Have You Ever Been to a Funeral Directors' Conference


I enjoyed reading a writer's account of visiting a national convention of funeral directors. For some years I was invited to the North Dakota funeral directors' conference as the mayor to give a welcome. Once or twice I walked through the vender's room and saw displays of the various chemicals and tools of the trade. 

A while back there was a reality TV show about a family who owned a funeral home that I found entertaining.

The link observed two different generations of funeral home business people. One group was dominated by older men who didn't like to do funerals for gay people and who employ no women. They don't like cremation either. The second group included women, gay, trans and environmentally aware people who saw an entirely different future for the industry. Both groups attended this national convention but participated in very different seminars. 

A month or so ago I got to wondering what options there are for "death services" around the neighborhood where I now live. It seemed to me the divisions discussed in the link are alive and well here. About a block away is a nice looking traditional funeral "store." I looked up its options and prices. I've already forgotten the details but the low-end option was about $10 K. There were two places not far away that did only cremation but would host an event and most everything the place close to me offered. These places are about $6 K.  

At one of the convention's seminars a speaker warned about the developing interest in "home funerals." The speaker said, "This is not good for our industry."

At the funeral I attended last the only funeral home staff were two women. Apparently, it is a popular career among gay people. 

Churches are no longer popular venues for weddings. Funerals now are often held in funeral home facilities. Perhaps they will move to homes, bars and wherever else people like to gather. 

Comments

  1. little helperNovember 28, 2021 at 10:29 AM

    perhaps you may try "The American Way Of Death" Mitford.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenNovember 28, 2021 at 12:47 PM

    helper-- Thanks. I have not read that but read reviews and heard the author interviewed. Quite a review of the death industry.

    ReplyDelete

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