family-
owned company, offers
a premium collection of
Italian wood inlaid urns
and cremation products.
Each memorial is an
individual work of art,
hand-made with single
pieces of wood using a
60-step process. Our urns
and keepsakes are individually numbered,
include a personalized brass nameplate and
ship immediately. Visit www.granvilleurns.
com or email fletcher@granvilleurns.com for
more information.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 EICKHOF

MEMORIAL BAND

See the Ely

Ossuarium LIVE!
In Booth Number

1825
My husband
At The 2017

ICCFA
chose cremation... CONVENTION & EXPO

...but he never chose a final resting place.

What do you do with your loved ones cremated
remains? Eickhofs Ely Ossuarium is the answer.
The Ossuarium contains traditional niches and an ossu-
125 Ossuary Spaces OSSUARY*
ary to safely hold our beautiful and customizable Satin at $800 each $100,000
Urns, offering customers two price points and the ability to
make their choice ahead of time, in their moment of grief,
and even years later. With up to 317 urn spaces, the Os- COMPANION NICHES 96 Companion Niches
suarium is a dignified, affordable final resting place that $240,000 at $2,500 each
respects those who died and those who remember them.
ELY OSSUARIUM EXAMPLE INCOME
Pictured above is the Ely Ossuarium installed in
Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, CA *Ideal for post cremation memorialization
Call us today to learn more: Tel: 800.253.0457
PATENTED www.eickhofcolumbaria.com Made in Minnesota 2017 Eickhof Columbaria Inc.
Book signings
Need reading material for the trip home
from Nashville? We have just the thing!
There will be six speaker book sales and
signings during the 2017 ICCFA Conven-
tion & Expo. So if you like what you hear,
be sure to buy the book. The signings that
will take place in the Expo Hall are in red.
Wednesday, April 5
Rabbi Daniel Cohen will be
signing copies of his recently
released book, What Will They
Say About You When Youre
Gone?, immediately follow-
ing his 2 p.m. breakout session, Leading a
Life of Legacy.
Thursday, April 6
Keynote speaker Joe Calloway
will be signing copies of his
book, Becoming a Category
of One, in the C&J Financial
Booth booth (#1108) at noon.
Keynote speaker Seth Mat-
tison will be signing copies of
his recently release book, The
War at Work, in the Batesville
Casket Co. booth (#1301) at
noon.
Friday, April 7
Keynote speaker Kelly Mc-
Donald will be signing copies of
her book, Crafting the Cus-
tomer Experience For People
Not Like You, in the Matthews
Memorialization booth (#1219) at 11 a.m.
Keynote speaker Rory Vaden
will be signing copies of his
New York Times bestseller,
Take the Stairs, in the ICCFA
Welcome Plaza (booth #919)
at 11 a.m.
Allison Gilbert will be signing
copies of her book, Passed and
Present: Keeping Memories
of Loved Ones Alive, im-
mediately following her 2 p.m.
breakout session, Resilience After Loss:
The Reflection Effect.
****
Also, the National Alli-
ance for Grieving Chil-
dren will be offering a free
book, When Someone
Dies: A Child-Caregiver
Activity Book, to the first people who
stop by its booth #430. (The NAGC will
also hold a drawing on April 7 for two free
one-year individual memberships, so be
sure to stop by the booth and drop off your
business card.) r estates. 1.800.585.5768;
36 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Great
Western
(#714)
Great
Western
is a preneed funding company founded
by a fifth-generation funeral home family.
This funeral home background provides
the insight necessary for the most effective
policy design available. We bring preneed
products and marketing strategies to your
funeral home that will help mold your
firm into the type of preneed program and
success you want and expect.
www.gwic.com
Heart to
Heart
(#1606)
For over
12 years,
Heart
To Heart has been the leader in after-are
products and training. Funeral homes all
over the U.S.A. and Canada are using
Caring Voices, the 24-hour grief support
hotline with no cost at all to your families.
Please stop by our booth and see how we
can work together to better serve your
families.
Heirloom Bible
Publishers (#1114)
We have been a leader
in supplying the death-
care industry with the
highest quality Protestant and Catholic
family bibles for over 50 years. The gold-
stamping service and valuable supple-
mental material provided with every order
will set your business apart in creating a
treasured personalized keepsake for the
families you serve. Visit us at
www.heirloombibles.com or call
1.800.676.2448.
Heritage
Packaging
(#944)
Heritage
Packaging is a manufacturer of protective
packaging systems for demanding
requirements around the world. Our
innovative BioShield decomposition
containment system is now helping
mausoleum operators nationwide provide a
dignified and peaceful resting place within
their facilities. Look online at
www.heritagepackaging.com and
www.bioshieldsystem.com to learn how
we utilize packaging science to solve
problems with flies, odors and liquids.
Holland Supply
(#1329)
Holland Supply
is the indus-
trys leading
manufacturer of
cemetery/funeral
grounds and set-up equipment and sup-
plies. We offer a complete line of products.
Some of the items we offer are all variet-
ies of tents, lowering devices, cremation
and device stands, lot markers, probes, urn
vaults, casket carts, dump trailers, mauso-
leum lifts and more. 1.800.527.8818;
www.hollandsupplyinc.com
Holy Land
Stone (#1715)
Creator of
the Jerusalem
Stone Com-
fort Cross,
the Angel of My Heart, Eternity Heart
and Mitzpah Star, made in America of
stone quarried in the Holy Land. Visit our
booth and discover how to truly connect
with your at-need families while increas-
ing your preneed sales. 1.800.952.3412;
sales@holylandstone.com;
www.holylandstone.com
Homesteaders Life (#901)
Homesteaders Life Co. is a national leader
in providing life insurance products and
services to promote and support the funding
of advance funeral planning and end-of-
life expenses. Our customers benefit from
the support provided by knowledgeable
account executives, relationships with
Americas top-producing preneed marketing
organizations, superior customer service
and innovative business management tools.
Rated A- (excellent) by A.M. Best Co.
Honor Life (#814)
Honor Life is a supplier of granite
memorials featuring personalization at
no extra cost, from unlimited lettering to
multiple emblems to engraved photos, all
at no additional charge. Our production
time for standard sizes and colors is two
weeks from approval. We also offer a full
line of columbarium, niche construction,
cremation estates and private family
www.honorlife.com
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Its whats inside that gives you
wisdom.
With our trust administration technology running inside your business, and our
expert knowledge of the death care industry, youll be wise to any new trust laws
and meet regulatory requirements with ease and simplicity. Its web-based, so
youll have point and click access to any detail of your account 24/7. You can
check your balance daily and monthly statements are immediately accessible.
And unlike others, all monthly statements report the market value of your trust.
So the question remains: What does your trust run on? FSI. Any trust, any
state, any time.
fsitrust.com

Houghts Urns (#909)
I create beautiful,
unique, gallery-quality
turned urns from
domestic logs that
have fallen by storm
or arborist. The most
interesting and unique
segments of these logs
are used to make urns
for pets and people.
Each urn is turned from a single piece
of wood and is guaranteed. Paid priority
shipping. Hought Wahl, 770.329.2458.
HoverTech International (#1244)
Leading the industry in air-assisted
patient handling equipment, HoverTech
International now offers the TransMatt
disposable decedent transfer system for
lateral transfers. The TransMatt allows
staff to easily transfer decedents regardless
of size or weight. This patented system
reduces friction and pull force by 85-
90 percent, minimizing staff injury and
making transfers safer and more efficient.
Contact us at 1.800.471.2776 or
www.HoverMatt.com.
Howard Miller/
Hekman (#601)
Howard Miller
delivers high quality,
attractive, name-brand
cremation products
to funeral provid-
ers nationwide. Our
memorial line includes
mantel clock urns, chest urns, keepsakes,
scattering tubes and medallions. Hekman
Furniture is a sister company of Howard
Miller and offers its fine contract-grade
furniture with factory-direct pricing to
funeral homes and cemeteries.
Huntington National Bank (#933)
Huntington is a federally-regulated
national bank with trust powers. Our
team of trust professionals specialize
in providing solutions for investments
and trust services as we work with the
funeral, crematory and cemetery industry.
Huntington currently works with funeral
homes and cemeteries in 14 states with
initiatives to expand. Contact Denise
Stone at 1.866.737.4590 or
denise.stone@huntington.com.
38 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Hunyuan
Shixinchang
Trading (#418)
Shixinchang
Stone Trading
Co. Ltd./Shi Xin
Group (SXG),
with 20 years history and three
factories, is the best Shanxi Black
granite monument supplier. Contact
Business Manager Xiaolei Chen by
telephone 0086.0.352.8425093 or fax
0086.0.352.8425093 or chenxiaolei@
shixingroup.com.Visit www.shixingroup.
com or www.shanxi-black.cn or Dachang
Hotel, Hengshan North Road West,
Yongan Town, Hunyuan County, Datong
City, Shanxi Province, China 037400.
Implant
Recycling
(#510)
Implant
Recycling
is pledged to conduct its business in
accordance with the highest standard
of crematory practice and to be ever
mindful of the very personal nature of
the business, together with its community
and public responsibility. Contact us at
1.877.446.4544 or info@implantrecycling.
com to find out about our new Maximizer
program. www.implantrecycling.com
Independence Trust (#712)
Since 1997, weve served cemeteries
and funeral homes as trustee, investment
advisor or escrow agent. We believe the
families you serve are the most important
aspect of your business and strive to
handle the trusts professionally to allow
you to focus on your families. Federally
chartered, we work across the United
States with single location, regional multi-
location and national companies.
Ingram Construction
(#1729)
Ingram Construction
Co. Inc. specializes
in mausoleum and
columbarium design
and construction. Since
1978, we have built
over 672 projects in
thirty-eight states. We are a design/build
firm with a staff consisting of engineers,
master planners, construction managers
and craftsmen who perform or direct
every aspect of design and construction.
We can be reached at 1.800.346.3395 or
601.856.4906.
Inman Shipping Worldwide (#900)
Inman Shipping Worldwide is Americas
oldest, most comprehensive and most reli-
able international shipping service. Over
the past 35 years, Inman has become the
leader in nationwide shipping, offering its
same experience, integrity and personal
service globally. We guarantee our price
and the quality of service that we provide.
We are everywhere you need us to be.
1.800.321.0566; www.shipinman.com
InSight
Books
(#1439)
For over
30 years,
Doug Mannings publishing company has
been providing quality resources in the ar-
eas of grief and bereavement that allow fu-
neral directors to be valued guides for their
families. Our Certified Funeral Celebrant
training offers new ways for the profession
to serve families. Our goal is to improve
funeral service for firms and for families.
1.405.810.9501; www.insightbooks.com
J Stuart Todd Inc.
(#715)
JST Architects special-
izes in the particular
requirements of funeral
industry and cemetery
architecture. Whether
it is funeral home designwhich must
include special knowledge of funeral home
operations, preparation and dressing facili-
ties, selections rooms and merchandising
centers, viewing areas and reception cen-
tersor crematory design, JST Architects
has the knowledge and experience to get
the job done.
Jack Goodnoe Cemetery
Planning & Design
(#707)
Every cemetery has
unique opportunities,
needs and goals for its fu-
ture growth and develop-
ment. Jack Goodnoe will
work with you to estab-
lish strategies for using
your land resources to full advantage. He
can help you develop a master plan, design
sections and columbarium facilities, estab-
lish phasing strategies, and secure agency
approvals. Please visit our website at
www.jackgoodnoe.com or call
734.769.1400.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 State-of-the-Art
Design Department

Star Design Pro

Memorial Design
Software

Large In-Stock Import

Granite Inventory

Private Estate
Mausoleums

Bronze Memorials
Foundry On Site

1.800.241.7242
www.stargranite.com

Jinjiang
Tensen Trade
(#710)
Jinjiang Tensen
Trade Co. Ltd.
is professional
supplier of Light
Gray granite (similar to George Gray)
monuments with owned factory. Contact
Business Manager Honor Lin by telephone
0086.13788872626, 0086.18905006819 or
fax 0086.591.87325672 or honor@united-
granite.com. Visit http://unitedgranite.
stonecontact.com or No.7 Lincuo East
Road, Qianpu Village, Anhai Town Jinjiang
Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
Johnson Consulting Group (#1501)
Johnson Consulting Group is a funeral
home and cemetery consulting firm
specializing in mergers and acquisitions,
business valuations, bank lending,
accounting services, strategic planning,
business performance analysis, business
performance improvement, customer
survey/sales analysis program and
incentive compensation programs. Contact
us today at 1.888.250.7747 or visit us at
www.JohnsonConsulting.com.
Kelco Supply
(#1834)
Kelco Supply Co.
is the supplier
dedicated to
serving funeral
professionals.
Our core mission is to provide our clients
with the same exemplary level of service
and respect that they provide for the
deceased and bereaved. Like youre
there for your families, were there for
you. Visit KelcoSupply.com or call
1.800.328.7720.
Kings Point Capital Management (#420)
Kings Point Capital Management builds
custom investment portfolios tailored to
the unique needs of funeral and cemetery
trusts. The Kings Point team coordinates
directly with independent trust companies
and record-keepers to provide a seamless
and objective investment experience for
clients. For additional information, please
contact Nate Fend, 615.620.3908, nfend@
kingspt.com, www.kingspointcap.com.
40 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
KMI Columbaria (#525)
KMI Columbaria Inc. has supplied
custom-designed and -engineered colum-
baria to the U.S. and Canadian markets
since 1999. We lead the industry as inven-
tors of the all-aluminum niche system with
patented security system. We invite you to
see how a KMI columbarium can easily fit
within your available space and existing
architecture. www.kmicolumbaria.com;
1.866.562.4744
Knauer Industries (#938)
Manufactures premium cultured marble
urns. These beautiful urns can be personal-
ized and are approved for burial. Visit
us at our ICCFA Convention booth. For
ordering information, call 1.866.374.9556
or visit www.CulturedUrnCreations.com
Kryprotek (#805)
Kryprotek, the big black box, is the best
protection available for your mausoleum,
staff and customers. For over 20 years, the
durable, lightweight, easy-to-use Kry-
protek has been helping cemetery profes-
sionals contain spills, transport remains
and keep their facilities clean. Come visit
us at booth #805. www.Kryprotek.com;
1.800.826.9406
perpetual care cemetery trusts, Live Oak is
dedicated to helping funeral professionals
succeed. liveoakbank.com/funeral
Legacy Touch (#1030)
Legacy Touch creates superior custom
fingerprint jewelry and keepsakes, bringing
comfort to families and residual revenue
to partnering funeral homes. Keepsakes
can be shipped within 24 hours, in time
for funeral services. Shareable decedent
PIN allowing orders to be placed at any
time. Provide heartfelt keepsakes while
delivering a proven revenue stream for
your business, only through Legacy Touch.
Life Celebration (#1311)
Life Celebration Inc. is a multi-faceted
design, print and consulting company
driven by a passion to tell stories, share
memories and create experiences. Over 150
funeral homes rely on the robust resources
Life Celebration Inc. provides, including
customized printed memorial items, training
and consulting services, website design and
promotional and marketing services. Visit
us at www.lifecelebrationinc.com or call at
1.888.887.3782.
Life Cycle Urns
(#706)
Life Cycle Urns
designs include a
range of beautiful
candle urns featuring
Life Cycle Urns
signature pattern,
the mandala flower. The meaning of the
mandala flower is one of connecting the
spirit or soul with the cosmos. Other
products on display this year include
cremation beads, classical cremation
jewelry pendants, scattering urns and the
Life Cycle Urns Deep Ocean Urn.
Live Oak Bank
(#624)
Live Oak Bank
specializes
in financing
solutions
for funeral
professionals. Beginning with funeral home
lending for refinance, acquisition, expansion
and renovation and later expanding to
provide trust services for preneed funeral,
cemetery merchandise and service and
Mabrey Handcrafted Urns (#1808)
We hand craft personal memories daily.
Handmade in our woodshop in Chico,
California, by craftsmen (and women), our
urns are built with solid hardwoods and
feature personal photography, laser en-
graved personalization, exotic wood inlays
and custom care. Were proud of the high
quality urns we produce the old-fashioned
way, one at a time in America by people
who care.
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 AMPLIFY
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Madelyn Co. (#931)
Madelyn Co. is a
respected keepsake
pendant supplier serving
funeral directors and
their families since
1993. They have always
had a simple purpose:
to enable others to cope
more easily, to hold a source of comfort in
their hands and to find peace in their hearts.
Please visit our website for our monthly
discounted specials. 1.800.788.0807;
www.Madelynpendants.com
Matthews Environmental Solutions
(#1213)
Matthews is the proven global leader in
creating better ways to run a crematory.
With more than 5,000 installations on
six continents, no one can match our
experience and expertise in helping
cremation businesses succeed. Whether
your goal is to be more profitable, more
productive or more environmentally
friendly, count on Matthews for
the tools and technology you need.
MatthewsEnvironmental.com
Matthews Memorialization (#1219)
Matthews Memorialization is an industry
leader with the most comprehensive suite of
solutions for cemeteries and funeral homes,
including: bronze and granite memorials and
monuments, cremation memorialization,
mausoleums, statuary, the highest quality
caskets, urns, memorial jewelry and
stationery. Matthews offers programs,
products and services designed to help you
grow your business and help families move
from grieving to remembrance. matw.com
Mausoleum Supply
(#1338)
The Mausoleum
Protector (MP) is the
most advanced casket
enclosure. MPs are
the only enclosure to
offer lifting handles,
providing an easier and safer entombment
process. Pete Flood has made several
product improvements to his original
MausoGuard design, including: locking
rails with compression legs, rail joint clips
and a cold-weather rail design. Contact
Mausoleum Supply, 1.863.646.2222 or
www.mausoleumsupply.com.
42 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
McCleskey Mausoleums
(#701)
Since 1961, McCleskey
has been a trusted partner
with knowledgeable per-
sonnel who have designed/
constructed over 1,000
custom mausoleums in
over 40 states. As market conditions changed,
McCleskey developed innovative concepts
that better served clients, creating a personal
approach that resulted in outstanding repeat
customers. McCleskey professionals are now
ready to discuss your next project. Corporate
office: 1.800.622.5759.
McLean, Koehler, Sparks & Hammond
(#405)
MKS&H is a CPA firm specializing in
accounting, tax, and business consulting
services for cemeteries, funeral homes and
their related trust funds. Services include
financial statement preparation, audits
(entity, trust and excess-income), reviews
and compilations, entity and trust tax returns,
tax planning, bookkeeping, cash flow
management and merger and acquisition
reporting. Contact us at 1.866.649.1903 or
visit us at www.mksh.com.
Meadow
Hill Co.
(#625)
Make print-taking fast and easy using
our Thumbies app and scanner. Prints
are stored indefinitely for both keepsakes
and identity authentication in our Print
Vault, making orders easy long after final
disposition. Last Touch gives you a true
chain of custody, allowing comparison of
prints taken at different times. Visit our
booth or call 1.877.THUMBIES for more
details. www.meadowhillco.com
Mekus
Tanager
(#1604)
Mekus
Tanager
is an architecture, planning and interior
design firm serving the cemetery and
funeral home industry for over 33 years.
We have completed over 275 projects
for cemeteries and funeral homes across
the U.S. and internationally, and have
developed innovative concepts to best
serve our clients. Our professionals
are ready to discuss your next project.
312.661.0778; www.mekustanager.com;
info@mekustanager.com
Memorial Arts Studio
(#1909)
We design and
manufacture beautiful
wood columbaria,
crafted with the warmth
of natural woods.
Technology options
include Live Cemetery
for secure live streaming directly to the
memorial niche, and QR technologies that
link to personalized websites featuring
custom-designed remembrances for loved
ones. Financing options are available for
cemeteries to defray investment costs. For
information, contact Michael Anthony or
visit Memorial-Direct.com.
Memorial
Business
Systems
(#1234)
MBS-NEXUS; Americas premier cemetery,
funeral, cremation and GIS color-coded
mapping software invites you to explore its
countless user-friendly features that turbo-
charge your single or multiple operation.
Used by over 600 cemeteries nationwide.
New logistical calendar coordinates your
entire organization. Enter contracts, enter
payments and run any of the 250+ reports for
sales, trusts and commissions. Frequent free
system upgrades. Booth #1234.
Memory Glass
(#1410)
Memory Glass,
the original
glass keepsake
company, remains the market leader since
2002. Skilled artists create memorial
keepsakes utilizing a small amount of
cremated remains suspended within solid
glass (soil or sand can also be used).
Fingerprints can be laser engraved directly
onto any piece, creating a more uniquely
personal memorial. Become a vendor by
emailing info@memoryglass.com or call
1.866.488.4554.
Merendino
Cemetery
Care (#1507)
Experience
the difference.
Merendino
Cemetery
Care offers exceptional mowing, trimming,
interment and cremation garden construction
services to clients in the Midwest and
Northeast. Specializing in cemetery care, the
Merendino team receives ongoing sensitivity
as well as quality and operational training. We
are here to help you bring the best possible
experience to the families you serve.
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 EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Mid-States Recycling National Alliance for

& Refining (#1713)
Mid-States Recycling &
Refining is an industry-
leading precious
metal refiner dating
back to1981. You are
invited to witness the
processing of your
metallic recyclables from start to finish
with our open-door policy. We are fully
EPA compliant, which means youll never
have to be concerned about future liability
for improper disposal of solid, hazardous
and bio-waste byproducts.
www.midstatesrecycling.com
Look for the KIP Award display in the
Expo Hall to learn about the 2016 win-
ners. Mission Valley Bank (#908)
Mission Valley Bank is a National SBA
preferred lender with a strong track
record in the industry. Call our funeral
profession expert, Teresa Carlson, to
learn how we can assist you in getting the
funding you need to take your business
to the next level. Teresa can be reached at
818.933.1583 or email her at TCarlson@
MissionValleyBank.com.
Mork
Look for the signs in Mausoleum
the Expo Hall to spot Construction
first-time (#1815)
exhibitors, MMCI is a
PLPA (Pet mausoleum
Loss Profes- construction specialist. Whether precast or
sionals poured-in-place, our product is labor and
Alliance) sup- expertise. We obtain the best pricing from
plier members competitive suppliers of granite, marble,
and 2016 KIP niche supplies and precast products with
(Keeping it Personal) no ownership commitments to any other
Award winners. entity. With our ability to purchase from
numerous suppliers, you are assured
of getting the greatest value from your
investment.
Mt. Hope Grief
Services (#910)
Founded by Dr.
Jason Troyer,
Mt. Hope
Grief Services
provides funeral homes, cremation
facilities, cemeteries and pet cremation/
funeral businesses with grief and aftercare
products, preneed educational items and
materials that promote the value of funeral
rituals. Visit the booth to talk with Dr.
Troyer and pick up some samples.
More information is available at
www.MtHopeGrief.com.
Grieving Children
(#430)
The National Alliance
for Grieving Children
(501c3 nonprofit)
advocates and
educates to promote
awareness of the needs of children and
teens grieving a death and provides
resources for anyone who wants to
support them. The NAGC offers online
education, hosts an annual symposium and
maintains a national database of childrens
bereavement organizations.
National Funeral
Directors &
Morticians
Association (#432)
The National Funeral
Directors and
Morticians Association
equips members with
the information and
tools they need to thrive. At NFDMA, we
are committed to continuously advancing
leaders and their organizations by providing
essential education, legislative information,
data and career resources to provide best-
in-class funeral services to their clients and
operational efficiencies. Trellanie Vernon,
expo@nfdma.com, 770.969.0064.
National
Funeral
Directors
Association
(#906)
NFDA is the leading and largest funeral
director association in the world. NFDA
is the strongest advocate for the funeral
service profession. We offer comprehensive
educational resources and access to the
largest network of funeral service experts.
Join us in Boston, Massachusetts, October
29-November 1, 2017, for the NFDA
International Convention & Expo. Visit
www.nfda.org today.
National
Guardian
Life
Insurance
(#1419)
NGL is one of Americas most successful,
independent mutual life insurance
companies, offering preneed, individual
life and annuities and group markets
products, including specialty and
student insurance. Consecutively rated
A- (excellent) by A.M. Best, NGL is one
of the most highly regarded, highly rated
companies in the industry.

44 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

New Memorials Direct
(#509)
NMD/B&B designs,
manufactures and sells
cremation jewelry,
fingerprint jewelry, photo
jewelry. We offer high-
quality, beautifully designed
precious metal and stainless
steel pendants with a 24-hour turnaround.
Outstanding quality, lowest prices, highly
accurate order fulfillment, proven popular
styles, easy to handle square screw
and screwdriver provided. 100 percent
satisfaction guaranteed. Call 1.877.995.8767
or visit www.BaileyandBailey.com for a free
fingerprint display.
Nomis
Publications
(#1014)
Nomis Pub-
lications Inc.
publishes the
most widely circulated media for the
funeral and cemetery industries. Annual
publications include the Funeral Home &
Cemetery Directory and Buyers Guide.
Funeral Home & Cemetery News, a trade
newspaper, is published monthly. www.
nomispublications.com offers a compre-
hensive online directory, FH&C News on-
line and online classifieds. P.O. Box 5159,
Youngstown, OH 44514; 1.800.321.7479;
Fax 1.800.321.9040;
www.nomispublications.com;
info@nomispublications.com
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
(#407)
We offer outstanding customer service and
an experienced staff that will help your
firm grow its market share. We received
the Spectrum Award of Excellence in
Customer Satisfaction in 2016. Visit our
ICCFA Booth and contact us at www.
ncmutuallife.com. The quality of our
service is backed by our 118 years of
experience serving our customers and
building relationships.
Nuvo
Iron
(#1315)
Nuvo
Iron is the leading provider of iron fence
and ornamental accessories in North
America. Whenever your requirement calls
for durable, high quality, Nuvo Iron fence
products, you can count on us to get the
job done. Visit us online at www.nuvoiron.
com or call toll-free at 1.866.955.0355.
46 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
OM Stone (#1913)
OM Stone is a global
leader in creating
BRONZSTONE
granite memorials,
columbaria, public
and civic art while
providing concept
and design. A family-owned and -operating
company since 1947, we are innovators
offering GLASS ART laser technology
with lasting color and dedicated to serve
by The Values We Live By. See more on
our website, www.myomstone.com.
Osiris by Funeral Directors Resource
(#1333)
Osiris delivers funeral home software
as a service with minimal upfront cost
and no long-term obligation, just a low
monthly fee starting at $69 per month.
Accessible from any computer or even
your smartphone, Osiris uses your existing
forms and can integrate with your website
and Quickbooks.
Paradise
Pictures
(#612)
Paradise
Pictures
produces beautiful porcelain memorial
portraits in the United States. In addition
to our portraits, we offer very high-
quality bronze frames. Stop by and let
us show you how we can help you drive
new revenue in your cemetery. Call
1.866.960.9207 for more information.
scott@paradisepictures.com;
www.paradisepictures.com/iccfa
Parting (#300)
Parting helps families find local funeral
homes based on quality and price.
|Families and hospice social workers use
|Parting.com to find funeral service
providers. We provide funeral homes with
the opportunity to differentiate themselves
and provide critical information while
these families are making this important
decision. Funeral homes from all over
work closely with us to get new customers.
Pet Loss
Professionals
Alliance (#427)
The Pet Loss
Professionals Alliance is committed
to being an educational resource to its
members. The membership, including
pet loss suppliers and pet death-care
facility operators, will be dedicated to the
respectful and dignified treatment of those
pets entrusted to us. myplpa.org
Phoenix
Bronze
Resources
(#902)
Phoenix Bronze Resources is a supplier
of high quality cast bronze plaques
since 1983. Please visit our booth to
see our unique products and discuss our
industry-leading design, ordering and
tracking system (DOTS) that will help
to further enhance your sales process.
Representatives: Tom Gennuso and
Theresa Goth; 1.724.857.2225;
www.pbrbronze.com
Physicians Mutual (#738)
Innovative products, proven solutions: Thats
what youll get when you join the Physicians
Mutual and Outlook Group family. Our
collaboration allows us to provide busy
funeral home owners with creative marketing
solutions and top-of-the-line products. Let
us help you grow, maximize and protect
your preneed business. Call us today at
1.877.932.3239 or visit
www.advancedfundingsolutions.com.
PICLIF (#610)
PICLIF is a mobile app and website that
helps families bring together memories
of their loved one, instantly creating a
memorial video to be played during the
funeral service. PICLIF helps funeral
homes create an impactful service for their
clients, saves you hours of staff time and
helps boost revenue. For more information
visit www.piclif.com; contact us at
1.855.4PICLIF; info@piclif.com.
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 Mausoleum Protection
New Marble
Designed for Finish End Caps
Companion Entombment 1. Choose Your Finish
2. Choose Your End Cap Style
3. Choose Your
Customization Options
Plain
Vinyl Lettering
Basic Vinyl Image
Print Image
Custom Print Image

End Loading
Design

Mausoleum Protection That Provides

www.kryprotek.com Moisture, pest and stain control.
mb@kryprotek.com Dignified presentation from start to finish.

800-826-9406 Significant time, labor and cost savings.

Many styles of art work available

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 47


Pittsburgh Institute
of Mortuary Science
(#333)
PIMS is one of the
premier funeral service
educational institutions
in the country. The institute offers three
different programs, in-residence, which
vary from three to five trimesters in length,
and four different bachelor degree options.
PIMS OnLine now enables the student to
pursue professional funeral service educa-
tion at a distance from home or office via
the internet. 1.800.933.5808; www.pims.edu
Plotbox (#1510)
PlotBox is
revolutionising
the burial &
cremation
industry. Our
mission is to help you get the most out of
your business. We work with businesses
like yours every day, which makes us
experts in data migration, cemetery
mapping and software solutions. The
team is great, always quick to respond.
Love PlotBox! David Massey, Park View
Cemetery. Call +1.650.320.7685; Leona@
plotbox.io; www.plotbox.io.
Polyguard (#1515)
Polyguard has designed and engineered
the most innovative polymer burial vaults
on the market. The Hercules and Atlas
vaults are aesthetically pleasing, easy to
personalize and no special equipment
needed for setting and installing at the
cemetery. These polypropylene vaults will
provide an opportunity to realize revenue
lost to cremation. See these products in
booth 1515. See you in Nashville
Pontem Software (#1331)
Pontem Software has been serving
the technology needs of cemetery
managers for over 30 years, bringing
you functionality and reporting that
comes with years of industry experience.
Offering best-in-class data management,
GIS mapping, cloud hosting and public
online burial search. Our customers can
integrate innovative new partner products
such as mobile apps, 360-degree imagery,
contracts, accounting and advanced sales
tools.
48 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Precoa (#733)
Precoa (The Preneed
Co. of America)
continues to be a
preneed industry
leader, provid-
ing funeral homes
with solutions to build their market share
and serve more families. Our ProActive
Preneed program offers leading funeral
homes proven sales methods, effective
marketing programs, innovative technolo-
gies and positive customer experiences.
Coupled with excellent financial security,
Precoa builds lasting partnerships with
unrivaled results.
Progressive Environmental Services
(#912)
Progressive Environmental Services is the
industry leader in the recycling and refining
of post-cremation metal scrap in both an
ethical and environmentally conscious
manner. Progressive Environmental
Services; 1531 South Grove Ave., Suite
104, Barrington, IL 60010; 1.800.323.9785;
www.progressive-environmental.com
PSMThe
Picture
Specialist for
Memorials
(#915)
PSM, the Picture Specialist for Memo-
rial offers memorialists superior qual-
ity memorial portraits backed with our
unconditional guarantee. With 120 years of
knowledgeable experience, PSM produces
the finest quality cameos in porcelain,
SLIM enameled steel and our DEDO
Classic, as well as an extensive collection
of bronze frames. You may contact us at
1.866.810.9500 or at info@psm.qc.ca.
Visit us at psmportraits.com.
Qeepr
(#1724)
Qeepr
[kee-per]
is the
first social memorial platform connecting
funeral professionals and their families.
Turn every cemetery record into an inter-
active online memorial, viewable directly
on your current website. Use Qeepr Mo-
bile to instantly store and provide cemetery
directions, and allow visitors to scan a
monument to reveal the tribute. Utilize the
interactive kiosk for mausoleum mapping
and sales. www.Qeepr.com
Randolph Rose
Collection (#1432)
Family owned and
operated , we special-
ize in the finest quality
bronze sculpture, plant-
ers, urns and fountains.
The extensive collec-
tion includes life size pieces depicting
children, families and pets.Our elegant and
timeless pieces draw interest and enhance
the landscape as well as interior design.We
can create custom designs for any project
or inspiration. www.randolphrose.com;
1.800.423.2047
Regions Bank (#1025)
Regions Funeral & Cemetery Trust
Services takes a consultative approach to
providing comprehensive solutions that
meet the investment and trust administra-
tion needs of our clients. Learn how our
dedicated team can help you. Call David
Falconer, director of administrative ser-
vices, at 713.244.8083.
Remembrance Creations (#1131)
Complete line of innovative chapel
furnishings. Featuring the urn memorial
with an illuminated glass surface
delivering a dramatic presentation for
a cremation service. Also allows for
displaying of a framed portrait and other
personalized mementos, making any
service truly special which the family takes
part in creating. View our complete line
of products at www.RCICF.com or call
1.847.593.9884.
Repose Cemetery
Solutions (#433)
Customized software
using Microsoft
Access and/or
Microsoft SQL
Server, mapping,
accounts receivable, trust management,
sales commission and sales tracking,
scanned documents, website development,
conversion from most platforms, kiosk
compatibility, digital photos, data entry
and collection services and much more.
We customize our software to meet your
needs at an affordable price. Call to
receive a marketing CD. 1.866.836.8819;
www.rcshome.com
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Thoughtfulness.. When your reputation is on the line,
Consideration. use Inman Shipping Worldwide.
Sensitivity.
We have over 35 years of experience in
And efficiency.
bringing loved ones home for
f r ceremony.
fo y
y.

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Wings
of
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A full capacity 220

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y metal
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Handcrafted withth LoveTM
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US PATENT APPLIED

ICCFA Convention
Nashville, TN
Apr 5~8, 2017
Booth #539

www.LoveUrns.com
s.com
888-910-7860
60

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 49


Resomation
(#1915)
Resomation
is a
professional and respectful water-based
alternative to burial and ame cremation
with clear environmental benefits. Funeral
directors can now differentiate themselves
from others, offer a green option and gain
premium prices at a time ame is driven
mostly by price. Highly automated, simple
and safe to operate, fast processing times
and pure white ash every time.
www.resomation.com
Riviera Tailors (#500)
Since 1962, Riviera Tailors has been the
leading custom tailor from Hong Kong
specializing in custom-made shirts, suits
and uniforms. Our quality and value will
make you come back to us again and again
with confidence. Visit George Balani at
our booth for a complete range of fabrics
for shirts and suits. 718.809.4234; email:
gbalani@rivieratailors.com
Sauder
Funeral
Products
(#619)
Give families
what they
want. Hand-built and -finished in the finest
wood patterns, Sauder Funeral Products
offers revolutionary value and quality. Our
caskets look and feel like solid woodfor
half the cost. Sauder Funeral Products can
be used for burial or cremation, providing
families with exibility and enabling
funeral directors to reduce inventory with
versatile products. 1.866.419.3010;
www.sauderfuneralproducts.com
Shiva Shade (#618)
ShivaShade eco-friendly products made
in U.S.A.: Absorb-It (for purging), Blood
BeGone soap (removes dried blood,
makeup and fingerprint ink), Very Berry or
Lavendar (room deodorizer to neutralize
de-com). Gel caps for coolers. Biomint
used for viewing, shipping and cremations.
Suture BeGone adhesive bonds skin or
cranium (dries clear; put makeup over
it). BodySealer, a hermetically sealed
biocontainment pouch.
50 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Sich Caskets
(#631)
Funeral
homes no
longer must
sacrifice
profitability to offer premier-quality
caskets at affordable prices. Sich provides
a complete selection of exquisitely crafted
solid hardwood, veneer and metal caskets,
all designed for the North American
market and priced well below comparable
domestic brands. Sich caskets are sold
through distributors throughout the U.S.
and Canada. Call 1.888.317.1929 or visit
www.SichCasket.com.
SinoSource
International (#1613)
SinoSource has proudly
been serving the funeral
industry since 1994. We
take pride in our high
standards of quality and
personalized service,
supplying a line of
products including cremation urns, caskets
and memorial items. We fully stand behind
our products, and are confident to serve
funeral professionals with an exceptional
selection of merchandise at the best value.
Skyways Media (#739)
Skyways Media is the leading supplier
of individually designed funeral planning
guides. Our guides are an invaluable
resource for your community and are an
excellent marketing tool for your business.
The most interesting fact, however, is
that they are free to your business. Thats
right, no cost. Come and see us and find
out more. www.skyways-media.com;
1.646.810.5748
Southern Cemetery, Cremation &
Funeral Association (#332)
The Southern Cemetery, Cremation
and Funeral Association is a regional
organization established to help promote
the funeral industry in the southeast region.
Please stop by our booth #332 to see how
being part of the Southern can benefit
you. Join us at our June 25-27, 2017,
annual convention at the Marriott Hotel
and Convention Center in Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
SpartaCraft
(#401)
SpartaCraft has
been providing
hand-crafted
heirloom-
quality ag cases to funeral homes and the
United States military for over 25 years.
Our American-made ag cases are a perfect
way for funeral directors to create lasting
impressions for veteran services. We offer
same-day shipping and custom engraving.
Contact us at sales@spartacraft.com or
1.800.282.8044. www.spartacraft.com
SRS Computing
(#1100)
SRS Computing is
the most progressive
industry leader in
custom funeral
home, cemetery
and crematory management software. We
believe in delivering zero-defect customer
service while cultivating long-term
client relationships. Our products create
a seamless process for single-site firms
to multi-location corporations. With its
incomparable user-friendly software, SRS
strives to provide superior management
solutions.
Star Granite & Bronze (#939)
Star Granite and Bronze offers a compre-
hensive product line of bronze and granite
memorials which include elegant private
estate mausoleums. We stock a large
inventory of import memorials, which
means quicker delivery times. For superior
quality memorials blended with excellent
customer service, let Star be your preferred
vendor of choice. Call 1.800.241.7242 or
visit our web site at www.stargranite.com.
Strickland Solutions
(#1335)
Strickland Solutions
specializes in helping you
find, share and secure
documents with M-Files
so you can focus on
meeting your customers
needs. M-Files is an
easy, efficient and affordable document
management software that takes the
headache out of finding your information.
Strickland Solutions partners with you
to deliver excellent, high-quality service
awlessly. www.stricklandsolutions.com
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 Triple H Company
P.O. Box 5790
Ventura, CA 93005-0790
V
Triple H
USA
Manufacture
r (805)
80 650-6944 (800) 252-3444 Company
Fax (805) 650-6444
Cemetery, Crematory and Mausoleum Supply Since 1950
0
www.triplehcompany.com
PPrincess
rinc
Cremation D esig
Design
Empire
Rollers Design

Peace WWhite
Antique Gold
Excellent for
Cremation
ation Vases
Gray Granite G
Green Velour
LLined Tongue Identification Discs
Committal Services
and Groove
a Solid Jewelers BBronzee
Connection
C
INFANT & CHILD Gold, Oxidized and Nickel Finishes
Origi
Original ULTRA Flip-Top PLASTIC URNS MAUSOLEUM VASES MADE IN THE USA
9 x 9 x 14.5 32, 78 &125 Cubic In.
Plastic Urn White
Oversized Solid Gray Gra
Granite texture
inside and out fo
for Consistent
9 x 13 x 14.5 Appearance
Appeara

ENTIC
AUTH feature the exclusivee
Green and Gold Triple H Company Logo
L Floral Plastic Mausoleum
l um
Lawn
La Vases Vases and Holders
Original Hi-Impact Plastic SHEET BRONZE URNS
Resists UV Discoloration
oration
5 Sizes Dozens of Styles

utility urns
Vase Lifters for
IN SIZES AND
S
CONFIGURATIONS
All Manufacturers
TO ALL NEEDS Dozens of Options Vases

Triple H Company Original Hi-Impact Plastic

Exclusive Originals Urns and Vases utility urns
Plastic Mausoleum Vases

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 51

 EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Sunset
Memorial &
Stone (#803)
Sunset is an
industry-
leading
custom
columbarium manufacturer. Raising
the bar in industry standards, Sunset is
recognized for its innovative engineering,
skilled craftsmanship and producing
custom columbaria at a competitive price.
Sextons appreciate our 100 percent granite While in the Expo Hall,
exteriors, simplified granite door system, stop by the ICCFA Plaza
key locked inner aluminum security for information about
door, distinctive Ascension model and association programs,
aluminum/nylene advantage. benefits and products.
You can also learn more
www.sunsetstone.com; 1.800.363.3393
about ALPAR, the Latin
American Association for
Cemeteries and Funeral
Service, as well as The
Supernova/AP Lazer (#1819) System University, a
AP Lazer excels in the death-care industry. complete, online preneed
Our two-part laser machine was made for sales training program.
engraving large and heavy items such as
monuments and caskets, with the accuracy
to laser cut and engrave smaller items
such as urns and keepsakes. Stop by our
booth #1819, visit aplazer.com, or call
1.800.585.8617 to find out how we can
help your business thrive.

The Champion Co. (#1609)

The Champion Co. is the leading
manufacturer focused exclusively on
embalming solutions. With a full line of
specialty embalming products for difficult
cases as well as general embalming
products, Champion is the right choice for
all your embalming needs. When you only
have one chance, choose the embalming
solution expertsChampion. To learn more,
call 1.800.328.0115 or visit
www.thechampioncompany.com.
Above, ICCFA Vice President Jay Dodds, CFSP, at the ICCFA Educational Foun-
dation booth. While in the Expo Hall, stop by the foundations booth (#1414) for
more information about the foundations support of the ICCFAs educational
programs and about the scholarships available. New this year: Watch an infor-
The Davey Tree Expert Co. (#1619) mative two-minute video about ICCFA University. (Two screen shots below.)
The Davey Tree Expert Co.s more than
8,000 employees provide tree care, grounds
maintenance and environmental consulting
services for the residential, utility, com-
mercial and government markets in more
than 47 states and five Canadian provinces.
Davey has provided Proven Solutions for
a Growing World since 1880 and has been
employee-owned for 35 years. For more
information, visit www.davey.com.

52 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

The Davis Whitehall
Co. (#1127)
Davis Whitehall creates
one-of-a-kind custom-
ized cremation urns.
Handcrafted in America,
using domestic and
exotic hardwoods, each
urn is designed to honor and memorialize
the uniqueness of every individual. When
preserving a memory, it must be perfect.
Terry School, president of The Davis White-
hall Co. Contact us at 1.800.818.8414 or de-
sign@davis-whitehall.com. Visit our website
at www.davis-whitehall.com
The Dodge
Co. (#1533)
Since 1893,
the Dodge Co.
has manufactured and distributed supplies for
your funeral home, crematory or cemetery.
We offer a complete line of domestic and
imported urns, vaults and cremation supplies.
Dodge distributes memorial products through
glass remembrance, capture bead keepsakes
and DodgePortraits. Our technology partner
CFS provides revenue-generating websites
to over 3,000 customers. Visit https://
shop.dodgeco.com, www.dodgeco.com,
1.800.443.6343.
The Foresight
Companies
(#1139)
At The Foresight
Companies, we
are passionate
about the funeral and cemetery profession.
Our boutique business and financial consul
ting firm has a singular focus: our clients
success. From accounting, strategic business
analysis, valuations, merger/acquisitions,
human resources, accounts receivable
management to surveys, we understand the
business of doing business. Visit our booth
and tell us what youre thinking; well listen.
The Tribute
Companies
(#1428)
Your success begins
with Tribute. For
over 40 years, our
company has provided cemeteries with
quality solutions to meet their management
and development needs. Our divisions
include: Cemetery professionals offering
generations of experience; design and
construction creating value through custom-
build services; precast products, mausoleum
crypts, cremation niches, lawn crypts and
burial vaults. Contact us for your quality
solution. 262.367.9991; www.tributeinc.com
54 ICCFA Magazine
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
ThermoDigital (#403)
ThermoDigital is a leading manufacturer
of a variety of memorial products. Our
memorial markers are unique, as we
provide a high level of client customization
while creating strong, durable and
aesthetically appealing productsall at
an attractive price. For further information
about our memorial markers and other
products, please contact us at 818.539.5586
or thermodigital@gmail.com.
Tile Artisans Digital Imaging (#2015)
Tile Artisans is a Florida-based company,
and one of Americas largest provider of
memorial portraits and porcelain and steel.
The company has recently introduced a
granite memorialization urn. In addition,
the company is the leading fabricator of
sacred art murals, art in public places
murals and historical murals in porcelain
tile or hand-cut mosaic. 1.800.601.4199;
memorials@tileartisans.com;
www.artisanmemorialportraits.com;
www.tileartisans.com
Timberland Urns
(#1708)
We are artists.
Our mission is to
create unique and
artfully designed
memorial urns
with a personal
touch. Based on our strong background
in sculpting, carving and experience in
handling different materials, we offer a
variety of beautifully crafted urns and
keepsakes for both people and pets.
651.688.0875; www.timberlandurns.com
Trigard
(#831)
Why should
you visit a
vault com-
panys booth
while at ICCFA? You want to grow, and
so do we. Trigard has proven tools to help
you generate new revenue streams. We will
help put money back in your pocket by
increasing your average vault sale and in-
troducing you to new cremation solutions
that will help you grow. 1.800.637.1992;
www.trigard.com
Triple H (#801)
Triple H manufactur-
ers and distributes
cemetery, crema-
tory, mausoleum and
funeral products. It
was founded in 1950 by cemeterians Rob-
ert E., David N. and David W. Hepburn.
For many years the tradition continued
under the supervision of Robert, Ellen and
Jim Hepburn. Today, Jim and his fine staff
continue to provide quality products and
service. Call 1.800.252.3444; website:
www.triplehcompany.com.
Trust 100
(#1112)
Trust 100
specializes
in preneed,
having
demonstrated longevity and stability since
1979. We have the programs, the systems,
the strategies and the people to help funeral
home owners prepare for the new era of
funeral service. Partnering with Trust 100
assures you have a committed focus for the
future of your business. William Bonacorda,
708.417.1208; wbonacorda@trust100.com;
www.trust100.com
UPD Urns (#911)
UPD Urns offers
cremation urns,
jewelry and
memorials to
funeral homes and
cemeteries worldwide. UPD Urns was
founded 16 years ago, and greatly values
integrity and service to their customers.
Alongside offering bestselling urns,
UPD Urns focuses on having a unique
collection to cater to the ever-changing
needs of cremation. UPD Urns has offices
in Visalia, California, and Manassas,
Virginia.
US Cremation Equipment (#600)
A manufacturer of high-quality human
and pet cremation systems specifically
designed for the demands of your business.
Our company also offers a full range of
services related to the zoning, permitting,
installation, operation and service of
our cremation equipment. We also offer
a complete line of urns and memorial
products. We look forward to meeting you.
Enjoy the conference!
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Vital ICE App/

xeVitalboards (#1306)
Vital ICE App, winner
of the EMS World
Innovation Award, is an
opportunity for a funeral
home to exclusively
partner with their
local Fire/Police/EMS in the efforts of
saving lives. Vital ICE App is custom-
branded with sponsoring funeral home
and provided free to the public. Amazing
community outreach and media explosion
from local newspaper, radio and television.
1.800.577.1703; www.vitalboards.com
Wilbert
Funeral
Service
(#1019)
The Wilbert Group offers diverse products
and services, including burial vaults and
cremation products through the Wilbert
Funeral Services network of licensees;
Pierce chemicals and related supplies;
Signet Supply caskets; granite products
through Wilbert Cemetery Construction;
monuments through Wilbert Memorials;
and funeral service education through
Pierce Colleges. Commemorating life with
respect is the essence of what we do. Visit
www.wilbert.com.

WithumSmith & Brown (#620)

Withum is a full-service public accounting
and consulting firm serving private and
publicly-held companies, with specialized
support to more than a dozen major
industry sectors, including death-care
services. The team of 800+ staff across
seven states brings a unique level of
quality to every client engagement,
providing greater assurance, increased
profitability and longterm growth.
www.withum.com
Xiamen Bosshome
Import & Export
(#1012)
Xiamen Bosshome
Import & Export Co.
Ltd. is a professional
granite products
manufacturer
with more than 10 years experience
in headstone industry. Contact Olivia
Mai by cell phone (+86) 13956248624,
phone (+86) 0592.5764569, or via info@
bosshomestone.com to reach us. Welcome
to visit our website: https://bosshomestone.
en.alibaba.com for further information. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 55

interview by ICCFA Magazine
Managing Editor Susan Loving
sloving@iccfa.com M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
Jan Scruggs first meeting with Vietnam veterans
to drum up interest in his idea for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C., resulted in exactly one recruit to the cause.
His first fund-raising effort brought in heartfelt letters and $144.50.
PHOTO BY WARREN KAHL Yet in only three years Scruggs and his growing list of supporters
managed to build The Wall, the now iconic black granite memorial
that continues to draw millions of visitors each year.

Jan Scruggs, recipient of the 2017

Lasting Impact Award from the ICCFA
Educational Foundation, envisioned a
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,
D.C., that would include the names of all
who died in the war, and spearheaded the
effort to get it built. He served as president
and director of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund until retiring in 2015.
He now serves on the advisory board
for the Global War on Terror Foundation,
which is working to build a monument in
Washington. He was appointed to chair
the Selective Service Appeals Board by PHOTO COURTESY OF VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND

President Obama and still serves on the Jan Scruggs at the 1982 dedication of the Vietnam Veterans
board. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Jan Scruggs career has been

He has a masters degree in psychology
from American University in Washington,
D.C., where he researched post-traumatic
stress disorder, as well as a law degree.

MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC

Jan Scruggs will receive the Lasting
Impact Award at the ICCFA 2017 Conven-
tion & Expo, Nashville, Tennessee, at the
Educational Foundation Reception, 6-7
p.m., Thursday, April 6. Reception tickets
can be purchased for $50 (tickets are free
for Vietnam veterans) when registering for
the convention; at the on-site ICCFA registra-
tion desk in Nashville; or from Educational
Foundation President Jim Price or a member
of the Board of Trustees. Proceeds from the
hosted cocktails and hors doeuvres recep-
tion will benefit the foundation, a 501(c)
(3) nonprofit entity with the sole purpose of
providing scholarships to attend the ICCFAs
educational programs. www.iccfa.com
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
is working to build an educational center
near the memorial, and is collecting photos
and stories of the people memorialized for
its Virtual Wall of Faces.
www.vvmf.org
dedicated to remembrance,
memorialization & The Wall
W
ashington, D.C., is full of
memorials: The Lincoln
Memorial, the Washington
Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the
World War II Memorial, the Korean War
Memorial. But none is more famous, more
visited than the The Wall, the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial.
To say this memorial was Jan Scruggs
dream is literally true. Scruggs has a law
degree from the University of Maryland
and a masters degree in psychology from
American University, where he also received
his bachelors degree. But before going to
college, Scruggs enlisted in the U.S. Army
and served in Vietnam, 1969-1970.
He left the Army with a Purple Heart,
three Army Commendation Medals and the
memory of a dozen fellow soldiers being
killed in a truck explosion seared into his
brain.
The idea of honoring those who fought
and died in that controversial war only to
return home to scorn rather than thanks
came to Scruggs in the middle of a sleepless
night after a PTSD-induced flashback.
He told his wife the next morning that
he was going to build a memorial to the
veterans of the Vietnam War, a memorial
that would include the names of all who had
died in the war.
It was March 1979. Scruggs, a Mary-
land resident, drove into Washington, D.C.,
to talk about his idea to a group of Vietnam
veterans who were in town because Cong-
ress had declared a week in their honor.
After he explained his idea, one man, an
attorney, handed Scruggs a business card

56 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
A closeup of a section of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, its black granite reflecting the Washington Monument behind the names.

Above left, Jan Scruggs stands in front of a section of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Above right, a National Park Service volun-
teer answers questions. The volunteers talk about the history of the memorial, explaining its design and how it came about, and
help people find names, even bringing out a ladder if someone wants to touch a name high on The Wall.

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 57

Praise for impact of M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
Scruggs, The Wall, The others listened carefuly and then told Scruggs that he was a bit
on memorialization naive. The country would never do it. Besides, at a time when vets went

T he ICCFA Educational Founda-

tions Lasting Impact Award was first
presented in 2014. The award is given
on hunger strikes to protest inadequate care and benefits, who needed
a memorial?from To Heal a Nation, by Jan C. Scruggs and Joel L.
annually to an individual who has made Swerdlow, describing the reaction of most of the Vietnam veterans
significant contributions to the cemetery at the first gathering where Scruggs explained his idea for a memorial
and funeral profession in education and
memorialization.
Jan Scruggs, who conceived of the
idea of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
and headed the effort to make it a reality,
is the first recipient from outside the
cemetery-funeral profession.
No single idividual, in my view,
has had a greater positive impact in
the past 35 years on remembrance and
memorialization than Jan Scruggs and the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, said Jim
Price, CCFE, CCrE, ICCFA Educational
Foundation president.
Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE, and Gary
OSullivan, CCFE, co-recipients of the
first Lasting Impact Awards in 2014, both
praised Scruggs selection for the honor.
Though Scruggs is not an ICCFA
member, he is in the memorialization
Above left, Jan Scruggs, age 19, in Vietnam. Above right, the book written by Jan
business in a big way, said OSullivan, Scruggs and Joel Swerdlow about how the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was con-
calling the award well deserved. ceived and built. The names inscribed on The Wall at the time (names have been
Here and there, every now and then, added since publication) are included in the book. He hoped the memoir would
just once in a while in the mission of inspire a movie, Scruggs said, and it did. The 1988 television movie starred Eric
memorializing our sacred dead there Roberts and Glynnis OConnor as Jan and Becky Scruggs.
emerges a person who combines mission,
and suggested he form a non-profit corpor- Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the
vision, dedication and creativity with
ation. Washington Monument all took decades
the outcome being that peoples lives are
What followed was a rollercoaster of from conception to completion.
permanently changedall for the better,
highs and lows, described in the book Today, even on a blustery winter day,
said Van Beck.
To Heal a Nation, which Scruggs co- tourists from all over the world, young and
Mr. Scruggs is one of those special
wrote with Joel L. Swerdlow. Scruggs and old, walk down to the memorial. They read
people, and it is a credit to the work
a gradually growing group of believers the names; they touch the names. They gaze
of the ICCFA leadership that they
tackled everything involved in making a into the reflective black granite, mesmerized
selected him for this singular honor. No
privately-funding memorial on a prime spot by its beauty or deep in reflection or
question, monuments and memorials aid
on the National Mall a reality. remembrance. Some leave giftsa photo, a
in a communitys hold on the ethic of
Those tasks included fundraising in the medal, a flower, a poem.
reverence for the dead.
days long before internet platforms such as National Park Service volunteers walk
Monuments such as the Lincoln
GoFundMe existed, getting site approval, over to groups of tourists and offer to
Memorial, the Washington Monument,
soliciting designs, selecting and defending answer questions about the memorial. Many
Mount Rushmore and the Vietnam Wall
the design, handling construction challenges people dont know the story of how and why
all are successful efforts to give voice to
and figuring out how to get and keep it was built, but they are drawn to it, to those
the emotions of hundreds of thousands of
decision-makers on their side. beautiful black, reflective panels covered in
people. Mr. Scruggs is in a league all of
Despite all of this, the Vietnam Veterans names, telling a story of loss and sacrifice,
his own. r
Memorial was built in record time, partly of dedication to country and to comrades.
because of the privately raised funds and Journalist Gustav Nieburh, son of
partly because Congress approved a prime theologian Reinhold Nieburh, wrote in
site next to the Lincoln Memorial early a 1994 article in The New York Times
on. Groundbreaking took place on March about the Vietnam Veterans Memorials
26, 1982, just three years after Scruggs transformation into something like a sacred
came up with the idea. In contrast, the FDR shrine. The way people approach the

58 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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 M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N

It is a place for people. You can feel alone or linked as never before with the people you love.
You can feel uncomfortable or exhilarated. The memorial dictates nothing.
from To Heal a Nation, by Jan C. Scruggs and Joel L. Swerdlow

Above and below, people touching The Wall, either to make a connection with a particular person whose name is engraved on
one of the panels or to experience the power of the memorial through touch as well as sight.

memorial, the way they leave gifts, is similar
to the way people behave at holy sites such
as Lourdes, he wrote.
After the memorial was built, Scruggs
continued raising money for the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Fund (www.vvmf.org),
with the goal of providing an endowment
to maintain the memorial. The organization
is also collecting the photos and stories
behind the more than 58,300 names on the
memorial, and plans to build an education
center near The Wall.
The VVMF recently announced that as
the memorials 35th anniversary began in
2017, it had reached a milestone: 50,000
photos have been collected for its Wall of
Faces. That virtual wall, and the names of
those whose photos are still being sought,

60 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

After a few minutes, one of the students decided that the way to build a memorial would be
to cut open the earth and to have stone rise up as part of the healingsomething that would be like
two hands opening to embrace people.from To Heal a Nation, by Jan C. Scruggs and Joel L. Swerdlow,
describing Yale student Maya Lins inspiration for the winning design
can be seen at www.wvmf.org/wall-of-faces.
Since retiring from that organization
in 2015, Scruggs has turned his efforts to
raising money for a proposed Global War on
Terror Memorial, on whose board he serves.
ICCFA Magazine talked to Scruggs, who
will receive the 2017 ICCFA Educational
Foundations Lasting Impact Award at the
ICCFA Convention & Expo in Nashville,
Tennessee, on April 6, about the work
involved in getting the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial built, the meaning of the
memorial, the traveling replicas of The
Wall and the cemetery and funeral industry.
I read To Heal a Nation, the book you
co-wrote with Joel Swerdlow. We all know
the memorial was in fact built, so I was
surprised that it read almost like a thriller
that keeps you turning the pages to see
whats going to happen next.
It was truly a high-wire act. There were a
lot of moving parts, and the effort became a
part of a very big, ugly national controversy
from coast to coast, involving Congress,
the Reagan administration, the National
Security Council. We traveled an amazing
rough-and-tumble road to get it built.
It was my research on post-traumatic
stress disorder that led to the Vietnam
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
Veterans Memorial. The idea for the
memorial was that this would be a place
where the veterans of Vietnam could get
societal acknowledgement of their service
and sacrifices.
In graduate school, I studied the work
of Carl Jung, who believed that we live in a
world where we are all part of a collective.
We have collective psychological states,
things we all feel, that we all agree on.
A small example would be if a city like
Cleveland, Ohio, wins the Super Bowl,
everyone in Cleveland is very excited.
In regard to the war in Vietnam, my
theory wasand I was right about thisthat
though it was a controversial war that not
everyone agreed with, the one thing people
could agree on was that the Americans who
died there deserved recognition.
The point was to use the names of the
fallen soldiers as the central focus of the
memorial. And the design by Maya Ying Lin
was magnificent.
Your initial reaction to her design when
the judging was taking place made me
smile, because I probably would have
had the same reaction. I think its very
difficult to envision the end result from the
two-dimensional drawing she submitted.
You thought it looked like a big bat with
In this early morning view of The Wall,
taken from the east end, its easier to
see why the two-dimensional sketch
submitted by Maya Lin made it hard
to imagine the impact the memorial
would have once it was in place and
people could walk up to it. Her design,
done as a college class assignment for
which the A-student received a B, was
one of 1,421 entries received and was
the unanimous choice of the selection
panel, but drew controversy from some
quarters. The goal had been to select
something that made no political state-
ment about the Vietnam War, but some
critics felt it in fact made a negative
statement about it. The black gash
of shame may have been the most
memorable epithet hurled at the design
(by someone whose design was not
chosen). But once the panels covered
with names started going up and people
were able to see and touch the memo-
rial, the criticism faded away.
outstretched wings, or a boomerang.
Well, I kept my opinion to myself. But I was
aware that if I felt that way, other people
were probably going to feel that way, too.
And flowing from that came this huge
national design controversy.
I actually changed my mind about the
design as we continued to study it and were
finally able to picture it as the months went
onthe height and length of it, and the
most important part, the actual construction
material, the highly polished granite.
Because its black and highly polished, it
becomes a mirror. You can see the reflection
of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln
Memorial. You can see your face reflected
in the names of the fallen. Thats part of the
magic of the memorial.
And the brilliance of the design was from
Maya Lin. She felt it was integral to the
success of the memorial to have the names
engraved in chronological order instead of
alphabetical order.
In Vietnam, on January 21, 1970, I was
cleaning my gun or something and I heard
this big explosion. A dozen guys had come
back from an operation and mortar rounds
went off in a truck. I ran over, other guys ran
over. I was the first guy there, and I found
guys on fire, guys with arms and legs blown
March-April 2017 61

The three-quarters
sized replica of the
Vietnam Veterans
Memorial constructed
for Service Corpora-
tion International.
SCIs replica is one of
several trucked around
the country and set
up in cemeteries and
other locations so that
people who are unable
to travel to Washing-
ton, D.C., can share
in the experience of
seeing The Wall.
off, one guy with his brains hanging out.
Carnage.
The truck was on fire so we grabbed fire
extinguishers and starting pulling guys away
from the truck. We tried, but they all died.
When I go to the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, I see all their names, the names
of the men who died that day, right next to
each other. It kind of takes me back. Thats
the brilliance of the memorial for those of us
who were in Vietnam.
Has the memorial done what you wanted
it to do?
Its far exceeded what I wanted it to do. My
focus was very narrow: That the Vietnam
veterans deserved this and it would help
them feel better about their service.
But very quickly, within several years of
being built, the memorial became a national
icon, an international icon. You can go
anywhere, from Paris to Beijing, and people
know about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
It became an internationally famous
American work of art.
It was designed as the wall that
heals, but as time went on, the memorial
evolved into a major tourist attraction and a
significant educational device.
I find it fascinating that there are several
replicas of the memorial that people take
around the country on trucks.
I was going to ask you if you know about
those.
I do. The memorial foundation has one. And
theres one in Texas thats three-quarters
sized.
That one was built by Service Corpora-
tion International, a cemetery/funeral
company. It was transported around the
country for more than 20 years. (Its now
62 ICCFA Magazine
M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
at the National Infantry Museum in Fort
Benning, Georgia, for a five-year stay.)
Cemeteries would host it and people who
might never get a chance to go to D.C.
and see the original could come and see
the replica. I wondered what you thought
about this.
I was involved with helping SCI on that and
I keep in touch with a couple of good friends
from SCI. So yes, I think having the replicas
is a good thing.
What surprised you the most as you and
the other volunteers were working to get
the memorial approved and built?
We had overwhelming congressional
support to get this site (on the National
Mall)that was surprising.
We thought this would be divisive, and
we expected to have major opposition from
the left, from the anti-war people. But in
fact, we really had no opposition from them.
I wasnt particularly surprised at the
support, which was overwhelming, from
corporations, the major labor unions and
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American
Legion.
Where it all fell apart was once we
announced the design and it became a major
controversythats when we had a lot of
difficulties. There were editorials, stories
in The Wall Street Journal, The New York
Times, the National Review.
The memorials design had turned into
a kind of Rorschach inkblot test. People
would read into the design things that were
not there. Thats what people do in the
Rorschach test. Its just an inkblot; you tell
the psychiatrist what you think it is.
There were peopleprimarily people
who were obsessed with defending the
warwho felt the memorial should honor
not only the veterans, but also the cause of
fighting Communism in Asia, who wanted
the memorial to be the final word on the
wisdom of our nations involvement in
Vietnam.
But we got it built, and it has had a
far greater impact than was originally
envisioned. Its used as an educational
device in a very broad and significant way.
For example, I was there recently and saw
a group of schoolchildren from Arkansas.
The teacher had had them do research on the
casualties from their town, and they brought
a little wreath to honor those soldiers.
What do you say to people who question
spending money on a memorial? Not
necessarily this one, but say the Global
War on Terror Memorial or any kind
of memorial, who argue that the money
should go to VA hospitals or some other
services for vets?
Look at cemeteries. Families go to see
where their parents, or grandparents, maybe
even great-grandparents are buried. This is
something really important for them; its a
spiritual place.
On a national level, the government
spends billions of dollarstens of billions,
hundreds of billionson the VA hospital
system, on bombers, on armies. Theres
plenty of money out there for all of that.
These memorials, whether its the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial or the
Global War on Terror Memorial are, like
the memorials in cemeteries, permanent.
Theyre permanent reminders of a historic
event, of the bravery of our soldiers and the
men and women who fight for our country.
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 M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N

Above and left, a statue of three soldiers by well known sculptor Frederick Hart
was placed across from The Wall as a concession to critics of Maya Lins uncon-
ventional design. The addition of the figures, as well as a flagpole flying the Ameri-
can flag, upset Lin, who skipped the groundbreaking for the memorial. A statue
honoring the women who served in Vietnam was added in 1993.

So theyre worth the money spent on them.
Where does the work on the War on Global
Terror Memorial stand?
Legislation is moving nicely through the
House and Senate. We should have the
design and a site within 18 months, and
hopefully well have this built within, I
would say, five years.
I was not aware of how long it had taken
to get the FDR Memorial done. That made
it seem even more amazing how quickly,
relatively speaking, the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial was built. Nevertheless, there
were a lot of ups and downs in the process,
one step step forward, two steps back. How
did you persevere through all that? Was
there ever a point when you thought the
memorial wasnt going to get built, or you
just got tired of all the difficulties?
The only way you can do something like
this is to make it your central focus in life.
Its got to be the reason you were born. I
became very much obsessedI think we all
did, my little staff, our board of directors.
No matter what price we would have to pay,
no matter how influential the people might
be we would have to fight, we were going to
do it. And thats exactly what we did.
Its true, if you look at the most recent
memorials in Washingtonthe Martin
Luther King Memorial, the World War II
Memorialit takes a decade or more to
get them done. But theyve also changed
the rules since we built the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. We circumvented the
entire bureaucracy and outsmarted them,
basically, by developing legislation which
designated a site.
The precedent that had been followed
for 100 years before that was for the
secretary of the Department of the Interior
to designate a site. All those Civil War
memorials in Washingtonits always
some guy on a horse or standing near a
cannonare all on sites selected by the
secretary of the Department of the Interior.
We turned everything on its head, and
once we got the memorial built, they
changed the Commemorative Works Act
to make sure that another group of people
like us didnt come in and steamroll
everybody, which is kind of what we
ultimately had to do.
(The 1986 Commemorative Works
Act was passed at least partly in reaction
to the success of Scruggs and his group
in bypassing the federal bureaucracy and
getting Congress to authorize a specific
site for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It
requires prior approval from the National
Capital Memorial Advisory Commission for
construction of commemorative works on
the National Mall.)
When were you able to finally breathe
a sigh of relief? I laughed when I read
about how you were worried that Interior
Secretary James Watt would try to halt
construction. You asked the guy who was
working the bulldozer if he knew what it
looked like when a B-52 strafed an area
and he said, Yeah, and you said, I
want you to make this look like that, so
that if they try to come and stop us, they
wont be able to, because itll already be
too far gone.
Yes, there were powerful people involved
in opposing us. But once we got the first
panel of names in placeI was there with
Congressman John Murtha (a supporter)
we knew that they couldnt stop it anymore.
That was in July of 1982.
By then, the opponents were running
out of steam, and while they were wasting
their time messing with us, what they didnt
notice is that every day we were putting
more panels up. We did what we had to do
and we got it builtand now I get awards.
When you visit the memorial, what are
your thoughts? How do you react to it?
What I enjoy is just kind of eavesdropping
and listening to peoples reactions. I like
being with the volunteer guides, the very
dedicated people who spend a lot of time
there. Theyre the ones who really make the

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 M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
Its bipartisan co-sponsors included Republican Barry Goldwater, who ran for president in 1964 as a hawk, and
Democrat George McGovern, who ran for the nations hightest office as a dove in 1972. All would be endorsing
the belief that Vietnam veterans could be honored without commenting on Americas Vietnam policy; the
warrior could be separated from the war.from To Heal a Nation, by Jan C. Scruggs and Joel L. Swerdlow
The names on The Wall are in chronologi-
cal order by date of casualty, starting with
1959 in the center of the wall and moving
west, then to the east end and back to the
center, ending with 1975. Printed registries
help people locate specific names.
memorial work. sociological or anthropological precedent
Its a fascinating place to see and for this in the United States. If you travel to
appreciate America. When you come to Asia, you'll see the little Buddhist shrines
Washington, there are a couple of places that in front of peoples homes, and people will
tell you something about our country that leave offerings of fruit in there for their
you dont learn from watching the news, ancestors. But in America theres no real
which is that people actually get along precedent for this.
pretty well in this country. When you go to Hundreds of thousands of items have
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, you see been left at the memorial; every five or six
people from every background, every social years the nature of the things left changes.
class and every degree of education or lack One of the famous items left at the wall was
thereof, and they get along nicely. a Medal of Honor left by a Catholic priest
And people are always very respectful at (Charlie Liteky) who received the medal
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial because of in Vietnam and later became an antiwar
the sacredness of these names. activist.
Gustaf Neihbur compared the Vietnam Some of the items are very personal ones
Veterans Memorial to the Gettysburg commemorating an event, a life and death.
battlefield. There was a point in time in One guy left a watch with a long message
the 1920s and 30s when Gettysburg was explaining its significance. It was in memory
a sacred place, a holy place, where the of a guy in his platoon who had been very
survivors of the Civil War, as few as they disorganized and was always leaving his
were, and other Americans went. watch somewhere. He was killed at 1:07
Did all the mementos that people leave at p.m., and so his friend left a watch stopped
the memorial surprise you? at 1:07 p.m.
Leaving these things helps people move
Well, first of all, theres really no
on, so its good.
68 ICCFA Magazine
Has anyone ever asked you something
about the memorials message that you
couldnt answer, or that surprised you?
Usually people pretty much ask the expected
questions. But one time, I was with one of
the traveling wallsit might have been the
SCI traveling wallspeaking at an event.
There were a lot of children there, and I
was telling them about the wall, how big it
is and so forth. This little girl said, I have
a question: Were any children killed in the
Vietnam War? That was a little much for
me.
A lot of civilians were killed in the
Vietnam war, on both sides. It happens in
every war.
But overall, the memorial is patriotic and
thoughtful. And the architecture itself helps
you emotionally understand the enormity
of the sacrifice that the U.S. soldiers made
in the Vietnam War. It was a long war, it
was divisive and it did not turn out the
way people had planned for it to turn out.
Nothing quite worked.
But what did work was that the veterans
did what was asked of them, and they have
the respect of the nation for their service.
Something else I might mention is that
I was appointed by President Obama to
the Selective Service Appeals Board. The
agency that runs the draft still exists.
Thats one thing thats different today.
There was a draft during Vietnam, while
todays soldiers are volunteers. A lot of
people dont know anyone in the service.
We didnt have the draft in 1861, either.
Things can change very quickly. A volunteer
army is efficient and effective, but from
time to time things change. Pearl Harbor
happens and all of a sudden youre in a
major war and the volunteer army doesnt
work anymore. Thats why the Selective
Service System exists; its kind of the fire
extinguisher by the door.
What kind of feedback you do you get from
people who didnt serve or have family
members who served in Vietnam?
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial differs
from other great works of art such as the
Eiffel Tower or the pyramids of Egypt in
that you have to get really close to it, and
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you have to touch it.
That sort of brings you
into it.
When Im there,
usually about 600 to
1,000 people come
to see the monument
every hour. Out of
that number maybe
three will be Vietnam
veterans. The rest are
tourists. Some my
age will remember
someone who served
and look for their
names. And for
family members,
the memorial is as
important as the burial
place, because you
see not only his name Looking east from near the center of The Wall toward the Washington Monument.
but the names of the The Lincoln Memorial is much closer to The Wall, on the west side.
people who were with
him when he died.
The people who werent affected by the
Vietnam War see those who were. Its a
place where they can feel a connection.
The Vietnam veterans are starting to get
a little long in the tooth, so people have
been raising money so they can come to
Washington and see the memorial. These
honor flights used to be just for World
War II veterans, but now youre seeing
them for Vietnam veterans.
How often do you get down to the
Memorial?
I've been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
thousands of times, because I used to work
in Washington and I was there almost every
day. Now that Im retired (I live 30 miles
from downtown Washington), I go there
every couple of weeks or so, usually to
meet a journalist. So I dont go as much as I
used to, but I need a break at this point. Its new group of veterans would call a press
been a long career.
What can you tell me about the educa-
tional center for the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial?
Its a good idea, and theyre $100 million
short. Im not involved with it that much
anymore, but Im hoping theyll be able to
raise the money.
What was the most satisfying thing about
working on the project?
I think its knowing that I had an ideakind another.
of a crazy ideaand got people together
70 ICCFA Magazine
M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N
there was another
problem: Nobody
had ever put
58,000 names on a
monument before.
We found out that if
we had every stone
carver in the United
States strapped to
The Wall, it would
still take years to do
it. So we had to find
someone to develop
a technology that
would get this done.
And we were
able to do that.
Some guys out
of Tennessee,
Binswanger Glass
Co., came up with
a way of sort of
using photographic
and we fought for it and now there it is, and negatives with the names on them, and then
its permanent. Having a historical impact using a special technique with some sort of
on the nationtheres nothing you can ground-up materials they would shoot onto
compare it to. the pieces of granite and keep the names
I was talking to John McCain a couple of very consistent.
years ago, and he said, You know, Scruggs, The names are .52 inches in height and
I wish I had done something like you did. all about the same width. The human eye
At least people would remember me after I can notice 3/1000ths of an inch difference
die. I kind of laughed. on the memorial, so adding new names,
What was the most frustrating thing about which happens every year, has to be
getting the memorial built? carefully calibrated. A lot of work went
We had some powerful members of into the memorial beyond fighting the well-
Congress turning against us, and major meaning but misdirected opposition.
publica tions saying the memorial had to be And now you get awards. What did you
stopped. Accusations were made that the think when (Educational Foundation
design competition jury had Communist President) Jim Price approached you about
involvement. It was crazy; it was like we receiving the Lasting Impact Award?
were reliving the McCarthy era, re-fighting I thought it made sense. The cemetery and
the Vietnam War over the design. funeral industry is a very important one in
There was a surprise every day: A this country. Everybody has friends and
relatives who have died, and everybody will
conference. A congressman would put die. But when people die, they live on in our
something into the Congressional Record. hearts.
People were coming at us with both barrels.
The industry provides an appropriate
I just dont know how to express or sendoff to people, a nice funeral or memorial
explain the amount of psychological stress service, a gravepermanent reminders of
something like this puts you under for an these people who were and are in our lives.
extended period of time. You just kind of put And so thats not different from what we
your helmet on and keep marching forward. did with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Thats all I remember. All of the people memorialized died as a
The book did a good job of conveying that. result of one specific, extended incident,
It seemed like it was just one thing after the Vietnam War, and we brought them all
together on this national memorial.
Yeah, there was the opposition. And then Your industry does the same thing on an
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 M E M O R I A L I Z AT I O N

Im happy to give a nice shout-out to everybody whos involved in the

funeral home/cemetery industry, because they perform an important public service
for the nation and for the survivors of those who have passed on.Jan C. Scruggs

A visitor stretches to take a photo of a name etched high on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Even in winter, The Wall draws
crowds. In the background, part of the Lincoln Memorial is visible.

individual basis, and thats a pretty fantastic
thing. And its important, and people have to
understand, too, that what theyre doing is
important.
I'm happy to give a nice shout-out to
everybody whos involved in the funeral
home/cemetery industry, because they
perform an important public service for the
nation and for the survivors of those who
have passed on.
Have you given any thought to your own
individual memorialization?
Yes, I want to be buried at Arlington
Cemetery. There was a guy in my unit
named Charles Fink who became a Catholic
priest after the Vietnam War. He wrote
this fantastic poem called Bury Me with
Soldiers.
Its a dramatic poem about how he didnt
really like half the people he served with in
Vietnam, and he didnt like being over there.
But, he said, when he dies, he has to be
buried with them. Bury me with soldiers.
For me, Arlington will be just fine. I'm
67, so Ive got another, I dont know, 15,
20 years left. I will continue to be involved
with some important projects. But when I
go, I think thats where I want to be. I was
very lucky to find the perfect wife, so well
be buried together in Arlington one of these
daysbut not anytime soon.
Do you have any message for the veterans
of our more recent wars?
Well, the good news for these guys is that
people do appreciate their service. Theyre
not being castigated for taking part in these
wars. They need to be proud of their service
and take care of the ones who have come
back injured or who are looking for a job.
I dont know if Jim mentioned it to you, but
one of the people (Gino Merendino) who
donates to the Educational Foundation for
scholarships makes a big effort to recruit
at veterans fairs, and he gave money for
a scholarship specifically for a veteran to
attend our educational programs.
Perfect. Thats exactly the sort of thing that
needs to be done. I think youll find a lot of
veterans who would be good at working in
the cemetery and funeral industry.
Ill bet you have a lot of military veterans
who are involved already. In the military,
youre always going to another funeral as a
color guard or something like that.
Commemorating a life is part of the
military experience. Especially with the
wars we have now, which are ongoing. r

72 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 IN THE DEATHCARE INDUSTRY

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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 73

by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.

M A N A G E M E N T / S E R V I C E T O FA M I L I E S

The professional jargon and business terms that you might use
when talking to others on the funeral home staff can make a bad
impression on your families and members of the public. Consider
rewording these sentences you might say without thinking.

Watch your words: The importance

of semantics in funeral service
Editors note: This article is excerpted funeral homes in a company. The caller
from Dr. Wolfelts book, Funeral Home asks if the funeral home is handling so and
Customer Service A-Z. sos service. The staff member says, That

drwolfelt@centerforloss.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
Dr. Wolfelt is a respected author,
educator and consultant to funeral service.
He advocates for the value of meaningful
funeral experiences in his death education
workshops across North America each
year.
He conducts an annual training
program on the WHY of the funeral for
funeral directors in Fort Collins, Colorado.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
Dr. Wolfelts annual training program
on the WHY of the funeral will be June
12-14, 2017, in Fort Collins, Colorado. For
more information or to receive a descriptive
brochure, call the Center for Loss at
970.226.6050, email Dr. Wolfelt directly or
go to the website for information about this
program or others being held at different
locations.
www.centerforloss.com
H
ave you ever noticed the power
of words? Well-chosen words
give structure to an entire chain
of experiences. To insiders, certain terms
may seem completely neutral, but when
it comes to your publics perception of
funeral service, stay alert.
Lets look at a few examples:
In taking information from a family
member, a funeral service staff member
inquires: Where is the deceased now? or,
worse yet, Where are the remains now?
The person has just experienced the
death of a family member. He or she is
often in shock and hasnt even started
to absorb the reality of what the death
means. Using terms like the deceased is
not only impersonal and crude, but it also
doesnt assure the family member that the
funeral home will carefully take care of the not a funeral home that serves families.
precious body of someone they have loved.
Instead, funeral service team members
should say your mother or whatever
term best captures the family members
relationship to the person who died.
*****
In arranging the time of the service with emphasizes the importance of numbers,
the family, the director says, We have
an opening at 2 p.m. This terminology
makes it sound like your funeral home
has to squeeze the family being served in
between other appointments.
When your schedule is busy, try some-
thing like, Would it be convenient for the
service to be held at 2 p.m.? Of course,
when you dont have other services
scheduled, allow the family to suggest
what would be best for them.
*****
A phone call comes to one of four
lady is not at this branch.
Remember, you have funeral homes
or chapels, not branches or facilities. A
branch is something a bank has. Dont
make it sound like you represent a large,
impersonal company.
*****
In talking during visitation hours with
a family member, a staff person mentions,
We have three other cases in the funeral
home right now.
The word cases is impersonal, cold and
distant. Instead, refer to other services or
families we are serving.
A similar example is when a funeral
director announces during a clergy break-
fast, Im sorry, but because of our busy
caseload, some of our staff couldnt be
here. Never use the word caseload. It
makes it sound like you work in a factory,
*****
When explaining the funeral homes
schedule of services to a visiting clergyper-
son, a staff member says, We have three
calls on the board right now.
Calls on the board is impersonal and
not people.
*****
A visitor comes through the door of
the funeral home and asks if you have Mr.
Jones. The staff person says, Oh, hes
down in number five.
When talking to family members, try
not to refer to your visitation rooms just
by number. A more appropriate response
would be to say, Yes, let me show you the
room, then walk the visitor to the room,
making him feel welcome.
Better yet, on the way, introduce

74 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 MANAGEMENT/
S E R V I C E T O FA M I L I E S

yourself and find out who he or she is.

This is not only an opportunity to make
guests feel welcome, but to begin to build
relationships with them.
*****
In responding to a clients question
about how busy the funeral home is, a staff
member says, Well, we do about 300 a
NGL evolves
with you.
year.
It is easy to understand why a layperson
would perceive this as an insensitive
remark. A preferred response would be,
We are honored to serve around 300
families each year.
*****
Someone calls to learn if you are
serving a particular family. The staff
person answers, No, our competitor has
that one. The word competitor is not
one you should use when speaking to the
public. Many people dont even understand
what you mean when you say it.
Instead, if you know who is serving
the family, tell them and offer to give
directions if necessary. If you dont know,
offer to try to find out and call them back.
*****
In talking to a visitor to the funeral
home, a staff member says, We have
been working aggressively to increase our Theres no denying the funeral industry is changing.
market share in recent years. We project
a 10 percent increase in volume annually Future success will be determined by an ability to evolve
over the next five-year-period. an ability to adapt to the changing needs of consumers.
These words, in this context, make you
sound like a businessperson who is more NGL has thrived through change these past 100+ years
concerned about numbers than serving and will continue to evolve with you and your business.
families. Keep these kinds of comments
behind closed doors. Together we can illuminate your future success.
*****
You can probably think of other words
or phrases (like bottom line) that can give
clients the wrong impression of your Evolve with NGL.
funeral home. Please e-mail your examples
to me (drwolfelt@centerforloss.com) when Call today to be introduced to your local NGL product provider.
you get a chance. 888.239.7047 www.nglic.com
You may also want to have a staff
meeting to review the above examples.
I would also suggest that everyone in
funeral service try to ease up on the use of
industry jargon, even when talking behind
the scenes with coworkers. That way you
wont be as likely to use that language
unconsciously when you are speaking with Insurance provided by National Guardian Life Insurance Company. National
families you serve or the people in your i n i n nc om n i no li wi i n i n nc
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 75

by ICCFA Magazine columnist
Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
vanbeck@
guptoncollege.edu; Everybodys talking at us, all the time. Many people have forgotten
toddvanbeck@
gmail.com the value of silence. Certainly it has a place during funeral and
ICCFA Magazine cemetery arrangements. Then there are the times its a problem.
author spotlight
Van Beck is one Interpreting and reacting to silence is a skill arrangers must learn.
of the most sought-
after speakers and
educators in funeral
service.
The keys to service:
He is the director of continuing educa-
tion for John A. Gupton College, Nashville,
The sound of silence
E
Tennessee.
www.guptoncollege.edu
very day we hear many people learn to differentiate between silences, to
Van Beck is dean of ICCFA Universitys talking. In fact, it seems a safe appreciate and react to them differently,
College of Funeral Home Management observation to assert that talking but this is an acquired skill, and
and received the ICCFA Educational
people, nonstop-talking people, are unfortunately some never do acquire it.
Foundations first ever Lasting Impact
literally everywhere. They talk every
Award in 2014.
minute of every hour and they never stop. The different kinds of silence
If you stop and think about it, the There are, as mentioned before, different
f
Like Todd Van Beck
on Facebook today! existence of people who talk nonstop is kinds of silence.
a new phenomenon in life. Never before,
Pausing to sort out thoughts. For
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR in preliterate or literate society, has it
example, there is the silence of a client
been possible for human beings to talk
Van Becks book family member who may require us to
constantly, everywhere, with no end.
Reverence for the Dead: be quiet so that they (and we) can sort
Because of this cultural addiction to
The Unavoidable Link, out thoughts and feelings. Respect,
addresses in detail the talking, bringing up the value of silence
understanding and tolerance for this
ethical standards of car- might strike many as odd. What can a
silence is more beneficial than any words
ing for the dead and the person possibly find valuable in silence,
from the funeral/cemetery professional.
ethical consequences of and how in the world does this apply to
Should the silence endure, we may
not doing so. our profession?
want to interject a brief remark to help this
www.amazon.com There are many kinds of silences.
person go on. People can get lost in silence
Given our current penchant for engaging
and will actually appreciate this gesture
in constant talking, silences usually make
Van Becks new book on our part as being a good indication of
The Story of Crema- people uncomfortable, so people eliminate
a possible way out and also that we were
tion, walks the reader that discomfort by talking, whether they
paying close attention.
through the history of have something to say or not.
cremation, its historical Here is an example of being uncomfor- Having an emotional reaction.
uses to its use today. It table with silence. My experience has Occasionally a silence arises the cause
concludes with a discus- been that most beginning (newly licensed) of which is quite clear to the funeral
sion of the downsides of funeral/cemetery interviewers find professional. The client family may have
cremation.
silence difficult to bear, if not downright related something so heartwarming, so
www.amazon.com
intolerable. tragic, so shocking or so frightening that
They innocently seem to think that if a everyone in the room feels the need to
moment of silence occurs, they are at fault absorb it in silence, and this is indeed the
and the lapse should be remedied at once. appropriate thing to do.
They ought to be saying something, and If, after such a silence, the client
something profound, at that! family still finds it difficult to continue,
They regard silence as a breach a comment such as, It must have been a
of professional etiquette that must be heartwarming experience for you or I
corrected on the spot. Motivated as dont know what to say, I am so terribly
they are because they dont want to feel sorry will often help them pick up the
uncomfortable, they many times end up thread of conversation again.
talking too much. I know this happened to
Being confused. Another cause of
me in my early years.
silence is confusion. A given situation
In time, most funeral interviewers

76 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 77

 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The truth is, no matter how easy we intend to make it, the funeral interview
can be a daunting experience. In these cases, the shorter the silence the better, lest confusion
compound confusion. You, as the funeral/cemetery professional, will have to act to alleviate the
tension in a manner appropriate to the situation and to your own appraisal of it.
may be confusing to the client family. This
can easily happen in our profession. We
contend with endless forms, numbers and
more numbers, new people, new places,
deadline notifications, difficult decisions.
The truth is, no matter how easy we
intend to make it, the funeral interview
can be a daunting experience. In these
cases, the shorter the silence the better, lest
confusion compound confusion.
You, as the funeral/cemetery profes-
sional, will have to act to alleviate the
tension in a manner appropriate to the
situation and to your own appraisal of it.
Here are a couple of examples you
might find helpful: What I said just
now about the certified copies of the
death certificate seems to have caused
confusion. This alone may be sufficient
to nudge the family into putting their
concerns into words.
If not, you might add, What I meant
was and then rephrase your statement.
Most likely this will elicit a response.
In any case, a confused silence on
the part of the client family requires
immediate action on the part of the funeral
professional.
Resisting your efforts. The silence of
client resistance is something else again.
The client family may be silent because
they are resisting what they consider
to be intrusive probing or perceived
or real pressuring on our parts. Some
client families may see in you and me an
authority figure to be opposed or avoided
(most funeral professionals have certainly
encountered this).
The funeral professional may well find
this type of silence the hardest to deal
with because he or she may feel rejected,
opposed and thwarted. If the funeral/
cemetery director is addicted to being
accepted, well-liked and popular with
every single human being on earth, this
type of silence can be torture.
A case study: For several years in my
career I was employed by a wonderful
funeral director named John B. Turner
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John and I
became good friends, and I have cherished
78 ICCFA Magazine
his memory over the long veil of time. We
served approximately 800 families a year.
With so many families to serve, it
became an ingrained habit of doing arrange-
ments the Turner way, which meant
taking vital statistics, setting up service
times and selling merchandiseyou
know, the old A, B, Cs of making funeral
arrangements.
One day, I went into the office to start
making arrangements with a family. I
remember that five people were sitting
in the room. I sat down, did my standard
preliminaries and started on the vital
statistics.
What was your mothers full name?
I asked. Dead silence. All five of them
simply stared off into space. I thought,
Well, here we go once again. I told
them that this might have been a difficult
question (their mothers name!), and we
would come back to it later.
I then asked, When was your mother
born? Again they said nothingabsolute
silence. My next thought was, You are in
a pickle, Todd!
I had no clue what to do except to just
wing it, make it up as I went along. This
had not been covered in mortuary college!
So I tried saying, I can see that there
is a problem. If you wish, I can leave the
room and you can talk it out in private, or
you can come back later, or you can share
your issue with me, or I can ask another
funeral director to come in and serve you.
In my wildest dreams I never thought
they would take me up on my last option
of getting another funeral director, but that
is just what they did. For some reason they
just did not like me. (Unbelievable, I know.)
Their rejection of me almost made me
throw up. I was sick about it for days,
and the other funeral director who ended
up serving them used to walk by me and
whisper, They liked me better than you,
which was absolutely true! As much as his
ribbing stung, it was the gospel truth.
The critical point of this case study
is that their silence was indeed a clear
message directed at me, and I missed it
by being too concerned with getting done
what I wanted done.
I learned some tremendous lessons
from this experience, including that I
had better use open-ended questions and
focus on trust and rapport before doing
anything else, and I cannot be all things to
all people.
If, as a funeral professional, I am
addicted to being well-liked and popular
with every single person, that immature
attitude has doomed me to failing with
many people. Its simply not possible to
be all things to all people, no matter how
good you think you are.
Of course, as all of us know, there are
no easy answers, except for starting out
with each family by establishing trust and
respect and asking them immediately what
is pressing on their minds. This approach
seems to be a safe and sensible way to
proceed.
Searching for what to say. Finally,
there are the brief silences, the short
pauses, during which the client family may
simply be searching for more thoughts and
feelings to express. Therefore, it is best not
to rush, not to interpret a short silence as a
command from above for us to swing into
action, but to quietly wait and be prepared
for what will come.
Usually something will follow these
short thinking silences from the client
family. What it will be, only God knows,
but usually something will be forthcoming.
The value of silence
I have concluded that it is these brief
silences that make the funeral/cemetery
conference so very interesting, because we
never know exactly what our clients are
going to say next. I personally find this the
great unknown challenge in working with
bereaved clients. We just never know what
is going to happen!
Inevitably both the client family and the
funeral professional will sometimes speak
at the same moment, and then both retreat
with apologies and encouragements to the
other to continue. This can be awkward,
and a bit of humor (be very careful with
humor) may assist us.
to page 79
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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from page 78
I am assuming, of course, that we are
interested in listening to the client family
and do not feel that we must have our say
then and in everything later on.
We can interject a short remark, Im
sorry, go ahead. Frequently just a smile
with an encouraging nod will be sufficient.
Or, I was just wondering aloud; what
were you thinking about?
What is interesting to me is that almost
every religious movement in history has
placed a tremendous value on silence. In
fact, some religious teachings emphasize
the idea that if there is too much babbling,
too much chatter, too much interference,
the ability to spiritually connect with the
divine is severely limited.
It seems to me that often when death
occurs, even people who have spent a
lifetime asserting that they have no need
to connect to any spirit turn to silence to
make that connection. In many experi-
ences, silence serves as our spiritual bridge
in life-and- death situations.
We live in a world of clatter. We live in a
world where the clanging gong is nonstop.
We live in a world where we actually
are spellbound by talking heads wearing
cosmetics and reading prepared scripts.
Despite all this, there still exits the
world of the cemetery, the world of the
mortuary, a world not as visible as it once
was, to be sure, but nonetheless still a
presence.
Our world confronts life, but also
honestly confronts death, its reality and
its consequences. Silence holds a valuable
position as one of the keys of service in
our vocation. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 79

by Doug Wagemann, MBA,
CCFE, CFSP
Wagemann with Lady, who comes to the
funeral home most days to comfort
families.
dgwagemann@gmail.com
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
Wagemann is president of Cochrane &
Wagemann Funeral Directors in Roseville
and Cremation Society of Placer County
in Rocklin, California. He began his career
in the funeral service profession in 1973.
He graduated from the mortuary science
program at Cypress College in 1979, then
received a bachelors degree in operations
management from Cal Poly, Pomona, and
M.B.A. from Cal State, San Bernardino.
www.cochranewagemann.com
www.csopc.com
He is a current board member of Sutter
Care at Home, Sutter Roseville Medical
Center Foundation, and served on the
boards of Eskaton Foundation and the Na-
tional Hospice Foundation and the Founda-
tion for Hospice of Sub-Saharan Africa.
MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC
The ICCFA 2017 Convention &
Expo, April 5-8, Nashville, Tennessee, will
include a panel on The hospice perspec-
tiveHow improved understanding can
help you firm better serve families.
www.iccfa.com
80 ICCFA Magazine
HOSPICE
A large percentage of the families you want to serve
will receive hospice services. It follows that having a good
relationship with local hospice(s) is good for business.
You need to understand hospice and know how to build bridges
between your funeral home and this important service.
Developing a relationship
that matters with hospice
Editors note: This article is excerpted
from a presentation made at the 2016
ICCFA Convention & Expo.
I
m going to address what hospice
is and what it isnt, as well as what
we can do collectively to be more
integrative partners with the hospice
organizations in our communities.
Im addressing this because in talking
to hospice administrators and clinicians, as
well as funeral directors around the nation,
one thing has become very, very clear:
We really do not have a true partnership
between funeral service and hospice.
There are perhaps some regional or
community successes scattered here
and there, but we have never had a
collaborative partnership where we
actually sat down and learned what each
other does.
Hospice professionals want to know
what we do, and we want and we need to
know what hospice is doing, particularly
in this era. If I were to put everything Im
going to say in a nutshell, it would be
this: The days of doing outreach by taking
donuts into the hospice office for the
nurses are over. There are several reasons
for that, which Im going to address.
Im going to start by describing the
mechanics of a hospice, what it is, what it
does and does not do and how it functions.
Next, Ill cover some of the latest
hospice statistics and trends in North
America.
Then, Im going to address ways to
develop a collaborative partnership with
hospice. What are they looking for? What
are we looking for?
And finally, I think its important to step
back and review what it actually takes to
develop a relationship. As I said, its not
a matter of taking donuts to the nurses
anymore. Its a lot more sophisticated.
What hospice is
Being an adjunct professor, I always have
to start with a definition. What is hospice?
It comes from the Latin hospes, the same
word from which we get the words hospital,
hospitality and being hospitable.
When a guest comes to your house,
you express hospes. When a family or a
guest comes to your funeral home or office,
you demonstrate hospes. Youre giving
of yourself in a relationship between a
host and guest. Its a caring relationship, a
healing relationship.
Hospice started around the time the
Crusades began. Without going through all
of the history, Im going to go forward 900
years to about 1950 to talk about an English
doctor named Cicely Saunders.
At that time, when you were diagnosed
with a terminal disease, you were put in the
back of the hospital and pretty much left to
die. Cicely Saunders took a special interest
in these patients and started to do research
in how we could take care of terminally ill
people. She was looking into the medical
aspects of death and dying. She created St.
Christopers Hospice.
Meantime, in the 1960s, a Swiss
psychiatrist named Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
was starting to look at the psychological and
social aspects of death and dying.
In the late 1960s, we had one of those
you got your chocolate in my peanut
better moments where everything came
together and what we now know as the
modern hospice movement began in the
United States. From its beginnings in
Massachusetts and Connecticut and then
California, the hospice movement has
continued to grow.
to page 82
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Take as often as you like to reinforce Family Service Opportunities
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 81


Social workers are the people on whom we dont put enough emphasis. Social workers
especially the intake coordinatorsare the ones asking families specific questions such as,
If Mom were to die, whom would you like us to call? That starts the conversation, and maybe
the family says, Oh, we really havent thought about that; whom would you recommend?
from page 80
The actual definition of hospice today:
Hospice is considered the model for quality,
compassionate care for individuals facing
life-limiting illness with a focus on caring,
not curing.
A doctor certifies that a person is eligible
for hospice, is expected to die within six
months. If the patient does not die within
six months, her or she can be recertified for
hospice eligibility.
Theres a belief that hospice is an
absolute death sentence, but sometimes with
all the care and nurturing people get, they
not only stabilize but also improve. Some
people graduate out of hospice.
Nevertheless, the focus is on caring, not
curing. Whats offered is palliative care,
comfort care, support.
Hospice does not hasten deathits
not assisted suicide. It is designed to help
people through the natural transition.
When a person begins on hospice,
medical personnel do an assessment and
put together a care plan. They take care
of pain and anxiety. In fact, if you are a
Medicare-certified hospice organization,
you are legally mandated to control pain
and anxiety to the degree possible within 48
hours.
They take care of the pharmacology,
IV therapy and nutrition. They provide
physical, speech and occupational therapy.
If the patient has had a stroke, theyll
bring in physical, speech and occupational
therapists to help the patient. They will
provide psychological, social and emotional
support.
They will have social workers available.
They will have other types of counselors
who can help the patient and the entire
family through this transition. They
will offer spiritual support and, finally,
bereavement support.
Hospice can be thought of as an inverted
pyramid. At the base is the medical support.
Next is the psychological support, then the
sociological. At the top is spiritual support.
I say inverted pyramid because if
you have not taken care of a patients
pain and anxiety, they are not going to
82 ICCFA Magazine
HOSPICE
be well enough or able to deal with the
psychological issues. And they have to
work through those before they can deal
with the sociological issues, such as family
and friend dynamics.
Once they do that, then they can work
on the spiritual aspects. The definition
of spiritual in this context may or may
not involve religion, but its talking them
through these issues.
Even with hospice involvement, the
family is the major caretaker. My mother
was with hospice, and it was up to our
family to be the main support, bringing in
the appropriate people as needed, depending
on our care plan.
The physician handles the overall care
plan; the nurses are the ones still on the
front lines, going to peoples houses.
But something were seeing today that
we did not see in the past is an emphasis
on productivity, just as with any other
business or profession where money or
funding is involved. It used to be that nurses
would be able to do one or two visits per
day, but thats no longer the case. The nurses
are not spending as much time with patients.
As a matter of fact, most of the hospices
now, particularly the larger ones, or the
for-profit ones, have productivity goals or
objectives that the clinicians must meet. Its
not unusual for nurses or other clinicians
to have to make four or five visits per day.
And, of course, they have to drive from
point A to point B, dealing with traffic.
Once they arrive, sometimes theres
an issue they didnt expect that they
need to deal with. They also have a lot of
paperwork they have to do, in addition to
meeting with patients.
So clinicians are under a lot of stress,
and were seeing some turnover in those
jobs, which is not the way it used to be.
Another thing thats changed is the
technology. Today a lot of monitoring of
vital signs is being done electronically, with
readings sent to a central location.
Hospices are having to be very careful
with how they provide service, because
one of the first things that happened with
the Affordable Care Act was that Medicare
reimbursement was reduced 20 percent, but
they still must maintain their standard of
care.
Spiritual counselors may or may not
come into play with hospice services. The
patient may or may not want a spiritual
counselor, and some of those who do
already have their own.
Historically, funeral directors loved
getting to know the clergy. If a funeral
director could be best friends with the
clergyperson, that was an automatic ticket to
the service. But thats not the way it is now.
Social workers are the people on
whom we dont put enough emphasis.
Social workersespecially the intake
coordinatorsare the ones asking families
specific questions such as, If Mom were to
die, whom would you like us to call?
That starts the conversation, and maybe
the family says, Oh, we really havent
thought about that; whom would you
recommend? The truth is, chances are
good that an answer may be given.
If that person is doing what theyre
supposed to do, they hand the family a sheet
of paper listing all of the available funeral
homes. But you know what the next question
is? I knowIve asked it. Well, if it were
your mother, whom would you select?
That very critical (to us) conversation
happens at intake or very shortly thereafter.
So one of the groups of people we should
be working with at hospice are the social
workers and intake coordinators.
How can we do this? Heres one way:
A lot of times the social workers learn
that when a clinician goes to the house,
especially in the case of an elderly patient,
they open up the fridge and theres no food.
Or maybe the utilities have been cut off.
Maybe the spouse has been going without
food, or doing without lights, and using the
money for medication for their loved one.
The social worker is the one whos going
to be trying to find the resources to help
the family. Why not ask them to call you?
It doesnt necessarily mean that you buy
groceries. Maybe you develop a relationship
with the local food bank, or better yet,
you go to the food bank and take it to the
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clinician or to the house.
Im often asked, of all of the hospice
workers, who is the one you really want to
get to know? Historically, it used to be the
medical personnel, or the chaplains. The
true answer is that everybody is important,
because you never know what influence
each of these people will have on a family.
My next answer is social workers, or
intake coordinators if its a really large
operation.
And you also should think about the
volunteers, people we really dont take
into consideration. If you have a Medicare-
certified hospice, you are required by law
to provide 5 percent of your patient care via
volunteers.
At any given time in the United States,
there are more than 450,000 hospice
volunteers putting in about 21 millions hours
of volunteer time to help families. What a
resourcewhat an opportunity for us.
Just as with any organization,
volunteers come and go. Keeping the
pipeline filled is a big deal for hospice
because of that 5 percent requirement
its critical that they maintain volunteer
participation. If you want to be a hospices
hero, get to know the volunteer coordinator
and be a resource to get volunteers into
hospice.
Do you know what the #1 recruitment tool
for hospice volunteers is? People who have
just lost someone and used hospice. In other
words, the families we serve. So thats an
opportunity for us to partner with hospice to
encourage people to volunteer.
Trends and statistics
Lets talk about some trends. Over the last
few years, we have seen the total number
of hospice patients grow to a total of about
1.5 million patients at year. Hospice-served
deaths account for about 59 percent of all
deaths in the United States each year. That
figure is enough of a reason for us to pay
attention to hospice.
Hospice is a form of palliative care.
Some people argue whether palliative
care and hospice are the same thing. No.
Hospice is only a part of the palliative care
continuum.
One of the most recent trends is that
hospital systems are instituting advanced
illness management programs. They can
be curative, but they really are designed
for patients who are terminal, but not
necessarily within the next six months,
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
HOSPICE
Do you know what the #1
recruitment tool for hospice
volunteers is? People who have
just lost someone and used
hospice. In other words, the
families we serve. So thats an
opportunity for us to partner with
hospice to encourage people to
volunteer.
when people can qualify for hospice.
What happens between that terminal
diagnosis and hospice is advanced illness
management, which does some of the
things were seeing with hospice, such as
clinicians and nurses going to the home.
Part of the reason for that is the Affordable
Care Act, because hospitals do not want
repeat business in their emergency rooms.
Im on the board of a hospital system,
and I know that a test program they did
reduced ER visits by seniors by 54 percent.
A lot of problems were taken care of
proactively, at home. Intensive care unit
days were also reduced by 84 percent. All
of a sudden, the hospital system is a hero to
Medicare because it doesnt have to pay for
more expensive treatment.
Youre going to be hearing more about
advanced illness management programs.
There are about 5,500 hospice agencies
in the United States, ranging from small,
volunteer-run community hospices that
offer families comfort and respite care but
not medical care, to for-profit and large
hospices handling thousands of patients.
Fifty seven percent of the hospices are
free-standing independent agencies, while the
rest are either part of a large hospital system,
homecare agency or a nursing home.
And hospices are divided into three main
categories: nonprofit, for-profit and state
and local government-run.
The latest data indicate that 34 percent
of hospices are still not-for-profit. Sixty
percent are for profit and 5 percent are with
state, federal or local government.
Why is the government involved in
hospice? One, with the aging of America,
state hospitals are allocating some of their
beds for elderly patients who will not be
discharged.
Two, were starting to see more elderly
prison inmates with terminal diseases. The
prison systems are starting small hospices in
their medical facilities, staffed by volunteer
inmates. I had the opportunity to see one in
California, and I was very impressed with
the level of care the prisoners were getting
from fellow inmates.
Were starting to see nonprofit hospices
having talks with for-profits, and a little
bit of consolidation within the for-profits.
In many ways, the situation is no different
from what we see in the funeral business, in
terms of consolidation.
Where do hospice patients die? Sixty-
six percent of them die in what they
consider to be their place of residence,
which could be a private home, a nursing
home or a residential facility. The second
most frequent place is a hospice in-patient
facilitywe do see hospice houses out
there. And then finally acute care hospitals.
Luckily the incidence of hospice deaths
in hospitals is going down, but sometimes
hospice patients fall and break a leg or hip
and have to go to an acute care hospital,
or something else happens that requires
immediate emergency care at a hospital.
And in some cases, when these specific
situations are being taken care of, the
patient dies.
Some acute care hospitals are converting
a few of their beds into palliative care or
hospice beds.
The following point is very important:
Over 35 percent of hospice patients die
within seven days of intake. A great number
of people die within the first month of
hospice care. There are people who die
while still going through the intake process.
This is all despite the fact that terminally
ill people can access hospice for up to six
months.
Why is that? Well, #1, some people
dont know about hospice. In other cases,
the family doesnt want to agree to hospice.
They are in denial; they dont want to face
the facts of their loved ones diagnosis. Some
doctors are not educated about hospice;
March-April 2017 83

Those volunteers all need to have 40 hours of training. Part of that training is learning
about what we do, what options are available to families. What a wonderful opportunity
to offer hospice volunteers a tour of your beautiful facility and talk about what you do.
some dont want to give up any control over
their patients. In some cases, the onset of the
terminal illness is very quick.
Statistics show that 56 percent of hospice
patients are female, though were seeing a
growth in the number of male patients. The
largest growth for hospice is with people
85 and older. Today someone is turning 65
every eight seconds, and the fastest growing
segment is in the 85+ age segment.
Back when hospice was beginning
decades ago, cancer was the #1 cause of
death for hospice patients, but thats not the
case anymore partly because cancer treatment
has come such a long way. Also, with the
aging of America, were seeing a lot more
Alzheimers and other dementia cases, and
thats the way its going to be for a while.
Hospice patients generally are Caucasian.
In some cases, just as with funeral service,
different groups may have different traditions
that come into play and can affect a familys
decision about choosing hospice.
How to partner with hospice
How can a funeral service professional
partner with hospice? One size does not fit
all, but Im going to share ideas to consider.
Become a board member. A hospice
generally has two boards; one is the
operational governance board, and a lot of
hospices have foundations that handle the
philanthropic work, and they are looking for
board members.
You dont have to wait to be asked to
be on a board; ask how you can become
a board member, particularly on the
philanthropic side.
Participate in volunteer training.
Remember those 450,000 volunteers, with
people leaving and others coming in all the
time? Those volunteers all need to have
40 hours of training. Part of that training is
learning about what we do, what options
are available to families. What a wonderful
opportunity to offer hospice volunteers a
tour of your beautiful facility and talk about
what you do.
Participate in joint seminars at senior
facilities. They might want to talk about
hospice and other end-of-life topics such as
health-care directives or Medicare, and you
can talk about funeral service options. Share
84 ICCFA Magazine
HOSPICE
educational materials and resources.
You can also do soft seminars, or
something such as a joint holiday program.
Many people hold joint holiday programs
with hospice. Either you offer to participate
in a program that hospice is holding or you
invite hospice to participate in a holiday
program youre holding.
Become a sponsor of a hospice benefit
theyre always looking for sponsors.
Host appreciation luncheons or
receptions. A lot of us have very nice
reception centers in our places where we
can hold these types of events.
Offer your facility for meetings.
Contract with someone to offer
continuing education to hospice clinicians,
doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers
they all need CEUs. Become the go-to
person for doing this.
Offer special packages for financially
challenged families. Obviously we have
to be careful with this so that it doesnt get
abused.
Attend hospice seminars or
conferences. Have you ever gone to your
state hospice convention or conference?
Youre always welcome. In fact, chances
are youll be welcomed with open arms
and the hospice people will start asking you
questions. I highly recommend doing it. Or,
even better, go as a speaker or exhibitor.
Sponsor a special hospice program
make your donations count. Dont just
donate to be giving something. You know,
the $100 a year donation. If youre going to
donate your hard-earned money, make sure
that its going toward something that youre
going to be recognized for.
Consider in-kind donations. You dont
always have to give money; you can give
of your time, or maybe your staffs time.
If you have some down time, some slow
times at the office, perhaps you can offer to
send employees to help a hospice with some
office work or deliveries.
How to create a good relationship
with hospice
Whom do you call if you want to get
involved with hospice? Call the CEO
or executive directorthats the direct
pipeline. The next person to call would be
the volunteer coordinator.
They would love a phone call from you
where you present them with some ideas of
how you can help them recruit, educate and
retain volunteers.
You can also contact your state associa-
tion and ask how you can help. They have a
lot of committees, and they also need board
members.
What does it take to create a good
relationship with hospice? Building
Relationships 101 is the same thing as
Dating 101. Its the same thing. Frankly, we
tend to forget what it takes to develop and
maintain relationships.
I was talking to a competitor of mine a
couple of weeks ago. He knew I was going
to be addressing this topic, and he said,
Doug, Ive been taking donuts to hospice
and thanking them for the cases theyve
sent us. Ive been doing this every month,
and I havent gotten any increase in cases.
Really? I cant think why. Since hes a
competitor, I said, Take more donuts.
But like I said at the beginning, its not
about donuts anymore.
One thing you have to remember: Any
relationship, whether its with hospice or
your vendors, your families or your own
family and friends, is a marathon, not a
sprint. It takes time; it takes investment.
Give more than you take, consistently.
And dont keep score. If you start keeping
score, if you start having expectations
like, OK, I did this, but I didnt get that,
thats not relationship-building, and people
see right through it. We all see through it
when somebody does it to us, when they
do something for us and then clearly expect
something in return.
Dont participate with an agenda.
Dont make a donation or give a seminar
with the thought that, You know what,
I better get 10 more calls this year.
Participate with a servant spirit.
Mr. Jones, hospice CEO, what can I do
to help you achieve your objectives? What
can I do to help you achieve your mission of
making things better for our families? Please
tell me how I can help. Listen more, talk
less. Remember, I said this was Dating 101.
Do your research before you show up.
Be consistent. Have you ever had
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 HOSPICE
somebody want to do business with you
and for about three months, they were
Timberland Urns
right there? But you werent quite sure, the Wholesale and Custom memorial products;
relationship wasnt quite right, so you didnt designing and manufacturing.
give them your business and after three Unique and affordable memorial urns
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Be a connector. Find out what they
need and then be a connector. For example, customerservice@timberlandurns.com
remember what I said about social workers www.timberlandurns.com
going into a house and finding theres no
food? Yes, you can pull out a $100 bill or
go and buy some food, but why not be the
person who connects hospice and another BuyersGuide/BuyersGuideAds/2015BuyersGuideAds/Timberland_cremurns.indd
wonderful nonprofit group, such as a food
bank or a senior organization that can bring
meals in.
If you do that enough, you become the
go-to person when theres an issue.
Know when to dial it back. Again,
Dating 101. Sometimes we are so obsessed
with getting our way, getting those additional
10 calls or whatever our goal is, we start
forcing ourselves on hospice. If you find
yourself doing that, you need to back off.
Take the hit if you have to. You might
encounter a hospice that has had a bad
experience with a funeral provider and
when you go in, youre going to get hit
with that attitude. Take the hit and move
on. Say that what happened is unfortunate,
its unusual, youre sorry, and explain why
youre different. Even though you didnt
cause the problem, you need to have that
conversation to clear the air so that you can
both move forward.
Start small and build on your
successes.
Check national/state resources.
Funeral service organizations are
partnering with the National Hospice
Foundation, the National Hospice and
Palliative Organization and state hospice
organizations to cross-pollinate resources,
educational venues, magazine articles,
convention exhibits and speakers, and
theyre working together on public policy.
One of the things theyre doing is
creating some marketing and training tools
so theres a consistent message being sent
out to the public regarding hospice and its
people, and a consistent message regarding
funeral service.
Society is placing increasing importance
on compassionate end-of-life care for people.
There is a real opportunity for us to take some
of these ideas and make them work. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 85

by Ann Marie St. George, CPC
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
annie@cffinc.com
1.800.336.1102
St. George is the
New York regional
manager for Coop-
erative Funeral Fund.
She has worked in
the funeral industry
for the past 30 years.
She is also a mortu-
ary officer for both DMORT Region II and
Kenyon International Emergency Services.
Cooperative Funeral Fund Inc. (CFF)
specializes in the management of preneed
and perpetual care fund accounts. CFF
has provided a program for the death
care industry to facilitate the creation,
investment, tax compliance and payout of
funeral trusts since 1989.
www.CooperativeFuneralFund.com
86 ICCFA Magazine
C R E M AT I O N
Cremation is the common change that everyone in the funeral
and cemetery profession needs to address. Approach it with
positive thinking and help families embrace the options it offers.
Please, get out of your own way
W
hile outlining this article prior
to attending this years ICCFA
World Wide Sales (WWS), I
had no idea that I had created the precursor
to what I would experience. This was
my second year at this mind-blowing
conference which has given me so many
ideas to share with all of you. If you have
ever considered attending, I encourage you
to do so. It will change the way you feel
about what you do, and it will energize you
and make you want to be better at what
you do. (Yes, I drank their delicious Kool-
Aid.)
Our industry is changing rapidly, and we
cant afford to not open our eyes, hearts and
minds to these changes. Seminars like the
ones held at this years WWS will give you
that needed leg up. Trust me, you dont want
to be playing catch-up, especially when it
comes to cremation.
Across the death-care profession, crema-
tion is our common change denominator. It
is affecting all of us across the board, and it
is my hope that after reading this article, you
will open yourself to positive thinking when
addressing the ever-increasing cremation
rates.
Remember, it is not going away, rather, it
is fast approaching the norm.
Is cremation affecting your bottom line?
Why? It is only a form of disposition. When a
family tells us they wish to be cremated, why
do we think it is because of a desire to save
money and go right to the direct cremation
option on our GPLs? Is this really fair to our
families?
To help explain the need for each of us
to change our mindset in order to get out of
our own way, I would like to share a very
personal story, about the cremation of my
sister, who died in 1996.
Lisa was the middle child of five in our
Irish-Catholic family. She was born in the
60s. Her life was lived in the 70s, 80s and Pier One. (She died prior to the plethora of
90s, when burial with a two-day wake was
the norm.
Cremation was just starting to become
a blip on the radar for families like ours,
partially due to the change in the Catholic
Churchs view of cremation as an acceptable
practice. Catholics could now be cremated as
long as they were then buried.
During my sisters battle with cancer,
we were able to candidly talk about what
she wanted when she died. Being a unique
person, she wanted a unique funeral. (Sound
familiar? We are seeing more and more of
this perspective today.)
Who are we as funeral directors and
cemeterians to judge what families want? We
need to be open-minded as well as willing to
share with our cremation families ideas and
possibilities about which they may not have
been aware.
When my sister died, my family chose
a full-day closed casket viewing, a church
service the following day with the cremation
to follow. (She died prior to the Catholic
Church allowing cremated remains to be
present for the church service.)
Once we received her cremated remains,
they were taken to the cemetery and
enbencheda word I made up to describe
my moms choice to purchase a bench in the
cemetery to hold my sisters remains, along
with my dads and, many, many, many, years
from now, her own.
Several weeks later we held a party that
served as a fund-raiser for brain cancer. It
featured a band, drinks and food. The event
was held in the main lobby of the Ellicott
Square Building in downtown Buffalo, New
York. My sister had previously worked for
the owner of the building.
Lisa lived more in 29 years than most
people live in 100. If that same event were
held today, it would be called a celebration
of life.
What did we hand out as a remembrance,
you may ask? A tiny portion of her cremated
remains in small bottles purchased from
cremation keepsake product options now
available.) She actually wanted her cremated
remains put into plastic baggies, but I
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 PLEASE CALL FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MONTHLY SPECIALS

The Keepsake Heart

CREMATION

Collection
improvised a little with the miniature genie
bottles.
Since Lisa loved to travel, the people
attending were asked to take her with them TM

on vacation and scatter the remains in their

bottle. Some friends chose to put her in their K EE P S
gardens; a few even keep her on their shelves SAK E PENDAN T
in the offices where they work. The opportunity to choose
A very close friend had just started a
new business where they rolled cremains a Keepsake Pendant
#107GV Small Heart #184YG 14K Puff Heart
into hand-blown-glass, creating beautiful presents itself only once.
globes with the cremated remains suspended The comfort
in a simple ribbon of color. I was her first
customer, purchasing one of every color. a Keepsake Pendant offers,
In addition to keeping a beautiful green- lasts a lifetime.
ribboned globe, I have personally taken and
Booth #931 ICCFA Convention
scattered my sister in more than 15 different
April 5-8, 2017 Nashville, TN
countries. I am still waiting for the day I have #149BZ Floral Heart #111WB Heart
to explain to airport security, No, sir, it is not QUALITY SERVICE and REPUTATION SINCE 1993
hazardous; it is just Lisa in a bottle. 800-788-0807 Fax 608-752-3683 www.madelynpendants.com e-mail orders@madelynco.com
My point here is that cremation is only
a form of disposition. When a family in a
preneed or at-need conference tells us they
want cremation, we should get excited to
share with them all the possibilities and
options available when choosing cremation.
More often than not, our families are not
themselves aware of these options.
In addition to having a variety of product
options such as cremation jewelry available,
we need to search for and find ways to help
families have a personalized cremation
experience.
One of the best ways to learn these
techniques is through attending events like
the WWS, where you can learn to improve
your companys bottom line while better
serving all families, whether they chose
cremation or not.
Talking about final arrangements can be
difficult, whether youre a funeral director
or counselor talking to a family or a family
member talking to someone facing death. It
wasnt an easy conversation to have with my
sister. I prayed every day she would be with
us at least another 50 years.
However, being a funeral director, I knew DESIGN
SPECIALIZING IN

it was a conversation that I had to have. I am

grateful for a family who was open-minded PRODUCTS
and enjoyed love, laughter and uniqueness. VENTILATION
I was fortunate enough to be able to ask
my sister what she wanted, and I was open-
minded enough to help follow through on her
requests.
My only mistake was telling a Catholic
priest that all of her cremated remains were
not at the cemetery (which, it turns out, is 720.583.1886 Visit our idea gallery | duncanstuarttodd.com
required by the church). Oops. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 87

by Glenn H. Gould
ggould@ C R E M AT I O N / T E C H N O L O G Y
mkjmarketing.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight There are good reasons for death-care businesses
Gould is CEO to offer online cremation arrangements, but dont do it until
of MKJ Marketing,
Largo, Florida, which youve carefully thought it out. Doing it right so that it
helps funeral homes
and industry vendors
complements your bricks and mortar business takes planning.
How to build a successful
establish marketing and
advertising plans and
conduct market research.
MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC
online cremation business
I
MKJ Marketings 2017 seminars will
include discussion of the online cremation n recent years, the death-care business
arrangement business. Visit the website for
has gone the way of other industries. As
additional information and seminar dates.
with those providing hotel rooms and
www.mkjmarketing.com
automobiles, the most successful businesses
are those that profitably serve a diverse
customer base. SUVs have become the most
popular vehicle, but customers still purchase
pick-up trucks, sedans and sports cars. Hotel
customers range from those who choose the
Super 8 minimum motel experience to those
who want a Las Vegas luxury hotel with
casino and entertainment.
The baby boom generation has become
the primary death-care consumer. Unlike their
parents, baby boomers are not well informed
about funeral pricing, cremation options and
the differences among a discount funeral
home, a cremation society and a full-service
funeral home.
Contemporary death-care businesses
want and need to serve all segments of their
communities to protect market share and to
secure future business.
The greatest challenge in serving all
segments of a diverse consumer base is to
minimize overhead costs, which is why so
many funeral homes are investing in online
cremation arrangement websites. With so
many cremation arrangement sites active, we
are beginning to see what works, and how
best to market them.
One of the most significant findings is that
the online customer wants to keep it simple;
they purchase the simplest packages.
Because funeral homes are accustomed to
offering ancillary services both to better serve
families and to increase sales and profits,
many initially include additional services and
products on their online arrangement website.
However, making funeral arrangements
online is still a new concept to the consumer,
and the process can be frustrating. Experience
has shown that fewer than 1 percent of online
sales include additional services or ancillary
88 ICCFA Magazine
products, so it is better to limit packages
and add-on options. People who visit online
sites and decide they want more typically
telephone the funeral home and meet with a
funeral director.
There are two fundamental branding
strategies for online sites:
Promote as an extension of an existing
funeral business.
Promote as a stand-alone business.
The recommended strategy is to promote
the online arrangement site as an extension of
the existing funeral business. This will reduce
advertising costs and accelerate the online
business.
The primary reason for operating the
online arrangement as an independent busi-
ness is to avoid having to explain the price
difference between what is offered at the
funeral home and what is offered on the
website.
Most businesses, including auto dealers,
hotels, apparel companies, appliance dealers,
etc., offer lower prices online. Because
there is a clear difference between a do-it-
yourself arrangement made online versus an
arrangement made in person at a full-service
funeral home, the justification for the lower
price is self-explanatory.
Even if the online business starts out as a
stand-alone, its brand not linked to the funeral
home, sooner or later the public will learn
who is sponsoring the site. Consumers will
call the funeral home with questions about
this new death-services option. When that
happens, funeral home staff members should
be prepared to differentiate the online service
from the service at the funeral home.
To demonstrate the difference between the
higher-priced funeral home service and the
packages offered online, the staff should have
a chart that contrasts the services provided.
The best situation is to have a designated
individual on staff handle all inquiries
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 Your Real Source.
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Even though the first call team is the same, it does not mean that the first call service is the same.
Surviving family will be given different information, and for arrangements made online, special touches
such as leaving a rose or food baskets should be curtailed. Its important to maintain a clear and
definable difference between the funeral home service versus the online arrangement service.
regarding the online service.
When starting an online cremation
business, staff training is mandatory. Funeral
directors are trained from mortuary school
on to deliver high-quality service, while the
online business involves simple cremation
simple for the family, but also simple for the
funeral home.
Staff members should only get involved
in the online arrangement process when a
family chooses the option of talking to a
staff member and agrees to the additional
professional assistance fee.
It is important for the online business
website to include clear instructions for
families with an at-need situation. There
should be phone number monitored 24/7
that families can call if a death has already
occurred. Otherwise the family might send
notification via email.
Pricing: The number of cremation
disposition businesses has grown over the
years. Many of them tend to differentiate
themselves by offering the very lowest price,
often pricing below their actual costs. Most of
these businesses do poorly.
As with discounting, branding or any other
marketing objective, building a successful
online business is a process.
Instead of being the lowest-priced service,
it is better to have competitive pricing but
with sufficient margin to afford advertising.
The target audience for the online business is
affluent, well-educated consumers who have
ready access to the internet and can afford to
put a significant charge on their credit cards.
These fundamental requirements eliminate
the lowest income segment of the market.
These affluent people want simple
cremation, but they also want the peace of
mind of knowing the deceased will receive
dignified and professional treatment.
Making payment: E-commerce websites
are very common, and any consumer
considering online arrangement will have
experience shopping online. Payment can
be made directly to a bank trust account or
preneed insurance company, as state law may
require, or payment can go directly to the
funeral home checking account.
90 ICCFA Magazine
C R E M AT I O N / T E C H N O L O G Y
Advertising: One of the challenges of
entering the minimum service cremation
business today is that there are so many
competitive companies. Frankly, it is unrea-
listic to believe a latecomer to this business
will match the success of the cremation
businesses started in the 1980s and 90s.
The internet is not democratic. Rather, the
algorithms place the sites where consumers
have gone in the past at the top of the search
results. The challenge for any newcomer
to the business is to elevate their site in the
search results.
Search engine optimization (SEO) can
contribute to this effort, but SEO will be more
successful if consumers begin entering the
domain address. Even well-established online
businesses such as Progressive Insurance,
GIECO, Hotels.com and others invest
millions in television advertising to educate
the public about their URL.
The online business will need promotion
to get started, as does any new business.
The more promotion, the faster the online
business will grow. Promotional elements
include a press release to explain the new
service, why its being offered and how
it better serves the consumer who wants
minimal disposition.
Because the internet is crowded, the site
will benefit from social media exposure as
well as SEO. Television advertising is always
productive and is recommended if your
budget allows.
First call: Most clients handle first call
for an arrangement made through the online
site just as they do for an arrangement made
with the funeral home. The same team and
the same vehicles are used, at least until the
new business generates so many cases that
it demands and justifies a separate first call
service.
Even though the first call team is the same, service, just as not every family who meets
it does not mean that the first call service
is the same. Surviving family will be given
different information, and for arrangements
made online, special touches such as leaving
a rose or food baskets should be curtailed. Its prearrangements immediately. Many families
important to maintain a clear and definable
difference between the funeral home service
versus the online arrangement service.
Facilities: It is not typically necessary
to operate from leased or store-front office
space to begin the online cremation business.
In fact, the objective of the online service
is to generate additional revenue while
minimizing the increase in overhead in terms
of additional staffing, offices, etc. Initially
there will be inquiry phone calls as discussed
above, but over time there will be fewer and
fewer calls.
Some states require forms to be signed in
person, which means there must be an office
where consumers can meet with a funeral
director. For efficiency and to reduce cost,
this can be an office in the funeral home.
Its not critical, but it certainly is an
advantage if the funeral home operates its
own crematory. The public has learned the
advantages of not having their loved one
transferred to another business, sometimes
out of county or state, for cremation.
Since the website presents the online
business as a cremation specialist, the
consumer expects you to provide a total
service, including the actual cremation.
Summary: Its unlikely that traditional
funeral services will be arranged online, but
simple cremation lends itself to e-commerce.
Offering online cremation is not for every
funeral business. It demands a progressive
owner with an interest in expanding the
business to serve diverse segments of the
market.
Also, it requires a comfort with techno-
logy. Online arrangement is cutting-edge
today, but will become common over the
next decade, just as preneed sales, cremation,
reception rooms, et al., grew over time.
An overlooked benefit of having an
e-commerce website is the ancillary business
it generates for the funeral home. Not every
prospect who finds the site wants a minimum
with a funeral director opts for minimal
service.
Also, just as with preneed, not every
family who meets with a counselor makes
visiting the online arrangement website will
return to make arrangements in the future,
and even recommend the site to others. r
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Educate families on cremation options and
HELP THEM CREATE AN EXPERIENCE

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by Jim March

James.March@ C R E M AT I O N / L A N D S C A P I N G
Hiers-Baxley.net
850.774.8572
Highland Memorial Park is offering cremation families
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight new custom-designed options by creatively making use
March is part of the of space unsuitable for traditional casketed burial.
third of four genera-
tions of his family in
the cemetery profes-
sion. He is the general
manager and sales leader for High-
land Memorial Park in Ocala, Florida.
Since 1973, he has worked in all
phases of cemetery sales and opera-
tions.
Highland Memorial Park is part of
the Foundation Partners Group, a
private company which serves more
than 7,000 families annually at 54
locations in 15 states.
www.highlandmemorialpark.com
www.foundationpartners.com A new cremation estates area created with care between a mauso-
leum walkway and a retaining wall looks like part of the original plan
for the area, not something developed later.

The art of infill: Bringing

beauty to unused spaces
J
onathan Swift wrote that Vision is the
art of seeing what is invisible to others.
When it comes to developing cemeteries,
particularly with the cremation consumer
in mind, and especially in cemeteries short
on open spaces, designing new revenue
opportunities is nothing if not art.
For years, we have complained to each
other in the hallways at conventions and
other industry gatherings that cremation was
ruining our industry. But we have had it all
wrong.
Cremation memorialization creates a
dynamic opportunity, especially for in-
fill areas where casketed burial is not an
option. This may be a bold statement, but I
personally feel I could go into any cemetery
in America and create low-cost, high-profit
cremation placement options using limited
space.
To back up that assertion and, I hope, to
share some ideas and inspiration, Id like
to provide a few examples from Highland
Memorial Park in Ocala, Florida, an 80-year-
old cemetery. The cemetery is not running out
of space. In other words, we arent searching
for infill opportunities because we have no
other developable acreage.
The fact is, 60 percent of our placements
each year at Highland are for cremation
families, so the idea of opening large
new sections or erecting more monstrous
buildings seemed out of touch with the reality
of consumer trends and preferences.
Infill project #1
Between two existing mausoleums we had
an 8-foot wide, L-shaped grass lawn with a
hedge, butting up against a retaining wall.
Home to a sprinkler system and necessary
drainage infrastructure, it seemed out of reach
for any development purpose.
In addition to the fact that it was non-
productive as far as revenue, this space
required continual care. We were mowing
and edging it, watering it, caring for the
hedge and, it seemed, constantly repairing or
redirecting sprinkler heads.
This small area was costing us time and
money, yet slowly becoming an eyesore.
An aside: I have never understood why
cemeteries love hedges so much. They take a
lot of time and money to properly maintain.
The more we give the poor plants a haircut,

92 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Matthew C. Smith
Owner & Licensed Funeral Director
Spicer-Mullikin
Funeral Homes & Crematory Harvey C. Smith, Jr
Former Owner
Spicer-Mullikin
Funeral Homes & Crematory

FINANCING GROWTH,
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 C R E M AT I O N / L A N D S C A P I N G

Staying with the same color scheme as the mausoleum allows this development
to look like it was planned from the beginning rather than tacked on as an afterthought.

Above left, the area between a mausoleum walkway and a retaining wall used to be filled with lawn, a hedge and sprinkler
system. It has been transformed into a cremation estates area that offers families a new option and the cemetery new revenue
opportunities. Above right, one of the cremation estates with a bench, a requirement for estate purchasers, and a columbarium.
Families are offered the choice of a columbarium or pedestal. Drainage and irrigation infrastructure are in the planter areas.
the worse the maintenance problem gets. The to maintain. The result was eight attractive Infill project #2
branches at the bottom of the hedge continue and versatile cremation estates separated by We are blessed with some beautiful grand-
to grow and get bigger and in time do not those foot-wide ribbons of vegetation. father oaks in our cemetery. Two of the
sprout leaves. I dont want to be the hedge Each estate was shaping up to be larger trees in particular visually frame a garden
police, but if you can, find another solution to than we wanted. To fix this, and provide mausoleum set back from the road, behind
whatever problem you think would be solved added inventory, we placed a charcoal paver the oaks.
by planting a hedge. border around each estate and an additional As pretty as these trees are, minimal
Adjacent to the lawn in this case was border down the center of all but one estate, sunlight filters through their canopy, making
an 8-foot mausoleum outer walkway with giving us 15 cremation private estates. it very difficult to maintain a lush lawn.
a poured roof. Every 12 feet, there is a The estates themselves are constructed In addition, the difficulty of trying to cut
12-inch-diameter pillar supporting the roof. with decorative color pavers throughout. through roots for every burial, along with
The mausoleums color scheme features rose Staying with the same color scheme as the the associated risk of losing a tree, forced
and grey crypt fronts outlined with charcoal mausoleum allows this development to look us to come up with an alternative for this
granite. like it was planned from the beginning rather prominent location.
We removed the hedges and grass and than tacked on as an afterthought. Again, creative cremation placement
reconfigured our drainage and irrigation to fit Our requirement for families purchasing options were the answer.
in a 12-inch-wide area in which we planted a in this area is a cremation bench and either Approximately 14 feet from the base
variety of flora of different heights, colors and a pedestal or columbarium. The entire of the two oaks we created a pony wall
leaf styles. development cost was under $9,000, and using decorative retaining wall blocks.
The plantings serve the same purpose as a the first sale, though discounted, brought in Every other row is offset by half so that
hedge but are much more attractive and easier nearly double the cost of development. once the block was mortared, we were able

94 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Tom Johnson Jake Johnson

The first rule of

selling your business:
Bill Cutter
make sure you David Adams

have the best advisor.

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Selling our company after 120 years of family ownership was a very difficult decision.
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Blair Nelsen, Former Owner Nelsen Family Funeral Services, Inc.

Todd Lumbard Rich Sells

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Dale Espich
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Above, the area around two stately trees is developed into a deck with niche spaces cut into the pony wall surrounding the
trees. The deck is divided into pie-shaped cremation estates by gray pavers. Below, a walkway constructed around the out-
side of the wall, with space for cremation graves placed in the ground between the walkway and the wall.
to cut the side out to create a niche space.
We then backfilled the majority of the pony
wall area with excess material.
Another aside: Use excess fill to your
advantage in landscaping and small
construction projects. Contouring and back-
filling can use a lot of dirt and sure beat
paying to have it carried away.
On top of the filled area we laid pavers
to create a pleasing and versatile deck area
underneath the oaks.
A walkway of brick-colored pavers
constructed around the inside of the wall
provides an obvious pedestrian path. Inside
the walkway, gray pavers divide the deck
into unique pie-shaped cremation estates
situated around the oaks.
Outside of the feature, another walkway
was constructed 2 feet from the pony
wall. Between the walkway and wall, we
added a row of cremation graves.
By thinking creatively, and taking
advantage of a true infill development
opportunity, we ended up with over $2
96 ICCFA Magazine
C R E M AT I O N / L A N D S C A P I N G
million in cremation property for a $60,000
investment.
Infill project #3
Another area graced with oak trees
presented a perfect opportunity to add to
our cremation ground-burial options.
We plotted the area as we would for
traditional cremation spaces but we made
the spaces longer. We then divided each
plot into three cremation graves. We priced
each cremation grave at half the price of the cremation,
existing casketed burial spaces in the garden from
across the road, with an additional charge
for a second right.
In raw numbers, we now have the
opportunity to sell what could have been
casketed spaces in a way that will bring in
considerably more revenue.
These cremation graves offer us the
added potential of six open and closing
charges (instead of one), three memorials
(instead of one) and three cremation vaults
(instead of one casket vault)a significant
return on our investment and a highly
efficient use of our valuable acreage.
Infill opportunities are present in
most cemeteries. Before considering
development of a new garden or writing
off an area as unusable, consider the
affordability, flexibility and appeal of
creative cremation placement options in
areas already developed.
Not only will you be providing new and
unique choices for families who choose
but you will set your park apart
what the rest of your market is able to
offer. Beautiful, functional, profitablethat
describes the art of infill. r
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
by Ed Horn, CCE

ehorn@stmichaels SALES/COMMUNITY OUTREACH

cemetery.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Horn is director of
sales and marketing and
of community relations
at St. Michaels Cem-
etery, East Elmhurst,
New York.
www.stmichaelscemetery.com
He is a member of the ICCFA Board of
Directors and the Government and Legal
Affairs Committee.
The 9/11 Queens Firefighters Memorial
and observance he spearheaded in honor
of Queens firefighters killed on September
11, 2001, received the grand prize in the
ICCFAs 2005 KIP (Keeping It Personal)
Awards contest.
If you want people to turn to you for help with death,
you should get involved with their lives. Form relationships
that arent based only on death and create bonds
that will help ensure the long-term surivival of your cemetery.
For long-term sales success, be
involved in life as well as death
T
wenty years ago, I was offered a
position as a memorial counselor at
St. Michaels. I said laughingly to my
wife, Can you believe they want me to work
at a cemetery?! She said, Monday, you are
going to work. I told her there was no way
that would happen. Monday, I went to work
at the cemetery. And Im still there today.
The power and influence others have
upon us is remarkable. As it says in Robert
Frosts poem referring to coming upon a
crossroads, a step in one direction is life-
altering. My pathway into the profession
began with seeking any other form of
employment, and today continues with a
never-ending respect and devotion to the
services we provide.
I was honored, after a relatively short
time at St. Michaels, to be offered the
positions of director of sales and marketing.
I accepted on the condition that my job also
would encompass community relations.
It was apparent to me that without
involvement in the community, sales at
St. Michaels could never grow quickly.
Rather, the cemetery would rely on the slow
accretion of sales to people with family
members already interred at the cemetery.
I resolved that St. Michaels, a religious
cemetery open to all faiths, would never be
a warehouse for the past. It also was clear
that the continued strength of the cemetery
depended on reaching well beyond our gates.
Having been working as part of the sales
group that I was now in charge of, I had a
clear understanding of the abilities of the
staff. More importantly, I knew who would
accept the concept that our first obligation
was to the individuals and families we
served, rather than to ourselves. Since
compensation was commission-based,
without the benefit of a guaranteed weekly
salary, that mindset would be difficult for
some people to accept.
I felt that several things should be
required of the people we hired to handle
sales. A successful sales force had to believe
in a three-legged stool as the basis to secure
not only their immediate paychecks but also
their long-term futures.
First and foremost was the obligation
to do what is best for the family. Second,
the institution of St. Michaels had to
be respected at all costs. If that meant a
family walking away was the best thing in
a particular situation, so be it. Engaging in
high-pressure sales or misrepresentations,
or promising that rules could be waived,
not only were frowned upon but also were
grounds for firing.
If a counselor put families and the
cemetery first, the financial rewards
would flow and grow year after year.
Placing themselves last was the only way
our counselors could guarantee financial
security and long-term stable employment.
St. Michaels maintains a tradition of
registering preneed leads to a counselor
without time restrictions for a year. The lead
can be updated yearly; it allows for building
a book of business. We have had sales to
registered clients dating back over a decade.
The counselor is rewarded for attending
to his clients even if no preneed purchase of
memorial property has yet been made. The
retention of leads establishes the basis for
creating connections between families and a
counselor, as well as to the cemetery.
Community outreach
My position entails not only managing
the sales department but also making sure
the cemeterys public profile is constantly
risingin a good way.
Advertising and direct mail are important
tools, but they are hardly the backbone of a
successful effort to increase sales year after
year. The convenience of digital outreach
through email and social media is remarkable,
but demands substance that can only be

98 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 SALES/COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Building relationships during life founded on experiences not related to tears or a payment
makes us friends, mutually dependent, sharing confidence and trust in each other.
provided by attention from staff. success has resulted in the crematory we standards and are proud of doing so.
There must be direct community opened seven years ago becoming a mainstay Yet we could, and should, realize we are
participation in the life of the city unrelated in the area. St. Michaels constantly receives not simply end-of-life providers but also
to the cemeterys purpose. The boundaries of referrals from funeral homes. keepers of family stories and histories, as
St. Michaels are not defined by our fences. If Our profession is normally involved with well as places not only to grieve, but also to
we at the cemetery do not interest ourselves families at the worst time in their lives. We celebrate our loved ones. We are truly the
in the daily lives of the very people we hope hold ourselves to the highest professional keepers of souls. r
will turn to us for preneed planning or at
time of need, we not only forfeit the chance
to establish long-term relationships but also
consign ourselves to being nothing more than
merchants interested in a sale.
Our relationship with our residents is
perpetual. Building relationships during life
founded on experiences not related to tears
or a payment makes us friends, mutually
dependent, sharing confidence and trust in
each other. The life of your cemetery can only
be ensured through serving the living needs
of families; being a warehouse for the past is
not enough.
When families visit St. Michaels, we
hope they hardly think of us as a cemetery.
We would rather be seen as a family resource,
involved in their lives over the long term and
in ways that friends interact with each other.
Many cemeteries have forgotten what
it was like in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, when families would spend a day
at the cemetery visiting and picnicking. To
many city residents, it was a park that served
a dual purpose.
These days, when there is a need within
the community, St. Michaels participation is
sought out, sometimes to play a leading role (3&7&3

8"3%
and other times to simply provide support.
The cemeterys leadership always finds a way
to say Yes, gladly. Regardless of the many
$&.&5&3:
1-"//*/(
long days and late evenings involved, being
there is not a choreits rewarding.
As New York is a state that does not allow
funeral-cemetery combination operations, one
of the first tasks I undertook when I became
manager of sales and community outreach 1-"//*/(
$&.&5&3:
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4*/$&

was to introduce myself to as many funeral
directors I could. What I told them was &2035(+(16,9(0$67(53/$16&216758&7,213/$16 63(&6
simple: I would always say yes to a request 6(&7,21/$<2873/$16&5(0$7,21*$5'(13/$16
as long as it would not involve breaking a 3/$17,1*3/$16 63(&6
rule or causing damage or harm. I told them
/27/$<287 6$/(60$3663$&(5(&29(5<352*5$06
that my goal was to ensure the families they
served would find every reason to thank them 6,7((9$/8$7,216 )($6,%,/,7<678',(6

for their outstanding service. *:*5(9(5 :$5' ,1&

Thankfully our relationship with funeral

&HPHWHU\3ODQQHUV
   1 % 8 ) )$ / 26 7

directors and our dedication to ensuring their

2 5 & + $ 5 '3$ 5 . 1 <         

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 99

by Gary OSullivan, CCFE,
and David Shipper
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight PRENEED SALES SUCCESS
OSullivan and Shipper are co-authors
of THE SYSTEM, the professions only Even operations with successful systems in place
complete preneed selling online training
program, and LeadTrak, the industrys for managing everything from accounting to lawn-mowing
leading CRM. THE SYSTEM University
program of online training for sales coun- sometimes throw up their hands when it comes to managing sales.
selors and managers is offered exclusively They believe that selling is somehow different, perhaps dependent
by the ICCFA at www.iccfa.com.
on attracting a team of natural salespeople who will work their
go@garyosullivan.com
OSullivan is president of magic. But thats not true. Having a good sales system
Gary OSullivan Co., Winter in place will produce the results your organization wants.
Garden, Florida, a consult-

Creating growth with preneed sales

ing firm specializing in the
cemetery and funeral profes-
sion. He works with clients in
the areas of leadership and management
development, service and sales processes
and corporate culture.
The elements of a top-performing sales
www.garyosullivan.com organization: 2. The fundamental
twitter.com/GOgaryosullivan
facebook.com/garyosullivancompany elements of an effective selling system
linkedin.com/in/garyosullivancompany
Editors note: This article is part of a series ing a set of instructions that will bring
His experience began at 18 years of age
selling cemetery property door-to-door and
by Gary OSullivan, CCFE, and David you known results. The fact that we
includes leading a national sales organiza- Shipper about planning and executing a have been successful at this is a good
successful preneed sales program. recommendation for others to employ a

tion and then forming his own consulting
and speaking company in 2001.
In 2014, OSullivan received the first
ever Lasting Impact Award from the ICCFA
Educational Foundation, in recognition
of the significant educational contribution
he has made to the profession. In 2009,
the ICCFA presented OSullivan with an
honorary doctorate for his 20 years of con-
secutive participation in ICCFA University,
where he is dean of the J. Asher Neel Col-
lege of Sales & Management.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
OSullivan is dean of ICCFA Univer-
sitys J. Asher Neel College of Sales &
Management. The next session will be July
20-26, 2017, at the Fogelman Conference
Center, Memphis, Tennessee. Look for infor-
mation in the spring at www.iccfa.com
ds@djshipper.com
Shipper is a third-
generation funeral home
and cemetery owner and the
co-creator of THE SYSTEM,
the industrys only complete
selling system for cemeteries
and funeral homes.
He has been involved with the ICCFA
since 1978 and has served in all officer po-
sitions, including president in 2000-2001.
In 2014, he was inducted into the ICCFA
Hall of Fame.
O
ur first installment focused on
having the right kind of sales
leader. This article focuses on
what people are supposed to do, when they
are supposed to do it and how they are
supposed to do it.
We go from step one to step two, and
from step two to step three, in order to
obtain consistent and predictable results.
Its like any system or process.
Think of it this way. If you create a
way of doing things that follows a known
and relatively fixed set of instructions to
achieve certain results, thats a system.
Most businesses follow a known and
relatively fixed process to deposit and
cash checks, enter transactions into a
bookkeeping program and post payables
and receivables. Thats a system. Most
operations have a way that they cut
the grass or perform interments. Thats a
system.
We know that sales can be as predict-
able and systematic as every other aspect
of running any business. Selling is no
different from other aspects of a business.
Its not some magical, mystical thing that
takes someone with supernatural ability to
accomplish.
Being successful in sales can be the
result of something as simple as follow-
systematic way to bring in the required
amount of sales income.
What is a selling system?
A system is a series of procedures, actions,
tasks and behaviors designed to produce a
particular result. Every sales organization
operates on a system, a process of how
things are done.
In fact, everyone in every business
has a system for every task they perform.
There is a way of doing things in every
organization, every day, that produces the
results they are getting.
If the results you are getting are not
the results you desire, you many need
to improve your current system or find
a better one. By using a proven, well-
designed and properly executed system,
the results you achieve can be more
predictable, controllable and, most impor-
tantly, repeatable.
When we set out to develop our system,
The System University, it didnt start out
online as it is today. Our initial goal was
to define the elements essential to the sales
process and put them into a format that
was teachable to people who were not yet
high-achieving salespeople and that would
allow them to achieve predictable results.
What that means is that for every effort a
salesperson makes, they need to know they

100 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 PRENEED SALES SUCCESS

Each salesperson and manager must have realistic goals and a plan for achieving them.
The achievement plan needs to have very specific targets for the amount of prospecting,
the number of appointments and presentations and the number of sales at a certain average
sale amount each salesperson and manager must create in order to exceed their goals.
will achieve a certain number of sales. ly, they are the keys that make it possible mance remains within the standard.
Your goal should be to have a system for almost anyone to achieve sales success To ensure success for the effort
that is simple to learn, simple to implement as long as they are willing to do the work. expended, all of your salespeople must
and that provides not only a way to answer adhere to using a proven script and know
the question, Why are our sales off Goals how to correctly manage the objections they
this week? but also to predict, days in Everyone benefits from committing to will encounter.
advance, what your sales will be. goals. Goal-setting gives people direction,
focus and motivation, and creates a healthy Setting appointments
Selling is simple, but not easy tension to achieve new heights of success. As a general rule, we expect one
David often says, Selling is simple, but Each salesperson and manager must appointment to result from each hour of
its not easy. Salespeople are intuitive and have realistic goals and a plan for achieving prospecting. Salespeople need to be given
proactive. They have things they like to do them. The achievement plan needs to have the option of lots of different ways to
and often have to get themselves in the very specific targets for the amount of prospect so they can focus on the two or
zone to perform properly. prospecting, the number of appointments three that suit them best.
Thats why your process, like ours, and presentations and the number of sales Understanding how many appointments
should not be based on hiring and training at a certain average sale amount each he or she must make each day/week, along
high-flying producers. They are hard to find salesperson and manager must create in with an understanding of the correlation
and hard to control. order to exceed their goals. between appointments set, appointments
We based our program on hiring regular Goals must be measured and managed kept and presentations made, is critical to
people. They do need to be hard-working on a daily basis. Proper goal-setting is both each salespersons success.
and not afraid to speak with people they productive and critical to success. The goal or result of prospecting is
dont know, but otherwise, most people to make preneed appointments at the
can follow our system and make an above- Prospecting rate called for in your plan. The number
average income. To achieve consistent volume, consistent of appointments achieved needs to be
As we teach in our selling system, effort must be expended in a proper fashion monitored daily and corrective action taken
Selling is not about doing 4,000 things; its and in sufficient amounts to meet or exceed if it is below standard.
about doing four things 4,000 times. sales goals. Every day, each person in
the organization must know how much Preneed presentation
Stop focusing on volume prospecting they have agreed to and are An effective selling system has a well-
Gary often says, Good sales managers expected to achieve on a daily, weekly, designed preneed presentation, one that
focus on volume. Great sales managers monthly, quarterly and annual basis. will help potential clients understand why
focus on the daily activities that create Prospecting is a scheduled activity. Each planning before need is of value to their
volume. After all the analysis weve done, week, salespeople should sign up for the families and futures. Failure to have this
we know that we can drive activity at a number of prospecting hours they need to key component in place as part of your
certain rate and achieve a certain outcome. put in to reach their goals. The schedule selling process causes salespeople to simply
Weve yet to discover a successful way should be posted so that accountability to make up whatever they feel sounds best.
to drive sales by demanding salespeople the schedule is driven by everyone. What other option do they have?
Go out and make a sale. But we have Daily accountability sessions with each After all the work your salespeople
discovered a reliable way to focus your salesperson is a favored way of making sure must do to put themselves into a selling
sales organization on properly executing the information you gather is accurate. situation, you want them to be as skilled
the actions necessary to produce a sale. If you are dealing with salespeople who and well-equipped as possible to make
are not employees, certain work rules may a successful presentation. We also have
The foundational elements apply. Check with upper management to the fiduciary responsibility to explain to
of an effective selling system make sure you understand what obligations potential customers, in a logical, sequential
We will now describe the most essential your company may have. and professional manner, why they should
elements of a successful sales process or Either way, you can still work with your plan in advance of need.
system. They are comprised of sequential salespeople by providing the information The preneed discussion with the
steps that are simple and teachable, they need to understand the exact amount of potential customer should start with an
measurable and trackable. work they have to accomplish to meet their effective warm-up. Traditionally, it begins
If any one of these elements is neglect- goals. with an explanation of the difficulties
ed, you will achieve a lesser degree of Prospecting results must be closely families encounter when death comes and
success. Executed properly and consistent- examined on a regular basis so that perfor- no arrangements have been made.
to page 103
102 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

A selling system not only should educate your salespeople on the exceptional qualities
of referrals but also should include all the instructions, scripts
and other tools required to effectively obtain and successfully contact referrals.
from page 102
In the next step, the salesperson details
the virtues of a better alternative, planning
in advance of need. Once they understand
the why, prospective customers want
to know whatwhat the companys
product and service offerings are.
The next step is to show the prospective
customer how, how they can secure the
protection they need, and to encourage
them to make the decision now.
Objections and closing
An effective selling system contains content
and direction to help salespeople know
how to professionally manage objections
and guide prospective customers to secure
protection for their family by planning
before a time of need.
Objections are a basic aspect of any
direct selling process. We hear the same
few objections over and over. The good
news here is that an effective selling
system should contain tested and proven
methods the salesperson can use to
properly manage objections and keep the
discussion moving forward.
When an objection is stated, the sales-
person should think in terms of effectively
managing it, not overcoming it.
Managing it means acknowledging
it, addressing it and then redirecting the
discussion back to the protection offered
by preneed planning. The closing sequence
should be designed to professionally,
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
PRENEED SALES SUCCESS
ethically and caringly point out the benefits
of doing so now.
An effective selling system will spell
out for the salesperson the steps of a
closing sequence that allows prospective
customers to understand they are being
served, not sold.
Keeping the focus on what preneed
planning does, rather than what it is, creates
an emotional mindset to help prospective
customers realize that its not the specific
services and products (a casket, a grave)
that are important. Whats most important
is what buying these things today does for
their future peace of mind and their family
(freeze the price, not leave the burden to
grieving family members, etc.).
Getting referrals
Effective selling systems teach salespeople
how to obtain referrals. Referrals are just
another prospecting method. Fortunately,
referrals are not only a terrific lead source,
but also the only never-ending source of
leads for good salespeople.
A selling system not only should edu-
cate your salespeople on the exceptional
qualities of referrals but also should
include all the instructions, scripts and
other tools required to effectively obtain
and successfully contact referrals.
Effective referral programs teach sales-
people to identify close family and friends
who may be prospective customers. To
do so, the program must include specific
places in the personal planning organizer
and presentation where referrals are to be
obtained.
It must include referral scripts for each
situation. It must include a valid reason
for making contact. There must be specific
places included within the presentation that
allow for comfortably asking for referrals.
You also must have an excellent script for
contacting referrals for appointments.
Finally, as with all other aspects of a
good selling system, you must build in
accountability and review to maximize
production.
Now, lets go back to the beginning
and remember why having an effective
selling system is essential to every sales
organization. As we said, every aspect of
your organization operates on a system.
When processes are in place, metrics are
defined and compliance is required, you
get the intended outcome.
Sales organization that have effective,
proven selling systems no longer focus
on the volume. They focus on the daily
actives and outcomes that create the
volume. Hope is no longer their strategy,
because process is their policy.
Only using an effective, proven process
that is teachable and measurable will
give you the ability to ensure your sales
are controllable, predictable and, most
importantly, repeatable. That is why we say,
Follow the system, because the system will
lead you to success. r
March-April 2017 103
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
1.800.426.0165
danisard@f4sight.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Isard is president of
The Foresight Companies
LLC, a Phoenix-based
business and manage-
ment consulting firm specializing in merg-
ers and acquisitions, valuations, account-
ing, financing and customer surveys.
He is the author of several books,
and frequently speaks at industry conven-
tions.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR
Educational information, including
copies of this article, can be found at
www.theforesightcompanies.com
You can follow Isard on Twitter at
@f4sight, LinkedIn and like The Fore-
sight Companies on Facebook.
Editors note: The Cemetery Impossible
column is written by the staff of The
Foresight Companies. If you have a
question you want to be featured in this
column, please send it to danisard@
f4sight.com. Dan Isard or a member
of his staff will call you to get more
information and a recommendation will be
provided via this column, helping not only
you but also others who are facing similar
challenges.
104 ICCFA Magazine
MANAGEMENT/SALES
If your salespeople think your cemeterys prices are too high,
does that mean you need to adjust them? Not necessarily.
Maybe you need to take a look at what youre selling
beyond interment rights and how youre selling it.
Cemetery Impossible
My salespeople say our prices are too high.
Should I listen to them and lower prices?
Dear Cemetery Impossible,
My salespeople are telling me that our
pricing is too high. Should I lower prices?
What should I do?
Price Sensitive in Sedona
Dear PSS,
There are two issues involved in this simple
question. The issue of pricing is critical.
Your salespeoples sensitivity is another
issue. Let me address each.
I have written previously about the
concept of good, better, best. In designing
a cemeterys inventory, we are creating
consumer options. People can spend what
they want. They will ultimately find value.
It might be with you, or with another
cemetery. That being said, I rarely find that
consumers shop cemeteries.
You can offer your consumers several
different options within your property. You
can set a basic grave or urn placement at
one value. The basic option is just thatit
is not ornate. It is functional. It is common.
People can decorate these common
graves with more ornate flat markers or
upright headstones. Often the headstone is
at a higher price point than the interment
right. There is a reason for that. People
see the headstone or marker. It is the focus
when someone goes to visit the grave.
You want to be in position to sell the grave
marker when you sell the grave.
While the grave may have a cost of
goods sold that is about 15 percent or less,
the marker may have a COGS that is 50
percent. The profit is not as great on the
marker as a percentage, but if, for example,
the grave sells for $1,000 and the marker
sells for $2,000, there is about $850 of
profit on the grave and $1,000 gross profit
on the merchandise.
The difference is even greater when
you subtract a perpetual care contribution
from the interment right. The merchandise
sale usually doesnt require a payment to
perpetual care.
In many cases, the cemetery doesnt get
to sell the merchandise. That is a failure of
the cemeterys relationship with the family.
There is no reason not to be able to
sell the vault on a preneed basis. There is
no reason not to include the grave marker
in a sale of the interment package. If
management is training the sales team
properly, in most cases the merchandise
should produce more profit than the
interment right.
Years ago, I bought my first horse and
then went to a saddle maker. The gnarly
old saddle maker told me the prices of his
saddlesthree to four times the price of
the horse I had just bought. I smiled and
expressed my chagrin. He smiled and
calmly explained, Son, the horse is the
cheapest part of being a horseman! I think
the grave or niche is the cheapest part of the
interment purchase.
Therefore, as you train your sales-
people, you need to teach them about
the package. The package for burial
sales includes the interment right, vault,
marker, opening/closing and perpetual
care. For cremation, the package includes
the interment right, memorial lettering or
marker, opening/closing and perpetual care.
I like to create a point-of-sale
presentation form. This has three columns
for various offerings to be compared. It
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

Studies we have performed for cemetery clients show that 80 percent of the time,
a family will purchase within a cemetery because other family members or friends
are interred there. How do you put a value on that? Obviously you cant.
shows the cost of the interment space and
the other decisions (vault, marker, opening/
closing plus perpetual care) that must be
made.
The form also allows for showing
various payment options. This will help
your sales team talk about the entire process
of the purchase. If we just look at the grave
or niche, we are missing a big part of the
buying decisions.
You might be thinking, Do I need to
include the opening and closing? Yes, you
do. I know this is a big point of discussion
when advance selling, and many people
dont like my answer. I find this to be
incredible. If someone wants to pay you for
the entire interment process, why wouldnt
you take their money?
I understand the need to trust some
money, and that adds a level of complexity.
However, this is the business you are in.
Some things, such as trusting, are complex,
and some things, such as digging a grave,
are simple.
If you think trusting is complex, try
explaining to a family why they must pay
for grave opening and closing when they
were told by their now sainted mother that
she took care of everything for them. That
is a tough misunderstanding to correct!
Salespeople tend to think if someone
raises the issue of price it is because the
price is too high, but that is not necessarily
true. Imagine buying something that you
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
MANAGEMENT/SALES
never purchased before. You might not have
any knowledge of the reasonableness of
the price. If so, you are going to ask about
price. Its only natural.
Funeral directors think their pricing
matrix is tough to explain, but cemeteries,
with the many different purchase options,
really have complex pricing. Comparing
one cemetery to another is nearly impos-
sible.
Studies we have performed for cemetery
clients show that 80 percent of the time,
a family will purchase within a cemetery
because other family members or friends
are interred there. How do you put a value
on that? Obviously you cant. There is no
way to compare that cemetery with another
one.
In making a choice between a cemetery
thats more expensive but is where friends
and family are interred and a cemetery
you have no ties to, price is not the issue.
Its a matter of convenience. It is tough
enough to travel to different family homes
on Christmas or Thanksgiving. Imagine
running across town to various cemeteries
on the days you go to pay your respects.
I recommend that you train your sales-
people to handle the inevitable price
questions properly. First define the question.
If someone is indicating that price is an
issue, what is their frame of reference? A
Los Angeles cemetery cannot be compared
with one that is 100 miles inland. Just as
homes in Los Angeles are more expensive
than homes inland, so are cemeteries
interment rights. Monuments might be the
same price. Vaults also might be the same
price. All other costs are not going to be the
same.
If someone thinks your cemetery is more
expensive than a cemetery managed by a
city or benevolent group, they are probably
right again. However, it is going to be the
interment right and not necessarily the
merchandise that costs more.
Explain that the city is not a business.
The care and maintenance might be done
with less oversight. You could compare it to
playing golf on a city course versus playing
on a private course. One is going to be a
much better experience than the other.
For some people, price will be a deciding
factor because of their financial situation,
but others will feel the higher-priced option
delivers value that makes it worthwhile, and
be willing and able to pay for it.
Not all cemeteries are created equal,
and the same is true of salespeople. Some
automobile salespeople do much better
selling Yugos, while others excel at selling
Cadillacs.
Make sure you have a salesperson who is
good at selling what you offer, what youd
like families to buy. That takes preparation.
It takes training. Give them the tools and
then track their performance. r
March-April 2017 105
by Paul Elvig

paulelvig@frontier.com I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D I E S
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight Whats the first thing you want to see when you go to China?
Elvig retired in 2008
as general manager Well, that depends on whether youre the average tourist
of Evergreen-Washelli or someone from the funeral and cemetery profession.
Memorial Park and
Funeral Home, Seattle,
Washington. He is a
past president and
former secretary of the ICCFA. His interest
in cemeteries as guardians of our nations
heritage continues.
Elvig previously worked as an adminis-
trator at the Washington State Department
of Licensing, where he assisted in the
redesign of Washington cemetery law.
He has testified in Washington, D.C.,
on behalf of the ICCFA a number of times,
including at the hearings of the Senate
Special Commitee on Aging.
www.washelli.com

MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC

To learn about the funeral
and burial customs of religions
and cultures around the world,
sign up for ICCFA Universitys
College of International Studies. ICCFAU
2017 will be July 17-22 at the University of
Memphis Fogelman Executive Center, Ten-
nessee. Full class information will be avail-
able online at www.iccfa.com
A close-up of some of the crypts and niches in a garden mausoleum at Baboashan
Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, China. They combine personalization through pho-
tos and inscriptions with a pleasing standardized granite and script color.

A visit to a cemetery in Beijing

W
hen a cemeterian travels to
China for the first time to visit a
family member in Beijing, what
do you think is the first thing he or she asks
to see? The Great Wall? Thats the second
thing this cemeterian asked to see.
Take me to some cemeteries in
Beijing, ones of interest, I said to my
son. He suggested we visit Babaoshan
Revolutionary Cemetery, which Wikipedia
describes as Beijings main resting place
for high-ranking revolutionary heroes and
government officials and, more recently,
individuals deemed of major importance
due to their contributions to society.
We were there for half a day wandering
around Babaoshan and its connected
cemeteries.
Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery
is well maintained; those in charge
obviously take a lot of pride in the property.
Equipment, maps, grounds, gardens,
columbaria and upright memorials are all
in perfect order. Special bus/truck-type
transportation was ready for business, clean
and polished.
Not many people were visiting at the
time we were there. The office proved to
be a great place to get a map and most
anything one might ask for.
One unusual thing about our visit: As
we wandered the grounds, we became
aware that we were being followed;
everywhere we went, so did our follower.
When I pointed my camera in his direction,
he turned away, but he was always there.
I can only guess why. What do you think?
If you travel to China to learn how
folks living half a world away remember
their dead, you might find it interesting

106 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D I E S

Part of a garden mausoleum at Baboashan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing. Note the ledges for placement of flower vases.

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 107
 I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T U D I E S

to see Babaoshan
Revolutionary Cemetery
for yourself.
The famous persons
you will find interred
there (to name only a
few) include Zhou Enlai
(first premier of the
Peoples Republic of
China), Hua Guofeng
(Mao Zedongs
designated successor
who ended the Cultural
Revolution), Puyi (the
last emperor of china and
final ruler of the Qing
dynasty) and Ren Bishi
and Zhu De (military
and political leaders
in the early Chinese
Communist Party).
To get there, take the
subway to Shijingshan
Road, Shijingshan Qu, Baboashan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing
Beijing Shi, China. The also includes rows of upright black granite
cemeterys phone number memorials with gold writing complementing the
is +86 10 8825 5681. r mausoleum crypt fronts.

108 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Free Them

Only IMSA members get a free hour of consultation with

marketing guru Dan Katz of LA ads, business strategist
Jake Johnson of Johnson Consulting, social media maven
Ryan Thogmartin of Disrupt Media and legal eagle Poul
Lemasters of Lemasters Consulting. Thats over $1000 of
value alone for the annual membership fee of just $175.
But of course theres so much more, including networking
opportunities, education, trade resources and industry
support. Visit www.IMSA-Online.com. Join, unite and thrive.

Empowering Cemetery &

Funeral Service Suppliers
www.IMSA-Online.com
Supply Line
Above, Terrybears craftsman memory
chest and, below, two of the design op-
tions available in addition to the photo
frame option.
One of New
Memorials
Directs birth-
stone charms
on a memorial
pendant.
READERS: To find the products and ser-
vices 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.
110 ICCFA Magazine
n TERRYBEAR, St. Paul, Minnesota,
and has launched its new craftsman-
style memory chest. It is designed
with contrasting bamboo highlights and
includes a photo display area inside, a
memento drawer and a velvet urn bag
that accommodates most standard return
containers. Families can select from six
designs: tree of life, modern geometric
design, butterflies, cardinals, dove and a
photo frame option. The magnetic panel
adds another level of personalization to the
piece. Personalized engraving is available
as well. 1.888.588.8767;
www.terrybear.com
n NEW MEMORIALS DIRECT, Gig
Harbor, Washington has added birthstone
charms to its memorial pendants. They
are designed to hang alongside most of the
pendants offered, and lie such that the two
pieces look unified together. The charm
elegantly twists, enabling it to perfectly
pair with a variety of pendants. They are
available in all 12 birthstone colors and the
bails opening is large enough to fit around
most any common chain size. Families can
also choose to order them with a sterling
silver or gold plated bail. 1.877.995.8767;
service@newmemorialsdirect.com;
www.newmemorialsdirect.com
n THE FORESIGHT COMPANIES,
Phoenix, Arizona, has launched new digi-
tal communication, education and lead-
ership content. We were an early adapter
to having a web presence, said Foresight
President Dan Isard. Our redeveloped
site has a library with more content than
any other in funeral service. Now we will
add other methods of education, including
video seminars and blogs. TheForesight-
Forecast.com blog/vlog will offer weekly
video-enhansed blogs. It will include four-
to five-minute presentations as well as free
monthly video seminars by the Foresight
staff. The new website was created and
designed by Directors Advantage.
Also Foresights Human Resource
Spring Training Seminar will be March
22-23, 2017, at the companys Phoenix,
Arizona, office. The two-day workshop,
featuring Stephanie Ramsey, will pro-
vide attendees everything they need
to serve as a human resource director.
1.800.426.0165;
catherine@theforesightcompanies.com;
www.theforesightcompanies.com
n CLEARPOINT FED-
ERAL BANK & TRUST,
Batesville, Indiana, has
promoted Beth Kmiec
to vice president, trust
administration. Kmiec
joined ClearPoint in 2013
as senior trust administrator
Kmiec and has managed the trust
administration team since May 2014. She
is responsible for trust administration,
client relations, as well as certain aspects
of trust and legal compliance. Prior to join-
ing ClearPoint, she worked at JP Morgan
Chase Bank in Chicago in the personal
trust division of asset management as vice
president, senior trust officer. She earned
her B.A. in political science and psychol-
ogy, cum laude, from the University of
Notre Dame, followed by her J.D. with a
concentration in tax law from Loyola Uni-
versity in Chicago. 1.800.763.0234;
www.clearpointfederal.com
n MESSENGER CO.,
Auburn, Indiana, has added
three new sales consul-
tants. Keisha Addison will
be serving in Northern Geor-
gia, Chuck Lemmons in Ar-
kansas and Thomas Gutzmer
in Virginia. Addison has
Addison over 15 years of account
management experience,
most recently representing
Matthews-Aurora Funeral
Solutions. Lemmons comes
to Messenger with over 20
years of sales
and account
management
experience
Lemmons
and the past
few years has served as a
funeral director and preneed
consultant. Gutzmer comes
Gutzmer to Messenger with extensive
experience in teaching and
customer relations. 1.800.827.5151;
website@messengerstationery.com;
www.messengerstationery.com
n UPD URNS, Three Rivers, California,
has opened a new fulfillment center
in Manassas, Virginia. The warehouse
and office space is located 40 minutes
southwest of Washington, D.C. It will
serve the Eastern region of the country
and offer same-day delivery to customers
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 S U P P LY L I N E
in Washinggon, Maryland
and Northern Virginia. The
company also
hired two new
employees,
Chris Mono-
gan and Casey
Duran. The
Duran latter will help
with account management
and the former will manage Monogan
inventory, logistics and dis-
tribution. 1.800.590.4133; email@updurns.
com; www.updurns.com
n THE TRIBUTE
COMPANIES, Hartland,
Wisconsin, has recently
added Maggie Attoe and
Eric Clark to their sales
team. Attoe is regional sales
manager for the western
region (Wisconsin, Min-
Attoe nesota, Illinois and Iowa).
Clark is regional sales manager for the
eastern region (Michigan, Indiana and
Ohio). Attoe graduated from
UW Oshkosh with a degree
in environmental studies
and geology. Before joining
Tribute, she worked in sales
for more than nine years.
Clark graduated from Purdue
University with a degree in
Clark organizational leadership
and supervision. Prior to
joining Tribute, he worked at the Trandes-
man Companies.
www.tributeinc.com
n EXPRESS FUNERAL
FUNDING, Clarksville, In-
diana, has promoted Andy
Buckman to director of
sales. He joined the com-
pany in 2013. He previously
managed accounts with
Equian LLC, a leading plat-
Buckman
form for cost containment in
the healthcare industry. 1.800.231.8383;
www.expressfuneralfunding.com
n EAGLE COACH CO. and FED-
ERAL COACH CO., Amelia, Ohio, have
named Dan MacCrindle as president.
His previous work experience includes
chief operating officer and senior manage-
ment positions with United Technologies;
a $180 million multi-site manufacturer
involved in fire suppression vehicles and
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
mobile equipment and components for
the aerospace and automotive industries,
as well as LNS Group, a $245 million
international manufacturer of machine tool
industry bar feeding and workholding sys-
tems. He has an MBA degree in interna-
tional business and a bachelors degree in
business administration with an accounting PHOTO BY FANNY GARCIA
major and an engineering minor. Forever in My Hearts founder and own-
er Mira Alicki and event organizer Mike
Also, Federal has a new dealer, Spe-
Anair with Steve Bauer (center), from
cialty Hearse, East Farmingdale, New Ray Donovan at the Golden Globes.
York. Operating as a third-generation fam-
ily owned business, Specialty Hearse has
been serving the industry since 1929 and
is one of the largest suppliers of new and
reconditioned used funeral vehicles in the
U.S. and to over 200 international custom-
ers worldwide.
513.797.4100; Above left, Forever in My Hearts gift
box used for the Golden Globe Awards.
mikem@svgvehicles.com;
Above right, the jewelry inside the box.
www.eaglecoachcompany.com For the Academy Awards, the company
1.800.537.2963; www.federalcoach.com included an option for men.
n SECURITY NATIONAL LIFE
INSURANCE CO., Salt Lake City, Utah, Memorial jewelry shown
has hired Ed Bush and Jon Shults as at Golden Globes, Oscars
area sales managers. for Southern Cali-
fornia and Southern Indiana, respec- n Jewelry by FOREVER IN MY HEART,
tively. Bush has been a licensed insurance Middletown, Connecticut, was included
agent for more than 30 years and spent 25 in the official 74th Annual Golden Globe
years in full-time ministry working with celebrity gift
small churches. He worked for a corporate bags. The com-
funeral service company as a sales man- pany donates
ager, market sales manager and facilita- 40 percent of its
tor/trainer in the national sales manager proceeds from its
development program for that company. line of cremation
He attended Harding Cuniversity, Johnson jewelry to animal
Bible College and the University of Geor- charities. Com-
gia. Shults, who worked as a stuntman in pany founder and
movies and television, has worked for both owner Mira Alicki
corporate and private funeral homes since donned a Save
1988 in various roles, including managing a Life sash over
large sales groups. He has been a speaker her red carpet-
PHOTO BY FANNY GARCIA
at both state and national conventions. ready gown to rub Paige Mobley from
1.800.574.7117; www.snlabetterway.com shoulders with the Americas Next Top
stars from shows Model, with her
n UNITY FINANCIAL LIFE INSUR-
such as Modern Forever in My Heart
ANCE CO., Cincinnati, Ohio, recently
Family and Ray Golden Globes gift bag.
tested its disaster recovery plan. The
Donovan in the Golden Globe Awards Style
plan involves the policies and proce-
Lounge in Beverly Hills in early January. In
dures that enable the recover of data and
talking to the celebrities about her business
infrastructure following a disaster. If Unity
and the charities she supports, she learned
employees cant use their normal office
that many of them are also animal-lovers.
space, a backup offices is ready to go and
Shortly after the event, Alicki was invited to
none of their data will be lost.
also present her jewelry at the 89th Academy
Unity also donated to Cincinnati
Awards show in late February.
area families during the holiday season
info@foreverinmyheartjewelry.com;
through a program called Blue Jean Char-
foreverinmyheartjewelry.com r
ity. 1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
March-April 2017 111

Timberland Urns new golden retriever
dog memorial urn, which can also be
used for dogs of similar appearance.
Gardega Studios mural, about 8-by-
15 feet, for St. Michaels Cemetery,
Queens, New York.
Jennifer Spitz of Distressed Design
with C.J. Boots new Whitewash Oak
casket, one of five new models.
112 ICCFA Magazine
S U P P LY L I N E
n TIMBERLAND URNS, Eagan, Minne-
sota, has introduced a golden retriver dog
memorial urn. It is part of the companys
dog urns by individual breed line. Clients can
use their dogs name tag to customize the urn
and commemorate their late companion. The
urn is suitable for a setter, spaniel or other
dog of similar appearance. Cast of polymer
resin/bronze powder mixture, the urn is hand-
finished with bronze patina. The 10.5-by-
9-by-4-inch urn can hold 110 cubic inches.
651.688.0875; www.timberlandurns.com
n GARDEGA STUDIOS, New York
City, New York, has more than 20 years of
experience in painted murals, etchd glass
and painted/stained glass. Artist Alex
Gardegas clients have included St. Michael
Mausoleum, The Chrysler Building and
the Natural History Museum. His inspira-
tion comesf from the Renaissance as well
as glass artists such as Tiffany and Lalique.
alexgardega@gmail.com; www.murals.nyc
n C.J. BOOTS, Anderson, Indiana,
has added five new models to its craft
casket line. The line was inspired by the
the companys work with Jennifer Spitz of
Distressed by Design, which has its offices
in a barn in Lapel, Indiana. The new models
are Harvest Pine, solid pine facetted-top
casket featuring a rough barn finish and
rosetan crepe interior with barn scene head
panel; Going Home Pine, a solid pine
round-top casket offering a satin finish and
white crepe interior with bird images on the
lugs and a head panel offering birds and the
words, Going Home; Whitewash Oak, a
solid oak facetted-top casket with a rough
barn, white wash finish and a white crepe
interior with a Lived, Laughed, Loved
head panel; Antique Pine, a solid pine flat-
top casket with a satin finish and rosetan
crepe interior with a baker pipe head panel;
and Chamberlain Popular, a solid hardwood
round-top casket with a satin finish and
champagne linen interior with a doric head
panel. A unique antique blue color adorns
the exterior of this casket.
1.877.5CJ.BOOTS; www.cjboots.com
n LIVE OAK BANK, Wilmington, North
Carolina, has announced a partnership
between its trust services team, Funeral
Services Inc., The Roosevelt Investment
Group and Broad and Cassel LLP. The
collaboration is the first of its kind in the
death-care industry, bringing together
the strengths of a trustee, recordkeeper,
investment manager and attorney. The roles
of each partner: Live Oak Bank, trustee;
FSI, trust administer and recordkeeper;
Roosevelt Investment Group, investment
manager; and Broad and Cassel, attorney.
The partnership is non-exclusive, so clients
can shoose to work with any or all of the
partners.
For details about the collaboration, go
to go.liveoakbank.com/trust-partnership.
1.877.890.5867; www.liveoakbank.com
n MKJ MARKETING, Largo, Florida,
has opened a second office, in the Bel-
levue district of Nashville, Tennessee. Ac-
cording to MKJ President Marilyn Gould,
The Florida office will remain the central
operation for MKJ, but we are pleased to
open an office convenient to our Midwest
and Northeast clients. Music city is a great
place to visit and we know many of our
clients would prefer to drive to Nashville
than fly to Tampa.
The Nashville office is available for
staff training and consultations in our con-
ference room, and will house our social me-
dia and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
operations. Being a film and audio produc-
tion city, Nashville offers new opportunities
for television and radio production as does
nearby Indianapolis.
Courtney Miller, chief operations officer,
and legal counsel, will operate the office
along with her staff of technology and
social media copy writers.
1.888.655.1566; www.mkjmarketing.com
n HOMESTEADERS, Des Moines,
Iowa, recently recognized a number
account executives. R.D. Monson, senior
account executive, east region, was named
Graham J. Cook Account Executive of the
Year, recognizing the account executive
who best exhibits the qualities required to
provide superior support to funeral home
customers. He previously served as a
funeral director and preneed counselor, and
has been with Homesteaders for more than
a decade. He was recently inducted into
Homesteaders Pioneer Club for tenured
account executives. Monson was also rec-
ognized as East Region Account Executive
of the Year.
Also honored were: Tami Hall, West
Regional Account Executive of the Year and
Territory Development Award; Jake Sale,
Central Regional Account Executive of the
Year, Territory Development Award and
Commitment Award; Brianne Niedermyer,
Home Office Regional Account Executive
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 S U P P LY L I N E
of the Year, Territory Development Award;
Vincent Michaelsen, Daniel M. Voecks
Award and Monthly Volume Award; Jessica
Schulz, PartnerPoints Service Award; Gary
Weisenbach, Rising Star Award; Terri Bor-
denkircher, Territory Management Award;
and Eolo Nizzi, Positive Attitude Award.
Also, Homesteaders has named Jamie
Dravecky as an account executive. She
has worked in funeral service her entire
career. She previously served as a funeral
home office manager in Illinois.
Also, the companys senior vice presi-
dent-marketing and communications, Dean
Lambert, has been named president of
the Funeral and Memorial Informa-
tion Council (FAMIC). He will help
promote FAMICs mission while fostering
mutally beneficial relationships between
funeral professionals and consumers.
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
Frigid Fluid re-
ceives the Gover-
nors Export Award.
From left, Illinois Lt.
Gov. Evelyn San-
guinetti; Bob Pine,
Frigid Fluids Euro-
pean sales and re-
lationship manager;
Frigid Fluid Presi-
dent Brian Yeazel;
CEO of Intersect
Illinois Jim Schultz;
and Brittany Ladd,
assistant director of
the Illinois Depart-
ment of Commerce
& Economic Op-
portunity.
n FRIGID FLUID, Northlake, Illinois,
has has received one of the 2016 Gover-
nors Export Awards. It is Illinois highest
recognition of export achievement honoring
Illinois companies that have achieved excel-
lence in exporting, as well as organizations
that provide export assistance. Frigid Fluid
Relationship Manager Robert M. Pine said,
Frigid Fluid recognized, and is responding
to, the increasing economic strength and
consumer demand in Latin America and
Africa, in addition to expanding its base in
Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zea-
land. www.FrigidFluidCo.com
n HOPSKOTCH INTERACTIVE,
Kensington, California, has launched its
content services for 3D, virtual real-
ity and 360-degree property marketing
content. Hopscotch has made its services
available to the funeral industry. Its content
can be viewed on mobile phones, tablets
Does your funeral home
have a beautiful seating
area? Enter this contest
n CRESSY MEMORIAL, Mishawaka,
Indiana is accepting entries for an interior
design award for best conversation area.
The contest is open to memorial industry
businesses that serve the public. In the me-
morial industry, there are currently no awards
for beautiful interior spaces in funeral homes
and cemetery buildings.
Designing Woman columnist
MaryAnne Scheuble plans to change that
by acknowledging businesses that are
well-maintained and stand out for beauti-
ful dcor. Having set foot in hundreds of
memorial industry businesses, I can attest
to the creative, welcoming conversation
areas that exist in select funeral homes,
cemetery offices and mausoleums.
To enter, submit photo(s) of the seat-
ing area which accommodates two or more
people. Visitation rooms, hospitality spaces,
arrangement areas or any common space
qualify. Add a few sentences to explain
whats unique, beautiful and comforting
about the space.
Send entries to:
maryanne@cressymemorial.com.
Subject title:
Entry Best Conversation Area
Deadline is March 31.
Prize supplied by Howard Miller/ Hek-
man companies is a dramatic 49-inch gallery-
style wall clock, Wingate # 625-566.
1.866.763.0485;
www.cressymemorial.com r

Investing for the future because forever is a long time

With more than 20 years experience in managing endowment care funds, well help ensure they withstand the
test of time long after the last plot has been purchased. Call for a complimentary review of your endowment
care investments.

Pat Severo, CIMA, AWM SB Wealth Strategies

Managing Director Financial Advisor
9665 Wilshire Boulevard, 3rd Floor | Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310) 205-7797 | Toll Free: (866) 657-8876
Fax: (310) 205-7727 | pat.severo@rbc.com

2016 RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 113
 S U P P LY L I N E
Colorado, office include bereavement
skills, mourning and grief and support
group facilitating. Opening Your Com-
munitys Eyes to WHY We Need Funer-
als is scheduled for June 12-14, 2017.
The session, facilitied by Dr. Wolfelt, will
be in Fort Collins. The training is designed
to educate and motivate funeral directors
so they can in turn educate families. A
companion workbook, posters and bro-
chure, written by Dr. Wolfelt, are included
in the seminar materials. 970.226.6050;
www.centerforloss.com
n WILBERT FUNERAL SERVICES,
Broadview, Illinois, has recently rec-
ognized 12 licensees for sales accom-
plishments. Whited Cemetery Service,
Menifee, California, received both of the
top awards for sales growth in lined burial
A zumba class, one of the employee perks at Funeral Directors Life Insurance Co., vaults, achieving the greatest increase in
recently recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Texas for 2017. the number of burial vaults interred in
and PCs. The company first experimented Kentucky and Ohio. He has over 12 years 2016 over 2015, as well as the greatest
with applying their technology to cemeter- of experience in the funeral profession as a percentage increase year-over-year. For
ies and mausoleums in early 2016. Hop- preneed advisor and later was preneed man- cremation product sales, Arnold Wilbert
scotch Interactive was founded in 2015 by ager of a large funeral home and cemetery Corp., Goldsboro, North Carolina, earned
Emily Olman, who spent almost a decade in operation. He is a licensed funeral director the award for the greatest growth in units.
the video game and Japanese anime indus- and holds certifications as a life, health and Windsor Vault Co. Ltd., Maidstone, Ontar-
tries before devoting herself to new media annuities agent, cemetery and funeral home io, achieved the greatest percentage growth
content services. 510.499.9207; executive, cremation arranger and crema- in cremation products. The WilbertDirect
www.hopscotchinteractive.com tory operator, and celebrant. Award went to Baxter Burial Vault Service
www.funeraldirectorslife.com Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, in recognition of the
n FUNERAL DIRECTORS LIFE IN- greatest growth in sales on the WilbertDi-
SURANCE CO., Abilene, Texas, has was n THE CENTER FOR rect ecommerce website.
recently recognized as one of the Best LOSS AND LIFE TRAN- Ten licensees received the Wilbert 110
Workplaces in Texas for 2017 by FOR- SITION, Fort Collins, Percent Club award, which recognizes those
TUNE magazine and Great Place to Work. Colorado, has announced whose 2016 burial vault sales were at least
FDLIC ranked #6. In the survey, employees the publication of a new 110 percent of their 2015 sales. Recipients
expressed their appreciation for Funeral book by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, were: Whited Cemetery Service, Menifee,
Directors Lifes unique culture and work A Tale of Two Funerals: California; Knauer Industries LLC, Joliet,
environment. Ninety-nine percent of em- The Throw Rug and the Illinois; Wilbert Vault Works, Hudson, New
ployees stated that people at the company Wolfelt Tapestry. The book, written York; Brown-Wilbert Inc., Fargo, North
care about each other and celebrate special for funeral service professionals, tells the Dakota; The Akron Vault Co., Akron, Ohio;
events regularly, while 100 percent agreed fictional story of the funeral of 82-year-old Evans Burial Vaults, Leola, Pennsylvania;
that the company facilities contribute to a Carol Williams. After her death, her chil- Lycoming Burial Vault Co. Inc., Mon-
good working environment. dren call Knight & Day Funeral Home to toursville, Pennsylvania; Wilbert Funeral
Employees enjoy several perks, includ- make arrangements. Contrasting possibili- Services, Austin, Texas; Wilbert Funeral
ing an on-site clinic and an on-site fitness ties are presented via a service planned by Services, Cedar Hill, Texas; and Windsor
center, prayer team, mentorship programs, Sam Standard and another by Grace Gate- Vault Co. Ltd., Maidstone, Ontario.
employee recognition programs, volunteer keeper. The book is available in softcover or Also, Wilbert served the families
opportunities and personal development as an e-book. Bulk pricing is available for of 111 fallen first responders in 2016
programs such as book studies. In 2017, funeral service organizations. through its Commemorating First Re-
the company is also offering a sabbatical Also, the center has announced Dr. sponders philanthropic program. Wilbert
program that allows the employee to take a Alan Wolfelts speaking schedule for and its licensees in the U.S. and Canada
paid 30-day sabbatical to rest, gain perspec- 2017. Locations include the U.S., Canada, donated burial vaults, urn vaults, urns and
tive, and participate in a service project or Brazil, Autralia and New Zealand. Contact a graveside responders who died in the line
mission trip. the office or check the website under Hear of duty.
The company also has added Skip Dr. Wolfelt Speak for details. Topics for 1.888.WILBERT; www.wilbert.com r
Phelps as director of sales development for seminars held at the centers Fort Collins,

114 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 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.
McKenzie & Blundy has gotten a great response from these cards sent to people with preneed arrangements on file.
How a birthday card reunited a couple separated in death
by Kenneth McKenzie
McKenzie Mortuaries and Crematory
I t all started when we wanted to find a
clever, fun way of getting people to update
their old preneed arrangements with us. But
how do you call a family and ask whether
someone has died or moved away without
sounding like a vulture or, at the very least,
insensitive?
Someone who arranges their own final
expenses usually is quite practical and very
often has a great sense of humor. So the idea
of sending these people birthday cards made
sense, but the wording had to be carefully
chosen.
We decided to send a birthday card
with the message: Congratulations for
not needing our services again for yet
another year! The card would go on to say:
All kidding aside, we here at McKenzie
Mortuary wish you a very happy birthday. If
you wish to update your file, change phone
numbers, addresses, etc., please visit our
website or call us.
n THE SIGNATURE GROUP, Houston,
Texas, has acquired Gabaldon Mortuary,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, from the Ga-
baldon family. Founded in 1952, Gabaldon
Mortuary serves more than 270 families an-
nually. Rick Gabaldon and David Sanchez Jr.,
manager and a Gabaldon family member, will
continue to serve families. The acquisition
represents a further expansion by Signature
into the Greater Albuquerque market, as well
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
Our idea was that the card would be
unique and that recipients would talk about it
to friends and neighbors. Anyone might get a
card from the dentist, but how many people
can say, Look, I just got a birthday card from
my mortuary?
And thats exactly what has been
happening. Weve seen a rise in at-need cases
from people who, at time of need, have called
a friend or relative to ask, Whats the name
of that mortuary that sends you your card?
The response was and continues to be
great. We receive calls, cards and handwritten
letters of appreciation.
A few months back one of the cards,
addressed to Beatrice Smith, was returned,
stamped DECEASED. We were
baffled, because we had held her preneed
arrangements for many years.
We started investigating to find out
what had happened. It turned out that she
had been in a convalescent home due to an
unexpected illness and passed away with no
family contacts or other information on file.
as the companys committment to the entire
state, said J. Bradley Green, Signature co-
founder with Jay Dodds, CFSP.
n SERVICE CORPORATION IN-
TERNATIONAL, Houston, Texas, has
purchased Weerts Funeral Home Inc.,
Davenport, Iowa, and Riverbend Crema-
tion Service LLC, Bettendorf, Iowa. Weerts
was founded in 1909 was had acquired from
the Weerts family in 2005 by David Deuth,
Update
Her body was sent to the county morgue,
where it remained for months until the public
administrator authorized cremation with the
remains to be placed at a local park.
With the handwritten instructions we had
on file from her, we were able to obtain a
court order giving us permission to act on her
last wishes, which were to be buried with her
husband at the national cemetery in Dayton,
Ohio. We arranged for the urn containing her
remains to be disinterred and reinterred with
her husband.
If it hadnt been for a simple birthday card,
this couple married for over 60 years would
not have had their final wishes realized.
Sometimes, all we need is to step outside
of our comfort zone in our marketing and
follow-up programs. If you feel its right in
your heart than its probably the right thing
to do
McKenzie was the originator of the Men
of Mortuaries calendar and co-author of
Mortuary Confidential and Over Our
Dead Bodies.
who added the services of Riverbend Crema-
tion and Quad-Cities Pet Cremation in 2012.
All 12 employees are expected to remain with
the company. Deuth has been retained as a
consultant.
n PARK LAWN CORPORATION, To-
ronto, Ontario, has purchased four funeral
home operations in Ontario. Acquisitions
are Reynolds Funeral Home, Turner Chapel,
in Bracebridge and Cavill-Turner Funeral
March-April 2017 115
 UPDATE
Home in Gravenhurst, from Bruce and Cathie n JONES, RICH & Jay C. Carmon Jr., CPC, Carmon Commni-
Turner; and Jennett Funeral and Cremation HUTCHINS FUNERAL ty Funeral Homes, Windsor, Avon, Cranby,
Centre Ltd. in Barrie and Innisfil Funeral HOME, Portland, Maine, has Rockville, South Windsor, Suffield and
Home Ltd. in Innisfil, owned by Simon Sles- unveiled a new name, Jones, Vernon; Albert M. DeLucia, Porto Funeral
sor and Stuart Clark. Rich & Barnes Funeral Homes, West Haven and East Haven; David
n Eric L. Fithyan, owner Home. The change recog- W. MacDonald, Wallingford Funeral Home,
of CHAMBERS & JAMES nizes the leadership of Robert Wallingford and Yalesville Funeral Home,
FUNERAL, PET & CRE- Barnes, CFSP, the firms vice Yalesville; Melissa Melin-Miles, Alderson-
Barnes president. Barnes began his Ford Funeral Homes Inc., Cheshire, Nau-
MATION SERVICES,
Wellsburg, West Virginia, was career in the US Army serving in the Mortu- gatuck and Waterbury; Jacqueline L. Teske,
one of 10 people chosen for ary Affairs unit of the U.S Army Mortuary Pietras Family Funeral Homes, Rockville,
WV Executive Magazines in Seoul, Korea, during the Vietnam War. A Coventry, Tolland and East Windsor. CFDA
2017 Young Guns Class. He licensed practitioner since 1974 in Maine, he policy board representatives to the NFDA is
Fithyan
was the only funeral director has served at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Pasquale S. Folino, CFSP, COO, Thomas L.
in the group and was profiled in the magazine Home since 1975. He was appointed to the Neiland Sons Funeral Homes, New London
and recognized in a ceremony at the West Vir- Maine State Board of Funeral Service by the and Niantic.
ginia Cultural Center in Charleston. He grew governor in 1994, serving as chairman for Also, CFDA Executive Director John
up in Wellsburg, worked for funeral home 17 years, and was recently reappointed as a F. Cascio recently received the 2017 Brass
and a florist and then with Heffner Funeral board member. He has served as president Apple Award, presented by
Homes. He bought Chambers Funeral Home of the Maine Funeral Directors Association. the Council of Funeral As-
and the James Funeral Home in Follansbee He serves as District 1 representative for the sociation Executives (CFAE).
in 2011, at the age of 27, and has made made International Conference of Funeral Service Cascio was honored for his
community service and outreach a hallmark Examining Boards Inc., representing Maine, presentation of the CFDAs
of his businesses. In 2016, he celebrated Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, ongoing public relations and
James Funeral Homes 100th anniversary Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, communications plan, whose
with an event to raise money for the Ameri- Quebec and Nova Scotia. The funeral home strategies and actions are de-
can Cancer Societys Relay for Life and has was originally founded as SS Rich & Son Cascio veloped andmanaged by Laura
been involved with Operation Sweaters for Funeral Home in 1838. In 1959, it became Soll Public Relations LLC
Veterans, Wreaths Across America, Operation Jones & Rich when Edward C. Jones became of Windsor. The CFDA, founded in 1889, is
Valentine, the Center for Organ Recovery and part owner along with is father-in-law, Irving comprised of funeral directors at more than
Education, an annual 9/11 memorial walk and Rich. Barnes and David Jones assumed 220 funeral homes.
flag retirement ceremonies. ownership of the firm in 1983, and in 1999 n The AUSTRALASIAN
the firm became part of the Dignity Memorial CEMETERIES & CREMA-
n Catherine Fiorelli, gen- network.
eral manager of GREEN- TORIA ASSOCIATION,
WOOD MEMORIAL n The CONNECTICUT Victoria, Australia, recently
PARK & MORTUARY, San FUNERAL DIRECTORS elected a new board. Board
Diego, California, has been ASSOCIATION, Wethers- members include President
elected president and CEO field, recently elected Robert Peter Deague, Metropolitan
of the Miramar National L. Muccino Jr. of Waterbury Cemeteries Board, Western
Deague
Cemetery Support Founda- as 2017 president. Muccino Australia; and Vice President
Fiorelli tion. She succeeds Immediate is with Funk Funeral Home Darryl Thomas, Geelong Cemeteries Trust,
Past President and CEO Dennis A. Schoville, Muccino in Bristol and is Northeast- Victoria. Also, Executive Members Pieter
who was elected to fill the vacant position Eastern Region director of Den Boer, Bunbury Cemetery, Western
of board chairman. Fiorelli, who has partici- support for Carriage Services, Houston, Australia; Ralf Goetschenberg, Carr Villa
pated in foundation activities almost since Texas. Additional officers are: Vice President Memorial Park, Tasmania; Ronald Bawden,
its inception in 2006, previously served as Edward J. Sheehy Jr., CFSP, CPC, CCO, Riv- Payneham & Dudley Park Cemeteries Trust
board secretary. She attended the University erview Funeral Home, Shelton, and Edward Inc., South Australia; Lauren Hardgrove,
of Arizona, and is a graduate of Northern F. Adzima Funeral Home, Derby; Treasurer Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, New
Arizona University, where she earned a bach- Matthew R. Adzima, Adzima Funeral Home South Wales; and David Molloy, Nudgee
elors degree with a double major in criminal Inc., Stratford; Secretary Alexander J. Scott, Cemetery & Crematorium, Queensland.
justice and psychology, graduating magna CFSP, CPC, Newington Memorial Funeral n ALLEGHENY CEMETERY, Pitts-
cum laude. She worked as a court clerk at Home and Fisette-Batzner Funeral Home, burgh, Pennsylvania, has named Daniel J.
the Flagstaff Municipal Court before moving Newington, and Burritt Hill Funeral Home, Olesinski as vice president of operations.
to San Diego to pursue a masters degree in New Britain; Immediate Past President How- A Pittsburgh native, Olesnski was raised
forensic science. She is a licensed funeral ard K. Hill, CFPS, CPC, CCO, Howard K. in the business, getting his start in 1993
directors and cemetery manager and broker. Hill Funeral Services, New Haven, Hartford helping his father, St. Peters Cemetery
She has been with Greenwood for 16 years. and Bloomfield. Superintendent Daniel W. Olesinski, after
Executive Committee members are John

116 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 UPDATE
school. He received an associates degree
from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary
Science, was promoted to superintendent of
LIFE'S TOO SHORT FOR PAPER
St. Peters and received a bachelors degree
from Point Park University. He is a licensed
funeral director as well as a CANA-certified
crematory operator. He joined the main-
tenance staff at Allegheny in 2001 and
was promoted to supervisor in 2004. His
achievements at Allegheny including the
Allegheny Memorial Trail, a cremation
garden carved into a formidable hillside. He
info@plotbox.io +1-650-320-7685 www.plotbox.io

joined the executive board of the Western

Pennsylvania Cemetery Association in 2014
and currently serves as its vice president.
Also, the
cemetery has
released a new
self-titled book,
published by
Arcadia and The
History Press.
The book is part of
Arcadias Im-
ages of America
series. Allegheny
Allegheny Cem- joins the ranks of
eterys new book. historic cemeteries
that have been featured in the series. Every
page features images, many of which are
from the cemeterys archives and some
never before published. Advance orders
were sold to raise money for the Allegheny
Cemetery Historical Association.
n PHANEUF FUNEAL HOMES AND
CREMATORIUM, Manchester, New
Hampshire, has received Corporate
LiveWires 2017 Innovation & Excel-
lence Global Award. Award winners are
chosen on merit, excellence, innovation
and strong leadership over the previous
12-months. Phaneuf Funeral Homes abil-
ity to customize and personalize services
meets all of its clients expectations, said
Jake Powers, CEO of Corporate LiveWire.
The diverse choices that Phaneuf offers
proves how aware they are of the needs of
their clients. In September 2016, Phaneuf
was named by Business NH Magazine
as one of the top family businesses in the
state. Phaneuf also recieved the Achieve-
ment of Excellence award from the Granite
State Quality Council. The recognition
was based on the Baldrige Criteria for
Performance Excellence, which is ac-
cepted around the world as the standard for
organizational performance excellence.

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 117
 UPDATE

Above, Olathe Memorial Cemeterys chapel. The cemetery received a grant from
the Freedoms Frontier National Heritage Area that was used to construct eight
imterpretive kiosks placed in areas of importance to the cemetery. One of them can
be seen in front of the chapel. Right, the cemeterys first burial.

n OLATHE MEMORIAL CEME-
TERY, Olathe, Kansas, has been added to
the National Registry of Historic Places.
Established in 1865, Olathe is the oldest
public cemetery in the city. The 26-acre
site is the final resting place for many of
Olathes early settlers and local civic and
economic leaders. Many of the cemetery
grave markers are the only extant historic
resource associated with these early town
settlers and leaders. Thus, the cemetery
remains as a reflection of their contributions
to the history of Johnson County. Addition-
ally, the cemetery retains its historic appear-
ance with retention of its historic form and
burial patterns.
Also, the cemetery has launched a
new website. It includes a mobile cem-
etery app and the development of three
GPS tours. Two of the tours are historical
walks featuring stops at places of historical
significance to the cemetery and city, and
one is a cemetery tree tour featuring 30
different tree species. r

A page from the Albany Diocesan Cem-
eteries new website.
n ALBANY DIOCESAN CEMETER-
IES, New York, has launched a new
website. The new site allows visitors to view
obituaries of loved ones recently interred,
leave comments and upload photos; view and
share grief support resources; order flowers
and memorial gifts; learn about preplanning;
view a map of the diocese cemeteries; and
learn about planned events. The site is
www.CapitalDistrictCemeteries.org.
Also, Albany Diocesan Cemeteries has
assumed responsibility for St. John the
Baptist Cemetery in Schenectady, at the
request of St. Josephs Church.
n PITTSBURGH INSTITUTE OF
MORTUARY SCIENCE, Pittsburgh, Penn-
sylvania, recently held its 154th commence-
ment exercise. The commencement address
was delivered by Daniel F. Bekavac Jr., Dan-
iel F. Bekavac Funeral Home and Crematory,
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, immediate past
president of the Allegheny County Funeral
Directors Association.
The Memorial Award was presented to
Daniel A. Davenport, chosen by his class-
mates as the student who, through qualities
of leadership, professional conduct and good
citizenship, best typifies the ideals of the
student body. The John Rebol Award was
presented to Lance A. Carrier, who main-
tained the highest scholastic average for the
school year 2016-2017. On behalf of PIMS
Board of Directors, Carrier also received a
$500 scholarship. The William J. Musmanno
Memorial Award was presented to Jasmine C.
Washington in recognition of her outstanding
ability, attitude, commitment and achieve-
ment in the clinical embalming setting.
Washington also received a $500 scholarship
from the PIMS Board of Directors and an
embalming kit from PIMS alumnus Wayne
Urbine. The Pierce Chemical Restorative Art
Award was presented to Haylee Kormick.
The Dodge Award for expertise demonstrated
in the embalming curricula practicum was
presented to Matthew Buckley. Buckley
received a complete Dodge embalming kit.
The Champion Award for Mortuary Science
Excellence was presented to Cody R. Rice,
chosen by the PIMS science faculty on the

118 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

In memoriam
George B. Mike Dodge Jr.
George B. Mike Dodge Jr. died
January 29 after dealing with
Parkinsons disease and declin-
ing health for the last few years.
He spent most of his life as the
vice president and treasurer of
The Dodge Co., working with his
brother, Jake (Arnold), and later both daughters, in
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Survivors include his wife, Nan, and daughters
Debbie and Kristie.
Visiting hours and a funeral service were
held at the Sweeney Funeral Home in Billerica,
Massachusetts. His second home was in Pemaquid
Beach, Maine, where there will be a second
service and burial later this year.
Memorial donations may be made in his name
to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box
7, Edgecomb, ME 04556; to the Funeral Service
Foundation; or to a charity of the donors choice.
basis of overall scholarship, aptitude and practical skills
specifically in the CORE science component of PIMS
program. Rice received a $500 product credit toward
Champion products.
The Eugene C. Ogrodnick Entrepreneurial Award,
for a student deemed by the core business faculty to
have the entrepreneurial spirit and greatest potential
to impact the funeral service industry at large, was
presented to Michael A. Geramita. He received $500
from the PIMS Board of Directors and $500 from
PIMS President Eugene Ogrodnik and his wife Kar-
en. The recipients of the Mu Sigma Alpha Award for
scholarship were Nicole Boivin, Cory Braatz, Mat-
thew Buckley, Daniel Davenport and Logan Pfaff.
to page 121
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
UPDATE
Victoria Uselton
Victoria Vicki
Angeles Belmonte
Uselton of Snead
Island, Florida, died
February 18, 2017,
after a courageous
battle against cancer. She was born in
Tampa, Florida, on May 30, NOYDB
(none of your damn biz), and was the
wife of ICCFA 2016-2017 President
Michael Uselton, CCFE.
She was active in her community,
and with anything related to her
children, having been involved with
PTOs, Student Advisory councils
and the Athletic Booster Club. She
served as president of Snead Island
Community association for many
years and was an active member of
the Bradenton Yacht Club, serving on
the Crosthwait Fishing Tournament
Committee.
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science graduates.
In addition to her husband,
survivors include daughters Nicole
Longino and Tayler Uselton and son
Brett Uselton; three grandchildren;
three sisters and seven brothers.
A gathering took place on February
21 at Groover Funeral Home,
Ellenton, Florida, with a private family
entombment at Gulf Pines Memorial
Park in Englewood. A celebration
of life and beach bash took place on
February 25 on Snead Island at the site
of her dream home. In honor of her
life, the family requested beach casual
attire for the celebration.
In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations to Tidewell Hospice
(http://tidewellhospice.org/welcome/
donors/donate-now/) or Lung Force
(http://action.lung.org/goto/iccfa).
Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral
Homes and Cremation Services
handled arrangements. r
March-April 2017 119

Miramar National Cemeterys Veterans
Tribute Tower & Carillon dedicated
S ome 200 veterans, active duty military,
and civilians gathered on Veterans Day
2016 for a special ceremony to dedicate
a Veterans Tribute Tower & Carillon, the
newest addition to a growing collection of
memorials at Miramar National Cemetery,
San Diego, California.
Two years in the planning, the 30-foot-
tall bell tower now stands on a knoll on
the north side of the cemetery where it is
visible from most points of the grounds,
and from nearby streets. The tower
is unlike any other at a VA-operated
cemetery.
The tower is specially dedicated to
soldiers of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division,
who fought in the June 1953 Battle of
Outpost Harry during the Korean War, and
also honors veterans of all U.S. military
services. The Miramar National Cemetery
Support Foundation, which coordinated
funding and construction, sponsored the
dedication.
Guest speaker at the event was Bob
Baker, 84, who as a 20-year-old corporal
fought in the eight-day Battle of Outpost
Harry. Now a prominent local automobile
120 ICCFA Magazine
UPDATE
Left and
below, the
recently
dedicated
Veterans
Tribute
Tower &
Carillon at
Miramar
National
Cemetery
in San
Diego,
California.
dealer, Baker donated $275,000 toward the
$400,000 project. Joining Baker for the
event were four other survivors of Outpost
Harry.
The featured speaker was retired Army
Reserve Col. William G. Gang, civilian
aide to Army Secretary Eric Fanning.
In addition to the funds contributed by
the Bob Baker Family Foundation Inc., the
San Diego County Board of Supervisors
donated an additional $78,000 through
Supervisor Bill Horns neighborhood
discretionary funds. Members of the
public also contributed funding to the
project.
In his remarks, Horn observed that of
the 3.1 million residents of San Diego
County, 1.1 million are related in some
way to the military, though nationally, only on the half-hour. In addition, the carillon
1 percent of citizens serve in the military. can play a wide selection of patriotic music
As the Tribute Towers primary bene- as directed by the cemetery administration.
factor, Baker was given the honor of The Veterans Tribute Tower & Carillon
officially activating the tower by using an is the single largest project the Miramar
electronic device to ring the 250-pound National Cemetery Support Foundation
bronze bell. The tower is programmed to has undertaken on behalf of the cemetery.
play the Westminster chimes and ring the In January 2012, the foundation dedicated
bell on the hour. The bell also rings once the $110,000 Avenue of Flags project,
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff

a display of 50 American flags unique
among national cemeteries.
The tower stands on a landscaped
plaza where visitors may gather to read
the inscription on a commemorative
plaque set into the base of the Tower, and
the dedication to the U.S. 15th Infantry
Regiment mounted on an adjacent
memorial pedestal.
A plaque located beneath the tower and
carillon is inscribed: This tower stands as
UPDATE: MIR AMAR
a lasting tribute to all American veterans
and to the valiant defenders of Outpost
Harry. And to our honored dead who have
paid the ultimate price to preserve the
freedoms of this great Republic.
The Carillon bell has Miramar
National Cemetery inscribed on one side,
and Honoring the sacrifice of Americas
veterans and their families in defense of
our nation on the other.
A memorial pedestal plaque to be
installed at a later date will include
additional information.
At the close of the dedication ceremony,
the tower played Taps.
Miramar was dedicated in January
2001. There are more than 250,000
veterans living in San Diego County,
and the original cemetery, started in
1865, was full. The new cemetery is now
handling more than 3,000 interments and
inurnments each year. r

from page 119
n SELECTED INDE-
PENDENT FUNERAL
HOMES, Deerfield, Illinois,
has named Helen Loring
Dear as 2017 recipient of its
NextGen Professional of the
Year Award. Loring, presi-
dent of Peter Loring Mortu-
Dear aries, San Antonio, Texas,
started in the family firm as housekeeper,
working since then in virtually every posi-
tion. In 2016, she was chosen as one of San
Antonio Business Journals 40 under 40.
Selected also recently announced
UPDATE
three new recipients
of its Second Career
Scholarship. The
$1,500 scholarships
were awarded to
Brandy Carter, Mi-
chael Hegg and Karo-
line Davidson. Carter,
Carter of Garden City, Hegg
Michigan, is entrolled in the mortuary
science program at Wayne State University
and works part-time at A.J. Desmond &
Sons Funeral Directors. She previously
worked 16 years in the hospitality industry.
Hegg, of Indianapolis, Indiana, a student at
the Ivy Tech Commu-
nity College School
of Mortuary Science,
previously served as a
uniformed patrol offi-
cer for the Indianpolis
Police Department.
Davidson, of Chan-
dler, Arizona, attends Davidson
Chandler-Gilbert Community Colleges
Mortuary Science Program and works at
Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation,
Mesa, Arizona. He previously worked as a
general assignment reporter in TV journal-
ism for 12 years. r

Cemeteries Crematories Funeral homes suppliers pet loss proFessionals

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Share your news with colleagues all over the worldsend it in to ICCFA Magazine!
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Email ICCFA Magazine Managing Editor Susan Loving at sloving@iccfa.com.

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 121

Packers show about die-hard fans spotlights what
Green Bay funeral home and cemetery offer them
T here are two things most people in the
United States know about Green Bay,
Wisconsin: It gets very cold there in the
winter, and the people who live there love
their NFL team, the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay is a football town, Every day
of the year, is how Bob Walczyk, funeral
director and owner of Proko-Wall Funeral
Home & Crematory in Green Bay, put it.
Its a love that in some cases lives
forevera perpetual love, one might say.
The Packers film production team put a
spotlight on it in a recent episode, Packers
Life: Until Death Do Us Part.
The 23-minute film starts out with historic
video of the Packers and then focuses on two
super-fans. One is a man, now deceased, who
had cerebral palsy. His siblings talk about
what a great Packers fan he was, how well
the team treated him and how he was buried
wearing one of his Packers jackets.
The other is a great-grandmother who
describes herself as a die-hard Packers fan.
She recently got her first tattooof a green
and gold Packers casket. She has planned her
own funeral and chosen a Packers urn that
will be buried in the plot she had purchased
for a casket.
Just over three minutes into the show,
Tribute Companies (and Fort Howard
Memorial Park) President Christine
Hentges, CCE, is shown talking about the
122 ICCFA Magazine
UPDATE
Left, a memorial at Fort Howard Memorial Park with a tribute to the communitys
beloved Green Bay Packers. Above, a funeral planning brochure and a Green Bay
Packers urn at Proko-Wall Funeral Home and Crematory. (Photo by Barbara Holford)
benefits of preplanning: We are working
with a very delicate subject, so for me
the educational process of being able to
show people that this doesnt have to be an
uncomfortable situation, an uncomfortable
conversation, is great.
Its a message the great-grandmother
die-hard fan featured in the show believes
in. The show segues into her saying that she
wants to preplan so that her children wont
have to deal with everything when she dies.
I went through it with my in-laws, and its
not a fun situation when youre in it. My
mother and dad had planned their funerals,
and it was a breeze. So I thought, This makes
it so much easier thats what Im going
to do for my boys. The show then segues
Above, Christine Toson Hentges, CCE, into Bob Walczyk talking about funeral
being interviewed in the Fort Howard preplanning.
mausoleum. Below, a close-up of a The funeral home does several funerals
crypt with a football emblem. each year that have some sort of Packers
influence, Walczyk said, from full-blown
Packers to subtle touches such as flowers.
Walczyk and Hentges both talked about
the availability of Packers-themed send-
offs that go beyond merchandise selection
and personalization. Proko-Wall offers
celebration of life themes, planned with the
help of a local event planner, including a
Packers theme. Green Bay florists are used
to creating Packers-themed arrangements,
he said. They did a tailgate visitation in
Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 UPDATE

Above, Packers-themed bronze nice fronts (featured on the show) and some football/Packers personalization on memorials.

their parking lot for one man. And the

Packers game is always on a TV somewhere
in the funeral home at the familys request.
That would probably have been seen as
disrespectful in the past, Walczyk noted, but
now its almost expected.
They also encourage celebrations of life
at the cemetery, Hentges said. A Packers-
themed final send-off at the cemetery is
fine as long as its respectful to the other
people in the cemetery.
Hentges also mentioned that people
leave mementos on graves, both before
and after games. We encourage that,
she said. They want people to visit
the cemetery, and when they see the
mementos, they know its happening.
Walczyk said the response to the story
had been very positive. The show ran on
television and then was made available on the
Packers website. The week after it ran,
a couple of people shook my hand after
church and said it was a great show.
Some people do mention the show when
they come to the funeral home for a service,
but overall, it was just another Packers
show in Green Bay, he said. Its common
for there to be some kind of story about the
Packers on local media, he said. I, of course,
thought it was great!
The show is great, especially in terms
of its positive portrayal of the funeral and
cemetery profession and of preplanning,
Bob Walczyk with a green-and-gold casket designed to appeal to Packers fans in a
visitation room with a flat-screen TV that, like others in the funeral home, can show
and worth publicizing for the way it shows
Packers games during visitations if the family so requests. Thats Packers quarter- thoughtful and caring professionals offering
back Aaron Rogers, #12, in the center of the screen. (Photo by Barbara Holford) people options important to them. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 123
 I C C FA N E W S

ACADEMY OF PROFESSIONAL FUNERAL INGLEWOOD PARK CEMETERY

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LA ADS
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MATTHEWS MEMORIALIZATION
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MEMORIAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS INC.
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CLEARPOINT FEDERAL BANK & TRUST PLOTBOX
CREEDY & CO. PRECOA
DAVEY TREE REGIONS BANK
DISRUPT MEDIA RICK MILLER
ECKCO PRODUCTS SERVICE CORPORATION
INTERNATIONAL
EVERDAYS
SICH CASKET CO. LTD.
FOREST LAWN MEMORIAL-PARKS &
MORTUARIES SPRING GROVE CEMETERY &
ARBORETUM
FOUNDATION PARTNERS
STAR GRANITE & BRONZE
THE GARDENS AT GETHSEMANE
STONEMOR PARTNERS LP
GIBRALTAR REMEMBRANCE SERVICES
THE SIGNATURE GROUP
GLOBAL ATLANTIC FINANCIAL GROUP
TRIBUTE COMPANIES
GLOBAL RECRUITERS
UPD URNS
GUERRA & GUTIERREZ MORTUARY
WILBERT FUNERAL SERVICES
HILLSIDE MEMORIAL PARK & MORTUARY
INDEPENDENCE TRUST CO.

124 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 I C C FA N E W S

2016 Keeping It Personal Awards results are in

R
esults for the 2016 KIP entire month of May 2016 engaging and interacting with the

KP
KI
Awards are in! The
Best in Personalization public throughout the city. Actors stood on what looked like
Keeping It Personal plastic stands and were completely still. On Memorial Day itself,
(KIP) Awards showcase the the green army men portrayed soliders in a field kitchen set up
very best in personalization in at the cemetery. They peeled potatoes and washed dishes, all
the death-care profession. The while wearing microphones, telling each other stories about New
competition was extremely Mexico veterans who are buried at Sunset Memorial Park.
competitive with nearly 55
entries received. The five A wardd Honorable Mention
White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery: The Patriots Race
categories are: Troy, Michigan
Most Personalized Service or Memorial
Best Practice/Personal Touch Innovative Personalized Product
Best Event
Innovative Personalized Product (suppliers) First Place
Most Personalized Pet Service or Memorial PlotBox
Portglenone, Northern Ireland; and Palo Alto, California
Most Personalized Service or Memorial PlotBox is a multi-sided platform which allows all records for
a deceased person to be in one place, linking to the accurate
First Place and Grand Prize Winner location of their memorial. Cemeteries/crematories are able to
Manasota Memorial Park and Funeral Home: Live, Laugh, use this platform to manage daily operations online and in real-
Love ... Dont Panic time. The other side of the platform can be used for families and
Bradenton, Florida members of the public in search of records and maps, showing
Unlike any service the funeral home has ever done, the Live, their loved ones memorial and virtually visiting the grave.
Laugh, Love ... Dont Panic service provided a beach oasis for
family and friends as they remembered Patrica Ann Gadberry. Honorable Mention
Over 250 guests were greeted with Hawaiian leis as they entered WebCemeteries.com: Timeline of a Lifetime
the funeral home. Virginville, Pennsylvania
They had 2,000 pounds of sand for this service so that guests
could play games, lounge on patio furniture and partake in the Most Personalized Pet Service or Memorial
photo booth, all while listening to Patricias favorite music. Over First Place
150 biodegradable balloons were released in her honor. Memorial Pet Services Inc.: K-9 Hardys Memorial Service
Honorable Mention Middleton, Wisconsin
Evergreen Washelli: Remembering Chase When Hardy, the first K-9 officer of the Janesville Police
Seattle, Washington Department, suddenly passed away, Memorial Pet Services Inc.
created an unforgettable service for the four-footed officer. A
Best Practice/Personal Touch motorcade that stopped at Janesville Police Department made its
way to Memorial Pet Services.
First Place The motorcade was joined by fellow officers, firefighters,
Clock Funeral Home: Infant Loss Program emergency crews and people in the community. At Memorial
Muskegon, Michigan Pet Services, a private viewing room was available to remember
The North Ottawa Community Hospital partnered with Clock Hardy. A quilt including his K-9 partners picture and name was
Funeral Home to make an infant loss program that had a formal presented to his partner, Officer Mahaffey, and the American flag
protocol to help couples/families with sudden loss of their infants. that was draped over Hardys casket was given to the Mahaffeys.
Clock Funeral Home created a program that included having a
female arranger/director with the family, making arrangements Honorable Mention
at the familys home instead of the funeral home and providing Paws To Angels Pet Loss Center & Services: Gracies Memo-
a script for training the hospitals staff on how to counsel the rial Service
family. Omaha, Nebraska

Best Event The first place and honorable mention recipients will be
showcased at the 2017 Annual Convention & Expo in Nashville,
First Place
Tennessee. The grand prize winner receives a free convention
Sunset Memorial Park/French Funerals-Cremations:
registration and all winners will be featured in an issue of ICCFA
The Green Army Man-Themed Memorial Day Celebration
Magazine, beginning in the May issue.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
For more information on the winners, visit
To educate and inform their community on the meaning and
www.iccfa.com/kip. q
importance of Memorial Day, Sunset Memorial Park spent the

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 125
 I C C FA N E W S

Ideas shared, memories made at WWS 2017

T
he 2017 Wide World of Sales conference brought more than 330 sales
counselors, managers and suppliers together in Phoenix, Arizona, to
share ideas about what is really shaking up death-care sales today
namely how to best serve cremation families, what technology is available to
help get you in front of potential customers, and how to stay motivated during
the process. A hallmark of the WWS conferences are the practical take-
aways, the Im going to start doing this Monday morning ideas, and this
conference didnt disappoint. From information on free technology apps that
increase sales efficiency to advice on how to empower your sales team and
actual scripts for prospecting, proven tips and sales methods were shared by
top industry professionals and relevant speakers from outside the profession.
This year also saw the introduction of the Sales Boot Camp, where
those new to death-care sales were taken through the rigors of prospecting,
presenting and closing and the nuances of each step of the appointment.
While originally designed for 40 participants, the response to the Boot
Camp was so overwhelming that the room was filled to capacity and plans
are already underway for Boot Camp 2018.
There were several networking events outside the conference room,
beginning with a golf tournament on Tuesday at the Camelback Golf Club.
On Wednesday, following the ever-popular Fireside Chat with Gary
OSullivan, the Opening Reception gave everyone the chance to belt
out their favorite karaoke tunes honestly, who doesnt love Bohemian
Rhapsody and Friends in Low Places? Then on Thursday night we
traded in the microphone for bowling shoes at Lucky Strike Bowling.
The Sales & Marketing Committee would like to thank all of the
speakers who contributed to the success of the conference, bringing timely
content and initiating dialog that will help advance the death-care sales
profession. The committee also appreciates all of the attendees who took
time to complete their conference surveys. Using this invaluable feedback,
the committee is already busy planning WWS 2018, which will take place
at the New Orleans Marriott on January 10-12. If you are interested in
speaking, please look to the May 2017 issue of the ICCFA Magazine for the
2018 Wide World of Sales Call for Presentations. q
Counterclockwise from top left: Jay Dodds, CFSP, Jeff Kidwiler, CCE,
CSE, Jim Price, CCFE, CCrE, Gregg Strom, CCE, and Fred Lappin,
CCE, at the Tuesday night golf reception; Jim Breaux, Lori Salberg
and John Bolton, CCE, Sales & Marketing Committee chairman; Andy
Lopez as The King; fun during the Wednesday night karaoke reception;
Dave Brown during his keynote talk.

126 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and
support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide New Members
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
THE ICCFA AND MEMBERSHIP: Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those present and voting at any
Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to down- meeting of the executive committee. The names of all applicants must be published in this magazine.
load a benefits brochure and an application form. ICCFA members objecting to an application must do so in writing to the ICCFA executive director within
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership 45 days of publication. In the event of an objection, the executive committee will conduct an inquiry. If an
information faxed or mailed to you. applicant is rejected, they will be granted an appeal upon written request. The decision of the Board of
Directors shall be final.

Regular American LandMaster Funeral Directors Answering Service

Becker Funeral Home Fort Wayne, Indiana Huntington, West Virginia
Clermont, Florida Atlas Preservation Inc. Kasa Technology Group
City of Kilgore Southington, Connecticut Roseburg, Oregon
Kilgore, Texas B-ecologic Ltd. Kelco Supply Co.*
Diocese of Providence RI Catholic Elishemam, Israel Big Lake, Minnesota
Cemeteries Betts Patterson and Mines PS Kings Point Capital Management
Cranston, Rhode Island Seattle, Washington Brentwood, Tennessee
Elmwood Cemetery Association Blank Rome LLP* Kinkaraco Green Burial Product*
New Brunswick, New Jersey Philadelphia, Pennsylvania San Francisco, California
Found & Sons Inc.* BloomNet Knauer Industries
Culpeper, Virginia Jacksonville, Florida Joliet, Illinois
Gethsemane North Cemetery Cathedral Park Urns Life Celebration Inc.
Houston, Texas Topanga, California North Wales, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery* Catholic Extension Mekus Tanager Inc.*
Colma, California Walpole, Massachusetts Northfield, Illinois
Our Mother of Sorrows Elite Funeral Funding Memorial Arts Studio*
Reno, Nevada Tamarac, Florida Welaka, Florida
Putnam Funeral Home Ltd.* FC Industries Inc. Therm-Tec Mid-States Recycling & Refining
Kingsland, Texas Kansas City, Missouri Des Plaines, Illinois
Riverside Cemetery Association Final Embrace* Nuvo Iron
Fargo, North Dakota Eustis, Florida Bolton, Ontario
Roundtree Napier & Ogilvies Funeral First Bank SBA PICLIF
Home El Segundo, California Monroeville, Pennsylvania
Columbia, Tennessee to page 128
Shuler-Marshall Funeral Home
Holly Hill, South Carolina
Sunrise Funeral Home and Cemetery*
Hermantown, Minnesota
The Martenson Family of Funeral Homes
Trenton, Michigan
Washington Township Cemetery TAP INTO the dynamic
Dayton, Ohio online supplier network
Optimized. of the ICCFA with the
ICCFA Supply Link.
Professional: Pet Loss Services Powered by MultiView,
Cherished Companions Pet Memorial the ICCFA Supply Link
Center is the premier search tool
Pittston, Pennsylvania for your industry. All the
products and services
Heavenly Paws of Texas you need, all within the
New Braunfels, Texas supplier network of the
Pet Cremation Services associaton you trust.
Kansas City, Missouri
Start your search at
Professional/Supplier our homepage
www.iccfa.com.
Abbey Press Publications*
St Meinrad, Indiana
Aftercare.com
Clinton, North Carolina

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March-April 2017 127
 I C C FA S TA F F P R O F I L E S

Brown stays on top of digital media communication

Name: Jason Brown
Started with the ICCFA: October 2016
Job title: Communications assistant
What you do for our members (primary
duties): My job with ICCFA involves
primarily digital media communication.
This includes, but is not limited to, working
on ICCFA magazine and WIRELESS,
creating newsletters, updating the content on
our website, engaging in our social media
channels and finally, assisting our members
with any questions they may have regarding
our website content.
Professional background prior to coming
to the ICCFA: I also work as a live events
operator at the AOL Dulles location where
I broadcast ESPN commercials on the
WatchESPN app.
What do you like most about working
Jason Brown is the ICCFAs communica-
at the ICCFA? Because it is such a small
tions assistant.
staff, we are like familywe work well
together and pitch in on every aspect of the
association.
What have you learned about the cemetery
or funeral profession that has surprised
you the most? Theres way more associated
with the industry than I previously thought.
From the funeral directors and embalmers
to cemetery laws and maintenance and the
suppliers, it gives a whole new meaning to
From the ground up for me.
Whats your answer to people who say,
You work where? Of course, I must repeat
myself and then they ask if I work with the
bodies. I explain what my job pertains to and
their next question is whether or not we have
bodies in the basement.
Outside interests/hobbies/accomplish-
ments: I am a HUGE movie person and
the horror genre is my go-to. You name it,
Ive probably watched it or heard about
it. I am also big into music. I had my own
radio show for a while which I consider an
accomplishment and an experience in itself. r

NEW MEMBERS
from page 127
Pets in Peaceful Rest LLC See You Memorial Jewelry Thermodigital Inc.*
Lockport, New York Walnut, California Thornhill, Ontario
Pro Design Urns Skyways Media Inc. Xiamen Zhanghengxin Industrial Co.
Granby, Quebec Mississauga, Ontario Xiamen, Fujian, China
Rainbow to Heaven Strickland Solutions *rejoined r
Woodland Hills, California Fort Worth, Texas

Classifieds Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm

To place a classified, contact Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com

Cemetery sales opportunities
Are you looking for a change?
Are you tired of all the corporate
changes, lowered compensation,
unfulfilled promises and concern
about your job security with your
current employer?
This could be your last call!
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We offer:
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over-rides in the industry
No caps on income
A compensation plan that has
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ity
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No corporate micromanage-
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Relocation assistance
Be appreciated and earn what
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Contact Tracy Palm at
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Those who join our team dont
leave!
They have worked for most
of the others but have never been
happier than they are with us.
You can ask any of them. r

Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com March/April 2017 128
 Email calendar listings and additions or corrections to bclough@iccfa.com and sloving@iccfa.com Calendar
For continually updated meeting listings and direct links to websites for professional associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select Directory,
then Find a Member, then Industry Event Calendar.

March 21-22: Ohio Cemetery Assn. Spring

Conf., Doubletree Hotel, Columbus, Ohio.
www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com
March 22: Washington Cemetery,
Cremation and Funeral Assn. 24th Annual
Spring Conf., Embassy Suites Seattle.
www.wcfa.us
March 20-22: MKJ Marketing Sea Semi
nar, Unlocking the Insights: Cremation,
Receptions & Digital Marketing, Boca
Raton, Florida. www.mkjmarketing.com
March 22-23: The Foresight Companies
Human Resource Spring Training Seminar,
Foresight offices, Phoenix, Arizona.
1.800.426.0165;
www.theforesightcompanies.com
March 29: Florida Cemetery, Cremation
& Funeral Assn. Maintenance Expo,
Kissimmee. www.thefccfa.com
March 31-April 1: Arkansas Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Convention,
Rogers. www.arfda.com
April 5-6: Utah Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, South Jordan.
www.ufda.org
April 5-8: ICCFA Annual Convention &
Expo, Music City Center & Renaissance
Nashville & Onmi, Tennessee.
www.iccfa.com
April 5-8: Assn. for Death Education &
Counseling Annual Convention, Portland
Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Oregon.
www.adec.org
April 10-12: Academy of Graduate
Embalmers of Georgia Annual Clinic.
www.ageg.org
April 17-20: Michigan Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Amway, Grand
Rapids. www.mfda.org
April 20-22: International Order of the
Golden Rule Annual Conf. & Supplier
Showcase, New Orleans, Louisiana.
www.ogr.org
April 23-25: Texas Cemeteries Assn.
Annual Convention, Courtyard Dallas Allen
at the John Q. Hammons Center, Allen.
817.339.8218
April 23-26: Pennsylvania Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Convention & Expo,
Pocono Manor. www.pfda.org
April 24-28: Catholic Cemeteries of the
West Annual Convention, Lake Tahoe
Resort, California. www.ccwecare.org
April 26-28: Selected Independent Fune
ral Homes Spring Management Seminar,
Doubletree By Hilton, Raleigh, North
Carolina. www.selectedfuneralhomes.org
April 30-May 2: Texas Cemeteries Assn.
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
Go to www.iccfa.com and choose Directory/Find a Member/Industry Event Calen-
dar to see a monthly calendar of industry association meetings worldwide.
Annual Convention, Allen. www.txca.us
April 30-May 3: Kansas Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Wichita.
www.ksfda.org
May 2-4: Nebraska Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Younes Conf.
Center, Kearney. www.nefda.org
May 10-12: South Dakota Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Convention,
Watertown, South Dakota. www.sfda.org
May 15-18: Ohio Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Hilton Columbus at
Easton. www.ofdaonline.org
May 16-17: Iowa Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Altoona.
www.iafda.org
May 21-24: North Carolina Funeral
Directors Assn. 130th Annual Convention,
Raleigh. www.ncfda.org
May 22-24: Minnesota Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Minneapolis.
www.mnfuneral.org
May 24-25: CANA-ICCFA Cremation
Operations Certification & Cremation
Arranger Certification, Wilbert Funeral
Services Inc., Broadview, Illinois.
www.iccfa.com
May 24-26: Funermostra, including FIAT
IFTA Mtg., Feria Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
www.feriavalencia.com
May 25-27: Pieta, Dresden, Germany.
www.pieta-messe.de
May 26-28: 2nd Funeral & Cemetery
Equipment Expo, TIF Helexpo Center,
Thessaloniki, Greece. www.atou.gr
June 2-4: Necroexpo, Targi Kielce Expo
Center, Kielce, Poland. www.targikielce.pl
June 4-7: Texas Funeral Directors Assn.
Summer Convention, Austin. www.tfda.com
June 4-7: Georgia Funeral Directors Assn.
Summer Convention, King and Prince
Beach Resort, St. Simons Island.
www.gfda.org
June 5-6: Missouri Funeral Directors &
Embalmers Assn. Annual Convention, Lake
Ozark. www.mofuneral.org
June 5-9: Funeral Service Assn. of
Canada Annual General Mtg. & Trade
Show, Charlottesville, Prince Edward.
www.fsac.ca
June 6-8: Funeral Directors Assn. of
Kentucky Annual Convention, Crowne
Plaza Hotel & Kentucky Fair & Expo
Center, Louisville. www.fdaofky.com
June 6-8: Arizona Funeral, Cemetery
& Cremation Assn.Annual Convention,
Litchfield Park. www.azfcca.org
June 7-8: ICCFA Cremation Arranger
Certification & Cremation Operations
Certification, GuptonJones College of
Funeral Service, Decatur, Georgia.
www.iccfa.com
June 7-9: Independent Funeral Directors
of Florida 25th Annual Convention, Rosen
to page 130
March-April 2017 129
 AD INDEX

105 A.C. Furniture 41 Global Atlantic Financial Group 29 Passages International

117 American Cemetery/Mortuary 23 Great Western Insurance Co. 11 Perfect Memorials
Consultants 99 Grever & Ward 117 PlotBox
103 American Funeral & Cemetery 59 Heritage Flower Co. 73 Pontem Software
Trust Services 63 Holland Supply 113 RBC Wealth Management
73 ASDAnswering Service for 4 Homesteaders Life Co. 87 Ring Ring Marketing
Directors 109 IMSA 31 Security National Life Insurance Co.
19 Astral Industries 49 Inman Shipping Worldwide 79 SEP Technologies
27 Batesville Casket 77 J. Stuart Todd Inc. 66 Sich Caskets
2 Biondan North Americak 15 Johnson Consulting 67 Sich Caskets
55 Blackstone Cemetery Development 95 Johnson Consulting 97 Southern Cemetery, Cremation &
9 Carrier Mausoleums Construction 47 Kryprotek Funeral Association
3 CemSites 93 Live Oak Bank 132 SRS Computing
99 Cherokee Casket 49 Love Urns LLC 39 Star Granite & Bronze
65 Columbarium by Design LLC 87 Madelyn Co. 5 StoneMor Partners
45 Continental Computer Corp. 13 Matthews Cemetery Products 127 Supply Link
81 Cooperative Funeral Fund 81 Mausoleum Supply 33 Terrybear Urns & Memorials
77 Custom Air Trays 59 Meadow Hill Corp. 85 The Foresight Companies LLC
53 Doric Products 73 Memorial Arts Studio 81 THE SYSTEM
87 Duncan Stuart Todd Ltd. 17 Memoriams by Ancestry 17 The Tribute Companies
21 Eagle Coach Co. 131 Merendino Cemetery Care 69 Tile Artisans Digital Imaging
51 Eagles Wings Air 79 Miles Supply Inc. 85 Timberland Urns
35 Eickhof Columbaria Inc. 25 MKJ Marketing 51 Triple H Co.
107 Elberton Granite Association 117 Mortuary Lift 71 U.S. Metalcraft
69 Ensure-A-Seal 75 National Guardian Life Insurance Co. 89 Vantage Products Corp.
69 Flowers for Cemeteries 69 National Mortuary Shipping 63 VKM International
119 Franklin Wrap 107 New Memorials Direct 91 Wilbert Funeral Services
89 Funeral Call Answering Service 89 Nomis Publications 73 WithumSmith + Brown
7 Funeral Home Gifts 63 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & 47 Wuxi ANA Industries Ltd.
37 Funeral Services Inc. Hippel 31 Zontec Ozone r
43 funeralOne 65 Paradise Pictures

from page 129
Shingle Creek. www.ifdf.org
June 9-11: National (British) Funeral
Exhibition, National Agricultural Center,
Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, England.
www.nationalfuneralexhibition.co.uk
June 10-13: Louisiana Funeral Directors
Assn. & Mississippi Funeral Directors
Assn. Joint Annual Convention, Windsor
Court Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana.
www.lfdaweb.org
June 11-14: California Funeral Directors
Assn. Convention, Monterey Hyatt
Regency. www.cafda.org
June 11-15: Catholic Cemetery Conf.
School of Leadership & Management
Excellence, University of Notre Dame,
South Bend, Indiana.
CALENDAR
www.catholiccemetery conference.org
June 12-13: Wisconsin Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Oshkosh.
www.wfda.info
June 12-14: The Center for Loss and Life
Transition trainning session by Dr. Alan
Wolfelt, Opening Your Communitys Eyes
to WHY We need Funerals, Fort Collins,
Colorado. www.centerforloss.com
June 22-24: Southern Monument Builders
Assn. Annual Convention & Trade Show,
Rockwall, Texas.
www.southernmonumentbuilders.com
June 22-24: Florida Cemetery, Cremation
& Funeral Assn. Annual Convention,
Aventura. www.thefccfa.com
June 25-28: Southern Cemetery, Crema
tion & Funeral Assn., Cemetery Assn. of
Tennessee, Kentucky Cemetery Assn.
& Georgia Cemetery Assn. Joint Annual
Convention, Chattanooga Convention
Center & Marriott Downtown, Tennessee.
www.sccfa.info
June 25-29: Maryland Funeral Directors
98th Annual Convention, Clarion Resort,
Ocean City. www.msfda.net
June 25-28: Virginia Funeral Directors
Assn. 129th Annual Convention,
Williamsburg. www.vfda.net
June 26-28: Illinois Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Tinley Park
Convention Center. www.ifda.org
June 26-July 3: MKJ Marketing Alaskan
Cruise, A Marketing Voyage.
www.mkjmarketing.com r

130 ICCFA Magazine Like the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
 Biondan North America Inc., 2017.
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 1100

YOUR BUSINESS.  March-April 2017

IN YOUR BACK POCKET.

Introducing mobile.9 MAGAZINE

ICCFA Magazine
NASHVILLE, TN APRIL 5-8, 2017 CEMETERY CREMATION FUNERAL

Jan Scruggs: The

man behind the
Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in D.C.
Lemasters on phone
calls & the Funeral Rule
Wagemann on how to
develop a relationship
with your local hospice
Cremation:
Building a successful
online business
Embracing the options
that cremation offers
Creative use of unused
spaces in your cemetery
Sales:
The elements of an
effective selling system
Cemetery Impossible:
Should salespeople tell
you where to set prices?
Forming community

relationships to create
long-term sales success
Also:
Wolfelt on watching
the words you use
Van Beck on silence
Visiting a cemetery
March-April 2017 in Beijing, China

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