May 2019

Page A4 MAY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A • Family Owned and Operated • 20+ Years Industry Experience • New Product Increases Settlements • No Contracts... Free Recycling Tote Cremation Metal Recycling 800-664-8365 cremation metal recycling - responsible recycling charitable foundation cmr@metrocast.net www.cremationmetalrecycling.com By Nancy Weil Mom My mom died in March. She died on the full moon on the spring solstice. She died in her own bed without pain. She died with the only man she has ever loved by her side holding her hand. It was a “good death.” Working in funeral care does not insulate us from the pain of losing someone we love, but it does give us a differ- ent perspective. We have all heard stories of terrible suffer- ing before a person dies. Of medical interventions that do nothing to pro- long life or hasten death, but are re- quired by hospital staff. Most people are not afraid of death; they are afraid of the dying process. To die as my mom did, is a blessing. It is not some- thing that can be controlled or creat- ed, but when it happens it can bring comfort to the family. It has certainly brought comfort to mine. Throughout her cancer diagnosis, my mom defied the odds. She lived many months beyond her diagno- sis. She had the best year last year. Coming to terms with her mortali- ty she spent her final months visiting friends, cooking my dad his favorite meals, talking on the phone with her grandchildren and enjoying frequent family visits from those of us who live Random Musings out of town. Being given a terminal diagnosis allows you to come to terms with what truly matters and lets you release the small annoyances that can clutter up our days. Towards the end, she slept a lot. Drank a glass of vodka ev- ery evening (more than one of us went to “refresh” her glass of water only to be told it was not water!) Reminisced over her life. Delighted my dad when she gave him a Valentine’s Day card. It was a “good death.” Hospice came in to help my parents during her final two months. It was more as sup- My dad, my niece, my brothers and I recalled who my mom was and all that she had done. We played music, handed out sharpened pencils (a bookkeeper’s tool) and joined together with so many who had known and loved her. The fact that so many people told my dad that it was the best service they had ever been to and that they had never experienced anything like it before, only con- firmed that most funerals are “ordinary” and a celebrant service is “extraordinary.” And so, I have told you about my mom, but hopefully you understand that what I have really done is told you about yourself. Learn from her story. Spend each day on what is most important and let go of the daily annoy- ances. Hold the hands of those you love and make every day Valentine’s Day by sending out cards filled with lov- ing messages. Thank hospice staff for what they do and thank your own staff as well. Train or retain a funeral celebrant to make every funeral one to remember. Find the grace in even the difficult situations. And, honor my mom’s final wish: Take a friend to lunch. www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Or- der of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experi- ence working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer sup- port for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief Man- agement Specialist, Funeral Celebrant, Soul Injury Ambassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or e-mail Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com. port for my dad, as much as it was for my mom. They took over making the medical decisions so that he did not have to. Hos- pice staff assured them both that they would be taken care of and they were there her fi- nal two nights. Although I speak to hospice staffs throughout the country, having them in my own home was different…and yet the same. No matter where I am, the people who work for hospice are all so compassion- ate for their patients and passionate about their work. How grateful we were to have them accompany us through her dying. Her funeral was “wonderful” as many people described it. The funeral director did all he could to accommodate our wish- es. As a funeral celebrant I had written the service with my brothers months before. Higginbotham Funeral Homes of Texas acquires Two Central Texas Funeral Homes Higginbotham’s first location in Dublin, TX, opened in 1882 offer- ing hardware, furniture and undertaking ​ . The corporate motto was “From The Cradle to the Grave.” Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors, serving Hilllsboro, TX since 1923 and recently acquired by the Higginbotham group Jim Moshinskie, PhD, President of Higginbotham Funeral Homes Ryan Ramsower OakCrest Funeral Home, Waco, the corporate headquarters for the Higginbotham group WACO,TX— Higginbo- tham Funeral Homes of Texas, Inc. located in Waco, TX has acquired Marshall & Marshall Fu- neral Directors with lo- cations in Hillsboro and Whitney, TX and Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton, TX. This acquisition which took place at the begin- ning of the year involves two prominent long-serv- ing funeral home groups in Central Texas. The Higginbotham firm now includes 12 funeral homes in Hillsboro, Whit- ney, Clifton, Waco, Cleburne, Burleson, Stephenville, Co- manche, Gorman and Cross Plains. In Waco, the group operates OakCrest Funeral Home, Grace Gardens Fu- neral Home & Cremato- ry and Pecan Grove Funer- al Home. Ryan Ramsower, a fifth-generation Higginbo- tham family member and cor- porate chief operating officer, serves as the funeral director in charge in Hillsboro. Ramsower said the Mar- shall & Marshall staff will continue with the company. Joni Boman, who has been with the Hillsboro office 18 years, will serve as the re- gional business manager. The funeral directors, Levin Ainsworth and James Fine, have served families in Hill County with Marshall and Marshall Funeral Direc- tors for over 35 years com- bined and, Freddie Odom in Clifton has served Bosque County 43 years. The Higginbotham fam- ily moved from Mississippi and settled in Dublin, TX, opening a general mercan- tile business in 1881. The store sold coffins and pro- vided undertaking service s advertising “From the Cradle to the Grave.” Their business grew throughout Central Texas eventually be- coming Higginbotham Bros. Co. The funeral side of the business later Continued on Page A6 L i k e Us On Facebook!