January 2019

Page B4 JANUARY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B Funeral Directors Life Named as one of the 2019 Best Companies to Work for in Texas Continued from Page B1 port and assist with this service. Before the sun came up Saturday morn- ing, response was delivered - Eagle Coach’s XTS Ech- elon would be needed in Washington, DC no lat- er than 8PM Sunday eve- ning. During the next four hours phone tag was mas- tered and plans were set in place. Fred Wolfinger, sales manager for Eagle Coach explains, “A 2019 XTS Eagle Echelon with matching specification was completed one day pri- or to the service being an- nounced. As the balance of Saturday and Sunday progressed, we were confi- dent that the hopes and ex- pectations placed upon us would come to fruition.” Once the vehicle for the service was selected, Sherry Jackson, new vehicle ship- ping coordinator for Eagle Coach, went to work. “It wasn’t a typical Saturday morning,” Jackson, giggled “But when the team calls and asks ‘Could you coor- dinate a shipment to Wash- ington, DC for the service of the 41st president?’ you don’t make them wait until after your first cup of cof- fee.” Immediately Jackson pulled out her contact list and made the calls to con- firm the vehicle could be shipped over eight hours and make it before the deadline Sunday evening in Washington DC. With this being the first presidential service Eagle Coach Com- pany has been involved in, the excitement and pride was prevalent throughout the company. “I consider it such a privilege and honor to be a part of the team that makes all of this happen,” Jackson explains, “I mean, the 41st president of The United States of America, wow…” Sitting on an airplane on his way to Houston was sales manager, Nathan Hurst, where he took a call notify- ing him the vehicle was 30 minutes away from its des- tination. “Once the vehicle arrived at the funeral home the work wasn’t over,” Hurst explains. “The vehicle had to be detailed, checked over to ensure everything was work- ing properly, and presidential insignias needed to be ap- plied.” Although Hurst has been associated with previ- ous presidential services, this was the first time he was ever ‘hands-on’ in helping coor- dinate. Hurst made the fi- nal call to the funeral home Monday morning and re- ceived confirmation ‘all was a go’. The last trip president George H.W. Bush would make to the capitol would be made in this Eagle Echelon. As the world watches, the Eagle XTS Echelon travels through Washington DC presenting the flag draped casket of President George H.W. Bush. “A great sense of pride and accomplish- ment comes from being able to provide dignity and ser- vice to individuals, but es- pecially, to a past president. It has been one of the great- est honors and accomplish- ments I’ve experienced with- in my tenure,” Hurst states. In his short two years as pres- ident and COO of Eagle Coach, Daniel MacCrin- dle has been involved in his fair share of famous services “from Billy Graham to Aretha Franklin to the most recent, Senator John McCain, there has been a plethora of his- torical figures we have been honored to serve. Howev- er, President George H.W. Bush will be by far the high- est honor for Eagle Coach Company. We are apprecia- tive and grateful that we have been considered for such an honorable opportunity.” As the soldiers place the casket in Special Mission 41, they march “Ready-step, Ready-step, Ready-step.” Si- lence, Eagle Coach exhales. Echelon Answers a Call to Serve ABILENE,TX— Funeral Directors Life was recently named as one of the 2019 Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The awards program was created in 2006 and is a project of Texas Monthly, the Texas Association of Busi- ness (TAB), Texas SHRM and Best Companies Group. The Best Companies Group statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the top 100 best places of employment in Texas, benefiting the state’s economy, workforce and businesses. Any company, government entity, or non- profit organization in business for a minimum of 1 year with a facility in Texas and at least 15 employees in Texas was eligible to participate in the program. “It is an honor to be recognized by the Best Compa- nies Group and Texas Monthly as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas,” said Kris Seale, Funeral Directors Life president and CEO. “This is a great accomplishment, and a tribute the amazing peo- ple who make up our organization. We could not do what we do without their feedback, vision, and leader- ship throughout the company.” Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Companies to Work for in Texas. The first part consisted of evaluat- ing each nominated company’s workplace policies, sys- tems, philosophies, practices, and demographics, worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience, worth approximately 75 per- cent of the total evaluation. The combined scores deter- mined the top companies and the final rankings. The list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas and how they rank will be announced on March 28, 2019, and the winners will be profiled by Texas Monthly in a special publication. Funeral Directors Life is a life insurance company which specializes in the sale of prepaid funeral insurance policies and annuities. Their mission is “to be known as the best, most-respected provider of service to the funeral industry.” For more information about Funeral Directors Life, visit www.funeraldirectorslife.com. For more infor- mation on the Best Companies to Work for in Texas pro- gram, visit www.BestCompaniesTX.com. Terrybear announces Two New Urns ST.PAUL,MN— Terrybear ® Urns & Memorials is excited to introduce two new urns to its Floral Urn se- ries, Magnolia Lovebirds and Wa- terlily Dragonflies. The new pieces are inspired by home décor and are perfect for a niche or displaying in the home. The Magnolia Lovebirds features blooming magnolias with lovebirds perched on the stems; the sky-blue background compliments the pink flowers perfectly. The Waterlily Dragonflies features dragonflies fluttering over waterlil- ies with a deep blue background. Both pieces have gold accents. These hand painted urns are made of resin and engrave beautifully. Centrally located in St. Paul, MN, Terrybear Urns & Memorials has provided high quality crema- tion urns and customer service for over 30 years. To find a distributor in the area call 1-888-588-8767 or visit www.terrybear.com for more information. SUBSCRIPTION Call 1-800-321-7479  $25.00 Subscription  $45.00 First Class Faster Delivery!  $50.00 Canada & Mexico  $65.00 Outside North America YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Subscribe Online at www.nomispublications.com Return To: Funeral Home & Cemetery News PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Name_ ________________________________________________ Address _ ______________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________ City___________________________________________________ State____________________ Zip__________________________ Phone _________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________ FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS (800) 4-HEARSE 4hearse.com 4 more info visit: