Archive | October, 2010

LA Funeral Director pleads guilty to Preneed Bank Fraud-Your Funeral Guy

29 Oct
Shreveport interstate intersections
Shrevport Louisiana Intersections Image via Wikipedia

A Louisiana Funeral Director has pleaded Guilty to Preneed Bank Fraud. Prepaying can be dangerous. The danger is simply the Funeral Director Takes Your Money. This is more common than many would care to admit.

A Vivian man pleaded guilty on Friday to bank fraud and admitted to defrauding 65 victims of more than $400,000 in prepaid funeral and burial services.  William James McGuire, 63, owner and operator of McGuire Funeral Home in Vivian, La was entered in the plea in the U. S. District Court in Shreveport.

McGuire would place the customer’s funeral payment into a funeral trust account in the form of a certificate of deposit at a financial institution in which the certificate of deposit, including all earned interest, would be intended for the exclusive use and benefit of the funeral recipient. The certificate of deposit, which was payable upon the death of the funeral recipient, would bear the name of McGuire Funeral Home and the funeral recipient jointly

Beginning sometime in 2006 and continuing through 2007, McGuire began to fraudulently represent to AmSouth Bank and Regions Bank that a funeral recipient was deceased

via www.ksla.com

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

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World’s Largest Corporation Miminal Growth 3rd quarter-YourFuneralGuy

29 Oct dignity-memorial1

The World’s Largest Funeral Corporation has had minimal growth in the 3rd quarter 2010 ,when 2009  one of the worst years ever for  Service Corporation International, NYSE:  SCI

2010                                                                                                                                                                      2009

Revenues $533.2                                                                                                                                             $497.2

Operating income     $68.5                                                                                                                           $78.0

Net income attributable to common stockholders     $18.8                                                           $31.2

Diluted earnings per share  $.08                                                                                                                 $.12

Earnings from continuing operations excluding special items $31.9                                         $32.4

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations excluding special items $.13       $.13

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 247.5                                                                         $ 253.0

Net cash provided by operating activities $80.1                                                                                $94.2

Net cash provided by operating activities excluding special items $82.5                               $94.2

via www.marketwatch.com

These numbers indicate a Struggling Funeral Industry. Cause The Great Recession.

Funeral  Industry, Funeral News, Funeral Blo by Your Funeral Guy

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Michelle Obama to return to Chicago South Side for a Funeral-YourFuneralGuy

28 Oct
Michelle Obama, official White House portrait.
Image via Wikipedia

Michelle Obama will be returning to the Chicago South Side  for Mega Church Pastor Bishop Brazier  Funeral. White House advisor Valerie Jarrett

First Lady Michelle Obama and White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett will attend the funeral Friday of the legendary Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, pastor who built a 22,000-member South Side megachurch.

Bishop Brazier, 89, who had been battling prostate cancer for five years died last Friday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

via blogs.suntimes.com

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

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Unclaimed Cremated Remains: A growing Problem-Your Funeral Guy

28 Oct iStock_000001962863XSmall

Unclaimed remains are a growing problem in the United States. The great recession has created a problem. Unclaimed  cremated remains after  a cremation the Coroners Office, and the medical Examiners Office. Some folks cannot afford any funeral cost, some do not have living relatives.

The Bucks County Coroner’s Office has a record-high number of unclaimed remains in its morgue. “Unfortunately, a lot of sad things happen,” the county coroner said.

At the Bucks County morgue, nearly 40 boxes wait to be taken home.

Inside each one is the cremated remains of someone whose relatives either aren’t interested in claiming them or can’t afford the fee to claim them.

But they represent only half the story, Bucks County Coroner Dr. Joseph Campbell said.

via www.phillyburbs.com

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

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The Media is not slamming the Funeral Industry lately-YourFuneralGuy

27 Oct Is this your funeral cost
The CNN Center in Atlanta.
Image via Wikipedia

The  media has not been slamming the Funeral Industry lately-instead the have been providing information on  the great recession and consumers funeral cost and the turn towards cremation.

Msn Money, The Wall Street Journal, CNN,  The NewYork Times, the Huffington Post and many local papers  have covered the subject of the rise of cremation and the fact that people want to save on caskets , and other funeral products to Save on a Funeral.

Recently i gave advice to a friend on Funeral Cost. They decided to have a memorial service at a Nursing Home Rather thee  Funeral Home.

Some Funeral Director websites like Connecting Directors.com and the Memorial Business Journal accuse the media continuing  be negative on the Funeral Industry by reporting scandal.

The fact is that Many Funeral Scandals do not make it into the Mainstream media. The Tale The Illinois Funeral Directors  Preneed Scandal is an example. The scandal was given extensive coverage in the Springfield, Illinois area but received minimal coverage in Chicago media and  no national media coverage.  The Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal, received extensive coverage in the Chicago area and other localities but little to no coverage in the National media

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

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Alkaline Hydrolysis will change Funerals-Your Funeral Guy

26 Oct

Alkaline Hydrolysis Disposition, Water cremation water resolution or Bio Cremation will change Funerals forever.

Although the 1st  reaction is of many Folks is Ick the process will take hold eventually because Bio cremation or water cremation is good for the environment (The Earth), good for the consumer and good for the funeral industry. Anderson-Mcqueen Funeral Home in St. Petersburg Florida is slated to be  the 1st in the country(USA) to put in place green cremation machine.

A bill to legalize the chemical process in New York was called “Hannibal Lecter’s bill.” Just before the same bill went down in defeat in New Hampshire, a lawmaker complained that he didn’t want his loved ones to go “down the drain.”

It’s called alkaline hydrolysis, and it’s one of a wave of green funeral options gaining popularity across the nation. Proponents say it’s better for the environment and gentler on the deceased.

It just takes some getting used to, is all. That’s because it’s basically melting your loved ones away.

via www.tampabay.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral News| Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Funeral Director says VA Cemetery is killing him-Your Funeral Guy

25 Oct
Map over Louisiana's regions
Image via Wikipedia

A Funeral Director in Louisiana has stated that the VA Cemetery is killing Him.

Even though Higdon admits he makes a good living, he said more families are opting to use the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery for loved ones with active duty service. Some are even digging their graves.

“The funeral business is not recession proof anymore,” he said. “The VA cemetery is really killing me.”

Burial in the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery is free for people with at least six months of active duty in the armed forces.

He said cremations are also making a dent into his business, as well as some of the smaller funeral homes in the area.

via www.shreveporttimes.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral News| funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Placetized Bodies and Body parts sold online?-Your Funeral Guy

25 Oct
Gunther von Hagens 2009
Image via Wikipedia

Plasticized bodies and body parts will soon be sold on line. This story is repugnant and very unsettling.

Gunther von Hagens latest move outrages queasy public

Plasticized corpse huckster Gunther von Hagens is jumping on the grisly express again. The German millionaire bizman scientist is preparing to offer plasticized body parts and entire bodies for sale online, sparking public outrage. VonVon Hagens developed a way to preserve corpses by replacing body fluids and fat with plastic resin, and has launched a controversial series of global exhibits staging dead people engaging in activities from pole vaulting to having sex. He plans to sell bodies for $90,000, torsos for $75,000 and human heads for $33,000.

via www.allvoices.com

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

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Tom Bosley Had a private funeral|burial on 10/22/2010-yourfuneralguy

23 Oct
PALM SPRINGS, CA - JANUARY 06:  Actor Tom Bosl...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Tom Bosley had a private funeral on 10/22/2010.The burial location is here:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: God’s Acre, 1738, space 4, next to his stepson, Thomas Carr.via www.findagrave.com

Many times Hollwood actors have a totally private Funeral and Burial.

Tom Bosley, who died Tuesday at his home in Palm Springs at age 83, is set to be buried in a private funeral in Los Angeles on Friday.

“He had that wonderful, sprite-like energy of his,” Winkler says. “It was apparent on the phone when I spoke to him three weeks ago, it was apparent when we saw each other a year ago, it was apparent when we saw each other before that.”

Henry Winkler remembers his last phone conversation with Tom Bosley.via listown.com

Funeral Industry| Funeral News| funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

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Funeral Thank You Cards-Your Funeral Guy

22 Oct
A floral name tribute (spelling out the word &...
Image via Wikipedia

Today we have a guest post on Funeral Thank you notes or Funeral thank -you cards. How to Choose Funeral Thank You Cards

Losing a loved one is one of, if not, the most painful and difficult experience that anyone will go through in life. More than the physical loss, the emotional aspects of losing a loved one can figuratively drive the person to hell and despair. That’s why whenever there’s a death in the family, it’s very comforting to know that there are people who are and will be there for you and your family through thick and thin. Hugs of sympathy, presence of friends, and condolences from different people can, at least temporarily, lift the pain. And after everything’s done with the wake, memorial and funeral, choosing and writing funeral thank you notes is one way of showing the attendees that you and your family are thankful for their love and support.

If you’re in the unfortunate place where you need to send thank you notes after funeral, then here are some tips and methods that you can follow to do this task.

First, when you’re sending funeral thank you cards, you don’t really have to worry about the timeframe. For the meantime, you don’t have to worry about your family and friends. They’re not expecting you to write funeral thank you notes immediately. You take your time and don’t let others pressure you to write these thank you notes after funeral.

Second, you don’t have to write an original message for your funeral thank you notes. In fact, few people do this. You only write personal messages for people who really matters to you and/or to the deceased alone. In fact, if you don’t have the inkling to write a unique and personal note, then don’t. But if you really want to write a note or message, it’s okay to make it short.

It’s more ideal to buy pre-printed notes from bookstores. You just have to make an effort in choosing the message that you want to convey to the recipients of the funeral thank you notes. You can just add the name of the recipients to make it more personalized. Again, if you don’t have the strength or the time to do this on your own, you can ask the help of your immediate family members or closest friends to write the names for you.

It’s true that this task/act can make you cry or make you numb. After all, you’re thanking other people for joining and supporting you when you buried your loved one. But this task, in some way, can help you move on.

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

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