June 2020

Page A22 JUNE 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A The Fan Man, Inc. Fans Calendars Urns Register Books Dresses Advertising Specialties John Mannion “WhatEver You Need” 1-800-671-8280 Cell: 803-417-2940 Thefanman@comporium.net bankersadvertising.com/thefanman On the morning of July 4th, Monroe was conscious, but his condition was steadily going downhill. By noon, every- thing had changed for the worse. When he died around mid-afternoon, it was so quiet that for a time, his family didn’t even realize he was gone. There was no physician pres- ent when he died. President Monroe had lived 73 years and 67 days. Upon his death, Mr. Edward Coates , who was the Sex- ton and Undertaker from Trinity Church in Manhattan, was called to take charge of the President’s funeral. The body was not embalmed, and on Monday evening, Mr. James Bower made a death mask of Monroe’s face. On Wednesday, July 6th, the casket was delivered to the residence. Monroe was first encased in a leaden coffin, which was then encased in a beautiful mahogany casket. On the lid of the casket was a silver plate inscribed: “James Mon- roe of Virginia – Died 4th July, 1831 – aged 74 years.” (The casket plate was incorrectly engraved. Monroe was 73 when he died.) The funeral for Monroe was held on July 7th. The funer- al coach was constructed by Edward Coates specifically for Monroe’s funeral. The hearse was covered in black cloth and fringed in gold. In the center panels on both sides hung American flags, and on top of the coach waved eight black feathers. The funeral coach was pulled by four black horses. The casket containing the remains of James Monroe would repose in the New York City Hall. After a brief ceremony at the City Hall, the body was taken to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the formal religious services. Following the fu- neral, the body was taken to Marble Cemetery on Second Street and deposited in Vault #147. Rumors were spreading, even at the time of his entomb- ment, that the President wished to be buried in the soil of his native state of Virginia. However, Monroe would rest in Vault #147 for the next 29 years. In 1856, the City of New York was preparing to erect a suitable monument in Marble Cemetery to mark the vault where the President was entombed. When Governor Henry By Todd Van Beck James Monroe, the last of the Founding Fathers who be- came President of the United States died quietly on Mon- day, July 4, 1831 at 3:30 PM. Monroe was the third U.S. President to die on the 4th of July. Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of when they both had signed the Declaration of Independence. Interesting- ly, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President was born on the 4th of July in 1872. Monroe’s death had been expected for months. His health had been failing for some time, causing him to move from Virginia to New York City to live with his daughter, Maria and her husband, Samuel Gouverneur. By April of 1831, he was coughing up blood and suffering from spasms and seizures. To control the spasms, Monroe was given large doses of laudanum, which left him in a chronically comatose condition. He was in such a debili- tated state that his family expected his death at any time. J ames M onroe the fifth President of the United States of America Rest in Peace, Mr. President. That was the hope that our Presidents would rest in peace, but that has not al- ways happened. For example between 1865 and 1901 Lincoln’s remains were moved 18 times. The accounts of the funerals of the US Presidents actually mirrors the accounts of daily life in America, as all funerals are reflections of how people live life. This series offers a glimpse into the deaths and funerals of our Presidents. This series also identifies and gives overdue recogni- tion to the scores of funeral professionals who labored ceaselessly to carry out the wishes of the President’s families and in some cases the wishes of the United States government. Each account tells an interesting funeral story. Hope you enjoy this new series. —TVB Todd W. Van Beck is associated with John A. Gupton College in Nashville, and has been an author, teacher, practitioner, and speak- er for over 40 years. On May 30, 2018 Van Beck celebrated 50 years in funeral service. You can reach Todd at 615-327-3927. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Rest In Peace, Mr. President The “Bird Cage” Monument which marks the grave of James Monroe in Hollywood Cemetery A.Wise of Virginia was informed of the plans, he decided it was time for Monroe’s body to be returned to Virgin- ia. It took much political haggling, but on April 6, 1858, funds became available for the disinterment of Monroe’s body and the transfer to Hollywood Cemetery in Rich- mond, Virginia. The Mayor of New York engaged Mr. Henry Wilson to take charge of the disinterment. Wilson operated as an undertaker at No. 31 on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. Ed- ward Coates had already passed away. Undertaker Wil- son furnished a new casket, and on Friday, July 2, 1858, the disinterment was done. Once again, the body of President James Monroe was reposed in New York City Hall, and then the remains were taken to the SS Jamestown in New York Harbor for the final trip to Richmond. The final funeral procession began, and at 1:00 PM, entered the gates of Hollywood Cemetery. The grave overlooked the James River. Several funeral orations were made andMonroe’s casket was then lowered into the grave. Later, the Governor of Virginia commissioned a suitable monument for the grave, resulting in a cast iron temple that resembles a bird cage. The memorial cost $1,682.00. The Foresight Companies Announces Gabriel Ngo as Director of Business Development PHOENIX,AZ— “We are pleased to announce we have brought on an established industry leader, Gabriel Ngo, to our ever-growing and dy- namic team. The addition of Gabe Ngo as our director of business devel- opment allows us to continue to de- liver the highest care to our clients,” Dan Isard, the founder and manag- ing partner of The Foresight Com- panies, recently announced. “Gabe exudes credibility, confidence and integrity at the highest level. Gabe’s abilities and experience will provide an even higher level of service to our clients and the entire industry. We couldn’t be more excited to have Gabe on board,” Isard added. Chris Cruger, chief operating offi- cer and partner stated, “As we inves- tigated ways of expanding and con- tinuing the reach of The Foresight Companies, we discovered a per- son who has the perfect set of skills to help us accomplish our goals and objectives. All of us at Foresight are proud and excited to call Gabe a member of the Foresight family.” “I am excited to have the opportu- nity to be a part of Foresight and to have the ability to collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry”, said Ngo. “Foresight’s constant growth speaks to the ever- growing needs of our industry, es- pecially during these unprecedented times with the COVID-19 Pandem- ic. The resources that we can deliver to all our clients are second to none in this industry. I look forward to being able to deliver a high level of service and professionalism not just to our clients, but to the industry as well. Now, more than ever, our in- dustry is facing some challenging and uncertain times, but with these uncertainties comes some exciting opportunities for us to continue to make a difference” added Gabe. Prior to joining The Foresight Com- panies, Gabe spent over thirteen years with Carriage Services, Inc. lead- ing various functions at an execu- tive level including: corporate devel- opment in mergers and acquisitions, operational support and administra- tion and human resources. Gabe was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States as a child. His fam- ily relocated to Houston when he was very young. He went on to get his ju- ris doctorate at the South Texas Col- lege of Law after graduating from the University of Houston with a double major. His skills and experience allow him to continue building relation- ships and partnerships within the fu- neral, cemetery, and cremation service industry and sharing his knowledge in various verticals related to our business The Foresight Companies is a fi- nancial and management consult- ing company that has been a lead- er in this profession in the areas of accounting, valuation, mergers, ac- quisition, financing, operations and human relations for five decades. Gabe can be reached at 602-274- 6464 or gabriel@theforesightcom- panies.com. To learn more, visit www.theforesightcompanies.com . Digital Directory Now Available Download instantly at www.nomispublications.com Save on Shipping!