Connecting Directors.com says Funeral Industry accepting Third Party Caskets?-YourFuneralGuy

Connecting Directors.Com has posted negatively on the Funeral Consumers Alliance

In a Blog posts that attacks the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) and comments that discuss how to get rid of this organization, Connecting Directors.com states that the funeral industry is accepting Third Party Caskets.  From the Web Reaction and resentment  from Funeral Homes and directors on Walmart Selling Caskets, this is simply  not the case.

I think we learned from the article I posted yesterday (Funeral Director Reacts to Handling First Walmart Casket, You Might Be Surprised)that funeral professionals are open to and willing to accept third-party caskets.

via www.connectingdirectors.com

The FCA states that third party caskets are good for the consumer. This is true. You can have a beautiful casket for much less and come in under the average cost of a funeral by purchasing a casket at a place other than the funeral home.

In the Case of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal, and the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act  the Funeral Consumers Alliance was one of the first to speak up for consumer rights.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance has long been hated by Funeral Industry Insiders. Their Lawsuits have hurt Batesville, Service Corporation International,SCI and pointed out consumer ripoffs by these companies.

If funeral directors were more pro consumer and focused less on their own profit as the Connecting Directors  post above does, the funeral industry would not be in decline and there would be less need for the FCA and  more profit for the Funeral Directors. It also would create a  better situation for Funeral Consumer.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Top Ten Most Fascinating Funeral People of 2009-Your Funeral Guy

The Ten Most Fascinating funeral people of 2009

Here are the top Ten Most Fascinating  Funeral People of  2009. -Tom Dart,  Bruce Rushton ,Bobby Rush , Randal L Earl, Kenneth Camp, Michael Jacksons’s Mother, Roman Szabelski….These people or their companies have been mentioned in 2009 in Your Funeral Guy blogs.

1. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart for creatively and judiciously handling the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal Outside Chicago. The man handled total horror with Excellence.

2. Bruce Rushton Reporter For the State Journal Register newspaper in Springfield Illinois for Excellence in Reporting On The Illinois Funeral Directors Association Scandal. His series of articles have brought funeral reform to  Illinois.

3.Congressman  Bobby Rush For Proposing the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act. This Congressman  took a stand for Funeral and Cemetery Consumers in The USA. Rush is applauded for introducing Cemetery Reform legislation.

4. Randall L Earl for refusing to resign from the National Funeral Directors Association in spite of being exposed as a major player in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association IFDA Preneed  Ponzi Scam where over 100 Million dollars was lost. Earl was the Director Of the Defunct  Museum of Funeral Customs  in Springfield Illinois.which appears to have been setup with people’s Preneed funds. Now putting one’s political l career ahead of the profession’s  leading Associations integrity is both despicable and sad at the same time.

5. Batesville Casket Ceo(Hillenbrand,Inc)  Kenneth Camp for spinning positively a total Casket Sale Disaster in 2009 Not many corporate executives can point to  a 29 million net revenue decline as a success in a year where Cremation was king. The Mighty Batesville Casket Co. Struck out in 2009.

6. Michael Jackson’s Mother( Catherine) for keeping the location of Michael Jackson’s body and $25,000 Batesville GOLDEN Casket a Secret for 2months after the memorial service and before the burial.

7. Ted Kennedy was a fascinating Funeral person in 2009. Planning his own funeral so as to memorialize himself  as a good Catholic  (He opposed Catholic Doctrine on right to life, and gay rights most of his life ) and politically correct is a something few have pulled off. The way he planned his own funeral and his death showed leadership.

8. Roman Szabelski of Catholic Cemeteries of  Chicago as  a  Court appointed receiver for Burr oak Cemetery and later as a consultant, put forth a concerted effort to resolve the Burr Oak Cemetery Disaster.

9. Illinois Senator Roland Burris  of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Scandal for his ability to to avoid scrutiny as a lobbyist and a creator of the IFDA Preneed Trust.

10. Illinois State Representative Dan Brady for breaking with the Illinois Funeral Directors Association and their scandalous activity. He has been a leader in Cemetery and Funeral Reform in 2009. He has been the author of  legislation in Illinois and is a Funeral Director.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog  by Your Funeral Guy.

Burr Oak Cemetery scandal|more grave desecrations.-YourFuneralGuy

Latest in the Butr Oak Cemetery Scandal

Burr Oak Cemetery is having more Grave problems. These are amounting to unintentional grave  desecration. When attempting new burials graves are being disturbed. In spite of Court supervision the owners Perpetua, Inc. have not been able to straighten out the chaos there.

Recently while conducting burials, the continued situation of Graves and bodies have been discovered in the wrong locations. This is a result of the owners, Perpetua Inc original mismanagement of the cemetery.

This was reported recently by the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart again called for burials at Burr Oak to be halted. Dart said his records show there have been five to seven incidents of discovered caskets and remains.

“We should not go through this exercise of torturing people,” he said. “Having them come out for a burial and find out there’s someone already there. We need to have these people step back and get it right and at that point they can go ahead with burials.”

via www.chicagobreakingnews.com

The insensitivity to the bereaved continues at Burr Oak even today. This is beyond horrific. The Culprit is clear in this matter. Perpetua, Inc.

Not only is there not justice here, the world of hurt continues

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery Opened on a limited basis|YourFuneralGuy

Burr Oak Cemetery partially reopened on November 19th 2009

Burr Oak Cemetery is being opened on Thursday to specific families that have a loved one buried there.

The tickets are being issued by a Perpetua,  Inc at a website at http://www.burroakalsip.com/

Anyone who has a ticket can get in on their assigned day. If You have a loved one at Burr Oak, you can find the information at the website.

Here are some of the details on the Cemetery Reopining listed at the Perpetua Website.

Burr Oak Cemetery will re-open to the public on a limited, section by section basis beginning on Thursday, November 19, 2009 through Wednesday, November 25, 2009. The Cemetery will be open from 8 am to 4 pm on week-days and 8 am to 3:30 pm on week-ends.

We anticipate that there will be large numbers of people coming to Burr Oak, some of whom may require assistance. To avoid the crowd, we suggest that you make your visit at least two weeks after the Cemetery opens.

We have a very limited staff, so we appreciate your patience. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Because of the limited staff, the Cemetery will be opened up on a section by section basis, with a new section being opened each day until all 45 sections have been opened. Burr Oak staff will be stationed only in the areas being opened on that specific day to provide assistance in locating a loved one’s grave.

via www.burroakalsip.com

In order to visit the site one should get on a bus at a specific location-Burr Oak Cemetery Transportation Center at 12250 S Cicero Ave, Suite 109, Alsip, IL 60803. there is parking.

On Friday November 27th Burr Oak cemetery will reopen to the Public.

In July 2009 it was discovered that over 300 graves were desecrated at Burr Oak Cemetery. Four people were arrested. Bones were piled up all over the cemetery.

In reaction to the Burr Oak Cemetery  Scandal Illinois has proposed cemetery reform, and Congressman Bobby Rush has proposed the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act of 2009-Click here

The main problem at the Cemetery is that there are over 140,000 grave sites with only 43,000 headstones.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery resumes funerals-Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery Remains closed but some funerals have been happening

Burr Oak Cemetery is conducting  funerals now.  This was reported by the Chicago Tribune. Sadly though. Cemetery reform has been stalled in the Illinois legislature, the State Senate. The neglectful  owner company Perpetua Inc is still in charge and THE CEMETERY IS NOT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.

Although some funeral services are resuming at Burr Oak Cemetery there is little consolation for Burr Oak Cemetery families.

At Burr Oak Cemetery Over 300 graves  were desecrated, and bones were piled up at various locations around the cemetery,

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

 

It is unclear why the cemetery decided to resume the burials but not open the doors to the general public. Repeated calls to Howard Korenthal, who was appointed to oversee the cemetery at the end of September, were not returned.

Spencer Leak Jr., co-owner of Leak and Sons Funeral Home in Chatham, said the funeral home had to keep four bodies since July because the family members wanted them to be buried at Burr Oak. Two weeks ago, they buried the last of the four.

Leak said he got calls every day from frustrated relatives, but there wasn’t much he could do. Finally, about a month and a half ago, he got the OK to start burying one person at the time. Donahue was one of them.

via www.chicagobreakingnews.com

 

Illinois Cemetery Reform not til 2010-YourFuneralGuy

Illinois Cemetery reform has put been put on hold till 2010 by the Illinois Senate. The Illinois Senate wants to hold it’s own hearings on Cemetery reform. This legislation was approved by the Illinois house  and submitted to the Illinois Senate.

On Friday the Illinois Senate President called for more hearings responding to private cemetery objections. this reform is desperately needed and as up to 300 graves were desecrated at Burr Oak Cemetery near Chicago

CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports that the proposed reforms were buried on Friday amid concerns from private for-profit cemeteries who wanted to be excluded from many of the requirements in the proposal.

On Thursday, the reforms passed overwhelmingly in the Illinois House and the sponsors predicted it would also pass easily in the State Senate.

But Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) did not allow that vote on Friday. Instead, he planned to call another round of public hearings on cemetery reform — time and place still uncertain.

via cbs2chicago.com

Illinois Representative Bill Black R-Danville came out on the side of the cemeteries and spoke out against the reform.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

NFDA to State Position|CemeteryFuneral Reform Legislation-YourFuneralGuy

Congressional Funeral and Cemetery Reform H. R. 3655

The National Funeral Directors Association will come up with it’s position on Cemetery and Funeral Legislation at the upcoming NFDA Convention in Boston(OCT 25th-28). The Bereaved Consumer Bill of Rights Act(AKA Bereaved Consumers Protection Act) was introduced in Congress in late September in reaction to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal near Chicago this Summer.

Burr Oak Cemetery remains closed. In July it was discovered that up to 300 graves were desecrated and human bones discarded in large piles around the cemetery. In September at Eden Memorial Park  in California it was reported in a lawsuit that 500 graves were disturbed. Eden Memorial Park is a Service Corporation International Site.

The basics of the proposed law are that  cemeteries will be regulated nationally. Cemeteries will be required to comply with the Funeral Rule. The Funeral Rule is a body of Congressional Law, that protects the Funeral Consumer. Soon it will protect Cemetery Consumers as well. Read a good summary of the Funeral Rule.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Burr Oak Cemetery is for sale-Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery is for Sale

Burr Oak Cemetery is now for sale. The cemetery just outside of Chicago is being sold by Perpetua, Inc. the owner. There is no word on any buyers at this time. This may or may not be good news for victims of the Scandal. Time will tell.

In July of 2009 graves were found desecrated with bones scattered  in piles around the cemetery. Recently Perpetua was given back control of the the cemetery, through a consultant. There is hope that the cemetery will reopen soon. There has been Federal legislation initiated because of this and other scandals The Bereaved Consumer Bill of Right Act

In a Chicago Bankruptcy Court hearing on Tuesday, Judge Pamela S. Hollis gave permission for Perpetua-Burr Oak Holdings of Illinois, L.L.C., owner of Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, to sell the cemetery that became infamous this summer for a grave desecration scandal that sent families searching for their loved ones.Perpetua filed for bankruptcy protection in September in the wake of a criminal investigation. The company told Judge Hollis it had hired American Cemetery/Mortuary Consultants Inc. as a consultant to assist in selling the cemetery.Attorney Robert Fishman, of Shaw Gussis Fishman Glantz Wolfson, in Chicago, said Perpetua doesn’t yet know of any buyers but hired a consultant with expertise in cemeteries.“All the pressure of the world is on us,” said Fishman during the hearing.

via news.medill.northwestern.edu

On Monday 50 Lawyers representing Plaintiffs in lawsuits were given a tour of the cemetery.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

picCat Rabenstine/MEDIL via news.medill.northwestern.edu

Burr Oak Cemetery to use Radar-Your Funeral Guy

Latest in the Butr Oak Cemetery Scandal

The Burr Oak Cemetery will begin to use Radar in locating grave spaces. This is an effort to find places where burials can take place at the Cemetery. It is hoped that this will expedite the reopening of Burr Oak Cemetery-

In July 2009 over 300 graves were desecrated at Burr Oak Cemetery causing state and federal investigations.Burials were halted over the summer after four cemetery employees were arrested and charged in a scheme to empty graves, dump the remains and re-sell the newly-emptied gravesites….

Until now, Burr Oak consultant Roman Szabelski, who also runs Catholic cemeteries in the Chicago archdiocese, says long sticks have been used to determine whether graves are empty or not.  That’s time-consuming.  So, he says, in the next several weeks, a Florida company is being brought in to use radar devices to determine where there are available graves.

via www.wbbm780.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

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