In this episode, we consider accusations of fraud and misconduct in South Carolina, Indiana's two front battle against the future, a restructuring in Pennsylvania and some positive listener feedback.

Show Notes:

https://www.kates-boylston.com/fraud-in-south-carolina-fights-in-indiana-and-a-restructuring-in-pennsylvania/article_ed2a463e-d47a-11ef-be30-8f21708dd4bf.html

In this bonus episode Kahlen Knapik of National Mortuary Shipping and Cremation discussed the Kates-Boylston Advisory Board and shares his take on the future of funeral service.  

In this episode, we continue our conversation between American Cemetery & Cremation editor Tom Nondorf and Funeral Service Insider editor Tony Russo.

In part one we concentrated on the ins and outs of cemetery news.

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In this episode, we dive into some significant shifts in the industry, including Matthews International's $350 million transaction and a potential board shakeup. We'll also discuss SCI's recent acquisitions in Arizona and a growing trend of consolidation.

We'll also touch on Thacker's acquisition of Southern Legacy Casket, the Hart Island Project, Toledo's first black-owned funeral home in decades, and a controversial license restoration case in Utah. 

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Publisher Sofia Goller talks about her advisory board initiative as Kates-Boylston looks to the future of death care. 

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This week, Tom Nondorf, editor of American Cremation & Cemetery magazine co-hosts the first of a two-part year-in-review episode.

The Unique Cemetery Overlooking Sanford Stadium: “They sell plots because the University of Georgia plays pretty good brand of college football. People want to see it. And so, you know, they have that crazy brand of a Southern football fan. So, some people buy plots where they can be kind of overlooking a slight view of the stadium.”

On Contributing Writer Tui Snider: “And then one of (the books) was by this woman, Tui Snider, out of Texas, who is just amazing at researching cemeteries and the different symbols you find on headstones. She just emailed me from Norway where she is going to be looking at cemeteries there and doing her thing for a couple months going around Europe.”

Carving a Legacy: “(Slate headstone carver J. David Gillespie) goes up to Boston and studies under a woman who’s an expert up there about carving slate letters in the old-school way, basically doing perfect imitations of the type of headstones that exist in cemeteries up in New England and then just starts doing that as his living.”

The Cemetery Cleanup Exposé Dilemma: “You’ll see them every few weeks. You know, somebody went to the cemetery to find a teddy bear and a vase that they left on a grave, and it had all been thrown into a pile somewhere. The stories were always the same, you know? Somebody calls a local news station ... it’s just so easy to make everybody look bad.”

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 ICYMI provides commentary on the week’s funeral service news. 

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In this episode we have update on Barington Capital, commentary on the FTC's revived report, continued success in celebrations of life, and more.

From the pages of American Cemetery and Cremation we bring you a Christmas travel story that ends where all stories must. 

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In this episode of Funeral Service Insider, we speak with Angela Woosley, a funeral director who has taken a solo approach to the business, catering to families with requests other funeral directors often won’t accommodate.

Modern Funeral Preferences: What I was hearing was not, “Oh, we really want this mahogany casket and this expensive, lined outer barrel container!” and “Absolutely, I love seeing embalmed people. They look so natural and lifelike, and certainly not like a mannequin!”

Rethinking Traditions: Everything we do with the dead, when you think about it, is really unpleasant. Everything. So, whatever we find for that particular family or person or client that resonates and feels good for them, for that person, that’s what we should be doing.

Celebration of Life: What truly matters about that person is not that they became a beautiful corpse, but that they lived a beautiful life and made an important imprint on other people’s lives.

Honoring Tradition: We took her out of her casket and placed her on a mattress and box spring that the family had gotten together. They brought red velvet ropes to separate her from grievers because her mom didn’t want people to cry on her (which is unlucky), and it was just the way that she wanted.

Breaking Down Barriers in Grief Support: The less we gatekeep and the more that we invite families in and partner with them rather than “serve” them or “guide” them or “direct” them, I think the more satisfied they’ll be with our services and the better their grief will be as well.