Service Corporation International, Dignity(R), NYSE:SCI has been changing the NAME  of Preneed Recently to funeral insurance. Preneed has been really having a bad time lately. There has been a triad of historic Preneed Funeral Scandals: The NPS (National Prearranged  Services), The Illinois Funeral Directors Association Preneed Funeral Scam, and the recent California Funeral Directors Association Scandal.

They have been doing it at their North Carolina Dignity(R) site.

Changing the name of Something that has a bad name does not change what it is or or it’s reputation.

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

Technorati Tags: california funeral directors association, dignity, funeral, funeral industry, funeral insurance, Funeral News, Illinois funeral directors association, national prearranged Services, north carolina, nyse:sci, Scandal, SCI, service corporation international

The Commonwealth of Virginia has reacted to the  Veterans Corpse abuse that was reported in April 2009 at National Funeral Home (a Service Corporation International, NYSE: SCI  Funeral Home), in Falls Church, VA.

Mistreatment of Veterans bodies was reported at this SCI property in 2009 according to the Washington Post.

There is the imposition of   a $50,000 Fine and six unannounced Inspections by the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers.

This is nothing in light of how the bodies were mishandled at the National Funeral Home in Falls Church, VA.

The Virginia Legislature however did pass a new law that will help prevent abusing of the Dead by NYSE:SCI and others in that State.

“Del. Kenneth Cooper Alexander (D-Norfolk), the only licensed funeral director in the General Assembly, sponsored legislation that requires bodies to be refrigerated and requires a funeral home to tell family members where — and under what conditions — the deceased will be stored before burial or cremation. The House and Senate unanimously passed the bill, which takes effect July 1.

“We should honor and treat our dead with dignity,” Alexander said. “The conditions that are in the bill, I seriously believe that they are needed and are good for the industry. It was an effort by everyone to do the right thing.” via www.washingtonpost.com

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

National funeral Home is located on the grounds of National Cemetery.

Technorati Tags: abuse, commonwealth of virginia, corpse, cremation, deceased, funeral, funeral directors, Funeral News, general assembly, National Cemetery, National Funeral Home, nyse:sci funeral industry, SCI, service corporation international, unannounced inspections, Veterans, virginia legislature, washington post

Counting Down  to Number 1 of the  Top 100  Funeral News stories of 2009, the last  count is 25-1. Several Last minute stories probably should be in the top 100.Some of those posts maybe, Batesville enters the cemetery (vault) business, the almost funerals of Flight 253, returning Iraq Veterans and the Funeral Business ,The Batesville Demise of  09, funerals from the Flight of AF 447, National memorial Services in 2009 , as well as SCI and their special Deals with the FTC.

The most important stories of 2009 are Walmart Selling caskets and the Facebook Memorial. The handling of Digital Assets in a funeral arrangement will be an Important Funeral News Story in the years ahead. I have received threats, threats of lawsuits, website hacks, and  been booted out of forums because of my Funeral News stories  written from the Consumers perspective.

Here ae the Top 25  Funeral Stories of 2009:2(5.25)

25Missouri Legislature passes reform in response to National Prearranged Services ScandalThe national prearranged services scandal was one of the largest funeral scams ever, so in 2009 the Missouri legislature passed reform The main tool in this preneed theft, white out!

24 . Service Corporation International, mishandled the Kennedy Funeral From a funeral directors perspective Service corporation International  totally mishandled the Kennedy Funeral in  Front of 4 Living Presidents! They Nation watched and waited in wasted air time because Teddy did not get to the cemetery on time.

Mission Church in Boston

23.Oral Roberts Funeral arrangements|Live Streaming Video-This story was a surprise. The man must have won peoples hearts because the Funeral News story stayed around longer than most celebrity deaths.

22. Funeral Preneed is Dead. Died in 2008 Funeral in 2009.

21. Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass|Program -from Mission Church.This National Memorial service offended many Catholics and stirred Kennedy supporters

20.Walter Cronkite Memorial Service: Video of President Clinton’s Eulogy-Clinton’s eulogy was stirring

2009 Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal maybe the most horrific in US History

19.Neptune Society fined for Preneed Violations1

18. NFDA Exec Sec Earl Should Resign with Fed Investigation of IFDA

17. Burr Oak Cemetery  owners have a funeral home scandal

16.Ted Kennedy Funeral | Mass- Full Program PDF - The Ted Kennedy Funeral  received  fire  Detractors for using children and politics in the liturgy

15 So Where is Farrah Fawcett Buried?

Chicago Cub Cemetery Beyond the Vines

14.Chicago Cubs Cemetery is for Burned Fans.If you choose cremation  and are a Cub Fan you can be buried in center field(replica) at Chicago Cub Cemetery

13. SCI  Denies wrong doing in Veterans Corpse Abuse ScandalService Corporation International seems never to admit wrong doing and finds a way to pay themselves out of any scandal- EvenVeterans Corpse Abuse for those headed to Arlington National Cemetery from National Funeral Home.

12. Farrah Fawcett Memorial Farrahs Funeral and Death continue to fascinate men and women around the world.

11.Brittany Murphy Death and Funeral|has celebrity death gone too far n 2009?The death of this young star  near the end of 2009 is the focus many, as the world focused on Celebrities and their funerals in 2009.

10.Service Corporation International’s Burr Oak Cem. ScandalThe Scandal at  Service Corporation International outside Los Angeles at Eden Memorial Park. was worse than Burr Oak cemetery Scandal outside Chicago. This Scandal received little National Press.

9.Funeral Preneed is Dead Even in the Richest Towns Guarranteed preneed died with the Wall Street Crash of September 2008 but the funeral did not take place until 2009

8.Digital Assets need to be a part of Every Funeral ArrangementThis is the future and will become more important to the Funeral Industry in 2010 and beyond. Special thanks and credit to the digital beyond.com for the image and helpful information.

7.More than 100 graves dug up in Cemetery Horror Burr Oak Cemetery.The Burr oak cemetery may have been the most horrific Cemetery Scandal in the nations history.

Michael Jackson is now performing "Thriller"and his "Moonwalk" in the great somewhere.

6.President Obama Stirs the soldiers At Fort Hood Memorial Service-President Obama did well with his eulogies in 2009

5.Average Cost of a Funeral-Average Funeral Home This topic is actually one of the top funeral searches.

4.Michael Jackson MemorialThe Michael Jackson Memorial Service may be the most viewed Funeral Of All Time.

3.Sadly|Pics,Places,Logo Virginia SCI Body Desecrations This World’s Largest Funeral Corporation, Service Corporation International is given the Nickname Big Death in 2009 by the company employees. In Houston SCI is known  the Enron evil. The Funeral  company’s reputation for scandal is known to most Americans.

2. When someone dies setup a Facebook MemorialThe Facebook memorial has awakened the Funeral Industry to  the importance of the online obituary,  Facebook participation and digital assets.

1 .Walmart Selling caskets online Walmart selling caskets has frightened the Funeral Industry. Industry leadership says no big deal but the fact that caskets are being sold at Walmart has opened the mind of consumers to funeral purchase options beyond the Funeral Director.

Did I miss your  funeral story? Please let me know with a comment.

Disagree? Leave a comment.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Technorati Tags: beyond the vines, Briitany Murphy Funeral, Burr Oak Cemetery, casket, eden memorial park, facebook, facebook memorial, funeral, Michael Jackson, SCI, service corporation international, walmart

Latebreaking 09-  Funeral and Cemetery Industry News- Batesville Casket is doing a test entrance into the Cemetery (Vault)Industry in 2010.

Batesville Casket Company Struck out in 2009

On the whole Funeral providers do not work  both sides of the aisle. Sometimes funeral homes sell grave markers but mostly Big corporations like Service Corporation International, Stewart Enterprises and others are the ones capable of pulling this off.  Batesville (Hillenbrand, Inc, HI), Service Corporation International -NYSE:SCI, And Stewart Enterprises Inc STEI Have all embraced  financial disaster in 2009 .

Local Warehousing is key ingredient in making this work. Batesville has those facilities.

Batesville Financial Numbers are the worst they have been in recent memory. This and other details of Batesville’s  Cemetery Vault sales testing  are  explored in Batesville Casket C0.Testing Vault Sales after Very Bad Revenue Year

The actions of this Company’s test entry  in The CemeteryVault business  shows the extent and the depth of Funeral Industry decline and the coming funeral industry earthquake. The leading Casket Maker in the USA has to go outside the Casket Sale to stop a revenue decline!

FOR THE FUNERAL CONSUMER THIS IS ALL GOOD. More competition on this level will help families have lower funeral expenses and come in Under the average cost of a funeral.

This is significant funeral news to report on the last day of the year in 2009.

It only confirms what I have thought all year. THERE IS NO JOY IN BATESVILLE, THE MIGHTY BATESVILLE CASKET COMPANY HAS STRUCK OUT.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Technorati Tags: average cost of a funeral, blog, cemetery, cemetery industry, funeral, funeral expenses, funeral industry, HI, NYSES:SCI, SCI, service corporation international, STEI, Stewart Enterprises, Vault, vaults

The Countdown Of the top Funeral News Stories of 2009 is winding down.2009 saw the Funeral News dominated by Celebrity Deaths, the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal outside Chicago,  The Illinois Funeral Directors Association Preneed Ponzi Scheme, The World’s Largest Funeral Corporations continued abuse of the dead, and bad funeral corporation financial reports.

49. Charlotte Observer exposes Worlds Largest Funeral Corporation SCI PRICE FIXING

48.Burr Oak Cemetery is not a Funeral Rule issue.

47. Burr Oak Cemetery Lawsuit Video

46.Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal Video

45.Illinois cemetery disaster is a preneed and cemetery regulation problem.

44SCI Q1 2009 preneed losses at this location

43.Special funeral beer

39.SCI 6th Scandal  Funeral Home and Cemetery  Running a momento dump

38.Read About  SCI- Service Corporation International- Caught  Mishandling baby remains and  Another SCI Lawsuit

37.State (like) Funeral for Jack Kemp at National Cathedral

36.funeral homes charging for flags

35. Drews Law Dead-Funeraled and in ground can now speak in Court!

34.National Memorial Service for Jack Kemp: On the web 3

33 . Preneed a USA Problem-Now Mississippi

32..Burr Oak cemetery Scandal to get online database

31.Three  popular online memorials For Walter Cronkite

30.Burr Oak Cemetery had strange burial contracts

29. Feds investigating the Illinois Funeral Directors Association

28. Illinois Governor creates cemetery task force

27 . Farrah Fawcett Funeral: IS  Church the cemetery|grave?

26.White House Reverses itself on First Lady’s Father’s Remains at Burr Oak Cemetery

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

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