Page A16 april 2024 ASSOCIATION NEWS “Quite Possibly America’s Finest Line of Professional Cosmetics” • Cover Cremes • Lip Color • Liquid Tints • Powder • Brushes • Wax www.derma-pro.net 1-800-531-9744 Fax 903-641-0383 E-Mail: sales@derma-pro.net Phone: 877-770-TIES (8437) Fax: 276-466-3474 E-mail: customerservice@tiesforyou.com www.tiesforyou.com STYLISH MATCHING TIES FOR PROFESSIONALS Any Size Group or Organization By Jim Kurtz Last Writes the city, the pallbearers were prohibited from going to the cemetery because of the cemetery unions who handled the casket. I asked Ray about why the casket was not carried by the handles as it is almost everywhere in America. The longheld belief that the handles might break, or the bottom might fail. Family and friends were discouraged from handling the casket. During the funeral of Duke Ellington, Amsterdam Avenue was blocked off to traffic at the church. The funeral director told the coach driver to stop a block away from the church entrance while people lined the street. The 8 pallbearers shouldered the 800-pound copper deposit down the middle of Amsterdam Avenue and turned towards the church’s center portal including 22 steps up into the church narthex. The casket was carried to the front of the church and rested on a church truck or bier. After the funeral, the men hoisted the casket back on their shoulders leaving the church, and down the steps. I asked Ray if he recalled he and his brother doing other notable funerals. He recalled a large funeral held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral: the funeral of TV host Ed Sullivan whose Sunday programs introduced many entertainers including the first American appearance of The Beatles. It was a dreary day with the threat of rain as Ray, Joe and the casket team shouldered the solid walnut into and out of the church. While exiting the church, it began to pour! Mr. Gerard J. Neufeld passed away in 1980, Joe still runs the funeral home and Ray retired to Maine. As they got older, they passed on the heavy lifting to off duty NYC police honor guard with broad shoulders wearing morning suits. How do you shoulder a casket? It is all about all the pallbearers communicating with each other without being overheard unlike military pallbearers. When ready to lift the casket above their shoulders, they quietly count to three and lift at the same time. The funeral director at the head of the casket would assist with lifting the casket up. A series of Brothers With Broad Shoulders In February, I received an email in response to “Take the A Train” that appeared in the February issue about the funeral of Duke Ellington. The email was from Raymond Neufeld formerly of Elmhurst, NY. He told me that he and his brother Joseph were pictured carrying Duke Ellington’s casket during the funeral in New York City in 1974. What a nice conversation we had, and I had a hundred questions regarding his role as a pallbearer in NYC. Raymond (Ray) and Joseph (Joe) Neufeld’s father started a funeral business in 1940 called Gerard J. Neufeld Funeral Home on 43rd street in Elmhurst, Queens north of Brooklyn. The family lived next door to the funeral home in a two-story home. Both brothers eventually went to mortuary school in 1970 and became licensed funeral directors and embalmers. Their father told them the business could not afford large salaries for three men. Ray and Joe would work for their father while becoming trade embalmers, making removals and serving as professional pallbearers for many of the funeral homes in NYC. Ray tells me that back in the 1970s they were paid $6 a funeral to be on “The List” to be called. An Irishman named Harry Foy maintained ‘The List” which would cost $1 a month to be on the roster to be called out on funerals. Their duties were to arrive at the funeral home one hour early wearing the “morning suit” which was a black jacket, striped, charcoal grey pants and a silver tie. The funeral home director would give the 6 to 8 men instructions when they arrived. The pallbearers were not all part time funeral directors as the others were from different occupations. Heavy lifting was part of the job as they were required to “shoulder” the casket from the funeral home to the church and back to the funeral coach. In Jim Kurtz is a funeral director, funeral historian, author and archivist. He recently achieved a 50-year recognition as a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Texas. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Funeral Directors Association in 2023. He resides in Fairview (Dallas), Texas. He can be reached at jimkurtz6800@yahoo.com. Photos collection of Jim Kurtz funeral archinves. “taps” on the bottom side of the casket would signal when ready to proceed or stop. Once the casket was resting on their shoulders, “taps” were signaled to begin walking, starting with their left foot. Their arms were by their sides and hands together on level ground. If the casket was to go up or down in elevation the pallbearers would place their hands under the casket to steady the movement. At the end of the church service, the casket was shouldered out to the waiting funeral car. They were done for the day. Ed Sullivan’s Funeral. Ray is in the lead position on his left shoulder. Duke Ellington’s Funeral. Ray Neufelt is the second pallbearer on the left. BROOKFIELD,WI— The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) will bring the profession together for the 2024 Professional Women’s Conference, April 28-30 in picturesque Savannah, GA. During this conference attendees representing all facets of the funeral service profession will be empowered to not only sit at the table but lead at the table. Registration is now open. During this inspiring and uplifting conference, attendees will hear from exceptional speakers covering a wide range of topics: Vera Stewart, host of Very Vera, a cooking show about southern cuisine, will speak about entrepreneurship; NFDA senior vice president of advocacy Lesley Witter will show attendees how to use their voice as a force for good that can create change; attendees will learn about suicide risk within the death care profession from Dr. Sara Murphy; Dr. Ruth Bedell, an industrial and organizational psychologist, will help attendees understand how they can be more assertive; death educator and certified thanatologist Dr. Murphy will discuss how to recognize and respond to suicide risk in the funeral service profession; Kelly Kohut and Jenny McClanahan from Precoa will discuss the demographic shifts will transform funeral planning and purchasing; Award-winning author Jasmine Brett Stringer will explore how attendees can “carpe diem” (seize the day) by unlocking the barriers that keep them from living the life they are intended to have while establishing a personal vision to take them to the next level; New York funeral director Amy Cunningham will draw from her experiences serving families in the state of New York and share best practices for helping families plan meaningful green funeral and burial ceremonies; Nelson Thulin from Johnson Consulting will share strategies to help attendees navigate and innovate within the shifting dynamics of the funeral service sector; Autumn Cooper from The Dodge Company will help attendees refresh their prep room skills; and more. Professional Women’s Conference attendees will kick off their time together with a welcome party that captures the spirit of Savannah. While enjoying complimentary food and drink, guests will experience a fun-filled evening of lively conversation and building bonds with colleagues. Beyond the welcome party, there are countless other opportunities to build relationships with fellow funeral service professionals during the Professional Women’s Conference. “These ladies were wonderful,” said one 2023 conference attendee. “They all touched on things that were very relatable and inspired me to really reflect on the topics afterward. I really felt like they were speaking directly to me.” Another 2023 attendee noted, “There were so many takeaways. I also liked opportunity to meet other women in our profession, connect with them and learn and be inspired by them.” During the 2024 Professional Women’s Conference, the association will confer the second annual NFDA inspiration award. This award will recognize an exceptional individual who has made noteworthy professional contributions to funeral service or a related field. Nominations for the NFDA Inspiration Award were accepted online through February 16, 2024. Attendees must register for the 2024 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference by April 19. Details are available at www.nfda.org/pwc, or by calling 800-228-6332. Breaking Barriers in Funeral Service: NFDA’s 2024 Professional Women’s Conference Set to Inspire and Connect Your Real Source. Anywhere. Anytime. @Nomis.Publications Like News FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY online
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