My daughter wanted to be a mortician. She took the prerequisites for mortuary school, business classes, biology and anatomy, and cosmetology. I called a friend of mine to see if he knew a home where she could intern. He told me to steer her in a different direction as the business changed and there wasn't much money in it any longer. She switched to biotechnology and works as a chemist now. I'm glad she switched majors. Mortuary is creepy to me.
Funeral Directors and Morticians
- Thread starter Jdeere562
- Start date
- Status
Which seems crazy to me because even a basic package with a single viewing is like $6-8K in my area.
This thread is quite topical 
I'm at the dinner after my grandfathers wake
Tomorrow, the Church and burial in the family plot, with his parents
At one of the best Italian spots in South Brooklyn, because Italian American things
He loved Nathan's
Seeing the dead body of a loved one is of course sad, but it is a fact of life, and it will come for all of us, whether we like it for not
It's not for everyone, but my parents never sugar coated life, I learned proper dress/etiquette/having flowers sent from a very young age
I had to run out to Target for a Bluetooth speaker, for an honorary round of Frank Sinatra's My Way
We should all make it to 82
And if your wondering what it costs to pass away these days, from start to finish, about $16k
I'm at the dinner after my grandfathers wake
Tomorrow, the Church and burial in the family plot, with his parents
At one of the best Italian spots in South Brooklyn, because Italian American things
He loved Nathan's
Seeing the dead body of a loved one is of course sad, but it is a fact of life, and it will come for all of us, whether we like it for not
It's not for everyone, but my parents never sugar coated life, I learned proper dress/etiquette/having flowers sent from a very young age
I had to run out to Target for a Bluetooth speaker, for an honorary round of Frank Sinatra's My Way
We should all make it to 82
And if your wondering what it costs to pass away these days, from start to finish, about $16k
I suppose she wanted him to look his best (ie no deterioration) for the open casket portion.
I plan to live forever .... so far, it's working out ok.
There is a Funeral Home in my area run by a family with the last name of Amigone.
People joke about the last name .... Am I Gone?
www.amigone.com
There is a Funeral Home in my area run by a family with the last name of Amigone.
People joke about the last name .... Am I Gone?
Amigone Funeral Home | Funeral Homes in Buffalo, NY
Amigone Funeral Home is owned and operated by the 3rd & 4th generations of Amigone family members. We provide the finest funeral &... Learn More
www.amigone.com
We have the funerals because the dead wants them. I respect whatever a person chooses . And nope I don’t like open casket either .
Some states perhaps but not all. Wisconsin has no such law but individual funeral homes may have their own requirement.
My father was somewhat of a nut who did not understand how bodies change after death. He wanted an open casket funeral, but did not want to be embalmed, He died suddenly of a massive stroke, My mother, who knew even less, followed his wishes, but delayed burying him a few days so all relatives could attend, So they were keeping his body in cold storage, By the time of the funeral his body dehydrated some, and his facial expression looked like a prune.
Not the greatest final memory picture.
I knew someone whose daughter was attending Mortuary school. I told him all the boys were dying to meet her.
Not the greatest final memory picture.
I knew someone whose daughter was attending Mortuary school. I told him all the boys were dying to meet her.
Tradition, marketing, after all its a big money maker for the industry.
I honestly believe there is a shift toward cremation now. At least as far as our family members and siblings.
Something that seemed strange to us decades ago with every family member, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, having traditional funeral homes, showings, burials ect. I guess the question could be asked, why?
I dont know anyone of my family members/siblings that want any of the above anymore, we all want to be cremated. I mean, you're gone, go in peace and we do not want to burden others with arrangements, costs, stress, it's stressful enough. I think also many family members are in many more places around the country than decades ago adding to more stress and arranging things.
This change in thinking towards cremation is big for us because no one in my family circle ever knew anything different. Growing up one half of my family tree was hardcore Italian and everything that was done was the whole shebang, weddings, funerals and everything in-between. That even goes for the other half as well.
Last edited:
The trend is definitely towards cremation and has been that way for a number of years now. It has picked up a lot in recent years. Another trend is somewhat going back to the old custom of having a family plot and everyone gets placed in it after cremation.
Composting of human remains is now legal in 6 states, including New York and Vermont. No, they don't throw you outdoors into a compost pile. Its a controlled, closed and clean process. The end result, they combine your composted remains with soil and it is spread to the outdoors.
There is something comforting to the idea of passing one's body into nutrients for a few new trees.
There is something comforting to the idea of passing one's body into nutrients for a few new trees.
I live near a large university community, so I have exposure to lots of different cultural funeral customs. I think the U.S. has desensitized the funeral process. It's not unlike our meat industry where we are not aware of the slaughterhouse background of our neat, cellophane covered grocery store offerings. I'm with the group here that consider death a natural process not to have fear about.
The funeral industry is a sham similar to the wedding industry.
The funeral industry is a sham similar to the wedding industry.
The fraud and misrepresentation of community mausoleum "dead storage" is criminal, in my mind. Instead of dry storage free of "unfriendly earth elements", they never tell you about phorid flies and bodies turning to gooey soup.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2022
- Messages
- 1,265
We are but a hollow vessel after death.
Have to take it in perspective. Many small town funeral homes may only have 2 or 3 deaths per month.
They must not only keep up the buildings, but support a crew of a hearse and limos. Can't be cheap.
Plus they hire additional help for the funeral and drivers.
Told my kids just to cremate my remains, or throw them into the MO River for the fish.
Death is a given. One of my last jobs was installing a crematorium next to a operating one. Took three days never saw a body go in or out stepped out. But worked in some ashes. They don't ever smell with modern controls. Size of a full size van weigh 19k lbs. This one in st. louis make 3 at this cemetery.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
.
My wife died a year ago after dealing with cancer for over 10 years.
As per her and my wishes, she was cremated, ashes placed in a nice urn. We kept the urn in the house for a year. No wakes, no viewings, no casket, no nothing.
Also, as we agreed, I bought a plot in a nice cemetery and placed a granite bench marker on it with both our names.
After a year in the home, we buried the ashes at the cemetery, and invited family and friends to come to the burial of the urn.
We then went to a luncheon in a private room in a nearby restaurant where we shared pictures and stories in a celebration of her life.
It was all highly personal, some time had passed for our grief to subside, and at the luncheon we focused on her life, not her death.
As per her and my wishes, she was cremated, ashes placed in a nice urn. We kept the urn in the house for a year. No wakes, no viewings, no casket, no nothing.
Also, as we agreed, I bought a plot in a nice cemetery and placed a granite bench marker on it with both our names.
After a year in the home, we buried the ashes at the cemetery, and invited family and friends to come to the burial of the urn.
We then went to a luncheon in a private room in a nearby restaurant where we shared pictures and stories in a celebration of her life.
It was all highly personal, some time had passed for our grief to subside, and at the luncheon we focused on her life, not her death.
- Status
