Federal Burr Oak Cemetery Reform|Named Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act

Congressional Funeral and Cemetery Reform H. R. 3655

The Congressional Reform  sparked by the Burr Oak Cemetery act is now available to view onine. The legislation is not named the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act-as reported in the Press. THE BEREAVED CONSUMERS  BILL OF RIGHTS ACT OF 2009 is the Official Name of the proposed law. The legislation is a welcome addition to the Funeral Rule.  Federal Burr Oak  Cemetery Reform is overdue.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NATIONAL BURR OAK CEMETERY REFORM LEGISLATION.

This legislation is increasingly important in 2009 not just because of the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal  but  because of a plague of recent  Cemetery and Funeral Scandals across the USA.

YOUR FUNERAL GUY FULLY ENDORSES THE BEREAVED CONSUMERS  BILL  OF RIGHTS ACT OF 2009.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Why The National Funeral Directors will not support H. R. 3655: NFDA OPPOSES  the FUNERAL RULE

Wall Street Bundling Life Insurance to hurt Funeral Industry-YourFuneralGuy

The sale of life insurance policies will hurt the funeral industry

Because of the severity of the recession banks have been buying up life insurance policies. Some of the big banks are bundling them together just as they did debt before the Wall Street Crash a year ago. These  Wallstreet banks are selling them as bonds.

This is a risky investment scheme. This will hurt the funeral industry because in the majority of cases life insurance is the vehicle that folks pay for a funeral.

This is another bad sign for the traditional funeral industry in the USA.

From the New York Times:

“The bankers plan to buy “life settlements,” life insurance policies that ill and elderly people sell for cash — $400,000 for a $1 million policy, say, depending on the life expectancy of the insured person. Then they plan to “securitize” these policies, in Wall Street jargon, by packaging hundreds or thousands together into bonds. They will then resell those bonds to investors, like big pension funds, who will receive the payouts when people with the insurance die.

The earlier the policyholder dies, the bigger the return — though if people live longer than expected, investors could get poor returns or even lose money.”

This  will mean lost income for the Funeral Business.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

The Funeral Industry takes another hit

Ted “Edward” Kennedy Funeral|Video to the Funeral Mass-YourFuneralGuy.

Revealed is the Video to the Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass. The Funeral Mass took place on Saturday August 29th 2010 from 10:30 to 12;30 pm. There is a link here to the Video of the entire Mass.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO OF THE TED KENNEDY FUNERAL MASS

The Funeral Service was held at our Lady Of Perpetual Help Basilica also known  as

There is Link here to the Full Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass Video.

the Mission Church in  Boston.

44  Siting United States Senators were present along with 10 former US Senators.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy .

From CSpan.com

“Pres. Obama gave the eulogy at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. Sen. Kennedy’s tenure in Congress spanned 43 years, making him the third longest-serving senator in U.S. history.”

Front of mission church Uploaded on June 11, 2009
by EdKopp4

Ted “Edward Kennedy”|Funeral Mass|live streaming video-YourFuneralGuy

Mission Church Boston Place of the Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass

Now you can  follow the Senator Edward Kennedy Funeral Mass online. Only the Washington elite are at the Funeral Mass in Boston. It can be followed online by live streaming video.

CLICK HERE FOR CSPAN VIDEO OF THE SENATOR KENNEDY FUNERAL MASS

Senator Ted  “Edward”Kennedy Funeral Mass—-There will be Live streaming video for the  the Senator “Edward” Ted Kennedy Mass.

This will be at tedkennedy.org.

CLICK HERE ON SATURDAY MORNING FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO ON THE SENATOR KENNEDY  FUNERAL MASS

CLICK HERE ON SATURDAY MORNING FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO ON THE SENATOR KENNEDY  FUNERAL MASS

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral|Final Motorcade to stop at US Capitol

Kennedy Funeral | Final Funeral Motorcade

Mission Church Picture Uploaded on June 11, 2009
by EdKopp4

Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral|Memorial Service Program-YourFuneralGuy

Kennedy brothers will be together again at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday

Here is the Senator Ted Kennedy Memorial Service Program-for his “Private” Celebration of Life Service  for Friday, August 28th, 2009. Here is a list of speakers(confirmed) and order of service. This looks like we will see one of the most inspirational tributes of 2009. Do not miss this on television or online.

This begins at 7pm Eastern time And will take place at the John F Kennedy Presidential  Library and Museum.

From Ted Kennedy.org

- Paul G. Kirk, Jr.
- Father Gerry Creedon, S.J., Opening Prayer
- “God Bless America,” Boston Community Chorus
- Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II
- Senator Christopher J. Dodd
- Nick Littlefield
- Governor Deval L. Patrick
- Senator John McCain
- Video Tribute
Directed by Ken Burns and Mark Herzog
- Senator John F. Kerry
- Senator Orrin G. Hatch
- “The Impossible Dream” sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell, soloist
- Mayor Thomas M. Menino
- Senator John C. Culver
- “Just A Closer Walk with Thee,” sung by Boston Community Chorus
- Vice President Joseph R. Biden
- Caroline Kennedy

Funeral industry| Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Kennedy Pic from Flickr under the Creative Commons License from

neprowell’s photostream

Average cost of A Funeral-$7,622 per Year-NFDA|by yourfuneralguy

Average cost of the funeral is $7,622.00-National Funeral Directors Association

The National Funeral Directors Association has declared the Average Cost Of a Funeral to be $7,622.00 per year. The previous figure listed for average  funeral cost at the NFDA website was $7,323.00 per year. This figure does not include cemetery costs but does include a casket and a vault. Most Industry experts put the average cost of a funeral in the United States at $10,000 in 2009.

Snippet from the  Daily Journal .com in Kankakee,Illinois.

“According to the Wisconsin-based National Funeral Directors Association, our nation’s sluggish economy is taking a toll on the funeral industry.

The group reports that the average cost for adult funerals in Illinois that include a casket and vault is $7,622. Yet, some families are spending less than that by choosing cheaper caskets and urns, reducing services and events — for instance, shorter visitation hours, or foregoing a graveside service — and purchasing fewer flower memorials.”

The average cost of a funeral has been trending downward. Cremation has been on the rise. Still the National Funeral Directors Association Lists a  higher average for funeral expenses.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal|Searchable Website link-yourfuneralguy

The Cook County Sheriff has announced a searchable website for Headstones at Burr Oak Cemetery

The Cook  County Sheriff has announced that there is a searchable  website(url) available for victims of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal. This is a beginning to helping families with their grief.

This is a start to helping families with their grief. Right now there is a limited list of headstones to be searched. Families can begin searching for there loved ones without making a trip to the cemetery. Families can go there now and search pictures of headstones, and look for grave locations.

Here is the link URL:www.burroak.net,

The Cook County Sheriff needs to be complemented for making this available quickly.

Snippet from www.nbcchicago.com

“The new site, www.burroak.net, launched with a partial list of the headstones affected. The department hopes to have a completed list of headstones within two weeks. Once completed, the site will also include an option to notify a detective if a headstone is missing.”

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemrtery Scandal: Proposed legislation Comment -yourfuneralguy

Subcommittee returns to DC to write Federal Cemetery Legislation

A  United States House of Representatives Subcommittee is about to propose Federal Cemetery legislation. This is in reaction to the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal. The comments here by MarsellusM710 are his opinions and not those of Your Funeral Guy.

“Dear Funeral Guy and Funeral Service Colleagues,

When will it all stop???  The idiotic actions and the lack of integrity of those involved with the infamous catastrophes in funeral service is simply unforgivable. Tri-State Crematory, NPS, IFDA, the organ/tissue ordeal, SCI’s Cemetery problems, and God only knows how many others and now Burr Oak.  What were they thinking???

And every time there is a reported wrongdoing issue in funeral service or cemetery care the consumer advocacy groups rear their ugly heads and scream for new or more regulation, When in fact there is more than likely regs on the books that already cover the violations and wrongdoings but are not enforced.

Regulators need to get off their duffs and out of the office buildings and be more visible in the field.  In one instance, a field auditor for the Illinois Office of the Comptroller, was doing his or her job, but the boss (Hynes) wasn’t listening or didn’t want to listen, and you see what that got IFDA Trust into.  When regulators, local, state or federal, don’t or won’t do their jobs and lets take it on down to the managerial level, you can almost bet fraud, deceit and greed will raise their ugly heads.

The deeds done at Burr Oak Cemetery has the gruesome makings for an ungodly horror movie.
The Black Community, an entity of people who truly value the traditional funeral, done a dirty deed by a group within the “community” itself.  Crime truly knows no color or economic background.  Those involved with this will not survive prison.  The Black Community will not stand for this to go “unpunished”, even behind prison walls.

Respectfully submitted,
MarsellusM710″

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

“From the Chicago Tribune”

Stirred by the emotional testimony of the living victims of the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal, congressional leaders left Chicago on Monday intending to push for legislation for federal oversight of the cemetery industry.

Burr oak cemetery pic from religion dispatches.org

House Panel to Propose Federal Cemetery Legislation-YourfuneralGuy

A US House Panel will propose National Cemetery Legislation

The  US House subcommittee( Panel) meeting in response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal stated that they will propose National Cemetery Legislation. The subcommittee met in the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.

Here is a brief summary of what happened.

1. The Comptroller of the State of Illinois Dan Hynes stated that cemetery law is inconsistent in the State. Right now the Comptroller only regulates financial matters(including pre need contracts)

2. Joshua Slocum the head of The (FCA) Funeral Consumers Alliance stated that Cemetery Regulation is Inconsistent across the United States of America.. and that there needs to be clear Rules. Slocum and the FCA are clear cut advocates for cemetery and Funeral Reform reform.

3. US Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Stated that cemetery plots should be deeded. That would eliminate future Burr Oak Cemetery Scandals. This is an excellent proposal.

4. The Reverend Jesse Jackson stated that cemeteries should provide online plot information.

The United States Congress Congressional Subcommittee Was Formed By Congressman Bobby Rush.

Opposition is expected from SCI (Service Corporation International ) and STEI (Stewart Enterprises International) The two largest funeral corporations that hold  also own a significant number of cemeteries.

Generally different regulations exist for religious, private and city cemeteries.

Odds are legislation would lower the average cost of a funeral.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source Chicago Tribune

MORE INFO:

Bobby Rush to propose Cemetery Legislation

Michael Jackson |Funeral|Revealed sign Guest book,leave memorial-yourfuneralguy

Michael Jacksons star on the Hall of Fame

Revealed Now, You can sign the Michael Jackson Guest Book, and  read his funeral notice. Michael Jackson died on June 25th 2009. Now You can sign his guestbook and leave a memory for Michael Jackson.

This is important for you and Michael Jackson. It will help you deal with your own grief. Your memory will be recorded and will always be a part of his remembrance.

Perhaps you have signed a guest book at a funeral service. It now can easily be done online.

Sign the Michael Jackson Guestbook and leave a  a memorial here.

There has been no funeral plans that have been made public at this time. You can do this  before his funeral and memorial service. Th

A funeral will not occur till after an autopsy. Hopefully, A Michael Jackson death scene photo will not be leaked to the press and respect for Michael in death will be front and center.

Fans showed up  at the hospital where Michael Died and created an on site memorial there on 6.25.09

You can Check the memorial scene at the hospital here.

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

Michael Jackson Star from hall of fame pic from flickr under the creative commons licence from

sharona790’s photostream