August 2020

Page A32 AUGUST 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A www. vischerfuneralsupplies.com ¼ cup butter 1 cup chopped celery ¼ cup flour 1 cup chunky peanut butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 3 cans chicken broth 2 cups cream or whole milk Pepper, to taste In a 4-quart saucepan, sauté celery and onion un- til tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add flour and peanut butter, stirring until peanut butter is melted. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, add the milk or cream and simmer until heated thoroughly. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. Serve with French bread heated until crisp. Good Eating! CREAM OF PEANUT SOUP (King’s Arms Tavern) SHRIMP AND BLACK BEAN SALAD 1 pound shrimp, cooked and shelled 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained ½ cup celery, thinly sliced 1 small green pepper, cut into strips 2/3 cup mild picante sauce 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced 2 Tbs cilantro, chopped 2 Tbs oil 2 Tbs honey 1 tsp lime peel 2 tsp lime juice Lettuce leaves Cherry tomato halves Combine shrimp, beans, green pepper, celery and onion in large bowl. Com- bine remaining ingredients, except toma- toes and lettuce. Mix well and pour over shrimp mixture; toss lightly to coat. Cov- er and chill 2 – 24 hours, tossing now and then. Spoon onto lettuce lined plates, gar- nish with tomatoes. Serve with additional picante sauce. Memoires des choix des Jacque (Memories of Jack’s Recipes) Original Recipes from Dottie and Jack Frediani Shared by Kate Frediani-Gorman Cremation Products Inc. 800-837-0701 www.cremationproductsinc.com Why not try a really different salad? This colorful salad combines shrimp, black beans and vegetables with a spicy-sweet dressing to blend and balance flavors. News Association ContinueD percent from 2015). This preference is predicted to only strengthen, with projections for 2025 indicating that the burial rate will be 30.6 percent (down 14.6 percent from 2015) and the cremation rate 63.3 per- cent (up 15.4 percent from 2015). End-of-life services have looked different in 2020 due to COVID-19, starting with the sheer volume of deaths. An additional 200,000 United States deaths are estimated this year because of the pandemic, eight out of ten of which are adults 65 years and older, ac- cording to NFDA’s 2020 Cremation and Burial Re- port. That means more families than usual are plan- ning funerals. However, because of “safer-at-home” orders, social distancing rules and restrictions on gath- erings most have had to postpone or revise memorial- ization plans. In fact, 50 percent of NFDA-member funeral homes report families postponing a loved one’s service due to COVID-19, with plans to hold some type of service with a funeral director’s assistance in later months. The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of funeral directors, not only as leaders in their communi- ties, but also as a vital network of often overlooked first responders during national and global crises. From nat- ural disasters to mass tragedies, funeral directors are on the front lines helping families navigate uncharted terri- tory – it is no different with COVID-19. In fact, nearly 900 funeral professionals from across the country vol- unteered to assist funeral directors and others with re- spectfully caring for the dead in hotspots, like New York and Michigan, when they were experiencing spikes in COVID-related deaths. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, funeral di- rectors have been an invaluable part of the communi- ty, providing constant support and flexibility as families make already difficult decisions under seemingly impos- sible circumstances,” said 2019-2020 NFDA president, Bryant Hightower, CFSP. “There was and is no road map for funeral directors during this unprecedented time, but they have undoubtedly risen to the occasion and adjusted their services to meet the moment.” Ultimately, the changes funeral directors made to meet this moment will propel funeral service into the future. While COVID-19 restrictions have made it dif- ficult or impossible for families to gather and grieve, it has highlighted the ability of funeral homes to meet every family’s unique needs. For example, nearly half of NFDA-member funeral homes have started offering live streaming options since the onset of COVID-19, offering widespread accessibility to loved ones who are unable to be physically present for a service. NFDA expects this trend to continue as social distancing be- comes the norm for the foreseeable future. With families and funeral directors having to quick- ly pivot plans in recent months, it highlights both the uncertainty of death and the importance of preplan- ning. Whether families prefer burial or are considering cremation, like most Americans, they might not know where to start. Answering questions at all stages of planning, RememberingALife.com offers guidance on where to begin the planning process, the kinds of de- cisions that families can make, and the many options available to make a tribute personal and meaningful, especially during the time of COVID-19. Whether visitors are curious about their own affairs or need fast answers following the death of a loved one, the “Ask a Funeral Expert” tool gives families access to experi- enced professionals who can answer questions or refer them to a local funeral director. As the trusted leader and worldwide resource for the funeral service profession, NFDA lists Remembering A Life among their top resources providing helpful information about planning a meaningful service, as well as resources to help people understand their own and others’ grief and loss. Funeral professionals may order a digital copy of the 2020 Cremation & Burial Report through NFDA’s online store (www.nfda.org/store) . The report is a free to members. The statistical projections contained in the 2020 NFDA Cremation and Burial Report was compiled by the Uni- versity of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Labo- ratory Department of Community and Environmental The Future of Funerals: COVID-19 Restrictions Force Funeral Directors to Adapt, Propelling the Profession Forward BROOKFIELD,WI— More than half of funeral directors have experienced increased cremation rates due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the 2020 Crema- tion and Burial Report, released by the National Funer- al Directors Association (NFDA). The pandem- ic has forever changed the way families memorialize a loved one – further so- lidifying cremation as the leading end-of-life pref- erence and funeral direc- tors as unequivocal first re- sponders in times of crisis.  While the impact of COVID-19 has been both unprecedented and unpredictable, the shift toward cremation has been a forecasted pattern by NFDA. In 2015, the national cremation rate surpassed the burial rate for the first time in Unit- ed States history. In 2020, the projected burial rate is 37.5 percent (down 7.7 percent from 2015) and projected cremation rate is 56.0 percent (up 8.1 Continued on Page A34 Association Officers: Send Us Your News! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 • Email info@nomispublications.com FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS