November 2018

Page A34 NOVEMBER 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A The National Museum of Funeral History Houston, Texas Museum Corner The National Museum of Funeral History, located in Houston, Texas, houses the country’s largest collection of funeral service artifacts and features renowned exhibits on one of man’s oldest cultural customs. It belongs to YOU and everyone in the funeral industry. Visitors can discover the mourning rituals of ancient civilizations, see up-close au- thentic items used in the funerals of US Presidents and Popes and ex- plore the rich heritage of the industry which cares for the dead. The museum is located at 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston, TX 77090 and is open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm, Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday from 12pm-5pm. Admission is $10 for adults and children age 12 and older, $9 for seniors and vet- erans; $7 for children 6-11 years old; and free for children age 5 and younger. For more information, visit www.nmfh.org , “like” the museum on Facebook or call 281-876-3063. www.nomispublications.com Funeral Home & Cemetery News Contributors share insights and exchange ideas. B logs • 120 urns, some dating back to the late-1890s • 60 postcards depicting various crematories, 20 urn catalogues printed from1890s to the 1900s • 20 original articles, documents, certificates and images about different aspects of cremation Outside of Engler’s collection, the exhibit fea- tured some extraordinary items from the LeM- oyne Crematory , which opened in 1876 as Amer- ica’s first crematory: • A notebook listing all who were cremated at LeMoyne Crematory, which was kept by the designer, builder and operator of the crematory tors saw a letter written by her husband, Benjamin Pitman , requesting her cremation. Throughout the exhibit, guests saw how cremation has evolved over time – the changes in societal views, equip- ment and memorialization options. The CANA room told the stories and history of the early cremationists. Once they experienced the transition from 1876 to to- day, guests found themselves standing before a mod- ern cremation chamber. In the opening where the body is placed within the chamber, a video screen detailed the cremation process from start to finish. That is where they learned the science of cremation. The last thing visitors saw as they left the exhibit was the donor niche wall, which was graciously provided by Car- rier Mausoleums Construction Inc . The donor niche wall displayed urns engraved with businesses and individ- uals who have supported the History of Cremation Ex- hibit. The wall brought to life the people and companies who have supported cremation through its past to ensure the industry’s current success. The History of Cremation Exhibit Opening was an occasion to Celebrate! On the evening of September 16, 2018 the National Museum of Funeral History celebrated the opening of its newest permanent exhibit. More than 200 guests attend- ed the opening reception to celebrate. This exhibit is a joint project developed with the Crema- tion Association of North America , to tell the full-circle sto- ry of cremation in America: from chronicling its birth in Pennsylvania to demonstrating a step-by-step modern cre- mation process, stories of early cremationists and a section illuminating the seemingly endless possibilities for memo- rialization. Genevieve Keeney , the President of the museum, along with Barbara Kemmis , Executive Director of CANA and Jason Engler , CANA’s official historian greeted guests and gave tours of the exhibit. A substantial portion of the historical exhibit comes from Engler’s personal collection including: • 140 books, pamphlets and brochures about historic cremation facilities • A book written by Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne , LeM- oyne Crematory’s founder • A copy of the exclusive invitation for the cremation of Baron De Palm , the first modern cremation in the Unit- ed States • The casket plate from De Palm’s casket • An apothecary jar containing a portion of De Palm’s re- mains The exhibit also showcased the casket lid of the first woman cremated in America – Jane Pitman , who died in 1878. Visi- ALUMINUM NAME PLATES 2” Block - Chrome Finish 3” Block - Gold Finish 3” Script - Polished Bright Finish 3” Slant - Polished Bright Finish 2” Block - Polished Satin Finish 2” 2 Line Plate - Polished Bright Finish Available in polished or satin standard finish. There are many custom styles, including bright chrome and brass plated name plates available for an extra charge.  Stock Finish - Polished Bright & Lacquered  Slant Style Font available at no additional Charge  Plates sold in pairs 2” Block, Standard or Slant $8.50 per letter Max 21 letters & spaces per plate 3” Block, Standard or Slant $11.50 per letter Max 13 letter & spaces per plate 4” Block, Standard or Slant $12.50 per letter Max 11 letters & spaces per plate Above prices are per letter, per plate. Minimum charge per plate $100.00 Double line plates are priced per letter - at 2 times the longest line. 50% upcharge for Script Style letter. Upcharge for brass or chrome plating $50.00 per plate, per line. PHONE: 773-489-3700 FAX: 773-489-3434 800-992-1234 800-626-3299 info@church-chapel.com • www.church-chapel.com News Educational PIMS Holds 157 th Commencement Exercise PIMS graduates take the Funeral Service Oath PITTSBURGH,PA— Pitts- burgh Institute of Mortu- ary Science (PIMS) held its 157th Commencement Ex- ercise on Friday, September 7, 2018 at the Calvary Epis- copal Church. The gradu- ates, their family and friends were welcomed to the for- mal cap and gown ceremo- ny by PIMS president Eu- gene C. Ogrodnik. The commencement address was delivered by Mandy Tin- key who delivered an in- spirational address entitled “Change and Impact.” Tin- key is manager of operations at the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. She began her career as a sci- entist in the Drug Chemis- try Section and went on to become an expert in the fields of Drug Chemistry, Clan- destine Laboratory Response and Crime Scene Processing. Mandy entered a management role for the Medical Exam- iner’s Forensic Laboratory Division overseeing several disci- plines including Drug Chemistry, Environmental Chem- istry, Latent Prints, Crime Scene Processing and a Mobile Forensic Laboratory. Mandy moved her career forward once more and accepted a position of manager of operations for the Medical Examiner’s Office, adding Morgue Operations (Investigations, Autopsy and Histology) to her disciplines. The Funeral Service Oath was administered by Dr. Bar- ry T. Lease, chief academic officer, and the graduating class was presented by Dr. Joseph A. Marsaglia, dean of faculty and students. Candidates to receive the Diploma in Embalming and Fu- neral Directing are: Vincent Amigone, Cheektowaga, NY; Rowan Bradley, Marion, VA; Allison Corcoran, Pittsburgh, PA; Brenna Lipscomb, Waynesburg, PA; Todd Myers, Vi- enna, VA and Brenda Trale, (Cum Laude) South Park, PA. Candidates to receive the Associate in Specialized Technol- ogy Degree, Funeral Service Arts and Sciences are: Brandon Continued on Page A35 Send Us Your News! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 Email info@nomispublications.com FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS