Funeral Directors and Morticians

[Jdeere562]

So my Nephew never came home one night from work. Had a heart attack and was found dead the next AM. 38 years old.

Preface to this: A few years back, his wife decided to be a mortician and attended school. Performed in her line of work a few years. Seemed like a nice gal, just kind of a weird duck to me.

So at the open casket funeral, we found out she embalmed her own husband! Planned on cremation after the funeral, so they had one of those burn-it caskets. She put sticky notes and pens, and invited us all to put them on the casket.

Jason's Brother wrote, to the nicest (edit - Mod) I have ever known to his dead Brother. After the funeral, she pushed him into the fire box.

Can anyone beat this "real life" stuff? I thought it was strange, but I am an old man. I guess who is going to care for the body though, better than family?
They did that years ago and had funerals at the home. Just still trying to grasp the whole thing!

 

[supton]

Wild!

Years ago, one took care of one's own. I think they were more somber, no jokes, bit of a shame, but that's what it was. Not sure I could handle it quite as well, but you have to admit, if your family carried you in life, who better to carry you in death? Not sure there is a fitting to go out, other than to have your descendants carry you to your resting place, having a quiet moment--then a loud celebration of life party after that.

 

[skyactiv]

I hate looking at dead bodies. I wonder if YouTube has embalming and autopsy videos? That would creep me out.

 

[dishdude]

I hate looking at dead bodies. I wonder if YouTube has embalming and autopsy videos? That would creep me out.

Same here. Why do we have open casket funerals?

 

[mrsilv04]

Sis's first husband was a mortician. Only found out too late that being a mortician was nothing more a sick little game of one-upmanship that he and his lifelong childhood buddy had going on, to see who could continuously push the other one to the edge as hard as possible. They both joined the Marines right out of high school, then they both went to mortuary college, and on and on. Another thing that these two did was bodybuilding, and of course, they both got into steroids to try and 'out-hulk' each other.

When sis was married to him, she was a beautician. Guess who did the hair? She actually didn't mind, and it paid very well.

Thankfully for everyone involved (directly or indirectly) he didn't stay in that line of work too long, now he's a pharmaceutical rep. And sis didn't stay with him very long either. I haven't seen or run into him for years, even though I know that he's still in this area.

 

[supton]

I hate looking at dead bodies.

Same here. Why do we have open casket funerals?

Ditto. Was not prepared for a recent friend's death for it to be open. Afterwards, the wife and I agreed, closed casket for us (we plan on cremation regardless, but once we're gone, we're gone--close the door please).

No offense to others and how they feel about the issue. I realize not everyone thinks & feels the same. The grieving process is different for everyone.

 

[jhellwig]

I have a friend whose uncle digs graves and sets tombstones. I have helped him numerous times with burials and stones and had to pull poorly placed cremation urns back out of holes when a new grave is put next to them. It is just another job that needs done.

On a side note we were talking one day and he said that the only burials that get to him are little kids because they didn’t have a chance to experience much life.

 

[ripcord]

At least you'd never run out of work

 

[supton]

At least you'd never run out of work

Why do they put fences around cemeteries? [Old joke I know! more of a dad joke come to think of it.]

 

[PWMDMD]

I hate looking at dead bodies. I wonder if YouTube has embalming and autopsy videos? That would creep me out.

I did full-body human dissection in dental school and then again did head and neck anatomy with prosected heads/necks in residency (essentially the left over heads from the medical and dental students the year before). It was weird the first time. Seemed liked a normal part of life the second time. Removed almost two decades from the experience I wouldn't chose to do it again. I think I had a stronger stomach when I was younger...or at least I was willing to do more things as a means to an end. In retrospect, it is a weird experience and while I see the purpose, I did not like it or enjoy it.

 

[4WD]

Our main funeral home is 3rd generation - so yeah = they have buried a few loved ones …
They also have a convenient lay away plan …

 

[KGMtech]

Open caskets are so much of an Eastern Canada, Eastern USA thing. Never seen one on the West Coast, but my experience with WC funerals is fortunately limited.

 

[ripcord]

Our main funeral home is 3rd generation - so yeah = they have buried a few loved ones …
They also have a convenient lay away plan …

BA DUM TSSS

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

I hate looking at dead bodies. I wonder if YouTube has embalming and autopsy videos? That would creep me out.

Well don't ever go to a funeral home on business and have them casually walk you through the embalming room and body storage area, especially in the busy season. It's not fun, but I was in the Army and have seen stuff, so, mainly I just felt very sad and depressed more than shocked or grossed out...

 

[vavavroom]

Same here. Why do we have open casket funerals?

So people can make sure he or she is really dead.

 

[ecotourist]

I did full-body human dissection in dental school and then again did head and neck anatomy with prosected heads/necks in residency (essentially the left over heads from the medical and dental students the year before). It was weird the first time. Seemed liked a normal part of life the second time. Removed almost two decades from the experience I wouldn't chose to do it again. I think I had a stronger stomach when I was younger...or at least I was willing to do more things as a means to an end. In retrospect, it is a weird experience and while I see the purpose, I did not like it or enjoy it.

Ditto in Med School. Plus brains and limbs in detail.

I don't think anyone enjoys it. What I mostly remember is how greasy everything got. Burned my lab coat, books and notes afterwards.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

Why bothering to embalm him if she was going to burn him anyways?

 

[ecotourist]

I understand that bathing the body of a family member is traditional in many cultures.

And that's how Ebola spreads. Lots of blood and the blood is highly infectious.

 

[bruckus]

Why bothering to embalm him if she was going to burn him anyways?

I believe its the law if youre doing open casket. When my father passed he was getting cremated. For his service we had an open casket and were told that they must embalm him by law even he was getting cremated after the service. No open casket no embalming.

 

[PWMDMD]

Ditto in Med School. Plus brains and limbs in detail.

I don't think anyone enjoys it. What I mostly remember is how greasy everything got. Burned my lab coat, books and notes afterwards.

UConn saves money by putting all the medical and dental students together for the first two years - so there I was digging to find piriformis, navigating the popliteal fossa, and answering questions about if there’s damage here on this cord of the brachial plexus what would be the resultant deficit.

I still remember the day I watched the instructor take a sawzall to each and every head. Those were the days!