ICCFA Magazine June 2016

June 2016
MAGAZINE
CEMETERY
CREMATION
FUNERAL
Holy Sepulchers
beautiful mausoleum
preserves the views
Hillside adds niches,

crypts and green burial
Isard on adding a family
mausoleum Van Beck
on understanding
others Sign up
now for ICCFAU
by ICCFA Magazine
Managing Editor Susan Loving
sloving@iccfa.com
MAUSOLEUMS
ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight
Site considerations at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery

made building a mausoleum an ideal way to make use
of a difficult site, but also made phasing impossible.
The result is a project that adds thousands of spaces all at once
to the cemeterys inventory and preserves magnificent views
the community had expressed concern about.
PHOTO BY CARLOS GALINDO
Looking from the top of the Mount of Olives Mausoleum toward the Santa Ana
Mountains. The wall holds niches; a private estates area is on the other side.
mwesner@rcbo.org
Michael A. Wesner has been director
of cemeteries for the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Orange, California, which
manages four cemeteries, since 2000.
www.occem.org
Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, where

Mount of Olives Mausoleum is located,
was established in 1930 and is the largest
of the diocesan cemeteries.
14
ICCFA Magazine
Mount of Olives offers

something for everyone,
including the neighbors
he garden crypt building that is part

of Mount of Olives, Holy Sepulcher
Cemeterys first mausoleum project,
is anything but a starter building. The
project adds thousands of spaces to the
cemeterys inventory, and is not being built
in phases. Perhaps thats just as well.
It took years for the cemetery, part of
the Catholic Diocese of Orange, California,
to negotiate with neighbors and obtain the
necessary permits. The result is a beautiful
building that complements the landscape,
makes good use of difficult terrain, provides
families with a variety of interment options
and preserves sweeping view of the Santa
Ana Mountains and a wilderness preserve
bordering the property.
Michael Wesner, executive director of
the diocesan cemeteries, has been with the
diocese since 2000. The Mount of Olives

Mausoleum projectwhich is technically
still not complete, as a bronze feature statue
has not yet been placedhas taken about
a dozen years from conception to (almost)
completion.
We didnt have a mausoleum at Holy
Sepulcher, and we should have a mauso
leum in every cemetery, Wesner said. A
certain percentage of your clientele will
want mausoleum entombment.
The mausoleum is built into a hillside
in a very narrow part of the cemetery. It
was a natural place to provide this kind of
inventory while using a part of the property
that was perhaps otherwise unusable. Its a
challenging site, because its sloped. It was
ideal to do a sort of crypt retaining wall to
kind of tier the site.

to page 16
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PHOTOS AND DRAWINGS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF MEKUS TANAGER
Above, a photo showing the completed mausoleum from the south, looking north. Material details (from project architects
Mekus Tanager): The project was primarily poured-in-place concrete (California requires thisno precast architectural concrete), with stone facades and granite shutters for the crypts/niches. The granite is a Chinese granite, Chengde Green. The stone
on the project is from Coronado Stone Products, Desert Ridge Sunhill Blend. Below, Mekus Tanagers plan for the Mount of
Olives Mausoleum project, showing existing ground burial extended down to the top of the mausoleum, where the lawn crypt
section ends with railings that make those sections look like balconies. The small walled section behind the left end of the
project, near a previously built columbarium building, is for private family estates. The lawn crypt areas are divided by greenerycovered wrought-iron fencing into private family estates. The semicircular wall at the top of the rotunda area holds niches.
Right, a drawing from Mekus Tanager showing how the slope of the hill was tiered to
accommodate the project. The design had
to deal with the 16-foot drop in topography,
as well as drainage and stormwater issues.
To solve stormwater runoff issues from the
cemetery and project site, a bioswale was
added downhill of the project to filter the
sites runoff water. General contractor was
Milne Mausoleum Construction.
Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
June 2016
15
MAUSOLEUMS
lawn crypts and 2,586 traditional ground
burial plots.
The top of the hillside into which the
garden mausoleum walls are tucked (the
hill means a 16-foot elevation drop) offers
lawn crypts. With lawn crypts and fencing,
we thought it would be a view site. You
look down toward a protected canyon that
will never be developed, and the Santa Ana
Mountains. Theres a value in that view that
you get from the top of this mausoleum.
They decided to emphasize crypt rather
than niche space in this project. We put
niches into some walls and other areas that
you otherwise couldnt do much with, but
we already have plenty of niche spaces in
the cemetery.
Our goal was to provide more
traditional burial spaces, because thats our
market. Catholics dont cremate at the rate
the general public does. Were at about a
30-35 percent cremation rate, so burial is
still preferred.
One of the accommodations made to satisfy equestrian neighbors involved
But we also wanted to introduce the
horse crossings, complete with stoplights, and a trail to allow horseback access
mausoleum option because of our limited
through the memorial park to a conservation area that abuts the new mausoleum
space for future development, and were
project area.
encouraging people to consider mausoleum
Carrier Mausoleum Construction
from page 14
entombment versus ground burial.
previously installed at the cemetery.
The diocese introduced the option of
Though site considerations made
And yes, the cemeterys Conditional
semi-private family estates in the early
phasing impractical, it was the civil
Use Permit did require horse trails. Once
2000s to test the market, and its proved a
approval process that turned the project
we finished the project, we were obligated popular choice, Wesner said, noting that
into a long, drawn-out one.
they fit into the ground-burial tradition. The
The cemetery is bounded by a highway to construct some trails and crossings.
This is something the community had dug family estates make use of double-depth
on one side, residential areas on two
their heels in about and made it clear we
lawn crypts to maximize use of space.
sides and a protected wilderness area on
would not get approval unless we agreed
They are a pricey option, but they sell
the other side. The residential areas are
to provide this, so its going in this spring. well. People like the exclusivity of them.
comprised of large lots, many owned by
The work involves probably less than
They get a little gate with their name on it,
people who take advantage of plentiful
100
yards of horse trail access to the back and they have a private area, created by a
opportunities for horseback riding in the
country adjacent to the cemetery, Wesner
wall or landscaping so that you have some
area.
separation from your neighbors. Theres a
Its an equestrian community, Wesner said. Basically, the cemetery is providing
a way for riders to access the protected
segment of the community that really likes
said. We have horse trails all around
acreage bordering the cemetery.
them.
us, and people wanted us to include
Without this access point, they had
We provide them with a bench and
infrastructure for the horse trails, horse
to ride all the way around the cemetery,
also a small, slant-faced monument they
crossings and traffic lights.
and the trails they had to go on were kind
can upgrade if theyd like, and they usually
We went through an extensive and
of treacherous. The trail were providing
dothey upgrade to a nice monument. So it
lengthy approval process. We didnt
gives families the opportunity to customize
receive the approval until about 2008, and them is much safer and more direct.
Doing whatever it took to maximize
their memorialization.
then we went through a long search for the
the use of the land was important, as
We offer standard landscaping, but
right design.
if the family wants us to do something
After reviewing and rejecting a number the approximately 60-acre site has only
about 5-8 acres left, Wesner said. So they
different, we will landscape it to their
of design proposals, the diocese chose
Mekus Tanager, Northfield, Illinois, which wanted to both maximize density and offer liking, and then we maintain it.
families additional options.
The large number of traditional ground
had developed the cemeterys master
The project covers more than 4.5 acres, burial sites included in the project are
plan, as designer. Milne Mausoleum
is a quarter of a mile long and includes
provided through lawn crypts and infill
Construction, Portland, Oregon, was
areas they were able to add around the
general contractor for the project, which is 1,008 semi-private family estate burial
mausoleum, including the area between the
set near a cremation suites columbarium sites, 1,899 wall crypts, 570 niches, 707
16
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June 2016
17
MAUSOLEUMS
PHOTOS BY
CARLOS
GALINDO
Right,
private
family
estates in
the foreground,
with lawn
crypt
private
estates in
the background,
where the
wrought
iron fencing is.
existing graves and the beginning

fits into the setting. Its beautiful.
of the mausoleum project. We
Sales have already begun,
just extended those grave areas to
as all of the cemetery grounds
the new development.
are consecrated. The formal
The mausoleum crypts are
dedication wont take place until
at road level, below the balcony
a bronze statue of Jesus is placed
fencing setting off the semion a pedestal by the fountain in
private family estate areas. Across
the rotunda center section. The
the road from the mausoleum
ceremony will probably take
wall, there are additional lawn
place in the fall, possibly All
crypts, parallel to the garden
Souls Day, Wesner said.
mausoleum crypts, again set off
Olive trees, symbolic of the
with fencing.
Mount of Olives in Jerusaem,
Thats a retaining wall as
where Jesus was buried and
well, and then theres our property
resurrected, will flank the rotunda.
line. The lower lawn crypt terrace
The availability of the new
is right on our property line. So
inventory has been advertised
A closer look at the lawn crypt family estates that run along
visitors to those lawn crypts look the balcony atop the mausoleum crypt wall. We didnt have in the local weekly Catholic
directly into the protected canyon the room to put walls up, because everything is so tight
newspaper that goes out to all of
and mountains beyond.
there, Wesner said, so we used wrought iron fencing, and the parishes, he said. And weve
Sometimes a property line
then put some Star of Jasmine, which rises up on the fence done some promotional discount
to create a green separation.
means putting in landscaping to
coupons.
screen the cemetery from what
He said sales have been going
Even the color scheme of the granites
lies beyond, but there was no
as expected. To start off with,
and the stucco and stonework are all earth
need for that in this case. In fact, Wesner
the crypts are being priced to sell, because
tones so that the building blends in well
said, the community wanted the cemetery
mausoleum entombment is not something
to block its spectacular view (screening the with the natural environment, Wesner said. their families are used to. Most of our
The response weve gotten back from the
cemetery from the conservation area), but
clientele in this market are accustomed to
equestrian team has been very positive.
the cemetery did not agree to do so. We
traditional ground burial. So were pricing
After all the hassles we had with the Orange the crypts to get more people into the
wanted that view to be wide open.
Park Acres Trails Association to get this
Perhaps members of the community
mausoleum, to get people accustomed to it.
development done, they came back and told
feared the mausoleum would distract or
We dont have a large Italian or
detract from the natural surroundings. They us we did a nice job.
Portuguese clientele that would gravitate
The mausoleum isnt big and bulky; it
need not have worried.
toward mausoleum entombment. We have
18
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Promoting consumer choices, prearrangement and open competition
Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support
to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
14 Mausoleums
Holy Sepulcher Cemeterys Mount of

Olives Mausoleum project resulted in
a garden mausoleum tucked into a hillside, preserving views both lot owners
and neighbors prized of the Santa Ana
Mountains and a conservation area that
abuts the cemetery. Story, page 14.
10 Presidents Letter
Lex Lugar & the ICCFA
by Michael Uselton, CCFE
12 Washington Report
State anti-competition
legislation makes a comeback
in several places
by Robert M. Fells, Esq.
38 Update
38 Hillsides Valley of the Prophets
fits everything from crypt & niche
space to green burial on 1.2 acres
44 Anderson Memorial Park
Cemetery, racing group and the
community honor first winner
of Indy 500
46 Hoff Celebration of Life
helps honor Shakespeare
54 Supply Line
54 Receiving vault that held
Lincolns body is restored
69 Calendar
69 New Members
70 Classifieds
70 Ad Index
Mount of Olives offers something for everyone, including the

neighbors Site considerations at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery made
building a mausoleum an ideal way to make use of a difficult site,
but also made phasing impossible. The result is a project that adds
thousands of spaces all at once to the cemeterys inventory and preserves
magnificent views the community had expressed concern about.
by Susan Loving
24 management/mausoleums
Cemetery Impossible: How should I handle a family who wants

what would be our first private mausoleum? Having a family who
wants to build a private mausoleum can be a daunting prospect if you
dont already have a section for private family estates. There are a lot
of things to consider before you give the go-ahead.
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS
26 Cremation/management
The outsider phenomenon & our cremation consumer:

It cant be business as usual What can the surprising outsider
ICCFA calendar
go to www.iccfa.com for program, registration & scholarship info
2016 ICCFA University
July 22-27 Fogelman Conference Center, Memphis, Tennessee

Chancellor:Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
Cremation Training
August 24-25 (arranger & operator) Gupton-Jones

College of Funeral Service, Decatur, Georgia
ICCFA Cremation Program Coordinator Poul Lemasters, Esq.
2016 Fall Management Conference
October 5-7 Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island,

South Carolina Conference Chairs: Gwen Mooney, CCFE,
and Wanda Sizemore
2017 Wide World of Sales Conference
January 11-14 Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, Arizona
2017 Annual Convention & Exposition

March 29-April 1 Charlotte Convention Center & The
Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina Conference
Chairs: Nectar L. Ramirez and Mitch Rose, CCFE
2017 ICCFA University
July 20-26 Fogelman Conference Center, Memphis, Tennessee

Chancellor:Jeff Kidwiler, CCE, CSE
6
ICCFA Magazine
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TA B LE O F C ONTENTS
campaigns of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders tell us about what

families are looking for from us as death-care providers? Well,
they certainly dont want more of what weve offered them in the past.
by John Bolton, CCE, and Lori Salberg
65 Call for submissions:
2017 Wide World of Sales

Due July 8
65 Call for submissions:
ICCFA Annual Convention &

Exposition
Due July 5
32 Essay
34 professional development
Meaningful goodbyes Saying goodbye at the end of life can be more

meaningful and even bring closure if you use some of these phrases in
talking to your loved ones.
by Doug Wagemann, CCFE, CFSP
66 Purchase your New Orleans
convention recordings now

Full list at www.iccfa.com
The keys to service: Understanding others

Everyone wants to feel understood. And if theres ever a time they
most want to feel that way its when discussing the death of a loved
one. Funeral and cemetery professionals must cultivate an ability to
understand others.
by Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
66 LungForce
A message from
ICCFA President Mike Uselton, CCFE
67 ICCFA University Seven great colleges
in a one-of-a-kind program, July 22-27
Cemeteries
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Presidents Letter
by ICCFA
2016-2017
President Michael
Uselton, CCFE
muselton
@remembrancesvcs.com
Uselton is a managing partner of Gibraltar
Remembrance Services,
Palmetto, Florida.
n To apply for ICCFA

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Staff.
Lex Luger & the ICCFA
irst and foremost I would just like to

say it is a great honor to serve as this
associations president. Having been
involved with the ACA, ICFA and now ICCFA
for over 30 years, I consider it one of the greatest
honors I have received in my entire professional
career. I look forward to the next 12 months.
I also would like to commend the stellar
representation from Past President Darin Drabing
during his term. Darin represented the ICCFA,
tackled many issues and assisted in expanding our
international memberships. Thanks, Darin!
Recently I saw a video clip about professional
wrestling, or as we in Florida refer to it, wraslin.
Its kind of funny, looking back on it now, to
remember following the great wrestlers, tuning in
on Saturdays to watch them on television. There
was a wrestler named Lex Luger who referred to
himself as the Total Package.
Lex Luger, aka the Total Package, was a
superstar. He liked to remind everyone what he
stood for and that he was the only Total Package.
I once met the Total Package on an elevator with
my wife and my oldest child, Nicole, who was 9
or 10 years old, and totally freaked her out. LOL!
You are probably wondering where Im going
with this. Its simple: I cant help but think of the
ICCFA as the Total Package. After all, what
other association can compare to our offerings
and whom we represent? No other national or
international association includes memberships
for cemetery, cremation and funeral professionals
and suppliersnobody. So yes, Mr. Luger, there
is another Total Package out there.
I dont have to remind you of the unparalleled
educational opportunities the ICCFA provides:
Michael Uselton, CCFE, president
Magazine staff
Susan Loving, managing editor

sloving@iccfa.com; slovingiccfa@yahoo.com
10
ICCFA Magazine
Fighting lung cancer
During my presidency, I have chosen to support a

cause, one close to my family: fighting lung cancer
in women. Help support this worthy cause and
meet our $100,000 goal during the next year.
r
For more information, go online to

action.lung.org/goto/iccfa

June 2016
VOLUME 76/NUMBER 5
ICCFA officers
Scott R. Sells, CCFE, president-electt

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
the Wide World of Sales, the Annual Conven

tion and Expo, ICCFA University, the Fall
Management Conference, Cremation Central
and webinars, celebrant training and, of course,
the most comprehensive governmental affairs
representation that a member could ask for.
The value of your ICCFA membership goes
way beyond the cost of dues, but lets start there.
Just put a pencil to itdo the math. Compare
an ICCFA membership with what it would cost
to be a member of another national association
along with a separate membership for a cremation
association. What a value, I say.
Why am I telling you something you already
know? Because I am asking each of you,
as ICCFA members, to become association
ambassadors and recruit one new member and
bring one new attendee to one of the educational
sessions listed above. Check out our new member
incentives. Again, what a valuethe people you
get to join us will thank you for it.
Move aside, Lex Luger, theres another Total
Package in town.
Rick Platter, supplier relations manager

rplatter@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1213
Katherine Devins, director of ommunications
& membership services
kd@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1224
Robert M. Fells, Esq., executive director &
publisher
rfells@iccfa.com ; 1.800.645.7700, ext. 1212
Brenda Clough, office administrator
& association liaison
bclough@iccfa.com; 1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1214
Daniel Osorio, subscription coordinator

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

rates: In the United States, $39.95; in Canada,
$45.95; overseas: $75.95. One subscription is
included in annual membership dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ICCFA
Magazine, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100,
Sterling, VA 20164-4468. Individual written
contributions, commentary and advertisements
appearing in ICCFA Magazine do not necessarily
reflect either the opinion or the endorsement
of the International Cemetery, Cremation and
Funeral Association.
Wilbert Funeral AD
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Washington Report
by ICCFA General
State anti-competition legislation
Counsel Robert
M. Fells, Esq.
makes a comeback several places
rfells
@iccfa.com
1.800.645.7700,
ext. 1212
direct line:
703.391.8401
Fells is
ICCFA executive director and
general counsel, responsible for
maintaining and improving relationships with federal and state
government agencies, the news
media,
consumer organizations and
related trade associations.
More from this author

Why we vote.
A series of articles
on the importance
of engagement in
the democratic process in the
United States.
www.funeralradio.com
Funeral Radio. ICCFA

General Counsel Robert Fells,
Esq., talks about legal and
legislative issues affecting
funeral, cemetery and
cremation businesses at
www.funeralradio.com
More resources
Wireless. ICCFA members,
send us your email address
and well send you our biweekly electronic newsletter
full of breaking news.
12
ICCFA Magazine
n our March-April column, we reported on

efforts in Pennsylvania and Tennessee to enact
new anti-competitive laws against cemeteries.
The ICCFA submitted testimony to the legislatures
in both states to oppose the bills in question.
Tennessee legislation seeks to impose a cap of
$100 for any cemetery recording, administrative
or filing fee. The dollar amount is not indexed for
inflation nor is any explanation provided over how
the $100 cap was calculated.
In Pennsylvania, proposals seek to prohibit
cemeteries from the longtime practice of prein
stalling vaults or warehousing them. Again, no
record of complaints or abuse was provided by the
proponents of the legislation.
The activities in both states suggest that
competitors of cemeteries seek protectionist
legislation to gain an advantage in the sales of their
merchandise rather than competing in the open
market.
This unfortunate activity has also occurred in
New York and New Jersey, both states long having
had protectionist legislation that severely curtails
the cemeteries in those states from selling anything
other than burial spaces. Most recently, proposed
legislation in New York would prohibit religious
cemeteries from selling markers and monuments.
This prohibition has been in effect for secular
cemeteries for many years in New York. The
current proposals would extend the ban to religious
cemeteries as well. In April, the ICCFA submitted
testimony to legislative leaders in the state house
and senate in opposition to the bills.
The ICCFA testimony stated, religious
cemeteries in New York will be significantly
and adversely impacted should the provisions of
A.3122 and S.4701 become law. We note that a
supporter of the legislation believes that monument
businesses must compete on an unequal playing
field because they are taxed on their marker sales
while the religious cemeteries are tax-exempt.
However, a further examination of why religious
cemeteries are granted exempt status, codified
under IRC Sec. 501(c)(13), reveals that all funds
derived from marker sales must be deposited
into the cemeterys perpetual care fund. Unlike
monument businesses, there can be no profittaking by religious cemeteries.
Also the federal tax exemption recognizes
that cemeteries are obligated to care and maintain
the grounds, gravesites and markers/monuments
in perpetuity, regardless of who sells the item.
Indeed, cemeteries are unique because they are the
only business that continues to service what they

sell indefinitely into the future. There is no fiveyear warranty that frees a cemetery from future
responsibility at the expiration of the term.
By contrast, monument retailers are relieved
from any and all future responsibilities of marker
maintenance when the item has been installed.
Should a defect be found in the marker itself,
the consumers recourse is typically through the
manufacturer, not with the monument retailer. In
other words, the retailers responsibility to maintain
the marker is extremely short-term while the
cemeterys responsibility is never ending.
The ICCFA testimony also observed,
advocates of A.3122 and S.4701 mistakenly believe
that they can help one group of small businesses
by economically strangling another group. Outside
of the northeastern states, cemeteries of all types
may sell anything in competition with all other
sellers. The reason for this is because cemeteries
cannot rely solely on the sales of burial spaces
and opening/closing services to economically
survive. These two streams of income must be
supplemented through the sales of related goods
and services, hence there are no legal restrictions
on cemeteries selling markers, vaults, flowers and
all manner of related items.
The New York legislation is pending as of this
writing. Meanwhile, in New Jersey a law was
recently enacted that bars religious cemeteries
from selling markers and monuments. This
situation began two years ago when the Catholic
Archdiocese of Newark began selling markers as
part of a package. The state monument builders
association sued the archdiocese, claiming that
existing New Jersey law prohibited religious
cemeteries from selling markers.
However, the court disagreed, ruling that state
law specifically exempted religious cemeteries
from the ban. Subsequently, bills were introduced
in the New Jersey legislature to add religious
cemeteries to the longstanding prohibition. The
proposals were enacted and went into effect in
March.
The Newark archdiocese subsequently sued
the state in federal district court to have the new
law declared unconstitutional. In April, the court
dismissed two of the claims but let stand two other
claims.
At this point, the parties are engaged in
discovery and will be making oral arguments
before the court later this year. ICCFA members
r
will be updated on significant developments.
MAUSOLEUMS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MEKUS TANAGER
Looking from the existing traditional burial section, which predated Mount of Olives, toward the mausoleum project. This
photo shows how the views of the existing burials were minimally interrupted, with only the upper level fencing, central columbarium wall and sidewalk visible. Traditional ground burial inventory was added due to the regrading of the upper portion
of the project (what was once sloping hill is now more level terrain).
a lot of people from Hispanic, German,

Vietnamese and Korean backgrounds.
The cemeteries also have an outreach
team that goes around the diocese and
educates people about funerals and about
cemetery options, including mausoleums.
Were doing that education and outreach,
but it takes time. Its difficult to change
cultural preferences. We didnt have
mausoleums in our cemeteries until 2003.
They talk to people about the advan
tages of a mausoleum: Its clean and dry.
And right now, theres a price advantage to
choosing entombment rather than ground
burial.
Thats probably contrary to what
you see on the East Coast, because there
its looked at as a premium, to buy into
a mausoleum. Here, we use mausoleum
entombment more as a way to conserve
land than as a prestigious place to be buried.
Its more of a land value issue.
Of course not all crypts are priced alike.
The sections that are near the feature statue
will be more expensive than those far from
the central rotunda.
There are no indoor or covered areas;
Mount of Olives is a garden mausoleum.
With our climate, you dont need an indoor
mausoleum. People in California really
like the outdoors. They like being outside
at the cemetery. We find that when people
come to visit, theyll bring lawn chairs and
umbrellas (for shade) and sit out there for
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ICCFA Magazine
Looking from
the traditional
burial section to
one side of the
Mount of Olives
mausoleum. In
the distance is
one of the neighborhoods whose
residents were
concerned about
views and access to adjoining
property.
PHOTOS BY
CARLOS GALINDO
The semicircular columbarium wall at the top of the rotunda, with a central double
stairway leading down to the fountain and statue (illustrated on page 21).
MAUSOLEUMS
Below, an illustration showing the rotunda sections central staircases leading
down to where the fountain is and bronze statue will be. Right, the central rotunda
section of the mausoleum crypts, where the fountain and feature are, includes a
utility space for items such as the poles used to reach the vases. The wall in front
of it does not contain crypts, thus the decorative lattice and plantings.
Right, a view
looking down
into the canyon
area abutting
the cemetery.
The area will
never be
developed,
and neighbors
wanted to
maintain access for hiking
and horseback
riding.
Above, one
of the crypts
that has
been sold.
Sales have
been strong,
totalling
more than
$2 million,
according
to Carlos
Galindo,
manager of
the office of
family services and
planning.
Left, a
section of
the garden
crypts, seen
from the
landscaped
area across
the road.
June 2016
21
MAUSOLEUMS
PHOTOS BY CARLOS GALINDO
Above, a bench at the top of the central stairs, in front of the columbarium semicircle. Benches are engraved with Biblical
quotes, in this case, The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want, Psalm 23:1. At the bottom of the stairway is a
columbarium. Below, a view from the side where the driveway winds down to the lower level of the mausoleum.
hours.
A lot of families come
in groups and sit around
and visit the grave and
each other. Its a very
active cemetery with a
lot of visitation on the
weekends.
I worked in Pittsburgh
for a number of years;
I was born and raised
there. In my experience,
California has a lot of
visitation. Cemeteries are
bustling on weekends,
and you cant get in the
place on Mothers Day or
Valentines Day.
Its like a park, and we have security
people to keep visitors from throwing
footballs and tossing Frisbees, because we
want to maintain cemetery decorum.
To get back to the topic of the
mausoleum, when I started here, they had
been through years of trying to get this
approved. We got a new team together and
approached it with a different attitude. The
neighbors had the political power and will to
22
ICCFA Magazine
completely stop what we wanted to do. We

worked hard to negotiate a win-win situation
with the neighborhood.
That's why were building the horse trails
and were moving the traffic light. Its costing
us hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this
work. But in turn, we get to develop the rest
of our cemetery. The burial of our Catholic
community is worth a lot more to us.
This is what we had to do to be able
to develop the remaining acreage of our
cemetery.
In addition to spending
a significant amount of
money dealing with the
concerns of the equestrians,
they had to add more
inventory all at once than
they normally would,
Wesner said.
Because of the sites
very long, narrow shape,
we had to build the whole
thing at once or not at all.
So we had to build more of
it than we otherwise would
have preferred.
Nevertheless, they are
confident they will be
able to sell the inventory theyve added. It
will take longer. Usually we like to build
no more than 10 years worth of inventory,
but theres probably 22-25 years worth of
inventory in this project.
The bottom line, Wesner said, is that
sometimes you cant do things as you
normally would.
Sometimes you have to adapt to the
site, and thats what we did.
r
Worsham AD
FULL PAGE
page 23
4-COLOR
by Daniel M. Isard, MSFS

1.800.426.0165
danisard@f4sight.com
MANAGEMENT/MAUSOLEUMS
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Isard is president of
Having a family who wants to build a private mausoleum

can be a daunting prospect if you dont already
have a section for private family estates. There are
a lot of things to consider before you give the go-ahead.
The Foresight Companies

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

http://funeralradio.com

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

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

@f4sight and like his page on Facebook.
Editors note: The Cemetery Impossible
column is written by the staff of The Foresight
Companies. If you have a question you
want to be featured in this column, please
send it to danisard@f4sight.com. Dan Isard
or a member of his staff will call you to get
more information and a recommendation will
be provided via this column, helping not only
you but also others who are facing similar
challenges.
24
ICCFA Magazine
Cemetery Impossible
How should I handle a family who wants

what would be our first private mausoleum?
Dear Cemetery Impossible,
I have a family who wants to build a
private mausoleum on our cemetery
property. Currently, we do not have a
section within my cemetery that is set
aside for a private family mausoleum. The
footprint of their desired design would
cover eight gravesites.
I thought I could sell the rights to build
the six-person mausoleum using the eight
plots at the current price per plot. Can I
also charge a fee for our consulting work
in meeting, designing and building of the
structure? I have so many questions about
doing this. Can you help me?
Dear Cemeterian,
Yes, this is a big issue. As a matter of fact,
it is bigger than you imagine. This project
can end up being either an icon or an
eyesore. Allow me to answer the questions
you asked, as well as those you did not ask
but need to understand.
There are issues that must be addressed
in a logical way. First of all, your rules and
regulations (R&R) should be reviewed.
Can someone construct a private family
mausoleum or an aboveground structure in
the area where this family wants to build?
I know that many cemetery sections
have restrictions on what can be done.
Some are as simple as single-depth or
double-depth; some restrictions deal with
the marker being flat versus upright; some
limit the size of the upright marker.
Your R&R may need to be amended to
allow this structure. This can be a simple
matter or a very complex one, depending
on the nature of your cemetery. In some
cases it may take a board of directors vote.
You might not want this structure to be
where the family wants to build it. There
is a famous case of a flamboyant New

York businessperson who built a large
family mausoleum that caused an uproar
from others with family buried within the
immediate area because it changed the
views in the section.
The footprint you refer to as eight
grave sites can be sold to create a six-crypt
private mausoleum. However, this might
not be the best plan. You might want to
have more space around the building, for
structural integrity and planning.
Ask yourself this: Will the space next to
the private mausoleum be of normal value
or impaired value? Within a master plan,
you typically see about 10 feet between
buildings in a private mausoleum section.
I realize that in some places, such as in
New Orleans famous historic cemeteries,
we see these private mausoleums close
together, but those design plans date back
100 yearsor more.
You get to dictate the minimum
purchase and design for the entire
cemetery. You own it.
Families who buy an interment right
are not buying the land. They are buying
the right to use the land for a specific
purpose. They have the right to inter a
body, not possession of the land. The role
of the cemetery owner is not only to run
the business but also to enforce the R&R
and protect the rights of the interment
right holders. So, how close or how
high something can be built should be
considered before completing this sale.
It should be noted that the family
MANAGEMENT/MAUSOLEUMS
Make certain that this property does not sit atop any utility lines. It is not a matter of if
the utility lines need to be replaced; it is a matter of when they need replacing.
should not be supervising or paying for the
construction directly. The family should
go through you, the cemetery owner. The
family can work with you on the design.
How much you charge them for the
construction is yours to negotiate.
There are well known mausoleum
builders you can talk to at the ICCFA
Convention (some are advertising in this
issue and are listed on the ICCFA website).
They can show you construction plans
which may appeal to this family.
If this project requires custom work,
you are free to quote the construction
cost, including your profit for supervision.
Avoid using phrasing such as the building
you construct as it is not their building,
it is the building that holds their interment
rights.
We see many families who want
customized solutions in the modern age of
interment. Personalization of the memorial
is as important as anything we do in a life
time. As one person said, a mid-town
apartment costs $1.4 million, so that is what
I expect my cemetery mausoleum to cost!
That might sound like a solid marketing
statement to some, but in reality it is a
paradigm. It is no more ludicrous than
the other extreme of cremation with a
scattering. Everyone gets to choose his or
her own final plans.
Keep in mind that the upkeep of this
mausoleum will be the responsibility
of the cemetery. Therefore, you need to
know what the design is and make sure it
wont be a maintenance nightmare. One
cemeterian I know oversaw a mausoleum
with a great deal of glass. Between the
effect of heat and brutal winters, this
private mausoleum was a nightmare. It
cost thousands of dollars to repair and
replace the glass.
Assuming you are a perpetual care
cemetery, this new construction will
require a perpetual care or endowment
care contribution. The interest from that
contribution is of course used to maintain
the parks needs, including the needs of
this one building, so hiring the cheapest
builderwho might use inferior partsis
not wise.
You build it, you maintain it and you
make sure it is structurally sound, because
dealing with any problems this structure
develops comes out of your overhead.

You probably have a blanket general
insurance policy. If you add a building
valued at $1 million or more, you need to
tell your insurers, because they may want
to review the plans. They may amend your
insurance premium, as the risk of their
coverage is increasing.
Again, it is important that the contri
bution into your perpetual care fund is
addressed, as this property may have more
expenses. Yes, you will save the cost of
mowing eight grave spaces, but that is a
very low expense compared to what hap
pens if this building has structural failings.
Make certain that this property does
not sit atop any utility lines. It is not a
matter of if the utility lines need to be
replaced; it is a matter of when they
need replacing. You do not want to tunnel
under a private mausoleum to fix a simple
water line.
I advise you to speak to the family
about creating this family mausoleum at

another spot on your property. Consider
choosing an area that you can consider
using for other family estates and private
mausoleums.
We see areas around water features or
on hillsides as perfect for these facilities. I
had one client with a lake who was able to
construct an island reached by a pedestrian
bridge, creating an amazing location for a
well-heeled matriarch to provide for her
family interment needs.
In summary, this is your property.
Develop it with an overall plan in mind.
Keep similar interment types (in this case,
family mausoleums) together. Allow for
this type of high-end development in a
special high-end area.
Remember, you are responsible for the
upkeep, so you better be satisfied with the
quality of the construction. That is why the
design and construction should go through
r
you.
Nomis AD
1/3 Square
4-COLOR
June 2016
25
by John Bolton, CCE, and

Lori Salberg
ICCFA Magazine author spotlight
C R E M AT I O N / M A N A G E M E N T
lori.salberg@plotbox.io
650.339.5004
Salberg is vice president of sales for PlotBox,
Palo Alto, California, and
Portglenone, Northern Ireland, a cemetery-specific
software company that
streamlines the workflow
for cemetery operations
and provides the highest resolution imagery for
geo-rectified cemetery mapping. She is also
president of Sofos Consulting LLC, Campbell,
California, where she oversees the preneed
sales and marketing programs for four cemeteries in California, and as well as an advance
funeral planning insurance agency.
What can the surprising outsider campaigns

of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders tell us
about what families are looking for from us as
death-care providers? Well, they certainly dont want
more of what weve offered them in the past.
www.plotbox.io
bolton.blackstone@
gmail.com
423.439.9181
Bolton is president
of Blackstone Cemetery
Development Co., San
Clemente, California, which
specializes in the planning,
development, construction,
and marketing of cremation
garden areas and digital
cemetery mapping.
www.blackstone
cemeterydevelopment.com
26
ICCFA Magazine
The outsider phenomenon

& our cremation consumer
It cant be business as usual
f you had told us a year ago that

Donald Trump might win the Repub
lican nomination for president of the
United States, we would have said you
were crazy. No, wed probably have called
you an idiot. Of course, we come from a
state that made Arnold Schwarzenegger
governortwice, so we should know
better.
March 3, 2016, two days after Super
Tuesday, the Washington Post published
an article titled, Heres Who Supports
Trumpand Why by Jenna Johnson
and Jose A. DelReal. They wrote, He
calls it a phenomenon, a movementan
awakening. For months, Donald Trump has
claimed that his support is much deeper
than it appears, deep enough to win the
Republican nomination and perhaps also
the presidency. So far, he has been proven
right. Trumps following includes an
Austin realtor who long supported the
Bush family but has become tired of career
politicians.
Perhaps that Austin realtor offers
the best clue to why Trump, and Bernie
Sanders, on the Democratic side, have so
many supporters. If you break down this
phenomenon, movement or awakening, its

really the fact that the American people are
tired of business as usual in Washington.
They are tired of the career politicians,
the lack of creativity, the feeling that the
establishment is out of touch with how
they feel and what they want. They want
something new and better and in touch
with them personally.
The Post interviewed Trump supporters
over several months and found that people
believe Trump is a regular guy a family
man, a truth-teller, an entertainer and a
fearless outsider.
The rise in the outsider choice
We have been paying attention to the

trends in our industry for the past 15 years.
We see some parallels here between the
rise of the outsider candidates and the rise
in cremation rates.
How many times do you hear someone
tell you that they dont care what happens
to them when they die? They say they
dont want a funeral, just a party, and they
think funerals are a rip-off. They say, Just
cremate me!
Cremation has given the consumer a
Tribute AD
1/2 H
Withum AD
1/4 V
Sich AD 2 of 2
1/4 V
4-COLOR
June 2016
27
Curb appeal should be the first close in the selling process. People should be able
to drive by the garden in the comfort of their car and want more just by looking at it.
reason to run from the traditional services
offered by funeral homes and cemeteries.
According to statistics from the Cremation
Association of North America, cremation
has seen a 1,120 percent increase since
1958.
It still might be difficult for some in
our profession to accept, but cremation,
like the outsider political candidates, has
become a phenomenon, a movement, an
awakening.
Two years ago, The Huffington Post
published an article highlighting some of
the creative things that cremated remains
may become a part of, including an
hourglass, a vinyl record, a diamond ring,
a teddy bear, a tattoo, a pencil, a portrait,
stained glass, a bullet and fireworks.
(Cremation Is More Popular Than Ever,
and Heres Why, by Macrina CooperWhite, August 13, 2014.) Anyone whose
attends the annual ICCFA convention expo
can name a dozen more.
The point is that many of our consumers
are like that large segment of the American
public searching for a presidential
candidate who is not just business as usual,
not part of the establishment.
Our consumers crave creativity in
products and personalization in services,
and they want to talk to a regular guy
or gal to whom they can relate and who
understands their needs. The truth is,
whether we want to face it or not, many
of us are like the Hillary Clintons and Jeb
Bushes of this racethe old guard, the
establishment.
They dont like us. They dont trust
us. They certainly dont think like we
do. They dont think about or even joke
about death like we do. So we need to start
thinking about how to talk to them like
fearless outsiders.
Fearless because we cant be afraid to
take off the old black suit and tie of the
day and we cant be afraid to try something
new. Outsider because we have to strip
away our thinking about how funerals
should be and look at how cremation
consumers think about what they want at
the time of their death.
We are no longer competing with the
funeral home or cemetery down the street.
With our cremation consumers, we are
28
ICCFA Magazine
competing with every life experience the

deceased and the family members making
arrangements ever had.
Cremated remains are certainly left on
mantles and in closets, but increasingly,
they are going on coral reefs and across
oceans as a new tradition, but also on less
traditional adventures to theme parks,
where they are released on favorite rides,
and to baseball parks or football fields,
where they are spread out as expressions
of passion or loyalty to a team.
The people making these arrangements
are fiercely independent baby boomers
and free-thinking millennials. They
use technology to communicate in
ways common to just about every other
industry but ours. It is time to meet
todays consumers where they are and
not only accommodate their requests, but
also anticipate them and offer what they
havent even imagined.
Say goodbye to traditional

cemetery property
Cremation graves, granite columbaria

and glass-front niches have become
the new (cremation) tradition in many
cemeteries. Often we give the consumer
a lackluster array of choices. Basically,
if someone chooses to not go with the
traditional casket burial or mausoleum
crypt and shutter, we offer an urn burial,
columbarium or mausoleum niche
(basically a crypt space for an urn).
But if someone doesnt want traditional
burial, why do we think that person will
find traditional inurnment appealing? It is
time to think outside the (grave or niche)
box.
In Japan, theyve taken the term
think outside the box to another level.
In Death Is a High-Tech Trip in Japans
Futuristic Cemeteries, motherboard.
com describes a glowing blue glass
Buddha statue flanked on all sides by
a collection of 2,045 LED-lit statues of
variant hues, spread across the walls of
(the) alternative graveyard space. Each
statuewhich is placed on the wall inside
a transparent glass casingeither already
represents a deceased person or will do so
in the future, once a visitor decides to
have his or her cremated remains housed
in a storage locker located directly behind

the wall. Synced up to swipe cards, the
statues glow a different color when a
visitor arrives so they can be located more
easily.
The article goes on to say that these
seemingly hyper-futuristic burial and
commemoration methods are just signs
of a society leveraging the tech that was
already out there to adapt to changing
norms and lifestyles.
In another Japanese facility in
Tokyo, an industrial-sized ossuary uses
warehouse-style automation developed
by Toyota Industries Corp. It allows for
relatives to access the cremated remains
of loved ones in what looks like an extralarge vending machine.
The five-story vault, which is located on
the grounds of a Buddhist temple, can hold
7,200 urns. The Japanese news site The
Asahi Shimbun, in a November 6, 2012,
story, Tokyo burial vault uses Toyota
automation, reports: The vault reflects
changing values. An increasing number of
people feel happy that they can visit in any
weather and dont have to take care of the
graves, says the temple priest.
Japans creativity with cremation
options is fueled both by changing values
and skyrocketing costs due to lack of
space on that island nation. Some of our
cemeteries are running out of space, but
even those without this problem should
learn from Japans creativity.
Consider natural cremation gardens,
which provide variety and fit into a
cemetery landscape, but also allow
for personalization. When done well,
cremation gardens can appeal to the
fiercely independent, the free thinkers and
the cost-conscious.
So what does this garden look like? It
starts with the fact that you are designing
and selling a garden; not a product display.
The garden should flow with natural
landscaping and winding walkways.
Having a natural feel to a garden is a huge
part of the appeal to cremation consumers.
John Horan of Horan & McConaty in
Colorado said it best: There are many
families who want cremation but dont
have a clear plan for the cremated remains.
The key is getting them to actually come
Matthews AD
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Instead of showing product videos and displaying cemetery brochures, how about
providing an area where people can watch TV, or giving them access to wi-fi?
Arrange quiet rooms with comfortable seating where people can nap if they need to.
into our gardens, hear the waterfalls, see
the koi ponds, walk the meandering trails,
enjoy the birds and butterflies. They begin
to envision this as a place theyll want to
visit for years to come when remembering
their loved one. (The Bulletin of Selected
Independent Funeral Homes, Horan
& McConatys Cremation Gardens
Offer Unique Alternatives to Traditional
Cemeteries, by Thomas Folkert, MarchApril 2016.)
Curb appeal should be the first close in
the selling process. People should be able
to drive by the garden in the comfort of
their cars and want more just by looking
at it. The appeal of the garden from the
car should draw them into the garden.
Once inside, they should be able to smell
the aromatic landscaping, hear the birds
chirping, feel the crushed rock under their
feet and see the beauty throughout.
Providing a variety of memorialization
options is also essential, as it accentuates
the personalization. To capture the
cremation customer, consider using a
landscape architect or master planner with
very specific experience in this area. Itll
be worth the investment to do it right.
Being the best at customer service

might not be enough anymore
The average family spends four to

five hours making arrangements at the
mortuary and cemetery. That doesnt
include the hours or even days they may
have spent exhausted over a hospital
bed or at home with hospice care, or
the exhaustion they might have avoided
recognizing after experiencing a sudden
and shocking death.
The point is, most of the time, the
family comes in exhausted already, as well
as in a state of grief. Most of the time they
arent even aware of their own personal
needs. Certainly there are neighbors and
friends bringing them food and offering to
help, but we are the experts in this field.
What are we doing?
If I were to ask you what you do above
and beyond for your customers to show
that you care, what would you say? You
probably offer coffee and maybe even
fresh baked cookies in the lobby. You
30
ICCFA Magazine
might offer water bottles at graveside

services. You probably send a special
sympathy card after the funeral and even
on the decedents death anniversary.
These are all nice, but with the
cremation consumer, maybe nice just
isnt enough. Its time to think differently
about the needs of our customers. Once
again, we need to think like fearless
outsiders about families experience at
their time of loss.
We need to anticipate their needs, not
just what we hope to accomplish, but what
they need in those precious first days in
their grief experience. Instead of coffee and
water, try offering smoothies, lattes, protein
bars and fresh fruit. Realize that they have
had little nourishment and probably little of
what they have had is healthy.
Consider offering grief support on site
or at least making sure that your staff has
had some grief support training rather than
just offering condolences at the beginning
of the meeting. Not only should your staff
be trained in grief counseling, but they
also should be trained event planners.
The meeting with the family should be all
about getting personal to plan a special and
unique service.
The 2013-14 TLC reality TV show,
Best Funeral Ever, may have seemed a
bit over the top at times (it was a reality
show), but it highlighted exactly what is
missing from our traditional thinking about
funerals: The personal and the celebration.
IMDbs description of the TV show
was: At Golden Gate Funeral Home
in Dallas, tears are shed and parties are
held. Amid mourning for loved ones are
celebrations of life through services that
reinvent the traditional funeral.
The show provided insight into our
changing culture. People watched the show
as the fearless funeral services appealed to
industry outsiders.
In thinking about how you serve
families, consider wait time as well. How
often are families waiting in a lobby or an
arrangement room?
Do you have activities to keep them
busy so they dont have to focus solely on
the arrangement? Every minute of their
experience with you doesnt necessarily
need to be part of the sales pitch. The

cremation consumer is smarter than that.
Instead of showing product videos and
displaying cemetery brochures, how about
providing an area where people can watch
TV, or giving them access to wi-fi? Arrange
quiet rooms with comfortable seating where
people can nap if they need to.
Using technology to attract

consumers and close the deal
Imagine that you have built the most

elaborate cremation garden, you have the
best trained staff and the most thoughtful
amenities for visitors. The adage that
if you build it they will come, isnt
necessarily true anymore.
How are you going to attract families?
How will they know that you offer these
outsider options and amenities?
Your sales counselors need to be well
connected socially through multiple media
platforms and incredibly internet savvy to
meet the growing needs of client families.
Connected baby boomers and basically all
millennials will conduct extensive research
on the internet before they make buying
decisions. They will connect to social
media and ask for advice from friends.
According to Business Insider, 82
percent of female boomers and 83 percent
of female millennials are sharing their
retail experiences on platforms like
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. (These
findings about how millennials and baby
boomers shop may surprise you, April 22,
2015.)
In the same article, the Business Insider
reported that 80 percent of consumers
begin the research process online. A Pews
Research Center report from January 2015
indicated that 56 percent of adults over
the age of 65 are active on Facebook. You
must have an online presence, including a
website and active social media accounts.
Once you get the consumer to visit you,
your presentation must be as tech-heavy
as your marketing approach. The days of
dragging two-by-three-foot paper maps
into the cemetery are over.
Baby boomers and millennial alike
expect us to live in a digital age and are
more likely to select your cemetery if you
Continental AD
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by Doug Wagemann, CCFE, CFSP

E S S AY
Saying goodbye at the end of life

can be more meaningful and even
bring closure if you use some of these
phrases in talking to your loved ones.
Meaningful goodbyes
C
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,

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 an
M.B.A. from Cal State, San Bernardino.
www.cochranewagemann.com
He is a current board member of Sutter Care at Home and

has served on the boards of the Eskaton Foundation, National
Hospice Foundation and the Foundation for Hospices of SubSaharan Africa.
losure is a word often loaded with ambiguity. Grief experts

say closure is a need we have as humans, but those who are
grieving may tell you closure can feel unattainable.
After 40 years in the funeral service business, I know that a
meaningful goodbye with a family member can provide healthy,
purposeful closure for the both the family member who is at his or
her final stages and for the family members who will be going on
to experience grief. A fulfilling goodbye can go a long way to help
diminish regrets later.
Below are suggestions to help with gaining closure when the
time comes to say goodbye.
I love you. (You have meant so much to me. I love you; I
have always loved you.)
Please forgive me. (Forgive me for anything I have done to
hurt you or cause you sadness.)
I forgive you. (If there is anything you feel youve done to
hurt me, whether I am aware or not, there is no need to bring it up
and no need to ask.)
Thank you. (Thank you for being an important part of my
life, for everything youve given to me, the wonderful memories,
your love.)
Goodbye. (It is time for me to say goodbye, may you find
peace and may you have a gentle journey ....)
I hope I have provided information that will create meaningful
changes in how you look at life and address, without regret, the
inevitable closures of life we will all experience.
r
do. Digital mapping allows you to perform
multiple functions at the touch of a button
such as:
Instantly seeing available property
Finding available inventory near loved
ones or friends
Seeing the area around the prospective
property selection online or by photo and
video
Obtaining instantaneous pricing and
regulations
Writing and signing contracts
anywhere and collecting payments with a
mobile device
Technology has changed and it is
already impacting the way our consumers
think and make buying decisions. As an
industry, we not only need to catch on, we
32
ICCFA Magazine
need to catch up.

As we conclude this article, we dont
know how the conventions, much less the
general election, will turn out, but one
thing has already been made clear: Many
Americans are ready to look past the status
quo, to leave behind business as usual and
try something new.
The cremation consumer is telling us
the same thing. The products and services
you have offered for years are not enough.
Families are telling us that if we dont
develop more relevant offerings, they are
going to spend $495 on a direct cremation
and scatter the remains in the ocean or
leave them in a container on a bookshelf or
in a closet.
So what are you doing to change the
status quo? What are you doing to ensure

that revenue goes up instead of down?
What are you doing to provide relevant
products and services to the growing
population of cremation consumers?
Over a year ago, The New York Times
wrote that the Donald Trump phenomenon
was here to stay. None of the other
Republican candidates took that prediction
seriously for a very long timeuntil it was
too late, in fact.
If you dont take the changes in our
market caused by cremation and our baby
boomer and millennial clientele, you
just might find yourself out of the race.
Cremation is here to stay. The cremation
consumer demands change. Are you
responding like a fearless outsider?
r
Merendino AD
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by ICCFA Magazine columnist

Todd W. Van Beck, CFuE
toddvb52@
gmail.com
ICCFA Magazine
author spotlight
Van Beck is one
of the most soughtafter speakers and

educators in funeral
service.
www.todd
vanbeck.com
He is the director of continuing education for John A. Gupton College, Nashville,

Tennessee.
www.guptoncollege.edu
Van Beck is dean of ICCFA Universitys

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

on Facebook today!

Van Becks new book
is Reverence for the

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

at the Fogelman Conference
Center, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. Van Beck
is a dean and professor. Curricula and
registration information are available at
www.iccfa.com/events.
34
ICCFA Magazine
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Everyone wants to feel understood. And if theres ever

a time they most want to feel that way its when discussing
the death of a loved one. Funeral and cemetery professionals
must cultivate an ability to understand others.
The keys to service:

Understanding others
ave you every poured your heart

out to somebody only to find that
they did not understand you?
If this has happened to you, then you
will understand that one of the sterling
qualities the helping funeral and cemetery
professional must possess is a willingness
to try to understand others.
In this article I am going to cover
three aspects in the process of human
understanding.
Self-understanding
The first way to start to understand other

people is to understand yourself, and most
times this is a painful exercise in characterbuilding which usually starts with taking a
long hard look in the mirrornot an easy
assignment.
The helping funeral/cemetery
professional ideally is a continuous student
of self-improvement who reads and
thinks about the human condition, about
death and loss, about the value of ritual
and ceremony, about lifes realities and
challenges, about grief and bereavement
and how their own personal life story fits
into all this life-stuff. This is indeed time
well spent.
Here is a difficult question: Do
you understand yourself? When I was
in seminary, our pastoral counseling
professional, Sister Elizabeth Cashman,
taught us that the most difficult question
any human being can ask is, Who am I?
Many times the answer is, I dont know.
If your answer is I dont know,
are you motivated to examine and think
about your life, its meaning and your
relationships with others? Does this
motivate you to think about how you can
better treat others, understand others and
be of service to others?
This article is not centered exclusively

around the funeral/cemetery professional
becoming more acquainted with
themselves, but of the three types of
understanding this article will address,
self understanding, self awareness and
self realization are the most difficult to
embrace.
Free personality inventories, attitude
surveys and personal assessments are
plentiful on the internet and can be used
as a jumping-off point by someone who
wants to answer the question, Who am
I?
Another way to gather information
about who you are is in simple
conversations with trusted family, friends
and professional colleagues. These
interactions can be an effective approach
in our process of looking hard and long in
the mirror.
These avenues are readily available and
the serious life student should take full
advantage of them.
Here is a case study. For several years,
I played host to groups of nursing students
who came to the funeral home where I
was manager to take a tour. The nursing
students did this twice a year.
It has always fascinated me to watch
people tour a funeral home, and the
nursing students were no exception. The
process is usually predictable: The group
members hesitantly enter the building,
sometimes giggling, bumping into each
other, trying to act mature but failing to
do so, laughing at inappropriate times and
over inappropriate subjects.
Then I introduce myself. Any reader
who knows me knows that I am a big
boy and have a shock of white unruly hair
and a deep bass voice one of my speaker
associates calls the voice of Todd.

to page 36
Foresight AD
FULL PAGE
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Funeral home and cemetery tours are the best way to move people from funeral and death
anxiety to funeral and death interest. Since the death rate is a perfect 100 percent, this activity is
always a good thing! I also have discovered that while people are interested in embalming, caskets,
vaults and memorial items, what they are really interested in is themselves, their own personal
understanding of the world of death, dying, bereavement and grief and how it makes them feel.
from page 34
In other words, I am innocently
intimidating. I dont mean to be, but that
is the way it is, at least until people get to
know my loveable personality. (Thats a
joke, folks.)
The nursing students naturally dont
know or understand anything about our
beloved professionthey are absolutely
clueless. Even if they think they know
something, the odds are that what they
think they know is wrong.
They also know absolutely nothing
about me, so I know they are not looking
at me as a feeling human being, but as an
odd and strange fellow who works in this
odd and strange place.
So off I go, and you know there is
absolutely nothing I love to talk about
more than funeral and cemetery service
and just how bloody great this career path
truly is.
I move them across the threshold of
funeral anxiety into the world of interest,
and once that happens, watch out, because
the young nursing students quickly become
actively interestedas do most people
and then the questions start coming fast
and furious.
I believe this is the main reason why
funeral home and cemetery tours are so
important. They are the best way to move
people from funeral and death anxiety to
funeral and death interest. Since the death
rate is a perfect 100 percent, this activity is
always a good thing!
I also have discovered on these
tours that while people are interested in
embalming, caskets, vaults and memorial
items, what they are really interested
in is themselves, their own personal
understanding of the world of death, dying,
bereavement and grief and how it makes
them feel.
This is always a good thing, and
happens most authentically inside a funeral
home or cemetery.
The nursing professor always requires
each student to write an assessment of this
experience, and truth be told, these essays
36
ICCFA Magazine
constantly comes up in our interactions

with other people.
Interestingly for our profession, grief is
a universal human emotion. It is true that
pain is pain and grief is grief the world
over. Hence, one binding connection that
members of our great profession possess
that eludes many other vocations is that
no matter what, you and I can probably
gain some understanding of even the most
difficult person by empathizing with their
grief.
Understanding others
While connecting with another person
The second way of understanding is to
over grief is valid, some in our profession
understand another person, not through the tend to understand these deep emotions
eyes of others, but through our own eyes.
only in terms of themselves, instead of the
Since this is the method by which we most person expressing them.
frequently understand others, it deserves
Authentic understanding of another
further scrutiny.
person takes a tremendous amount
When I understand you, or fail to
of good, old-fashioned work. This is
understand you, I use the resources at my
possibly why veteran funeral directors
own commandmy perceptual apparatus, and cemeterians seem to possess magical
my thinking, my feeling, my knowledge
understanding of a myriad of grief
and my skills. I do or dont understand
situationsthey have worked for so
you in terms of myself, my life space, my
long at understanding this emotion and
internal frame of reference.
communicating with people experiencing
If we do not speak the same language
it.
we wont understand each other, and
Understanding another person can be
Im not talking about whether were
exhausting. For this reason, lazy people
both speaking Englishwe can both be
usually fail at understanding others well.
speaking English but still not understand
The expression that encapsulates a lazy
each other at all. This happens constantly
persons lack of interest in working to
and is most often the cause of interpersonal understand others is the phrase, I dont
conflicts, breakdowns in relationships and
care. Ever heard that one?
even wars.
The I dont care attitude is anathema
In brief, when I understand you
to everything we hold near and dear in our
(or when I do not), it is in terms of
hearts concerning funeral and cemetery
my background, my experience, my
service. Here is a haunting question: Have
imagination. Most often, I suppose, we
you ever heard anyone in funeral service
cannot do otherwise.
say I dont care?
At best, we can only be aware that this
If we do not understand someone, we
is what we are doing, and being aware and may want to find out what the barrier
sensitive to this reality is a great start if we is. In some rare instances in funeral and
want to improve our ability to understand
cemetery service, we may have to accept
others.
lack of communication is inevitable under
Let me give a short example to clarify:
certain circumstances, the result being
I dont understand you. Its so hot in
that the client family leaves and engages
here, and yet you keep complaining that
another funeral home. This does happen,
its cold. This is a simple and obvious
but fortunately it is rare.
example, and the type of thing that
As distasteful as the lost call can
written after their experience of standing

in the presence of death are simply
astounding to read.
These essays reflect their new-found
introspection, discernment and maturity
concerning the most certain event in
their life after their birththeir death.
The giggling has long since stopped and
true understanding has occurred. It is a
marvelous thing to witness and be a part
of.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
be, at least we can take some comfort
in the fact that if the family had stayed
the result might have been worse. There
could have been days of repeated failure
to communicate and misunderstandings,
leading to stress and turmoil for everyone
involved. In some cases, we need to come
to the blunt realization that a client family
should be using another funeral home or
cemetery.
The upside to that awkward situation
is that although the barrier (why the client
family left) will not have been removed,
with their absence neither will it have been
fortified.
Losing a call is so distasteful and
stressful to most of us that the third way
of understandingunderstanding with
another persondeserves our close
attention.
Madelyn AD
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Understand with another person
The third way to understand another

person is the most meaningful but at the
same time the most demanding. It is to
understand with another person.
This calls for putting aside everything
but our common humanity and, with it
alone, trying to understand with the other
person how they think, feel and see the
world about them.
This way of understanding means it is
all about the other person; it is selfless,
pure and simple.
This means ridding ourselves of our
internal frame of reference and adopting
the other persons internal frame of
reference without any reservation or
compunction.
This skill is rare indeed. Here the issue
is not to disagree or agree or even like or
dislike the person but to understand what it
is actually like to be that other person.
This sounds quite simple, but in reality
is extremely difficult if not impossible
to achieve, even with years of practice
and discernment, let alone have it present
within the boundaries and limits of an
arrangements conference.
Being able to feel what it is actually
like to be another person requires training
and extended education in the skills and
procedures of forming an empathetic
relationship. Usually this skill is relegated
to licensed therapists who form and
maintain longtime working relationships
r
with their clients.
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June 2016
37
U P D AT E : M A U S O L E U M S
DRAWING AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF JST ARCHITECTS
The design for Valley of the Prophets Mausoleum at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. The building, designed
by JST Architects, features a cental rotunda with two garden mausoleum wings, lawn crypts between the two wings, a green
burial area on the lower level and, in back of one of the wings, a maintenance area screened from view.
Hillsides Valley of the Prophets fits everything from

crypt & niche space to green burial on 1.2 acres
illside Memorial Parks Valley of the

Prophets Mausoleum project is not
exactly what was envisioned when it
was included on the Culver City, California,
cemeterys master plan 25 years ago.
Times, trends and even traditions
change, said Hillside
General Manager
Paul Goldstein.
Every generation is
responsible for creating
the most appropriate
bridge for honoring
the past, caring for the
present and planning
for the future.
The result is a
Hillside Memorial Park General project that includes
not only crypts, niches
Manager Paul
Goldstein.
and double-depth lawn
crypts, family estates
and private family rooms, but also a green
burial area, Gan Edenthe first in the Los
Angeles area.
38
ICCFA Magazine
Goldstein contacted JST Architects,

Dallas, Texas, in late 2011 about designing
the project. The 45-acre cemetery had very
little land left to develop but needed to add
new and diverse inventory.
The cemetery had a triangular 1.2-acre
site available that had been the primary
spoils area for many years. This land also
was adjacent to a small parcel containing
a retail store and parking area that Hillside
had recently acquired for future cemetery
expansion.
Hillside required a new cemetery
maintenance facility as well as the diverse
inventory. The new site was in a confined
area with established gardens on two sides;
the third leg of the triangular parcel fronts
the access road on the busy 405 Freeway.
The maintenance area needed to be visually
hidden, with access provided to the side
service road.
The resulting development is a good
example of a high density/diverse mix of
cemetery inventory on an underused piece of
The completed Valley of the Prophets

mausoleum approached from the cemetery. A lawn crypt area lies between the
two wings.
land. It includes a nice balance of open space,

natural setting and site intimacy.
Acting on feedback we receive from the
families we serve each day, along with input
from our staff, we were confident that Valley
of the Prophets and Gan Eden were designed
reflecting Hillsides core values, as well as
the needs and desires of the diverse Southern
California community that choose Hillside,
The mausoleums
rotunda provides
a dramatic feature
element for the
cemetery.
Left, a closeup
of part of the
rotunda from the
outside.
Below left, the
crescent fountain
at the bottom
of the rotunda
includes niches.
Left, a view
toward the center
of the rotunda
ceiling. A clerestory roof allows
in natural light.
PHOTOS COURTESY
OF JST ARCHITECTS
Franklin Wrap AD
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com June 2016
39
MAUSOLEUMS
A Jewish
artisan
floor
design
highlights
the floor
at the
bottom
of the
rotunda.
PHOTOS
COURTESY
OF JST
ARCHITECTS
Goldstein said.
feature element in the cemetery as well
solar panel power assist.
Once the design was established and
as a landmark for the surrounding urban
Gan Eden, the green burial section
the planning approvals were secured, JST
environment. The rotunda roof clerestory
included in the project, is adjacent to the main
Architects worked with Carrier Mausoleums
provides natural light which illuminates the
projects lawn crypt area, separated from it by
Construction, Ville St.-Laurent, Quebec, and
dome area as well as the lower level.
stone walls and situated at a lower level than
Hillsides construction management group to
The natural light streaming into the
the main garden.
develop a budget and schedule as plans were rotunda highlights a beautiful Jewish artisan
An informal landscape with natural
completed.
design in the center of the floor. Niches are
boulders was used to create a natural feel
Adjustments were made during the
incorporated in a striking crescent fountain at for the area. An arbor with niches and water
process along with real-time pricing for final
the base of the rotunda.
features also complements the development.
budget control. Construction began in July
The mausoleum also was designed for a
We are especially proud to offer this
of 2013 and was completed last year.
brand new option at Hillside,
Landscape design and installation
Goldstein said of Gan Eden. Green
was by BrightView, Rockville,
burial furthers environmental and
Maryland.
societal aims in reducing carbon
The key component of JSTs
emissions and conserving natural
resources.
design is a two-story garden
Those principles aligned with our
mausoleum with two crypt wings
vision for Gan Eden and we worked
originating from a center rotunda.
closely with the Green Burial Council
The wings of the mausoleum define
to make sure we adhered to their
a lawn crypt area between them
and also provide a visual barrier
standards. By doing so, we received
and sound block from the adjacent
our green burial certification for both
highway.
our cemetery and our mortuary.
The center line of the rotunda and
Traditional Jewish burials are
the V shape formed by the garden
generally considered green, but
Gan Eden is different in a couple of
mausoleum wings frame a dramatic
ways from the rest of the memorial
view from that section into the rest of
park.
the cemetery.
Private family estates adjacent to a lawn crypt area.
Cement burial vaults are not
The rotunda creates a dramatic
40
ICCFA Magazine
Mausoleum Supply AD
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Flowers for Cemeteries

AD
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Sich AD 3 of 4
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Start every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com June 2016
41
MAUSOLEUMS
A trellis niche wall adjacent to Gan

Eden, the green burial section.
The project included a green section, certified by the Green Burial Council.
allowed in Gan Eden, and caskets are not

requiredtraditional shroud burials are
allowed.
One of the last items completed for
the development was a new cemetery
maintenance facility providing office space,
employee toilet/locker rooms, kitchen/break
room, work yard and garage space.
The facility is screened from public view
by its location on the back side of one of
the garden mausoleum wings. The entire
yard area is gated and screened from the
cemetery and street. The access road to
the maintenance building also is a future
road connection for the cemeterys last
expansion area.
The new maintenance location
allows the cemetery to close an existing
maintenance yard, which was in the middle
of the cemetery on what is now very
valuable land. Hillside will now be able to
convert this property into further inventory
while removing an unsightly maintenance
operation from sensitive burial areas.
A prophet is a role model, and

someone who has raised themselves to a
high level. We chose Aaron, Miriam and
Moses as the prophetic representatives
because they were leaders, filled with the
wisdom of justice, righteousness, love and
the pursuit of peace.
When visiting cemeteries throughout
the world, you will find the founding

leaders of each community buried there,
and Hillside is no different. We have
been entrusted with many accomplished
individuals who have been instrumental
in leading and shaping the Los Angeles
Jewish community for over a century.
While each of us have differing
strengths, the positive traits of Moses,
Aaron and Miriam serve to inspire each of
us to be the best we are capable of being. It
is Hillsides privilege to pay tribute to the
memories of everyone who has made this
their final resting place, but also to inspire
the living through those memories.
Hillside Memorial Park has served the
Jewish community for more than 75 years.
The cemetery is a community service of
r
Temple Israel of Hollywood.
The importance of names
As the design for this new development

was taking place, we needed to come
up with a name, Goldstein said. We
researched and considered over 100
suggestions before deciding on Valley of the
Prophets for the overall project, and Moses,
Aaron and Miriam for the different sections.
42
ICCFA Magazine
The cemeterys new maintenance facility, located on the back side of one of the
garden mausoleum wings is screened from public view.
Johnson AD 2 of 2
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Update
Send in news about your cemetery, funeral home, crematory or association to sloving@iccfa.com. If you publish a newsletter,
please email a copy to sloving@iccfa.com or mail to: Susan Loving, ICCFA, 107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100, Sterling, VA 20164.
Left, the Marmon Wasp replica at

Anderson Memorial Park Cemetery during the celebration of Ray Harrouns life
and racing career. Above, a replica of
an Indianpolis 500 Borg Warner victory
wreath at Harrouns gravesite.
Anderson Memorial Park Cemetery, racing group

and the community honor first winner of Indy 500
Motor Co. He subsequently drove the

of a rear-view mirror on an automobile, on
he Indiana Racing Memorial
Wasp to victory in the first Indianapolis
the Wasp, and for being the only entrant
Association and the community of
500, known then as the Indianapolis Inter- in the 500 that year without a riding meAnderson celebrated the life of native
national Sweepstakes, at a speed of 74.602 chanic.
son Ray Harroun, the first winner of
mph. He is also credited with the first use
The Indiana Racing Memorial Assothe Indianapolis 500, with two events
ciation, is proud to add Ray
May 1. At Anderson
Harroun to our list of honMemorial Park Cemetery,
orees being commemorated
Indianapolis, where
with race-themed historic
Harroun is buried, a
markers, said co-founder
historical marker for the
Brian Hasler.
legendary driver was
Harroun is an iconic
unveiled and a brief
figure in Indianapolis Motor
memorial service was held.
Speedway history and it is
Afterward, a reception
very appropriate that the
was held at the nearby Ancity of Anderson is joining
derson University Flagship
Event Center, where Harwith IRMA to recognize
rouns career and his iconic
him this year during the
place in racing history were
100th running of the Indiacelebrated.
napolis 500.
Harroun designed one
Three of racings most
of the most recognizable
recognized individuals, Inracecars in history, the
dianapolis Motor Speedway
Ray Harrouns family members, including his granddaughter Barbara
historian Donald Davidson,
Marmon Wasp, as an
Sherlin, react as a historical plaque is unveiled. Mayor Tom Broderick
Voice of the 500 Bob
engineer with the Marmon and Jay Wiley of Anderson Memorial Park, on the right, applaud.
44
ICCFA Magazine
UPDATE
Holy Land AD
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Attendees gather for the ceremony
before the unveiling of the historical
plaque in honor of Ray Harroun.
Jenkins and announcer and commentator

Howdy Bell, also participated.
The events featured an exact replica
of the Marmon Wasp owned by Corky
Coker, the CEO of Coker Tire of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Tribute to Ray Harroun began with
unveiling of the historical marker during a
ceremony at the cemetery. The event featured brief remarks by several individuals,
including Indianappolis Mayor Thomas
Broderick Jr., Coker, Harroun family
members and Anderson Memorial Park
Cemetery owner Jay Wiley, and included
the Marmon Wasp replica.
A balloon release was be held to
commemorate Harroun, after which the
assembly walked the short distance to the
Harroun gravesite to place a replica Borg
Warner (Indianpolis 500 victory) wreath.
Following the program at the cemetery, the Marmon Wasp led those in
attendance the short drive to the Anderson
University Flagship Event Center for the
reception and celebration of the life of
Ray Harroun and the First Indianapolis
500. The Winchester Barbershop Quartet
performed Back Home Again in Indiana
and other favorites.
This was a special day for Anderson to
remember one of its own and to pay tribute
to Rays lasting legacy in racing, said
Wiley. It was an honor to bring the Harroun family, the Marmon Wasp replica
and noted Indianapolis Motor Speedway
dignitaries to our community.
Anderson Memorial Park Cemetery
was established in 1929 and purchased by
Clyde Whittaker in the 1940s. His daughter Diane Wiley directed the cemetery
from the 1980s until passing the responsr
bility to her son, Jay Wiley.
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June 2016
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Update
Above left, Ken McCullough, Winona poet laureate, reads from his favorite Shakespeare works as part of a commemoration of
the 400th anniversary of the writers death. Above right, the sign for the event, held at the Hoff Celebration of Life Center.
Above, cake was served, as it was also the anniversary of Shakespeares birth. Right, music was
provided during the celebration.
Hoff Celebration of Life helps honor Shakespeare

n The HOff Celebration of
Life Center, Winona, Minnesota,
hosted an event held as part of the 400th
anniversary of the death of William
Shakespeare. The center is part of Hoff
Funeral & Cremation Services.
The Great River Shakespeare Festival invited people to attend the event to
toast the Bard of Avon and reflect on how
much this great writer has meant. Music, food, drink and birthday cake (since
Shakespeares birth and death both fell on
April 23) were available. Winona Poets
46
ICCFA Magazine
Laureate past and present Emilio DeGrazia and Ken McCullough, festival artistic
director Doug Scholz-Carlson and others
read from their favorite Shakespeare
works, sharing remembrances of the Bard
and how his work has touched their lives.
Others in attendance were also given the
chance to share their experiences.
It was, said funeral director Tim Hoff,
CFSP, a unique celebration of life.
Shakespeare made his mark early
in the history of Winona. By 1885, the
Winona Shakespeare Club was holding
fortnightly meetings. They performed

scenes from As You Like It at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Garlock on March
21, 1888, and to celebrate the clubs anniversary in 1899, held their annual banquet
at the elaborate Hotel Winona.
Just over 100 years later, the work
to build a lasting home for Shakespeare
in Winona began in earnest, and by
2004 Great River Shakespeare Festival produced its inaugural season with
The Winters Tale and A Midsummer
Nights Dream.
r
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Update
Left and above, the restored Noble Chapel at

Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California.
n Cypress Lawn Memorial

Park, Colma, California, has restored
the historic Noble Chapel. In May 2013,
a fire broke out in the adjoining crematory.
Fortunately, there was only smoke damage
to the chapel itself. Formal planning had
begun for a full restoration of the 1893 chapel seven years earlier, and this misfortune
was embraced as the opportunity to begin
that project.
The intimate Victorian gothic chapel,
inspired by a famous old English country
church, was brought back to its original
splendor in a painstaking two-year $5.2
million restoration completed in February.
That early inspiration was the legendary St. Giles parish church in Stoke Pages,
England, where Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
composed one of the most popular and
acclaimed poems in the English language,
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.
For the young Scottish architect T. Patter-
son Ross, who would go on to an illustrious

San Francisco career, Noble Chapel at the
newly opened Cypress Lawn Memorial
Park in 1892 was his first work.
Over a century of time had wrought
changes: sturdy tongue-in-groove Douglas
fir floor planks covered by carpets, fine old
plaster work hidden by brick veneer, weathered and cracked stained glass, decorative
terra cotta coping suffering the ravages of
nature, black asphalt shingle used to simulate old slate, a cooper decorative steeple
pinnacle removed for a conical cap, faded
wood ceiling beams and ornamental medallions, a conservatory window skylight roof
replaced by corrugated fiberglass, worn tesserae floors, and altered dormer windows.
These and other revisions were all carefully
returned to the day when Noble Chapel offered its first service in 1893.
Architectural Resources Group of
San Francisco, who oversaw design and
The 2016-2017 International Conference

of Funeral Service Examining Boards
Executive Committee, from left, Vice
President Edward Muhleisen, President
A.R. Sandy Mahon and Past President
Dr. Hari P. Close II, CFSP.
48
ICCFA Magazine
execution of the project, brought in Judson

Studios of Los Angeles, a firm with which
Cypress Lawn has enjoyed a century-long
association, to restore the stained glass.
Gladding McBean of Lincoln, California, had fabricated the original terra cotta
coping and was still in business to repair
and replace its 120 year-old art.
The chandelier restoration was done by
world-renowned Quality Lighting under the
supervision of Paul Ivazes, who had also
worked on the revival of lighting in other
historical venues such as the Huntington
Library.
The adjoining crematorium has been
completely restored and furnished with
the latest state-of-the-equipment. Cypress
Lawn can again offer families a cremation
and memorial service at one convenient,
historic location. Noble Chapel is frequently used for both services and cultural
events.
r
n The international conference of funeral service

examining boards, Fayetteville,
Arkansas, recently selected new leadership. A.R. Sandy Mahon, registrar of the
Funeral and Cremation Services of Saskatchewan, was elected president. Edward
Muhleisen was selected vice president. He
manages his familys firms in Louisiana,
L.A. Muhleisen & Son Funeral home in
Kenner, Millet-Guidry Funeral Home in
LaPlace and Magnolia Crematory in Kenner.
Robert Barnes, board member from
the Maine State Board of Funeral Service,

was elected to represent District 1. Lynn
Armstrong Patterson, board member from
the District of Columbia, was elected to
represent District 2. Sandy Sebastian,
executive director of the Missouri State
Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, was elected to represent District 5.
And Bart Burton, board member with the
Nevada State Funeral Board, was elected
to his second term representing District 9.
Lisa Moore, bureau chief of the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, was
presented with the Presidents DistinLike the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
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49
Update
guished Service Award and was recognized
for her ongoing commitment, leadership
and outstanding service to The Conference.
The board also recently awarded 10
National Board Examiniation scholarships, which allow recipients to sit for
the NBE with the $500 examination fee
waived. Recipients, chosen at random
from nearly 100 applicants, were: Christina Anderson, University of Minnesota;
Autlaychia Boyd, Dallas Institute of
Funeral Service; Dyani Cortez, Miami
Dade College; James Devine, Tidewater
Community College; Marissa Howe, Fayetteville Technical Community College;
Karla Kringle, Lake Washington Technical
College; Courtney Rieland, University of
Minnesota; Clayton Sneed, Jefferson State
Community College; Inez Tillmon, St.
Louis Community College at Forest Park;
and Carissa Watson, St. Louis Community
College at Forest Park.
At Arlington National Cemetery, from left,

Ronald T. Principe Jr., David L Hernandez Jr. and Antonio Ali Bocas of Jersey
Memorial Group.
n Jersey Memorial Group, Old

Bridge, New Jersey, recently had the
honor of placing a memorial wreath at
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in
Arlington National Cemetery. We were
both humbled and grateful to have the
opportunity to participate in honoring our
fallen war heroes, said Jersey Memorial
Group Principal David Hernandez Jr. Our
caring team of professionals has seen first
hand the sacrifice many of these men and
women have made in serving their country,
and it is our privilege to show them the
respect they so richly deserve.
Jersey Memorial Group owns and
operates several funeral homes throughout
the state, including Oceanside Memorial
Home, Lake Como; Old Bridge Funeral
Home, Old Bridge; Waitt Funeral Home,
Morganville; and Inglesby & Sons Funeral Home, Pennsauken. The company
is owned and operated by the Hernandez
family.
n Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care

Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has promoted Larry Shor to head of the monument
Steve and Nichole Pierce with their
services division. Shor brings over three
business award.
decades of experience working within
the local Jewish community to provide
n Muehlebach Funeral Care
choir, cantorial and liturgical services. He
and Skradski Funeral Home,
worked in his familys businesses before
Kansas City, Missouri, was recently
opening business ventures with his wife.
chosen as one of the top 25 businesses
He has worked for Sagel Bloomfield
in Kansas City with fewer than 25
managing
its shiva concierge program, a
employees. There were more than 1,500
service
providing
all the necessary eleapplicants for the honor, which was acments
for
the
standard
post-funeral mourcepted by owners Steve and Nicole Pierce.
ing
period.
The
firm
launched
the monuCompanies are judged on their financial
ment
services
division
last
year
and has
stability, ability to overcome adversity and
seen
major
growth.
Sagel
Bloomfield
is a
challenges, community involvement, disfamily-owned
funeral
home
with
a
90-year
tinguishing or defining characteristics and
company vision. The award is presented by history of service.
Thinking Bigger Business Media.
50
ICCFA Magazine
Above and below, the wreath that honors

New Jerseys fallen heroes is placed at
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
n Anderson-McQueen Funeral Homes, St. Petersburg, Florida,

recently honored employee John A.
Anders, CFSP, for 40 years of service
with the company. He
started as an apprentice at
the age of 18, graduated
from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service and
became a license funeral
director and embalmer,
developing expertise in
Anders
restorative art. In addition
to a 40-year plaque, Anders
received a brand new 2016 Ford 150 Lariat
Super Cab for his years of dedication and
professionalism.
n Candice Rivera of
Girard, Ohio, a student
at Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary
Science, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, received a
Silver Award of Excellence
from the Order of the
Rivera
Golden Rule. She is being
awarded a $2,000 scholarship to help complete her studies.
Treasured Memories AD
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51
Update
Above, an alcove of the Basilica of Regina Pacis lower church before restoration. Left, an alcove restored and turned
into a columbarium.
n The Basilica of Regina Pacis

Rectory, Brooklyn, New York, recently
installed 668 glass- and marble-front
niches in the first phase of work on the
Chapel of St. Joseph and Columbarium.
The columbarium features four marble
faade alcoves with stained glass. Materi-
als used include Bottocino Semi-Classico

marble and 6mm beveled glass. The result
is a restored church in a columbarium. The
design, manufacture and installation was
done by Carrier Mausoleums Construction
USA Inc.
In memoriam
sands of funeral directors and embalmers.

Recognizing the growth potential of
cremation, in 1971 he established a successful crematorium in Cleveland, Ohio. Today,
Cremation Service Inc. is one of the largest
volume crematories in the state.
His business matured into a service of
worldwide death care service and repatriation when, in 1962, he expanded into
handling the transporting of human remains
out of the Cleveland market for out-of-town
funeral homes. In 1969, he founded the
National Association of Mortuary Shippers, serving as its first president. In 1976
he became regional director for Continental
Mortuary Air Shippers, a national shipping
company, and when CMAS closed in 1979,
he founded Inman Nationwide Shipping
(aka Inman Shipping Worldwide), a company that ships human remains throughout
the world, for funeral homes. Today Inman
Shipping Worldwide is the largest shipping
company of its type in America.
He served as chairman of the board
of trustees for the Pittsburgh Institute of
Mortuary Science and was a member of that
Robert J. Inman
Robert J. Inman, 86, of Palm

Harbor, Florida, died on
April 14, 2016. He was the
founder of Inman Shipping
Worldwide.
He is survived by wife
Marilyn A. Inman. His first wife, Joan Lorence Inman, predeceased him.
He was a 1950 graduate of Cleveland
College of Mortuary Science and a 1957
graduate of Western Reserve University
with a bachelors degree in psychology. He
served in the US Army Medical Corps in
Japan during the Korean War.
His entire career was devoted to providing needed services to all facets of the
death-care business. In 1956, he began his
career as a trade embalmer serving funeral
directors in a six-county area of northeast
Ohio. In 1971, he began doing embalming
and restorative arts seminars representing
the Champion Co., crisscrossing the country
for more than 20 years in 25 states, for thou52
ICCFA Magazine
n Acacia Park Cemetery, North

Tonawanda, New York, received help
from local cemeteries and vendors after
a devastating fire. The fire destroyed a
maintenance building which contained all
of the equipment for cemetery grounds
workers, including lawn mowers and
plows. The main building and a smaller
building were a total loss. The fire started
from an electric golf cart left charging in
Read Todd W. Van Becks

tribute, Robert J. Inman,
a Man Who Changed
Everything, at the ICCFA
Cafe, www.iccfa.com.
board for over 25 years. In 1982, he was

one of three Americans elected to the British Institute of Embalmers of Birmingham,
England. He became an organizer and past
president of the North American Division
of the British Embalmers. In 2003, he was
given the Degree of Fellowship of the
British Institute of Embalmers, the highest
honor given to a member.
He belonged to many industry associations and was a past president of the Ohio
Embalmers Association, the Cleveland
Embalmers Association and the Cremation
Association of North America.
Memorial services will be held in the
Cleveland, Ohio, area, at a time and place to
be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations to the Cleveland Rotary
Foundation, 122 Prospect Ave., Cleveland,
OH 44115; or Sun Coast Hospice, 2675
Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34684. r
Update
Bailey & Bailey AD

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The maintenance facility at Acacia Park

was destroyed by fire.
the main building. Employees Nicolas

Mosher and Anthony Ferlito tried to move
equipment away from the fire, but Ferlito
said most of the items around the golf cart
were fully involved in the fire. Both Ferlito
and Mosher were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
Several area cemeteries reached out
to provide assistance, said Acacia Park
Director Richard Winter, including Mount
Calvary Cemetery Group, President Jeff
Reed; Forest Lawn & Forest Lawn Heritage Foundation, President Joe Dispenza;
Elmlawn Memorial Park, President Mike
Austin; and Buffalo Catholic Cemeteries,
Diocesan Director Carmen Colao.
Robert Lomison, Chairman of Letum
Inc., Acacia Parks holding company, said,
I have been is this industry for over 35
years. There is an allegiance within this industry where in times of need, competitors
always join together to help one another.
This comradery is unique to our industry
and one of the reasons I am proud to be a
member.
Significant assistance was also prpovided by vendors, including Greg Kelsey,
vice president, New York and Pennsylvania operations of Wilbert Funeral Services,
who provided two full burial set-ups for as
long as they were needed and also donated
two sets of graveside greens to replace
those lost. Niagara Frontier Equipment
Sales Inc. provided two SCAG rental
mowers at no cost until new mowers could
be delivered. Also, Kellys Tree Service of
r
Buffalo reached out to offer support.
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53
S U P P LY L I N E
Right, the receiving

vault at Oak Ridge
Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, that
once held the bodies
of Abraham Lincoln
and his son, after its
restoration.
Below left and right,

damage to the interior and exterior of
the receiving vault
before the restoration
work.
Receiving vault that held Lincolns body is restored

with the installation of drains.
n The Springfield, Illinois,
Once that task was completed, the
branch of Western spegeneral contractor began excavatcialty contractors,
ing the area around the vault in
St. Louis, Missouri, restored the
preparation for Westerns scope of
receiving vault that once held
work, which included waterproofthe bodies of assassinated Presiing, repairs to the stone facade
dent Abraham Lincoln and his
and restoration of the marble.
son, Willie, following Lincolns
During the excavation around
funeral service on May 4, 1865, in
the outside of the historic site,
Springfield, Illinois. The bodies of
it was discovered that the walls
Lincoln and his son, who died at
making up the vaults exteage 11 in the White House, rested
rior were in such poor condition
in the receiving vault until Dec.
(bricks were deteriorating, voids
21, 1865, when they were moved
The exterior work on the receiving vault in progress.
were present in the masonry wall
to another temporary vault.
subject to water penetration which resulted
and stone infill had been used) that
The vault is located at the base
waterproofing could not be applied directly
of a hill, north of President Lincolns tomb in major deterioration.
The initial phase of the project involved to the surface, and an alternate means of
in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Due to its location
repair was necessary to prepare the vault
at a low spot in the cemetery, the vault was channeling water away from the vault
54
ICCFA Magazine
S U P P LY L I N E
for the waterproofing application.
Because this was a historic site, the customer did not
want us using a lot of new means and methods to restore it,
said Springfield project manager Josh Woolard.
We formulated a system using a low cement ratio mortar
and brick infill in areas where the brick had deteriorated away
from the wall. After infilling the voids in the walls, we applied a layer of the low cement ratio mortar to the entire wall
surface to create a smooth surface with no protrusions that
could penetrate through the bentonite sheet waterproofing.
Another challenge to the project was finding a quality
match for
the stone
replacements on
the serpentine
retaining walls
that extended
outward away
from the vault
entrance.
Due to the
age of the vault,
the original
stone material
used was no
longer available,
and Western
crews had to
find a suitable,
alternate
material that
would closely
match the
Concrete restoration on the receving
existing stones
vault at Oak RIdge Cemetery.
and meet the
customers needs. Many mock-ups of stone fabrication were
required to find the perfect match.
These walls contain two curves, one inward and one
outward. Due to this fact, it was not only a matter of finding
the correct length and depth of the stone, but also finding the
radius of the curves in order to fabricate stone that would
fit into the voids created by the removal of the stones, said
Woolard.
In order to find the radius in the stone, we had to remove
the existing stone. By first creating a template on Styrofoam
of the gaps created by the removal of the stones, we were
able to use computer software to find the radius of the curves
within the wall.
Western also used other special methods to re-create
the unique beaded joint evident in the original masonry
construction.
Western crews completed the restoration work by carefully
cleaning the tile floor and marble walls and ceiling inside the
vault chamber using Prosoco 942 cleaner with a low pressure
rinse. Also, crews re-attached two marble doors on the loculi,
or shelves set into the wall of the vault where a coffin or body
r
is stored. www.westernspecialtycontractors.co
McCleskey AD
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June 2016
55
Supply Line
Bailey &
Bailey
premium
brass
urns.
READERS: To find the products and services you need online, go to www.iccfa.com
and select directory to find:
Supply Link Search
Engine, the fastest way
to find the products and
services you need at your
funeral home, cemetery or
crematory.
SUPPLIERS: Send your press releases
about your new products and services,
and about awards, personnel changes and
other news to sloving@iccfa.com
for inclusion in Supply Line. Large files that
will not go through the ICCFA server can be
sent to slovingiccfa@yahoo.com.
Treasured Memories website.
A full-color portrait on one of Trigards

Classique memorials.
56
ICCFA Magazine
n Bailey & Bailey, Gig Harbor,

Washington, has introduced new premium
brass full-size urns. The urns are available
in four colorsred, green, purple and blue.
They feature superior paint quality that
resists chipping, and their smooth surface
can easily accommodate a wide variety of
engraving options. The urns have a threaded
lid closure and padded felt bottom. They
can be engraved and shipped the same day.
1.877.995.8767;
service@baileyandbailey.com;
www.BaileyandBailey.com
n BodySealer, Merrick, New York, is a
40-inch-wide hermetically sealed biohazard containment pouch. It provides level
4 protection of biohazard risks, including
decomposition and burn and drowning
vicims. It has a metal foil layer that provides
superior containment of fluid and offensive
vapors. It also qualifies as a hermetically
sealed metal container accepted by many
airlines for international shipping of human
remains and for domestic shipping of unembalmed remains.
It is designed to accommodate large or
swollen cases and comes on a roll so it can
be cut to any desired length. Two pieces
fused together can be used to seal a casket
to prevent leakage in a mausoleum valut. A
portable battery pack that can be recharged
via a vehicle or solar panels is available and
will operate the heat sealer for up to 30
minutes in the field. BodySealer is a joint
venture of International Mortuary Shipping and Shiva Shade.
1.888.848.3113; www.bodysealer.com
n Treasured Memories, Wheeling, West Virginia, offers a user-friendly
crowdfunding website. Families can use it to raise money
to help with funeral-related
costs or to allow donations
to the deceaseds favorite
Altmeyer
charity. It is a safe way to
reach out to family, friends and community
members for help, said company President
James E. Altmeyer. It provides links to the
users personal fundraising page from major
social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter,
Google+ and more, in order to spread the
word and guarantee great results.
1.877.785.2990; info@tmfh.com;
www.tmfh.com
n Trigard, Danville, Illinois, has
added affordable, full-color portraits to its
Right, Ethan Darby, Trigard director of

business development, congratulations
Clineka Cobb for receiving a Trigard
scholarship.
traditional designs, making more advanced

personalization available to more families.
The option is available for Classique and
Paragon memorials.
Trigard also recently awarded a $250
scholarship to Ivy Tech mortuary science
student Clineka Cobb.
1.800.637.1992; www.trigard.com
n Duncan stuart todd, Boulder,
Colorado, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In 1991, the company was started to offer
funeral directors a one-stop service that
would deliver a safe, efficient, OSHA-compliant care center. Prior to that time, funeral
directors who were building or updating an
embalming room would find themselves
having to do the designing, shopping and
planning themselves.
Also, Duncan Stuart Todd
has named Michael Butler
as office manager. He will
be responsible for interacting with funeral directors
and suppliers, as well as
overseeing internal operations. Butler has degrees from Butler
New York University and the
University of Oregon. 720.583.1886;
info@duncanstuarttodd.com;
www.duncanstuarttodd.com
n Global Atlantic, New York, New
York, and Hamilton, Bermuda, has unified all
businesses, including Forethought, under
the Global Atlantic brand. By concentrating
branding efforts behind the Global Atlantic
name rather than supporting multiple brands,
the company seeks to accelerate stronger
longterm brand recognition and simplify
its story in the marketplace. Global Atlantic
Carrier AD
FULL PAGE
page 57
4-COLOR
S U P P LY L I N E
n Wilbert Funeral Services,
Parsons, Kansas, provided a burial vault
for the interment of former First Lady
Nancy Reagan. The Parsons facility, also
the headquarters of Wilbert Memorials,
provided the same for President Reagan in
2004 at the request of Service Corporation
International, which arranged the services
for both the president and the first lady.
The Wilbert Bronze Triune burial vault
selected by Nancy Reagan to match her husbands vault was manufactured at Wilberts
Grandview, Missouri, plant and delivered to
the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in
Simi Valley, California, where Mrs. Reagan
was laid to rest. Mrs. Reagan, who died on
March 6, 2016, meticulously planned her
funeral, noting that she wanted her vault
buried as close as possible to her husbands.
Chris Carson, vice-president of Wilbert
Cemetery Construction, oversaw the entire
process and delivered the burial vault to
Simi Valley along with Bill Wolgamott,
plant manager, and Brett Monk, senior
project manager.
We left at 5 a.m. on Tuesday to arrive in
Simi Valley by Wednesday evening in order
for the trucks to be cleared and vetted by
the Secret Service before we could commence setup on Thursday for the Friday
funeral, Carson said. The logistics and details of this event were quite impressive, as
Financial Group Ltd., a multiline insurance
and reinsurance company, was founded at
Goldman Sachs in 2004 and separated as an
independent company in April 2013.
www.globalatlantic.com
n Federated Funeral
directors
of america,
Springfield, Illinois,
has released the
2015 Federated
Stats Book. Available to members of
Federated only, the
book is a compilaThe 2015 Federated tion of statistical inStats Book.
formation sourced
from FFDAs
member funeral homes. The information
is broken into various categories, providing
funeral homes the ability to analyze their
58
ICCFA Magazine
Nancy Reagans vault from Wilbert being delivered.
you might expect. However, its one thing

to imagine and quite another to actually be
a part of, and it was incredible to watch all
that goes on that the public does not see.
After the funeral, the Wilbert team
lowered Mrs. Reagans casket into the burial
vault, sealed the vault and interred it.
This was truly an honor and a memorable experience, Carson said. When you
business in comparison to similar businesses. New supplemental information is also
included in the 2015 edition, including a
salary survey for the first time. Detailing the
benefits received by funeral home employees, the statistics offer another benchmarking avenue. 1.877.3332;
www.federated-funeral.com
n CDT, Mesquite, Texas is offering
the first all-in-one hermetically sealed
container for the removal and disposition of the deceased. The High Consequence Infectious Diseases Kit meets and/
or exceeds requirements for BioSafety
Level 4, Occupational Safety & Health Act,
World Health Organization and Centers for
Disease Control. It is essential for hazardous situations involving infectious diseases
and catastrophic disaster emergency case
scenarios. Each kit includes an internal
bag, a hermetically sealed bag, an outer
handling bag, NeutrOlene, optional electric
see a service such as this, it emphasizes

the importance of commemorating a life.
Granted, Mrs. Reagans service was highly
visible in the public eye, but you realize
the significance for families in honoring
their loved ones from every walk of life. It
makes us proud when we can help make
this happen.
1.888.WILBERT; www.wilbert.com
r
thermosealer with 25-foot power cable and
plastic retaining clips.
The kit was created by David Patterson,
who made the removal in Dallas, Texas,
of the first Ebola case in the United States.
In conjunction with the CDC, Patterson
developed a standard operating procedure with guidelines for HCID removal of
remains. As a result of this experience, the
HCID containment and removal kit was
developed.
CDT Industries will train customers
personnel for an additional fee.
info@cdthcid.com; www.cdthcid.com
n Funeral Solutions Group,
Kingston, Ontario, has introduced the Reset Business system, a no-charge website
and funeral management software package. It includes a responsive website, fullfeatured funeral home management with
accounting integration, tribute video creator
and a stationery and print-on-demand soluLike the ICCFA on Facebook & friend ICCFA Staff
Doric AD
FULL PAGE
page 59
4-COLOR
S U P P LY L I N E
tion. It has an integrated one-entry system.
1.844.486.0246;
www.FuneralSolutionsGroup.com
Sauders Bridgewater casket.
Legacy.com recipe vault, above, and a

close-up, below.
60
ICCFA Magazine
n Sauder funeral products,

Archibold, Ohio, has introduced a casket
that resembles recovered barn siding.
It has a textured, weather oak finish with
black hardware. The Bridgewater is made
using the same wood finish technology as
the companys previous caskets, but adds a
surface texture. It is 96 percent combustible,
making it a crossover casket that can be
used for cremation services or traditional
burial. Made from 97 percent recycled,
high-quality soft and hardwood trimmings
that remain after the milling of lumber and
plywood, it is an eco-friendly casket.
1.866.419.3010;
www.sauderfuneralproducts.com
n Legacy.COM, Evanston, Illinois,
has been recognized for its Recipe
Vault editorial series. The series features
celebrity chefs and food bloggers sharing
how recipes connect us to those weve lost.
It received an award for best new brand
publication at the annual Digiday Publishing Awards.
The stories range from a touching
interview with the Food Networks Duff
Goldman, who made Mamos Mushroom
Barley Soup With Short Ribs to nurture
his grandmother at the end of her life, to
a lighthearted tribute to the Lemmy (a
drink named to honor Motorheads Lemmy
Kilmister). Pati Jinich, the host of Patis
Mexican Table on the Public Broadcasting
Service, explained the emotional significance of Pan de Muerto, a dish made to
connect the bereaved to lost loved ones, and
Chef Ming Tsai of Simply Ming shared
cherished food memories from Taiwan.
www.legacy.com
n Funeralwise, Wilmette, Illinois,
ran a Capture Memorial Day photo contest. The contest is designed to recognize
and reward photographers whose images
convey the meaning and emotion associated
with Memorial Day in cemeteries across
the United States. People were enthusiastic
about the photo contests we ran in our cemetery over the years. There is no better time
to promote your cemetery than Memorial
Day. A photo contest is the perfect event to
generate positive publicity and bring people
out, said Larry Anspach, co-founder of Funeralwise.com and former cemetery owner.
1.866.386.9473; www.FuneralWise.com
Glass
Remembrances
Skyward
keepsake,
released
to coincide
with the
companys
partnership with
The Dodge
Co.
n The
Dodge
co.,
Billerica,
Massachusetts, has established an exclusive partnership with Glass Remembrance, Columbus,
Ohio. Dodge will sell Glass Remembrances
blown glass keepsakes.
Coinciding with the partnership announcement, Lee Guttentag, Glass Remembrances founder, has introduced
the newest glass keepsake expression, the
Skyward. Skyward is 9 inches by 5 and a
half inches. It has an uplifting motion and
swirls around to form a beautiful sculptural
piece. Bubble inclusions and iridescent glass
throughout give the form a visual complexity which also makes the cremated remains
less apparent. Iridescent upgrade is already
included.
1.800.443.6343; www.dodgeco.com
sales@glassremembrance.com;
www.glassremembrance.com
n Funeral
Directors Life
INsurance Co.,
Abilene, Texas, is
collaborating with
Dr. Alan Wolfelt
on a preneedfocused educational project.
Wolfelt, nationally
known as an author, educator and
Dr. Alan Wolfelt
grief counselor, will
work with FDLIC to develop materials that
will help educate funeral professionals and
FDLICs prearrangement specialists, as well
as families who are interested in preplanning, about the importance of the funeral
ceremony and its many healing elements.
As a grief educator, I have long advocated for the need to educate both funeral
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S U P P LY L I N E
Above, one of Art in Loving Memorys

memorial portraits, Heather on Earth,
commissioned by the mother of a
5-year-old girl.
Below, one of the artists fine art photographs of cemetery monuments.
Urns in Styles
Planet Pluto
urn, custom
designed as a
wedding gift
from a bride to
a groom.
Urns in Styles
Imperial Blue
ceramic urn.
62
ICCFA Magazine
home staff and families about the critical

importance of why we have had funerals
since the beginning of time, Dr. Wolfelt
said. As more and more people choose to
plan their own funerals, we as a society are
at risk for confusing efficiency with effectiveness. Yet if we do a good job of educating people during the preplanning process
about the essential why of the funeral
and its elements, we will help them make
choices that result in funerals, down the
line, that create the sweet spot of healing
experiences for their families.
Preplanning, when done well, can be
a transformative experience both for the
individuals who are preplanning and, eventually, for their families and friends. This is
an exciting project for me, and I look forward to working with FDLIC in spreading
this message of hope and healing.
www.funeraldirectorslife.com
n Art in loving memory, Locust
Valley, New York, offers custom memorial
paintings as well as fine art photographs
of cemetery monuments. The paintings
are designed to help people heal after the
loss of a loved one through art, said artist
Anna Laruccia. She interviews the person
who commissions the painting, either in
person, via email, phone or Skype, to find
out about the person being memorialized
with the painting.
Laruccia has studied photography at the
Parsons School of Design in New York City
and the School of Visual Arts in So Paulo,
Brazil. Her photographs have appeared in
the New ork Times, and her oil paintings
and charcoal drawings have been exhibited
in the Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, the
Center for the Visual and Performing Arts
in East Hampton and in galleries in New
York City, So Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
516.674.4428;
artinlovingmemory@gmail.com;
www.artinlovingmemory.com
n urns in Style, Chicago, Illinois,
offers a curated memorial urn collection.
The company offers urns made of a variety
of materials, including ceramics, glass, metal
and wood. Full-sized and keepsake urns are
available, as are urns for pets.
The company also offers custom design
your own service. The company recently
posted on its website an interview about a
bride-to-be who commissioned a customized urn as a wedding gift for her fianc.
1.888.506.2685; www.UrnsinStyle.com
n Homesteaders,
Des Moines, Iowa, has
named Wanda Sizemore as
director-field training and
development. Sizemore has
served as a regional director
for Homesteaders customers
in the southeast region for
Sizemore
nearly a decade. In her new
role, she will provide direct sales training
support to funeral home customers, conduct
sales training for preneed professionals and
provide coaching to Homesteaders account
executives. Sizemore has nearly two decades
of experience in funeral service. She is a
Certified Preplanning Consultant and a
Certified Celebrant.
Also, the company has expanded the
Homesteaders Assurance Trust to include
funeral homes in Wisconsin.
Also, the companys A- (excellent) financial strength rating has been affirmed
by A.M. Best Co., with a stable outlook.
1.800.477.3633; www.homesteaderslife.com
n mkj marketing,
Largo, Florida, has hired
Courtney Gould Miller as
COO, legal counsel and
head of MKJs new digital
marketing division. Miller
will oversee MKJs operations and client projects while
Miller
expanding digital marketing
services, including website design, online
advertising, paid and organic search, email
marketing, social media and blogging. She
worked as an attorney with international
law firm OMelveny & Myers LLP in Los
Angeles, California, focusing on international trade and litigation.
While practicing law, Miller was selected
as a Rising Star by California Super Lawyers, a designation reserved for 2.5 percent
of lawyers in the state. She received her
bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in human and
organizational development and earned her
law degree with a business law specialization from the University of California at Los
Angeles.
1.888.655.1566; www.mkjmarketing.com
n Plotbox, Palo Alto, California, had
two teams raising money in a charity
marathon in May. Funds raised went to
LungForce, which is fighting lung cancer in
women, and the Alzheimers Society.
sean@plotbox.io; www.plotbox.io
S U P P LY L I N E
n RBC Wealth Management, Beverley Hills,
California, has hired Jeff
Goldstein as a financial
advisor. Goldstein recently
moved to Los Angeles from
New York and has 15 years of
financial services experience.
Goldstein
Hee will focus on advising
cemeteries and funeral homes on prudently
managing risk within their endowment
trusts and will be working closely with Pat
Severo, SBWSs principal founder.
1.866.657.8876;
www.rbcwmfa.com/sbwealthstrategies/
n THe Foresight
companies, Phoenix,
Arizona, has named Jeff
Harbeson as director of
marketing. Harbeson is
a funeral home owner,
businessman and former
Batesville representative who
Harbeson
has marketed his companies
under the social media labels of The Funeral
Commander. He teams with Ryan Thogmartin to produce the internet video show,
Funeral Nation. Harbeson is a graduate of
the North Carolina Military Academy and
is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. In
addition to his video and written blogs, he
created At Need Credit, Funeral Pay Plan
and an alliance with CareCap and the Fast
Funding Group. This service helps funeral
home and cemetery owners deal with their
account receivables problems as well as
provide options for consumer funeral loans.
Foresight will promote these companies as a
solution provider for their clients and others
looking to reduce or eliminate accounts
receivable issues. 1.800.426.0165;
danisard@f4sight.com; www.f4sight.com
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n obolus, Melbourne, Florida, provides

help with dealing with online accounts
(digital assets) after the death of a loved
one. The service, called Estate Pass, was
developed to deal with taking down social
media profiles, email and ecommerce
accounts and other online accounts that
may be left in limbo if not canceled by an
authorized representative. The business was
started by David H. Slonim, a Florida elder
care and probate attorney, and his partners.
Not canceling these accounts provides
scammers and hackers with an opportunity
to steal someones identity without available
recourse to the family, Slonim said. LeavStart every day at the ICCFA Caf at www.iccfa.com
June 2016
63
S U P P LY L I N E
n Woodard & Curran, White
Plains, New York, has won a 2016 Silver
Engineering Excellence Award from
the New York chapter of the American
Council of Engineering Companies for
its work with the Trustees of St. Patricks
Cathedral on improvements at the Gate
of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New
York.
The firm was hired to perform structural evaluations and make recommendations to address issues affecting the infrastructure at Gate of Heaven, including the
St. Francis of Assisi Chapel and roadways
throughout the property.
The trustees were looking for a way
to proactively manage emerging issues
with the cemeterys 10 miles of roadway,
such as cracks and crumbling pavement,
Work on the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, including replacement of leaking winthat were a detriment to both safety and
dows in the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel (above left) and repairs to cemetery
aesthetics. The project included repaving
roads (above right) earned Woodard & Curran an engineering award.
three and a half miles of road, replacing
curbs and reinforcing portions of the road building on a regular basis. Leaking winnents of this comprehensive effort were
with a geosynthetic material to extend the dows in the chapel were replaced, radiant
carried out simultaneously.
life of the pavement. Additionally, some
heat was added and utilities were upgradThe Engineering Excellence Awards
areas of the cemeterys roadway have little ed to make the space more comfortable
are given annually by state chapters of
shoulder, with a steep drop-off on one
for cemetery visitors.
the American Council of Engineering
side. Wooden guiderails were installed in
The project also included improvCompanies. The awards are presented
these areas as an added safety measure.
ing the cemeterys water and stormwater
to an engineering firm for a project that
system, along with providing a new fuel
exemplifies quality, innovation, value and
The St. Francis of Assisi Chapel had
management system and assistance with
client satisfaction.
not been used for years due to structural
burial expansion plans. All the compowww.woodardcurran.com
r
issues that allowed water to leak into the
ing these accounts active may cause families
and friends a great deal of emotional
distress from the continuing stream of email
reminders on social media.
www.estatepass.com
n Frontrunner, Kingston, Ontario,
has formed a strategic alliance with Funeral
Solutions Group, which specializes in nocharge website models, affordable lightmanagement solutions and creative cremation
business solutions. FrontRunner is a technology provider to funeral professions, providing
integrated funeral home websites and funeral
home management solutions.
FrontRunner also recently launched
Wyland TributeArt at the ICCFA Annual
Convention & Expo. The new line of finely
crafted, individually made memorials of
Wylands marine life art includes four
bronze sculptures in full-size and keepsake
size urns. Participating funeral homes can
create TributeArt galleries within their
facilities where the public can view and
64
ICCFA Magazine
purchase the pieces. These galleries will be

listed on the Wyland.com site, as well as in
a directory on the TributeArt.com site.
FrontRunner also has received Google
Parner status. Achieving partner status
takes advanced AdWords knowledge and
certifications, a track record of high-quality
results and knowledge of best practices and
a healthy amount of activity and experience across a companys managed pay-perclick advertising accounts.
866.748.3625; www.FrontRunner360.com
Best. Co. The company outlook was rated as

stable. 1.877.523.3231; www.uflife.com
n Mopec Inc., Oak Park, Michigan,

has been recognized as one of the 2016
Michigan 50 Companies to Watch, an
awards program presented by Michigan
Celebrates Small Business. The company
manufactures pathology and mortuary
equipment. www.mopec.com
n Astral INDUSTRIES, Lynn, Indiana,

has introduced a selection of oversize
caskets. The caskets are offered in two sizes,
a 32-inch inside width (32.5-inch outside) and 28-inch inside width (28.5-inch
outside). Both are available in five colors,
20-gauge steel, gasketed or nongasketed,
with swing-bar hardware, personal ID capsule and personalization options.
1.800.278.7252; sales@astralindustries.com
www.astralindustries.com
r
n Unity FInancial Life Insurance Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, has had its
B++ financial rating affirmed by A.M.
Astral Diplomat silver casket.
I C C FA N E W S
Call for Submissions: 2017 ICCFA Wide World of Sales

and 2017 ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition
s there a topic that you are interested in that you think should be featured at the Wide World of Sales Conference or the Annual
Convention & Expo? Do you have a great presentation that you think would be helpful to others in your profession? ICCFA will be
looking for proposals for upcoming 2017 meetings, so now is the time to share.
ide World of Sales is being held in Phoenix, Arizona,

on January 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency. The Wide
World of Sales is the only conference specifically for
sales and marketing professionals in the cemetery, cremation
and funeral service profession. We are seeking the very best,
most relevant and thought-provoking sales and marketing
programs, tools and techniques that are being used today. We
want presentations that offer concrete, how-to information with
an emphasis on the how rather than the why.
This is an opportunity to give back to your profession by
sharing your knowledge and expertise. When submitting a
session proposal for Wide World of Sales, the committee requests
that you include:
Your contact information
A detailed description of your how-to topic, including the
specific tools, techniques and/or initiatives the attendee will
be able to put to use immediately
The primary target for your presentation (managers,
counselors or both; cemeteries, funeral homes or both)
A list of handouts supplementing your presentation you
will provide for our attendee on-site binder (handouts are
required)
A brief bio regarding your background and qualifications,
including any previous speaking experience
The format for this conference calls for numerous breakout
sessions 50 minutes in length, so please narrow your topic to one
or two key points that you can fully develop and communicate
within that time frame.
Any request for compensation must be included in your
proposal or it will not be granted.
Speakers will receive a complimentary registration to the
Wide World of Sales Conference. Panelists or speakers sharing
the stage with three or more people will be offered the option to
purchase a full registration at the one-day rate.
Submit your proposal online by July 8 by visiting
www.wideworldofsales.com. Questions? Call Kirsten Kase at
1.800.645.7700 or email her at kase@iccfa.com.
r
Courtesy of CRVA
n preparation for the ICCFA 2017 Annual Convention, March

29-April 2, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Conference Chairs
Nectar Ramirez and Mitch Rose, CCE, have issued a call
for presentations. If you have expertise in a particular area of
cemetery, cremation and funeral service, we would like to hear
from you! Proposals are due to the ICCFA by July 5. Guidelines
for these proposals are as follows:
1. Include your name, title, company name, address, phone, fax
and email address.
2. Include a description of your session (approximately 100
words). Session descriptions should name at least two or three
specific skills, techniques or ideas the attendee will take away
from the session. We are most interested in sessions that share
concrete, proven techniques and programs, as opposed to theory
or opinion.
3. Include a brief bio regarding your experience and qualifications
within the industry as well as any speaking experience you may
have.
4. Include information on which areas of our profession are the
intended audience, e.g., cemetery owners and managers, funeral
home owners, funeral directors, sales managers, etc.
5. Let us know how long you anticipate your presentation will
take. Most presentation time slots are 50 minutes. In addition to
full-length sessions and workshops, we are interested in shorter
presentations that can be combined to form panel sessions.
6. Indicate what types of audio/visual aids you will use, if any.
7. Include a list of anticipated handouts.
8. Note that we ask that speakers refrain from speaking about
prices or other issues subject to antitrust legislation. In addition,
we ask that speakers refrain from any type of promotional
marketing or selling of any product or service.
9. Any requests for compensation must be included in your
proposal or it will not be granted.
We typically receive many more proposals than we can fit into
the program, so please be sure to follow the guidelines and clearly
explain the value proposition for attendees. Submit your proposal
by July 5 to Kirsten Kase at kase@iccfa.com. Questions? Call
r
Kase at 1.800.645.7700.
June 2016
65
I C C FA N E W S
Purchase your New Orleans convention recordings now
id you miss the ICCFA Annual

Convention this year? Couldnt
attend a session but really wanted
to? Want others in your company to learn
information from a session that you did
attend? ICCFA has the 2016 convention
sessions available for purchase now.
Audio recordings of the sessions are just
$10 each as a file download. A copy of the
presentation will be included if the speaker
has given us permission to do so. Visit
www.iccfa.com, hover over Store and click
on 2016 Convention Recordings.
Video recordings of sessions are also available. Here is
preview of what you can find for purchase:
Challenging Traditional Cemetery

Development, Chris Keller
Dueling Funerals, Todd Van Beck, CFuE
Cremation Headaches: How to Handle the
Day-to-Day Issues, Poul Lemasters, Esq.
PLPA: Decorating Your Funeral Home,
Leslie Reid
Inconvenient Truths About Funeral &
Cemetery Marketing, Dan Katz
Why Bigger is Better: The Fastest Way to
Grow Your Business, Doug Gober
Preplanning 2.0: How to Use Digital
Marketing to Generate Leads, Zach Garbow
Green Burial Council: Green Design & Innovation, David
Supplee & Deborah Cassidy
r
A message from ICCFA President Mike Uselton

Fellow ICCFA members,
ver the past year, the ICCFA staff and I have had a conversation about how we may
engage in more philanthropic efforts. Yes, our companies serve the public and give back
to our own communities as much as we can, but we really do not unite to champion
a cause at the national or international level. The most prominent idea that emerged was for
the ICCFA to partner with a charitable organization of the presidents choosing each year. The
yearlong campaign would begin at the ICCFA Annual Convention when his/her term begins.
My choice of charitable organization is the American Lung Association and its newest
campaign, Lung Force, which specifically aims to increase awareness forand fightlung
cancer in women. Did you know that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of both men and women?
Anyone may get lung cancer. More than 2/3 of people diagnosed with it have never smoked
or are former smokers. The survival rate is one of the lowest among all types of cancer, with a
woman in the U.S. being diagnosed with it every five minutes and a woman dying from it every
eight minutes.
For me, this choice is personal as my wife, Victoria, was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.
Im willing to bet that cancer is personal to you as well. Statistics show that cancer has ravaged a
loved one in nearly all of our lives.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 over the next year. Any donation that you can make will help the
American Lung Association raise awareness, promote education and detection, provide better
treatments for and ultimately find a cure for this brutal killer.
Michael Uselton, CCFE
ICCFA president, 2016-2017
66
ICCFA Magazine
I C C FA N E W S
Seven great colleges in a one-of-a-kind program
CCFA University is back! ICCFAU is being held July 2227 at the Fogelman Executive Center at the University
of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, and is the premier
educational opportunity available in our profession.
This is a one-of-a-kind program designed by top cemetery,
cremation and funeral service experts. It offers a unique blend
of intensive, practical classroom training and continual informal
idea-sharing.
ICCFAU is considered by many to offer the most
comprehensive funeral service education outside of attending a
mortuary school. And for some members of our industry who
may not have had the chance to earn a formal degree, attending
and graduating from ICCFA University after four years of study
may be their only chance for a higher learning experience.
There are seven colleges to choose from, each with courses
that combine proven business theory with practical operational
instruction. ICCFAU classes are led by top professionals from
the cemetery, cremation and funeral service industry as well as
business and economics faculty from the University of Memphis.
College of 21st Century

Services
Dean Glenda Stansbury, CC, CFSP
How do you respond to a family who says, We dont want a

traditional funeral? Youll learn how to go beyond tradition
with innovative offerings and become certified as a funeral
celebrant trained to provide meaningful alternatives to clergy-led
services.
College of cremation services

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

memorialization. Youll discover how to better serve families,
improve cremation operations and increase your companys
cremation-related revenues. Youll also earn three types of
certifications: Operator (required in 16 states), Arranger
(exclusive to ICCFA), and Administrator (only offered once a
year at ICCFA University).
College of International
Studies
Dean Jim Hammond
Globalization is making the world a much smaller place to live

in. Are you sure that you know how to serve families of all
nationalities and religious backgrounds in your community?

Learn about the funeral customs of all major religions and
population groups from around the world.
College of Funeral Home

Management
Dean Todd Van Beck, CFuE
Too many managers consider creativity someone elses

department. In funeral service, creative management is the key
to differentiation. Youll learn Dr. W. Edward Demings creative
service management system and its specific applications to our
profession.
College of Land Management &

Grounds Operations
Dean Gino Merendino
Exceptional cemetery service starts with the grounds and

operations department. Without effective land management
and a commitment to an attractive, well-maintained property,
there will be no sales or service. Youll learn how your grounds
management team can succeed and continuously improve
interments, landscaping, buildings, grounds maintenance and
exceptional client experience and satisfaction.
College of Leadership,
Administration & Management
Dean Gary Fretytag, CCFE
The cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession is

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

& Marketing
Dean Gary OSullivan, CCFE
The principles of sales and marketing dont change; only

technique and application do. Learn how to take the triedand-true principles of cemetery and funeral sales and apply
them within todays highly mobile, multi-cultural, high-tech,
information-driven marketplace.
Register by June 17 to secure your spot in the college of your
choice. For a complete course listing and to register to attend this
years ICCFA University, visit www.iccfa.com/university.
r
June 2016
67
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Providing exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and

support to progressive cemetery, funeral and cremation professionals worldwide
For information about the ICCFA and
Membership:
Go to www.iccfa.com/membership to download a
benefits brochure and an application form.
Call 1.800.645.7700 to have membership information

faxed or mailed to you.
Regular
Bynums Pleasant Valley Mortuary

Avenal, California
Eternal Light Funeral Directors
Brooklyn, New York
SINCEP
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
William C Harris Funeral Dir & Cremation
Service
St. Louis , Missouri
E-mail calendar listings and additions

or corrections to Association Pipeline
to bclough@iccfa.com and
sloving@iccfa.com.
June 12-14: Louisiana and Mississippi
Funeral Directors Assn. Annual Convention,
Biloxi, Mississippi. www.ifda.web
June 12-14: Montana Funeral Directors
Assn. Convention, Fairmont Hot Springs.
www.montanafuneraldirectors.org
June 12-14: Southern Cemetery, Crema
tion & Funeral Assn. Annual Convention,
with Georgia, North Carolina and South
Carolina cemetery assns., Francis Marion
Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina.
www.sccfa.info
June 12-15: Pennsylvania Funeral
Directors Assn. Convention, Holiday Inn,
Grantville. www.pfda.org
June 12-15: West Virginia Funeral
Directors Assn. 122nd Annual Convention,
Stonewall Resort, Roanoke. www.wvfda.org
June 12-16: Catholic Cemetery Conf.
School of Leadership & Mgmt. Excellence,
South Bend, Indiana.
www.catholiccemeteryconference.org
June 12-16: Texas Funeral Directors Assn.
Convention, Omni Bayfront Hotel, Corpus
Christi.www.tfda.com
June 13-15: Wisconsin Funeral Directors
Assn. Annual Convention, Ho-Chunk Casino
& Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells.
www.wfda.info
June 14-16: Arizona Funeral, Cemetery
New Members
Membership applications
Admission to ICCFA membership normally requires a majority vote of those present and voting
at any meeting of the executive committee. The names of all applicants must be published in
this magazine. ICCFA members objecting to an application must do so in writing to the ICCFA
executive director within 45 days of publication. In the event of an objection, the executive com
mittee will conduct an inquiry. If an applicant is rejected, they will be granted an appeal upon
written request. The decision of the Board of Directors shall be final.
Professional/Supplier
Century Group Inc.

Sulphur, Louisiana
EverBank Commercial Finance
Hampton, New Hampshire
FuneralNext LLC
Buckingham, Pennsylvania
Hunter Warfield
Tampa, Flor-ida
Select Merchant Solutions
Sanford, Florida
For continually updated meeting listings

and direct links to websites for professional
associations, go to www.iccfa.com; select
Find a Member, then Industry Associations.
& Cremation Assn. Annual Convention,
Chandler. www.azfcca.org
June 16-18: Buckeye State Funeral
Directors & Embalmers Assn. Annual
Convention, Mohican State Park Conf.
Center & Lodge. www.bsfdea.net
June 18-22: Virginia Funeral Directors
Assn. 128th Annual Convention,
Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront
Conf. Center, Portsmouth. www.vfda.net
June 19-22: Alabama Funeral Service
Assn. 130th Annual Mtg., Grand Hotel, Point
Clear. www.alabamafda.org
June 19-22: Idaho Funeral Service Assn.
Annual Convention, McCall. www.ifsa.us
June 20-23: Western Pennsylvania
Funeral Directors Assn. 108th Annual
Convention & Expo, Erie. www.wpfda.org
June 21-22: New Hampshire Funeral
Directors Assn. Annual Mtg., Bartlett.
www.nhfda.org
June 21-26: Assn. for Gravestone Studies
Annual Conf., Xavier University, Cincinnati,
Ohio. www.gravestonestudies.org
June 23-25: Southern Monument Builders
Assn. Annual Convention & Trade Show,
Hilton-Baton Rouge Capital Center.
www.southernmonumentbuilders.org
June 26-30: Maryland State Funeral
Directors Assn. 98th Annual Convention,
Professional: Pet Loss Services
Angels Pet Funeral Home & Crematory

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Central Carolina Pet Services
Kernersville, North Carolina
Funeral Pet
Mexico City, Mexico
Very Nice Inc. dba Sorrento Valley Pet
Cemetery & Crematory
San Diego, California
r
Calendar
To see all industry conventions and

meetings for a particular month, go to
www.iccfa.com; select Find a Member,
then Industry Calendar.
Ocean City. www.msfda.net

June 27-29: Illinois Funeral Directors Assn.
Annual Convention, Ocean City. -www.ifda.
org
June 28-30: Funeral Directors Assn. of
Kentucky Annual Convention, Hyatt Re
gency Hotel & Kentucky International Con
vention Ctr., Louisville. www.fdaofky.com
July 16-18: Independent Funeral Homes of
Virginia Annual Convention, Virginia Beach.
www.ifhv.org
July 17-20: Alabama, Louisiana &
Mississippi Cemetery Assns. Tri-State
Cemetery Convention, Perdido Beach
Resort, Orange Beach, Florida.
www.alabamacemeteries.org
www.mscemeteryassociation.com
July 22-27: ICCFA University, Fogelman
Executive Center, University of Memphis,
Memphis, Tennessee. www.iccfa.com
July 30-August 4: National Funeral
Directors & Morticians Assn. Convention,
Marriott Hotel, Richmond, Virginia.
nfdma@nfdma.com
August 1-3: Ohio Cemetery Assn. Annual
Convention, Schoenbrunn Inn & Conf.
Center, New Philadelphia.
www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com
August 10-13: Cremation Assn. of North
America 98th Annual Convention, Chicago.

to page 70
June 2016
69
ad index
49 Abbott & Hast
49 American Bronze Craft Inc.
63 American Cemetery/Mortuary
Consultants
17 ASDAnswering Service for
Directors
53 Bailey & Bailey
57 Carrier Mausoleums Construction
53 Checkers Industrial Safety Products
3 Coldspring
31 Continental Computer Corp.
61 Cooperative Funeral Fund
59 Doric Products
47 Ensure-A-Seal
41 Flowers for Cemeteries
39 Franklin Wrap
53 Funeral Call Answering Service
2 Global Atlantic Financial Group
37 Heritage Packaging
61 Holland Supply
45 Holy Land Stone
7 Homesteaders Life Co.
68 IMSA
51 Inman Shipping Worldwide
4 Johnson Consulting
43 Johnson Consulting
17 Kryprotek
72 LP Bronze International
37 Madelyn Co.
29 Matthews International
41 Mausoleum Supply
55 McCleskey Mausoleums
49 Mekus Tanager
33 Merendino Cemetery Care
45 Miles Supply Inc.
9 MKJ Marketing
25 Nomis Publications
63 Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell &
Hippel
19 Paradise Pictures
5 Perfect Memorials
47 Regions Bank Funeral & Cemetery
Trust Services
37 SEP Technologies
70 Supply Link
35 The Foresight Companies LLC
27 The Tribute Companies
51 Treasured Memories
71 U.S. Metalcraft
49 VKM International
11 Wilbert Funeral Services
27 WithumSmith + Brown
23 Worsham College
r
63 Xiamen Ever-Rising Stone Co.
C A L ENDA R
from page 69
www.cremationassociation.org
August 11-13: West Virginia Cemetery &
Funeral Assn. Annual Convention, Canaan
Resort, Davis. www.wvcfa.org
August 14-15: Illinois Cemetery & Funeral
Classifieds
Home Assn. 88th Annual Fall Convention,

Joliet. www.icfha.org
September 8-19: Monument Builders of
the Carolinas Annual Convention, Kingston
Plantation, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
www.mbcarolinas.org
August 18-21: New York State Assn. of
Cemeteries 88th Annual Fall Conf., The
Hotel Hershey, Hersey, Pennsylvania.
www.nysac.org
To place a classified, contact

Rick Platter, rplatter@iccfa.com
Check the classified announcements at www.iccfa.com/employment.htm
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70
ICCFA Magazine
US Metalcraft AD
FULL PAGE
page 71
4-COLOR
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page 72 (C4)
4-COLOR

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ICCFA Magazine subject spotlight

Site considerations at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery

PHOTO BY CARLOS GALINDO

Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, where

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Holy Sepulcher Cemeterys Mount of

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Cemetery Impossible: How should I handle a family who wants

The outsider phenomenon & our cremation consumer:

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