DeathCare (.com)

Visit the cemetery that houses Washington Irving, author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Filed under: Cemeteries, Death Care News on February 7th, 2010 | No Comments »

Deathcare.com already offered a short article on American-German funeral traditions, which have become assimilated – for the most part – in American traditions based upon religious beliefs. But, in Germany, burial traditions often are different than those in other parts of the world, and have been so for generations. But, changes are in the works, and some of the following traditions also contain explanations of changes when known.

Filed under: Cemeteries, Cremation, Funeral Arrangements, Funeral Law, History of Funerals on September 13th, 2009 | No Comments »

If a cemetery is an eternal resting place, why would anyone want to remove a body from its grave? In one recent example, the body of preacher and funk musician James Hines, who died in 2004, was exhumed to quell rumors about his body. This man was 6-foot-7 and 300-pounds, and everyone wondered how this body could fit into a standard-sized casket. Only the top half of the lid was open during the funeral, showing Hines from the chest up.

Filed under: Cemeteries, Death & Dying, Death Practices on June 3rd, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Have you ever wondered what you’d like to say on your tombstone? What you’re thinking about is your “epitaph,” or an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried under that stone. While some epitaphs are flowery, others can be heartbreaking – especially those for children – and some are downright funny.

Filed under: About Tombstones, Cemeteries, Funeral Arrangements, History of Funerals, Plan Your Own on May 19th, 2009 | No Comments »

Graveyards and cemeteries are some of my favorite places to visit, as each tombstone, or gravestone, can tell the visitor something about the deceased. Some stones are hand carved, which can tell the age or economic status of the deceased’s family. Other stones are elaborately carved and may contain vases or pillars along with precise carving. These latter stones can attest to the wealth of the deceased.

Filed under: About Tombstones, Cemeteries, Funeral Arrangements on May 12th, 2009 | No Comments »

Do you use Twitter? If not, you probably wonder what the Twitter fuss is all about. If you’re using Twitter, you may think that those who don’t use it just don’t “get it.” Whether or not you use Twitter, you might be surprised to learn that this social media tool has penetrated the death care industry.

Filed under: Cemeteries, Death & Dying, Hospice on March 30th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Some fiction writers may jump to tell you that body snatching is so “five decades ago,” with the current popularity of full-body donations to science. But, grave-robbers still exist, mainly to supply bodies and body parts to the medical field. The 2008 arrest of medical supplies boss Michael Mastromarino offers solid evidence that grave robbers still exist.

Filed under: Cemeteries, Death & Dying on February 19th, 2009 | 1 Comment »