Mfdea spring 2014 magazine

The Missouri Funeral Director Spring 2014 Published Four Times Per Year 1757 Woodcli Drive, Suite 202 Jefferson City, MO 65109 573.635.1661 • Fax: 573.635.9494 w www.mofuneral.org • info@mofuneral.org MFDEA STAFF Don O o, Execu ve Director, info@mofuneral.org Cindy Gorman, Office Manager, cindy@mofuneral.org Kathleen Lavery, Publica ons Manager, publica ons@mofuneral.org Gerding, Korte & Chitwood, Cer fied Public Accountants

MISSOURI FUNERAL DIRECTORS & EMBALMERS ASSOCIATION 2013-2014 O President Secretary/Treasurer John W. Pautz, CPC, Fulton Tom Hebner, Chillicothe (573) 896-5572 (660) 646-6600 President Elect John Veach, Bowling Green (573) 324-2211

Immediate Past President J.L. Robertson, St. Joseph (816) 238-1797

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District 7 Jay Hardy, Maplewood (314) 781-1115

District 2 Brad Davis, Canton (573) 288-4422

District 8 Vernie Fountain, Springfield (417) 833-5130

Book of Memories™ Memorial Tribute Pages

District 3 Chuck Townsend, Independence (816) 252-7900

District 9 Aus n Woodard, Joplin (417) 781-1711

Memorial DVD Program

District 4 Chris Kaiser, Higginsville (660) 584-2626

District 10 Norman Bradshaw, Malden (573) 276-2223

District 5 Kyle Trimble, Jefferson City (573) 893-5251

Eastern Director-at-Large Randall Schulz, Poplar Bluff (573) 785-8484

District 6 John Moore, CPC, Potosi (573) 438-2111

Western Director-at-Large Bill Stuart, Moberly (660) 263-3360

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MISSOURI FUNERAL TRUST, INC. 2014-2015 O President Kayla Carter, Elsberry (573) 898-2181

Secretary/Treasurer Kent Trimble, Jefferson City (573) 893-5251

Vice-President Brian Boyer, Bonne Terre (573) 358-2277

Immediate Past President David Atkinson, Harrisonville (816) 380-3268 D

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Robert Baker, Brookfield (660) 258-5050

Ozella J. Foster, CPC, St. Louis (314) 652-3305

Bill Benne , Steelville (573) 775-2123

David McWilliams, Galla n (660) 663-2117

Jon Cozean, Farmington (573) 756-4541

John Veach, Bowling Green (573) 324-2211

The

Missouri Funeral Director Spring 2014

©

An official publication of the Missouri Funeral Directors & Embalmers Association

Features Member Spotlight: Pickering Funeral Home page 7

Missouri Funeral Directors & Embalmers Association 1757 Woodcliſt Drive, Suite 202 Jefferson Cit , MO 65109 Phone: 573.635.1661 • Fax: 573.635.9494 info@mof neral.org • www.mof neral.org

Articles/Columns

Pickering Funeral Home has been ser ing their communit in Mexico, MO since 1884. Connie and David Pickering are passionate about the f neral profession and ser ing their families.

A Message from the President Page 4 Execu ve Director’s Report Page 5

Vital, Relevant & Profitable

Would You Hire Me? Page 15

page 10

Supplier Focus: Lamcra Page 20

Mike Hays, President of Mid-America College of Funeral Ser ice discusses the f t re of f neral ser ice and f neral ser ice education. Funeral ser ice must remain vital, relevant and profitable other ise the market will lay it to rest.

News Page 25 Dates Page 27

Pet Loss and the Funeral Industry

In Memorium Page 28

page 18 Funeral Directors are called upon to ser e the communit for a variet of losses. A g owing t end in the f neral indust is assisting families with pet loss.

Front cover: Design by Kathleen Lavery DISCLAIMER: Por ons 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 a orney or accountant should be sought in legal and tax ma ers. 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 par cular area in detail.

ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER: Please note that MFDEA reserves the right to refuse any and all adver sing for any reason.

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A message from our President Hello MFDEA Members and Friends, I hope 2014 is off to a great start for you. Snow is disappearing and baseball is in the air.

Your associa on represented by Chris Roth, Don O o and myself a ended the NFDA Advocacy Summit held in Washington D.C. March 4-6. This mee ng enabled your associa on members to meet face to face with members of Congress and discuss issues of cri cal importance to Funeral Service. This year we discussed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Funeral Rule, a federal consumer protec on law. The Funeral Rule has been interpreted as only applying to funeral homes. NFDA members argued that the law should be updated to include all sellers of Funeral Service and Merchandise, including cemeteries, crematories, internet sellers and retail stores.

When the Funeral Rule was first enacted in 1984, the funeral home was the primary source of funeral goods and services for the funeral consumer. Today, funeral consumers have a much greater variety of funeral service and merchandise vendors to choose from. Consumers who purchase funeral goods and services from somewhere other than a funeral home, are not afforded the protec on of the Funeral Rule, pu ng them in a vulnerable posi on by not being offered the General Price List, Casket Price List or the Outer Burial Container Price List.

NFDA and MFDEA feel that Congress should pass legisla on that would require the FTC to update the Funeral Rule to reflect the current for-profit market place op ons for the consumers and afford them the same protec ons they have under the Funeral Rule when dealing with funeral homes.

Contact your member of Congress and tell them you support the update of the FTC Funeral Rule!

In this issue of The Missouri Funeral Director magazine highlights Educa on. Whether you are star ng your career at a mortuary school or a ending con nuing educa on to improve your skills, educa on is the key to helping your families.

If you didn’t have a chance to a end the January ICCFA Wide World of Sales conference in Las Vegas, you missed a great opportunity to walk away with proven solu ons to help your preneed sales. The common thread that each of us brought to this mee ng is our desire to build trust and create value with the families we serve. From the opening session on building sales success to the ending manager chats, the networking was amazing. If you just brought back a couple of ideas and applied them, it would have more than paid for the trip.

With the growing rate of crema on, it’s more important than ever to be prepared to serve families that choose crema on. NFDA’s new Cer fied Crematory Operator Program will help you understand the en re process from the moment you take a decedent into your care, ll you return the cremains to the family. Check it out!

If you are a NFDA member, you need to check out their web page on “Have the Talk of a Life me” a program to get your funeral consumer to memorialize their loved one. This is an educa onal opportunity to help your bo om line. Get the material and pass it out! I repeat, get the material and pass it out!

And finally, Funeral Service Founda on has produced a book and dvd called “When Families Grieve.” A guide for parents and care givers. The kit includes a Sesame Street dvd and a reading book called “Something Small,” which is a story about remembering. This product is extremely useful with children and dealing with death. This is a great PR item and it doesn’t cost you a dime!

Mark your calendar, Missouri only conven on this year is in Branson, Missouri. May 11 thru 14 at the Chateau on the Lake. Hope to see you there for our annual mee ng.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

John Pautz, CPC MFDEA President Debo Funeral Home Fulton, MO

Executive Director’s Report

Donald C. O o, Jr. MFDEA Execu ve Director & General Counsel

While most of the calls I get at the MFDEA office are from licensed members, we also get a large number of inquiries from those seeking to enter the profession. Unfortunately, the laws and regula ons on what it takes to meet all of the requirements are not well wri en or organized, so it can get confusing.

The State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has proposed language that would help clarify everything, but those rules have not yet been approved by the State and it is not sure if or when they would move forward.

So here is a brief (as can be anyway) outline on the process of becoming licensed in Missouri: In order to become a licensed funeral director you must be at least 18 years old, a high school graduate (or equivalent) and of “good moral character.”

The applicant must first apply for the license with the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and pay a fee. Part of the applica on includes a background check (which is a separate fee) and informa on regarding whether minimum qualifica ons have been met. A er the applica on has been processed and preliminarily approved, then the candidate must complete a consecu ve 12-month appren ceship working at least 15 hours a week at a full-service funeral home - UNLESS the candidate has graduated from an accredited mortuary school program - in which case the appren ceship for a funeral director’s license is not needed. During the funeral director’s appren ceship, the candidate must show that he/she has conducted at least 10 funerals. If you have any ques ons about the applica on process, simply call the State Board at 573-751-0813 or visit their web page at www.pr.mo.gov/embalmers.asp. In our experience the staff of the State Board has always been a great help to those seeking to make sure they understand the process and get the applica ons filled-out and turnedin properly.

Next the funeral director applicant must take two tests, both administered by the Interna onal Conference of Funeral Service Examiners (The “Conference”): The Missouri funeral service law exam and the “Arts” por on of the Na onal Board examina ons (o en referred to as the “prac cal” exam).

Applicants must send evidence of eligibility from the Missouri State Board to the Conference before taking the tests. Check with the State Board to see if this has been done automa cally – MFDEA understands that this is o en the case – but if not, you can get the documenta on yourself, if need be, and send it to the Conference.

A er the paperwork is complete with the Conference (and you have paid the Conference’s fee which is in addi on to the fee you paid to the Missouri State Board) you can sign up to take the tests you need at one of the Pearson or PearsonVue tes ng centers. You cannot just walk in to one of the centers to take the tests, you need to sign up beforehand. Be sure to sign up for the correct tests!

When arriving at the tes ng center, be sure to have two forms of iden fica on with you: A government issued photo ID and another ID that has your signature on it. You will be fingerprinted, photographed, possibly voice-recorded and checked to make sure you have no notes on you. All pockets must be emp ed and all personal belongings placed into a locker.

You must pass each test with at least 75% score. If the individual fails the Law continued on page 22 The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: PICKERING FUNERAL HOME Connie Pickering, a man of quiet dignity, smiles as his son David talks about being a funeral director. “It’s more than just a job, we’re passionate about serving our community and our families,” David said. The Pickering Family’s passion for the families they serve is evident by the numerous comments sca ered throughout their website. Not only do families come to Pickering Funeral Home for funeral arrangements but David has garnered a reputa on as an accomplished photographer. David Left, a vintage calendar from 1940 with the Precht Funeral Home name on it. Note the simple three digit phone number of the funeral home - 207.

Pickering Funeral Home still has 207 as part of their current phone number which is 573.581.3207.

Below, Pickering Funeral Home today in Mexico, Missouri

helps those students who cannot afford to have a professional photographer.

Families of school students also appreciate David’s love for sports photography. Both the school district and yearbook takes advantage of the images he captures.

Families are what Pickering Funeral Home is all about. Always an en rely family-owned business, Pickering Funeral Home was originally Precht Funeral Home, established in 1884 by Henry A. Precht. Mr. Precht had been associated with funeral homes since he was 14 years old, and opened the “combina on furniture store and undertaking business” at the age of 22. In 1917 M.S. Bush and Mr. Precht formed a partnership and established the M.S. Bush Undertaking Company.

When Mr. Bush died on April 10, 1926, Mr. Precht bought his half of the business, and Earl Precht went to work with his father full me. In January 1927 they started the first “straight funeral

The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

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business” in Mexico, named H.A. Precht and Son Funeral Home, a name it would carry for two decades. The funeral home was located in four different loca ons just off the square in Mexico un l 1933 when Mr. Precht and his son bought an old hotel at the northeast corner of Jackson and Clark Streets and renovated it for use as the funeral home. In June 1950, H. A. Precht died at the age of 87.

Earl, by then a seasoned funeral director, con nued managing the firm, and on June 28, 1950, bought his father’s half interest in the business from his estate. In 1956 he built a new building at 403 North Western, where the funeral home is located today.

In 1967 Connie Pickering purchased a half-interest in the funeral home from Earl Precht. Connie, his wife Barbara, and their son David, moved into the apartment above the funeral home, and Connie took over the management

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

of the funeral home.

The name was changed to Precht-Pickering Funeral Home to reflect the new ownership. The Above left, Connie Pickering. Above, David Pickering building was extensively remodeled in 1969. Earl added to the footprint, along with an Precht remained ac ve in the firm un l addi onal entrance and parking lot. At his death in 1981, when Connie Pickering the dedica on of the remodeled funeral bought the remaining half of the business home, David Pickering announced the from his estate. change to the current name, Pickering From 1967 un l 1978 Connie Funeral Home, once again reflec ng the Pickering, in addi on to managing the family ownership of the business. In his funeral home, operated the ambulance words, “ . . .when a family deals with us, service in their area. Connie smiled when they are always dealing with the boss, no he said, “It was a relief when the hospital ma er which member of our family they took that over.” are talking to. Our one common goal is In 1984 David Pickering joined to help all we can, in any way we can.” his father in the opera on of the And help they do. The Pickering’s funeral home. The funeral home was expanded and remodeled in 1995 a er Bottom, left, Original owner Henry A. Precht several years of research and planning.

Bottom Center, Henry’s son Earl Precht Bottom Right, Connie Pikering Approximately 1500 square feet were

also work in assis ng the community in numerous volunteer capaci es. Through the years Connie, his wife Barbara, and son David have worked relessly to make their small town a be er place to live and raise a family. Civic endeavors too many to list have always been an important part of the Pickering’s daily life. According to David, “one year I was president of the Kiwanis Club while my mom was president of Rotary”.

David also gives generously of his me to young mothers who choose to have their baby. David’s birth mother was only 15 when she gave birth to David and gave him up for adop on. “I’ve always appreciated that these girls chose life and so I will always support those young women who also decide to choose life”, David said.

One of the ways David supports these women and the community is through his skills as a photographer.

“What began as a hobby and a way to capture ac vi es of his own children and the students at the youth group I work with, quickly turned into much more,” David said. “People were so pleased

with the pictures that word started building to come and see me for their photographs”.

David realized that he had touched on a service that the community needed and decided to start his own photography business. While David loves being a funeral director and photographer, his greatest love is his own family. His son is currently studying to work in the ministry, and his daughter who recently obtained a BS in Nursing, and her husband have made him a very proud grandfather.

A photo of his grandson, Logan, is prominently displayed in his office.

The Pickering’s have a long ac ve history in the funeral profession. Connie Pickering served as the President of the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards of the United States in 1981-1982.

Connie also served as the Chairman on the Missouri Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and was one of the founding members of the Missouri Funeral Trust in 1988.

Though s ll very ac ve, Connie has handed over the reigns to his son David.

The younger Pickering carries on his

father’s love and devo on to the funeral profession.

“This isn’t just a 9 to 5 job,” David emphasized, “It’s a calling, a voca on.”

David admits that he hasn’t taken a vaca on in more than seven years. “I want to be here when a family needs me,” he said.

David and Connie have seen those needs change over the years. In the past there was almost always a visita on at the funeral home followed by a church service and burial. Today, there are more non-tradi onal services, and many more direct disposi ons and crema ons.

David has overseen the upgrading of the funeral home’s technology. In addi on to having memorial videos play during visita on, David set up an area for the children to watch videos or play games on an Xbox. The families appreciate these extra touches.

A er all, serving families, no ma er what form they take, is what Pickering Funeral Home and the Pickering family is all about.

Samples of David Pickering’s photography. For more informa on or to view photos visit www.davidpickering.biz.

The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

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Vital, Relevant & Profitable The Future of Funeral Service and Funeral Service Education

Mike Hays is President of Mid-America College of Funeral Ser ice in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in the Louisville, KY met o area, one of the Pierce Colleges g oup of mor ar schools. He is a licensed Kent cky Funeral Director who has worked with f neral homes and cemeteries all across Nor h America.

Mike owns LifeSteps Ser ices, LLC, a sales & marketing and consulting fir , which is comprised of a wonderf l team of “ iends and colleag es,” who help keep the business vital, relevant and profitable.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

Over the years of my career, I’ve been blessed to work with funeral homes and cemeteries all across the United States and Canada, serving in a variety of roles, including those in opera ons, sales, marke ng and training. Based on my experience, I’m convinced that these terms—vital, relevant and profitable—are keys to success in the funeral business. Now, that I have recently entered the world of funeral service educa on, I’ve been asked many mes, “What is the future of funeral service?” I don’t have a crystal ball, but I know that we’ve been talking for two decades about certain threats to our “industry” and, very recently, about whether or not we even have the right to refer to ourselves as “professionals.”

My answer to the ques on always rings those three bells—again. I’m convinced, whatever the future of funeral service may be, that we have to remain vital, relevant and profitable. Otherwise, the market will lay us to rest.

Regarding the future of funeral service educa on, as a new Chief Administrator of a funeral service college, I can tell you that I’ve been impressed. The American Board of Funeral Service Educa on is an impressive group of professionals with eyes keenly focused on the future. Companies, like Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. and Pierce Chemicals, who provide professional services for our Pierce Colleges network of schools, have a passionate interest in the future of our profession.

The ICCFA and the NFDA, state and regional associa ons and organiza ons like the Funeral Service Founda on are doing great works to support funeral service educa on. And—most importantly, funeral home owners, funeral directors and embalmers, like you, around the world are giving of their me and resources to support the cause.

Now, let’s ring a few bells.

Here is Webster’s defini on of the term vital: 1) exis ng as a manifesta on of life, 2) necessary to the maintenance of life, and 3) full of life and vigor. I believe there are thousands of funeral homes that need a dose of vitality—and as soon as possible. Like a B12 injec on for those who are “chronically anemic,” a shot of vitality will do them a world of good – their energy levels need to increase!

Vital means powerful and energe c and you have to display those quali es to be a rac ve to consumers. Those quali es are directly connected to percep ons of competence and dependability in the minds of consumers; they are the a tudes of your en re staff – the way they approach each family, the confidence and trustworthiness your team exudes.

We all know the vital organs of the human body – the heart, brain, lungs, liver and kidneys comprise the short list. There is an important inter-dependency among these organs, and each needs to func on op mally for the best, overall “health” of our bodies. By analogy, funeral service businesses are o en too independent— and by independent, I mean isolated. We are the service companies called upon “last” or finally in our communi es. It’s a perfectly normal phenomenon; we deal with “last things.” However, it is my belief that if you want your business to be perceived as vital in your community, you have to get outside your walls more than ever before—engage your community; educate your community. Meet the present needs of families.

I have observed that we funeral professionals learned long ago how to handle the “at-need” process. I’ve o en referred to it as the “72 hours of perfec on.”

We remove someone’s loved one from his/her place of death, we prepare the

remains for public viewing with care, dignity and respect for its symbolic value. We schedule service mes and proceed to cemeteries for graveside services, and we strive to do it all perfectly—void of any mistakes—for the sake of the family.

I have also observed that we do a good job “post need.”

We provide excellent resources for our families to help them through their grieving; some even have excellent grief counselors contracted, a member of the staff who facilitates group mee ngs for widows and widowers—“a er care” has been a priority for us. For decades, now, we’ve provided preneed services, too. We’ve mastered the art and science of helping families to plan ahead. At-need, post-need and preneed—funeral professionals are o en providing care at each of these touch points very competently.

To demonstrate vitality, however, I believe we need to think more about the “everyday needs” of families in our communi es. Especially in the senior marketplace; we will do well going forward to be thought of as “community resource centers” as o en as possible. Ask yourselves, “What do seniors in my community really need; what do they want?” Studies (and marke ng organiza ons) will tell you that they want educa on—especially in the areas of estate planning, health and wellness, entertainment and travel.

You may have to partner with other vital organ(iza on) s—financial professionals, event planners, travel agencies, theaters, health services. What’s holding you back? Get out of the back office, quit wai ng for the phone to ring, and prove that you are a vital contributor to the everyday life of your community. Say, “We may be your servants at mes of death, but we are a vital and lively organiza on every day!”

One way to accomplish just that, in my opinion, is to repurpose your preneed department. Too many small- and medium-sized funeral homes s ll do preneed too passively.

Serving only the walk-in and call-in preneed requests, while always necessary, does not demonstrate vitality to the world beyond your parking lot. However, if you design ac vi es through which well-trained and well-spoken preneed representa ves (and everyone on your teams with them) can tell your stories to groups in the community and educate consumers on things having to do with the end of life, endof-life planning, and re rement living, then you have a public rela ons effort that is engaging and fun.

Now back to the dic onary: the term relevant is defined as 1) having significant and demonstrable (or, if you will, “perceivable and measurable”) bearing on the ma er at hand, 2) affording evidence that proves the ma er or issue under discussion, and as 3) having social relevance. Here’s the way to understand the meaning of relevant: only at the point at which “what you are saying” overlaps with “what consumers are interested in” are you relevant. In other words, if what you want to say is not what your customer is interested in,

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you are irrelevant. Inappropriate, incompa ble, unacceptable and unimportant are all synonymous with irrelevant. You may spend thousands of dollars with pres gious marke ng firms developing value proposi ons, “tag lines” and adver sements, but if those messages miss your customers’ interests, it will be no more than money thrown to the wind. You have to understand that marke ng is not about you; it must be solely about what interests your target audience.

Here we see the rela onship between being vital and being relevant: they are both about the customer. Here, also, is where I say that, as big an “ouch” as it may be, we s ll spend more me and money telling our communi es "what we think they should know” than we spend in efforts to discover what they are truly interested in with respect to end-of-life ma ers. Years ago, I par cipated in one of those corporate-sponsored “focus groups,” prior to the roll-out of a new product by a large deathcare manufacturing company. In one of the sessions, a very genuine funeral home owner said, “If we talk about crema on, consumers will ‘come out of the woodwork’ seeking crema ons from us.” I saw some heads nod with approval; “We don’t want to invite that business; do we?” I simply asked, “Are people in your market interested in crema on?” and then I said, “If they are, it’s exactly what you should be talking about.” Fi een years later, we will have, this year, more crema ons than there will be caskets buried in the

ground or entombed—and many of those crema on cases will not use funeral homes for services.

We cannot be slow to talk about what the consumer is interested in, and we must adapt our business models and our service offerings to reflect the public interests if we are too remain relevant in the future.

As prac cal help here, I’ll tell you one thing that consumers are indisputably interested in and that we are uniquely posi oned to deliver: storytelling. In fact, I think that our future depends on our ability to facilitate the telling of a “life story,” and upon posi oning our businesses as the “Keepers of Stories,” the archivists of the stories of the lives lived in our communi es.

Since the days that animal bones beat on hollow logs in the making of music, human beings have been telling stories and the human brain has always been “hard-wired” to connect with messages related through story. There are several effec ve ways of doing this during the “celebra ons of life” you conduct on behalf of any family, but I’ll guarantee you that customer sa sfac on these days is in direct propor on to the numbers of opportuni es you create for the family to share memories and pay tributes powered by stories.

The age-old marke ng axiom, “People do business with people they, know, like, and trust” has never been more important for us to employ than it is today. So—besides

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

proving that you can facilitate the kind of funeral event that tells a life story, you should also be cra ing the “Why We Do What We Do” story of your business and teaching your people to tell it expertly and everywhere they go. Pitch those vague, o en meaningless, Mission Statements buried deep within your website and put a sincere video of yourself and your staff members telling the story of how they love telling life stories right on the home page. Stories make emo onal connec ons with people and emo onal connec ons are keys to unforge able experiences.

There is no need to find a dic onary to define the term profitable for this audience: INCOME less EXPENSES equals PROFITS; we all know that. The part that gets scary for a lot of business owners, especially smaller firms, is that being vital and relevant smell of spending money, of increasing expenses, or at least of re-engineering the funeral home business model, which is not such a pleasant sensa on. S ll, we understand that profits are the life-blood of any business. The “vital organs” must have blood moving through them.

Chances are, if your business has been around for even 10 or 15 years, you’ve spent hours, days, even months—at some stage—trying to predict your future “mix” of sales based on the impact of the crema on trend or new compe on. You’ve tried to reduce the cost of sales, experimented with efforts to reduce the wholesale cost of goods—only to be frustrated by your limita ons with respect to “handling those goods” and storing them, or your need for mely and dependable delivery of them. Perhaps you’ve turned your General Price List “upside down” to focus on the value of your services (which is a good thing; in my opinion, it’s actually “right side up” when you do that because today’s customers are more interested in services than they are tradi onal funeral merchandise).

In severe cases, you’ve laid off staff, and laid awake at night yourself, grappling with that decision. These are not mes for the faint of heart in our profession.

However, there are so many low-cost and no-cost ways to tell stories that all you have to do is get started and be deliberate and consistent with those processes. Social media, done right, can help tremendously to leverage your story; its benefits far outweigh the small investments it requires.

And—a proac ve preneed program, done right, can work at least on a “break even” basis—offse ng employee expenses and marke ng costs. Of course, that means u lizing insurance products to prefund your prearranged funerals. I have nothing against trusts and the problems that some have had recently do not diminish the great jobs that many state associa ons and banks have done managing them. However, the commission aspect of insurance is necessary to reduce expenses. I’ll add here that I’m o en amazed that I’m s ll considered “controversial” frequently, and by more than a few, a er more than a decade of preaching that it makes no

business sense to con nue to guarantee preneed contracts.

I can develop this argument thoroughly, so I don’t mean the following simplis cally: 1) you use trusts to avoid preneed shor alls; 2) you forfeit the commission benefit of insurance with that choice; 3) then, you (many of you) accept less than the retail value of the goods and services at the me of death anyway, and 3) you end up doing preneed very passively because “It’s just not worth the me, effort and expense.”

There are non-guaranteed forms available from every preneed insurance supplier; there are alterna ve products available in most states that enable you to sell sufficient face amounts per policy to “hedge your risk.” It takes me to explore your op ons, but it’s a great way to help pay for a real public rela ons effort.

Finally, I’ve been a long- me advocate for effec ve partnerships. When I started in the funeral profession, funeral businesses, as a class, were very concerned about the poten al of aliena ng a single family by showing preference for any business or church or ins tu on over another. Today, I think we do be er to understand that we cannot be “all things to all people”—carve out your niche in the market.

Elder Care and Estate Planning A orneys, Insurance Agencies, Financial Planners, Medicaid and Veterans Planning Specialists, hospices, hospitals, churches, event planners, country clubs, travel agencies and hotels are all willing to forge effec ve The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

13

partnerships with you—when you approach them correctly.

Insure that your banner flies at least as high as theirs at all the educa on-oriented and fun events you can provide together and share those costs. If your annual plan is based on 150 calls, and you do 160, those last 10 calls—even if lower-priced crema ons (regardless of how you are structured)—are almost pure profit!

What is the future of funeral service? I know it’s a bright one if we work hard to remain vital, relevant and profitable; if we stay customer-centric and learn to tell stories. What is the future of funeral service educa on? Well, that’s a bright and exci ng future, too. At Pierce Colleges, and at Mid-America College of Funeral Service where I’m now blessed to spend a lot of me, we’re going to con nue our eorts to deliver the very best embalmers we can to you. I’m the world’s biggest fan of the Great Embalmer and the gi ed Restora ve Ar st.

However, we’re going to double-up our eorts to lay a solid business founda on for our graduates, to develop advanced programs for sales & marke ng, communica ons, finance and public rela ons. We’re growing embalmers, directors, preneed counselors, entrepreneurs and storytellers.

I have to go; there are students in the halls, and they are the future of funeral service.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

Would you hire me?

I had hoped he wouldn’t ask me that ques on. But ask he did. Several years ago, my colleague Fran Murphy and I were asked to speak before a mortuary college embalming class. We arrived with our projector and laptop in hand, eager and pleased to present a PowerPoint program to aspiring funeral directors and embalmers. Having been informed that several in the class had never seen the inside of an embalming room, we were prepared to show some rather basic informa on. Not the graphic material, of which we have plenty.

Wearing dress slacks, white shirt and e, and shined shoes, I began by saying, “You are where we were. And we are here to help you.” Trying our best to focus on content, we were shocked to observe several students dripping with ta oos, a few with unnaturally colored hair, and others with facial and body piercing. Some had all three. I learned long ago that it is unchris an, unfair, unkind, and just plain wrong to judge an individual on their appearance alone.

But I wondered how I would react if I had called a funeral home, because of a family death, and was greeted by a person who looked like some of those before us now.

The ques on I feared I would get, “Would you hire me?” was asked and the student was looking straight at me.

I paused and said I thought he was a handsome young man, but that he would have a be er chance of employment if he dressed appropriately, had a haircut, covered his ta oos, and removed the metal from his face. I had to be honest.

He seemed to accept my comments.

What I didn’t say was that a perspec ve, prudent employer would secure a credit report, a criminal background check, and a copy of his driving record. His on-line social networking would also be scru nized.

we were shocked to observe several students dripping with tattoos, a few with unnaturally colored hair, and others with facial and body piercing.

Some had all three.

Our son, Daryl, is a captain for a commercial airline. He is also one of their flight instructors. Following college and a er comple ng his necessary flight hours, he applied for employment with the airlines. He called his mother and me the night before an interview. We

were suppor ve, knowing that he might be a bit nervous. I told him to put on his nice blue suite, white shirt, red e, and to shine his shoes. But he already knew that. We also told him he’d be fine. What else could one say to be suppor ve to one’s child? He called us when it was over and explained that everyone else, all fourteen of them, dressed nearly the same. He further explained that one had flown in the military, and the father of another worked for this par cular airline.

In other words, he thought his chances were quite slim on being hired that day.

The applicants were ini ally told that only two would be chosen. He was one of them.

A er all the interviews were completed, he and the other individual were called back in before the three member panel. They were then asked why they thought they were selected over the other twelve candidates. The panel’s answer was, “All of you appeared to be equally qualified, but we looked at you two and asked ourselves if we wanted to be next to you in the cockpit all day.” This was an honest and candid assessment which says volumes about their concern for the welfare of their employees, and how they wanted their company to be perceived by the public.

Arnold “Jake” Dodge, former president and sales manager of The The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

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Dodge Company, died on June 17, 2002 a er a brief illness. On one of his last days at the office, I walked into his office to ask a ques on. His door was always open and he never made one feel as if they were intruding. He treated everyone alike, and with the utmost respect, regardless of their posi on in the company. He always insisted on holding the door for others, and he never would accept a reserved parking place at the office. “I can park where there is an empty space,” I heard him politely say to someone a er he was asked why he didn’t have a reserved parking spot.

Seated at his desk he looked up at me and said, “Dennis, I’ve been avoiding you these last few days.” I replied, “Why would you do that? You own the place.”

He pointed to his shirt and said with a smile, “I haven’t been wearing a e lately.” We both laughed. He just wasn’t feeling chipper enough to don one of his nice es. My heart sank as I tried in vain to return the smile. It was then that

16

Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

I painfully realized that his me with us was coming to an end. I trust he thought the same. It pains me s ll, these many years later, to recall that moment. But at least he showed up. He and I were a part of that dwindling crowd who wore a e in an office. He always looked so handsome in a suite and e, and he always had such a presence. I miss Arnold. Everyone who knew Arnold “Jake” Dodge misses him, too. He was truly one of a kind.

In the May 10, 2013 edi on of The Week Magazine, it men ons an ar cle published in USA Today wri en by Paul Davidson. Mr. Davison states that human resource professionals report that college grads need some pointers on office e que e. He pointed out that in job interviews some take phone calls, text, use slang, and dress inappropriately.

What a great way to get hired! The ar cle went on to explain, according to the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of PA, that most that are hired are not professional during their first year on the job. Will they ever be?

Many years ago I received a phone call from a family I knew very well. Because the death at their home was unexpected, they explained that the medical examiner was on his way to make the pronouncement.

They requested that I come along without delay. I did. The EMT’s had come and gone, and a police officer remained at the scene. As we stood in their living room, in front of a large picture

window, the medical examiner could be seen arriving. Not knowing who he was, they observed a bearded man wearing sandals, spor ng long hair, ge ng out of his dated, dented, and unwashed pickup truck with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. One family member looked at me and said, “Who the hell is that?!!”

Since these folks were my friends, I asked that they cut him some slack. I added that he was a good man, and a good doctor. “You’ll be fine,” I assured them. They ended up liking him, but first impressions caused much concern for this family at a very difficult me.

On a warm summer evening I was called to a home to make funeral arrangements. A family member had died earlier in the day at a local hospital and I had already done the embalming. I opted to ride my bicycle along the coastline to their residence on this beau ful moonlit August night. Upon arrival I hid my bike in the bushes next to their house, grabbed my arrangement pad and rang the doorbell. At the conclusion of the arrangements, several members of the family politely showed me to the door... and con nued to follow me out onto their front walkway. I became very nervous as one family member looked up and down the street and asked, “Dennis, where is your car?” I wanted to say that it was probably stolen, but paused and said, “It’s in the bushes, I rode my bike.” They laughed. I didn’t. The funeral went well, but the next me they had a death they did not call our funeral home. Perhaps they thought that the funeral director should have been more professional than to ride his bicycle to their home... and hide it in the bushes. Only they know for sure. I laugh at this now, but it wasn’t very funny at the me.

Most of us realize that an individual’s appearance doesn’t always tell the whole story. Regarding a re, it might be your firm’s policy, or the code of behavior in your locale to dress a certain way on removals and making arrangements, but it might be totally out of place in another.

Some have found that wearing a suit jacket during the arrangements can be in mida ng to some families since many don’t own a suit.

First impressions in our profession, or any profession, undoubtedly will predict future success. Families look at us and wonder if we should be given the solemn respec ul duty of caring for their loved one...or to be the one to fly the plane. I always glance at the pilot and first officer when I board a plane, just as families do at us when we step over their threshold.

The first impressions we render must be comfor ng and reassuring to a family; just as they should be to airline passengers.

I recall the days when all mail carriers wore their USPS uniform. Now we may not recognize who is walking up our front steps. Whether it is a uniformed postal employee, a doorman at a fine hotel, a professional bus driver, a pilot, or a funeral director, appearance lends credibility to each respec ve profession.

Should we have stopped wearing our striped funeral pants? Some believe this may be one factor which has further diminished the dignity and ceremonial aspect of funeral service.

A sign in the employee changing

area of a funeral home I call on as their Dodge rep reads: “You are what you appear to others. 1. Haircut. 2. Shine Shoes. 3. Shave. 4. Clean Clothes. 5.

Fresh Aroma. Look sharp! Feel sharp!

Be Sharp!”* When one does not care, or doesn’t know enough to care, about their appearance, then their appearance just might indicate to others that they don’t care about their profession. Would you want to be served and cared for by someone who wasn’t passionate about their profession?

Appearances might be what gains employment, and also how those whom we serve perceive us. But it is never a true assessment of one’s character, abili es, future skills, and dedica on to the profession. Those whom we cri que and challenge, mold and mentor, just might be those who will lay our head upon a comfortable pillow at the end of our days. Or who will funnel our cremated remains into an urn. Choose (hire) wisely.

Several of us can be thankful there were those who gave us a chance early on, knowing that we could become what we needed to be. Fortunately, they saw beyond appearances.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity

to thank those who gave you that chance, including colleagues that have helped along the way, you might consider doing that before you wish you had. You need to say it. They need to hear it. Thankfully, I’ve done just that to several long before they le us. And long before I gently placed their head upon a comfortable pillow. Now I have no regrets.

The test of me is the only way I know of which will reveal a kind heart. Along with the ability to do the job, possessing a kind heart is cri cal in serving those who are in pain and in need, and for the future success of our honorable profession. To paraphrase American poet and author, Maya Angelou: People will forget how we looked and how we dressed, but they will never forget how we made them feel. Our skills and our compassion can heal a broken heart. *Sig obser ed in an employee changing area at Morse-Bayliss Funeral Home, Lowell, Massachuse s.

“Look Shar . Feel Shar . Be Shar .” was the old adver ising slogan of Gille e blades, spoken by Shar ie the Par ot.

The above ar icle was wri en by Dennis Daulton of The Dodge Company. It was originally published in the Fall 2013 issue of Dodge Magazine and has been reprinted with per ission.

(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 The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

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Pet Loss the Funeral Industry

&

Funeral directors are called upon to serve the community for a variety of losses. Tradi onally these are associated with the skills and techniques learned in mortuary school or those that are developed during an appren ceship serving the families who have lost loved ones in death. But there are many other types of loss that our families and communi es face which are o en unmet by their funeral homes or their communi es; one such loss is pet loss.

In 2005 the Meierhoffer Family began opera on of Family PALS (Pet & Animal Lovers Service) as a way to address the needs of the community in pet loss. Since then thousands of families have chosen to have their family pets cremated.

From the beginning the commitment to treat a families pet was just as strong as the care provided to a person. The prac ces and procedures were standardized to match that of the humans in our care. This commitment has become the hallmark of Family PALS as it serves families.

Partnering with local veterinary clinics Family PALS makes informa on regarding pet crema on and its services available to the public directly through the clinics. The clinic staff handles authoriza on, paperwork and payment and no fies the staff.

Some families chose not to go through their veterinary clinic and bring their pet to the facility directly. In these cases, the staff meets with the family comple ng the required authoriza ons and bring the pets into our care. Our staff is also available to make removals from the home when necessary.

Family PALS offers three types of crema on op ons for families with price points based upon the weight of the pet: Private Crema on: Private crema on means that only the animal specified will be in the crematory chamber, and no others. Owners may a end or witness (at no addi onal fee) the crema on from our comfortably appointed crema on viewing room. They may also ini ate the crema on sequence from a remote control panel.

Cremated remains will be available for retrieval by owners at our facility within 48 hours. Owners will be no fied by telephone upon comple on.

Individual Crema on: Individual crema on means that the animal will share the chamber with other animals, and the cremated remains will be kept separate.

This crema on may be a ended or witnessed for an addi onal fee. Cremated remains will be available for retrieval by owners at our facility within 5 business days.

Congregate Crema ons: For the owner that does not wish the cremated remains returned, but wants to be assured that the pet will be handled in a professional manner and in the most humane manner possible. The cremated remains will be disposed of in an environmentally sound fashion.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

In March 2014 we were called to a house in the middle of a very busy day. A 9 year old lab, that had been rescued from an abusive owner when he was a puppy had been put down at home by a local vet about an hour before. When I and another staff member arrived family members and neighbors were all present. They had conducted a “visita on” for their pet at home before we arrived. The vet and family assisted us in placing the pet in our bag for transporta on. It was amazing to see how the small community around the family and pet all wanted to be part of this process.

In addi on to the crema on, we offer a full line of pet urns for families to chose from.

It is clear that many families wish for their pet to be treated as well as their other family members. In many cases, the bond between an owner and pet is one of the strongest in their lives. As the only provider of these services in our community other than the city pound, we set ourselves apart by the service, professionalism and dignity we provide at this me of loss. We have cremated, lizards, pigs, goats, birds, snakes, guinea pigs, and hamsters. We average 425 pet services per year.

The goodwill generated by the services we provide is immeasurable and is a different way in which to introduce our services, staff and facili es to those in the community who have not encountered us before.

Eric Monteg a is the Dist ict 1 Director of the Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association. He works for Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Cremator in St. Jospeh, Missouri and has been a licensed f neral director for t ent -one years.

The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

19

Supplier Focus

F rro o m Hu H umble mb le Be Begi g in n n in g s to In I n d u sstr try y Leader

LAMCRAFT

In 2014, Lamcra is celebra ng its 40th anniversary. Over the last four decades, the company has created hundreds of items specifically designed to serve the funeral and memorial industry while con nuing to supply high quality lamina on products for businesses in the United States and Canada.

Lamcra , Inc. began in 1974 as a two-man opera on in the garage of Mike O’Malley’s home. Mike and co-owner Bob Sabin brought years of experience in prin ng, die-cu ng, lamina ng, binding, sales and service to their fledgling business. The hard work and long hours put into building the business garnered results, and Lamcra moved opera ons to an industrial building in Raytown, Missouri, in 1975. The partners soon expanded their locally based enterprise to a na onally known supplier of lamina on products and services. The demand for new products, expanded inventory, innova ve processes and more personnel dictated the search for a larger, state-of-the-art facility. Mike and Bob found a new building to meet 20

Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

all their needs in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where Lamcra has been based for the last 17 years.

Over the years many products developed by Lamcra have been firsts in the market. The sturdy desktop laminator with its brushed metal casing has become iconic in the funeral industry.

The original artwork featured on its Memorial Card and Premium Memorial Card line, quality prin ng and superior lamina ng materials have set industry standards. Quan ty discount pricing allows funeral directors to combine various lamina ng pouches and cards for savings in purchasing.

“They made the most absolutely gorgeous laminated memorial card for my mother. I gave them 4 photos, which included scratches because they were old. They hid the scratches and made the most artistic piece. Also, they are responsive, fast and reliable. A winning trifecta! Very well done and I highly recommend them.”

– Odette W.

CREATE A LASTING IMPRESSION WITH THE FAMILIES YOU SERVE Many families cherish mementos of their loved ones, and the obituary or a brief life story laminated on a memorial bookmark is a long-las ng keepsake that can be tucked in a family bible or scrapbook. Funeral directors may choose to include a complimentary laminated bookmark with their services, or charge a small fee per bookmark for distribu on to family members. Some mes the laminated memorial card is sent out with thank you cards as an a er-care gi .

Some funeral homes choose to imprint their logo and informa on on the back of the memorial cards as a reminder of their service to the family.

The laminated memorial card is just one more though ul way that funeral directors show their dedica on and compassion for the families they serve.

HIGH QUALITY ITEMS OFFERED ONLINE AND IN THE CATALOG Lamcra ’s 3” x 9” Premium Memorial Cards are the most popular item in

their product line. These PMCs, as they are commonly known, are designed to preserve newspaper obituaries. They are simple and quick to make and are affordably priced. The obituary is clipped from a newspaper (or printed out to plain paper), placed between the card back and the lamina on layer, then inserted into the laminator. The item exits in a ma er of moments and is ready to present to the family.

The Lamcra Collec on includes: • Memorial Cards and Premium Memorial Cards are available in sizes ranging from small Pocket cards and Bookmarks to Album and Le er-Sized cards that protect items as large as 8-1/2” x 11” sheets. These cards feature a rac ve original artwork and verses on the front. The designs are printed to the edge and pouches are trimmed to fit, with rounded corners.

• Presenta on Cards and Matching Envelopes are designed to hold an individual memorial card when it is presented to the family.

• Clear Lamina ng Pouches are offered in a variety of sizes. The product line includes several I.D. and business card pouches for small documents, a variety of le er-sized pouches, up to large pouches designed to laminate placemats, menus and other 11” x 17”

documents. Lamcra carries a wide range of clear pouches specifically sized for funeral home uses, including pouches for prayer cards, memorial folders, grave markers and body tags.

• Special Occasion Pouches, Congratula ons Cards and Pouches.

No ces of other life events such as births, marriages, anniversaries and promo ons can be preserved in these laminated keepsakes. They make perfect public rela ons and community outreach tools.

• Lamina ng Accessories are available for a variety of uses. Lamcra offers adhesive-backed easels to make signage; luggage tag pouches, loops and straps; and other tools and accessories.

Lamcra has created an online editor that allows its customers to make custom bookmarks at home, in the office or on the go. The Lamcra Digital Memories program works through the Google Chrome browser and registered users can set up photos, text and other image files on three sizes of microperforated bookmarks. The process is very simple. First design the layout in the editor, which displays the chosen microperf card design as a template on the screen. When the design is finished, the program will create PDFs for the front and

back of the card. The user then prints the PDFs on Lamcra ’s Micro-Perforated Bookmarks, separates the cards, places each one in a clear bookmark pouch, and laminates.

To view instruc on videos, FAQ page, the online editor to make cards free of charge, and a link to an online storefront that makes it easy to order Micro-Perf supplies visit our website at www.lamcra digitalmemories.com.

The Funeral Director's Prayer Dear Lord, Give me the patience needed to serve everyone as my own; the wisdom to understand others' feelings; the knowledge to learn as well as to instruct; the kindness to treat everyone equally at all times; the strength to endure long hours and hard work; the desire to serve others as I would my own family; the humility to accept words of thanks and praise; the compassion to be able to touch another's soul; the pride and the right to smile when I have served a family well; and, Lord, most importantly, the right to shed an honest tear when my heart is touched.

Lord, make me thankful that I am a Funeral Director.

Amen

over a century of strength 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.

Missouri Funeral Directors & Embalmers Association 1757 Woodclift Drive Suite 202 Jefferson City, MO 65109 Ph: 573.635.1661 Fx: 573.635.9494 info@mofuneral.org www.mofuneral.org

Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association chose Lamcraft when they wanted to create a special bookmark to give to their members.

La m craft ’s Ne w es t P ro d u c t – T h e G uide d M e m or ia l J o u rn al Inspired by the sugges ons of an especially compassionate funeral director, Lamcra , Inc. has developed a memorial journal that features 18 topics to prompt wri ng about a loved one. Meaningful quotes are sca ered throughout to inspire wri ng about the deceased and to memorialize them in a uniquely personal way.

Lamcra ’s wire-bound journal lies flat to facilitate wri ng and features lined pages for journal entries and a few unlined pages to allow for sketching or for moun ng photos or mementos. The flexible format allows several people to contribute entries, or a single person may wish to record memories to reflect upon in solitude or to share with others later.The 82-page journal features four cover designs to choose from and the durable laminated covers will protect the contents for years to come. Funeral directors may wish to provide the journal at me of service, or offer it as an a ercare product to aid in the grieving process. The journal and other lamina ng supplies may be ordered at www.lamcra .com or by phone 1-800-821-1333.

The Missouri Funeral Director • Spring 2014

21

Director’s Report continued from page 5

exam there is a thirty day wai ng period before it can be retaken. If the individual fails the Arts exam there is a ninety day wai ng period before it can be retaken.

Those seeking an embalmer’s license, in addi on to gradua ng from an accredited mortuary program, must complete a 12-month appren ceship (again 12 consecu ve months) during which they embalm at least 25 bodies.

A er the appren ceship the embalmer candidate must pass the law exam, the arts exam, AND the sciences exam (the second half of the “boards”).

As you can see, the State Board requires you to wait un l the end of the appren ceship before taking your tests.

Many appren ces, however, par ally get around this restric on by applying to become Preneed Agents during their appren ceship. To become a Preneed Agent, one must simply pass the Missouri funeral service law exam. A er one passes the law exam, you can then get your funeral director and embalmer’s

22

Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

licenses without having to retake the law exam (the law was specifically wri en this way to encourage people who get a Preneed Agent Registra on to move on and also get their funeral director’s license). Many appren ces like this op on as it gets one of the tests “out of the way” and o en makes the appren ce more valuable to their employer as, then, in addi on to the appren ce du es, the person can sell preneed contracts.

For those that already have a license in another state and want to obtain a license by reciprocity, the key item is whether or not the state you are from grants licenses by reciprocity to those from Missouri. If so, then there is an applica on that needs to be filled out including informa on from your “homestate’s” licensing body regarding if your license has ever been disciplined, what your tests scores were, etc. People seeking a license by reciprocity must also pass the same Missouri funeral service law exam discussed above.

Whether or not Missouri reciprocates with another state on licensing is very much up to the discre on of the State

Board and could change at any me. As a result, this is the one ques on I will not even try to answer! If someone calls up wan ng to know if a state reciprocates with Missouri, I give them the State Board’s phone number.

MFDEA offers a very popular class that helps prepare people to take the Missouri funeral service law exam.

It is an all-day class at our office in Jefferson City that is generally the thirdWednesday of every month except December. Some mes because of things like conven ons and conferences, the date has to be moved so check with the MFDEA office as to the specifics. O en the class fills up so get your name in as soon as you think you would like to take it. Last year over 100 people took the MFDEA law class and we had a 98% passing rate on the law exam! If there is anyone (like a funeral home or MFDEA district) that would like to sponsor a class, MFDEA will take its law-review “on the road” IF there is a guarantee of at least 10 paying par cipants.

By The Way: MFDEA’s law class has been accredited for Con nuing Educa on

in several states so we some mes have people who already have their licenses (and are also licensed in other states) come and take the class. Call the MFDEA office for more details.

Unfortunately, there is no class we know of to help people prepare for the Art’s exam outside of a mortuary school program. Some candidates have said that there are a number of resources available on-line that have helped them study and we go over these resources as part of the MFDEA Law exam class. The Conference offers a Study Guide for $50.00 and can be obtained through their website at www. theconferenceonline.org.

Pearson/PearsonVue operates the following tes ng centers in Missouri: St. Louis 10805 Sunset Office Drive Suite 402 St. Louis, MO 63127 314-821-7734

Kansas City 4240 Blue Ridge Blvd.

Blue Ridge Tower, Suite 705 Kansas City, MO 64133 816-743-9155

1600 S. Brentwood Blvd Center Forty Building Suite 120 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-961-4551

9200 Ward Parkway Ward Parkway Corp. Centre Suite 101 Kansas City, MO 64114 816-363-8571

Columbia 1700 East Pointe Drive Suite 204 Columbia, MO 65201 573-449-0292

Springfield 2833 (A) East Ba lefield Suite 106 Springfield, MO 65804 417-881-3069

Fees: Missouri Funeral Director Applica on Funeral Director Reciprocity Embalmer Prac cum Student Embalmer Applica on

$200.00 $300.00 $25.00 $200.00

The Conference Na onal Board Examina on (Full) Na onal Board Examina on Arts Na onal Board Examina on Science Laws, Rules & Regula ons

$500.00 $250.00 $250.00 $140.00

Accredited Distance Learning Schools: The following schools offer funeral service/mortuary science degrees that have a substan al number of credits (more than 50% of the funeral service/mortuary science program) delivered via Distance Learning. Restora ve Arts, Embalming Labs, and clinicals must be completed on campus

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and/or at approved off-campus facili es: Amarillo College; Amarillo, TX American Academy McAllister Ins tute; New York City, NY Arapahoe Community College; Li leton, CO Commonwealth Ins tute, Houston, TX DesMoines Community College, Ankeny, IA Faye eville Technical Community College; Faye eville NC Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY Jefferson State Community College; Birmingham, AL Pi sburgh Ins tute of Mortuary Science; Pi sburgh, PA St. Petersburg College; St. Petersburg, FL University of Central Oklahoma; Edmond, OK Vincennes University, Vincessnes, IN Students planning to enroll in distance educa on courses offered by an ins tu on located in another state are advised to check with the ins tu on they are considering to make sure that the ins tu on is authorized to offer courses in their par cular state. Students are also advised that funeral service/ mortuary science licensure requirements vary state by state and that comple on of a Distance Learning program offered by an ins tu on located in another state may not meet licensure requirements in their home state, or the state in which they want to work. With this in mind, students are also advised to contact the agency that regulates funeral service/mortuary science ac vi es in the state in which they intend to pursue employment to verify licensure requirements.

Accredited Schools in Kansas: Kansas City, Kansas Community College - School of Mortuary Science.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

-Scott Heptig-

Accredited Schools in Illinois: Carl Sandburg College - Mortuary Science Program Malcolm X College - Dept. of Mortuary Science Southern Illinois Univ. - Mortuary Science & Funeral Service Worsham College of Mortuary Science

STLCC’s Funeral Service Education Program Earns Candidacy Status St. Louis Community College’s Funeral Service Educa on program has been granted candidacy status by the American Board of Funeral Service Educa on (ABFSE) Commi ee on Accredita on for its Associate Degree in Applied Science in Funeral Service Educa on.

Next year at this me, representa ves of the Funeral Service Educa on program will appear again for ini al accredita on, which is the intermediary step leading to full seven-year accredita on. In the mean me, all students admi ed to the program will be considered graduates of an ABSFE-accredited program that is required for licensure in most states.

The 65-credit-hour program, which prepared students for entry-level employment in funeral homes, lost accredita on last year because student scores on the Na onal Board Examina on were below the expected percentage for three consecu ve years. Examina on scores for first- me takers fell below the 60 percent threshold.

All remaining students in the program were not affected and will complete the program, but STLCC did not accept any new students into the program during the fall 2013 or spring 2014 semesters. Students who were currently enrolled in the program were not affected, and were allowed to con nue with their studies.

The funeral direc ng cer ficate of specializa on was not affected. The en re curriculum con nues to be transferable to the associate degree program.

With the candidacy status approval, STLCC will start accep ng new students for fall 2014 semester. The revised 66-credit-hour curriculum will be posted on the Interac ve Course Schedule at www.stlcc.edu a er it is approved by the STLCC Board of Trustees, which is expected to take place at the May 15 mee ng.

Prior to enrolling, each applicant must meet the prematricula on requirements of the state in which the student intends to prac ce. Students also must submit a separate admissions applica on for the program, which will include job shadowing with the appropriate funeral service licensee. More informa on will be posted on the program website as it becomes available.

For more informa on on the program, visit www.stlcc. edu/programs/Funeral_Service_Educa on/.

Approximately 50 funeral directors from Districts 3 and 4 gathered at Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City on April 5, 2014 for a brief business meeeting and to watch the Final Four. Special thanks to sponsors: Wilbert Vault Co., First Call Removal Services, Crime Scene Cleaners, Batesville Casket Co., & Speaks Funeral & Cremation Services

MFDEA member Phil Freeman of Freeman Mortuary (right) testifies in favor of Rep. Mike Bernskoetter’s (R-59) bill, HB 1993. The bill cleans up confusing and contradictory statutes regarding funeral processions, eliminating the old statue requirement of stickers on cars.

At the District 6 and 7 Mee ng on March 18, 2014 Jay Hardy of Jay B. Smith Funeral Home was elected District 7 Director.

Also elected were Jay Grimlich as District 7 President; Jessica Oltmann as District 7 Vice President; and Lisa Cooper as District 7 Secretary/Treasurer.

During the District 6 and 7 mee ng, Special FBI Agent, Brian Smith, spoke about his experiences during his 20 year career.

Agent Smith is the lead agent on the NPS case that is s ll on-going.

Missouri State Representatives Ben Harris (D-118) However, it and T.J. McKenna (D-114) attended the District 6 was stated and 7 meeting on March 18, 2014. that Doug [Not pictured - Rep. Jeff Roorda (D-113)] Cassity is

serving his prison sentence at the United States Peniten ary at Marion, Illinois - the same peniten ary where John Go was incarcerated. Brent Cassity is serving his prison sentence in Leavenworth.

MFDEA President John Pautz appointed Kyle Trimble of Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home as District 5 Director.

Patrick Weiss of Cozean Memorial Chapel was elected District 10 Director on December 4, 2013. Also elected were Steve Watkins as District 10 President; Norman Bradshaw as District 10 Vice President; and Con a Follis as District 10 Secretary/ Treasurer.

N E W S

MFDEA District 6 Director John Moore and District 7 Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Cooper at the District 6 & 7 Meeting on March 18, 2014.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

D A T E S

A 2014 April 16: MFDEA Law Class in Jefferson City April 18: Good Friday, MFDEA office closed M 2014 May 8: Truman’s Birthday, MFDEA office closed May 11: Mother’s Day May 11-14: MFDEA Conven on and Tradeshow May 26: Memorial Day, MFDEA office closed May 28: MFDEA Law Class in Jefferson City J 2014 June 15: Father’s Day June 18: MFDEA Law Class J 2014 July 4: Independence Day, MFDEA office closed July 23: MFDEA Law Class in Jefferson City A 2014 Aug. 20: MFDEA Law Class in Jefferson City

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Nichole Suzanne Licklider, of Rolla, passed away Monday, January 6, 2014 at the age of 25. Nichole was born in Rolla on April 28, 1988 to Roger C. Licklider and Stacy LeeAnn (Frintrup) Licklider.

She was a 2007 graduate of the Vienna High School. She most recently worked as a Caregiver for clients of Choices For People. Nichole was preceded in death by her grandfather, Vincent Frintrup, grandmother, Wanda Licklider, sister, Casey Jo Licklider, and grandfather, Stanley Arthur.

She will be greatly missed by her surviving family which includes her daughter, Madelyn Paige Licklider, of Rolla; her mother, Stacy L. Licklider, of St. George, KS; her father, Roger C. Licklider and wife Valerie, of Rolla; four brothers, Dalton T. Licklider, of Rolla, Carter M. Licklider, of St. George, KS, Jacob A. Rothe, of Rolla; and Cody Rothe, also of Rolla; two sisters, Anne Robison and husband James, and Amy Rothe, both of Rolla; maternal grandmother, Jacqueline Frintrup, of Manha an, KS; paternal grandfather, Cornell Licklider and friend Vivian Ridehour, of St. James, MO; grandmother, Doris Arthur, of Rolla; aunts and uncles, Diane Daniel and husband Doug, of St. James, Susan Adams and husband Mitchel, of Westmoreland, KS; Forrest Arthur and wife Tess, of Carmel Valley, CA, Burton Arthur, of WI, and Robin Johnson, of Rolla; as well as a host of cousins and many friends.

A funeral service for Nichole Licklider was held at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2014 at the First Assembly of God in Rolla. A private family Commi al service followed in the Licklider Cemetery.

Edward James Mahn, Jr. 65, of Desoto entered into eternal rest on January 6, 2014 at Mercy Hospital Jefferson.

Mr. Mahn is be er known to this community, his family and his friends, as “Jimmy”.

He was re red from Mahn Towing; a member of the Desoto Elks Lodge 689, (a Past Exalted Ruler) and a member 28

Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

of the Men’s Auxiliary VWF Post 1831.

Born August 23, 1948 in Desoto; he was the son of Doris June (Vance) Lewis Mahn and the late Edward James Mahn, Sr. Surviving family members are his mother, two daughters, Lisa Mahn Donnell and Jamie Mahn Bradley, two brothers, Danny Mahn and Roy Lee (Carol) Lewis, a sister, Sandra (Evere Edward Dahl) Lewis Dahl; his partner, Pa L Dallas; four grandchildren: Seth Donnell, Ma hew Donnell, Sean Mahn and Madison Mahn Bradley; and one great grandchild, Kaylee Donnell.

Visita on was Sunday, January 12, 2014 from 3pm to 8pm at Mahn Funeral Home Desoto with a Mass on Monday, January 13, 2014, 10:00am at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church; interment in the Calvary Cemetery.

Mr. Edward James Mahn, Jr., is a cousin to Daniel Todd Mahn, past member of the Missouri State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers and a current member of the Missouri Funeral Directors and Embalmers Associa on.

Paul Hayes, age 90, of St. Louis, MO, formerly of Shelbina, MO, passed away on January 20, 2014, at Sunset Assisted Living in Richmond Heights, MO. Paul was born on November 6, 1923, in Shelbina, MO, the son of Evere and Leona Hopper Hayes. Paul graduated from Shelbina High School in 1941, where he played the French horn in the Shelbina band. His senior year, he served as class secretary. Paul enlisted in the

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Army in October of 1942, at the age of 19 and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He belonged to the 5th Air Force 22nd Bomb Group engaged in combat in the South Pacific Theater.

Paul served as a member of the B-24 bomber crew as radio operator and a ball turret gunner (it was located under the plane and he said he had the best view). He was awarded 5 Bronze Stars, a Good Conduct Medal, and an Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Following military service, Paul married his high school sweetheart Be y Green on March 20, 1945. Paul graduated from the College of Mortuary Science in St. Louis, MO, on June 12, 1946, and then joined his father, Evere and his brother Jack in Shelbina in the family business, Hayes Funeral Home, which Elmer Hopper and his father Evere had founded in 1915.

A er his brother Jack passed away in 1983, he joined with Pete Greening and Ralph Eagan and the firm became known as the Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home. He worked as a funeral director un l his re rement in 1996.

Paul was an ac ve member of the community, serving as a scout leader, earning the Silver Beaver award for his service, was Secretary of the Shelby County School Board and served on the Shelbina Library Board. Paul was a Mason and a member of the American Legion for over 60 years.

Paul is survived by his wife Be y, currently residing in St. Louis, his four children, Jim Hayes and partner Vicki of Portland, OR, Dan Hayes and his wife Janet of Clive, IA, Becky Lorenz and her husband Robert of St. Louis, MO and Mark Hayes and his wife Katherine of Alexandria, VA. Paul is also survived by five grandchildren, Timothy Hayes, his wife Marci and their three children, Luke, Colin and Jacob, Ben Hayes and his wife Lindsey

of Bal more, MD, Kathryn Hayes of Chapel Hill, NC, Damien Lorenz of Columbia, MO and Ma hew Hayes of Alexandria, VA. Paul’s greatest joy was his wife of 68 years, spending me with family and drinking coffee with his friends at Hickey’s Drug Store and later at the Chicken Coop. Paul is remembered by friends and family as a kind and loving man who enjoyed woodworking and was renowned for his sweet tooth, most notably his love of ice cream.

Mass of Chris an Burial was held on Thursday, January 23, 2014, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Shelbina, MO, with burial at Shelbina Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Neighbors Helping Neighbors or Shelbina Library.

William W. Stone, age 58 years, of Jefferson City, Mo., passed away Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Capital Region Medical Center.

He was born on February 15, 1956 in Jefferson City, Mo. the son of Donald and Norma Moir Stone. He was married on March 26, 2004 in Jefferson City, Mo. to Do e Hutchison who survives at the home.

A lifelong resident of Jefferson City, Willie was a 1974 graduate of Jefferson City High School and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lincoln University.

Willie most recently worked for the State of Missouri at the Department of Health and Senior Services in the Bureau of Vital Records. Prior to joining the Department of Health, he

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was a social services director and nursing home director for many nursing homes in Central Missouri.

Willie spent the majority of his spare me training his four excep onal dock jumping dogs: Mandie, Mickie, Mar ni and Merlot Moon. He was even president of the Big Muddy Dock Dogs. Most of all, he cherished me with his family and friends and always enjoyed sharing stories with them.

Survivors include: his loving wife, Do e; one stepson, Ma Tellman and his wife Crystal of Jefferson City; one stepdaughter, Carmen Marsch and her boyfriend Louis Casteel of Jefferson City; two sisters, Donna Stone Anderson and Sally Wolfe, both of Jefferson City; three grandchildren, Preslee Tellman, Rylinn Tellman, and Jackson Marsch, all of Jefferson City; two nieces, Casey Anderson Marsch and her husband Ryan and Jamie Wolfe; one nephew, Stanton Wolfe; and many dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one nephew, Donald Luke Anderson.

A Celebra on of Life service was conducted Tuesday, April 1, 2014 in the Freeman Chapel with the Reverend Dr. Stephen Buchholz officia ng. In lieu of flowers memorial contribu ons are suggested to the Missouri Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. Funeral arrangements were under the direc on of Freeman Mortuary.

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Spring 2014 • The Missouri Funeral Director

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