January 2019

Page A16 JANUARY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Triple H Company ESTABLISHED 1950 www.triplehcompany.com triplehcompany@att.net 1-800-252-3444 Fax 805-650-6444 FAM I LY OWNED American Made u Tongue and groove lid-to-base connection for maximum strength. u Green Velour Lining in Gold and White PYRAMIDS We are a cemetery, crematory and mausoleum product supplier. ® ® Authentic feature the exclusive green and gold Triple H Company logo ® Cremation Urn Vaults. Proven in use. ® u Two sizes – Original 9”x9”x14 ½” Over 900 cubic inches Accommodates most urns, three per carton. Oversized – 9”x13”x14 ½” Double urn burials and larger urns, over 1300 cubic inches, one per carton u Oversized lid manufactured with top connected to 4” extension. Gives operator one solid one piece sealed connection. u Excellent for Committal Services. u Solid Gray Granite Texture Inside and Outside for Consistent Appearance. u Three colors – Gray Granite, Antique Metallic Gold or Permanent Peace White. u Lightweight, high-impact polystyrene. u Lids interchangeable with common vault base bottom. u Sealer included with each vault. ® ® Nick Todd (left) of Beatty - Peterseim Funeral &Monu- ment Services, Kalona, Washington, and Wayland, IA taking delivery of a 2011 S&S Cadillac Coach, purchased from John Muster (right) of Muster Coaches, Calhoun, KY. Beatty - peterseim funeral & monument services Muster Coaches 1-800-274-3619 Calhoun, KY By Matt Black Embalming Tips & Tools Post Embalming Treatment of the Hands (Part 2) We have previously mentioned the traditional man- ner of covering these bruises or discolorations with mortuary cosmetics with varying degrees of success. It comes as no surprise that not all of us use or believe in mortuary cosmetic products. Some very good mor- tuary cosmetic techniques I know use “store purchased cosmetics” with mortuary cosmetics in a combination with great success. (Some embalmers might even use “store purchased cosmetics” only, but they don’t want to hurt my feelings by telling me.) So then, what is the difference between store purchased cosmetics and mortuary cosmetics? Let’s first look at what the cosmetics are being applied to. Of course, they are being applied to the skin. We are all aware that living skin tissue is different than deceased tissue. Three main differences in the qualities of living ver- sus dead tissue are: temperature, moisture levels, and color change (chromatic value). Looking at the temperature, your body temperature is 98.6ºF, while the deceased normally takes on the ambi- ent temperature (72ºF-74ºF) of a comfortable room. Mortuary cosmetics have been formulated to be applied at room temperature while store purchased products are formulated to be applied at body temperature. This ba- sic difference results in necessary adjustments to cosmetic application. You can see store purchased cosmetic appli- cation being more difficult. There is less coverage, blend- ing can be difficult and the acceptance process to the skin with the understanding that we need a high level of chromatic value because the dead tissue is lacking this natural occurrence. A few other qualities of store purchased cosmetics I haven’t touched on are the pH level of the cosmetics, shelf life and cost factors. I have three daughters and I can tell you firsthand that there is a difference – es- pecially in shelf life and cost. As mentioned previously, I’m aware that most fu- neral directors/embalmers have used store purchased cosmetics. But, it is important to understand that we keep growing through education every day. Knowl- edge is power and if we can educate the public on the talent and services where we excel then the “Value versus Cost” of modern day funeral service becomes more apparent. In are next few articles we will be discussing cosmetic appli- cation of discolorations of the hands. is problematic, just to mention just a few. Another consideration when choosing which cosmetic product to use is the moisture levels of living skin versus deceased skin. Recall that living skin produces oil through the pores. This oil is produced by the sebaceous glands and are found everywhere on your skin except palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. The main function of this oil is for protection, lubrication and moisturizing of the living skin. Following death this oil production ceases; existing moisture is frequently washed away dur- ing the embalming process. When using store purchased cosmetics, keep in mind that they have been formulated and manufactured to perform optimally on living tissue that naturally produces moisture. Mortuary cosmetics have been formulated and manufactured to compensate for a body that no longer produces this moisture. From mortuary school material, we understand that liv- ing tissue gives off a “chromatic value” due to blood cir- culation through the circulatory and vascular systems. We know that there is a huge difference in living tissue chro- matic value and dead tissue chromatic value. We attempt to mimic the chromatic value of living tissue during em- balming by using modern arterial solutions that contain active dyes. But as any embalmer from a novice to an expe- rienced professional can testify, perfect results in every case are not guaranteed. We just haven’t quite perfected Mother Nature’s touch in creating artificial coloration that repli- cates the chromatic value of the living tissue. It is apparent that store purchased cosmetics are formu- lated and manufactured to mimic the chromatic value of living tissue. But these cosmetics do not take into ac- count the lack of chromatic value of dead tissue. Mortu- ary cosmetics have been formulated and manufactured Matt Black has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. He represents The Dodge Company in Central and Western Pennsylvania. In addi- tion to being a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortu- ary Science, Matt also holds degrees in Bio-Medical Engineering Technology and Industrial Management. Matt has also attended the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills, Springfield, MO, and is licensed in eye and corneal enucleation. He has presented at Dodge Embalming Seminars as well as numer- ous local seminars in Pennsylvania. He can be reached by email at mblack@Dodgeco.com. www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs are repeatedly told how “boys don’t cry” or “Be a man!” Much like our fathers and grandfathers who came back from wars, and rarely spoke of their days in uniform, many widowed men don’t believe they are allowed to cry or grieve outside of the shadows of our society. It is as though they are seeking permission to grieve. Until they feel they can, they hold their feelings mostly to them- selves, offering common phrases such as “I’m okay, just leave me alone with my thoughts.” When family, friends, and colleagues leave a widower alone, they are contributing to the creation of an envi- ronment that is likely to make the widower’s grief more challenging to navigate. Frankly, it is the worst thing that can happen. Widowers and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Master Sergeant Chris Sweet - USAF (ret) has worked with military personnel who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. When asked if he thought widowers are at risk of PTSD diagnoses following the loss of their spouse, Sweet said, “Absolutely.” Sweet should know, he lost his wife Danielle (30) who contracted Leukemia in 2009, after the United States Air Force deployed her to Afghanistan. According to Sweet, “All of the symptoms PTSD suffer- ers experience are exactly what I went through following the passing of Danielle. It’s no different.” Men need a purpose. To provide, protect and love their Know a Widower? You Better Keep an Eye on Him Continued on Page A17 By Herb Knoll Herb Knoll Widowers are vulnerable. Very vulnerable! In fact, ac- cording to research performed by Dr. Justin Denney of Washington State University, widowed men have a 1.6 to 2.0 times the risk of death by suicide, compared to oth- erwise similar married men, and they’ll do so within two years of their wife’s death. Still, other research suggests the rate may be even higher. And that’s just the begin- ning. Widowers have an increased rate of diabetes, hyper- tension and more. Widowers are at risk of being diagnosed with depression, which can negatively impact virtually every aspect of their lives. From raising children to maintaining their career, handling personal finances to on-going relationships with others, and yes, dating, the challenges are many. Sadly, few men are equipped to handle any of these. “If we’re all going to die, why is it that we are so ill- prepared to deal with it?” said John Von Der Haar (68) who lost his wife Mary Jane in 2013. Good ques- tion. While there is no cut and dry answer, there are clues we can point to which have contributed to the problems widowers face. Social Norms About Men and Grieving From the time little boys are learning to walk, they