Breaking News-February 28th 2009, It appears that hundreds of thousands were diverted from the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Trust fund to the History of Funeral Customs Museum.
Late yesterday the State-Journal Register newspaper in Springfield IL posted an article about the diversion of ifda preneed trust funds to the IFDA museum.
The amount of money diverted was up to 250,000 USD dollars in 2006 and 2007. According to the Springfield Journal Register Article and Illinois Historian Schwartz.
“However, Schwartz said he assumes that the collapse of a pre-need funeral trust fund that once generated millions of dollars in management fees for the association led to the museum’s demise.
According to an IFDA-commissioned audit, the foundation that ran the museum received at least $250,000 annually in 2006 and 2007 from the association, which got more than $2 million each of those years from management fees generated by the trust fund.”
FD Charles Childs (IFDA President 2006-2007) and Geoffrey Hurd IFDA President (2007-2008) were active at the time the funds were transfered.
Both men have been mentioned in the Press. Childs and the press is mentioned at a February 12th post at this blog. Hurd is mentioned in the press here.
Sadly folks funeral cost is raised when funeral trust funds are misappplied.
The IFDA museum the History of Funeral Customs Museum has an excellent replica of Lincoln’s Casket Display. Thanks to the misappropriation of funds it appears that the museum may be closing. You can view a Lincoln Replica Casket like the one at the museum here.
Currently Randall L Earl is Secretary of the NFDA and The Director of the IFDA Museum of Funeral Customs. This according to the NFDA Website.
Funeral Industry/Funeral Cost Blog
Post updated March 22, 2009 at 5:41pm.
Charles Childs and Geoffrey Hurd are public figures because they are IFDA Presidents. Speaking to the press thrust them into the public spotlight. The same with Randall L Earl who is a public figure as Secretary of the NFDA.
illinois funeral directors association
Tags: blog, Charles Childs, funeral, funeral industry, Geoffrey Hurd, IFDA, Illinois Funeral Directors Association, museum of funeral customs, NFDA, preneed, Randall L Earl, Secretary Treasurer, trust
