Posts Tagged ‘embalming’

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Minnesota may pass legislation allowing families to care for their own dead. There is a bill that would allow the public to care for their own dead. This is a step forward for the home funeral movement and provides a lower cost funeral alternative for the general public. As economic trouble in the nation continues more and more folks are returning to lower cost funeral(s), and for some the home funeral.

“Carolyn Laine, DFL-Columbia Heights, is sponsoring a bill that would allow families to wash, dress and transport their dead, keep them on dry ice for several days and to host larger viewings than permitted by current law.

The measure, which has a bipartisan group of 22 co-sponsors, passed the House Health Care and Human Services Policy Tuesday on a voice vote. It next moves on to the full House.

The law( Minnesota) now requires bodies to be quickly embalmed or cremated after death and limits who can view unembalmed bodies.

Recently widowed Heather Halen, of Minneapolis, said her ability to wash and dress her husband continued the intimacy they’d shared during his life. She kept his body at home and invited family members to visit.”via www.startribune.com

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

Death, state Rep. Carolyn Laine, said Tuesday is frightening.

“We are always afraid of the unknown,” she told fellow lawmakers. But the fear — and the law — should not prevent families from “reclaiming” the care of their dead loved ones, she said.


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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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252063031_1569348815Reports have been circulating over the weekend about funeral Director embalmers being at high risk for Cancer. This comes mainly from exposure to Formaldehyde over long periods of time.

Funeral Industry insiders are well aware of the risks and funeral directors are warned of it in Mortuary School.

A summary of the the national Cancer research can be viewed here

LONG TERM EXPSOSURE TO EMBALMING FLUIDS IS LIKELY TO CAUSE CANCER.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by your Funeral Guy.

More studies are needed. Here is a snippet from US News and world Report.

Researchers in the Division of Cancer Epidemeology and Genetics at the U.S. National Cancer Institute analyzed data on funeral industry workers who died between 1960 and 1986. Information about the workers’ work practices and exposure to formaldehyde throughout their lifetime was collected through interviews with family members and co-workers.

The researchers found that risk rose along with the number of years someone had been involved with embalming and related formaldehyde exposure. The greatest risk was seen among those who’d been involved in embalming for more than 20 years, according to the study.

Embalming fluids pic from flickr under the creative commons license from

Musebrarian’s photostream


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Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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La Paz Funeral Home defendant in lawsuit

La Paz Funeral Home defendant in lawsuit

The New York City Funeral Home, being sued for improper or non-embalming is in a tough spot according to the attorney  for the family. Fernando Maldonado, 43, was returned to the La Paz Funeral Home in the Bronx after undergoing an autopsy

From researching this case it appears that the deceased may have not been embalmed at all. One has to ask the question did the family pay for embalming? Who prepared the body? Where on God’s Earth was the Funeral Director? Would a licensed individual do this?

Lawsuit required-yes.

The fact that a body was presented to 100 people in the described condition below is horrific.

Attorney Michael Lamansoff told wpix.com

There was a gaping hole in his neck,” Lamansoff told PIX News in a telephone interview. “There was blood seeping from his ear and stains on the pillow.”

According to reports, flies were also buzzing around the corpse and the wake was interrupted a total of three times iStock_000006938226Smallby the funeral director who attempted to calm down the large crowd of family and friends dismayed by the body.

The funeral home violated the right of sepulcher … the family didn’t want their loved one ready for burial in a horrible, disgusting way,” Lamansoff said.

This is so sad for the family and  Funeral Directors in America.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy, Funeral Director.

La Paz Funeral Home Image From ConnectingDirectors.com


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Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
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Always hold your funeral director to excellence

Always hold your funeral director to excellence

On June 1st 2009 a body was prepared quickly at a  New York City Bronx Funeral Home. The result was a bad autopsy repair and embalming which brought significant  horror to friends and family. It also brought a lawsuit based upon common law. A horrible looking body is not suitable for viewing, or visitation.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Snippet from CBS Headline:

Bronx Business Accused Of Doing The Unspeakable After Man Has Holes In Head, Flies Buzzing On Body During Viewing
Blood Seepage, Sutures, Discoloration Visible To Those Paying Respects
The people who attended 43-year-old Fernando Maldonado’s wake on June 1 said it was a horror show”

Funeral Directors are trained to prepare the dead for viewing. The most difficult preparation is autopsy repair. In this case the Funeral Home in question did not allow enough time for proper care of the deceased and did not do the job properly. For over a century in the USA Funeral Homes and Funeral Directors in the United States have been expected to properly care for the dead. That is the basis for the common law lawsuit.

You should always expect excellence from your funeral director.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy


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Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
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In the Media

On October 28th, 2009 Your Funeral Guy was featured in Fox News on the story of Wal Mart Selling Caskets on Line.

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On October 9th 2009, Otrib.com recommended Your Funeral guy’s book for saving money on Funeral Costs.

Funeral Costs and General Facts
For advice on how to minimize funeral costs, read:
Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral,” by R Brian Burkhardt.
To learn more about your rights as a consumer, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s funeral-facts page……

via www.otrib.com

In August 2009 Your Funeral Guy was repeatedly referred to as NicheProf -Naymz by Bloggers and News organizations on the web.

In July 2009,  the blog yourfuneralguywordpress.com was featured in the top 100 blogs Wordpress.com  blogs, it’s called a Hawt post.

Quote from the Milwaukee Journal  Sentinel May 10th 2009.

Your Funeral Guy in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Your Funeral Guy in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

‘The entire funeral industry model is changing, said R. Brian Burkhardt, a funeral director in Wheaton, Ill., who blogs about the industry at yourfuneralguy.com.

Consumers are spending less on funeral services, the result of the economic downturn. “People are cutting back because they have to,” Burkhardt said. “People are walking in and demanding less.Check out the full Milwaukee Sentinel Journal Article .

Quoted Speaking Up for NFDA Integrity

Quoted Speaking Up for NFDA Integrity

Your Funeral Guy -Quoted in the Funeral Service Insider a Kates-Boylston Publication 0n April 6th 2009.

Randall L “Earl is also coming under fire on the Internet. In his blog “Your Funeral Guy,”

Your Funeral Guy Quoted in KatesBolyston Publication The Funeral Service Insider

Your Funeral Guy Quoted in KatesBolyston Publication The Funeral Service Insider

states that Earl’s involvement with alleged misdeeds at the IFDA

Your Funeral Guy was quoted on the integrity of the IFDA

may hurt the national association.

He writes, “The integrity of the IFDA has been destroyed. THE INTEGRITY OF THE NFDA, NATIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS
ASSOCIATION NEEDS TO BE QUESTIONED ASWELL.”

When contacted by phone, Burkhardt had more harsh words for the leaders at NFDA. “I see the integrity of the

profession as a little at stake here,” he says. “And I would think that (Earl) would want to put

that above being treasurer of NFDA

or anything like that. The profession needs as much integrity as it can get right now, and him
being on the executive board is not good for the whole mess.”

The Quote from Newsweek March 16 2009

R Brian Burkhardt has been quoted in Newsweek

BUSINESS: “Where Death Comes Cheap” (p. 45). Associate Editor Matthew Philips reports ……. “There’s a major movement toward low-cost options right now,” says R. Brian Burkhardt, a funeral director in Wheaton, Ill., who writes an industry blog called Your Funeral Guy.

Your Funeral Guy on Funerals  in March 16th Issue of Newsweek

Your Funeral Guy on the Funeral

“Those businesses that adjust will do fine — and those that don’t will be gone.”

Check out the whole Newsweek story here.

Your Funeral Guy was Quoted in World Net Daily on Illinois Senator Roland Burris and a funeral Ponzi Scam

Quote from World Net Daily posted January 16th 2009.

R. Brian Burkhardt, a funeral director in the state and the author of a book on saving money on funeral costs, told WND he noticed a year ago that the fund set up under the license granted by Burris had reported a $40 million loss – $59 million at the most recent reporting.

One of the complaints that have been made against the IFDA is that excessive

R.Brian quoted on Burris IFDA Scandal in WND. His book is mentioned

fees were paid to lobbyists,” Burkhardt told WND.

Read the full World Net Daily article here.

Quoted in the National Post November 28th 2008

R.Brian Burkhardt’s part of the piece:

‘That kind of thinking, however noble it might seem, is a mistake, says R. Brian Burkhardt, author ofRest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral

“Quite frankly, the money should go for the living,” says Mr. Burkhardt.

Your Funeral Guy was Quoted in National Post

Your Funeral Guy was Quoted in National Post

“Why should you put $15,000 in the ground for a funeral when the money can go to your

R.Brian Burkhardt Book mentioned in National Post of Canada

R.Brian Burkhardt Rest in Peace Book mentioned in National Post of Canada

grandkid’s education or to a relative?”

“If you take away all the emotion from the situation, it is a contract negotiation. Funeral directors will negotiate with you for a lower cost,” Mr. Burkhardt says. For example, he says, you can opt not to have the body embalmed.

You can view the full National Post article here.

Newsweek image from URL http://www.newsweek.com/id/188139/page/1

World Net Daily image from URL: http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86232

Rest in Peace Book Image private all rights reserved


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Friday, May 15th, 2009
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