the independent - fall 2012

PANDEMICPANDEMIC

Business Continuity Plan | 2012 Fall Forum | GSG SpotlightInside:

Make a PlanBe PrePared

Fall 2012 I www.ogr.org

2 Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org2 www.ogr.org | The Independent®

t

2013CATHOLIC CALENDAR

o

PORTRAITSOF

SAINTSTWELVE

MASTERPIECES4 CFPO

Introductory OGR PriceOnly94¢

Absolutely no other charges. Really.

Plus 15¢eachfor shipping

The Judith Roth Studio CollectionThe world's highest quality promotional calendars

TM

The Judith Roth Studio Collection is not affiliated with any other publisher, distributor or salesperson.To receive these calendars, your signed order form must be sent directly to our company.

Upscale

PromotionalCalendars

Christian

Inspirational

Catholic

800•413•4455www.jrcal.com

NO Set -Up FeeNO Logo FeeNO Over-RunsNO Under-RunsNO Hidden Fees

Your personalized imprint displayed at the centerof the calendar, where it will not be cut off

Please call us for samples and more information.

Calendars closed 11”x 8 3/4” • Calendars open 11” x17 1/2”

Sold exclusively tofuneral homes and cemeteries

OGR - INSIDE FRONT COVER_Layout 1 5/17/12 10:48 AM Page 1

Audio Seminar:Creating a Great Payment Policy

3 Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org

of EvEntS

8 What’s Your Backup Plan? Disaster can come in all sizes, both big and small. It pays for businesses, especially small businesses, to prepare for the worst.

10 2012 Fall Forum

“Leading Today’s Funeral Home” Attend two great events in one trip! This year’s Fall Forum is being held in conjunction with NFDA’s International Convention & Expo.

14 Make a Plan. Be Prepared. By John Reed, Reed Funeral Home, Webster Springs, WV. A pandemic can test the bounds of your business. Follow these simple guidelines and be sure you’re prepared for the worst.

t

2013CATHOLIC CALENDAR

o

PORTRAITSOF

SAINTSTWELVE

MASTERPIECES4 CFPO

Introductory OGR PriceOnly94¢

Absolutely no other charges. Really.

Plus 15¢eachfor shipping

The Judith Roth Studio CollectionThe world's highest quality promotional calendars

TM

The Judith Roth Studio Collection is not affiliated with any other publisher, distributor or salesperson.To receive these calendars, your signed order form must be sent directly to our company.

Upscale

PromotionalCalendars

Christian

Inspirational

Catholic

800•413•4455www.jrcal.com

NO Set -Up FeeNO Logo FeeNO Over-RunsNO Under-RunsNO Hidden Fees

Your personalized imprint displayed at the centerof the calendar, where it will not be cut off

Please call us for samples and more information.

Calendars closed 11”x 8 3/4” • Calendars open 11” x17 1/2”

Sold exclusively tofuneral homes and cemeteries

OGR - INSIDE FRONT COVER_Layout 1 5/17/12 10:48 AM Page 1

[ Sept. 27 ]

Audio Seminar:Creating a Great Payment Policy

[ oct. 5 - 6 ]

fall forumCharlotte, nC

[ oct. 25 ]

Audio Seminar:Managing Your Funeral Homes Online Presence

[ nov. 15 ]

Audio Seminar:Succession Planning

[ oct. 7 - 10 ]

nfDAInternational

Convention &Expo

Inside OGr

newsworthy

CAlEnDAr

[ April 25 - 28, 2013 ]

Annual Conference& Supplier Showcase

Memphis, tn

President’s Message 5

Golden Awards 6

Call for Board Nominations 9

In Memoriam 23

New Members 26

GSG Spotlight 27

Exemplary Service 28

Milestone Anniversaries 30

Table of Contents

Fry Funeral Home Hosts Wartime Memorial 18

Kreidler Celebrates Centennial 18

ASD - 40 Years of Service 18

Mike Lewis Q & A 19

GSG Supplier News 20

Wagg Funeral Home Recognized 21

4 Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org

Access Financial Group............................... 7, 9Chris Chigas, (800) 487-8220www.afinancial.com

Answering Service for Directors .............. 21 Kevin Czachor, (800) [email protected]

Aurora............................................................. 32 Chip Ray, (812) 926-5612, ext. [email protected]/ogr

C& J Financial ................................................. 31 Jamie Meredith, (800) [email protected]/ogr

Federated Funeral Directors of America (A Fiducial company) ............................................. 13 John Rodenburg, (800) [email protected]

Meadow Hill Corporation .......................... 20 Adrienne Kalmes, (877) [email protected]

The Red Book, National Directory of Morticians ............ 26(440) 247-3561 [email protected]

The Sewell Companies................................. 23 Danny Hughes, (800) 289-7848 www.thesewellcompanies.com

The Judith Roth Studio Collection ............. 2 (800) [email protected]

ADvErtISEr’S InDEX

The Independent® | fall 2012 | volume 15 | Issue 4

The Independent® is a benefit of membership in the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), a not-for-profit organization tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, Federal ID No. 43-1828432. Published quarterly, The Independent® is mailed the first full week of each new quarter. Send address changes to OGR, Attn: Mailing List, 3520 Executive Center Dr., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78731. © 2011 International Order of the Golden Rule. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Non-member subscriptions (USD): One year: $40; two years: $60; single copy: $11.50.

Founded in 1928, OGR is composed of independently owned and operated funeral homes located throughout North America and overseas. Editorial material and letters of opinion are invited. Published articles reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association. OGR reserves the right to edit all submitted materials and does not assume responsibility for unsolicited materials. For author guidelines, contact the editor, (800) 637-8030, or visit www.ogr.org.

Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the publisher. the advertisement of any product or service in the Independent® does not represent an endorsement of such product or service by oGr. Classified Advertising: line ads: $1.10 per word; display classified ads: $30 per col. inch. Call the communications department to reserve space or to request a rate card and mechanical specifications. oGr does not accept ads that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability or any other federally protected class.

Printer Johnson Press of America, Inc., Pontiac, Ill.

Publisher International order of the Golden rule 3520 Executive Center Drive Suite 300 Austin, texas 78731 800) 637-8030 fax: (512) 334-5514 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ogr.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

President-Elect

Secretary-Treasurer

Immediate Past President

Directors

Michael S. Lewis

David Fry

Wayne “Bud” Wieting

Jeffrey S. Wages CFSP

William Brock, Jr. CFSP

F. Edward Pearce

Peter “Skip” Urban

Roger Beyers

Executive DirectorCommunications &

Marketing Director

Staff

Mark Allen

Scott F. McClure

Maureen HayesConnie HaymesPamela Hutchinson Lisa KrabbenhoftGael MurdochDenise GomezDenise RodriguezDebbie J. Smith


President’s Message

vAluE of MEMbErShIP -ShoW It!by Mike Lewis

To quote one and to quote many, “The only thing constant in life is change.” It is our goal to ensure

that the changes being made bring us to a better place. Are we accomplishing this goal? In the case of OGR, I can answer with an emphatic yes! As I have been quoted, “We owe the hard work of past presidents and leadership which has brought us to where we are today.” It’s humbling to realize that I will one day be a past president and part of a leadership team whose hard work will have, hopefully, been a part of moving our association to a better place.

OGR has marched forward with noticeable and measurable positive change. We have updated our by-laws, secured new brand-ing, including an all new logo, and moved our offices clear across the country. If those accomplishments weren’t enough to blow our own horn, our new Executive Direc-tor, Mark Allen, has certainly made a big difference in the short time he has been at the helm. Having been a part of the transi-tion, I can say with confidence that our home office is experiencing a climate change and is benefiting from a more “hands-on” environment fostered by our new Director.

Now that we have many new pieces in place, it’s time to move forward with the work that will help us grow the association in an upward direction for 2013. It is our goal to attract new members to the association and to do this, we must show both the tangible and intangible value that OGR offers to the best indepen-dently owned funeral homes in the country. Product and services discounts are certainly nothing to sneeze at, along with invaluable resources and information, but these benefits are easy to measure and gauge. We need to focus our attention on the comradeship of our members and making those important connections with our colleagues. OGR is an association of diver-sity which brings together a unique perspective from around the country and even the world. Our proud

supporters need to get out and spread the word that OGR is the premier association of independent funeral homes in the world. As I did over 12 years ago, our members choose OGR because of the people in it. We elect good people to lead and serve good people. OGR membership has great value and we need to show it!

How do we spread the word about what OGR does and how it benefits its membership? We need to utilize all communi-cations methods possible to reinforce our message to those who are aware and to also secure those who may be missing parts of, or the entire message. As active members, we are also responsible for communicating the reasons why we are an active part of the association to our potential members.

Share your OGR experiences with other profes-sionals and I can assure you, they’ll take a closer look. Funeral homes who are not members of OGR have never tried OGR.

Participation in association events is a great way to experience the value of membership. It keeps you plugged-in to the core of our profession and to those who are at the forefront. Now, we under-stand that not every member has the opportunity to participate in OGR events, such as our annual convention, forums and meetings, so it is up to

those who are active, to share their experiences and open a dialog so that a good portion of our loyal members don’t get left behind as our group moves forward.

I would now like to move forward with this edition of The Independent®. The road to recovery after any hardship event that affects your business can be a long and hard road. This recovery process is, however, directly related to the prepara-tions that precede the debilitating event. What can we do to prepare for the unexpected? How can we protect ourselves from loss? Can we expect to serve families after an event? These are just a few of the questions that are addressed in this issue. My family and our business were victim to hurricane Ivan in 2004. After the devastation, we relied on portable generators to operate the prep-room, office and coolers for over a month. In the big picture, we lost only our “stuff” and stuff can be replaced. Everyone has their own brand of natural disaster. Whether it is a flood, hurri-cane, tornado or earthquake, are you prepared?

“We owe the hard work of

past presidents and leader-

ship which has brought us to where we are

today”.


2013Golden Light

Golden Rule Awards&

OGR invites you to nominate candidates for the Golden Light Award and the Golden Rule Community Service Award. These awards are presented annually to members who inspire you through leadership and service to the profession and community -- members who define success in terms of what they give back.

ELIGIBILITy GuIDELINES

Any person affiliated with an OGR member firm including owners, managers, staff and self-nominations is eligible to enter

Entries must include answers to the questions on the form reflecting the nominee’s lifetime achievements or service to OGR as a committee member, regional chairperson and/or board member

Consideration will be given to community service activities, contributions to the funeral profession, and development of programs within OGR or the funeral profession that exemplify “service measured not by gold, but by the Golden Rule”.

GOLDEN RuLE COMMuNITy SERVICE AWARD

The Golden Rule Community Service Award recognizes a firm (not an individual) for outstanding service to the community during the 2012 calendar year.

NOMINATE COLLEAGuES & FIRMS FOR OGR’S INDuSTRy ACCOLADES

Funeral homes applying for the Community Service award must meet the following guidelines.

GOLDEN LIGHT AWARD

The OGR Golden Light Award, now in its eleventh year, honors an individual (not a firm) who has made specific, meritorious contributions to society through his or her profession, community or field of voluntary service as lifetime achievements.

•

•

• Any funeral home that has become involved/volunteered in civic organizations, churches or school districts, service organiza-tions, or government entities

Any funeral home that has sponsored/organized a community event, fund-raiser, campaign, char-ity event or other activity that benefitted a seg-ment of the community or the population as a whole.

•

•

Continued on next page

ELIGIBILITy GuIDELINES


The Golden Light and Golden Rule award winners will each receive an engraved award and a press release, be rec-ognized at the Annual Conference, and be acknowledged in The Independent and on the OGR web site. Submissions must be received by January 31, 2013. For questions about the Golden Light or Golden Rule Awards, contact Lisa Krabbenhoft at 800-637-8030, or [email protected].

Download the Awards Entry Form at www.ogr.org/scholarships.php.

All member firms are eligible for the Com-munity Service Award;

Support materials should show evidence of the activity or service, such as press clippings, letters of thanks, testimonials, photos, or governmental citations;

A firm may win this award only once every three years

•

•

•

ELIGIBILITy GuIDELINES, continued

Send us your e-mail address to receive OGr’s online newsletters-

[email protected]


ter. Small business owners know this, but many don’t know where to start. If you’re one of these owners, here are six tips on how you can prepare.

1. Establish a backup regime. Data backup is one of the most important things you can do. Be sure to regularly backup your corporate files, servers and user data files. A truly prepared company will have backups in a number of locations that can be easily accessed.

2. Ensure solid communication platforms. One of the first things people do in a disaster is try to com-municate with each other to ensure everything is okay.

you can guarantee that some customers and em-ployees will be calling to check in, so you need to have communication lines that work.

3. Train employees. A BCP plan is useless if your employ-ees don’t know their role in the implementation of the plan. It’s important that you train your employees on their roles, and that you communicate with them your expectations.

4. Contingency plans. Like storing your data backups, you should set up contingency plans with the involved parties in your business. you should know

where to go to do your banking, what your ven-dors’ or suppliers’ plans are and how they affect you, and most importantly: you should have a few locations where you can set up your busi-ness if the physical property is damaged.

5. Review and practice all plans. Everything changes at one time or another, maybe an em-ployee leaves or you adopt a new computer system. This makes it important to periodically practice your plans, review what worked and what didn’t, and update accordingly.

6. Work with an expert. Planning for disaster is a tough thing to do well, considering all the elements to focus on and work with. To ensure a viable plan for your business, working with a re-covery expert can help ensure that you get a plan that works for you while taking the stress off.

Disasters happen on a daily basis. Sometimes they’re big, wiping out communities, other

times they’re small, affecting one online machine or computer. No matter the size of disaster, it pays for businesses, especially small businesses, to prepare for the worst. The only problem is, many small busi-nesses don’t prepare and pay the price.

When a disaster strikes, 25% or more of small businesses af-fected will fail. Why do they fail? It’s not because of defects in the physical location. It’s mainly because they didn’t take the necessary steps to ensure that their business’s technology and related data are protected.

Because the modern business relies so heavily on technology, it’s essential that businesses have a business continuity plan (BCP) to minimize the loss of vital data, or in many cases, not lose any data at all. This is an important asset that will, one day, minimize losses felt due to any type of disas-

WHAT’SYOUr BaCkUP

Plan?

Reproduced with permission from ProntoMarketing. www.ProntoMarketing.com

BOARDof dIreCTOrS

1 3 1 4

open for nominations


BOARDof dIreCTOrS

1 3 1 4

open for nominations

The OGr nominating Committee Seeks Candidates with these Characteristics:

Any member in good standing may submit two people to consider for Board service by sending OGR the person’s name, funeral home and tele-phone number along with the signatures of three OGR members to the Nominating Committee by email ([email protected] ) or postal mail (OGR, 3520 Executive Center Dr., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78731) by Oct. 15, 2012.

The slate of candidates for the 2013-2014 Board of Directors will be announced in the next issue of The Independent magazine and ballots will be mailed this winter. The new board will be installed at OGR’s 2013 Annual Conference & Supplier Showcase in Memphis, Tenn. on April 25-27.

Strategic thinker

Demonstrated integrity

Visionary

Committed to service

Good communicator [[


“Leading

Funeral Home”today’s

We know it’s hard to get away from the o�ce to attend educational

events, especially with so many state and national events from which to choose. That’s why the 2012 Fall Forum is being held in conjunction with NFDA’s Inter-national Convention and Expo – so you can attend two great events in one trip!

Welcome Reception

OGR Education Sessions

NFDA Reception

NFDA Opening Session

NFDA Expo Admission

Enjoy a warm Southern Welcome as you connect with friends old & new.

Attend education sessions that will help you lead your funeral home into the future.

Experience pedal-to-the-metal fun at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

West Point instructor and accomplished mountain climber Alison Levine will share how leadership, teamwork, determination, tenacity and the ability to adapt to a changing environment are as critical in your business as they are on the mountain.

Attend the world’s largest funeral industry trade show with FREE passes courtesy of GSG Suppliers exhibiting at the EXPO. Be sure to stop by their booths.

SCHEDULEAT-A-GLANCE

Friday, Oct. 55:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception

Saturday, Oct. 68:00 - 8:15 a.m.

Coffee & Pastries

8:15 - 9:45 a.m. Cremation Standards

of Care

10:00 - 11:30 a.m.Winning the War

for Talent

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Lunch (Included)

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.Price Shoppers & Your Profit

1:45 - 3:15 p.m.Successfully Using

Social Media

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.Great Ideas

Member Exchange

Sunday, Oct. 76:30 - 9:30 p.m.

NFDA Welcome Party

Monday, Oct. 810 - 11:45 a.m.NFDA Opening

General Session

Noon - 5:00 p.m.NFDA Expo Open

FallForum2012

Charlotte, ncOctober 5 - 6 2012

Fall forum registration allows access to all of the following events:

hilton Charlottecenter city

brochure2.indd 1 7/26/2012 11:35:02 AM

Education Sessions

Fall Forum attendees may reserve lodging through NFDA’s room blocks at eight down-town hotels; all are within walking distance of the Hilton Charlotte Center City and the Convention Center. Visit www.nfda.org/charlotte2012 for the full list of hotels and a map of downtown Charlotte. The following hotels are most convenient to the Fall Forum, being held at the Hilton. Discounts are valid through Sept. 4, based on availability.

Cremation Standards of CareDavid Nixon, Nixon Consulting, Inc.As the author of the annual “Listening to Cremation” study now in its 17th year, David Nixon understands the needs of the cremation customer. The secret to having more cremation families select your funeral home over the direct-disposition discounter across town is to provide them more value. Learn how to implement a cremation standards of care program to provide that value and earn more business.

Winning the War for TalentWayne Rivers, The Family Business InstituteGet the RIGHT PEOPLE on your bus and the WRONG PEOPLE o�! Your funeral home’s future success is constrained by how many talented people you have working with you. Learn what you need to know to evaluate your sta�, the most common hiring and �ring mistakes, and how to apply a proven project management approach to ensure that you’re getting the help you need and not scraping the bottom of the talent barrel.

Price Shoppers & Your Pro�tDavid Nixon, Nixon Consulting, Inc.In today’s environment of limited family resources and lack of understanding about the value of funeral services, more and more families are shopping for the lowest price. Do you treat these callers with the same courtesy as your other clients? Discover why you should, and how to respond in a professional manner and equip callers with the information needed for an informed decision.

Successfully Using Social Media in the Funeral HomeRobin Heppell, Funeral FuturistYou know your funeral home needs an active online presence, but with all the myriad social media options today, where should you focus your limited resources for the most e�ective results? Using experiences of funeral home owners, Robin Heppell will reveal social media best practices as well as the activities on which you don’t need to waste time.

Great Ideas Members ExchangeIn this interactive session, ideas brought up by the presenters will be discussed and examined by the group as a whole. Attendees should bring their OWN best practices and challenges with them to add to the discussion.

Accommodations

Up to 7 hours of CEU credit is available in states where approved. Visit the OGR Web-site for the current list of approvals.

CEUs

Both Delta and American Airlines are provid-ing a 5% discount on �ights to Charlotte. American’s valid travel dates are October 1-14; book online at www.aa.com and enter 27H2BM in the promotion code �eld. Delta’s discount is valid on �ights October 3-19; on www.delta.com, enter NME3Z in the Meet-ing Event Code box on the Search Flights page.

Transportation

Hilton Charlotte Center City222 E. 3rd St., Charlotte, NC 28202704-377-1500; ask for the NFDA rate of $199 + tax (NOTE: sold out over NFDA’s dates)

aloft Charlotte Uptown210 East Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202704-333-1999; ask for the NFDA 2012 rate of $189 + tax

Courtyard by Marriott Charlotte City Center237 South Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202704-926-5800; ask for the NFDA CLT 2012 Conference rate of $169 + tax

brochure2.indd 2 8/28/2012 3:36:15 PM


2012 Fall Forum Registration FormOctober 5 - 6, 2012 | Charlotte, NC I Hilton Charlotte Center City

Firm:__________________________________________________Address:__________________________________

City, State / Prov., Zip / Postal Code:__________________________________________________________________

Phone:_____________________________________________Fax:_________________________________________

E-Mail Address:__________________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Registration

First Registrant______________________________________________________________ $449 $499

Additional Registrant___________________________________________________________ $359 $409

Guest(s)*____________________________________________________________________ $129 $179

Non-MemberMember

*Welcome reception, lunch & breaks only; no education sessions

My check is enclosed (payable in US dollars to OGR)

Charge to my AMEX Discover MasterCard Visa

Name on card:___________________________________________________________________________

Account #__________________________________________Exp. Date:_________Security Code:________

Signature:_______________________________________________________________________________

Payment Information

Mail form with payment to OGR, 3520 Executive Center Drive, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78731, or fax to (512) 334-5514.

Registration & Cancellation Policy: Full payment must accompany registration. If you are unable to attend, another sta� member may attend in your place. If you must cancel, notify OGR in writing no later than 10 days prior to the meeting. Refunds will be pro-

cessed minus a $75 administrative fee, and no refunds will be made if noti�ed less than 10 days before the event or for no-shows.

Questions? (800) 637-8030

TOTAL DUE:

FD/EMB Lic#

FD/EMB Lic#

Americans with Disabilities Act: If you require special assistance while attending OGR’s Fall Forum, contact Lisa Krabbenhoft at (800) 637-8030 or [email protected] at least two weeks prior to the event.


“ big”SAVINGSWhen you need more,spend LESS with OGR.

Shop with OGR and save time, effort & money with the OGR Aurora Advantage Program.

Contact your Aurora Representative at (800) 457-1111 or Connie Haymes at OGR (800) 637-8030

OGR Aurora Advantage Program AllStandard Caskets

AllStandard

Urns

18-GaugeSteel

Caskets

StainlessCopper &

Bronze Caskets

50% + of annual casket purchases through Aurora 15% 15% 17% 19%

Annual Aurora casket purchases of $50,000 + 3% 3% 3%

Annual write-up of $50,000 + of Homesteader’s Life Insurance Policies of qualified Aurora caskets

1% 1% 1%

Annual purchase of $25,000 + of Aurora Bronze memorials

1% 1% 1%

TOTAL DISCOUNT 20% 15% 22% 24%

We’ve been around longer than Scotch® tape, Jeeps®, and ballpoint pens. We’ve seen 14 presidents and 45 Super Bowls come and go.

For 85 years, we’ve been helping independent funeral directors make good business decisions. Nobody understands the independent funeral director better than we do. Nobody. When you need help, call us. We understand. We always have, we always will.

14

PANDEMICPANDEMIC

Are youPrepared for . . .

By John D. Reed, Sr.CFSP, CPC

PANDEMICPANDEMIC

PANDEMICPANDEMIC

15

Are youPrepared for . . .

ollowing the days of 9-11, emer-gency preparedness has become widely discussed in many local government agencies. until that time, local disasters focused on

search and rescue, stopping short of discuss-ing how to deal with and process fatalities. Many local governments were relying on state and federal agencies for their resources. When pandemic discussions from medical research-ers began reporting the transmission and the pos-sible numbers of deaths, local emergency planning councils (LEPC) began planning for treatment of the masses and how to deal with ensuing deaths from the Avian Flu. The numbers and estimates were staggering. The experts still maintain that a pandemic will happen in the future, not necessarily from the Avian Flu, but from some other causative agents.

FWHAT ARE THE ISSUES

How are we going to handle the •dignified recovery, storage, identifi-cation and processing of remains as well as the timely issuance of death certificates and the orderly conduct of the funeral and final disposition especially during surge situations?

Funeral homes, cemeteries, cremato-•ries and morgues and their suppliers should be included as a priority for logistical and workforce support and protection, including vaccinations and personal protective equipment, during emergency situations that may involve quarantines, restric-

tions on transportation, travel and public gatherings as well as the actual conduct of the funeral and final dispo-sition.

Temporary suspension of certain •federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing the conduct or practice of funeral directing, cemetery or crematory operations and which may otherwise hinder the proper con-duct of fatality services in an emer-gency situation. These would include but not be limited to the FTC Funeral Rule, various workplace, wage and hour and environmental policies.

Operating two small rural funeral homes in Central West Virginia, with limited or nonexistent resources such as refrigeration, I began to think about what re-sources I did have available and how I could serve my community in the event of a pandemic with the num-bers estimated. I have heard several disturbing solutions on how to deal with a large number of deaths that could result from a pandemic. These unacceptable solutions, in my view, include mass burials and mass cremation. I could not see clear to either of these solutions. Not only did these mass events deprive families of the de-ceased the chance to say goodbye in a proper fashion and have closure in a dignified and respectful manner, it also would create chaos in the communities. My plan is simple. We would put into action what we do best with a few modifications. I am confident that this plan would be suitable for me and many others in a similar rural setting. I have been asked to present my program to funeral director groups, as well as local health departments all over West Virginia and neigh-boring communities. The Associated Press wire also reported my presentation and a mid-western university requested a transcript for their use.

PANDEMICPANDEMIC


you may wonder why I am so involved with this is-sue. The cold hard reality is that I do not believe we are out of the woods. Following the most recent Avian Flu, there was Swine Flu. At the time of this writing, the united States is experiencing fast growth of West Nile Virus. We have also been witness to anthrax in beef, contaminated cantaloupe, lettuce and others. Recently, ABC news reported there could be as many as 94,000 unreported cases of West Nile Virus.

I have access to three licensed embalmers, one mortuary school graduate, four computer stations networked for information intake, and three trained persons capable of talking with families and capable of inputting funeral service information. We also have a small rubber track excavator for opening & closings.

In my state of West Virginia, all pandemic deaths are handled by the coroner’s office. The reason is not neces-

Challenges FacingFuneral Service DuringA Mass Fatality Event

The capacity to conduct normal opera-•tions in a surge environment and with a reduced skilled workforce. This is es-pecially critical in rural areas where the proximity to other funeral homes, health facilities, nursing homes, crematories and cemeteries and the ability to quickly and easily share workers, vehicles, fa-cilities to conduct embalmings, funeral services and final dispositions in a timely manner will be a significant issue.

The ability to meet the expectations of •the families of the deceased who die ei-ther from the event or normally and who demand that the funeral director fulfill his/her obligation to conduct a funeral and final disposition in accordance with their wishes.

sarily for forensics or identi-fication, but for tracking and entering into the system.My plan consists of com-mon sense, good hygiene, employee health, and so-cial distancing. When we receive a call for a home re-moval we will ask everyone, except immediate family, to leave. This is where social distancing begins. All re-movals are to be performed with the utmost care and respect, using plenty topi-cal disinfectant before and after placing the remains in a burial pouch. All those participating in the removal are required to wear full PPE. This is where common sense starts by doing what we need to do to protect our-selves, our employees and the families we serve.

upon arrival at the funeral home, we will embalm the bodies using all the same care and sanitary procedures that our home uses on a regular basis. upon comple-tion of the embalming, all remains will be covered with a hospital gown and placed in a plastic lined cardboard cremation container on Styrofoam body bridges which allow for proper air circulation around the body. The families will then be contacted so that we may obtain the necessary information for services and burial or cremation. We will also utilize our Website as much as we can to facilitate arrangements and to help minimize social distancing. Services, however, will be limited, depending upon the weather, to graveside or church services for the immediate family.

There are many more facets to my plan; however, I think you get the overall idea of the procedures. Due to the nature of the occurrence, the plan will be modi-

Cremation Containers


fied every day, but this will let us serve families and let them have the dignified & respectful service they deserve.

I would like to ask everyone to remember that should there be a full blown pan-demic in the country, there will be no help from the state or federal government. We are on our own. Funeral Directors will have to clean up the mess as we have become all too familiar with in past years. I am pleased to see the local, state and federal agencies have acknowledged and are including the deceased in their plan-ning scenarios.

What You Can Do To Prepare in your community

Each funeral home could expect to handle about 1 years’ business in six months.

Funeral homes should plan for additional staffing during pandemic situa-tions (tasks easily delegated to volunteers from church or civic groups).

Cemeteries & crematories must look at surge capacity within their facilities.

Cremations, which have few-er resource requirements than burials, may not be a more expedient and efficient way of managing large numbers of corpses as some tend to think.If the body is not to be cre-mated, plans to expedite the embalming process should be in place.

Remains (embalmed and un-embalmed) may need to be stored for the duration of the pandemic wave (6 to 8 weeks), so funeral directors should have plans in place to address such a situation.

The availability of existing refrigeration facilities should be assessed.

Each community should identify the capacity of existing refrigeration facilities and plan for the creation of new temporary refrigeration facilities in the event there are increased storage needs.

All those involved in removal must wear full PPE Gear at all times.

What Kind of Help Do You Need From Local, State and Federal

Government

More than anything, it is critical that all parties involved, government and private sector, recognize the needs of the family and the importance of the funeral cer-emony and final disposition to them when establishing policies and procedures for handling mass fatalities.

Dispositions Temporary Storage

Work Force

John D. Reed, Sr. CFSP-CPC, a native of Pinch, West Virginia, Kanawha County, attended Kanawha County Schools, University of Charleston, Graduate of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1971.

He began Employment at Dodd and Hurt Funeral Home November, 1971. Member of Local, State, and National Funeral Director's Association, Masonic and Shrine affiliations, a member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practices and the American Society of Embalmers.

John served in all elective officed of the WV Funeral Directors Association. In 2001 John was elected as an "At Large Representative" to the Executive Board of the National Funeral Directors Association. At the Chicago Convention in 2005 John was elected Secretary of NFDA and was installed as NFDA President at the Orlando, FL Convention in 2008.


Newsworthy

QA

FRY Hosts Memorialfor decades-old passing

Fry Funeral Home of Tipton, IA, hosted a memorial service recently for a Vietnam veteran who was

killed in action in 1965. After decades of waiting, Lt. Col. Dennis Eilers’ loved ones came together Saturday, June 30 to say goodbye. “There was always this linger-ing, wondering if he would ever come home. I guess that’s over now,” said Eilers’ son, Curtis Eilers.

Eilers was originally listed as missing in action, but his status was changed to killed in action in 1977. His body was never recovered, but his family learned in April that a recovery team had confirmed the crash site. A memorial service was then set at First united Church of Christ in Tipton, where the family had be-longed.

“I’m pleased that my father who gave the ultimate sac-rifice has been honored this way by the community and the state,” Curtis Eilers said of the gathering.

To commemorate their 40 year milestone, ASD recently updated

their logo to reflect the company's growth and evolution over the years. The new logo, which will most com-

monly be presented with photos of employees, marks the official retirement of the ASD waiter who has served the company well since the 1970’s when he was designed by the first generation of the Czachor family.

When Martin Czachor and Barbara Czachor began helping funeral homes with their phones in 1972, they never dreamed ASD would one day grow to become the leading funeral home exclusive answering service in the country.

Celebrating40 Years

Of Industry Service

“ASD has answered our calls since the 1970s and at the time there were services that answered for doctors, freight companies, all different types of business, but nothing that was just for funeral homes. ASD was the first specialized service,” says Funeral Director Hank Griffith with Griffith Funeral Home in Norwood, one of ASD's first clients. “We have stayed with ASD because of their professionalism, patience, accuracy, and how well they have kept up with technology.”

ASD Mobile, the sophisticated iPhone application we launched in late 2011, has already been downloaded by over 2,000 funeral homes. Last month, we added even more features to our iPhone app such as push notifications and our patent-pending First Call Connect feature. This year, ASD will introduce the ASD Mobile app to Android users.

Kreidler Funeral HomeCelebrates CentennialRecognized by the McAllen, Texas Chamber of Com-merce, Kreidler Funeral Home celebrates 100 years of service.

Through it all, the Kreidlers believe in business orga-nizations, belonging to the Order of the Golden Rule since 1958.

“you have to like what you’re doing or you’re not doing a good job. It’s like a ministry. I feel like it is anyway,” said John Kreidler. With William, John’s son, working with him, the fifth generation of Kreidler Funeral Home has begun. The historic business is truly a McAllen-grown success story.

1912 - 2012William Kreidler, VP & John Kreidler, Owner


Acme Graphics, Inc. is pleased to announce that we will be moving to a new, larger manufacturing facility here in Cedar Rapids.

Acme Graphics, Inc.320 49th Ave. Drive S.W.Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Our PO Box, phone and fax lines will remain the same: PO Box 1348, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406;

Phone: 866-207-3425; Fax: 866-711-2263.

Questions? Contact Sue Rogen at 866-207-3425 or [email protected]

WE’VE MOVED

Q: What brought you to Santa Rosa County?

A: I am a native of Santa Rosa County. I am the son of the late Avis C. and Dorothy Wolfe Lewis. I was born at home and home at the time was Wolfe-Lewis Funeral Home at the corner of Berryhill and Willing Streets.

Q: What fictional character would you say you are the most like?

A: I am a bit of a neat freak. My wife says I'm always putting things away before she's through with it. She calls me "Hazel" after the 60's comedy show.

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment you now laugh about?

A: We hadn't been to a particular restaurant in a while. I mistakenly went, not once but twice, to the women's restroom and had to have some fellow diners point out my mistake.

Q: Name three things you will always have in your refrigerator?

A: Eggs, cheese, and Blueplate Mayo.

Q: What would we hear on the radio during a road trip when you started your car or truck?

A: I am a fan of WuWF 88.1 NPR Radio and Fox-News.

Q: What is the last book you read?

A: Clive Cussler's "The Hunter".

Q: Which would you enjoy more dinner and movie, ball game, or a good book.

A: My wife Kathie and I have a standing Friday night date night that typically includes dinner and a movie.

Q: Where would your ideal vacation spot be?

A: Anywhere the cruise ship decides to go.

Q: Who, living or dead, has been the biggest influence on you, and why?

A: Definitely my father, Avis C. Lewis. He was born to a Bagdad ship carpenter’s family, in 1918. Grew up and married in the midst of the Depression. Went to col-lege and served as a medic in Europe during World War II. Came home raised a family of six children while hav-ing a part in running three businesses.

Q: What is your greatest personal accomplishment?

A: Building on the foundation that my grandfather, L.D. Wolfe, Sr. and my father left for us. 2012 makes our 84th year of continuous service to the people of Santa Rosa County. My brother Sam and I have been able to grow our presence not only in Milton, but in Navarre and Pace as well.

Q: If you could talk to any historical figure over dinner, who would it be and why?

A: I had a recent trip to Washington, D.C. I went to Ford's Theater and to the residence across the street where President Lincoln died. I would like to have a conversation with President Lincoln about his leadership during the Civil War and what his plans would have been to heal a divided nation after. We might be a better nation today had he lived.

Q&A

OGR President, Mike Lewis is interviewed by his hometown paper.

Reproduced with permission from The Santa Rosa Gazette Online

Newsworthy


Aurora Introduces Cost-Effective Bronze Memorial Products—

According to a recent survey conducted by Aurora Casket and Whitehall Prod-ucts, a majority of cemetery profes-sionals would consider alternatives to traditional bronze memorials because of their high materials costs. Aurora re-sponded by introducing its new Aurora Bronze Memorial products featuring an aluminum core encased in bronze. “Au-rora Bronze Memorials offer a signifi-cant advantage over traditional bronze markers,” said Tim Dugan, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Aurora. “They provide the same classic look and appeal, at a more affordable price – as much as 40 percent less than traditional bronze markers.” Visit www.auroraadvantage.com for more infor-mation.

FrontRunner Introduces Sympathy Gifts and Tributes Online Store—

FrontRunner Professional has an-nounced the release of the Sympathy Gifts & Tributes Online Store, a new free offering designed to snap into any funeral home’s existing website. There Add Thumbies to your Keepsake Center call:

877.848.6243 to receive your free Marketing Kit

Technology thatwill ImproveIdentificationThe Thumbies Fingerprint Scanner™, The Print Vault™ and Electronic Ordering System™ (e•OS) offer advantages to your home and your families.

• Extraordinary Prints• Print Identification• Unrivaled Print Storage• Secure, Fast and

Accurate Ordering

Proven Successis our bottom line...

Print imagefrom Scanner

OGRad11-11_Layout 1 5/10/12 3:09 PM Page 1

is no inventory to carry and everything is handled and shipped directly to the purchaser. Call (866) 748-3625 for more information or visit www.front-runner360.com.

Tributes.com Partners with Terradise and Radio One—

Tributes.com announced two partner-ships designed to further expand the online resource for local and national obituary news. A joint effort with Ter-

radise Computer Systems, makers of TerraPro Professional Funeral Home Software and Votive Funeral Home Websites, will allow users of the two software platforms to access the Trib-utes.com network that reaches 2.5 mil-lion consumers each month. Through Tributes.com’s partnership with Radio One, Inc., an urban-oriented multi-me-dia company, the company will power obituary news to Radio One websites catering to inspirational, gospel and talk radio audiences across 12 u.S. urban markets. Visit www.tributes.com or contact [email protected] for more information.

Newsworthy


40 Years of experience

Funeral Exclusive24/7 Business Protection

Freedom and Peace of Mind Time-saving, E�cient Solutions

1-800-868-9950

30 day FREE Trial

Revolutionary Answering Service Solutions

From the outside one funeral home may be indistinguishable from the next, but consumers are well advised to shop around. There is a

difference in the level of service and care that you can receive from one funeral home to the next. A funeral home that has membership in an organiza-

tion called the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR) ensures that you will receive the best care and are under the guidance of people who have worked

hard to achieve and maintain high standards of service.

Over eighty years ago the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR) was formed. This organization devel-oped a stringent screening process for funeral homes with the goal of establishing a dependable and ethical fu-neral director in every community. Even if invited to join, not every funeral home becomes a member of the OGR. Only family owned and privately owned funeral homes can be members and each member must receive a recommendation from other Golden Rule Funeral Homes in the area.

Myles O’Riordan, Funeral Director of Wagg Funeral Home in Port Perry, has been a member of the OGR since 1992. He says, “I accepted their offer because I am a person who cares about my community. I feel this organization will help me grow as a caregiver. There are very high standards in OGR and they are very deter-mined, as I am, in maintaining them.”

Included in the Order’s set of principles that guide their practices and conduct are: to promote the welfare of the funeral profession and the public whom they serve, to identify through a screening process funeral directors deemed worthy of membership, to strive for mutual improvement and education of members through meetings and conferences, to establish and maintain good relations between mem-bers and the people in their respective communities.

In your time of need you can trust a Golden Rule Funeral Home. “Service mea-sured not by gold, but by the Golden Rule.” Visit Golden Rule Funeral Homes online at www.ogr.org.

Call the Wagg Funeral Home in Port Perry – an International Order of the Golden Rule member at 905-985-2171, toll free (800) 377-9139 or visit their website www.waggfuneralhome.com.

“A Golden Rule Funeral Home is a place you can trust”

Wagg Funeral Home Recognized By Local Media

Reproduced with permission from PortPerryShopTalk.com.

Newsworthy


YOUR FAMILIES DESERVE THE BEST

OF CARE.

For pricing and a list of available materials, visit www.ogr.org/GoldenRuleofCare.php. Visit each month for an updated list of available materials. To request a sample or place an order,

contact OGR Service Consultant, Maureen Hayes at (800) 637-8030

YOUR FAMILIES DESERVE THE BEST

OF CARE.

Exclusive

�e OGR Golden Rule® of Care series is a completely revised and updated set of booklets and pamphlets written in clear, straightforward lan-guage with sensitivity and compassion to answer most questions and concerns families will have when confronting the death of a loved one. �e series, organized into three sets - Pre-need, At-need and Aftercare - features individual booklets and pamphlets with each focused on a speci�c aspect of death care.

PRE-NEED

GUIDE TO FUNERAL PLANNINGINCLUDING CREMATION

PERSONAL PROFILE

AT-NEED

SURVIVORS GUIDE

AFTERCARE

FRIENDSHIP RECORD

CLERGY RECORD

WRITING YOUR SYMPATHYACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

®�e Golden Ruleof Care

WHY CHOOSE A GOLDEN RULEFUNERAL HOME

�e booklets are uniquely branded for maximum appeal, they include the Golden Rule logo, and they will make an attractive addition to any lobby, reception area, conference room, and on and on. Book-lets and pamphlets can be imprinted to include your funeral home’s logo and contact information which also a�ords the perfect take-away pieces to help meet your marketing needs throughout the community.

§§

§§

§§

§


Evan Nestor Lyle, 22, of St. Petersburg passed away suddenly on June 26, 2012. Evan was the beloved son of Laurie and Glenn Lyle, of American Crematory Equipment Company. A graduate of Boca Ciega High School and the university of South Florida’s Project Stingray, Evan was a customer service clerk at Publix in downtown St. Peters-burg.

An avid sports enthusiast, Evan loved the Tampa Bay Rays, playing soccer, basketball and street hockey with his brother Austin and sister Lindsey, and enjoyed soft-ball. In May 2012, Evan and his team won the gold medal in soccer at the Special Olympics State Championship in Orlando. He was a member of the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle.

In addition to his parents, brother and sister, Evan is sur-vived by his paternal grandmother Merle Lyle; maternal grandparents Robert and Joan Nestor; aunt and uncle Brian and Kathy Nestor and cousins Molly, Alex and Emma; aunt Maura Haverly and cousin Megan; uncle Steven Lyle and Brenda Lyle; cousin Julia; aunt Robin Gentry and uncle Dr.

Irving "Stet" W. Stetson

Douglas Gentry and cousins Ben (Lisa), Tim, Jon, Jessica and Abigail.

Donations in Evan's memory to All Children's Hospital or the Special Olympics would be appreciated. Evan always had a smile on his face and a very giving heart. Memorial condo-lences may be expressed at davidcgross.com.

Irving "Stet” W. Stetson, passed away May 6, 2012 at the age of 87. He was born January 30, 1925 in Portland, the son of Irving W. Sr. and Mulvina Ragan Stetson. A fourth-generation funeral director, Stet was the former owner of Stetson’s Fu-neral Home in Brunswick, ME.

After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the u.S. Army in 1943 and served as grave registration chief, building cemeteries in Normandy and the Batangas, Philippines during World War II. upon returning, he graduated from the Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, PA and attended Temple university. He and his wife, Dorothy, became the

owners of Stetson’s Funeral Home in 1952. Even after he sold the funeral home in 1991, he maintained a keen interest in the business until the time of his death.

Stet was a life member of the Maine Funeral Directors Association, where he served as a past president, a member of NFDA where he served on many national committees, a com-mittee member for the New Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery-Mount Vernon Road, a member of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and was previously qualified as a mortuary disaster coordinator for NFDA.

In addition to his wife of 63 years, Dorothy Grontkowski Stetson of Brunswick, he is sur-vived by a cousin Virginia Laumer of Fisher, Indiana, several second cousins, and special "daughter” Connie Cozzolino-Smith of Hart-land, Wisconsin.

Memorial condolences may be expressed and a video tribute viewed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com.

Evan Nestor Lyle

In Memoriam


Looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to earn con-tinuing education hours for your staff? Look no further than OGR’s fall audio seminar series. One registration fee allows an unlimited number of your staff to participate from one connec-tion, and all attendees are eligible for continuing education credit in states where approved. Programs

are one hour and start at 1 p.m. Eastern, 12 p.m. Central, 11 a.m.

Mountain and 10 a.m. Pacific time.

Sept. 27 – Creating a Great Payment PolicyDiscover the essentials of a great payment policy so your staff can spend more time doing what they do best and less time on collections. Presented by Scott Payne, licensed funeral director and Regional Director of Sales for C&J Financial.

Oct. 25 – Managing Your Funeral Home’s Online PresenceLearn how to keep your Website, Twitter feed, Facebook page and other social media formats interactive and engaging to reach your followers and convert them to customers. Presented by Zachary Garbow, co-founder of Funeral Innovations.

Nov. 15 – Succession PlanningEssential topics such as family conflict, generational issues, setting expectations, and fair divisions among heirs will be discussed in this not-to-be-missed seminar. Presented by Wayne Rivers, co-founder and President of the Family Business Institute.

OGR member firms can register for only $120 per semi-nar, or sign up for the three seminar package for the best value of $99 per seminar! Contact Lisa Krabbenhoft at 800-637-8030, extension 110, or [email protected] to register today.

OGR AudioGeorge and Gregory Darte will launch the first meeting of an ongoing OGR Study Group on September 23-25 at George Darte Funeral Chapel in St. Catharines, Ontario. Group participants will meet in person twice per year at a mem-ber’s funeral home to explore ways to fulfill families’ increasingly diverse requests for services, achieve profit goals and attract new customers. using a combination of discussion methods, internal and external expertise, and industry data, George Darte will guide group mem-bers to a list of achievable actions to try at their funeral homes.

In order to maximize the dynamic impact of the group, each participant is expected to prepare in advance for productive discussions and take an active role in the proceedings. For instance, everyone will present three “best practices” they’ve used or have seen implemented at other funeral homes. Perhaps one of the most memo-rable learning opportunities will be a “first impression” assessment of the host’s funeral home and staff by study group participants with the intention of providing con-structive criticism and suggestions for improvements.

Having previously participated in several study groups, George Darte has become well versed in the types of activities and discussion formats that lead to the most effective group dynamics. He also knows the importance of maintaining nurturing contact between face-to-face meetings. Thus, he suggests conducting conference calls every three months and encourages members to experi-ence other funeral homes’ practices by participating in staff work exchanges.

There is no registration fee to participate in the study group. Expenses for meals and onsite materials will be divided equally among all participants. Study group members are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. Space is limited, so make your reservations as soon as possible. Please note, this study group is not eligible for CEus.

For more information about the study group and local accommodations, contact George Darte at [email protected] or (905) 937-4444.

First Ever Study GroupSeminars


Tim Stewart Funeral HomeMonroe, GAPrimary contact: Tim Stewart Phone: (770)[email protected]

Tim Stewart Funeral Home, IncLawrenceville Chapel,Lawrenceville, GA

Tim Stewart Funeral Home, IncLoganville Chapel,Loganville, GA

Tim Stewart Funeral Home, IncSnellville Chapel,Snellville GA

Markwell Funeral HomeCasey, IL 62420Primary Contact: Jay MarkwellPhone: (217) 932-2131Fax: (217) [email protected]

Greenwell Funeral HomeMartinsville, IL

Main Firms affiliates

Monumental MemoriesTucson, AZKevin MillerPhone: 520-248-3342Email: [email protected]: www.monumentalmemories.net

Business Members

New Members


SRS Computing offers a feature on its software called “Virtual Files.” According to Kimberly Simons, the company’s vice president, the solution provides a listing of every image, video or document associated with a particular case. Whether it’s signed contracts, photos or anything else, you can have everything at your fingertips, she says.

SRS also has a nightly backup sys-tem that it provides as a courtesy in case something goes wrong. But if you really want to be safe, you can

opt for its cloud solution where ev-erything is instantly backed up. “It’s incredible how many people don’t back up their property or just don’t back up,” Simons says. “We offer both to them – if you want to keep things on a local server, go for it, but we’ll still do a backup for you or if you don’t want the responsibility, the cloud solution is perfect. you don’t have to invest in a server or IT staff.”

SRS offers its data management stor-age feature to customers for a one-time $500 fee. Customers can choose the backing up feature for $600 per year or fully protect themselves with the cloud solution for $900 per year

for one to five connections.For a firm that truly wants to go paperless, Simons suggests getting a high school student or college stu-dent home from the summer to scan in your records. “Pay them appropri-ately,” she advises.

SRS is seeking ways to further bolster its document management solutions. Early on, funeral directors needed to be sold on the solution, but now it’s something they expect from their management software com-panies. For more information, visit www.srscomputingsolutions.com.

Reprinted with permission of FSI.

As a violent thunderstorm shook the Chicagoland area one hot afternoon this July, a family called a local funeral home in Montgomery, Illinois to report the death of a loved one. The operator who took the call answered their questions sensitively and confidently and gave them all the information they needed to move forward with their funeral plans.

It doesn’t sound like an unusual story until you understand that the thunderstorm left the entire region – including the funeral home – without power and without phone service. The attendant who answered the call so skillfully was an answering service employee.

Most funeral directors would not describe an answering service attendant as a funeral home employee. yet when disaster strikes, they quickly become an extension of your business. “The family in Montgomery thought the funeral home had power because they could reach us by phone. During the power outage it made a big difference to the quality of service we could offer families”, said the Mont-gomery funeral director.

Document Managementfor Funeral Homes

Answering Calls Through& THINThick

GSG Spotlight

“It’s reassuring to know that when you can’t personally service your customers, there is someone who cares just as much as you do to handle the job”, said Linda Mur-phy, Director On Call Sales Manager.

As the funeral home in Montgomery learned during last month’s thunderstorm, quality and consistency of service often means the difference between keeping a client and losing a client. “Without Director On Call, we may have lost that client,” said the funeral director. “If we hadn’t been able to offer the family great service that day, they would have gone somewhere else.”

For the funeral director in Montgomery, being able to take that call during the thunderstorm is why he will never do without an answering service provider.

Director On Call is a GSG Supplier and part of the Golden Services Group since 2008. Visit www.directoroncall.com. Call Linda Murphy for more information at 866-847-8010 or 613-546-1791, or e-mail at [email protected].


Shaughnessey-Banks Funeral Home, LLCFairfield, Conn.

Pam was a blessing from the moment I spoke with her. No matter what the problem or request, Pam handled it. There was some problem with the church and find-ing music, etc. I am so grateful to her. She took my calls 24/7. Theresa was more than accommodating to me and my husband’s family from England, making a video presentation and assuring that the DVD would play in England. She spent endless hours making changes we requested. I have been back to visit Pam and Theresa at least once a week and Pam calls me to keep in touch six weeks after the funeral. Theresa is running a group on grief she thinks I will fit nicely into. I wish I had met them both before my husband’s death. I am having a difficult time and both Pam and Theresa are supportive, welcoming, and a great source of comfort. They don’t seem to mind my need to stop by and talk with them. Money cannot pay for the services I have received from Pam and Theresa.

Craig Funeral Home, Inc. | Saint Augustine, Fla.

My brother and I were in Florida because Mom was gravely ill and we knew we had to anticipate her death and make the proper arrangements. We knew Mom’s wishes (she wanted to be cremated and then buried with our Dad in the National Military Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida). Two of Mom’s friends recommended Craig Funeral Home and we set up an appointment for Fri-day, October 28, 2011. We met with Pamela Smith who helped us make the decisions that were needed, even the ones we hadn’t known we had to make. While obvi-

ously highly knowledgeable and professional Pamela was also warm and genuinely caring. We were lacking a few pieces of information, so we said that we would be back the next day. Mom died at 12:15 a.m. on October 29th. Because of Mr. Smith’s and Mr. Beckham’s help we were better able to cope with the emotional wreckage of Mom’s death because we knew that she was well cared for on her final journey. Craig Funeral Home took care of everything just as they said they could and would. And for that we will be forever grateful.

Schoppenhorst, Underwood & Brooks Funeral Home Inc | Shepherdsville, Ky.

I want to give a special notice to Jimmy. I truly felt like I was talking to a family friend. He is so kind and did not use any pressure on us. On the day of my brother’s funeral, one of the pallbearers did not show up. Jimmy offered to be a pallbearer and said it would be an honor. After witnessing the way my brother’s funeral was handled, our pastor has now decided to move his own funeral arrangements to Schoppenhorst.

Pearce Funeral Services, Inc. | Marshall, Ill.

The quality I received surpassed any expectation I even imagined. My wife’s ceremony was the most beauti-ful service I had ever been too. It was definitely a most superb job and as her husband I have no regrets. Having a funeral director come to my house to set up arrange-ments meant the world to me and it will never be forgot-ten. The friendliness of Pearce Funeral Home will never be forgotten.

THe GOlden rUleThese member have been cited for providing exemplary service, going beyond expected service level, and are now eligible for the Gold, Silver and Bronze Exemplary Service Awards. Winners will be honored at the 2013 Annual Conference & Supplier Showcase. Comments submitted by families responding to Family Contact Surveys.

Beyond&Above

Exemplary Service

Fall 2012 | The Independent | www.ogr.org

Beyers Funeral Home & Crematory | Leesburg, Fla.

Everyone at the funeral home was very helpful and sin-cere. Nobody should lose a child, but they gave us really great advice. Also, exceptional job with our son. My hus-band and I really appreciate how Beyers does the infant cremation for free. If it hadn’t been for that, we wouldn’t have been able to do anything.

Askew-Houser Funeral Home, Inc.| Ebensburg, Pa.

Extremely helpful and made everyone feel welcomed. All the details were taken care of and we didn’t have to worry about anything. Very clean and orderly. A calming atmosphere to help us make necessary decisions. Excel-lent attention to personal detail. Very spiritual and mean-ingful. We were always well informed with what was go-ing to happen and guided with respect. We were provided with more products and services that weren’t expected.

Osborne Funeral Home, PA| Williamsport, Md.

Samantha and a classmate were killed in a single-car accident coming home from their senior prom in early May 2012. It is important to note that Craig and Brandi’s daughter Casey was a friend of Samantha’s and they were in the same class at the local high school. However, we had never formally met the Osborne’s before the acci-dent. From first contact with Scott to my last visit with Brandi, all the services that the Osbornes provided were professional, sympathetic, well-coordinated and quite simply-excellent. The entire community was suffering from the recent tragedy and the Osbornes were a pillar upon which others relied, especially us. Their tasks were particularly difficult because the services included not just the embalming, viewing and funeral of two teen-agers, but also combined memorial service at the high school and having to deal with over 1,200 people on consecutive days for Samantha’s viewing and funeral. We felt comfortable calling or e-mailing as needed and we always received information that we were looking for. Additionally, Craig’s attention to detail and coordina-tion with our church and the high school was excellent and went well beyond what was expected. The Osbornes provided so many things in the week after Samantha’s accident that we are not aware of. What we do know is that our daughter’s funeral services were exactly what we wanted for her. We are very grateful for everything that the Osbornes did and cannot thank them enough.

O’Flahrity-Erickson Funeral Home| Shullsburg, Wis.

Brent was truly wonderful to our family. He had plans to be out of town, but changed them when he knew our mother’s services were that day. He had known her for a long time and was intent on seeing that she and our fam-ily were well taken care of. He was so very kind and we all felt he went above and beyond any and all expecta-tions. We were truly blessed to have him serve our family in our time of need.

Arnett & Steele Funeral Home, Inc.| Pineville, Ky.

The Steele Family is blessed with compassion and car-ing. God chose the right people to serve others in their profession during the grief and loss of a loved one. When you enter the door, you are always greeted with a smile and a handshake. They are always willing to help and offer their service at all times. One of the nicest funeral homes in our area. Beautiful, clean and easy access—handicapped ramps. The Steeles did a wonderful job with my mother’s funeral. It was done with dignity and honor. I couldn’t ask for any better. My family and I would highly recommend the Arnett Steele Funeral Home. They are there for you at all times showing their compassion and caring.

Shinn Funeral Service| Russellville, Ark.

Phillip Collie was exceptional. I had contacted him prior to my husband’s death for pre-arrangement. He came in on Sat. on Memorial Day weekend explained everything, gave me all the time I needed and let us use the confer-ence room to plan the service. Their care for us seemed genuine and no one pushed us to spend extra money. Even though we chose cremation they made it possible for us to see my husband cleaned up and presented in a repose room where we were made welcome to stay as long as we wished. Phillip worked throughout the week-end so we could have the service exactly as we wished. This is a five-star funeral home and absolutely lives up to the Golden Rule!

Exemplary Service

29

This is a five-star funeral home and absolutely livesup to the Golden Rule!


C&J FINANCIAL, LLC

The OGR FAST FUNDING Insurance Assignment Program is like having an EASY BUTTON for funding

your insurance proceeds!



Tired of the HASSLE, HEADACHE and CASH FLOW delay in processing

insurance death claims?

800.785.0003 AssignmentFunding.com/ogr [email protected]

55 Years | August 1957Whitley’s Funeral Home Kannapolis, N.C.

50 Years | August 1962Oldham, Roberts & Powell Funeral Home, IncRichmond, Ky.

50 Years | August 1962Sifton Funeral Home LimitedSt. Thomas, Ontario

50 Years | September 1962Ross G. Walker Funeral Home, LtdNew Kensington, Pa.

50 Years | October 1962Schmaedeke Funeral HomeWorth, Ill.

45 Years | September 1967Fagan’s Funeral HomeBath, N.y.

40 Years | September 1972Gonzales Funerals & CremationsLas Vegas, N.M.

40 Years | October 1972Getz Funeral HomeLas Cruces, N.M.

35 Years | Sepetember 1977Hanson-Neely Funeral HomeAda, Ohio

35 Years | October 1977Novitzke Funeral Home, IncPark Falls, Wis.

30 Years | September 1982Haight Funeral Home & Chapel, P.A .Sykesville, Md.

30 Years | October 1982Owens Livingston MortuaryShow Low, Ariz.

25 Years | August 1987O’Donnell Funeral Home, IncNorth Judson, Ind.

25 Years | August 1987Wasson Funeral Home, IncSiloam Springs, Ark.

20 Years | August 1992Wagg Funeral Home, LtdPort Perry, Ontario

20 Years | August 1992Meyersieck-Bussema Funeral HomePigeon, Mich.

20 Years | August 1992Capillas Benito M. Flores, S.A.Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

20 Years | August 1992Shaughnessey-Banks Funeral Home, LLCFairfield, Conn.

20 Years | August 1992Edmond Fahey Funeral Home, IncBay St. Louis, Miss.

20 Years | September 1992Carlson Funeral Service, IncRhinelander, Wis.

15 Years | September 1997Wilson Funeral Home, IncRacine, Wis.

15 Years | September 1997Chas E. Davis Funeral Home, Inc with CrematoryInverness, Fla.

15 Years | October 1997Wilbert Funeral Home, LLCPlaqumine, La.

10 Years | October 2002Worden Funeral DirectorsNewcastle, Wyo.

5 Years | August 2007Rannells Funeal Home, IncWalkerton, Ind.

5 Years | August 2007Belmont Funeral Home, IncHenning, Minn.

5 Years | August 2007Misiuk Funeral Home, IncChesaning, Mich.

5 Years | October 2007Leverton & Sons, LtdLondon, England

MeMBerSHIPmakes a difference

Milestone Anniversaries

The Independent® | fall 2012 31

Newsworthy

C&J FINANCIAL, LLC





Tired of the HASSLE, HEADACHE and CASH FLOW delay in processing

insurance death claims?

800.785.0003 AssignmentFunding.com/ogr [email protected]

THE LOOK OF

I value things that help me run a better business and make my funeral home more attractive to members of my community. I have that with Advisor.

Advisor provides:

for every family

for my arrangers

of forms and stationery

CONFIDENCE

New savings available through the OGR Aurora Advantage Program

800.457.1111 WWW.AURORAADVANTAGE.COM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

look_of_confidence_fp.pdf 3 5/11/12 10:43 AM

the independent - fall 2012

Documents