January 2021

Page A34 JANUARY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A 3” HEARSE NAMEPLATES 1-8 spaces $80.50 per nameplate 9-13 spaces $92.50 per nameplate 14-15 spaces $109.00 per nameplate 16-18 spaces $119.00 per nameplate Many Letter Styles and Sizes Available DEDUCT $10.00 each for Satin Aluminum Finish Museum Corner The National Museum of Funeral History is proud to announce its sixteenth permanent exhibit, Jazz Funerals of New Orleans , open to the public as of November 12. “We are very excited to be able to present this exhibit that highlights the history and culture of jazz funer- als unique to New Orleans to the American people,” stated Bob Boetticher, Sr ., Chairman of the National Museum of Funeral History. This exhibition will focus on the late 1800s through today, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on how a common way to bid farewell to a loved one originated with a jazz funeral or a funeral with music that is now a tra- dition unique to the city of New Orleans, especially among the African American community. “New Orleans has a rich and fascinating history,” stat- ed Boetticher. “The convergence of the French, Spanish and British who colonized the area paired with the West African tribes from the domestic slave trade in the early 1900s, significantly attributed to this colorful culture.” Other influences in the early twentieth century include the Mardi Gras Indians (carnival performers who dress in suits influenced by Native Americans), and the Afri- can American Protestant churches. They celebrated with their black brass bands after a loved one’s death to please the spirits who protect the dead. From all of this, a new style of music emerged – jazz. The funeral bands quickly adopted jazz, and New Orleans jazz funerals were born. This jazz music is unique and quite different from con- significant change in tempo takes place,” Boetticher added. “The family members and friends say their final goodbyes, and afterwards, the funeral band launches into rousing, up- beat tunes such as “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Onlookers who join in behind the riveting funeral band, are called the “second line.” The second line is en- couraged to join in the rolling excitement and they usu- ally perform a strutting dance step that carries the partici- pants forward in pace with the band. Although the majority of jazz funerals are for musicians, anyone can request one. Sidney Bechet, the renowned New Orleans jazzman, once said, “Music is as much a part of death as it is of life.” The jazz funeral today still plays an integral part of the rich heritage of the African American Community of New Orleans and will con- tinue on for generations to come. Since 1992, the National Museum of Funeral History has housed the country’s largest collection of funeral service ar - tifacts in 30,500 square feet of exhibit space. The museum features 16 permanent exhibits on one of man’s oldest cul- tural customs. Explore the funeral memorabilia collection, discover the history of mourning rituals, and learn about the rich heritage of funeral services. The Museum is located at 415 Barren Springs Drive, Hous - ton, Texas 77090. Visit www.nmfh.org for more details. N ew E xhibit revealed... J azz F uneral s of N ew O rleans temporary jazz or even traditional Dixieland jazz. Boetticher said, “Today’s jazz funerals adhere to a strictly defined parade structure. Once the funeral wake ends, the band accompanies the family from the funeral home or church. It leads its way to the cemetery, sometimes using a horse-drawn hearse. The group, also known as ‘the first line,’ play som- ber funeral dirges and traditional spiritual hymns.” The parade master, dressed formally wearing a lavish sash, a black hat, and sometimes includes a decorative parasol, typically walks at the front of the funeral procession as the procession makes its way past major thoroughfares and down the neighborhood streets of New Orleans. “After interring the deceased in the family crypt, a News Educational P I TTSBURGH, PA— The Pittsburgh Insti- tute of Mortuary Science welcomes students to be- gin their mortuary science journey in January, May and September each year. The January 2021 Cam- pus Program saw normal enrollment while the Dis- tance Education received the largest enrollment to date. To accommodate these students PIMS en- couraged enrollment in the Campus Program and be- gan a wait list for the Jan- uary Distance program. With more students look- ing to begin their journey in January PIMS made the decision to offer a second online cohort. They are in the process of revamping and overhauling the online program courses to assure the best experience for the Distance Education stu- dents. “This required a little juggling of instructors, but we were able to of- fer two full online class starts for January,” said Michael Burns, CFSP, Dean of Faculty and Stu- dents. “We think the es- sentialness of this pro- fession, along with our superior online program, got the prospective stu- dents thinking that this is a great career choice. We are grateful that we have such a vibrant campus and on-line presence but this year the interest is booming!” Record Number of Online Attendees Earn Cremation Certification PIMS adds Extra Student Cohort to Meet Demand The Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt, post-secondary institution that, since 1939, provides a funeral service education to an international student population. To learn more or to enroll for the May 2021 class visit www.pims.edu . STERLING,VA— Pierce Mortuary Colleges, a mem- ber of The Wilbert Group , joined forces with the In- ternational Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) on November 17 and 18 to offer live, interac- tive cremation certification training. Acting on the need to provide robust, virtual cremation certification train- ing to their students during this global pandemic, Pierce Mortuary Colleges made the decision to take it a step fur- ther and offer free registration to the two-day program to anyone in the deathcare profession. With so many seek- ing certification, or needing to keep their certifications current, the response to the free, online training was re- cord-breaking with more than 480 people attending the Cremation Arranger program and more than 610 sitting for the Crematory Operator program. “This is the fourth year that we have done the Arranger and Operator Program live via webinar,” stated ICCFA general counsel, Poul Lemasters, “but of all years, 2020 has been the most incredible turn out ever! To think that we were able to get over 1,000 people to the level of Certified Cremation Arranger or Crematory Opera- tor in just two days is mind-blowing. Looking forward to ICCFA’s next event with Pierce!” When asked about the unprecedented numbers, Jill Karn, COO of Wilbert/Pierce Colleges commented, Continued on Page A36 Send Us Your News! FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 info@nomispublications.com ATTENTION: C lass O fficers and A dministrators