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Presidentâ€™s
Message:
Forging
a New Path
P.4
P.8 Virtual Roundtables
P.12
Managing Your Business
on Social Media
P.18 Waking Up to Gratitude
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××ÒÔÔÔrÒïïïÌ× ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾‘ <ÍK+9 ×‰SG
××ÒÔÔÔrÒïïïÌ× ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾² Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ×‰EÚThe IndependentÂ® 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. Send address changes to OGR, Attn: Mailing List, 3502
Woodview Trace, Ste. 300 Indianapolis, IN 46268. Â© 2021 International
Order of the Golden Rule. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission is prohibited.
â€” BOARD of DIRECTORS â€”
President
President-elect
Founded in 1928, OGR is composed of independently owned and operated
funeral homes located throughout North America and overseas. 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 at (800) 637-8030 or www.OGR.org.
Advertisers Index
Access Financial Group ...................................................................... 23
Chris Chigas, (800) 487-8220, ext. 8233
cc@afinancial.com | www.afinancial.com
Answering Service for Directors .......................................................... 32
Kevin Czachor, (800) 868-9950
sales@myasd.com | www.myasd.com
Cremation Consulting ......................................................................... 39
Andrew Loos, (816) 808-6828
andrew@cremationconsulting.com
The Dodge Company ........................................................................... 27
Timothy Collison, (800) 443-6343
tcollison@dodgeco.com | www.dodgeco.com
Express Funeral Funding ..................................................................... 11
John Goebel, (812) 949-9011
john@expff.com | www.expressfuneralfunding.com
The Foresight Companies ................................................................... 15
Catherine Belliveau, (602) 274-6464
catherine@f4sight.com | www.f4sight.com.com
Matthews Auroraâ„¢ Funeral Solutions ................................................. 17
Marty Strohofer, (812) 926-5673
mstrohofer@matw.com | www.matw.com
Medi Air Purifier ................................................................................ 13
Iam Hedendal, (800) 699-0960
belimee@gmail.com | www.mediairpurifier.com
Nomis Publications ............................................................................ 29
Peggy Rouzzo
peggy@nomispublications.com | www.nomispublications.com
OpusXenta ........................................................................................... 7
Michelle Imam Bakhsh, (971) 900-7875
michelleb@opusxenta.com | www.opusxenta.com
Skyways Media .................................................................................. 28
Garry Wayne, (289) 290-4409
garry@skyways-media.com | www.skyways-media.com
Starmark ........................................................................................... 10
Arie Elder, (765) 966-7676
arie.elder@starmarkcp.com | www.starmarkcp.com
Thumbies .......................................................................................... 38
Michael McCormick, (815) 880-5203
mmccormick@thumbies.com | www.thumbies.com
2 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the publisher. The advertisement of any product or
service in The IndependentÂ® does not represent an endorsement of such product or service
by OGR. 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.
Publisher International Order of the Golden Rule
3502 Woodview Trace, Ste. 300
Indianapolis, IN 46268
(800) 637-8030
Fax: (512) 334-5514
Email: info@ogr.org
Website: www.ogr.org
Secretary-Treasurer
Immediate Past President
Directors
Mary F. Steele
Evan J. Strong
Paul A. Hummel, III
Tom L. Hemmerle
Kim R. Hunter
Raffy S. Jose
Chris B. Miller
Peter A. Urban, Jr.
Jamie L. Wieting
â€” STAFF â€”
Executive Director/CEO
Membership Director
Education & Events Director
Communications Director
Meetings & Mem. Coord.
Communications Coord.
Wendy King
Nancy Weil
Emilie Perkins, CAE, CMP
Evan Hoffmeyer
Alyssa Castille
Adeline Border
The IndependentÂ® | Winter 2021 | Volume 26 | Issue 1
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| Winter 2021 | Volume 26 | Issue 1
Table of
Contents
4 |
Presidentâ€™s Message
5 | Meet OGRâ€™s New Executive Director
6 |
Professional Development
5
12
20
7 | Membership Year Change
8 |
9 |
OGR Roundtables
10-minute Talks
12 | Managing Your Business on Social
18 | Waking Up to Gratitude
20 |
24 |
26 |
YP Spotlight: Eric Cahill
How to Handle Online Reviews
Supplier News
30 | Member Spotlight: Hoffen
33 |
34 | Member News
35 | Milestone Anniversaries
36 |
37 |
Above & Beyond
In Memoriam
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
3
OGR Foundation Scholarships
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ôPresidentâ€™s Message
Presidentâ€™s Message
Forging a New Path
2020 was a year of change,
in more ways than one.
OGR transitioned to a
new management team led
by Raybourn Group International
in Indianapolis;
funeral homes adapted to
serve their families without
traditional connection
and service opportunities;
and associations like ours
â€“ across all sectors â€“ have
learned they canâ€™t rely on their annual conference as
their primary means of networking and growth.
COVID-19 is still with us for the time being but as
entrepreneur Jim Rohn said, â€œIt is the set of the sails,
not the direction of the wind that determines which
way we will go.â€ OGRâ€™s board of directors and staff are
charting a new course that will lead our association
into its centennial year later this decade and beyond
regardless of what obstacles our industry may face.
One of the first developments youâ€™ll notice is a greater
focus on year-round professional development thatâ€™s
flexible to your schedule, not just at an annual gathering
that requires travel. This evolution comes from a time
of re-evaluating how we approach our conference after
hearing from many of you that you canâ€™t afford to send
more than one person â€“ if anyone at all â€“ from your
funeral home to an event like the conference because
you need your staff in-house to serve families.
All of our top-rated content from the Annual Conference
plus these new webinars and podcasts will be
gathered in one place: OGRâ€™s new Learning Library,
which weâ€™re unveiling this year. We know your time is
valuable and you need access to content on your own
schedule.
These education and professional development opportunities
will be paired with new peer-to-peer connection
opportunities, starting online with the hope to
offer some in-person as well once health restrictions
allow it later in the year.
To make sure our new way forward will best serve you,
our members, we will reach out with a membership
survey later this year. We understand that time is tight,
but sacrificing a few minutes when the survey comes in
will benefit not only you and your funeral home but the
entire association for years to come.
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention.
Weâ€™ve all traveled a similar path over the past year from,
â€œHow are we ever going to do this?â€ to â€œI cannot believe
we did this, butâ€¦â€. I know we as independent funeral
homes and as a collective association will continue to
not only survive but thrive in the years to come as we
continue to lean on one another as our industry enters
its next chapter.
Yours in service,
Mary Flynn Steele
OGRâ€™ w online
OGR ne
LEARNING LIBRAR
Professional development webinars
on-demand to fit your schedule
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you sch
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Coming soon...
4 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
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ÞOGR News
OGR News
New Leader at the Helm
By Wendy King, OGR Executive Director/CEO
Last fall I had the privilege of
joining the International Order
of the Golden Rule as your
new Executive Director/CEO.
A lifetime of association and
non-profit work has prepared
me for this role, but I also know
I have the advantage of having
the Big 4 (family, staff, volunteers
and members) by my side as OGR enters 2021.
On a Personal Level
Like most of you, my family has always been a part of
my work life. My husband Jim, a retired firefighter who
now teaches at a public high school, has spent countless
hours setting up tables, tearing down displays and
carrying boxes for my work events. My three stepchildren,
now all grown, were
indoctrinated at an early
age to stuff goodie bags,
work a booth and even
don a mascot
costume!
And I still consider my
mom and dad, now in
their 80s, as my two hardest-working
volunteers! So
now that I have joined the
OGR family, I am excited
to engage my four beautiful
grandchildren â€“ ages
9 months to 8 years old â€“
into my work life. Wellâ€¦
maybe Iâ€™ll give Baby Emma a pass until she can walk on
her own!
Volunteers + Staff = Great Results
As I stepped into this role, I quickly realized that one
of the greatest gifts I was given was the OGR volunteer
leadership and staff. Through OGRâ€™s volunteer leaders,
Wendyâ€™s grandson, Hudson, at the American Heart Associationâ€™s Indianapolis
Heart Walk
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
5
I have learned the associationâ€™s history, better understood
the challenges our profession faces and realized
the opportunities that lie ahead. They have shared their
vision for a stronger OGR that can provide you with
even greater resources and more significant benefits.
In the staff I have seen five individuals who could not
be more dedicated to ensuring OGR moves quickly
and successfully into its next phase. Each staff member
brings their own unique talents that have already
enabled us to start executing strategies that will grow
our organization â€“ strategies that are designed to help
your business grow. I do not have to tell you that the
real magic happens when we pair great volunteers with
great staff.
MVP
As I look forward to the coming year, there is one more
person I am excited to have by my side â€“ and that is
YOU! Because of you, we are challenging ourselves to
listen more, honor and learn from the past, embrace
innovation, seize new technologies, engage future
generations, and be unique and be exceptional. I want
to hear from you this year. Tell me what we are doing
well, where we can improve and what you need from
OGR. Until we can meet in person, Iâ€™m just a phone
call or Zoom chat away!
Wendy and her husband Jim at an
American Heart Association â€œGo
Red for Womenâ€ event
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Education
Professional Development in 2021:
At Your Pace, On Your Schedule
By Emilie Perkins, Education & Events Director
2020 brought new challenges and course corrections we
had not anticipated. As we start 2021, OGR is committed
to providing you with the professional development
opportunities that address the challenges that independently
owned funeral homes face and prepare you
for the next stages of funeral service. After all, we have
had over 90 years of experience serving professionals
just like you.
Now more than ever we need to connect â€“ not just as
funeral service professionals, but as a community. OGR
has designed a yearâ€™s worth of professional development
and connection specifically with this in mind. We know
you have a choice when it comes to where you spend
your time and money, and as your partner in excellence
we want to be your go-to for the latest in innovation. In
2021 our promise to you is:
â€¢ Webinar Series: OGR is gathering topics and
trends that are most relevant to you. From important
HR and workplace topics such as navigating
difficult conversations, to what is new and now
in the industry. OGR is willing to have the tough
conversations in order to provide you with the
practical advice you need to thrive in 2021. We
know that your time is at a premium, so we want
to allow for the flexibility to access content either
live or on demand, so these will all be available in
our Learning Library after they are broadcast live.
All live broadcasts will be at 3 p.m. ET.
Â» Feb. 23: The Relevance of Restorative Art
Â» Human Resources Roundup
* March 30: Implicit Bias - Why What You
Donâ€™t Know Can Hurt You
* May 25: How to Have Tough Conversations
- From How to Dress Professionally
to Employee Safety
6 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
* June 29: A Guide to Navigating the
Generation Gap
* July 27: Filling Your HR Toolbox - From
Job Descriptions to Best Practices
Â» Aug. 24: New & Now in Funeral Service - Top
10 Trends You Canâ€™t Afford to Ignore
â€¢ Digital Dialogue podcast series: Industry leaders
discuss the latest developments and trends in the
death care industry in a series of six podcasts all
available free of charge, on-demand via OGRâ€™s new
online Learning Library.
â€¢ Summer YP event: This summer, OGR will bring
together members who are not yet in primary
decision-making roles at their funeral homes,
regardless of age, for a day and a half of professional
development and networking.
â€¢ Leadership summit: This event will be designed
specifically for owners, managers and others who
are in primary decision-making roles at their
funeral homes
â€¢ Revamped peer-to-peer connections: As always,
you can expect to see Study Groups and other invitationals
like the annual pheasant hunt, but we are
adding new Special Interest Groups designed with
you in mind as well!
â€¢ Learning Library: OGR is excited to announce
this new member benefit - an on-demand digital
storehouse featuring the top-rated content from
the Annual Conference, past webinars, podcasts
and more.
l arning
e
library
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Education
Education
Emilie joined OGR as Education &
Events Director in 2020. With more
than 21 yearsâ€™ experience with strategic
meeting management, marketing
and design, she has extensive
strength in collaboration, fiscal accountability,
strategic planning and
communication. She passionately
believes in continual professional development
as evidenced by her designations
as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified
Association Executive (CAE), Project Management
Professional (PMP) and Certificate in Meetings Management
(CMM). She is currently in the final stages of her
Certified Event Designer (CED) designation.
Have a professional development
session you want to offer for your
fellow OGR members? Fill out the
form at OGR.org/Education or
email Emilie at EPerkins@OGR.org.
OGR CHANGING ITS DUES SCHEDULE
OGR leadership has decided to change the association's
membership year to match the calendar year. We have
long operated on a July 1 - June 30 calendar, but starting
in 2022, that will become Jan. 1 - Dec. 31.
To make this transition happen, OGR staff has sent
out new invoices to cover the six-month gap between
our current member year and the new calendar-year
system taking effect. In all, your OGR invoice history
will look like this:
â€¢ July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021: already paid
â€¢ July 1, 2021 - Dec. 31, 2021: new invoice issued in
November 2020, due no later than July 1, 2021
â€¢ Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2022: will be invoiced in
October 2021, due Jan. 1, 2022
MEMBERSHIP DUES LEVELS ARE NOT CHANGING.
That means if your funeral home's dues are paid in
installments, nothing will change for you; you will
continue paying the same amount on the same schedule
as you have been. Members whose dues are paid
annually will pay a one-time prorated invoice to match
the shorter time frame.
We know transitions like this aren't always easy, so OGR's
staff is standing by to help with any questions or concerns
you may have. Contact us at info@ogr.org or (800)
637-8030 and we will be happy to help in any way we can.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
7
Technology Solutions for
Funeral Homes, Cemeteries,
and Crematoria.
OpusXentaâ€™s innovative cloud-based solutions
enable you to better manage your operations, adapt
to a changing market environment and build out your
digital presence. Our product portfolio is led by two
innovative technology solutions for the death care
profession: byondpro for operational excellence and
byondcloud, the premier online market place for
funeral homes, cemeteries, crematoria and suppliers.
Read Our Story
opusxenta.com/about
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SHARED
IDEAS
GENERATED
QUESTIONS
ANSWERED
1/21 TECH TIPS hosted by Peter Urban & Charles Castiglia
The pandemic may have moved up our plans to update the technology
we use in our funeral homes, but tech goes beyond the streaming of
services. From arrangement conferences to day sheets, how you
harness technology can impact your productivity, reduce errors
and just make life easier.
2/18
The return of
Virtual Round
Tables
at OGR.org
now
monthly
Register today at
OGR.org/Virtual-Roundtables
MARKETING YOUR
FUNERAL HOME
hosted by Jim Rudolph & Andrew Loos
Even with COVID restrictions, safety concerns and
limited budgets, there are still ways to promote your
funeral home. Social media, community events and
Google reviews are some of the areas that will be
touched on. There is nothing better than getting
free, positive publicity so get 2021 started with an
updated marketing plan.
3/18
BALANCING THE 2
FAMILIES YOU SERVE
WHILE NOT LOSING YOURSELF
IN THE PROCESS
hosted by Jamie Wieting & Cathie Tattrie
When days get busy it can leave you wondering how you
can be all things to all people, including yourself. Between the
families you serve at the funeral home and the family you love at
home it is easy to get overwhelmed trying to balance it all.
Bring your tips, trials and tribulations and letâ€™s devise a plan
for better balance.
Interested in a session but not able to attend?
Send your questions to Nancy Weil at NWeil@OGR.org
and she can ask them on your behalf. Each session will be
recorded so you can watch when your schedule allows.
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Community
10-minute Talks: A New Way to
Reach Out to Caregivers
By Nancy Weil, OGR Member Resources Director
Included with your OGR membership
The pandemic has been especially challenging for
professionals working in healthcare. Nursing homes,
hospices and hospitals have all had the stress of
handling the unknown while trying to maintain their
own health and wellness.
Show them a little love through OGRâ€™s new community
outreach program, a series of six â€œ10-minute Talks:
Coping During COVID-19â€ designed to give frontline
workers a brief respite from their duties.
Each of these programs is designed to stand alone so
they can pick and choose which topics appeal to them.
Plus, the short duration makes these a great way to
recharge during a break or watching at home.
Topics covered are:
â€¢ Step Away from Stress
â€¢ A Moment for Mindfulness
â€¢ 3 Emotional â€˜Cousinsâ€™: Worry, Stress and Fear
â€¢ Unsupported Loss and Grief
â€¢ Faith as a Spiritual Journey
â€¢ Pivot Toward the Positive
Led by OGR Member Resources Director Nancy Weil
with Andrew Loos from OGR member Heartland
Cremation and Heather Braatz, licensed funeral director
from Worsham College of Mortuary Science, these
lighthearted and entertaining talks are sure to bring a
smile to the faces of those on the front lines.
Best of all, itâ€™s an easy caregiver marketing program for
your funeral home to offer.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
9
â€¢ Sign-up at OGR.org/Virtual-Roundtables
â€¢ OGR will send you a link to a private YouTube
page that holds all six programs.
â€¢ E-mail that link along with an introductory note
to the caregivers you know.
â€¢ Wait for the thanks to roll in!
You also have the option to download the programs
and have your own logo added at the beginning and
end of each talk. OGR can add your logo to the front
and end of each talk for a small fee.
Donâ€™t forget your own staff! These talks also make for
a great stress reliever for everyone on your staff, so be
sure to share the link with them as well.
Serving as OGRâ€™s member resources director,
Grief Support program facilitator
and supply partner liaison, Nancy
brings her years of experience working
in the funeral industry to our members.
A national speaker and trainer with certifications
as a Grief Services Provider,
Funeral Celebrant, Soul Injury Ambassador
and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified
to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs
of the families you serve. You can reach Nancy at (512)
334-5504, ext. 304 or NWeil@OGR.org
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾h×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾gÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://QkBaw-5cF4k2zZ6wrV45vmAfzo3-6-W0yFrYIlMH2ZwÎ YÍ`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://QpkKCQDmfcA--adTpa8bA6Rkv-C7qLByfWm1N1KOXmUÍÂ×Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fS-GbCKuPyK-pnM_GaU1Q5MBZDtp0N72VpfRu5cDKS0ÍBÓÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://A7dvEHFqOfq9lBU4ThpfF6CROrF5VZWmX5MBvrs6f8UÎ v8Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄó[!fxYé¾Ê’× ×_ýÄó[!fxYé¾Î Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄó[!fxYé¾Í ÍÍÇÍ9×HÚ $http://www.expressfuneralfunding.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚýc r a fte d by s ta r ma r k
4 Quantity
$159 Each*
8 Quantity
$145 Each*
Corrugated Fiberboard Cremation Container
Matching
Print Urns
Artisan products Crafted by Starmark reflect the beauty of a life lived.
Other Themes
(Sold Separately)
Vista Patriot
Vista Beechwood
View More Units at:
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Vista Meadow
Call Starmark to order:
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Call for bulk pricing
*Delivered price, minimum order of 4 units,
can mix & match, call for bulk ordering
Specific portions of Starmark products may be covered by one or more of
the following US Patents
D874,784, D859,777
10 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
9,248,069
8,607,423
8,595,908
10,500,118
9,089,467
8,418,329 8,375,535
10,500,117
10,434,025 10,398,616 10,098,801 9,872,809 9,649,241 9,649,240
9,597,248 9,539,161 9,427,369
8,959,732
9,050,234
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7,213,311 7,204,003 7,249,402 7,249,403 7,234,211 7,263,751. Additional
Patents Pending
Copyright Â© 2021 Starmark Cremation Products. All rights reserved.
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fS-GbCKuPyK-pnM_GaU1Q5MBZDtp0N72VpfRu5cDKS0ÍBÓÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾i×‰EÚ ïThis new year take your business
to the next level
See why thousands of funeral homes and cemeteries have chosen
us to help make their business more profitable.
www.expressfuneralfunding.com 812.949.9011
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
11
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾j×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾iÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://6EzlQucc7g5c4hvKTBHn7VT_Snun1VSK4HRGR_WNELYÎ  õÍ`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://d4XiTqe6BO9D3fz4D2FlbGML4Ve4s86dPRyeYLBOlJkÎ %2Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fi5FhUFA-Lo_uyf8BT_Nnnp0axt_wPwmZX5zQuDH3pUÍTîÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://UljGITQ160B6AA_KUqAEtV6D7ZCm3Z0Q0EZ_qPNxJJEÎ j±4Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ï’× ×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ô Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ó Í˜Í’Ìš9×Hºhttp://MediAirPurifier.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚ	%Top Challenges and
Solutions for Managing
Your Business on
Social Media
by Mike Hepburn, YourSocialStrategy.com
I
tâ€™s part of our daily lives. We check what our friends
and family are up to, keep up to date on news or
entertainment, and yes, even check in on our
favorite companies. What started as a virtual social
gathering space has evolved into an advertising tool for
businesses to grow and engage with their customers.
But itâ€™s not always the easiest marketing tool to navigate,
especially for small businesses, and especially in the
funeral industry.
Have you ever considered turning to a digital marketing
approach utilizing social media? Weâ€™ve heard many
complaints over the years, and weâ€™ve gathered some
of the top challenges businesses face when trying to
manage a social media strategy and offer some simple
solutions to help get you on track.
Challenge #1: Time
One of the toughest issues that arise for many businesses,
especially in the funeral profession, is the lack
of available time to dedicate toward social media and
digital marketing. When your time is divided between
families and business, the time necessary for a successful
social strategy is put to the wayside.
12 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
SOLUTION: Dedicating even just an hour a week to
setting up a few posts across social media, updating
what your business and staff have been up to, and to
answer any comments/questions will go a long way.
With scheduling tools (even free ones), it makes it
much easier to schedule ahead of time to keep up to
date.
Challenge #2: The overwhelming number of
social platforms
I donâ€™t know about you, but I personally can be overwhelmed
with how many social media apps are floating
around every year. Some come and go (beware of those
fad apps!) while others stay the course; itâ€™s a constant job
just to keep track of them all and predict which are the
important ones to invest in. Do you know which social
channel best suits your business and demographic, and
which apps not to get blindsided by? Elevating your
digital marketing strategy with social media is all about
finding the right avenue to get your message across and
how. Facebook is a front-runner in advertising, while
LinkedIn is superior for B2B. Have a visual aesthetic?
Instagram is the one for you. So how exactly do you
navigate the sea of apps?
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fi5FhUFA-Lo_uyf8BT_Nnnp0axt_wPwmZX5zQuDH3pUÍTîÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾k×‰EÚíMarketing
SOLUTION: Look at what others are doing in your
industry. Youâ€™ll see a pattern very quickly where your
competitors choose to focus on, where they succeed
and where they might be struggling. Not to say you
canâ€™t branch out, but if you see a successful advantage
to being on one platform over another initially, go
with your gut. There is always an option to move onto
another platform.
Challenge #3: Managing your engagement
and following
Have you ever dived into the comments on a Facebook
post? Most of the time, we are just innocent observers.
Maybe we even get a giggle out of the comments before
moving on. But when youâ€™re navigating comments as
a business page, especially one that deals with serious
subject matter, comments can either be a welcome
sight or a dreaded nightmare. While most comments
are always well-received, there are always going to be
instances of inappropriate behavior that needs to be
monitored. If you arenâ€™t on top of it, it could look bad
on your brand image.
â€œItâ€™s the story of the double-edged
sword: comments and engagement are
encouraged...but one negative comment
can lead to a landslide disaster.â€
On the other side of things, comments on Facebook can
be the start of friendly conversation and engagement
brands dream of. Itâ€™s the story of the double-edged
sword. Comments and engagement are encouraged,
and even necessary for some algorithms (think Facebook
and Instagram: when your engagement is higher,
there is a greater chance of your content being shown).
They provide a potential lead, just as a cold call, word of
mouth or other selling tactics provide. But one negative
comment can lead to a landslide of a disaster before
you even realize whatâ€™s happened.
SOLUTION: Donâ€™t have the time to constantly monitor?
Our advice is to ensure you have those social platforms
on your phone or connected to your computer.
Give a quick glance every evening or morning. Typically,
this will give you an average idea of what and
when people are interacting with your posts and you
can send a quick reply or continue the conversation
without taking up much more than 5 or 10 minutes
every day.
Challenge #4: Growth
Growing social channels has increasingly become harder
and harder to do, with feeds being disrupted by noise,
fake news and your posts just not being shown due to
hard-hitting algorithms. Consistency in your posting
schedule, knowing your audience and curating engaging
content are all ways to help grow your page, but itâ€™s
been proven that what used to work doesnâ€™t always cut it.
Advertising has become a huge player on social media to
get your message in front of your target audience.
Medi Air Purifier
Advanced Technology for the best clean
Simple Operation for ease of use
Sanitizes both air and surfaces
Decontaminates your
funeral home or
residence from:
â€¢ mold
â€¢ dust
â€¢ pollen
â€¢ harmful pathogens
â€œThis is the best air purifier
Iâ€™ve ever bought. I use one
in my home and one at the
funeral home. Our families
are very happy with it,
especially with coronavirus
concerns.â€
Tom Hemmerle
Barnett-Strother Funeral Home
OGR Immediate Past President
Call (800) 699-0960 and mention OGR
to get $650 off list price; $700 off each
unit when ordering 2 or more
MediAirPurifier.com
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
13
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾l×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾kÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://RrdhJ0mv0QHxdSStquNCHN6oX47LxJYJxHlscUe3RdgÎ Þ'Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://JfOn1u7CBa4kTq4xqAgvvSbSowZDIOKCCxLte2N8mzEÍï%Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://XCg3bXeZcYQ4A89DTiUWsZbhcCscXC5kB-K15G79ggkÍIsÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://nq4Uz58yVw2b99IszpuztR9Criozk-kCZbvUAgCZp6AÎ 1wÍ Í
ºÍð×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Õ‘× ×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ø Í¼Í–ÍQ9×HÚ  http://theforesightcompanies.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚÑMarketing
SOLUTION: Contests and giveaways are always a quick
way to grow your following. Have a product or service
you could give away? A gift card or two you could offer
your followers? Contests go a long way in the short
term to start growing your audience. Retaining them?
Thatâ€™s always the sticking point. But if you are targeting
your core audience with the giveaways and have the
content and the consistency to back it up, youâ€™ll be able
to retain those followers you make in a quick giveaway.
Challenge #5: Creating and curating content
At the end of the day, itâ€™s the content you supply on your
social channels that will drive growth, engagement, and
retainability of new and current followers. Discovering
dynamic content that informs, entertains and has
a clear-cut call-to-action will help bring customers
to your page and keep them there. The difficult part?
Curating and creating content takes time.
Instead of a solution for this challenge, we have a few
tips to help you along the way in curating and creating
content that will help take your businessâ€™ social pages to
the next level.
Finding a balance
Itâ€™s easy to get stuck in a cycle of the same content.
Breaking out of the same content you post will bring
variety to your channel and show off the personality of
your brand (more about that later).
You offer social media audiences more
than funeral service. Grief resources,
answers to common questions or even a
behind-the-scenes look into what funeral
directors do can all be valuable content.
Becoming a resource
Outside of the service you provide, what are you able to
offer your audience? For funeral professionals, maybe
itâ€™s sharing grief resources, funeral etiquette, common
14 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://XCg3bXeZcYQ4A89DTiUWsZbhcCscXC5kB-K15G79ggkÍIsÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾m×‰EÚALeaders.
Influencers.
Trailblazers.
Industry Experts.
Trusted Advisors.
We are The Foresight Companies.
At The Foresight Companies, we are passionate about the funeral and cemetery profession. Our
business and financial consulting firm has a singular focus, our clientâ€™s success. We provide
solution-based services that guide you through the process of strategic change. No one knows
the funeral service and cemetery businesses better than we do. We have been trusted
consultants to the funeral and cemetery profession for more than 40 years. Call us to join those
who have trusted in us and to start receiving insight from the best in the business!
800-426-0165 | theforesightcompanies.com
SUCCESSION PLANNING | MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS | ACCOUNTING
STRATEGIC BUSINESS ANALYSIS | VALUATIONS | FINANCING
HUMAN RESOURCES & COMPLIANCE
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾n×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾mÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://O2EWnDzFznIhXgLYbXsTdTx8jMtk7g0CbEd30Rfl0WUÎ l5Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://K87c4c3sHLksf5QLb7ZyQeQOX5e7YzxbQLMAs2Ep7mQÎ ûÍ`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://uGSL-5CnxUmLM9OZvL71gidhZ6wunwhBs0pBXc4NGM4ÍL$Í`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Mug0KN5MAhkIF2RnXjbLKHLTUJvQmMh3ZuKByYP3lRYÎ Ñ»Í8Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ù’× ×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Þ Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄô[!fxYé¾Ý ÍIÍÌé9×H¹http://matthewsaurora.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚ-Marketing
questions or even a behind-the-scenes look into the
directorâ€™s shoes.
Itâ€™s all about the aesthetics
Taking the time to decide on a color palette or the
types of images/content you want to post will go a long
way. Think about your favorite brands. When you see
a logo, a certain color, sometimes just a single image,
youâ€™re able to easily relate that back to that brand. On
social media, the same logic applies. If someone scrolls
their feeds and sees one of your images, they should
automatically be able to link it back to you. The right
aesthetics will become memorable from the start.
Personality
Donâ€™t be afraid to show the personality of yourself and
your staff. Focusing too heavily on selling will result
in people leaving your page and losing connection
with you. The more personalized the post, the better.
Sharing things like team birthdays, new hires, photos
of your staff outside of work and giving back to the
community, will bring a new light and personality to
your business. Today, a human approach rather than a
heavily marketed channel will always go a long way to
appearing followers.
Managing your businessâ€™ social media can be a task in
itself, but the rewards you gain are always worth the
effort. If you are looking to up your social strategy,
resources are aplenty, from a quick Google search to
even seeking out an agency dedicated to bringing that
strategy in your head to fruition.
With a few habit changes, you will be on your way to a
successful social strategy for your business.
Still not sure if you have the time to manage what your
business is able to optimize? Check out the benefits of
choosing a social media agency:
â€¢ That lack of time for fleshing out a strategy that
will set your business apart? Take the worry out
of your hands with the help of an agency. With
some guidance from you, an agency will take your
vision, research the market and put
together a
strategy that will elevate your business to the next
level while always staying true to your message.
16 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
â€¢ Remember that full time job of monitoring and
encouraging engagement? Agencies will take the
work off your plate and dedicate the time and
resources necessary for keeping up to date on all
messages, both negative and positive, to continue
to build an engaging and loyal follower base without
you having to worry about how much time has
passed.
â€¢ Keeping a steady, consistent posting schedule can
get the better of everyone. Without a steady pace
that followers can come to expect, your audience
might feel disconnected. An agency will not only
curate the content but will put together a consistent
plan that will ensure your business is always
front of mind to your followers â€“ without you even
having to go in and schedule another post again.
â€¢ Struggling to reach your audience of choice? With
an agency, demographics and targeting are a key
service in ensuring your posts are being reached
by the optimal people. No more dead air, only the
right people seeing your posts. Whether this is
by researching the industry market or by directly
advertising to those key groups, agencies will be
able to uncover an audience you might never have
been able to reach prior.
I started working in the funeral profession
as president & co-owner of
FrontRunner Professional. I worked
with that company until leaving to
start a new company called FuneralTech,
which also became a Golden
Services Group supplier. One of my
goals and objectives is to offer a great
service to a profession of professionals
like yourselves. Digital marketing is still relatively new to
the funeral profession and I would like to introduce you to
it at a cost that is affordable to all funeral home owners.
OGR members get 20% off social media
packages, 28% off pay-per-click monthly
management fees and 17% off SEO
monthly fees with YourSocialStrategy.com
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://uGSL-5CnxUmLM9OZvL71gidhZ6wunwhBs0pBXc4NGM4ÍL$Í`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾o×‰EÚýto Better Serve Families
Technology Solutions Built
Matthews Auroraâ„¢
Funeral Solutions is
focused on helping families move from
grieving to remembrance and helping
deathcare professionals simplify and enhance
the way they do business. Our portfolio of
technology solutions consistently identifies
new ways to help you serve families and
adapt to customer expectations.
For more information contact
your Matthews Auroraâ„¢
Service Consultant or visit
matthewsaurora.com
MAFS-7826-2020 Â© 2020 Matthews International Corporation, all
rights reserved. MATTHEWSÂ® and MATTHEWS INTERNATIONALÂ® are
registered trademarks of Matthews International Corporation.
Matthews Technology Solutions include:
Arranger
An interactive presentation system that helps funeral
professionals simplify the arrangement process and
sell better funerals.
Family Connections
Provide families with a private planning website to
review and select services, merchandise and record
biographical information prior to the in-person
arrangement.
Funeral
Advisor
A comprehensive case management and forms
automation system that integrates the interactive
arrangement presentation and family planning website
into a business operating system for large or small
funeral homes.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
17
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾p×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾oÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://YbtZiy4D4xQ_wUPOIhwt9LieKvtU9GUHl3qbQUPU8UMÎ øFÍ`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://kFWw1yMCDWKd5qHkROJxdAWViLJTqR31es8x816Y7ckÎ  gÍ`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://f4RMoeUkvXhh-OjmN22zlHLWTOBY5YanEDCkxRm_mygÍPéÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://X3CSO-dAKXSzI5bVk2nR1Ls-cG8ZLs5Q3O1nrjaomV4Î  Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄõ[!fxYé¾ß’× ×_ýÄõ[!fxYé¾ã Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄõ[!fxYé¾â Í¤Í¤ÌŠ9×H¸http://centerforloss.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚ Waking Up
to Gratitude
by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Iâ€™ve become a fan of sunrises.
Before COVID-19 changed all of our lives, my busy
travel and teaching schedule had me hopping. Most
mornings after I woke up, I went straight to work. I had
a love-hate relationship with the adrenaline of stress. I
was a slave to emails, itineraries, deadlines, and flight
schedules. Now Iâ€™m in limbo. With most of my presentations
postponed or canceled, Iâ€™m home. I have time
to linger over my morning cup of coffee. I have time
to breathe and to think. I have time to marvel at the
sunrise.
More and more, what Iâ€™ve found myself thinking about
is gratitude. Iâ€™m feeling so grateful for my life these days
that Iâ€™m often awash in the warm fuzziness of appreciation.
The feeling sneaks up on me when Iâ€™m having an
inconsequential chat with my wife or puttering around
in my kitchen. It blooms when I gaze out the window
or think about my new grandson.
18 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
During this morningâ€™s sunrise, I sat down to give more
thought to how this pandemic has created an opportunity
to wake up to the power of gratitude. As I inventory
my gratitude in this article, I invite you to do the
same.
Gratitude for friends and family
Perhaps, like me, youâ€™ve had more time to spend with
your household members in recent months. Iâ€™ve been
married to my wife for 35 years, but Iâ€™ve never spent as
much time in close company with her as I have since
March. Our forced captivity has given me a new appreciation
for our relationship, and my unconditional love
for her has only deepened.
Because Iâ€™m not able
to spend as much time with
non-household family members and friends, on the
other hand, when I do get to see them, Iâ€™m so thankful
that my heart breaks wide open. My first grandchild
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://f4RMoeUkvXhh-OjmN22zlHLWTOBY5YanEDCkxRm_mygÍPéÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾q×‰EÚèMember News
Self-Care
was born just before COVID restrictions started, and
Iâ€™ve only been able to visit him a handful of times.
When I get to hold him, boy does it feel amazing to
have in my arms.
Gratitude for basic essentials
I have a warm, dry, safe place to live. Iâ€™ve never felt
more fortunate to have a roof over my head and food
in my refrigerator. The other day I happened by a foodbank
drive-through. In a middle-class neighborhood,
cars were lined up as far as the eye could see. All the
extra â€œstuffâ€ I have in my life doesnâ€™t matter in the least.
I have the basics, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Gratitude for interdependence
Here in America, weâ€™re infected by the â€œidealâ€ of
rugged individualism. Coined by Herbert Hoover in
1928, this term encapsulated the misguided notion that
individuals
should be self-reliant and independent,
not counting on others for support. These days I look
at
the grocery-store clerks, healthcare professionals,
teachers, and other essential workers with newfound
appreciation. Iâ€™m not independent. I need them. My
family needs them. I also need my neighbors and fellow
community members. Whenever I have the chance, I
am kind and generous. And I am happy to wear a mask
to help keep all of them safe.
Gratitude for vocation
I founded the Center for Loss and Life Transition
decades ago to help people help others. I train grief
caregivers. During the pandemic, Iâ€™ve been mourning
not being able to conduct as many trainings or give live
presentations to large groups. Webinars are just not the
same. But still, being cut off from my lifeâ€™s work has
made me even more humbled by the past opportunities
Iâ€™ve had to reach and connect. Itâ€™s something I wonâ€™t
take for granted again.
Gratitude for nature
Iâ€™m putting down my phone, turning off the TV, and
getting outside more. I live atop the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains, and while Iâ€™ve always been renewed
by nature, I find myself engaging with it more deeply
these days. My wife and I like to take our dogs and go
for hikes. Iâ€™ve been going for more bike rides. What a
gift it is to live on this marvelous planet.
Gratitude for this moment
I realize now that I used to be overly busy. I was better
at doing than being. But now Iâ€™m appreciating every
slow, unscheduled moment.
Recently my healthy, 60-year-old brother-in-law spent
eleven days in an ICU on a ventilator due to COVID19.
For a time, it was touch-and-go. Happily, he
survived. Here in North America we tend to obliviously
go through life with a high level of assumed invulnerability.
Yet every single one of us is mortal, and living
each day with an intentional awareness that we might
not wake up tomorrow enriches every single minute.
Gratitude for surrender
This pandemic has me more aware than ever that I
have little control over the most important things in
life. I canâ€™t keep my loved ones safe. Iâ€™m not in charge
of the world. So Iâ€™m learning to surrender to this lack of
control and find gratitude wherever I can.
What are you grateful for?
When we consciously value something, weâ€™re grateful
for it. We actively cherish it. Iâ€™ve awakened to gratitude
for these most precious values in my life. How about
you? Will you use the reset created by the pandemic to
inventory your gratitude? Will you adjust your habits
and daily routines so theyâ€™re more in alignment with
your deepest values?
The sun is fully up now. Itâ€™s shining on a brilliant new
day. And I am so grateful to be here.
Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., has been
recognized as one of North Americaâ€™s
leading death educators and
grief counselors. He is founder
and director of the Center for
Loss and Life Transition and a
longtime consultant to funeral
service. Contact him at drwolfelt@
centerforloss.com.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
19
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dYP Spotlight
YP Spotlight
Young Professional Spotlight:
Eric Cahill
Eric S. Cahill is a 40-year-old licensed funeral director
and embalmer at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater,
Florida.
How many years have you worked in funeral
service?
Iâ€™ve worked in the funeral industry for 9 years as of
April 2021. Started in April 2012 at Memorial Park
Funeral Home & Cemetery as a pre-need counselor.
Having had two insurance licenses for about 10 years, I
was hired on to do pre-planning while I was in mortuary
school. It was a double dose of learn and a smaller
dosage of earn (at first).
Why did you begin working in funeral
service?
My start in funeral services has a long-reaching backstory.
Years and years ago when I was just 10 or 11
years old, my parents were volunteer firefighters in
Dutchess County, New York. Mom went down a more
comprehensive path of getting her EMT certification
and along with that came lots of medical books for her
studies. I was fascinated with all the pictures inside
and the anatomical diagrams of vessels, organ systems
and schematics of whatâ€™s where inside our bodies. That
sparked an interest in emergency medicine, because
come on, what kid doesnâ€™t love fire trucks, ambulances,
lights and sirens?
Down the road in my early 20s my mind adjusted its
focus toward cemeteries, death and funerals. How
does all THAT work? I got my first insurance license
in 2005 and began selling life insurance. Day after day I
was talking to people about being financially prepared
for when they die. More and more I was hearing about
how much funerals cost and cemeteries cost. So along
with that, my curiosity continued to build and then my
father died.
20 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
Eric S. Cahill (photo courtesy Veterans Funeral Care)
On June 21, 2010, my father Dennis M. Cahill took
his last breath at the VA Hospital in Tampa following
a two-year battle with lung cancer. So now itâ€™s up to me
and my aunt (Dadâ€™s sister) to do arrangements for him
without any pre-arrangement and without any money
set aside. In summary, my aunt took the lead. The
direct disposer (never knew what that meant before)
gave a level of â€œserviceâ€ that earns a string of negative
adjectives Iâ€™ll omit for right now. He is buried in a
polished cultured marble urn at St. Joachimâ€™s Cemetery
in Beacon, New York, up on the hill in the military
section. There is a picture of my dadâ€™s headstone at my
desk to remind me every day to do better for everyone
else than was done for my dad.
Started mortuary school at St. Petersburg College in
2012. Finished fast-track and graduated in 2014 as
FD/E Intern. Iâ€™d been at my other funeral home and
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://YQ-MrzsbeG_5ZI1B0Zv8OBiFE9FXoRjAG4189SKHwkcÍRÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾s×‰EÚ#YP Spotlight
YP Spotlight
cemetery for two years as a sales counselor. When I got
my intern license, I went across the hall into the funeral
directorsâ€™ office, which was shared by three of us. Then
the doors really started opening for me to be creative
with funeral planning and funeral services, seeing
different cemeteries and being in the prep room more
often. Embalm, embalm, embalm as much as possible
and fast-forward to December 2018 when I joined the
team at Veterans Funeral Care.
Now having broken 40 years old, professional education
is important and moving that knowledge â€˜downstreamâ€™
to other, newer funeral directors is a motivator.
We all know how much work this business really is,
so itâ€™ll likely be a while. Perhaps one day, Iâ€™ll be on the
other side (owner) and have an enterprise with talented
people to build and build the very best in funeral/
memorial services. Maybe, one day, I can set a tee time
for somewhere around 0930 on a Thursday or perhaps
do a brewery tour on Friday at noon.... Is that how
owners get to do it?
What are you proud of that you have achieved
so far during your career in funeral service?
I am proud of how far my career has developed in a
somewhat short amount of time. You hear me mention
â€œWe have a finite amount of timeâ€ and â€œWe canâ€™t get
back any, not one second, of time thatâ€™s passed.â€ Iâ€™ve
Cahill presenting the flag to a widow when COVID-19 restrictions prevented
Honor Guard ceremonies (photo courtesy Veterans Funeral Care)
What is the most rewarding part of your
occupation?
The most rewarding part of this profession has several
branches for me. First, bringing someone into the prep
room, opening up their transport pouch and seeing
them at their very, very worst motivates me to do the
very best work for them and their family. Secondly,
knowing that I can do all that needs to be done on the
funeral planning and services side to earn the familyâ€™s
trust and thanks when we part ways. When someone
looks you in the eyes, tears flowing, and says, â€œThank
you for what youâ€™ve done for my mom,â€ THATâ€™s
powerful.
What are your professional goals?
I look down the road of ownership or education/consulting.
Being up front keeps me feeling alive but I love to be
embalming so much, too, which is private and solitary.
gone from pre-need counselor at a combo facility to
funeral director intern, embalming intern/trainee,
funeral director, General Manager at a combo facility
(200-call funeral home and 40-acre cemetery), to
pre-need sales specialist (3rd party contractor), to freelance
funeral director and funeral director/embalmer
at THE premier veterans-focused funeral care location
in the country... with my eyes and heart on bigger &
better for myself and the team. Iâ€™ve done funerals for
everyone from an E-1 Army private up to a major
general in the Air Force. Thatâ€™s a little something to be
proud of.
What are some important/notable trends that
you have noticed in funeral service?
While itâ€™s not news to anyone anymore, the cremation
rate continues to rise and accelerate. That trend, for me,
is important/notable because embalming is my very
most favorite part of this profession. Embalming IS the
reason that I got into this profession almost 10 years
ago. The rate of traditional funerals with embalmed
persons is going down opposite the rise in cremation
(direct cremation, specifically) and many adjustments
need to be made at the funeral home level. We handle
it very well and are able to maximize experience for our
clients despite the actual dollar amount they spend.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
21
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YP Spotlight
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Is there anything in particular that you enjoy
doing?
Time outside of work? What? Huh? Funeral professionals
have that? Bring these people to me at once! I
demand to know where from theyâ€™re getting â€œtimeâ€
outside of work. Setting some kidding aside, when Iâ€™m
not at VFC I love to cook and really do anything in the
kitchen, watch funeral-related videos online, visit local
breweries, go to restaurants with my mom who lives in
Dunedin, be outside and enjoy NOT having to wear a
suit while outdoors in the middle of the day.
Who or what inspires you?
There are a string of moments and experiences that
are a snapshot of the passion for why I do this. Most
of this/these come from embalming and prep. When
you are able to take someone who is thin, gray, sunken-in,
dehydrated, not looking anywhere near like they
normally did and, with time, discipline, good training
and some finesse, they look just like the picture... thatâ€™s
the grand slam. Challenge accepted.
What do you value most about OGR?
Iâ€™ve been a member of OGR for 2 years. I first met
Nancy Weil very shortly after starting here at Veterans
Funeral Care. Her enthusiasm along with sharing with
me that there are professional development offerings
through OGR peaked my interest to dig deeper.
Coming from corporate-owned locations, being at an
OGR network and independently owned location -
what a BIG eye-opener. There really IS a different way
of doing things for which nobody up the chain is going
to question, argue, revise or disapprove. For lack of a
better cliche, an OGR location really helped me to
spread my wings, gain altitude and know there was a
solid support system (great management team) if I was
flying too close to the sun. Furthermore, the availability
of other independently owned/managed locations from
which to pull ideas, advice or perspective has impacted
my experiences these last few years.
What is your favorite OGR memory?
The YP Summit event here in Clearwater/St. Pete back
22 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
Cahill (4th from right) and other OGR Young Professionals at a baseball
game during the February 2020 YP Summit in Clearwater / St. Petersburg,
Florida. (photo courtesy Peter Urban, Jr.)
in February 2020. Between all the training, classes,
group think, role-playing and business betterment
segments,
there were real moments of friendship and
camaraderie that weekend. Dinners out, playing cornhole,
staying up way too late down in the hotel restaurant
and going to see a baseball game on a Chamber
of Commerce caliber day really made for a three-day
triple-play of great moments.
The organization as a whole tries to â€˜follow
the Golden Rule.â€™ What other words do you try
to live by?
The Golden Rule has real power. Having more people
pay attention to that out in the world would be greatly
helpful for us all. Additional words to live by for me
include: We have a finite and ever shrinking amount of
time in this life. Do your best with the little less we have
every day.
Being halfway through my life at this point, itâ€™s important
to dedicate every week that I have to doing something
good for people. High-quality funeral care is my medium
to make their days (people whoâ€™ve had a loss) a little
brighter, and for me itâ€™s a way to make my parents proud.
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ºÍð×_ýÄö[!fxYé¾ë’× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ï Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾î ÍÛÍÌ³9×H´mailto:NWeil@OGR.org××Ðˆ×‰EÚ	Ignore at Your Own Risk
by Nancy Weil
OGR Member Resources Director
W
hen was the last time you took a look at your
Google reviews? Have you ever taken a look?
Have you even claimed your business so that
you can respond to reviews as they are made? What
about asking happy clients to post a review for your
funeral home or cemetery? Based on what I have seen,
most funeral homes and cemeteries are not making
Google reviews a part of their business plan.
As part of my job with OGR, I spend quite a bit of time
looking up funeral homes and going to their websites.
Most businesses have under 10 Google reviews. Even
fewer respond to the posted reviews. The funeral home
where I worked, Veterans Funeral Care, developed a
plan to increase our Google reviews and in a matter of
months, we went from 6 to over 75! What did we do?
We asked. We responded. We worked our plan. Best
of all, the reviews that were posted were personal and
filled with staff names and details. This is what you want
to have for your reviews as well.
Here is a recent example of a review and â€œbrandedâ€
response:
5-STAR REVIEW:
â€œEveryone I spoke with here was empathetic yet
professional. Blair helped me over the phone
24 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
so much as my father passed in Florida and
I am stuck in Georgia due to the pandemic. I
got great comfort knowing my Dad would be
treated with the respect he deserved. If I could
give 10 stars, I would.â€
RESPONSE FROM VETERANS FUNERAL
CARE, AN OGR ENDORSED SUPPLIER:
â€œSherry, thanks so much for your kind words.
Blair is a â€˜Marine Corpsâ€™ son! So Iâ€™m thrilled
when he takes care of a Navy daughter like
you! This pandemic has been very stressful to
our military families as the Military Honors
have been delayed. Glad to have helped you.
Please plan to come visit the cemetery when it
is safe to travel and please, please stop in for a
cup of coffee! We always have a fresh pot on.
Jim Rudolph, Ownerâ€
Staff names, client name, military references, compassion,
acknowledgement of the challenges that the
pandemic has created and even an invitation to stop by
for coffee! If you were looking for a funeral home and
read this review, I doubt you would look any farther,
especially if you came from a military family.
There is, however, the other side of this and that is
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://tlM-RI8hNJN3S_aqRRPJi8x7uLIz-OpcMgpAFCmMAhUÍEuÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾w×‰EÚŒthe poor reviews that occur. When I see one and ask
the owner of the funeral home what happened, most
often the complaint was not founded, but it is out in
the public domain anyway. This is where responding is
imperative. Not to argue or defend, but to tactfully post
your side of what happened and assure anyone reading
the review that this is not how you do business. I
read one that complained about errors with the funeral
service and the owner responded by acknowledging
their disappointment at this familyâ€™s experience and
mentioning that the staff member who created the situation
was no longer with the company.
Finally, there is a side to Google reviews that you may
not have considered and that is the â€œspamâ€ reviews
that have nothing to do with your company, but just
someone using an open platform to share conspiracy
theories, political platforms or â€œwork from home and
make millions of dollarsâ€ types of posts. This is what
happened to one company who had a very low Google
rating, which I could not understand as they provided
outstanding service
to their families. Upon closer
inspection it became clear that none of the ratings had
to do with the company, but just opportunists finding
an unmonitored spot to share their nonsense and give
1- or 2-star ratings.
Here is a sample of what was written:
â€œThe master plan has been in the works for
many decades. To pull off something this huge,
it cannot be done overnight. Currently we are
in a psy ops drillâ€¦ this is all mass deception in
order to implement their plan.â€
And another one on the same site:
â€œEach continent have these harps and also have
satellites, they are interconnected here on earth,
with satellites in the skies. haarp has the power
to do whatever they want with nature, winds,
rains, heat, cold, earthquakes and tsunami.â€
If you donâ€™t want your business associated with conspiracy
theorists, check your Google reviews regularly.
Take control of what is posted about your company or
someone else will.
Email Nancy at NWeil@OGR.org
to request a copy of what
Veterans Funeral Care sends
the families they serve asking that
they leave Google Reviews.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
25
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ºÍð×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ð˜× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾û ÍÍ®Ì‘9×Hºhttp://MediAirPurifier.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ú ÍÍd_9×H²http://INEXinc.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ù ÍÍJÌŒ9×H·mailto:info@INEXinc.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ø [ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾÷ DÍ®n9×H·http://FinalSecurity.co××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ö DÍ~Ì´9×H¿mailto:Partner@FinalSecurity.co××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾õ DÍ‘x9×H¶http://BerylMartin.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ô DÍJÌ°9×H¼mailto:JWeil@BerylMartin.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚ·Supplier News
OGR Welcomes 4 New Supply Partners
BerylMartin
Founded in 2000, BerylMartin is an art, design and digital print
studio committed to providing our funeral service partners
with the most stunning keepsake products available. We offer
a wide variety of beautiful, personalized funeral memorial
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cards, thank you cards, portraits, casket panels and Fuzed
glass and engraved crystal photo keepsakes. We also provide
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partnersâ€™ business needs.
â€¢ first order is FREE (up to $350)
â€¢ discounted flat-rate shipping
â€¢ exclusive OGR packages discounted up to 20%
off our lowest published prices
Josh Weil
JWeil@BerylMartin.com
219.922.8935 (office)
773.490.5178 (cell)
BerylMartin.com
Final Security
Expand your pre-need offerings with digital estate planning.
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(current retail price $174.99)
Christopher Huziak
Partner@FinalSecurity.co
844.463.4625
FinalSecurity.co
26 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
INEX Inc.
For over 20 years, INEX has been providing the deathcare
industry with products that build your brand, create incremental
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is the most trusted executor toolkit in the industry, and it is
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Closing Affairs Connected: $17.95 (original: $19.95)
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In Case of Emergency: $22.45 (original: $24.95)
888.829.8362
info@INEXinc.com
INEXinc.com
Medi Air Purifier
The Medi Air Purifier is a powerful machine utilizing complex
and advanced technology to clean your home and funeral
home, but is also designed to be extremely simple to operate.
It can take any home or work environment and cleanse it
of unhealthy contaminates, such as mold, dust, pollen and
harmful pathogens, turning it into a clean, sanitized and
healthy environment with just the click of a button.
Relax with the peace of mind that you are breathing fresh, safe
air, filtered by the most advanced technology on the market
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surfaces in your home and office as well, such as counters,
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â€¢ $849 for a single unit ($650 off current list price
of $1,499)
â€¢ $799 for each unit when ordering two or more
($700 off current list price of $1,499)
â€¢ Mention OGR when calling to get the discount
Iam Hedendal
800.699.0960
MediAirPurifier.com
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://XSyxPPyHvfbaoQUiUsgeCtEmdviZVUYVbG7qTDfTXoEÍH¢Í`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾y×‰EÚ LContact your Dodge Representative or call Glass Remembrance at 877-876-6716
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾z×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾yÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://JWAWOibVANAFukt5zFqTeHD6hMrXj_XI8mB8Kl75jeAÎ t2Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://UBvLvcEu0RqENUtDak_GFSqSOzhRDmwYcVr6GMO-p2YÎ 	“Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HPGRDIGx5zeF7UfzcPrzBmtawTLaWoWVNMIS47OgI40ÍS6Í`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://RNsrttR8VJ3MtiSkoGgfLCppHpls9Nx9I1c0-mNICnMÎ ùäÍ’Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ü–× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ò Í]ÍÌz9×‰H·https://starmarkcp.com/G××ÒÔÔÔrÒïïïÌ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¾ó Í}ÍˆÌÓ9×‰HÚ &https://www.getperformancetracker.com/G××ÒÔÔÔrÒïïïÌ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¿ ÍÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¿ ÍèÍsÌ•	9×HÚ  http://www.nomispublications.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¿ Í}ÍŽÌØ9×HÚ  http://GetPerformanceTracker.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄ÷[!fxYé¿  Í]ÍÒÌ€9×Hµhttp://StarmarkCP.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚWOULD YOUR
FUNERAL HOME
BENEFIT FROM
1000 HIGH QUALITY
INFORMATION
GUIDES - EVERY
YEAR - AT NO COST!?
CUSTOM DESIGN
& TAILORED
CONTENT INC.
PRE-PLANNING
We work very closely with you to
ensure we individually design guides
that perfectly represent every
funeral home we work with, your
values and your individual needs.
INCLUDE YOUR OWN UNIQUE
SERVICES, STAFF BIOS, FORMS,
IMAGES, MAPS & MORE
Our guides are uniquely designed for your funeral home, incorporating
your logo, branding, images, location maps, key personnel photos and
staff profiles/bios within each guide.
USED & APPROVED
BY OGR MEMBERS -
AT ZERO COST!
Skyways Media have successfully produced
planning guides for many OGR members. These
high quality, rich, full color glossy printed guides
were supplied at zero cost and they have been
extremely satisfied with them!
PROVIDE YOUR LOCAL FAMILIES WITH THE LATEST COVID-19 INFORMATION & PROCESSES
LETâ€™S TALK!
28 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
USA West: 1-702-329-6677
USA East: 1-646-810-5748
www.skyways-media.com
SKYWAYS
M E D I A
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HPGRDIGx5zeF7UfzcPrzBmtawTLaWoWVNMIS47OgI40ÍS6Í`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾}×‰EÚ#Supplier News
News from OGRâ€™s Supplier Network
Starmark introduces new Artisan series - The
Artisan Cremation Container line offers high eye-appeal
options at price points that resonate with cremation families
and modest viewings, resulting in more body-present
service upgrades. â€œAn ever-increasing number of cremation
families want to see the body again before cremation but
most nice-looking cremation container products are priced
too high to allow for cost-effective identification and private
farewells,â€ said Starmark Cremation Products president
Gerald Davis. The containers are available through nationwide
Starmark distributors or may be ordered directly from
the Starmark factory. Learn more at StarmarkCP.com. |
OpusXenta introduces
â€˜byondcloudâ€™
online
marketplace - byondcloud delivers a highly scalable,
cloud-based platform that streamlines how funeral homes,
cemeteries, and crematoria manage bookings, track endowment
funds, collect payments, manage grounds and services
requests, and connect with other service providers such as
masons. â€œWe designed byondcloud to give death care providers
a secure,
for running their businesses
efficiently,â€
Tony Lorge.
cloud-based platform
more
said OpusXenta CEO
â€œFuneral directors can
now increase the level of service they
provide
by making cemetery and
crematoria bookings directlyâ€”online.â€
| Johnson Consulting Groupâ€™s
new sister company J3Tech
Solutions announces next
generation of Performance
Tracker - This tool gives you actionable
insights to see how your business,
social media performance and bottom
line will improve by moving customers
to share their experience, moving
your team to take action and moving
your bottom line in the right direction.
Overall, itâ€™s designed to help you
increase performance, boost customer
sentiment and enhance your online
reputation. Learn more and schedule a
demo at GetPerformanceTracker.com.
J3Tech was just launched in October
FIND
EXACTLY WHAT YOUâ€™RE LOOKING FOR
FUNERAL HOMES â€¢ TRADE SERVICES â€¢ SUPPLIERS
to bring an innovative tech-driven focus to the death care
industry, creating user-friendly, intuitive and dynamic digital
solutions. â€œOur goal through J3Tech is to create platforms
that easily integrate into consumersâ€™ everyday lives,â€ Johnson
Consulting Group President & CEO Jake Johnson said. |
Thumbies & Bass-Mollett announce partnership
- OGR Endorsed Supplier ThumbiesÂ® Inc. announced Oct.
30 that theyâ€™re partnering with industry-leader Bass-Mollett
Publishers. This strategic alliance will allow Bass-Mollettâ€™s
team of independent representatives to offer the Thumbies
line of jewelry in their portfolio of products, supporting the
needs of their funeral partners nationwide. | Federated
Insurance appoints new CEO and COO - On Jan.
1, Michel G. Kerr took over as Federatedâ€™s new president and
chief executive officer and Nicholas R. Lower was appointed
executive vice president and chief operating officer. The
previous CEO, Jeff Fetters, voluntarily relinquished his role
but will stay on as chairman. â€œIt is with tremendous pride
and complete confidence that we announce these important
leadership changes,â€ Fetters said. â€œMike
Kerr and Nick Lower are proven leaders
who breathe life into our organizationâ€™s
mission each and every day. We
have been tremendously fortunate to
benefit from their contributions over
the years and look forward to the future
they will help shape for our company
and clients.â€ | Foresight Companies
announces Mark Kwosek
as director of accounting - Chris
Cruger, Chief Operating Officer and
partner stated, â€œOur goal was to identify
someone who has the skills and aligned
with our vision to bring institutional
excellence to our accounting services.
We have faith that Mark can accomYour
Real Source. Anywhere. Anytime
www.nomispublications.com
plish that.â€ As director of accounting,
Mark will supervise Foresightâ€™s rapidly
growing business segment that provides
accounting for the funeral and cemetery
professions. He will also oversee
the internal accounting needs for the
company.
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
29
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾~×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾}ÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HfmgIFONdfMlQFKmljumfJ6HRbdO3GkbGCIxxQ663OwÎ œ|Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://dL1DzMx-gKj7rUG1d4f0oeKnwYjusXiDxpuxmLDEK5UÎ Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://2Zb8rEv24ZpVW-Y-JBdICWKZ9GVQ3_GAgNOs4vzpFIEÍOéÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://3_IfV0bVshpxePaP_MGSJ6n0BAaa-yBowDwPnoK_npMÎ ·ÚÍ Í
ºÍð×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿‘× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ×‰EÚ	äMember Spotlight
Member Spotlight
Spotlight on Hoffen Funeral Home â€“
Millstadt, Illinois
Member Elle Heiligenstein is the owner of Hoffen Funeral
Home, LLC in Millstadt, Illinois, and also serves as funeral
director and embalmer. She shared her experiences with
running a successful funeral home for the past six years.
How did you get started in the funeral
industry?
I was a hair stylist and over time counseled many clients
experiencing a loss. I felt a sense of satisfaction at helping
these people and wanted to do more. I had always
found the art and science of embalming interesting,
so I decided to pursue my formal education in funeral
service at the age of 40.
What makes your funeral home unique?
My funeral home is woman-owned and both of my
apprentice funeral directors are women. We are heavily
focused on community outreach. We deliver mealson-wheels
to area seniors twice per week. We are a
reasonably priced funeral home with premium level
services. Locally, we are known as the house of Tiffany,
due to the 19 Tiffany chandeliers that I installed in the
funeral home last year.
I began my career in funeral service at an OGR firm in
St. Louis, Missouri. The owner was a mentor of mine
and I saw how he followed the tenets of OGR on a
daily basis. His motto was â€œLoving people and serving
them, kindness alwaysâ€ and this really impacted
me.
I learned early on how being in an organization
such as OGR was valuable as a guiding tool for the staff
and also made the families feel at ease, knowing that
an OGR firm was held to a higher standard.
I thought
then that if I ever had my own funeral home, I would
try to become a member. Applying for OGR membership
was the second thing I did after filling out the loan
paperwork when I was buying my funeral home. The
day Nancy Weil called to tell me I was approved was
one of the best days of my career!
30 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
Elle Heiligenstein getting ready to deliver food with Meals on Wheels on
Dec. 11, 2020. (photo courtesy Elle Heiligenstein)
What is the most rewarding part of your
occupation?
When families tell me that they could not have gotten
through the funeral service without our care and
compassion, this is what makes all the sacrifices and
hard work worth it. I am often told I make the process
easy. I have never quite figured out what people mean
by that, but it seems to me that they expect the arrangements
and services to be stressful and complicated
for them and are pleasantly surprised when we make
things as seamless as possible.
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://2Zb8rEv24ZpVW-Y-JBdICWKZ9GVQ3_GAgNOs4vzpFIEÍOéÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾×‰EÚ	\Member Spotlight
Member Spotlight
Is there a specific moment or experience in
your career that encapsulates your passion
for what you do?
Yes, I once had a cancer patient in my care that had
lost a significant amount of weight and did not look
anything like herself when she died. I asked the family
for permission to restore her to an appearance prior to
her illness and they were kind enough to trust me.
I
was able to make her appear healthy and beautiful for
her visitation. The family was ecstatic at how well she
looked. She had been a glamorous lady in life and loved
having her hair and make-up done, so this was extra
special considering she hadnâ€™t been looking like herself
for months. The family befriended me after the funeral
and we now regularly see each other as good friends.
Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired daily by the holy
spirit and the works of St. Vincent
DePaul. My funeral home is one
of the few, if not the only one in
the area that regularly cares for
the poor without hesitation. We
do a lot of charity work in the
community as well.
What are some important/
notable trends that you
have noticed in the funeral
industry?
The influx of women in funeral
service is very inspiring for me.
I am also seeing a tremendous
amount of broadcast services
across the internet since the
pandemic began.
My funeral
home recently began professional
webcasting of our services
with great reception.
Cremation
is definitely on the rise and
many families are choosing it for
simplicity rather than cost. Many
times I will have families come
in and request a direct cremation
My membership in OGR has enabled me to live and
work by the 11 tenets of OGR. I am reminded daily to
care for others as I would want to be cared for. Being
a new owner and not from the community where my
funeral home is located, my membership has lent me
some additional credibility among the people who live
here. I regularly market my funeral home as a member
of OGR.
but still purchase quite a lot of memorial merchandise,
so we are offering more retail items than ever before.
How long have you been a member of OGR?
About two years.
How has being an OGR member impacted
your experience in the funeral industry?
Hoffen Funeral Home markets their OGR membership on the digital marquee outside their location in
Millstadt, Ill. (photo courtesy Elle Heiligenstein)
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
31
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾€×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾ÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://h5rBe9oGFwzbz-JZcSruDzs7cMIKCkhtc1XAVVwdEhYÎ ¼Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://mfkNCptKahajhrbjq4RW6x6G9G6BNosVzkqz3jpJCGIÎ :Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://C5DvOlQ5MROr8Q7mollUcOunznAoBjbCwkcsOGveI1sÍQ*Í`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://xzkLsqDICgwpqBeRmeqjWhcXoQT64LlEzxydeVWVH_gÎ æ0Í Í
ºÍð×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿”× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ Í3ÍˆÍZ9×H¹http://OGR.org/Charitable××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ ÍTÍéN9×H®http://OGR.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ ÍÍiÌ»9×H»http://OGR.org/Scholarship.××Ðˆ×‰EÚÙMember Spotlight
Member Spotlight
What has been your favorite moment with
OGR?
Finding out we were approved for membership! I was
so honored!
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Is there anything in particular you enjoy
doing?
I am an avid reader and I also enjoy cooking, and exercising
on my treadmill. I am a devoted pet parent and
care for my dogs and cats. I enjoy traveling when I can,
especially to Cannon Beach, Oregon, our second home.
OGR tries to â€˜follow the Golden Rule.â€™ What
other words do you try to live by?
It is better to give than to receive. God will take care of
A Tiffany chandelier hanging in Hoffen Funeral Homeâ€™s location in
Millstadt, Ill. (photo courtesy Elle Heiligenstein)
you if you do His will. If you can dream it, you can do
it! Thoughts create things! God is good all the time!
As funeral directors are forced to
change the way they do business amid
the pandemic, feedback from the
families you serve is more important
than ever - and you can get it even
faster if you encourage families to fill
out the online form instead of using
the paper form.
Not using online forms yet? Contact
Alyssa Castille at acastille@ogr.org to
get your funeral homeâ€™s custom link.
32 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://C5DvOlQ5MROr8Q7mollUcOunznAoBjbCwkcsOGveI1sÍQ*Í`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾×‰EÚ
zOGR Foundation
OGR Foundation
Applications Now Being Accepted
for OGR Foundation Scholarships
By Evan Hoffmeyer, OGR Communications Director
The Order of the Golden Rule Foundation is now
accepting applications for its 2021 Awards of Excellence
Scholarship Program.
Scholarships are available
for anyone meeting the
following criteria:
â€¢ be currently enrolled in a mortuary science degree
program at an ABFSE-accredited mortuary school;
â€¢ be scheduled to graduate in the 2021 calendar
year;
â€¢ have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher;
â€¢ be involved in community service activities and
school activities;
â€¢ demonstrate excellence in the pursuit of knowledge
in mortuary science; and
â€¢ commit to working for an independently owned
funeral home.
All applicants must also submit an essay describing
their commitment to serving grieving families with
compassion, fairness and dignity.
â€œI want to pour myself wholeheartedly to the funeral
profession, and the families that I will serve,â€ said
Natalie Brahm. She was a student at Milwaukee Area
Technical College in Wisconsin and a recipient of
OGRâ€™s
2020
Silver Award
of
Excellence. â€œI want to make a
difference in my community and
make the world a bit better just
from being in it. I will desperately
seek to provide each family I
serve with the opportunity to feel
supported, understood and able
to give their loved one the service
they desire.â€
Submissions are accepted through the OGR website
at OGR.org/Scholarship. All application materials
are due Friday, March 5.
One of the Foundationâ€™s biggest fundraisers each year is
the silent auction at OGRâ€™s Annual Conference. Without
that normal injection of funds, OGR is asking its
members to pitch in to help fund this essential program.
The Order of the Golden Rule Foundation is a tax-exempt
charitable organization under section 501(c)(3)
of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, which means your
contribution is tax deductible as a charitable donation.
Contributions may be made in honor of, or in memory
of an individual. Contributors may specify an address
to which the Foundation will mail a card acknowledging
the donation in a personâ€™s name. All contributions
are also acknowledged in the next issue of The Independent
as well as on our new Tribute Wall at OGR.org.
After working as a local journalist for
12 years, Evan joined the team at OGR
in June 2020. He is excited to bring his
expertise in media and government relations,
public policy, and content marketing
to his work in this new arena.
Learn more about the
Foundationâ€™s work and make a
tax-deductible donation at
OGR.org/Charitable-Foundation
Natalie Brahm
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
33
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾‚×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾ÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://EYilkuYMIwyoEfnkwUwYAD_UluvCJqK0XgozHVeWHeAÎ ¨µÍ`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://yrQPrsVdNYJFavBSUhGX_uz1cCjo3lfEadQCt1ZdymUÍÙØÍ`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://cdBc0LQ1gePg9krbLFAytBhGDXnnlW_auz5YrlAZ0XkÍH3Í`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://USv5jQyzI28XaIs8bRWY6vSWvUZ3GAzqFgmBAxXqKj4Î žQÍvÍ Í
ºÍð×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿‘× ×_ýÄø[!fxYé¿ \ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ×‰EÚ·Member News
Member News
News from Golden Rule Funeral Homes
Plummer Funeral Home &
Cremation Services marks
80 years in business
McClary marks 40 years as a
Licensed Funeral Director
Gregory McClary from OGR
member firm Chapel of the
Chimes marked 40 years as a
licensed funeral director and
embalmer on Dec. 3! He said
of
the occassion,
â€œFrom at
the early age of nine years old
I knew my calling. Today I
stand not regretting the challenges.
With Godâ€™s help I will
continue to run this race to
serve.â€ Over the years, he has been licensed in South
Carolina, Michigan, Indiana and New York.
Congratulations to OGR member Plummer Funeral
Home & Cremation Services in Litchfield, Illinois,
as they marked 80 years in business the first week of
December. OGR has been proud to call them members
for nearly 30 years of that time. Current owner Terry
Plummer purchased the funeral home - originally
known as Ross-Becker - in 1985, and is the only hometown
owned & operated funeral home in Litchfield.
Morehead celebrates 60 yrs
at Bennett Funeral Home
Congratulations to Charles D.
Morehead as he marked 60 years
with OGR member firm A.W.
Bennett Funeral Home in Virginia
on Nov. 21! Under Moreheadâ€™s
leadership, Bennett has grown
from a one-location funeral home
in 1983 to a four-location operation
in 2003. He has served as
president, treasurer and general manager since 1993.
34 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
Jose celebrates 35 years of
marriage
Raffy and his wife Marichi
â€œChiâ€ Jose celebrated 35 years
of marriage in December.
When we asked how he views
35 years of marriage and
friendship, he said, â€œHappy
is the man who finds a true
friend, and far happier is he
who finds that true friend in
his wife.â€
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://cdBc0LQ1gePg9krbLFAytBhGDXnnlW_auz5YrlAZ0XkÍH3Í`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾ƒ×‰EÚáAbove & Beyond
Above & Beyond
MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE OGR FAMILY
Proud parents Peter and Kelly Urban are
happy to announce the birth of their son
Peter Andrew Urban, III. Born December
3 at 10:46 a.m., Peter weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz.
and measured 21 inches long. He is the
coupleâ€™s second child, joining big sister
Meredith at home.
Celebrating Milestone Anniversaries
â€” January, February & March â€”
45 years | March 1976
Anderson Funeral
Cremation Services
Belvidere, IL
45 years | March 1976
Schuyler Hill Funeral Home
Bronx, NY
35 years | March 1986
Kolssak Funeral Home, Ltd.
Wheeling, IL
25 years | February 1996
Ligon & Bobo
Funeral Home, Inc.
Lebanon, TN
20 years | February 2001
Mortonâ€™s Mortuary, Inc.
Bridgeport, CT
Â®
×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾„×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾ƒÍøÍ(×‘C‘×˜š   ÍøÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://VujUuhSamCiUY0_SlBwS34vGYZ4M8b_3h0HSxPJwqDQÎ õ÷Í`ÍiÍq×‰	Ú 7cassandra://p-gAZFcZyrbo12wObPf213XZayRRT5W0KwJSBV0GuQQÎ ¶Í`ÍæÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://nwPLdhW-cE_SBqzeUwIt465aWJeznUrFp4X0qeKybDoÍGëÍ`ÍŒÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://z7O9OG7Fu2kq_xWsZcXXsP9Cgtm2lwYGufWkmzSQljUÎ uvLÍ Í
ºÍð×_ýÄù[!fxYé¿‘× ×_ýÄù[!fxYé¿ ÍÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ×‰EÚÊAbove & Beyond
Above & Beyond
These select Above & Beyond comments are about members who have received
outstanding comments on Family Contact surveys for providing exemplary
service and going above & beyond expected service levels. These members are
now eligible for the Exemplary Service Award.
Russell Colonial Funeral Home, Inc.
Saint Clair, Missouri
Russell Funeral Home is a wonderful, warm facility
for a funeral. They attend to every detail. My mom
had been in a nursing home prior to her death. She
had lost a lot of weight â€“ to the point that I hardly
recognized her. Nancy did such an amazing job of
making my mom look beautiful. Russell Funeral
Home staff are such caring people who strive to make
a difficult time bearable. Thank you so much for all
you did for me and my family.
Schoppenhorst, Underwood & Brooks
Funeral Home, Inc.
Shepherdsville, Kentucky
We have been to the funeral home many times with
friends, but never for our own family member. We
have always found the staff to be incredibly kind and
thoughtful. The funeral director was very knowledgeable,
compassionate, and thorough. He was always
ready and able to answer questions and worked with
us to the best of his ability on everything. The service,
visitation, and ceremony went very well. I felt like my
dad was properly honored and everything was done
in an orderly manner. I have never been through
this process before, so I had no idea what to expect.
Everything was done very respectfully and with so
much compassion. We were very pleased and thankful
for the services provided to us.
Wenner Funeral Home
Cold Spring, Minnesota
I could not have asked for more genuine kindness,
compassion, and attention to detail. The support and
guidance through this difficult time was outstanding.
36 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
FAMILY CONTACT
THE GOLDEN RULE
Above
& Beyond
There was not a single detail missed! The funeral
director was so attentive, patient, understanding, and
very professional. He made asking questions very
easy and clearly answered all of them. Above and
beyond care was given to my motherâ€™s body as well
as the service. We were able to make arrangements
as appropriate with the times. The director gave us
great suggestions and guidance. There is nothing I
would change about the funeral and other decisions
we made.
Harrod Brothers Funeral Home
Frankfort, Kentucky
The staff at Harrod Funeral Home was amazing!
They were all very kind, compassionate, very professional
but still personal. Our family wishes were
priority and carried out to the fullest extent possible.
Our loved one as well as ourselves were treated
with dignity and respect. The funeral director was
very accommodating and patient with us while we
worked out every detail (not making us feel rushed at
all). He is top notch as is all the staff. An excellent job
was done preparing my uncle for the viewing so that
the limited attendance (due to COVID precautions)
of his closest friends and family could say goodbye.
They helped us display pictures to honor my uncleâ€™s
life. We felt so very blessed!
The Family Contact Program is a FREE member
benefit that is simple to use and offers valuable
information on your funeral homeâ€™s operations, services
and staff through surveying families youâ€™ve served.
Join OGRâ€™s Family Contact Program today and you
could be one of next yearâ€™s Exemplary Service Award
winners. For more information or to sign up, visit
OGR.org/family-contact-program or contact us by
email at FamilyContact@OGR.org or (800) 637-8030.
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://nwPLdhW-cE_SBqzeUwIt465aWJeznUrFp4X0qeKybDoÍGëÍ`ÍŒÍ ×_ýÄñ[!fxYé¾…×‰EÚÂYP Spotlight
YP Spotlight
In Memoriam
Remembering Family and Friends
Robert â€œBraedenâ€ Patton Combs
June 1, 2001 â€“ November 10, 2019
Grandson of OGR Members Jerry & Marilyn Patton
Patton Funeral Home
Brownsville, KY
H. Vann Davis, III
February 23, 1965 â€“ September 27, 2020
Founding principal of OGR Member firm
Davis Funeral Service
Brownsville, KY
Betty J. Farmer
May 28, 1950 â€“ November 4, 2020
Mother of OGR Member Shaun P. Farmer
Farmer & Son Funeral Home
Geneva, NE
Bobby M. Proffitt
November 23, 1930 â€“ May 2, 2020
Funeral Director, Embalmer and OGR Member
Patton Funeral Home
Brownsville, KY
Margaret â€œMaggieâ€ Rowland
1939 â€“ December 15, 2019
OGR Member
Wife of OGR Member Tony Rowland
Rowland Brothers International
West Croydon, Surrey, UK
Muriel Anne Kathleen Rowland
1917 â€“ December 20, 2019
OGR Member
Mother of OGR Member Tony Rowland
Rowland Brothers International
West Croydon, Surrey, UK
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
Â®
37
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ºÍð×_ýÄù[!fxYé¿”× ×_ýÄú[!fxYé¿! Í‘ÍÝg9×H²http://www.ogr.org××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄú[!fxYé¿  Í-ÍÓÍl9×HÚ "http://www.CremationConsulting.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄú[!fxYé¿ ÍJÍ²ÍF9×HÚ "mailto:jim@cremationconsulting.com××Ðˆ× ×_ýÄú[!fxYé¿ Í-Í‘Íl9×HÚ $mailto:andrew@heartlandcremation.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚœQuality Matters.
Every fully-cast ThumbiesÂ®,
Buddies Pet KeepsakeÂ®, and
Phoenix CollectionÂ® keepsake
starts out as the finest available
raw materials, not imported
mass-produced blank
metal slugs.
Since 1998, our US-based
artisans have merged creativity
and science to turn those
materials into keepsakes
so rich in detail, simply
touching one fills the wearer
with feelings of comfort and
connection.
Help your families celebrate the lives of their loved ones
with keepsakes theyâ€™ll cherish forever.
Heartwarming new memorial keepsakes
ThumbuddiesÂ®
To become a ThumbiesÂ®
Partner,
contact sales@thumbies.com.
38 www.ogr.org | Winter 2021
thumbies.com
EXCLUSIVE
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of the future, may not be
a funeral home at all.
if you would like to be
a part of the future...
CONTACT
andrew@heartlandcremation.com
or jim@cremationconsulting.com
www.CremationConsulting.com
www.ogr.org | The IndependentÂ®
39
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3502 Woodview Trace, Ste. 300
Indianapolis, IN 46268
www.ogr.org
Presort Std.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Indianapolis, IN
Permit #279
2020 Awards: Call for Nominations
Golden Light Award
The OGR Golden Light Award, now in its 17th 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 career achievements.
Golden Rule Community
Service Award
The Golden Rule Community Service Award recognizes a firm for outstanding service
to the community during the 2020 calendar year.
Members are encouraged to submit their own firms.
To qualify, nominated firms must:
â€¢ be an OGR Member Firm in good standing;
â€¢ supply support materials as evidence of the activity or service,
such as press clippings, letters of thanks, testimonials, photos, or governmental citations; and
â€¢ not have won this award in the past three years.
Sumbit your nominations at
OGR.org/Awards
Each winner will receive an engraved award and acknowledgement during a ceremony in 2021,
in The IndependentÂ® and on the OGR website. Submissions must be received by February 14, 2021.
Questions may be sent to Adeline Border at (800) 637-8030 ext. 189 or ABorder@OGR.org.
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