n e w s l e t t e r t h e l f d a winter 2019 newsletter...winter 2019 edition t h e l f d a n e w s...

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WINTER 2019 EDITION THE LFDA NEWSLETTER Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association INSIDE THIS ISSUE: P.O. Box 82531 Baton Rouge, LA 70884 P: (225) 767-7640 F: (225) 767-7648 [email protected] www.LFDAweb.org Message from the President District News Fall Meeting Highlights Membership Renewal Information LFDA Scholarship Information In Memoriam

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Page 1: N E W S L E T T E R T H E L F D A Winter 2019 Newsletter...WINTER 2019 EDITION T H E L F D A N E W S L E T T E R Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association

W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 E D I T I O N

THE LFDANEWSLETTER

Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:P.O. Box 82531

Baton Rouge, LA 70884P: (225) 767-7640F: (225) 767-7648

[email protected]

Message from the PresidentDistrict NewsFall Meeting HighlightsMembership Renewal InformationLFDA Scholarship InformationIn Memoriam

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TABLE OFcontents3 Letter from the President 4 Executive Committee 5 Executive Director Update 6 District News 7 Fall Meeting Highlights 8 LFDA Membership Renewal 9 Gerald M Robbins, Sr.

Scholarship 12 Article: Marketing Your Funeral

Home Through Insurance 15 Article: The Impact of Declining

Mortuary Science Enrollment 17 Obituary - Dave Bruce Mac Nealy

18 Obituary - Sylvia Campbell

Mothe 19 Obituary - Beverly Blanc Mire

20 Upcoming LFDA Events

5 Lamcraft 6 Cullen Investment Group 7 American Benefit Life Insurance Company 8 SNL- Security National Life 10 Express Funeral Funding

To promoteintegrity in thefuneral service

industry througheducation,legislation,

networking andcommunications.

LFDAMission

Statement

AD INDEX11 Messenger, LLC 12 Selected Funeral & Life Insurance 13 Kramer Embalming 15 Federated Insurance 16 Prestige Transfers of Acadiana, LLC

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Good Day LFDA! I hope we all had a fulfilling Thanksgiving with family and friends. We all have somuch to be thankful for in our daily lives. So here we are ready to move forwardinto the holiday season with the same passion for fellowship with our LFDAmembers. Districts are raising proceeds for organizations such as Toys for Totsand performing good works in their communities. Working together as a teamfor these well-needed causes is what makes the LFDA fellowship an awesomeexperience. Our Fall Meeting and Seminar in Lafayette was well attended. ContinuingEducation was provided by Dr. Prats and Dr. Guidry with the LouisianaDepartment of Health. There was also a surprise visit from our emergencyresponse team leadership task force with Henry Yenni and Arbie Goings. Theyeducated our Association on the ESF-8  Structure and how this relates tomembers as the provider and individual embalmer and funeral director. I wouldalso like to thank Doug Gober for his dynamic presentation on cremation and thearrangement experience. Doug understands that we have to change with thetimes and that the consumer has access to information in the palm of their hand. Time waits for no one, and as we’re moving into the second decade of the 21stCentury, the mission is no different regarding our Association duties andresponsibilities to its members.  We continue to attend district meetings and put committees to work to developand strengthen relationships within our association. Participation is essential tosuccess in the growth of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association and therecruitment of new members.  At the Fall Meeting, there were attendees thatjoined and renewed their membership to LFDA. This certainly reflects on whatwe are achieving and that we are moving in a direction which will open newdoors in our state and for funeral serviceprofessionals. Our management group is working hard with each district and theircommunications chair to coordinate more efficiently for the upcoming NFDA2020 International Convention and Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each districtis gathering information regarding their area. I encourage you to have yourdistrict contact Jamie or Becca at the Tatman Group and to establish thatrelationship with them. We are preparing topics we believe will be effective andthe most relative for October 2020. On behalf of the Executive Committee, I would ask for prayers for those familiesless fortunate or families who have had a loved one pass away.  I hope that yourprayers will be answered with faith in God, love, and charity. Merry Christmasand a Happy New Year LFDA.  Faith. Family. Tradition. Gary F. TranchinaLFDA President

By Gary F. Tranchina, LFDA President

Gary F. TranchinaHonaker Funeral Homes

and Cemeteries, Inc.

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Becca KleinpeterAssociation Manager

Jamie FreemanAssociation Manager

David TatmanExecutive Director

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2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E

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GARY F. TRANCHINAPRESIDENT

Honaker Funeral Homes & Cemeteries, IncEmail:[email protected]

Phone: (985) 641-1900

W. BRYAN PRICEVICE PRESIDENT

Southern Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (318) 628-6921

ANTHONY "TIGER" ISTRETREASURER

Geesey-Ferguson Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (337) 779-2669

NICOLE CHARLET WILCHERSECRETARY

Charlet Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (225) 654-4480

JOE EAGANSERGEANT-AT-ARMS

Leitz Eagan Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (504) 888-8440

SAMANTHA SHOWSNORTH DISTRICTGOVERNOR

Southern Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (318) 259-4106

GENE PELLERINIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Pellerin Funeral HomesEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (337) 332-2111

ANITA ARDOINSOUTHWEST DISTRICTGOVERNOR

Fountain Memorial Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (337) 981-7098

JEFFREY CAINSOUTHEAST DISTRICTGOVERNOR

Resthaven Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (225) 266-3582

BOYD MOTHE, JR.SOUTH DISTRICTGOVERNOR

Mothe Funeral HomesEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (504) 366-4343

W. BRYAN PRICEPOLICY BOARDREPRESENTATIVE

Southern Funeral HomeEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (318) 628-6921

DAVID TATMANEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Tatman GroupEmail: [email protected]

Phone: (225) 767-7640

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LFDA Members, As we move into this holiday season, we have much to be thankful for. Personally, I am grateful for the relationships I have cultivated through thisgreat organization. We also have both a new decade and a lot of hard work ahead of us!  Withover 60 new legislators entering the House and Senate chambers in theupcoming legislative session, we have many new relationships to form.  I havealready begun reaching out to new legislators, and I encourage each of you todo the same.  A simple note can go a long way. If you already have a relationship with any incoming legislators, please let ouroffice know!  These connections are invaluable in the work that we do,alongside your Laws & Legislative Committee. With the new year comes dues renewals. Don’t forget to send in your dues,and if you have not received your packet yet, please contact our office today.An organization is only as strong as its members, and LFDA’s are GREAT! I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.  Thank you for all thatyou do for the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association.  As always, if there is anything that I can do for you, please do not hesitate toreach out. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! David Tatman

David TatmanExecutive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE

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L F D A D I S T R I C T N E W S

Reviewing the past few months of activities has been non-stop in theSouthwest District! The 3rd quarter is like returning from half-time andgearing up the field to accomplish new achievements in the funeral world.“Working Together” has truly been exemplified by events such as: ourSeptember-Round Table with LOPA and donations to the Lions Club witheyeglasses; the Monthly Focus for October-to Clergy, Ministers, vocalists,florists, Vital Records and those involved in Traumatic Death. November’sFocus honored our nation’s military with Veterans Day events. Other projectsthroughout November were All Saints’ Day with Blessing of the Graves acrossthe SW District, Services for the Poor and recognition of Children’s GriefAwareness with employees wearing blue to support the day. It was aprivilege for the LFDA's Fall Meeting and Seminar, including CE, to be held inour district. A special thank you to all who organized and attended thefunction.  Hats off to our LFDA President, Gary Tranchina and the TatmanGroup for their outstanding efforts in preparation, planning, and a successfulday of learning and fun.The 3rd quarter District meeting on December 4th was held at EvangelineDowns and sponsored by Escude Funeral Home of Mansura, Escude FuneralHome of Simmesport, LaFond-Ardoin of Opelousas, Melancon Funeral Homeof Bunkie, Melancon Funeral Home of Carencro and Sibille Funeral Home ofOpelousas. At this month’s meeting, the holiday spirit of giving was sharedby supporting Toys for Tots with our district’s generous donation and toysand continued collections for Lions Club. Our 50/50 tradition proud winnerwas Casey Melancon. That night’s continuing education - CompassionateFatigue, sponsored by Southern Eye Bank and presented by Joy Fragola wasdefinitely applicable to all Funeral Directors in attendance.  Closing out theyear 2019, SW is striving to implement educational awareness to those newin the field of funeral services.The Southwest District eagerly welcomes 2020 with fresh ideas. We will befocusing on the community and homeless awareness projects, our localshelters, and striving to keep continuing education a part of every districtmeeting. We will be gathering personal hygiene items, linen, clothing andpurses to be distributed throughout our district.  Be onwatch for “Career Connections” as an opportunity to educate high schoolstudents for opportunities in our industry. The “Giving Calendar” will beadded as a personal incentive to all Funeral Directors to pay it forward withrandom acts of kindness.   Our district goal is to attain the Certificate ofExcellence from LFDA for all participants in our region andstriving to be participants not merely spectators as we learn and growtogether to build a stronger funeral service industry. Wishing a HappyHoliday to everyone and may it be filled with blessings. Anita Ardoin, Governor, SWLFDAFountain Memorial Funeral HomeLafayette, LA

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT

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L F D A F A L L M E E T I N G H I G H L I G H T S

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Join LFDA for the

Mid-Winter Seminar

in Shreveport, LA

February 11, 2020!

Agenda coming

soon!

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L F D A N E W S

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2020 LFDA MEMBERSHIP

ARE YOU CURRENT FOR 2020?

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:

FREE EDUCATIONAL SEMINARSLEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIONNETWORKING OPPORTUNITIESQUARTERLY NEWSLETTERSINDUSTRY UPDATESCONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITSACCESS TO PREFERRED PROVIDERS

AND MORE!

RENEWAL INSTRUCTIONSHOW ARE MY DUES CALCULATED?LFDA funeral home membership is per establishment.Each funeral home pays $150 per licensed funeral directorand/or embalmer. However, establishments with multiplelocations will not be charged for the same funeral directormore than once. REVIEW AND PROVIDE UPDATES TO THEAFFILIATED MEMBERS LISTING:Please take a moment to review the enclosed list ofaffiliated members that LFDA currently has on record foryour funeral home. Please indicate which employees areauthorized to vote on behalf of your firm and provide anyupdated information on the Affiliate Members worksheetprovided. COMPLETE A COMMITTEE INTEREST FORM: Please take a moment to complete the committee interestform enclosed and return with your dues invoice andpayment. LFDA encourages all members to participate in acommittee so we can continue to bring innovative ideas tothe organization. Please keep in mind that being avolunteer requires a serious commitment of time by thevolunteer and his/her employer.

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L F D A N E W S

Formal application, properly filled out.The committee will not be responsiblefor contacting applicant to notifyhim/her that their application isincomplete or lacking information.Official transcript from mortuary school.High school transcript (or equivalent)and college transcript showing that theapplicant received a GPA of 2.5 in highschool and college.ACT transcript show that the applicantreceived a score of 20 or higher or proofof successful completion of entranceexam.Proof of outstanding scholastic loanbalance(s) (if applicable) ordemonstrated financial need.Three letters of recommendation from apersonal acquaintance, scholasticaffiliate (ie: professor) and a LouisianaFuneral Directors Association (LFDA)memberA 250 word essay to describe the processused and the experiences you underwentin your decision to enter the funeralservice profession. Also, give yourperception of the value of the funeralindustry.Applicants may be contacted for aninterview. 9

GERALD M. ROBBINS, SR. SCHOLARSHIP

The Louisiana Funeral Directors Association (LFDA) Gerald M. Robbins Sr.Scholarship is awarded annually to Louisiana residents attending accreditedcolleges of Mortuary Science who show high academic achievement as well ascommunity involvement. The Scholarship Committee sets the policies and makesthe selections based upon high scholastic standards required of the scholarshipbeneficiaries. The committee has the discretion to request an interview. Thecommittee will award at least one (1) scholarship to an applicant that has provenfinancial need. Applications are due March 15, 2020 via email, fax, or mail.

Go to lfdaweb.org/scholarship to download the application!

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTSELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Currently enrolled or accepted to anaccredited college offering instruction inMortuary Science or has completedmortuary school and is currentlyfulfilling the state requirements as anintern.Must meet the requirements of theLouisiana State Board of Embalmer andFuneral Directors.Must have earned and maintained aminimum GPA of 2.5 in mortuary schoolduring each semester. Applicants must have earned a minimumGPA of 2.5 during college. Applicants must have earned a minimumGPA of 2.5 during high school.Applicants must have earned an ACTscore of 20 or higher or proof ofsuccessful completion of entrance exam.Applicants are not eligible if they havebeen previously awarded an LFDAScholarship. Applicants NOT selected may reapply forthe next annual selection if they stillmeet the eligibility requirements.

Deadline to apply:

March 15, 2020

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Do funeral homes need an effective insurance program?Do you want to build your funeral home’s market shareand make sure the families you serve have funds tocover funeral costs? Is it really that important? Yes! Anactive insurance program reaches out to the communityand helps them prepare for the inevitable with themeans they have today. Your insurance program canincrease at- need calls, protect and expand your tradeterritory, solve account receivable issues, and providecommission income to the funeral home. SFLICstatistics show that approximately 94% of people whopurchased insurance through a funeral home will returnto that establishment for their services. A well-rounded insurance program will include bothpre-need and final expense insurance. Trust funded pre-need generates little growth and often comes withexorbitant maintenance fees. Insurance funded pre-need can alleviate these fees and offer higher growthhelping to cover the cost of inflation for the prices locked in today,  and, most often, insurance companiesfunding prepaid funeral contracts are diligent inproviding information to the funeral home required forannual reporting, simplifying that process for your staff. Let’s not forget about  final expense. Too often familiesare in a funeral home after suffering a sudden loss  planning ways   to memorialize their loved   one withlittle or no means to do so. A previously offered andpurchased affordable final expense policy can bridgethis gap. According to Census ACS 1 published by theDepartment of Numbers, the median household income

M A R K E T I N G Y O U R F U N E R A L H O M E T H R O U G H I N S U R A N C EBY C. SUZANNE EADES, CPC, SENIOR VP SELECTED FUNERAL & LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

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for Louisiana in 2017 was $46,145. The median familyincome was $60,510 and the median per capitaincome was $25,885. Also, the U.S. Census Bureaupredicts the percentage of Louisiana’s populationover the age of 60 in 2020 will be only 22.5%.   In myopinion, these combined statistics leave a hugemarket for final expense life insurance. If you google funeral insurance, you find page afterpage attempting to guide the reader to theircompany’s funeral insurance or how to prepay afuneral. Most disturbing to me are those sites thatclaim to ease the burden of the funeral experiencewithout actually being tied to any funeralestablishment. You might ask - what’s the differencein the online process and you? Simply, it’s NOT you! You are the professional, educated in the uniqueservice of how to guide families through the processof memorializing a loved one.   In addition, you oryour authorized representatives are the link betweenthe unprepared person and the gently-guided,prepared individuals - those who have alleviatedsome of the stress and financial burden of a funeralfor loved ones by both selecting and prepaying forservices and merchandise in advance, or by providingfunds through a final expense policy. No website cansubstitute the peace of mind associated with thisservice by the funeral professional or a designatedauthorized representative of the funeralestablishment. Continued on page 13.

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M A R K E T I N G Y O U R F U N E R A L H O M E T H R O U G H I N S U R A N C EBY C. SUZANNE EADES, CPC, SENIOR VP SELECTED FUNERAL & LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

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Insurance companies dedicated to the funeralprofession closely affiliate with funeral establishments.We provide products, training, and, sometimes,marketing advice, as well as other services linked to thefuneral profession. Some of us have worked in funeralhomes in different capacities; some of us are licensedfuneral directors, but almost all of us have experiencedthe loss of a loved one. Consequently, the spirit of thefuneral profession resonates with us. We have chosenthis particular profession not only for the success weenjoy, but also for the sense of purpose we feel in ourvocation. Realizing   that   an   effective insurance   program couldbe vital to the success of any funeral home, what goalscan the funeral home set? Insurance and preneed soldshould equal or exceed the average gross sales of thefuneral services you provide per year. An ideal programgoal should be to have insurance and preneed contractsin force equal to five times your average annual funeralsales. An insurance company dedicated to yourprofession can help you achieve these goals. Selected 

Funeral & Life Insurance Company (SFLIC) is such acompany. SFLIC was founded by funeral directors whorecognized the need to provide their communitieswith the means to memorialize their loved ones withdignity no matter the income level.  Still largelyowned by those founders’ families, SFLIC is a premierprovider of insurance with a long history and a deepsense of purpose in serving the funeral profession.Through our experience, we found no one productfits every family’s needs.   SFLIC has developed aseries of products that   can serve every member ofmost households. In addition to our products, SFLIC also providesfuneral home staff sales and product training, andmarketing assistance. We host continuing educationseminars, and periodically host the National FuneralDirectors Association (NFDA) certification programs,including the Certified Preplanning ConsultantProgram, at our home office in Hot Springs, Arkansas.We are also proud to be a vendor sponsor and helpsupport each Funeral Directors Association in thefour-state region where we conduct business. Inother words, we are committed to your success.

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T H E I M P A C T O F D E C L I N I N G M O R T U A R Y S C I E N C E E N R O L L M E N TBY DR. GEORGE P. CONNICK, PRESIDENT AMERICAN ACADEMY MCALLISTER INSTITUTE OF FUNERAL SERVICE

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Allow me to ponder this question: In the next five years,will declining mortuary science enrollment cause amajor shortage of funeral directors? The simple answeris likely yes, but there really is no simple answer sincethere are many potential policy decisions that couldchange funeral service education as it exists today. As many educators peer into the future, they can seedark clouds looming on the horizon for highereducation. In fact, those clouds have beenforming for several yea rs and are getting darker.The issue is the declining number of high-schoolgraduates nationally, for whom higher educationinstitutions compete. This trend is predicted to continuefor the foreseeable future. For funeral service, theprospect of declining enrollment in mortuary scienceprograms may also signal the inevitable resultingdecline in the number of licensed funeral directors. The July 2018 issue of The Director contained a lengthyarticle titled "Enrollment in Mortuary Science ProgramsSinks to Nine-Year Low:' It summarized a range ofstatistics from the American Board of Funeral ServiceEducation's (ABFSE) Annual Report SummaryInformation 2017. It was the first to document thatmortuary science programs are experiencing the sameenrollment declines as most other areas of highereducation, excluding the STEM sector (science,technology, engineering, math). In April 2019, ABFSE released its Annual ReportSummary Information 2018, which provides anadditional year of data. Once again, there was a slightdecline from 2017, which saw 2,411 new students, to2018, with its 2,359 students. Accompanied by   numerous   charts,   the   article's lead sentence summed  up the content: "New enrollment inmortuary science programs in 2017 was the lowest since2008... according to statistics by the American Board ofFuneral Service Education:' Although the 2018 ABFSEstatistics provide a sweeping historical perspective, theyonly hint at what the future may hold. The highest new student enrollment in mortuaryscience after 1995 was reached in 2011 at 2,917. In 2018,enrollment had dropped to 2,359. This 558-studentdecline represented a 19.1% drop in just eight years.

What are the possible reasons for this decline?Beginning in 2009, as the economy improved eachyear, the unemployment rate began to decline. Asmight have been predicted, higher educationenrollments also began to decline. However, theacceleration of the decline in the past several yearsrequires further analysis. A recent analysis of nationaldata by the Chronicle of Higher Education in anarticle by Sara Lipka titled, "Colleges, Here IsYour Future;' offers an interesting perspective: "Peerinto kindergarten classrooms across the country andyou will see fewer students. For every 100 18-year-olds nationally, there are only 95 4-year-olds:' The worst demographic projections are for theNortheast. For example, selected data for New York,New Jersey and Connecticut indicate the following:"In many of the highest-income, most educatedcounties - which have reliably delivered high  schoolgraduates to colleges - the supply   of   youngerchildren is dwindling. This pattern is striking in thesuburbs of New York City; Long Is land; WestchesterCounty, New York; and Fairfield County, Connecticut.In Somerset and Morris counties in New Jersey, bothwhich have median incomes of more than $98,000,the populations of 4-year-olds compared with 18-year-olds are 26% and 32% smaller, respectively." For higher education institutions dependent oncampus students for their future  enrollment,   there  is   much about    the   demographic    downturn thatshould be of concern. Historically, enrollments  havegone up during bad economic times because  people  have   difficulty finding jobs or they lose a job anddecide to pursue education   that   leads to a careerwith fewer peaks and valleys. Funeral service hasbeen one of those jobs. Why a national decline in enrollment at all educationlevels? There appear to be a number of factors thathave created a perfect storm of problems for highereducation  institutions for at least the next five years,and they have no control over any of them. The bestcolleges can hope for in the short run is that they canadapt as quickly as possible to the realities of thenext few years. Continued on Page 16.

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T H E I M P A C T O F D E C L I N I N G M O R T U A R Y S C I E N C E E N R O L L M E N TBY DR. GEORGE P. CONNICK, PRESIDENT AMERICAN ACADEMY MCALLISTER INSTITUTE OF FUNERAL SERVICE

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The reality: The economy has been booming for morethan seven years and there are no immediate signs thatit is cooling off. In many areas of the country, employersare scrambling, desperately trying to find employees tofill jobs. The employers are making their jobs asattractive as possible in order to recruit successfully.The minimum wage has gone up significantly in manystates, especially those with the largest populations.This is an added incentive for potential students toenter the workforce rather than go to college. Bycomparison, the wages and working conditions (hours,nights and weekends) for licensed entrants into funeralservice jobs is becoming less attractive. The U.S.unemployment rate has dropped  below 3.9%,virtuallyfull employment. And more importantly, the rate foradult women (who make up 67% of ABFSE students) hasdecreased to 3.5%. After 15 years of consistent increasesin the high school graduation rate, the next decadebrings stagnation and a severe drop that began in 2017. However, in 2017, the United States had the lowest birthrate on record, and it has been declining for decades. Itis only in the past several years that the decliningenrollments in K-12 have had a growing impact onhigher education. The greatest declines in public highschool graduates (who make up 90% of all high schoolgraduates) are projected for the Northeast and Midwest.The West is expected to experience slight increases. TheSouth will see steady, significant increases. About 33%of public high school grads came from the South in theearly 2000s. By 2013, their percentage had grown to43%; by 2025, it will be 47%. Not  anticipated by many institutions is the challenge ofchanging demographics and the fact that futurestudents will look and act significantly different thanprevious students. The number of Caucasian public highschool graduates from middle  class and moreaffluent  families is projected to decline by 14% from2013 - 2030. On the other hand, the number of minority, those lesswell prepared, and low-income students is expected togrow dramatically. The projection is for Hispanic highschool graduates to increase by 50% from 2014 to themid-2020s. What this means is that colleges will need to

find new recruitment strategies for minorities andthen provide expanded services to help thosestudents stay in college and graduate. Finally, and most importantly for funeral serviceeducation, is the rapid shift from burials tocremation. In 2015, according to the NFDA Cremationand Burial Report, cremations (47.9%) surpassed thenumber burials(45.2%) in the United States. Thistrend is predicted to continue and accelerate, withcremations accounting for 56.4% in 2020 and 69.7%in 2030. Fortunately, in the past several years, the ABFSECommittee on Accreditation (COA) has addedrequired curricula regarding cremation. The COA ismoving to address the new realities of funeralservice, and now may be the time to introduceadditional alternatives that will advance funeraleducation significantly and also attract many morestudents to the programs and the profession.Anticipating and responding  to accelerating changesin almost  every aspect of society is not easy. This isespecially true in higher education, generally, andfuneral service education specifically. But ineducation at all levels, change is not taking place fastenough to address the needs of society and studentsnow and in the future.

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M E M B E R O B I T U A R I E S

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hard worker who loved coming to work every day and honored the families he helped. He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Brenda Mac Nealy; son, Zachary Mac Nealyand wife Jennifer; daughter, Mackenzie ElMasri; two grandsons whom he adored,Bryce and Dawson. Preceded in death are his parents, Raymond and Dorothy MacNealy and daughter Zoe Anne Mac Nealy. Visitation was held at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, onMonday, August 19, 2019, from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm. Visitation resumed Tuesday, August20, 2019, from 11:00 am until service time of 12:00 pm. Interment immediatelyfollowed with full Military Honors at the LA National Cemetery. Pallbearers wereEverett Rabalais, Marvin Schaffer, Wedge Barthe, Diane ""Dee Dee"" Mitchell, GeraldMusacchia and Zachary Mac Nealy. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons, Bryceand Dawson. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Mr. David's name to theBaton Rouge Autism Foundation.

David "Dave" Bruce Mac NealySeptember 26, 1949 - August 14 , 2019 Mr. David ""Dave"" Bruce Mac Nealy, aresident of Baton Rouge, passed away August 14,2019 at the age of 69. He was born September 26,1949 in Cambridge, Ohio. Mr. David served in theMarines for 25 years and retired as 1st Sgt. He loved his job as a funeral director, embalmer andcrematory operator for Welsh and Greenoaks FuneralHome in Baton Rouge, LA. He has served ourcommunity for over 27 years helping families duringdifficult times. his coworkers will remember him as a

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Knowles. Great-grandmother of Hunter, Luke, Hudson, Kensington, Trace,Chandler,Maverick, and James. Daughter of the late Eunice Adams and Irvin A. Campbell. Sisterof Elaine C. May (Roland). Also survived by many dear nieces, nephews, and cousins. Age 84 years, a native of Algiers, LA and a resident of Gretna, LA. The family is forevergrateful for those who cared for Sylvia through her final weeks. Relatives and Friends of the Family, also members of the Westbank and local ArtGuilds and Associations, were invited to attend the Visitation at MOTHE FUNERALHOME, 1300 Vallette St., Algiers, LA on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 6 PM until 10PM. Visitation resumed at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church, 500 Verret St., Algiers,LA on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 from 9 AM until Funeral Mass time at 11 AM.Interment Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Gretna, LA. To view and sign the onlineguestbook visit www.mothefunerals.com

Sylvia Campbell MotheDecember 15, 1934 - September 6, 2019 Sylvia Campbell Mothe passed away on Friday,September 6, 2019. Beloved wife of Boyd L. Mothefor 64 years. Mother of Lynette M. Jordan (Michael), Boyd L.Mothe, Jr. (Denise), and Laurie M. Knowles(Kenneth). Grandmother of Ashley Varnen (Craig),Allison Barnow (Will), Nicole Mothe, Kathryn M. Illg(Corey), Boyd “Beau” L. Mothe, III (Brooke), KristynK. Dadlez (Greg), Elizabeth Knowles, and Caroline

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simplest pleasures in life from dancing, traveling on vacations, going to many New Orleans MardiGras and Irish Italian parades, playing cards, crabbing trips, fishing, and listening to French music. When her kids were growing up, she would sew their clothes, hem pants, and make formal dressesfor events.  Her family and friends lived for her home-cooking, and she was known for her deliciouscrawfish ettoufee, stuffed bell peppers in a tomato gravy, cakes, and holiday candy.  WhateverGranny cooked, it tasted better coming from her loving kitchen.  She would share her love bymaking crocheted afghans for each child, grandchild, great-grandchild, family members, andspecial people in the family which kept us all warm during the winter weather. True pastimes for her would be tending to her rose bushes, her plants, reading the newspaper,doing color art in her adult coloring books, and getting the house ready for the Christmas holidayswas as she would put up each ornament on her Christmas tree with care. Granny never saw theneed in learning to drive a car, her chauffeur was either her husband or her children all these yearsand she didn't miss a beat in her travels.She cherished her family and enjoyed visiting and spending time with relatives and close friends,especially her grandchildren. Her love for God, family, friends, and the joy of life will remain forever.She will be missed dearly by all but her sweet, southern grace will be in the hearts of all who knewand loved her.She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Marion Dale Mire of Kaplan; three sons: Leslie Mire andwife, Nora of Lafayette; Thad Mire and wife, Jana of Kaplan; and Leighton Mire and wife, Holly ofDuson; daughter, Retanna Mire of Opelousas; her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, step great-grandchildren, and her siblings.

Beverly Blanc MireSeptember 3, 1947 - September 27, 2019 Beverly passed away on Friday, September 27, 2019, at her home inKaplan.  She was born in Kaplan, LA, on September 3, 1947, and was alongtime resident of Kaplan.  She was a parishioner of the Our Lady ofthe Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kaplan for many years.   Sheparticipated in the Meaux Country Daisies Homemakers' Club, TheLafayette Square Dancers Club, Krewe of Chic-a-la-Pie Mardi GrasAssociation of Kaplan, and the Breaux's Supper Club group. She wasknown for her great home-cooking, her Southern Cajun hospitality, heropen door and her hot, delicious coffee visits. She enjoyed all of the

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U P C O M I N G L F D A E V E N T S

LFDA SOUTH DISTRICT CHRISTMAS SOCIAL - DEC. 18, 2019 NEW ORLEANS, LA LFDA SOUTHEAST DISTRICT CHRISTMAS SOCIAL - DEC. 18, 2019, BATON ROUGE, LA

LFDA MID-WINTER SEMINAR - FEBRUARY 2020, SHREVEPORT, LALFDA/MFDA ANNUAL JOIN CONVENTION - MAY 31 - JUNE 2, 2020, BILOXI, MS