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Missouri Funeral Director
An official publication of the Missouri Funeral Directors & Embalmers Association
Features
Fall 2014
Articles/Columns A Message from the President Page 4 Executive Director’s Report Page 5
Cremation: What You Need to Know
NFDA’s Certified Crematory Operator Program Page 8 Strategies for a Declining Industry Page 16
page 6
News Page 19 In Memorium Page 20 Nuggets from the Past President Page 22
Advertiser Directory BKD, 9 CFL Pre-need, 11 Crime Scene Cleaners, 15 Dodge Company, 18 Eagle Bank and Trust, 10 Endorsed Companies, inside back cover Federated Insurance, 16 First Call, 18 FrontRunner, Inside Front Cover Kansas City, KS Community College, 17 Lamcraft, 14 Mid-MO Mortuary, 19 Mullen Coach, 15 Parkway Advisors, 21 Saving Sight, 9 SI-Wilbert, back cover
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Recyclying Post Cremation Metals page 13
New Zealand: What a Trip
page 10
DISCLAIMER: Portions of this magazine are taken from other sources, which we believe to be reliable but may not be complete statements on all available data. The services of an attorney or accountant should be sought in legal and tax matters. The Missouri Funeral Director is designed to quickly and briefly inform the membership on a variety of subjects. It is NOT intended to address any particular area in detail. ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER: Please note that MFDEA reserves the right to refuse any and all advertising for any reason.
The Missouri Funeral Director
Fall 2014
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A message from our President Greetings to all our MFDEA firms and members. As summer has come to a close, I hope you can say that your business has done well and that you are looking forward to fall. Cathy and I, Don Otto (Exec. Director) and Chris Roth (NFDA Rep) attended the NFDA Leadership Conference in Napa Valley, CA. It was a good meeting as we attended several seminars. 1) Learned how to respond to media sources during high profile deaths. Also, being aware that our speech and actions are being witnessed by those around us. 2) Had a brush up on all areas of law that affect funeral service and how Missouri laws and compliance rate. Missouri rates at about 90% with just a few things to improve on. It was great to hear how different states conduct business and the issues they face are commonplace to us all. We are not alone and frankly doing better than most. 3) There was also a technology seminar to help us advance our options in how we do business. Before our first board meeting, I met with many Past Presidents to get input from those that have served. Thanks to those who attended. Following that meeting, I met with the executive board and all our directors. We had reports from the directors, Executive Dirrector, treasurer and legislative. I then shared my passion and goals: 1) Try to help make our districts function better thus making our Association stronger. 2) Try to get our existing committees active and get as much input from Association firms and members as possible so the voice of MFDEA as a whole is heard, not just a few. 3) Help more to see the value that MFDEA offers and grow the membership. Thanks to all our directors and to those heading committees and having district meetings. Some highlights that came from our meeting was that we are planning on changing our dues structure for next year which we feel will benefit all our members more. Watch for the details the first of November. Also a women’s group of MFDEA is being established and headed by Kalene Summerville, so we need women interested to contact her as she needs your help. Tuning into the “In The Loop” email is a valuable MFDEA member benefit to find out when district meetings and committee meetings are being held, legislative news and update information pertaining to state and national funeral service. MFDEA also offers free forms and free attorney counsel for funeral issues (saving some funeral homes many dollars and getting a quick response to a question). Our Missouri Funeral Director magazine is also a great resource for news, articles and vendors that serve our profession. The Missouri Funeral Trust has never been stronger and is a great resource for funding your prearrangements. I am personally trying to be creative and innovative in my own business, trying to look outside the box to serve our families better. Join with me as we try new ideas and move ourselves from our comfort zones to serve better and make our profession stronger. Please join the MFDEA team as one thing is for sure: “ We are Stronger and Better Together.”
John Veach MFDEA President 4
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The Missouri Funeral Director
John Veach MFDEA President Mudd-Veach Funeral Home Bowling Green, MO
Executive Director’s Report While everyone gets excited at the end of the legislative session, the fact is -except for emergency items – the laws that are passed last winter and spring do not go into effect until August 28th. Here are the key bills that MFDEA was supporting that are not in effect: Funeral Protests. Missouri’s prior law dealing with funeral protests was ruled partially unconstitutional by the courts. One of the main problems had to do with the funeral procession since there was no way for a protester to know what route might be taken. The legislature rewrote the law to match with the language the court used in its decision. The law now provides as follows: 574.160. 1. A person commits the offense of unlawful funeral protest if he or she pickets or engages in other protest activities within three hundred feet of any residence, cemetery, funeral home, church, synagogue, or other establishment during or within one hour before or one hour after the conducting of any actual funeral or burial service at that place. 2. For purposes of this section, “other protest activities” means any action that is disruptive or undertaken to disrupt or disturb a funeral or burial service.3. For Donald C. Otto, Jr. purposes of this section, “funeral” and “burial service” mean the ceremonies and MFDEA Executive Director & General Counsel memorial services held in conjunction with the burial or cremation of the dead, but this section does not apply to processions while they are in transit beyond any three hundred foot zone that is established under subsection 1 of this section. 4. The offense of unlawful funeral protest is a class B misdemeanor, unless committed by a person who has previously been found guilty of a violation of this section, in which case it is a class A misdemeanor. As you can see the key parameters are 300 feet from from the funeral home or church and within one hour before or after the event. If you think funeral protests might be a issue for you at any time, its important that local law enforcement is aware of the new law and that everyone knows the times and distances involved. Note that this law exempts funeral processions (which the court said was one of the problems with the old law) so its very possible for a protest group to set up so that they will be very close to a funeral procession as it goes to the cemetery. Funeral Processions Speaking of funeral processions, the law on that has been cleared up. Until last Thursday there were two separate sections with two separate definitions of what a had to be done with a funeral procession and these sections conflicted. We were able to get the old provisions removed so now there is only one set of rules dealing with funeral processions. Here are the key provisions: Funeral lead vehicle” or “lead vehicle”, any motor vehicle equipped with at least one lighted circulating lamp exhibiting an amber or purple light or lens or alternating flashing headlamps visible under normal atmospheric conditions for a distance of five hundred feet from the front of the vehicle. A hearse or coach properly equipped may be a lead vehicle; - All vehicles in an organized funeral procession shall follow the preceding vehicle in the procession as closely as is practical and safe under the conditions. - No person shall operate any vehicle as part of an organized funeral procession without the flashing emergency lights of such vehicle being lighted. - No local city or county ordinance, regulation or any other provision of law shall prohibit the use of a motorcycle utilizing flashing amber lights to escort an organized funeral procession on the highway. - Except as otherwise provided for in the law, pedestrians and operators of all other vehicles shall yield the right-of- way to any vehicle which is a part of an organized funeral procession. - Notwithstanding any traffic control device or right-of-way provision prescribed by state or local law, when the funeral lead vehicle in an organized funeral procession lawfully enters an intersection, all vehicles in the procession shall follow the lead vehicle through the intersection. - The operator of each vehicle in the procession shall exercise the highest degree of care toward any other vehicle or pedestrian on the roadway. - An organized funeral procession shall have the right-of-way at all intersections regardless of any traffic control device at such intersections, except that operators of vehicles in an organized funeral procession shall yield the right-of-way to any approaching emergency vehicle or when directed to do so by a law enforcement officer. As you can see, there is no longer any need to put stickers or pennants on the vehicles in the funeral procession, but everyone does The Missouri Funeral Director
continued on page 15 Fall 2014 5
Cremation: W ha t You Need t o Know
Brian Gardner graduated from Truman State University in 1984 with a B. S. in Business Administration. In 1986 he graduated from Kansas City, Kansas Community College with a degree in Mortuary Science. Brian has been dual licensed since completing his embalming apprenticeship in 1987. He opened Columbia Cremation Care Center in March 2009. Prior to that Brian managed or owned traditional funeral homes. Columbia Cremation Care Center’s facility has refrigeration with a capacity of four remains. It is located in Columbia on South Providence Road about two miles south of University Hospital and covers central and northern Missouri and beyond.
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Many funeral directors are unsure of the necessary steps to have a cremation done legally in Missouri. This comes from the fact that in some parts of the state cremation is still not common. These funeral homes have simply not had to handle a cremation. I’m glad to walk them through it step by step, and answer any questions that they have. I hope this article is helpful to them as well as to more experienced funeral directors. Trends in Cremation According to NFDA the 2008 cremation rate was 28.04% in Missouri. By 2010 it had reached just over 32%. Nationally cremation is expected to be chosen in over 46% of all deaths by next year. It is on target to be nearly 59% by the year 2025. There is no realistic way to stop this trend, so be prepared to help those families that choose the cremation option. It has been my experience that families see no middle ground when deciding between cremation and traditional burial. They only see two choices--a simple, inexpensive direct cremation or a really expensive traditional burial. Creating cremation packages that offer memorial ceremonies and remembrance merchandise is a wise choice for funeral homes. Let the family know that embalming, visitation and a funeral service before cremation is an option they can choose. Show them all of their choices and help them decide what is best for them. From years of experience we funeral directors have learned that few families want the absolute cheapest option and even fewer can afford the very best you have to offer. Make that middle ground a choice for them to consider. This is what I tell the families that I serve, “There is no right way. I am here to help you do what is best for your family in this situation.” There are many reasons that a family will choose cremation. For some it is lack of funds; for others it may be an aversion to being put in “the cold dark dirt.” Others are concerned about the environment and don’t want to be taking up space in the ground. Have an honest, open discussion with the family about the many options available. Walk into that arrangement conference with the intent to guide the family to the package that best honors their desires. Following are issues and questions that have been raised in the five years my facility has been in operation: Delivery Do not send a driver to deliver remains to the crematory unless the bag/tray is clearly marked with the name of the deceased. Make sure your driver knows who he is delivering. This is for your safety as well as that of the crematory. Cremating the wrong person always leads to a law suit. Paperwork needed for a legal cremation in Missouri Medical authorization – A signed Death Certificate or Coroner/Medical Examiner’s written authorization is required. If getting a coroner/ME authorization it MUST be from the county where the death occurred. One from the county where your funeral home is located or where the crematory is located has no legal power. The signed Death Certificate provided to the crematory should be a copy of a certified death certificate. Also acceptable is a Cremation Letter from the state MOEVR system showing that the certificate has been filed electronically. Do not expect the crematory to chase down the doctor or the family for signatures. Unless the crematory agrees to do so, it is the responsibility of the funeral home to secure necessary paperwork. Family authorization – Authorization from the closest next of kin is required prior to cremation. Following is a simplified Order of Authority for giving consent to cremate. You should have written permission from the person who ranks highest on this list. Please consult the Missouri Revised Statues, Sec. 194.119, August 28, 2013 concerning Right of Sepulcher to fully understand this often problematic issue. 1. An attorney in fact designated in a durable power of attorney where the
deceased is specifically granted the right of sepulcher over his or her body, 2. A surviving spouse, 3. S urviving child of the deceased (adult), 4. A surviving parent, 5. A surviving sibling, 6. The next nearest surviving relative by consanguinity or affinit,y 7. Any person or friend who assumes financial responsibility for the disposition of the deceased’s remains, IF no next of kin assumes responsibility, 8. The county coroner or medical examiner, provided that such assumption of responsibility shall not make the coroner, medical examiner, the county or the state financially responsible for the cost. Offenders from correctional facilities – It is very unlikely that the warden of a correctional facility can give you authorization to cremate an offender. This authorization must come from the offender’s family or legal guardian. You must also have medical authorization as with any other death. As state corrections doctors cover a large area they are often quite slow to sign. Most county coroners know this and will give you an authorization letter to move forward with cremation. Use great care in making sure you have the proper authorizations before the cremation takes place. Pacemakers Let the crematory know if the deceased person has a pacemaker. It is best for the funeral home to remove pacemakers and other medical devices prior to delivering the remains to the crematory. Yes, pacemakers can explode! Also ports and other nonmagnetic items should be removed if possible. If not found prior to processing (grinding) the remains these items can cause a jam or damage the machine. Metals On your Authorization to Cremate form you should disclose what will happen to any metal found after the cremation is completed. My form states that any metal found will be sent away for recycling instead of going to a landfill. I will gladly fax a copy of my form to you so you can see how I have stated the intent to recycle all metals. Proper trays No refrigerator boxes please. Many
times I have had remains delivered in must also be factored into the total time an appliance box that was duct- taped necessary. Let the crematory know if you need together. Yes, they are rigid, but also often to meet a deadline to have remains at wider and longer than the machine. Lots of the service. Remember, there may be cutting is necessary to make the box go into several cases ahead of yours. Letting the the machine. I keep standard cardboard/ crematory know what you have planned wood trays in stock as a convenience to will help them make it happen. I do all I can funeral directors. I also stock oversized to make sure a funeral home has remains wooden trays for obese cases. I sell these when they need them. trays to funeral directors at near cost. Cremation in casket Body bags Many cremation caskets are made It is a good idea to place the deceased from engineered wood (MDF, OSB or other person in a body bag for the trip to the composite materials). They may be quite crematory. This is especially wise if the heavy and take a considerable amount of person has been dead for an extended time to burn. They can also burn very hot period, died a violent death or had severe because of the chemicals and glues that injuries. Many times a delivery has arrived hold the materials together. They will likely at my back door and the driver is quite surprised to have a huge mess in the be handled as an obese case even though back of his vehicle. It’s much easier and the remains may be small or average. Be cheaper to put them in a bag rather than prepared to pay an oversize fee to have some caskets cremated. have extensive cleaning to do. Yes, there are cremation caskets Obese cases available that are cardboard and cremate Not all cremation machines will handle quite easily. I rarely see these as they often an obese case safely. It is dangerous look cheap and funeral directors shy away to cremate an obese person in some of from them for that reason. the older style machines. My machine I hope what I have covered here is is designed to handle very large cases. I beneficial to every funeral director that have, without any problem, performed will encounter a family wishing to cremate cremations of persons up to nearly 800 a loved one. Feel free to contact me with pounds, and my machine can handle even questions or with any need you may have larger cases. With an obese case you in the Columbia area. can expect it to take up to 1.5 hours total I can be reached at 573-874-3536 or time for each 100 pounds of weight of the columbiacremationcare@yahoo.com deceased. When scheduling the funeral allow extra time for obese persons. It is best and safest to do these cremations as the first case of the day. Call the crematory as soon as possible to let them know what you have planned. They will need to schedule a time for your obese case. Timing Not all cremations take 3 hours. Depending on the size of the remains it can take much longer. Asking the crematory operator to turn up the temperature to rush your cremation can’t happen. Cremation machines are run by a time setting, not a temperature setting. Generally the timer is set to cremate 100 pounds per hour. Many factors can affect this timing. Achieving operating Cremation unit used at Columbia Cremation temperature and cooling down Care Center The Missouri Funeral Director
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NFDA’s Certified Crematory Operator Program
Mike Nicodemus is the Vice President of Cremation Services at the National Funeral Directors Association.
As the Vice President of Cremation Services for the National Funeral Directors Association I was given the task to look at the cremation services NFDA currently offered and to expand them to give members as much information as possible on cremation. I thought that was a great idea since the National cremation rate is at 45%. The very first idea that came to mind was to develop a program for funeral directors, operators, and support staff that was created from the funeral director’s point of view whether you are currently operating your own crematory, thinking about opening one, or just wanting to evaluate your third- party provider, then this Certified Crematory Operator (CCO) program is for you. Don’t let the name fool you, this program is for everyone that serves families who have chosen cremation. The CCO program covers ethics, crematory operations, safety and compliance, liability issues, customer service and much, much more. Upon completion of this program you will have the tools to understand how a cremator works, be better prepared to answer families’ questions about cremation and be able to be better prepared to proactively address potential liability issues before they become a problem. As an expert witness in numerous cremation lawsuits, I can tell you litigation is very expensive, not to mention the damage to your good name and reputation. David Boor, a funeral director in a rural Virginia community for over thirty years recently attended this program and said “ After attending this program I am better prepared than ever to present cremation to families. I have more confidence in answering their questions pertaining to the cremation process.” The NFDA CCO Program meets or exceeds the criteria in most states requiring certification and has been approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP) and most states licensing boards. I truly hope you can join us for this valuable program. This is one program you can’t afford to miss.
Certified Crematory Operator Program: October 29, 2014 NFDA’s Certified Crematory Operator (CCO) Program is the only one created to protect funeral directors and the families they serve. It was developed by funeral directors, for funeral directors. A must-have certification for everyone offering cremation to the families they serve! Whether you are currently operating a crematory, thinking of opening one, or want to evaluate a third-party crematory, this training is necessary for your success. Learn the best practices for safe, proper, and ethical crematory operations and for excellence in service to cremation families. The CCO Seminar covers: • • • • • 8
Authorization requirements Crematory operations Cremation process Safety Environmental issues
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The Missouri Funeral Director
• Legal and regulatory requirements • Approved for up to 7 CE hours by APFSP and many state funeral licensing boards.
Seminar Presenters: Mike Nicodemus, NFDA Vice President, Cremation Services Mike Watkins, NFDA Senior Vice President of Operations
Location: Kansas City, Missouri Registration Fees: $395.00 for MFDEA or NFDA $295.00 for students Register online: www.nfda.org
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New Zealand: What a Trip! by Todd and Georgia Van Beck
...while their cremation rate is high, that in no way deters the culture from viewing their dead... There is no question about it. New Zealand has to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. The panoramas and natural wonders of the country, both the North and South Islands, are breathtaking, spectacular, and a dream come true for tourists, for visitors, and also for the residents who, as far as I could tell, never tire of seeing their countless scenes of God’s great creation on a day-to-day basis. For me, as a person who dearly loves funeral service, the beauty of the country was not just what I have geographically described; the beauty of the country was also the countless outstanding funeral professionals that I encountered during my recent lecture series tour across the entire country. Over twenty years ago I started presenting seminars at the Dodge Sunshine Seminars, and when the cycle of these well-known seminars took us to Hawaii, it was certain that a contingency of funeral professionals from New Zealand would most always be in attendance. Because of this I have known many of these fine Kiwis for decades, 10
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and usually at every Dodge Seminar one of them would make an invitation which went something like, “Todd, we need to get you to New Zealand,” or, “Todd, you need to come down under.” It took me twenty-three years to make the trip, and it would never have happened save for the diligence and organization skills of Mr. Neil Hickey, who is with Regal Manufacturing in Wellington, New Zealand. Regal Manufacturing is the Dodge licensee in New Zealand, and so Neil's and my paths have crossed many times.
This time I acted on the invitation, and in mid-October my wife Georgia and I made the long, but easy trip to New Zealand. All totaled, the trip - by planes, trains, and automobiles - took us 31 hours. It was well worth the time and effort, and New Zealand Air, well, let us just say there are many airlines that should use the people employed at New Zealand Air in their training programs as examples of just how airline personnel ought to behave. We landed in Auckland, but took a quick shuttle to Wellington in the south part of the North Island to begin our work. The schedule was full. Seminars, which were scheduled to last six hours each, were planned for Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, and Auckland. The subjects were devoted to service enhancements, identifying the little courtesies of service, motivation and inspiration concerning our careers in funeral service, and there was also one seminar on the psychology of establishing the reality of death in the minds of the bereaved.
In addition to these seminars, I gave the commencement addresses at two graduation ceremonies, one for “baby” funeral directors and the other for “baby” embalmers. I could easily bore the reader with this or that piece of touristy information, but suffice to say this: if you ever get the opportunity to visit New Zealand don’t miss it, and plan to stay for a month or longer. We were there three weeks, and, frankly, it was not long enough to see the richness and diversity of the culture, but it was a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I need to publicly thank the New Zealand funeral directors and embalmers for their manifest hospitality and cordiality. Georgia and I were truly strangers in a strange land, but you would not have known it by the manner in which these two “Yanks” were embraced. In my travels, in my work, and in my writing and speaking, I have observed and participated in some of the finest funeral establishments that one could imagine. However, I can say without hesitation that I have not seen a greater concentration of outstanding funeral companies than what I witnessed firsthand in New Zealand. I know this might sound to many readers like an exaggeration, for Lord knows the U. S. and Canada also have many wonderful funeral firms, but what I need to clarify is given the population of New Zealand, which is around three million, and given that there are only about 215 funeral homes in the entire country, the concentration of quality funeral homes on the level that I encountered is truly impressive. They don’t have nearly the number of funeral homes that we have in North America, but the quality of their firms, given the small number of them, was just astounding. First and foremost, I was impressed by the basic kindness and ability to communicate that was present with most every member of the funeral profession. To be sure, I was introduced to a few “grumpy” people, but then they exist everywhere and some of the Kiwis are no doubt saying the same thing about me. However, in a group setting they all shared ideas, nothing smacked of exclusive territory, and they seemed to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Add to this is their approach to
cremation, education, and the church. It was evident that there is almost 100% embalming done in New Zealand (no permission required), and, while their cremation rate is high, that in no way deters the culture from viewing their dead, using a burial receptacle (almost coffins exclusively, however, no grave vaults), and, as one funeral director put it, “Our hearses either turn into the gates of the cemetery or the crematory, it makes no difference.” There is no license required in New Zealand, however, they have their own mortuary science program at Wellington Technical College, and I spoke to the class and left mighty impressed by the basic maturity and decorum of the students. I felt that, if these students were indicative of the future, then funeral service in New Zealand will be in competent hands. Lastly, was the glaring absence of the church and clergy in many funerals in New Zealand. The Kiwis pioneered and probably invented the idea of the “celebrant program” which has been so successful in the States. As one funeral director put it bluntly, “The
bloody clergy just don’t get it.” I will let the readers react for themselves to this statement. Before I spoke at the first seminar, there was a preceding seminar that was presented by the New Zealand Commerce Commissioner. The United States and New Zealand do have one thing in common – governmental bureaucrats are absolutely and horribly boring. However, in this seminar a woman from the Commerce Commission stood up and started out by saying that in preparation for this meeting she thought she would go back and check the Commerce Commissions records concerning public/consumer complaints which had been brought against the funeral profession. She told the group she went back ten years to the beginning of the Commission (obviously this agency is where consumer complaints are lodged with the government). I thought to myself, having been to scores of these types of meetings that, “Well, here it comes, the government lynching of funeral service
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once again.” However, the woman stood up and reported that they did not have one, yes folks, I said, ONE complaint lodged against any funeral home in the entire country of New Zealand since the beginning of the Commission. Then she declared, “Truthfully ladies and gentlemen, funeral service DOES NOT need to be regulated in this country, you are doing an outstanding job taking care of it yourself.” I damned near fell out of my chair, and had nightmares about the Federal Trade Commission hearing 35 years ago later that night when I went to bed. We toured many funeral homes, and what I was struck by was a combination of simplicity, with elegance, and a feeling of comfort without being over-the-top or outlandish. Most of the Kiwi funeral homes were not palaces, but instead were highly functional community life centers, such as Flanner & Buchanan has in Indianapolis. Add to the dignified simplicity of the typical New Zealand funeral home was the presence of gardens used as the backdrop for the presentation of the coffin and decedent. No stained glass windows, no heavy drapes – but instead clear glass windows behind which were plants, rose
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bushes, small trees, and even waterfalls. It reminded me of the old Crosby-Kunold Mortuary in Omaha which had a botanical solarium as the center focal point of the facility, but that building is sadly long gone, and I have not seen anything resembling it again in my travels until the New Zealand trip. It was clearly creativity in action. But, and this is a big but, the facilities can be stellar, the country beautiful, the education top notch, the celebrant stuff cool, but in the end my life was enhanced and inspired by the winning attitude of the people who make up the funeral service community in New Zealand. To be sure there were a few cranky people. For example, one funeral director told me that the ordained clergy gave funerals that were too short, but the certified celebrants gave funerals that were too long. Such is life. I have concluded that what is the inner core of the winning attitude that I witnessed and experienced firsthand during this trip was the raw presence of excellence in action. Not just lip service, not just a hope, but excellence which is a true, living, honest reality. It is not in vogue today to “judge.” However, people, in truth, judge the stuff of life daily. It helps us make decisions, and it helps us keep out of trouble. I have personally “judged” or made the conclusion, or, more politically correctly, “evaluated” that the funeral community in New Zealand has embraced the idea of creating instead of competing, whether they use those exact words or not. They seem not to hold onto a
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service idea just because it is the way it always was done. They seem not to cling to the past, but with enthusiasm and creativity embrace the future, change with the times, and offer the public continuously enhanced services – and yet interestingly they still have an almost 100% embalming rate, with 100% viewing. Balance between the past and future is present in so many funeral operations in New Zealand. I know that I personally was affirmed by what I witnessed, confirmed in the power of a good attitude, and left New Zealand with a renewed love of our great profession. James B. Conant, former President of Harvard University, once made this statement. “Each and every honest calling, each walk of life, each human endeavor, has individuals who are service aristocrats, and this aristocracy is based upon giving excellence of performance each and every time.” Those words I believe capture the learning experience I had in the wonderful nation of New Zealand. What a trip!
Copyright: The Dodge Company Reprinted with permission from the Dodge Magazine
Everything You Need to Know About Recycling Your Post-Cremation Metals (But Were Afraid To Ask) by Sheldon Goldner If you're running a crematory, by now you're well aware of the growing number of businesses offering to recycle the metal you recover from your cremations. The post-cremation metals recycling industry is growing quickly and for good reason. The first reason is that much of the postcremation metals from dental work and bone implants are valuable and these companies know it. The second reason is that the Federal law requires "heavy metals" such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium and iridium to be properly disposed of or recycled, not just buried. The fact is, not all recycling companies care about environmental compliance or your liability in the matter, but you should. According to Federal code, the ultimate environmental liability for non-compliance lies with you. So now, given all the recycling companies ready to take your metal and return the proceeds back to you (at varying amounts depending on who you choose), the question you should have is how do you select the right company that will pay you a fair return but will also keep you in environmental compliance. Recycling companies serving cremationists come in two flavors. A direct refiner (the one who actually owns the refinery) is always the best choice. Just as all that glitters isn’t gold, not everyone offering to buy your post-cremation metal is a direct refiner. Most recyclers, scrap dealers and waste haulers are essentially middle-men who don’t have the equipment or expertise to properly recover and refine precious metals themselves. They have to hire a refiner, which adds costs that eat into the money they can return to you. Some will tell you they are a “refiner” when in truth they are not. What is a crematory to do? When you do business with a direct refiner, you not only avoid the middle-man and have more of the proceeds returned to you, but it also puts you in the very best position should the EPA come a-knocking to see how you've recycled the metals. Seven Questions You Should Ask When choosing a recycler, you should consider asking these seven important
questions. Don't be timid about asking since a reputable refiner will be all too happy to answer. • Does the “recycler” operate a true refinery or is he just acting as a middleman with a furnace that can melt metal? You can test them by insisting on a tour of their facility. If they say no or make excuses because of insurance, they are hiding something and must be a middleman. • How long has the refinery been in business and how long have they been working with post-cremation metals? (It matters!) Unfortunately, many socalled "refiners" are here today and gone tomorrow. Let the company prove their authenticity and longevity with Articles of Incorporation or other documentation. And don't forget to Google them (and their owners) as well to see what you can find. • Does the refinery employ the latest technologies to recover all of the precious metal present? Do they own either an ICP Thermal Analysis unit or an Atomic Absorption unit for analysis? If they only have an x-ray fluoroscopy unit to identify whether or not precious metals are present, you’re speaking with a middleman and not a direct refiner. • Does the refinery pay for all four major precious metals: gold, silver, platinum and palladium? If they say that they do, ask how they separate the platinum group metals from the gold (which are present together in the alloys used in dental implants). If they cannot quickly provide an answer, you're most likely speaking with a salesman, not a refinery professional. • What percentage are they charging for their fees? Only a large direct refiner with additional non-funeral industry business can afford to pay as high 98% on gold and 95% on all other metals, accepting the smallest of margins. • How quickly will they pay you? A true refiner can, if you wish, pay within 24 hours of receipt for the gold in your dental scrap and the balance of the other precious metals within 5 to 10 working days from receipt.
• Are they EPA-compliant? Can they produce an official numbered Federal EPA manifest that will protect you if you're ever contacted by the agency? If they can’t provide such a manifest or merely tell you that they have a letter that says they are environmentally compliant, that's a big red flag. How is the Assay Determined? Typical post-cremation metals include dental crowns, surgical implants and casket parts. These are generally alloys and it takes skill to refine and separate out the precious and non-precious metals. Some refiners are better at it than others and can recover more saleable precious metals from a load of metal scrap. An accurate assay method is essential to getting a fair return, and so is a proper assay report. It takes scientific knowledge and sophisticated equipment to produce the most accurate assays. The best refiners use a fire assay, which is a complex and time-intensive process that is accurate on gold to 1 part per 1,000. In addition to the traditional fire assay, the really good refiners have either an atomic absorption unit that will yield an analysis down to a molecular content or an ICP unit that will do the same. A professional direct refiner will provide an assay report that states in simple-tounderstand terms the types, amounts and purity of the metal recovered. This is important because purity and amount affects the value and therefore reflects the money you will get back from the refiner. The assay report should make it easy for you to verify the amount of money you will receive and how that refund was calculated. Staying on the Right Side of EPA When you recycle with a direct refiner, you protect the environment and yourself at the same time. The Environmental Protection Agency views post-cremation metal as "hazardous waste" per Title 40 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Under the EPA’s “cradle-tograve” concept, the crematory owner is liable for the safe, legal and environmentallyresponsible disposal of such waste. It is an individual and a corporate liability that can even pass to the operator/owner if he sells The Missouri Funeral Director
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the crematory or to his heirs should such liability be discovered after his death. All materials that contain precious metals must be sent to an EPA-licensed facility for recycling and refining. The facility must maintain a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest certifying that all EPA laws concerning collection, shipment and refining of such materials were followed properly. A proper EPA manifest will resolve the crematory’s cradle-to-grave liability question of chain of custody. Merely presenting a letter stating that a facility is recycling in an EPA-compliant manner is not sufficient proof. It's up to the crematory to ask a refiner if they are registered with the EPA and can produce an EPA-compliant manifest for all their collections and/or for their EPA ID number. Getting your Fair Share One of the biggest differences among refiners is how much they pay the customer and on what percentage of recovered metal they base their payment on. Be wary of vendors whose primary pitch is simply “We pay more.” That’s a blanket statement that doesn’t tell you anything. For instance, two lots of dental scrap weighing the same will yield different values of precious metals: If a crown is for a back molar, then there would be more gold present, as this crown is going to be doing a lot of grinding; if the crown is positioned towards the front of the mouth, it will contain less gold and more palladium. So the gross weight of the outgoing metals is only a small part of the equation. That's why when you hear, “We can pay you more than what you’re currently receiving,” you are only getting partial - even inaccurate - information. Some vendors pay on 100% of the metal recovered, but charge additional fees for assays, refining, and other treatments or services that reduce your proceeds. Other vendors pay on as little as 80% of what they recover, keeping the difference for themselves. One vendor we know says they pay 100% of "the money due you," which is really misleading, as it means all the money due you after they take their 15% cut. Furthermore, pay close attention to the quoted payout rates. Many customers are savvy about gold prices, so some refiners will offer a higher payout percentage on gold but lower percentages on platinum, palladium and silver. The majority of dental scrap contains palladium as it is a very functional and strong precious metal 14
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with varied uses in the dental industry. A reputable refiner will tell you their rates in advance of your order. That way you won’t have any unwelcome surprises when you receive your payment. You shouldn’t have to pay extra for shipping, either. Competitive direct refiners will offer free containers, free secure shipping via Fed-Ex or other common carrier. A good refiner will also offer one-toone customer service with a knowledgeable representative who will be your link to the refinery and will ask and answer any questions that may arise as your material flows through the process of refining. If you have the opportunity, visit the refinery to see and follow the melt and refining of your material. It's a fascinating thing to see! Giving Back What You Get Back For many cremationists who don't like the idea of directly benefiting from the precious metals and titanium implants that they are compensated for, there is another option for them. One could either support their community or charity of choice. But don't leave it to the recycler to do that for you, since you really don't know how much they're taking for their cut. The more you get back, the more good you can do. And you also receive the charitable deduction on your taxes. I know of a number of cremationists who have found creative ways to do wonderful things with the revenue generated from recycling. One firm purchased jerseys for the local high school football team. Another made a four-figure donation to a local children's hospital. Several non-profit organizations have used the money to add new shrubs and flowers for all client families to enjoy when they visit a loved one in that cemetery. Whether you choose to donate the proceeds to charity or put it to use for growing your business, with precious metals being as valuable as they are, why not get the very highest return you can on your post-cremation metal? Taking the time to find a reputable direct refiner will pay very good dividends.
Sheldon Goldner is CEO of Progressive Environmental Services, a division of Precious Metal Refining Services, Inc., an EPA-licensed Inc. 500 company.
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Executive Director’s Report have to have their emergency flashers on. Some funeral directors have expressed concerns about the “rotating” purple or amber light requirement. This is not a new provision in the law. It was placed there in the 1990’s and has been there ever since. The problem is that many lead cars do not have a rotating light anymore but, rather, an LED light bar with purple lights. This, however, is not a problem so long as the lead vehicle has “headlamps” that flash alternatively and can be seen at least 500 feet away under normal conditions. So, if you have both the LED bar and the flashing headlamps you are in compliance. Note that there is nothing in the law that says that the headlamps have to be the factory installed headlights. They could be “fog” style type lights or other add-on lights so long as they are bright enough and flash back-and-forth. Insurance Continuing Education The law on this issue was updated by the legislature to reflect inflation. The insurance department and the legislative insurance committees have always recognized that the continuing education that is required of “normal” nsurance agents is not designed or useful to those that only sell simple life insurance policies
used to fund funerals as it covers things like that there was no need for the insurance securities, complicated annuities, universal continuing education when all that is being and whole life investments and so on. As a sold are small policies designed to pay result, back in the 80s, a law was put into funeral expenses. effect that exempted funeral directors that had an insurance license from having to obtain the otherwise required insurance continuing education. The old limit was $5,000 and this has been raised to Coach, Inc. $15,000. Therefore, "Family Owned & Operated Since 1956" a funeral director that has a license -A Eureka Coach Distributorto sell life insurance LOOK at these great Coaches and Limos! Large Inventory! policies or annuities is exempt from 2011 Lincoln S & S Funeral Coach......................... 15,000 miles 2011 Lincoln 6-Door Limousine............................... 5,000 miles the requirement 2010 Cadillac Superior Statemen Funeral Coach... 36,000 miles for insurance 2007 Cadillac Eureka Broughman Funeral Coach... 50,000 miles license continuing 2002 Cadillac Eureka Broughman Funeral Coach... 76,000 miles education so long 2001 Cadillac Federal 65” Stretch 6-Door............. 86,000 miles as they only sell 1999 Cadillac M&M Funeral Coach....................... 54,000 miles policies that are 1999 Cadillac Cadillac Eagle Funeral Coach........ 100,500 miles $15,000 or under to 1999 Cadillac Superior Statesman Funeral Coach.. 64,000 miles be used to pay for 1998 Cadillac Eureka Funeral Coach...................... 29,000 miles 1997 Lincoln Superior Diplomat Funeral Coach...... 69,000 miles funeral expenses. 1997 Cadillac Federal Funeral Coach..................... 40,000 miles While MFDEA supports having See photos of these and many more at our website. Visit us online. educated funeral Many other makes and models available. directors, this issue New and Preowned stock available. was a no-brainer PO Box 15101 • Lenexa, KS 66285 • 800-548-4040 as even the people -John Mullenwww.mullencoach.com -Scott Heptigin charge said
Mullen
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Strategies for a Declining industry Running a funeral home is not that different from running some other businesses, which means funeral home owners can learn a number of lessons by studying other industries. Glenn H. Gould is CEO of MKJ Marketing, Largo, Florida which helps funeral homes and industry vendors establish marketing and advertising plans and conduct market research. For more information visit www. mkjmarketing.com. This article originally appeared in the AugustSeptember issue of ICCFA magazine and was reprinted with permission.
Many in the death care industry are quick to comment on how unique the funeral business is, and to itemize all the ways it’s different from every other business. In actuality, we’re not as different as one might think. There are nearly 13,000 home healthcare businesses nationally, primarily independents with a few national players. The businesses are typically started by licensed nurses rather than business people or investors. The average size business is around $1 million. Most of their clients are terminal, so their engagements are relatively brief, and the individual making the selection and arrangements is not likely to be the same as the individual receiving the service. The big differences between home health care businesses and funeral homes are that home healthcare does not have a large investment in facilities and home healthcare is a growth industry. Family-owned men’s clothiers were stable businesses for generations. Children often followed their fathers into the business, so name awareness was very strong, based upon longevity. In the 1960’s and ‘70’s, many family-owned stores opened branches, employing managers who doubled as salespeople – just as funeral home managers also function as funeral directors. Perhaps the greatest similarity between men’s clothiers and funeral homes is that
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both industries are in decline – relative to men’s stores, deep decline. Before the decline, most department stores operated men’s departments to give husbands something to do while their wives spent the real money in the lady’s department. But with the decline of the family-owned men’s shop, department stores are finding the men’s business profitable. Notice how many more discount sales there are for lady’s shoes and clothing as opposed to items in the men’s department. Men’s styles do not change quickly, so the inventory can be sold at full price. The other evolution in men’s clothes has been the growth of the two national giants, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank. Both companies invest heavily in advertising to create strong name awareness. But the companies have very different marketing strategies. Men’s Wearhouse promotes a myriad of designers and brand names, whereas all products sold at Jos. A. Bank carry their own brand name, with internal branding to differentiate quality or style. Service Corporation International funeral homes all share the Dignity brand, whereas Stewart Enterprises operations continued to operate under the name of the funeral home when it was acquired, albeit sharing a common Stewart logo. And
much as has happened with the deathcare industry giants, where SCI is acquiring Stewart, the battle between the two menswear businesses culminated in the Men’s Wearhouse acquiring Jos. A. Bank. The salient issue here is that in these two declining industries, large national companies have experienced good – even excellent – success while many family owned businesses have wilted. Why? Why the nationals prosper while some family-owned firms wilt Certainly the large companies benefit from scale; SCI pays less for caskets just as the national clothiers pay less for product than would a family-owned store. But there is another, more important reason. A very common strategy for businesses in declining industries is to reduce investment in research and development, in upgrading facilities and other investments such as advertising. The practice is referred to as “harvesting,” meaning the business simply reaps benefits from previous efforts without investing in the future. As men’s stores found it increasingly difficult to survive due to declining demand for better men’s fashions and higher mall rental costs, they stopped investing in their businesses, just as many funeral businesses have. (This is particularly true in the west coast states where minimum cremation has become the norm for Anglo customers.)
Changes in culture, whether it’s business people dressing more casually or families not understanding the benefits of ceremony, offer small business owners a perfect excuse to stop trying. In contrast, large corporations have stockholders that demand results, so corporate officers have an inherent and ongoing need to create profits and grow their respective business. Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank make huge investments in advertising, just as Neptune (a division of SCI) makes a huge investment in direct mail advertising – as do the premier corporate funeral home operations, while the garden variety family funeral business advertises less and less. Another similarity in the behavior of the giants in both men’s clothing and death care is the investment in staff training. The Men’s Wearhouse competitive advantage is its investment in training and building a culture of mutual support. Successful managers and salespeople have lost their jobs by not contributing to the development of coworkers. As Men’s Wearhouse, employees either adopt the team concept or perish. Corporate funeral service employs packages, uses arrangement room graphics to educate consumers about available special services and stresses arranger training to elevate their funeral directors’ productivity.
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But overall, staff development in death care remains nearly nonexistent, particularly in the garden variety, family firm. Many owners simply assume that any individual with a license has the experience and the skills necessary to be a successful arranger. Amazingly, in firms where owners meet regularly with families, they are reluctant to invest in training even for themselves. Whether this stems from arrogance or ignorance, it’s a costly error. Ironically, in most family firms, training and quality control focus more on the technical aspects of the job rather than effective communication skills, which affect family satisfaction and the firm’s bottom line. There are of course exceptions to the rule: Schoedinger, Flanner and Buchanan, Forest Lawn, Krause, Anderson-McQueen, Cremation Society of Minnesota and other minimum cremation businesses, as well as other well-managed independent businesses compete for the consumer’s attention as well as market share, train arrangers and invest in merchandising. The point is that success in a declining industry, it simply demands doing things that others are not willing or capable of doing. Harvesting, a strategy many funeral businesses inadvertently practice, is a self-fulfilling prophesy: “My business is in decline due to the decline in the industry,
so I will pull back on investing in my so different from other businesses. It’s a business to maximize profits now, even large industry with an intangible product, knowing that business will suffer more in but firms that deliver what consumers value generate superior financial results. the long term.” It’s an industry in decline, so many The current generation of funeral home owners isn’t the first to “harvest,” operators chose not to compete, making it but unlike the case in earlier generations easier for leaders to increase their market of owners, such as in the 1980’s and share than it was in the days when every 1990’s, the opportunity to sell to a large funeral business was prospering. The great challenge now, as has been corporation is no longer a given. This is why so many funeral businesses are closing for several decades, is that too many and liquidating their facilities for property owner-operators believe funeral service is about preserving the past as opposed value. In contrast to the days when large to responding to the consumer, must like corporations were the leaders in acquisition, the men’s haberdahsers who felt the only today there are more acquisitions by profitable business model was to sell a independent operators. These acquirers Hickey-Freeman suit with a $150 Countess are looking for opportunities to improve Mara necktie. revenues by implementing more productive m a n a ge m e nt practices, the Greg Arnold Jim Wright same practices garnold@dodgeco.com jwright@dodgeco.com the current (800) 554-1078 (660) 258-2428 owners could implement if they were knowledgeable www.dodgeco.com and willing https://shop.dodgeco.com tel 1-800-443-6343 to work in fax 1-800-443-4034 and on their businesses. I n summar y, the funeral business is not
(913) 262-2633 (800) 362-5969 (816) 483-2300 (314) 616-4436 Fax: (913) 262-4264 Serving Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis and all points in between 18
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N E W S Above, District 2 had a meeting in August. Brad Davis of Davis Funeral Home in Canton is the District Director. Left to right (facing the camera), Brent Massie - Secretary/Treasurer, Brandon Monroe, Ronnie Tinkle, Jim O’Donnell - President, Kyle Eagan and Brian Hayes Rich Ross, right, owner of Mid-MO Mortuary is pleased to announce that they are still in business serving the Mid-Missouri area. Richard wants to thank all his cutomers for their support. Bucket, the Mortuary Dog, is especially pleased to be back traveling with Richard on his calls. Steven W. Bittiker, left, was recently appointed Director of District 4 by MFDEA President John Veach. Steve is the owner of Bittiker Funeral Homes located in Carrollton, Missouri. He can be reached at 660.542.2011.
Speaks Family Legacy Chapels of Independence, MO held their first Paws Against Cancer fundraiser on September 6, 2014 for Relay for Life. The dogs walked their human companions for 1/2 mile and then entertained everyone with their knowledge of various tricks. Due to the success of the first Paws Against Cancer, Speaks Family Legacy Chapels will be holding another event in October. For detailed information keep an eye out on their facebook page at Facebook/speaksfuneralhome.com The Missouri Funeral Director
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Ruth Schrader Arft, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 in her 93rd year. Wife of the late Henry I. “Hank” Arft, dear Mother of Peggy (Dennis) Arft-Goethe, beloved grandmother of Nathan Arft, dear sister of Skip (Daisy) Schrader, Dearest aunt, great aunt, great great aunt, cousin and friend. Ruth was a co-owner of Schrader Funeral Home & Crematory in Ballwin and Eureka, a resident of Ballwin for most of her life, a life-long member of St. John United Church of Christ in Manchester formerly serving as President of the Church Council as well as organist, a licensed funeral director and a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and Missouri Funeral Directors & Embalmers Association and many other organizations in her lifetime. Services: Funeral service was at St. John United Church of Christ, Manchester, Monday, 2 p.m. Interment St. John United Church of Christ Cemetery, Manchester. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to St. John U.C.C., 332 Old Sulphur Springs Rd., Manchester, MO 63021 or Stray Rescue, 2320 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103. Visitation Sunday 5-8 p.m. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader. com. Kevin L. Rion, (Brother-in-law of Todd (brother to Rita (Rion) Mahn) passed away on June 27, 2014 in St. Louis County. Mr. Rion was a superintendent for Hilbodt Curtainwall Inc., in St. Louis. He loved the outdoors. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. Funeral service was held July 2, at Mahn Twin City Chapel, Festus and burial was private. Adam Weast McElwain, 35, of Columbia, Missouri formerly of Macon passed July 7, 2014, unexpectedly at his home in Columbia. Adam was born on December 27, 1978, in Columbia, Missouri the son of Gary and Kathy McElwain. He graduated from Macon High School in 1997 and Moberly Area Community College in 2002. Adam worked for MFA Oil at the home office in Columbia for 10 years. He loved to travel with his family and was a golf enthusiast. He loved music and attending many
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Mizzou football and basketball games. Surviving are his parents, his maternal grandparents Gene and Ginny McCarty of Phoenix, Arizona, his aunts and uncles, Warren and Judy McElwain of Maysville, Missouri, Teri and Gene Hahs of Kansas City, Missouri, and Rosie McCarty of Phoenix, Arizona, his special sister, Carol Arduser of Raytown, Missouri, and six first cousins. Adam was preceded in death by his sister, Debbie McElwain on July 4, 2004, his paternal grandparents, Ralph and Isabel McElwain, and his uncle, Julien McElwain. Funeral services were held Friday, July 11, 2014 at 11:00 AM at the First Christian Church of Macon, Missouri. Burial was at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens. Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church or Randy Johnson Memorial Fund which may be left at the funeral home. Robert "Bob" Allan Mahn, (Cousin to Todd and Rita Mahn), passed away On July 10, 2014 in Imperial. Robert was self-employed barber at several locations including Imperial/ Mahn Barber Shops. He was active for many years in bands: "Cruzen" and "Friendship". Visitation was held Monday, July 14, 2014 at the Mahn Twin City Chapel in Festus, MO from 3:30pm to 8:00pm and Mass at 11:00am at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, DeSoto with interment in Calvary Cemetery. Wm. H. "Bill" Gum, 85 of Irondale, Missouri died on Sunday, July 13, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. Born Wednesday, September 19, 1928 in Coulstone, Missouri, he was the son of the late, William Mac Gum and the late, Faye (Halbert) Gum. He was the husband of Barbara (Bannister) Gum. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force from 1951 until 1955. He was a Veteran of Korean War. Bill was the own of Gum and Sons Funeral Home from 1961 to 1994. He sold the funeral home to John Moore where he continued to work as a funeral director. Surviving are son, Wm. Mal (Charli) Gum, daughters, Sheila Faye Gaghen and Tammy Lea (Richard) Watson, sister, Helen Faye Blackwell; 14 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren and many other relatives and friends. He was predeceased by sister, Margaret Nelson.
Visitation was from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Thursday, July 17, 2014 and Friday, July 18, 2014 from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Moore Funeral Home, 105 Clark Street, Potosi, Missouri, and 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM until the time of service on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Potosi United Methodist Church. Entombment was in New Masonic Cemetery, Potosi, Missouri. Gene S. Hutchens, age 92, passed on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Beloved husband of Rose Marie Hutchens (nee Geers); dear father of Nancy DeJarnatt-Boehm, Patrice Sherman, John and Steven Hutchens and Susan Rains; dear grandfather of James DeJarnatt, Gina (Eric) Painter, Natalie (Adam) Lewis, Holly, Mark and Chrissy Hutchens, Lauren (Ricky) Broderick, Jennifer and Jacob Hutchens, Daniel (Lisa) and Thomas (Amy) Shinstock and Michael Rains; dear great grandfather of Anthony, Gabriella, Adrienna, Chase, Kayli, Kami, Mya, Macie, Nathan and Autumn; dear brother of Rosalie Stone and the late Derald and Lawrence Hutchens. Our dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend. As the grandson of a casket maker, Gene had been a part of funeral service since birth. A veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, Gene taught at the St. Louis College of Mortuary Science and the American Academy of Funeral
Service in New York City before establishing his own funeral home. In 1955, Gene and Rose Marie founded the Florissant Mortuary in Old Town Florissant. By 1965, they had opened their current facility, the Hutchens Mortuary, located at 675 Graham Road in Florissant. The Hutchens family will celebrate 60 years in business in 2015. Gene touched so many lives in so many ways. A man of small stature, Gene was a giant. Funeral service was 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 14, 2014 at Hutchens Mortuary & Cremation Center, 675 Graham Rd., Florissant. Visitation 1-9 p.m. Sunday, July 13th. Interment private at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with honors. Memorials to the American Heart Association or to an Animal Rescue Shelter of your choice.
Our Mission The mission of MFDEA is to encourage excellence in funeral service, to provide members with exceptional resources and assistance, to represent and protect the common interest of its members, and to educate the membership and public about our profession.
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Nuggets from the Past President the unit, be alerted to any malfunctions, and you can even start and preheat the unit. Lift tables can be equipped with a weight scale so you know the exact weight of the deceased. With the body weight, gender, casket or container type, and case number of the day, you can program the control system of a cremation unit to save on fuel consumption and virtually eliminate smoke John Pautz’s granddaughter Aven (aka Nugget) problems due to improper cremation settings. Auto-Loaders now Hello MFDEA Members and offer a professional presentation during Friends! committal services, extends the life In this issue of The Missouri Funeral of the cremation floor, and enhances Director we are highlighting Cremation. operator safety. Check out the web and Since the cremation rate is increasing, I watch the YouTube videos. have suggested to the MFDEA board to Here is a little trivia for those of you support the NFDA Certified Crematory embalmers. How many of you have pain Operators Program Seminar. We have in one or both of your thumbs? I have. scheduled one to be held in Kansas You may have Basal Joint or Arthritis of City, Missouri October 29, 2014. “In the Thumb. the Loop” has mentioned this upcoming Symptoms may include: Mild to informative seminar. You will learn severe pain during activities that involve numerous items to assist you during your gripping or pinching. Holding on to your day to day cremation arrangements. Go embalming tools, opening a door, writing to the NFDA website to sign up today! with a pen or pencil, turning a key, One of the many things that I am picking up a quart of milk, or opening a intrigued by are items that make our soda bottle. Sound familiar? work easier. As my current job includes a Description of Basal joint arthritis crematory, I went on the web to see what also called arthritis of the thumb, occurs the latest equipment upgrades are. One when the joint at the base of your thumb of the many cremation vendors we work develops arthritis. This disease which with on a daily basis are now showing attacks or destroys a joint, causes severe units that can do four cremations in a pain and hinders function. There are 24 hour period, for low volume locations many types of arthritis, but osteoarthritis, to one every hour for high volume also known as “wear and tear” arthritis, locations. These units can be monitored affects the joint at the base of the thumb by the manufacturer over the internet more than others. It is degenerative and for any problems the units might have wears down the cartilage surrounding and can be adjusted accordingly. If you the joint. There are certain risk factors, have a smart phone you can monitor however, which appear to increase the 22
Fall 2014
The Missouri Funeral Director
chance of developing this disease: Age and gender, people over 40 years of age, males, 1 in 12, and females, 1 in 4. Overuse, repetitive motions used for work-related or daily activities can increase the risk of developing basal joint arthritis. Treatments for basal joint arthritis range from wearing a support glove “which helps support and reduces the motion of the thumb”, medications, cortisone injections, and activity changes, to joint reconstruction surgery. I weighed the options. I didn’t like the look of wearing a bowling glove on both hands or I didn’t like the thought of injections in the base of my thumbs every couple of months, both of these for the rest of my life. Other choices included ibuprofen on a regular basis. My choice was surgery. X-rays were taken. Not only was I missing cartilage, I also had bone spurs at the base of each of the thumbs. Left hand was worse than the right so it was done first. Outpatient surgery was done at the University of Missouri Orthopedics by a couple of awesome doctors. My gas passer was great! Didn’t feel a thing. My trapezium was removed from the left thumb and the bone spurs were trimmed. One of my tendons was used to fill in the joint for the bone to ride on, and I was put back together. Overall the surgery was great. I had more discomfort from the cast that I had to wear. The cast was allowing the joint to heal with little movement of the thumb and wrist. I don’t have any pain in the joint like I did before surgery. Can’t wait to schedule the other hand! If you have these symptoms, check out the web for Youtube presentation and make the choice! See you in October in Kansas City!
MFDEA E ndorsed C ompanies Credit, Debit & Check Processing
Pre-Need Trust
Midwest Electronic Business Solutions
Missouri Funeral Trust (573) 635-1661 • Fax (573) 635-9494 (provides preneed trust and assistance)
Marty Burns, President Cell (816) 244-4250 • Cell (816) 262-9909 4462 109th Ave, Marathon, Iowa 50565 mburns303@iowatelecom.net • www.mebsllc.com
Property & Casualty Insurance Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Insurance
Funeral Directors
Federated Insurance
Life Insurance Company FDLIC
Dan Garcia, Account Rep
Gary Boulicault (314) 574-7679 gboulicault@funeraldirectorslife.com
(800) 533-0472 • dgarcia@fedins.com
Debt Collection
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Hunter Warfield
FrontRunner
Collections & Asset Investigation Jane Suter, Director National Accounts, Death Care Direct (800) 509-5542 • Fax (813) 283-4464 3111 W MLK Blvd, 2nd Floor, Tampa, FL 33607 jsuter@hunterwarfield.com • www.hunterwarfield.com
FrontRunner360.com/MFDEA (866) 748.3625
R ecommended C ompanies Answering Service
Director’s Choice For more information contact Diane O’Brien at (888) 920-1900
Credit Unions
Estate PlanningDeferred Sales Trust
Funeral Service Credit Union
Banta Benham & Associates
915 Durkin Dr., Ste A PO Box 7126 Springfield, IL 62704 Ph: (866) 701-3728 Fax: (217) 546-5425 www.fscunet.org
Champ Herren PO Box 70, Marshfield, MO 65706 Ph: (800) 280-3400 Fax: (417) 468-7064 champ@centurytel.net www.mydstplan.com/champ
The Missouri Funeral Director
Fall 2014
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MFDEA 1757 Woodclift Drive, Suite 202 Jefferson City, MO 65109 over a century of strength
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