Army Correcting Problems At Arlington National Cemetery|Your Funeral Guy

The United States Army is correcting  Problems at Arlington National Cemetery, The Secretary of the Army is before the House Armed Services  Committee today talking about the steps he is taking to correct problems with 211+ Graves, a lack of computerized records and old headstones found in a stream near the cemetery.

Auditors are being called in to assess problems. There will be a massive effort to computerize records, something that should have been done years ago. ANC’s problems may be an easy government fix compared to the other problems that are facing the Nation. Still, to redoing the entire Arlington National Cemetery Systems may take years.

Fixing incorrectly marked and improperly located graves and designing a new and effective management structure has been the priority at Arlington National Cemetery since the Army announced earlier this month it had been neglected for years.

On Wednesday, Secretary of the Army John McHugh is expected to tell a House panel that the new management team he installed is in the midst of correcting some of the high-profile problems, while Army auditors prepare for a massive undertaking in rehabilitating how the cemetery catalogues and keeps track of graves and burials. The overhaul is expected to take years, according to Army officials not authorized to speak publicly ahead of McHugh.

via www.cnn.com

Funeral industry| funeral News Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Click here for more on Headstones found in a stream at Arlington Cemetery

Worlds Largest Funeral Corporation Forcing Strike,Lockout by hiring armed Guards?|Your Funeral Guy

The Worlds Largest Funeral Corporation May be forcing a strike in The Chicago Area by hiring armed Guards. This is just plain crazy.

On June 28, SCI hired a security firm and posted guards outside of its funeral homes, which has raised concerns among the Teamsters that the company plans to lock out employees. The contract expires Saturday at midnight but SCI has offered to extend it for one day.

via www.prnewswire.com

The breakdown of Negotiations and a contract and strike vote at the Union appears to be what has happened. Union Picket Lines and armed Guards at Funeral homes in ChicagoLand?

Service Corporation International rejected federal mediation with Teamsters-represented funeral home employees before making their final offer on Tuesday.

A federal mediator offered to mediate the dispute between the Chicago-area Teamsters and Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) just hours before a strike vote loomed.

SCI had yet to make its final offer.

‘Is there any clearer indication that the company wants to force a strike?’ said Teamsters Local 727 Secretary-Treasurer John Coli

via www.www.istockanalyst.com

This is an incredibly bad situation for the funeral home employees and Funeral Consumers in the Chicago Area. Service Corporation International may be taking this course of action to take matters beyond strike and force the union out of their Funeral Homes! Service Corporation Funeral Homes operate Under The Dignity Logo.

Folks in the Chicago Area will know the outcome on this one shortly.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Senator Robert Byrd Funeral| In Lieu of Flowers Send a Donation Here

In the matter of the Senator Robert Byrd Funeral In Lieu of Flowers, send  donations, or memorial contribution  here:

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The West Virginia Council of Churches, 2207 Washington Street East, Charleston, WV 25311. Make checks payable to The Montcoal Mining Disaster Fund or the Humane Society, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Arrangements by Murphy Funeral Home of Arlington.

Published in The Washington Post on June 30, 2010

via www.legacy.com

Go Ahead now Send a donation to one of the charities  the  family  requested.

Funeral industry| Funeral| Funeral News  Blog by Your Funeral Guy

White House: Obama| Biden to Attend Senator Robert Byrd Memorial Service |yourfuneralguy

The White House has Issued a Press Release stating that President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden will be attending the Memorial  Funeral Service for  Senator Robert Byrd in  Charleston, West Virginia on the morning of July 2nd 2010.

Just as predicted here the announcement came soon after Official Funeral Arrangements were made. The Memorial service is also being billed as a Celebration Of Life.

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2010

President Obama, Vice President Biden to Attend the Memorial Service for U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd

WASHINGTON- On the morning of Friday, July 2, President Obama and Vice President Biden will  attend the memorial service for U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd in Charleston, West Virginia.  More details will be available in the coming days.

via www.whitehouse.gov

Funeral Industry| Funeral News|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

The president will probably speak(does he go anywhere without speaking?) and C-Span will cover it live.

DC, Charleston Funeral Processions|Details for Senator Robert Byrd|Your Funeral Guy

At 9:45 a.m. on Thursday July 1st 2010, the hearse carrying Sen. Byrd’s body will arrive at the Senate steps of the Capitol.

9:50 AM on Thurday July 1st 2010 The casket will be brought up the steps into the Senate chamber, and will be placed upon the catafalque that was first used for President Lincoln’s funeral in 1865 by an Honor guard.

10:15 am until 3:45 p.m., the public is invited to the  United State Senate Chamber Galleries to  pay their respects.

4 p.m  on Thursday July 1st 2010 -Senator  Byrd’s Casket  will  taken out of the  United States Senate Chamber to a hearse and move in procession to  a departure  from Andrews AFB.  Arrival time in Charleston, W.Va., is 5:50 p.m a Yeager Airport .

In Charleston  West Virginia a procession from Yeager Airport will take Senator Byrd past  the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse to the State Capitol, where the casket will be moved to the Capitol Rotunda.

9 p.m. Thursday  to  9 a.m  Friday there will be a public viewing in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda Charleston,WV.

Between  11:30 a.m-12.00 AM  Friday, July 2nd   A MEMORIAL SERVICE will take place in The Capitol Rotunda in West Virginia.  The casket will be removed  from that location at 4pm

11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6,  the Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, Va.will host Senator Robert Byrd’s Funeral   It is open to the public.

The address of The Church is: 3455 North Glebe Road Arlington, Virginia

Funeral Industry| Funeral News|Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Senator Robert Byrd Funeral plans revealed|Your Funeral Guy

Some of the Funeral plans for Senator Robert Byrd have been revealed. This a partial list of funeral arrangements.(updated Tuesday June 29th at 4:30pm)

Thursday, July 1st 2010

Visitation,Viewing, Lie in State ” US Senate Floor”   Time 10 AM to 4pm

Chaplain Prayer in the Senate Chamber  Time 10:30 AM

Closed casket with honor guard

Public allowed in the Galleries of the Senate Chamber.

Thursday Evening Senator Byrd’s Body will Be taken to the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda where he will lie in State.

Friday July 2nd, 2010

Memorial Funeral Service In West Virginia, Friday

Time: 11:00 AM just after 12noon at West Virginia Capitol Rotunda

Tuesday July 6th 2010

Funeral in Arlington, VA open to the public

Private Internment

Funeral Industry|Funeral News| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Senator Byrd Funeral Lie in State In Senate Chamber Thursday, July 1st |Your Funeral Guy

Senator Byrd will Lie in State in the Senate Chamber on Thursday.  It is being reported that he will  NOT lie in  State the Capitol Rotunda.

“The body of West Virginia Democrat Robert C. Byrd will lie Thursday in repose in the Senate chamber, where he served for more than half a century.

Law enforcement officials and a Senate aide said Byrd’s casket will lie in repose in the Senate chamber, rather than the Capitol Rotunda.

There is ample precedent for such ceremonies, but none has occurred since North Dakota Republican William Langer’s funeral in 1959, according to the Senate Historian’s Office.-.google.news“

Senator Byrd served in the US Senate Chamber for 51 Years and is the longest Serving US Senator in American History.

Robert Byrd Died Early  Monday Morning. Some Funeral Arrangements have been made.

Sen. Robert Byrd will join Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy among historic figures who have lain in state in the Capitol Rotunda — an honor bestowed upon only 28 other Americans over the past 160 years.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Here is a list of the Recent Senators who have lied in repose in the Capitol.

Here is a list of the last Five United States Senators to lie in State in the US Capitol

Borah, William E.                  Idaho                      January 22, 1940

Sheppard, Morris                  Texas                      April 10, 1941

Harrison, Byron P.(Pat)         Mississippi              June 23, 1941

McCarthy, Joseph R.            Wisconsin                May 6, 1957

Langer, William                 North Dakota              November 10, 1959

Senator Robert Byrd to be Buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery Arlington, Virginia |Your Funeral Guy

Although no formal burial plans have been announced for Senator Robert Byrd,  the  Family Burial Site,  where  his wife Erma is buried  has the Senators  name on the gravestone. This is located at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

The time of and date of a graveside Funeral Ceremony has not been announced. Senator Byrd is already listed as a famous internment at this cemetery by FindaGrave.com.

Snippet:

Byrd, Robert Carlyle b. November 20, 1917  d. June 28, 2010
US Senator. He was born Cornelius Calvin Sale, Jr. and after his mother died in the 1918 influenza epidemic he was raised by his aunt and uncle, who renamed him. In 1946 he won a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates, serving until 1950, when he was elected to the State Senate, where he served until 1952. That year he was the successful Democratic nominee for a seat in the US House of Representatives and served three terms. Byrd was elected to the US Senate in 1958 and served from 1959.

via www.findagrave.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral News |Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Columbia Gardens  Cemetery Photo from flickr under the creative commons license from_rockinfree’s photostream

No copyright on  Byrd Headstone Photo,  link http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18821093

CHICAGO:Contract Negotiations Resume with World’s Largest Funeral Corporation|Your Funeral Guy

Contract Negotiations Are Resuming on Tuesday and Wednesday with the World’s Largest Funeral Corporation and Chicago  Teamsters Local 727 Tuesday and Wednesday.

Being negotiated are wages(a freeze)  an exit from the Teamsters union Pension Fund, and an increase in union employees health care benefit cost.

But If matters are not settledwill Service Corporation International,  NYSE:SCI Funeral Homes will be affected in ChicagoLand. on July 1st 2010.

Here is  list of the specific Funeral Homes that May be affected by a possible strike.The following are SCI-owned and operated facilities.

* Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 W. 103rd St., Oak Lawn, IL
* Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Ave., Lisle, IL
* Central Prep, 7347 N. Monticello Ave., Skokie, IL
* Chapel Hill West, 17W201 Roosevelt Road, Oak Brook Terrace, IL
* Chapel Hill Gardens South, 11333 S. Central Ave., Oak Lawn, IL
* Cypress Funeral Home, 1698 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights, IL
* Drake & Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL
* Funeraria de Angel Sagrado Corazon, 5219 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL
* Hennessy-Nowak Funeral Home, 400 Pulaski Road, Calumet City, IL
* Kenny Brothers Funeral Home, 3600 W. 95th St., Evergreen Park, IL
* Lloyd Mandel Levayah Funerals, 4750 W. Dempster St., Skokie, IL
* Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N. Cemetery Road, Gurnee, IL
* Malec Funeral Home, 6000 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL
* Montclair-Lucania Funeral Home, 6901 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL
* Piser Chapels, 9200 N. Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL
* Ridge Funeral Home, 6620 W. Archer Ave., Chicago, IL
* William H Scott Funeral Home, 1100 Greenleaf Ave., Wilmette, IL

The final two bargaining sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, June 29, and Wednesday, June 30 – the day the current three-year contract expires. If an agreement cannot be reached, the funeral directors and drivers will take a strike vote on Wednesday, June 30.

“This gigantic corporation brings its own outside agenda to the communities where our members have been working and living for decades,” said John Coli Jr., Local 727 Vice President.

via www.prnewswire.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral News |Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Do not Be fooled by the tame looking photo of the Service Corporation International website in the Featured Image. SCI Management is very agressive in treatment of their employees and customers.

Will President Obama Speak at Senator Robert Byrd’s Funeral?|YourFuneralGuy

It will take several days to arrange the Senator Robert Byrd Funeral Service. Things could take 1-4 days because logistics will need to be coordinated with the Family, the  United States Senate, government officials and local Law enforcement.

The Logistics for an event like this are quite involved.

Odds are that Obama will speak and give a Eulogy.The White House will not announce whether President Obama will be at Senator Robert Byrd’s Funeral until Funeral Arrangements are finalized. The announcement may come just before the funeral for security reasons.

There will be probably be some sort of National Memorial Service where Fellow Senators can share their memories. This was the case in Senator Ted Kennedy’s. Funeral.

President Obama will  probably speak reading a teleprompter and fulfill his role Griever in Chief .

The burial will most likely be private.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News | Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy, Funeral Director, Illinois and Virginia

Source(s)for this speculative post:

Your Funeral Guy Blogs on the Funerals of Government Leaders.Examples:Ted Kennedy, John Murtha, Jack Kemp, Polish President
http://www.yourfuneralguy.com
http://www.yourfuneralguy.wordpress.com
http://www.rbrianburkhardt.com

Featured Image From Flickr under the Creative Commons license.-from

onathanpberger’s photostream