revista dodge otoño 2016

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For those of you who call into Dodge’s Customer Service line, you may have spoken with, or given an order to Walter.

We’re sad to announce that Walter died on August 20th and we really miss him! You may be asking “Why is Dodge sharing this with us in the magazine?” Well, Walter was a special guy and we wanted to share his history with everyone, as well as recognize a record being set.

Walter held the all-time record for working at Dodge longer than anyone else – 67 years! And if he’d had his wish, he would have celebrated 68 years in October.

He started at Dodge right out of high school working in our shipping department and eventually rose to the head of that department. Back then, chemicals were bottled in glass, packed in wooden crates, and delivered by train.

For decades Walter was Dodge’s “go-to” person for fixing needle injectors and had a whole work bench in his basement just for that.

Eventually, Walter moved into Dodge’s Cosmetic department and oversaw that department until his retirement at the age of 65. Because he just couldn’t sit still, Walter eventually came back to Dodge and worked part-time answering Customer Service calls until July 2016.

We miss you Walter!

Walter NoftleOctober 17, 1930 - August 20, 2016

CONTENTS Yesterday, Today, and Hopefully Tomorrow4 Jack Adams, CFSP, MBIE The Challenge of Bruise Concealment8 Tim Collison, CFSP

Handling Decomposition10 Karl Wenzel, CFSP, MBIE

Getting the Dead Where They Need to Be15 Dennis Daulton

Happy Anniversary or The Saga of a Handshake20 Glenda Stansbury, CFSP

The Story of Cremation 25 Todd Van Beck

Are You Helping or Hurting Your Families? 28 Stephen Rocco

Time to Go Back to School 30 Jacquie Taylor, PhD

The Strayed Lamb34 Jerome Burke

Published byThe Dodge Company The Dodge Company (Canada) The Dodge Company9 Progress Road 1265 Fewster Drive, Mississauga Unit 15 Ardglen Industrial EstateBillerica, MA 01821-5731 Ontario, L4W 1A2 Whitchurch Hampshire RG287BBPhone: 1-978-600-2099 Phone: 1-905-625-0311 United KingdomFor Orders: 1-800-443-6343 For Orders: 1-800-263-0862 Phone: (011-44) 1256-893883Fax: 1-978-600-2333/ Fax: 1-905-624-1109 Fax: (011-44) 1256-893868 1-800-443-4034

Website: www.dodgeco.comWeb Store: shop.dodgeco.comE-mail: [email protected]

Fall 2016

The Cover Fall in New England. Picture by Kyle Fiske and Chyle Crossley of Dodge’s Customer Care Team.

EditorKeith Dodge

Assistant EditorKristin Doucet

Contributing EditorsJack AdamsTim CollisonKarl WenzelDennis DaultonGlenda StansburyTodd Van BeckStephen RoccoJacquie TaylorJerome Burke

© 2016 The Dodge CompanyPrinted in U.S.A.

The opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher.

Most articles in this magazine are available as reprints at our cost.

Quarterly Publication Dedicated to Professional Progress in Funeral Service

FALL 2016 Volume 108 No. 4

F A L L 2 0 1 6

3

Those of us who are third, fourth, or maybe fifth generation funeral directors may remember as children hearing stories, or may have some life experiences, of the earlier years of funeral service.

I’m not speaking about the beginning of embalming during the Civil War or the first undertakers who were also furniture makers and carpenters. Even though they are rare, we still have a few funeral home-furniture store combos in rural areas of Northern Illinois.

In the early 1900’s, funerals were traditional and most bodies were viewed to some degree. The first crematory was built in 1876 but saying goodbye in person was still very popular and burial considered to be the right thing to do, especially within many religions.

Some viewing was done without embalming and it wasn’t uncommon for funeral homes to use ice to slow down decomposition so viewings could take place. My great-grandfather delivered ice in Canada and some of his best customers were

funeral homes. During his deliveries, he observed the operations and thought this funeral business could be OK. When he was 19, he moved to Chicago and with the help of his family, he opened a funeral home that specialized in the use of ice. Between ice control and the use of trade embalmers when needed, he did well. The viewings and embalmings were done at the homes of the deceased. The embalming was usually done in a bedroom and portable cooling boards were used to help the preparation process. The viewings were done in the parlors, or what is now called the living room. Many homes didn’t have large enough parlors to accommodate the viewing and that is one reason for the beginning of the funeral homes that we have today.

The embalming was done on a cooling board (fig. 1) that was used as a substitute for a preparation/dressing table. It could be adjusted for a more comfortable layout position

when the remains were placed in the casket. The embalmer relied on a hand pump (fig. 2) at least in the early days of embalming and into the 1920’s before the Zephyr machine (fig. 3) or portable pumps and aspirator combos were on the market. By the 1950’s Portiboys and Duotronics for arterial injection were on the market. These machines were basic pumps without much control for pressure or rate-of-flow. Many smaller funeral homes didn’t have or couldn’t afford these fancy machines. The gravity bowl embalming method was popular, especially with funeral homes that had a room with high ceilings and could use their increased height for pressure to deliver the chemical adequately into the body. In the Sixties we made removals for a funeral home that did 200 embalmings a year using the gravity bowl method.

Trade embalmers served most of these small homes and supplied their own portable pump. Em-balmers and funeral directors were predominately of the male gender. Of course, we all knew of the wife or daughter who would be very beneficial or irreplaceable for the family business. As time went on, most funeral homes at least had hydro-aspirators even though their prep room may have been a space inside the garage with a gravel floor. As time went on a slop sink was added and then this small space was partitioned off to be a prep room. This is how most of the neighborhood funeral homes started, at least in the Chicago area. I have to admit that in the 60’s and 70’s, I embalmed in several of these types of prep rooms using a portable pump/aspirator combo injecting out of a glass gallon jug.

Remember that the majority of funerals were traditional with viewing and two to three day visitations. One family-owned home could make a nice income with a 40 call volume. There were two and sometimes three funeral homes on the same city block and all did well. Prime real estate was as close as you could get to a church. If your business was on the same block as a church, you were where you wanted to be.

Families relocating with changing neighbor-hoods and families being split up pursuing job opportunities made it impossible for these funeral homes to remain open and often it was too expen-sive to relocate or rebuild a new funeral home.

My wife and I recently attended a rodeo in Madison, Wisconsin. A famous rodeo announcer died and they announced that it was his wish to not waste any funds on viewing or traditional funeral services. His wish was that his family and friends would start a new children’s charity fund in his name. The implications here were that if any view-

4The Dodge Magazine

My great-grandfather delivered ice in Canada and some of his best customers were funeral homes. During his deliveries, he observed the operations and thought this funeral business could be OK.

Yesterday, Today, and Hopefully Tomorrow

by Jack Adams, CFSP, MBIE

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7 Fall 2016

ing was done, there would be no funds available for a charity. No personal family funds were pledged, at least they were not announced, but friends were encouraged to donate in his memory to the newfound children’s fund. The crowd in attendance sure felt like it was a noble thing to do.

While this decision sounds OK in itself, it can be thought of as a bit selfish, disregarding the needs of his own family. They are the ones who loved him and will hurt the most with his passing. They are the ones who could have benefited from viewing him and saying goodbye. Sometimes a noble deed can have unintended consequences and maybe even be selfish. I often wonder if any of these people who don’t want a viewing or service realize they could be making it tougher on their family. If one plans it out, one wouldn’t need to shortchange their own family in order to form a new charity.

We lost a close friend of ours last year who was a very religious person and widowed for about eight years. She buried her husband in their family plot and had a traditional funeral service including viewing and a mass. When she died, she had made it easy for her grandson. She had made pre-arrangements for her own funeral which were pretty much in line with her husband’s services. It all sounded easy enough except the grandson was in South America at the time of her death working as an international buyer of coffee beans. He decided to have the funeral home oversee a direct cremation with no viewing and have a memorial service the following month when he got back in town.

These types of decisions are not uncommon in our ever changing society. The days of stopping everything and dealing with the death of a loved one while giving each other support has been replaced with dealing with the death or tributes when it is convenient. The importance of the family structure, of close friends and neighbors, has turned into a “Me-Me” attitude that takes care of oneself first. We need to make sure people understand the options available so they can mix viewing and cremation choices to fit their needs and budget, and still give their family and friends the support they need at this difficult time in their lives.

Some kind of viewing is better than no viewing. It can be private to allow close family and friends the opportunity to say goodbye. Of course, I believe in a traditional viewing for all so more friends and family have added time to gather and say their goodbyes, as well as support the family.

There can’t be a viewing without the body. Viewing an unembalmed body is better than no viewing. This may only be for identification purposes, or it may be part of the ceremony in certain religions. These viewings can be good or bad depending on the quality of care given by the embalmer and firm.

Viewing without embalming can be challenging. It is a challenge that we can overcome and still have a pleasant, temporary viewing. I visit some firms that do very little embalming. The religious beliefs of their clients prohibit embalming unless there are some unavoidable circumstances. They disinfect

and bathe the body and then set the features. One thing that sets them apart is the consistently pleasant expression and the peaceful appearance of the face. This is basically mastering the mouth closure to make it pleasant. They set each mouth to be recognizable and resemble pleasant photos supplied by the family. Mouth formers are never used because too many times they don’t fit properly. They were shown the way and mastered working with mortician’s putty (Poze) and now consistently produce a pleasant appearance and expression. It is a natural closure and can be easily adjusted rather than being forced with Feature Builder and then not being able to adjust it if a family requests a change. Using Poze allows for adjustment with the mouth. It is basically adjustable until the end which is a good feeling. It’s a good tool to have when you prepare for the viewing. The mouth remains the most important focal point on viewing the embalmed or unembalmed remains.

As revenues drop and fewer caskets are sold, we need to adapt to selling products whose value is appreciated by the public. This may be portraits, jewelry made from flowers, glass blown urns, or Continuing Care products, which give our families continued support.

All we can do is play the cards we are dealt. We need to try to educate the younger generations on the value and the benefits of a traditional funeral without sounding like used car salesmen. We owe it to our families to present the benefits of personalized options for making the funeral a meaningful experience.

Experienced embalmers agree there are more difficult cases to embalm than ever before. Medical science, drugs, and prolonging life are some of the reasons. There are no cases that we can’t embalm and achieve preservation, yet it seems that lawsuits are increasing over embalming failures. We now have big challenges. The public is demanding a bang for their buck and are now looking closely at our embalming results. They want to see the value and they ask themselves why should they pay for poor results.

An embalming well done can help us survive and increase our business. An embalming with unpleasant results can not only cause us to lose our customer but lose traditional viewing families for other funeral homes. Families that insist on viewing will begin to search for funeral homes that do better embalming. This is one reason why some funeral homes are maintaining and increasing their viewing numbers while others are taking slides toward no viewings and more direct dispositions.

Embalmers control their own destiny. A job well done can ensure our future employment.

The days of stopping everything and dealing with the death of a loved one while giving each other support has been replaced with dealing with the death or tributes when it is convenient.

I visit some firms that do very little embalming. They disinfect and bathe the body and then set the features. One thing that sets them apart is the consistently pleasant expression and the peaceful appearance of the face.

Jack is Dodge’s busiest embalming educator and lecturer. Along with working for Dodge as a sales representative in northern Illinois, he is anEmbalming Lab Instructor at Worsham College.

Jack Adams, CFSP, MBIE

Recently, at a conference on embalming and restorative art, one of the presenters put up a slide showing a decedent’s hands after embalming had taken place, but prior to cosmetic application. As is often the case, the hands showed signs of a lengthy illness such as discolorations, bruising and poor fingernail and cuticle care. While the subject of this part of the presentation was caring for the fingernails of the deceased, cosmetic application was also mentioned. The ‘after’ pictures showed manicured fingernails and cuticles, as well as a cosmetic treatment which had eliminated the bruising and discolorations. Obviously, this was a much more comfortable image for those viewing the individual, so the extra effort produced the desired result.

There is no doubt that corrective cosmetic application can pose some challenges. Stabilizing tissue, color matching, and the correct extension of the cosmetic treatment, are all considerations when we decide to restore the deceased to the most natural appearance. Let’s look at the causes and treatments needed when discolorations are present in visible areas.

Bruising and discolorations are due to numerous conditions, and the causes can frequently determine the best procedure for successful concealment. As

an example, we frequently see discolorations on the back of the hands of the deceased. Many times these are caused by trauma occurring when an intravenous line (i.v.) has been in place for a lengthy period of time. If the individual was hospitalized for a lengthy period of time prior to death, the i.v. was replaced several times, and since blood thinners are generally a common part of the treatment, the i.v.’s will cause blood to escape the vein into the surrounding tissue. This causes two possible problems: the stain or bruise, as well as a potential embalming issue since the vascular system has been interrupted.

If we want to ensure that bruises don’t reappear after the cosmetic treatment has been completed, one fundamental step is to make sure that the bruised tissue is preserved. Preserving the tissue stabilizes it, so additional deterioration does not cause additional changes in color and tissue integrity. This can be accomplished by the use of a preservative pack, hypodermically injecting a preservative solution into the area, or injecting a bleaching chemical such as Basic Dryene into the area. All of these procedures can be done while the arterial injection is taking place. Out of these three alternatives, I have had the best result hypodermically injecting Basic Dryene, as it will bleach the bruised area, as well as preserve it.

8The Dodge Magazine

by Tim Collison, CFSP

The Challenge of Bruise Concealment

If we want to ensure that bruises don’t reappear after the cosmetic treatment has been completed, one fundamental step is to make sure that the bruised tissue is preserved.

Looking at a different type of discoloration, such as one which has been caused by dehydration, preservation again is the first step. We often see decedents who have extensive dehydration caused by fever, medication, or end-of-life conditions. The most prominent areas of dehydration are often the mucous membranes of the lips and eyes, and it has a tendency to cause a darkening of the lip surfaces and redness in the eyelids and inner canthus. An effective first step after disinfection to restore these areas, is to place cotton saturated with Restorative on the tissue surface prior to embalming, and allow it to stay in place for the duration of the procedure. This will help the tissue regain the lost moisture, leading to better embalming and the restoration of the natural contours of the features. If feature building is required to restore the lip contour, Firming Feature Builder will preserve the tissue and lighten the discoloration.

Once the discolored areas have been thoroughly preserved, the cosmetologist can turn their attention to determining ‘how’ to conceal the discoloration. There are several methods to choose from, which produce varying results based on the circumstances and cosmetics which are available. One point which should be apparent is that a well-stocked cosmetic selection greatly improves your chances of success.

Concealing discolorations, especially dark dis-colorations such as hematomas, can be accomplished with most pigmented cosmetics. These would include creams, pastes, airbrush, and paints. The challenge for mortuary cosmetologists is to conceal the discolored area while reinstating normal complexion color. An area of skin any size over approximately 1” will exhibit some variegation of the complexion. In other words, the area will not be one consistent color, e.g. Suntan. If you examine the back of your own hand, you will notice various subtle shades of your complexion, and in some individuals, fairly prominent veins which in lighter complexion types are bluish in color. If you examine your face, you will see the same varying shades of complexion, as well as warm color areas, and in many areas of the face, shadows. Without re-instating the variegation in complexion, it is difficult for a bruise concealment to appear natural. If the cos-metologist relies on using a heavy cream cosmetic of one color such as Natural for concealment, it will be difficult to blend other colors into the base without it becoming too thick and appearing ‘pancake-like.’

Especially when concealing heavy, dark bruising, establishing a more neutral base prior to applying the complexion color will reduce the amount of cosmetic needed to restore a natural appearance. This is true not only with brush-applied cosmetics, but also with airbrush cosmetics.

Several years ago I was asked to cosmetize an individual who had severe bruising on the right side of the head (naturally), as well as a deep discoloration to his lip surfaces due to dehydration brought about by long-term refrigeration. While one side of his head was bruised, approximately 75% of his face was completely natural. The challenge was concealing the bruise while not extending heavy cosmetic over the entire face. The first part of the process was making sure the bruised area was preserved.

A Webril pack, saturated with Restorative, was placed on the lip surfaces after the features had been set, and was left in place during the arterial injection. The embalming was very successful, accomplishing good overall preservation and clearing of most of the tissue. With the non-clearing of the bruised area, we concluded that the tissue was stained, since the area did embalm well. Approximately 20cc of Basic Dryene was hypodermically injected into the discolored area, and allowed to work for several hours. The result was that a large part of the bruise bleached significantly, and more importantly, we knew that the area was well preserved and stabilized for cosmetic restoration. During the arterial injection, the lips re-formed into a normal curvature, however, they did not clear, retaining a dark brown cast.

For this specific case, I decided that undercoating the discolored areas would give me a lot of flexibility in determining how to complete the cosmetic application. There are several methods and products to use when undercoating a bruise. One method is to use a cosmetic which is close to the complexion color of the individual, and then complete the application with toning cosmetics to reinstate natural complexion coloring. While this method is often used and can be successful, there is a tendency for the cosmetic application to end up darker than would be desired.

A good rule of thumb, is that when treating smaller discolorations, such as a bruise on the face or back of the hand, your foundation or base cosmetic should be a little lighter than the surrounding skin complexion, and when treating a large discoloration, such as a jaundiced face, use a slightly darker shade. This rule applies as it is basically impossible to match a cosmetic exactly, and when we apply masking cosmetics over a small area, if it is slightly lighter upon completion, it will not draw attention to the area as a dark spot would. Conversely, when a large area needs to be opaquely cosmetized, such as the entire face or an entire hand, if the color fault is slightly darker, it will not appear as artificial to the eye, as too light a complexion would. When the cosmetic treatment over a large surface is too light, it is often described as ‘pasty’ or ‘waxy’ looking.

Another method of undercoating is to employ a cosmetic which is several shades lighter than the normal complexion color. When applied in an opaque manner, the undercoating cosmetic will neutralize the discoloration, and then toning cosmetics can be applied over the base to produce natural complexion coloration. For this application, I chose to use Ivory Perma Pigment over the forehead bruise, and also applied it to the lip surfaces to completely cover the discoloration.

In the next issue, I’ll discuss the cosmetic treatment, cosmetic shades to have on hand, and cosmetic extension.

Tim is Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Dodge. He is a regular presenter at the Dodge Seminars and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of Michigan.

9 Fall 2016

A well-stocked cosmetic selection greatly improves your chances of success.

10The Dodge Magazine

As embalmers, if we take a moment to stand back and think of the last severe decomposition case we saw and then think about the process of decomposition, it really is amazing how the body changes. How quickly we can go from a recognizable individual to an unrecognizable mass of decomposing tissue. There are so many variable factors that either speed up or slow down the decomposition process. The four main factors that set the pace for decay are temperature, water, exposure to oxygen, and the acidity or alkalinity. It’s all fascinating and worth a little research to learn more.

As funeral directors and embalmers, we are often asked, “Is viewing possible?” It can be a tough decision that we often too quickly respond to with a “no” answer. Let’s face it, no one, not even the most seasoned funeral director or embalmer, likes to open the body bag and see a heavily decomposed body. The fact is you don’t even have to get that far to know what’s inside. Your nose will tell the whole story long beforehand, and usually from the next room. The visual evidence just solidifies what your brain already knows.

Most decomposed bodies I have seen are several days old, some a week or two, maybe three, and a few any longer than that. So let’s look into what we know.

There are, depending on what journal or textbook you look into, generally four stages of decomposition. The fresh stage is between 1 - 6 days deceased, the bloat stage is 7 - 23 days, the active decay stage is 24 - 50 days, and the dry stage is 51 - 64 days deceased. We know that the environmental surroundings of the location of death can determine the rate of decomposition. A hot, humid surrounding is far more detrimental than a cool, dry area. A death in a deep, cool body of water such as a lake slows down the process of decomposition because of the surrounding environment.

We know that other than drowning cases and some bodies that aren’t found for some time, we mainly see cases of individuals who have died unnoticed at their place of residence. In more cases than not it’s an individual living alone with no one checking on them for days at a time. Discovery usually comes from a neighbor who has noticed a foul odor coming from the residence, followed by a “welfare check” by the local police.

By the time the funeral home gets the remains

we may be looking at another day or two, depending on the local coroner and whether an autopsy was performed or not. We are looking at a time frame between 5 – 12 days since death. That puts us at the end of the fresh stage and right in the middle of the most difficult stage for an embalmer, the dreaded “bloat stage.”

The bloat stage is by far the most unpleasant due to the odor and the sloughing of soft tissue as the nutrient rich fluids within the body feed the massive army of microbes. Numerous gases like methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide distend the remains to an unrecognizable appearance. Insect and bug activity can be extensive. There is nothing pleasant about it. So what if the family wishes to view? Have you ever tackled the serious decomposition case?

Several weeks ago I did just that. I have completed several such cases over my years but mainly for odor control. This one was a little different. The case was an older white woman who had died unnoticed in her home. She was the matriarch of a rather large family. Although her death was not a complete shock to the family, as her health was not good, the shock of what the police and coroner’s office described to them was. The guilt within that family was painful. With the busy lives we all have in today’s world, no one checked in to make sure mom was well. When the coroner described her condition and said that viewing was not possible it was a blow to the entire family. They estimated her death was seven days prior to her discovery. Being in the middle of a hot summer, that was not a favorable timeline.

When the director met with the family they were insistent that they needed to see their mother. They described to the funeral director what the coroner told them but they were still in denial. They went into the story of the woman’s life and said she was the glue that held the family together over the years and how important it was to them to say goodbye. They were a traditional family with high family values and that made it harder for them that they couldn’t see her.

The funeral director explained that cases like this were very difficult and that although they could make no promises they would try their best. I find that part of this story concerning, as the director was not the one handling the remains nor had he even seen them. His only part in dealing with the remains was to tell the embalmer what the family expected.

by Karl Wenzel, CFSP, MBIE

Handling Decomposition

There are four stages of decomposition. The fresh stage is between 1 - 6 days deceased, the bloat stage is 7 - 23 days, the active decay stage is 24 - 50 days, and the dry stage is 51 - 64 days deceased.

C O M E W I T H A M I S S I O N . . . L E AV E W I T H A M E M O R Y !

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Photos courtesy of Ken Peterson


This is a disconnect between the funeral director and the embalmer in the backroom that happens all too often. Unfortunately, this can give the family false expectations and set the funeral home up for failure in the eyes of that family.

When the remains came in via a transfer service we knew as soon as the driver opened his van doors that it was not good. His first comment was, “I have a bad one for you.” Like we didn’t already know from the odor that floated in our direction as he approached us.

In the preparation room we opened the body bag to find the remains in full bloat. Flies and maggots covered her neck and face, and she had purged due to the abdominal pressure of the gases. Her skin was blackening and slipping away. The visible signs of “road mapping” across her chest and shoulders was a sign that tissue gas was prevalent. Her white hair was matted down with bodily fluids. The facial features were distended with the tongue protruding and the eyes swollen over. The entire body was double the normal size. The odor was extensive. It was case that some senior embalmers would pass off to the apprentice “to learn from.”

However, on this day all of us were going to work together and embalm and restore this lady for viewing or, at the very least, successful identification.

Unshrouding was a two-person job, as the skin was wet and sliding off with the slightest touch. We were fortunate that the coroner’s office had removed all her clothing previously, but unfortunate that they did not perform an autopsy. An autopsy would have released abdominal gases and prevented a lot of the distension we were now seeing in the facial area. After we removed the remains from the body bag, our next issue was keeping her towards the top of the table. Her body was so slippery from decomposing flesh that she would slide downwards with any incline of the table.

We sprayed a heavy application of Dis-Spray over the entire body and table. I think the young apprentice used almost the whole 16 oz. bottle as he was determined to disinfect! We also used a liberal amount of Neutrolene Spray over the entire work area and body. Neutrolene aids in killing the odors of decomposition. With the exhaust fans in overdrive and all of us in our full PPE, we went to work.

The first task was to kill the maggots and the odd beetle we saw on the remains. There was extensive infestation on the neck and face. We covered the infested areas with Webril Prep Towel and poured Dry Wash II on it, saturating the prep towel. Dry Wash II will eat the waxy coating on a maggot and kill it. It also seemed to work on the beetles, perhaps by suffocation. There were numerous flies that we killed as well. In addition, we packed all orifices with Webril and also saturated with Dry Wash II. This was to make sure anything hiding in the orifices (nose, mouth, etc.) didn’t survive.

Next I created a rather large “Y” incision in the neck. This was to allow the raising of the vessels on both sides of the neck for our injection of chemicals into the head, but also to allow the release of any gases built up in the area. While I was doing this

another embalmer was cleaning off the loose skin by gently rubbing the surface of the remains. This loose tissue needed to be removed so we could treat the underlying dermis and dry the tissue. This took time, as we had to make sure that the loose skin did not go into the drain, as it would most likely plug it up.

Once we had the body cleaned of what loose skin was easily removed we sprayed it again with Dis-Spray and Neutrolene. The facial features could not be set as they were too heavily distended, so we jumped right into our first injection.

Our first injection was to the body via the right common carotid. We left the left carotid alone at this point, as any chemicals we could introduce throughout were favorable to us. That first mix was a waterless mix using 48 oz. of Metaflow, 48 oz. of Rectifiant, 32 oz. of Dis-Spray, and 64 oz. of Introfiant. It was an extra strong solution, but this was an extra difficult situation. Injection took place at 160lbs with a very slow 8 – 10 oz. per minute pulsating. Expect some distension and swelling when doing these types of cases. The cells are breaking down and easily ruptured.

As this first injection was being introduced into the body we needed to continue further treating other areas.

Using a 15-gauge needle and some Dri Cav (Perma Cav 50 is preferred) we injected the scalp around the hair follicles to hold onto the roots of the hair and prevent hair loss. The strong formaldehyde content will firm up that tissue, grabbing ahold of the hair.

The swollen abdominal cavity was massive and needed to be relieved of its gases to prevent any unnecessary intrinsic pressure on the circulatory system restricting the distribution of our chemicals. Using an infant trocar we punctured the abdominal wall. We took care not to go too deep and disrupt the circulatory system. You can puncture the stomach and transverse colon as well, relieving pressure. What a lot of people don’t know is these gases that form are highly flammable. By puncturing the abdominal wall you release them. As we know the odor is extensive.

Our second injection was waterless and consisted of 32 oz. of Rectifiant, 32 oz. of Metaflow, 24 oz. of Dis-Spray, and 40 oz. of Introfiant. We injected this into the head and the legs. As this injection took place we could see an immediate change in the color of the face. The skin was still black but we could see the Introfiant color appear in some areas. While we injected the head we used heavy manual pressure in the face to force the gases out. A 15-gauge needle was pushed back behind the eyes as well as into the eyelids and the lips, and inside the mouth to allow an escape route for these gases. I wasn’t too worried about swelling as I expected some, but I was aiming to treat and rid the body of the gases. A minimum 8% formaldehyde solution will kill the clostridium perfringens that create tissue gases.

I was amazed at how the chemicals, combined with the manual manipulation of the tissues, reduced and dried the tissue of the face. We were on the right path.

We knew a six-point injection was inevitable.

Using an infant trocar we punctured the abdominal wall. What a lot of people don’t know is these gases that form are highly flammable. By puncturing the abdominal wall you release them. As we know the odor is extensive.

13 Fall 2016

This is when we took our injection to a different level. With the condition of the remains still not acceptable in terms of dryness and color, and with the fear that gases might still form within, I completed an arterial injection of 80 oz. of Basic Dryene. Now, I must advise everyone DO NOT use your Dodge Embalming Machine for this.

For our third injection we injected an additional 32 oz. of Metaflow, 32 oz. of Rectifiant, 16 oz. of Dis-Spray, and 40 oz. of Introfiant into the arms and other areas of concern. When we had completed our arterial injection we had overall great results. There was a significant change in the condition of the tissue of the body and we could see the gases had dissipated enormously, making the facial and body structure more recognizable. Color was still an issue as the skin was still very dark but did bleach out a degree from where it was at the beginning.

This is when we took our injection to a different level. With the condition of the remains still not acceptable in terms of dryness and color, and with the fear that gases might still form within, I completed an arterial injection of 80 oz. of Basic Dryene. Now, I must advise everyone DO NOT use your Dodge Embalming Machine for this. The phenol will absolutely “kill” your machine and void all warranties.

Knowing this I used a weed sprayer I collected from the garage of the funeral home. I took the weed sprayer and attached an arterial tube to the end of the nozzle. It took a little modifying but it was easy to accomplish. Because the weed sprayer is a very uncontrolled injection method, and the rate of flow is unknown (although perceived to be high), I used gentle, short bursts so I didn’t “flood” the vasculatory system and cause unnecessary swelling. I did this to all six injection sites. Interestingly enough, when I injected the head with the Basic Dyrene I could immediately see a difference in the color and dryness of the facial tissue. The corner of the eyes began to bubble as the gases escaped from the holes we made earlier with our needle.

Following our special injection we went for lunch, allowing the phenol in the Basic Dryene to really penetrate the tissue under pressure. Upon our return we aspirated and closed our incisions. For our cavity injection we used 48 oz. of Basic Dryene to substitute for cavity chemical. I really wanted to make sure we rid the body of gases and prevented any more from creating. (Note -The following day before dressing we aspirated the remains and injected 32 oz. of Dri Cav.) In addition to our arterial injection, we also hypo-injected Basic Dryene into all areas of the face and we made an injection ring around the neck, hands, and legs to prevent any bacteria causing gassing from migrating back into these areas.

In total, 37 bottles of chemicals were used in the embalming. This is a significant amount but it was necessary in order to slow down the decomposition and dry the tissue for our restorative work.

There was one final step before we called it a day. We cleaned the mouth and nose of our previously packed Webril and wiped the area with Dis-Spray. The eyes, lips and tongue had now been cleared of any gases so we were able to set the features. We washed the remains again using Forest Fresh soap and dried and sprayed the body down again with more Dis-Spray and Neutrolene. Then we made up a batch of “Super Gel,” which consists of Basic Dryene mixed with Syn Gel HV, and we painted the entire face and body, and then covered the remains with plastic for the night.

The next day we were all taken by surprise when we entered the preparation room. The remains still had a slight odor but nothing like the day before. The tissue was dry and the facial area was bleached almost white. Sure there were areas that hadn’t changed much in color, but the face looked great.

Before dressing, we removed the “Super Gel” and transferred the body to another table making sure we did not “slide” the remains which could transfer potential contaminants that might create odor. Using fresh gloves, we laid out a pair of unionalls and carefully placed the remains inside. Inside those unionalls we placed some Action Powder along with some prep towels sprayed down with Neutrolene to combat any remaining odors. We used a second pair of unionalls, again carefully placing the remains inside. Some more deodorants were placed inside.

We dressed the remains in the clothing provided and we casketed her. The big task now was to restore and cosmetize. Even though she looked a thousand times better than what we started with, we still had some work to do to make her presentable. We all know that cosmetics can cover just about anything and with good waxing techniques other imperfections can easily be hidden. When we completed our tasks, we had this women looking very good.

All of us were amazed on how this all came together. This woman certainly resembled the photo provided to us. Sure there were heavier cosmetics than any of us would have liked but considering the condition of her remains, it was understandable.

Before we set her up for visitation and the first family viewing, we placed some more Webril soaked in the Neutrolene inside the casket. We also placed Neutrolene around the visitation room to mask any odors that might still be present. We explained to the family that deodorants were used and they fully understood. If you have never smelled this product, it is pleasant, however, it can be overpowering so you need to monitor how much you use.

The family viewed their mother that evening. They were more than pleased and were appreciative of what we accomplished, considering the horror stories the coroner had described to them.

Despite the odds, in the end we succeeded in giving the family back their mother. It wasn’t a pleasant task, that’s for sure, but we have the resources to do these decomposition cases. Think back to that one decomposition case you said “no” to. I’m just saying, “You will never know unless you try.”

Karl is the Coordinator of Technical Education and Training for the Dodge Company. He worked for the Arbor Group (largest independent funeral service chain in Canada) for six years as their Manager of Decedent Care and Preparational Development. Karl has been a licensed embalmer since 1997 and is licensed in Ontario. He is the Fountain National Academy Canadian Ambassador.

Karl Wenzel, CFSP, MBIE


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15 Fall 2016

It is not often, in fact hardly ever, that I have been moved to “cry inside” when a colleague has described an experience they had while serving a family. But it did happen recently when Henry Bentley, a funeral director from Durant, IA shared with me what transpired with the parents who lost a child a few years ago.

Henry had phoned Dodge’s tech line to inquire about one of our products. I just happened to be in the office and in rotation to take his call. I met Henry years ago while attending a Dodge Embalming Seminar in a place I’ve long forgotten. But what I hadn’t forgotten was that Henry has a kind heart. It was easy to see. Somehow this day our conversation drifted to the death of the child in question. Henry’s funeral home had served this family many times in years past.

The soon-to-be mom and dad had joyously and anxiously awaited the arrival of their first-born child. Many of us know the feeling. My wife and I experienced the same 44 years ago. The nursery was painted (we lived over a funeral home), the crib and bassinet were assembled, and new carpet was in place, along with the changing table, decorations, and numerous other items my wife received at her baby shower. Our healthy son was born two and a half weeks earlier than expected. How convenient since he saved me from going on two death-calls that Thanksgiving eve. When we brought him home we immediately realized this was a love we never knew; and it continues to be so these many years later. The birth of a child is truly a miracle each and every time.

Unfortunately, the couple Henry was serving wasn’t able to take their baby home. He lived only 23 days, never having left the hospital. During this time the parents did not have full possession of their child; the hospital did. He gently slipped into eternity as all of us surely will someday. Discomfort and pain for this little guy had come to an end.

My throat was tightening as Henry progressed into his tale. He then described something I’ve never heard a funeral director say before. He said the idea came to him out of the blue. He explained to the parents that this was merely a thought and one which they could quickly dismiss. Perhaps it was because Henry subconsciously realized the parents never had full possession of their child that he suggested he could take the baby to their home for a period of time after the visitation and prior to the funeral the following day.

They did want to bring their child home and while the response wasn’t immediate, they finally accepted Henry’s offer. Henry reported that the embalming was successful. Not all infant preparations are. Their small vessels and usual medical complications sometimes challenge the skills of even the best embalmers. Henry and the family minister drove to the residence together, 30 miles from the funeral home. Upon arrival Henry took the baby out of the casket and gently placed him in his crib. Henry and the minister quietly departed after Henry mentioned that they could call him when they wanted him to return. Several hours later they did call.

The mother reported that after Henry made

Perhaps it was because Henry subconsciously realized the parents never had full possession of their child that he suggested he could take the baby to their home for a period of time after the visitation and prior to the funeral the following day.

by Dennis Daulton

Getting the Dead Where They Need to Be


When discussing grief, we often hear much about closure. I don’t believe it exists.

the offer during the initial arrangements, the father immediately went home and put the crib together which had not been assembled. This gave him something to do, and something for them to look forward to. It was revealed by the father that after Henry and the minister left, the mother picked their son up out of the crib and rocked him in a rocking chair close by. My guess is that she probably sang him a lullaby. At that moment I almost lost it. I could just imagine the healing this couple experienced. I am proud of what this funeral director and minister did for this devastated couple, and that Henry had the courage to offer it. No doubt it took courage. I am also proud that I know Henry and can call him a colleague and a friend. His community is lucky to have him. Our profession is lucky to have him. There are other “Henrys” out there. I’ve watched them, and I’ve learned from them. We can all learn from each another if we take the time to share and to listen.

The story does not end here. While recently out to dinner with his wife, Henry met this couple he had served. They now have several happy and healthy children. Six years later they are still thanking Henry for what he did. If and when they ever hear negative comments about our profession, or the value of the body present, they just might think about Henry and their minister, and what was done for them, and that they accepted Henry’s offer and are now forever grateful. From all your colleagues, thank you Henry!

It has been said that the funeral director gets the dead where they need to be. This is what we do. We don’t leave them in the woods, or on the side of the road, or in their bed, or in a malodorous morgue. In this case it was the home the infant had not experienced…the home where loving arms (and the crib) had awaited his arrival. He was truly home, if only for a few hours, but the healing will last a lifetime.

Thomas Lynch, author of The Undertaking, stated it a bit differently when he wrote, “A good funeral gets the dead where they need to go and the living where they need to be.” I first heard about “getting the dead where they need to be” from a mentor many years ago. He was also the one who lectured me about, “What goes on here stays here,” and “It is not all striped pants, you know,” after which he handed me a dust rag and showed me where the vacuum cleaner was. The year was 1962. I have witnessed much since then…dusted much, vacuumed much…and so have many of you. For those of us who have survived over the long haul, we know that we didn’t go into this profession for the benefits and the time-off. We went into it to serve others. In the long run, serving others can and often does bring good things our way.

“Getting the living where they need to be” has taken many different avenues in recent years. I’ve witnessed all too many try to avoid the entire event. Have the party and the celebration after you cry. Death and grief can never be avoided. It must be faced head-on. When discussing grief, we often hear much about closure. I don’t believe it exists. Is closure like closing a door or window and forgetting?

I believe we heal only by learning to live with our grief…by facing it first. Our lives have drastically changed when death rips a loved one from our arms. Those of us who have lived it know all about it too well. I once overheard a widow state it best when she said to a recent widow, “One morning, maybe not next month, and perhaps not even next year or the year after, but one day, someday, you will wake up and feel at peace.” This is not forgetting, or wrapping it up and putting it on a shelf, or waiting for it to go away. This is about arriving upon that day and that time when it simply doesn’t hurt as much anymore. We can never forget no matter how hard we try. So don’t try.

* * *Fortunately, during my nearly fifty-five years of

working in funeral service, I have not experienced the number of children deaths that our colleagues of long ago did. However, I do recall my year in embalming school (1970-1971) when I was involved in four or five SIDS deaths. I can still vividly recall those beautiful innocent children. All were males. It has been written that the majority of SIDS deaths are males.

One incident in particular, which still hangs fresh in my memory, was a young couple who had put their smiling infant into the back seat of their automobile on this holiday and motored off for a joyous visit with the proud grandparents in a nearby town. That never happened. When they arrived a short time later their child was dead. I received him at the emergency room dressed in his best outfit on this Easter Sunday. If he had lived, he would now be 46 years old. What would he have become? One can only wonder.

* * *Another incident regarding “where they need

to be” was arranged by Kevin Grondin, a colleague from Beverly, Massachusetts. Many years ago he handled the services of an elderly gentleman who was survived only by his beloved sister. She was in Pennsylvania in failing health and he was in Massachusetts where a graveside service had been planned.

The sister expressed a desire to see her brother one final time. The family had the financial means so after conferring with the attorney who was handling the estate, Kevin had the deceased flown from Boston to Pennsylvania. The body was received by a funeral home there. The Pennsylvania funeral home arranged for a chair car to transport the sister to the funeral home for the viewing. There she could have some private time and to say her final goodbyes. The deceased was returned to Massachusetts the same day for interment the following day.

These are experiences we never learned in mortuary school and are only realized through the actions of thoughtful, perceptive, and caring professionals.

* * *Several years ago the call came to the funeral

home that I had been associated with for nearly 40 years that a three-year-old child was dying at home. The instructions were that we would go to the

17 Fall 2016

At the conclusion of the arrangements the mother softly whispered, “She is getting cold now.” Both parents arose simultaneously as if on cue, slowly walked over to the bier, and together gently placed their dead child into her casket.

residence and the parents would ride back to the funeral home in the removal vehicle with their child. I was on-call this Sunday morning, a crisp clear fall day in New England, and was the one summoned to the residence prior to 6 AM.

The hospice nurse escorted me into the living room. I was surprised to see the mother holding her dead child in her arms. Apologetically she said, “She died at 3 o’clock but we didn’t want to wake you.” I knew that wasn’t the reason. She wanted to hold her child as long as she could. I just nodded. Words were not necessary and seldom are.

I arrived with the removal van and a folded house-stretcher. I had installed one of the rear seats on the passenger side before leaving the funeral home. They thanked me for not arriving in a hearse. Their child did not go into a pouch and onto the stretcher. The mother sat in back holding her child as if she were still alive. The sun was rising out over the Atlantic Ocean as we drove to the funeral home along the scenic highway which hugs the coastline in this seaside community. The beauty of the day was in stark contrast to the sadness inside the vehicle.

Dad was in front next to me, expressionless, staring straight ahead. No words were spoken. I occasionally glanced into the rear view mirror as I normally do when driving, but this time I could see this young mother gazing down toward her dead child. My ordinarily calm stomach churned. Whose wouldn’t?

The baby casket had been ordered a few days prior and was already in place on the bier. We sat in the chapel, the parents were seated on a sofa. I sat in a chair in front of them and gathered the necessary information for the death certificate and the obituary notice. I had never before or since made arrangements while a grieving family member held their dead. It was all so surreal.

I recall unconsciously reaching out and touching the child several times during the arrangements as if to include her in the decisions being made on her behalf. The mother looked over at the white casket, but was not in a hurry to give her up. Mom and dad seemed relieved when I told them there would be no charges by the funeral home. Why add to their burden? Their only financial obligation would be for the newspaper notice, medical examiner, and the crematory. We also provided the casket. The clergy declined the honorarium.

At the conclusion of the arrangements the mother softly whispered, “She is getting cold now.” Both parents arose simultaneously as if on cue, slowly walked over to the bier, and together gently placed their dead child into her casket. I stood behind, struggling to contain my emotions. All of us have witnessed parents place their infant child into a crib, a car seat, or a playpen, but I had never before seen two parents place their dead child into a casket. It pains me even now to write about it these many years later. They did not want her embalmed. A private family funeral was held in the funeral home the next day. Cremation followed after the state required 48 hour waiting period.

Mom and dad turned, and hand-in-hand they

walked back out to the van. I followed. In silence I drove them back to their home over the same route. The mother had taken her same seat in back. This time I observed her in the rear view mirror looking out over the sparkling water on this beautiful morning. She seemed to be calm and at peace. I wasn’t.

* * *We can all learn from these shared experiences.

How Henry, Kevin, and I reacted and functioned was certainly not learned in mortuary school. What we said and how we responded to the challenges at hand made us realize that those in sorrow can be healed in such simple ways. The bereaved, who sometimes take the lead, can also be wonderful teachers to those of us who will never know it all, who sometimes stumble along, but who will always try to do the right thing for those in grief, and for the deceased. “Smooth seas do not make for a good sailor” – unknown. Smooth funeral arrangements do not make for a good funeral professional.

The parents needed to have possession of their child in their home. The elderly sister needed to see her brother for the very last time. The mother needed to ride to the funeral home with her child in her arms, to hold her during the arrangement conference, and with her husband to gently place their precious child into her casket. You and I can get the dead where they need to be…sometimes in ways we never could have imagined.

Author’s Note: Permission was granted by both

Kevin Grondin and Henry Bentley for me to relate their experiences in this article. In Henry’s e-mail he stated: “We charged nothing for our services but I gained so much from this experience. It reinforced why I became a funeral director in the first place. Even though some of our colleagues may view this as unusual and inviting a family to take an infant home may not be for every director or family, it was perfect for this young couple. I think the most memorable part of the entire experience for me was when I asked prior to the visitation if they had given thought to taking their child home and the mother responded that the child’s dad had spent the entire day before the viewing putting together their son’s crib in the nursery at their home.”

Henry is the co-owner of the funeral home along with his wife, Beverly. According to their website they are the parents of Grace, Anna and William. Needless to say, Beverly and Henry know all about the gift of a child.

Dennis divides his time working in his Dodge sales territory in northeastern Massachusetts, and being in the office manning the technical support line, along with helping out with customer service.

Dennis Daulton

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Happy Anniversary or The Saga of a Handshake

by Glenda Stansbury, CFSP

9125 DAYS. That’s how long InSight Books and The Dodge Company have been partners. For those of you who are a little math challenged — that’s 25 years. That’s longer than most marriages and definitely longer than most business partnerships. So, because I’m a sucker for celebrations, I thought we should stop and commemorate, not just the work that the companies have accomplished together, but the pretty remarkable story of how it all came to be. The Doug Story

Most of you are very familiar with Doug Manning’s path, but for new readers we will recap. Doug began his career as a Baptist preacher in 1953. So for those who like to connect the dots, that means that I’m a Baptist preacher’s kid. Even worse, I’m the oldest Baptist preacher’s kid in the family, which means I had to blaze the trail of rebelling against all the rules and constraints placed upon PKs by the expectations of the nosy church members. That’s a story for another day and, possibly, on a therapist’s couch. So, let’s move on.

When Doug moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1963 he became involved in pastoral counseling.

He began to see patterns among many of the individuals who came to him for advice or guidance — an overwhelming majority of these people were struggling with personal issues, such as substance abuse, victim behavior, and estrangement from family or friends as a result of unresolved grief. For some, the line was fairly straight from a death to the problem. For others, there were years of layering and masking, but the root cause could be traced back to grief and loss that had not been dealt with at the time and was allowed to be expressed through other personal struggles. There were no books written about death or grief in the 60’s. It was just assumed that people were sad for a few weeks and then they pulled up their bootstraps and moved on. No studies on the psychological impacts of unresolved grief were even considered.

After Doug’s father-in-law died, he also became intrigued with the concept of how a family deals with

the funeral process and the value and importance of sharing stories. He had just begun to make the connections between the impact of a funeral and the resulting healthy grief journey. Needing some way to make sense of all of these strands, he became an author and wrote his very first book, A Minister Speaks

About Funerals. The book was written by a minister to other ministers expounding upon his beliefs that family meetings and well-done, personalized funerals were vital in providing first steps to a completed grief journey. (Notice anything familiar here? We will get back to that later).

Like most beginning authors, Doug published his book and sold it out of his garage for a while, hoping to convince funeral directors to buy them and give them to the clergypersons in their town. He had some success but he certainly didn’t quit his day job.

Then, ultimately, his world was turned upside down. A young family in his church lost a little girl who went to the hospital with the croup and suddenly died. The mother was hysterical, of course, and, as her husband and the doctor tried to calm her down, she took a step back and said, “Don’t take my grief away from me. I deserve it and I’m going to have it.” Doug was not present at the time, but when he talked to the young couple and heard this mother’s statement, it rocked him. This was the bolt of lightning out of the blue that showed him what the rest of his life was going to look like. People needed their grief. People needed to be allowed to grieve in whatever way was right for them. People who were not allowed to grieve, ended up in his office for counseling months, even years, later. It was all about grief.

He will attest, and most clergy will agree, that nothing in the pastoral training in seminary or university prepares ministers for how to deal with grief or funerals. A newly minted pastor might be given a book of rituals or readings or a template to follow. But little or no time is devoted to the study of grieving people and how to care for them. The mantra, was, and sometimes even now is, “Read a scripture, say a prayer, and head for the door.”

Doug had a burning bush moment and knew that this was his calling. He was going to learn everything he could about grief and find ways to allow people to feel normal in their extremes. Out of that experience came his next book Don’t Take My Grief Away, dedicated to this young couple and the sweet little daughter they had lost. Again, he began selling his books out of his garage with his long-suffering wife, Barbara, and entered the speaking circuit.

In 1982, he wrote his first book in the arena of aging, When Love Gets Tough, Making the Nursing Home Decision and made the bold and brave leap to finally quit his church and the preaching gig, and dedicate himself to writing and speaking in these two areas — grief and elder care — and hope he could make a living so they didn’t have to live in the garage with the books.

He established his company, InSight Books, as his publishing and booking company and began to expand his contacts in the funeral and nursing

People needed their grief. People needed to be allowed to grieve in whatever way was right for them. People who were not allowed to grieve, ended up in his office for counseling months, even years, later. It was all about grief.

by Glenda Stansbury, CFSP

21 Fall 2016

home worlds. Through some kind of magical serendipity,

Doug was introduced to Arnold Dodge in the late ‘80s. Doug, Arnold, and Mike all became much more than professional acquaintances. They grew a deep and respectful friendship that lasted for more than 30 years. (See picture of Doug and Arnold cleaning toilets in Pemaquid, Maine.) The Dodge Story

The Dodge Company has always been well known for the dedication to education and knowledge and their Sunshine Seminars were popular and well-respected for providing speakers and practical techniques in both the areas of funeral management and embalming. The management segment included speakers such as Todd Van Beck, Earl Grollman, and many others who brought concepts of dealing with day-to-day operations as well as bereavement and management. Arnold Dodge invited Doug to join the cadre of speakers who presented at the Sunshine Seminars each year. It didn’t hurt that they were always held in some pretty awesome locations, but Doug was honored and thrilled to be included and given the opportunity to speak to funeral directors seeking to improve their skills and their services. The Continuing Care Story

At some point, Doug began working on a concept for an aftercare program that would encompass an entire year. He knew that the grief journey took many twists and turns during that first 365 days and felt that he could write small books that addressed where a person might be at different junctures along their individual paths. His idea was to have four books that could be given to a family at specific times during the year based upon his experience in working with grieving individuals as to why those were critical windows for the grief experience.

The first book was to be sent the third week. This is the lonely time. All the people have gone home, the flowers have died, the cards have quit coming and the actual reality begins to settle in. A book that arrived acknowledging all of these challenges would be helpful and comforting to a person who just thought they were going crazy.

The third month usually is getting into that hard time of grief. Everyone around the bereaved person is getting impatient and believing that they should be over it by now and pressuring them to just move on. A book that says it’s ok and what you feel is normal would give them permission to feel exactly what they needed to feel and permission to ignore the hints and suggestions from well-meaning friends and family.

The sixth month is definitely the deep diving time because even the griever believes that he/she should be done already. Why is there still pain? Why do I still fall apart in the grocery store? Why can’t I clean out the closet? The book would outline some practical ways to address the grief experience and to accept that it is a process that has to be experienced and endured.

The eleventh month is the magic month. Doug knew that people became worried, scared, even angry as they faced the first anniversary. Some people

would say that the grief during that time was almost as difficult as it was during the first days following the death. A book that honored how hard it was to face the date, to find ways to deal with the emotions leading up to the date, to acknowledge that one should not expect to be magically healed at the end of a year would be extremely beneficial.

Doug believed that these books should come from the funeral director. He named it The Continuing Care Series because he wanted an avenue for directors to be seen as an on-going resource for the family’s grief experience. He wanted to give the firm a meaningful way to reach out to their families and touch them four times during that first year in ways other than a survey or a pre-need form. For twenty-five years, Doug has advocated and promoted the concept that a funeral director has a mission and ministry in their client families’ lives and they should embrace and employ their expertise to guide and assist the bereaved long after the service is completed.

Doug approached Arnold and Mike Dodge about his idea in 1989. At that time, The Dodge Company had never sold a product that was not produced by the company and had never offered a product that was not directly related to the embalming process. That was their niche and they were sticking to it.

However, Arnold and Mike were also visionaries. They could see the future and knew that the national cremation rate of 17% was only the beginning of an upward trend. They knew that, to survive, they were going to have to expand and diversify and carry products that were not embalming specific.

In 1990, at the Sunshine Seminar, Doug mentioned to the attendees that he had been working on this concept of a yearlong aftercare program and received a surprisingly positive and interested reaction. After that meeting, Mike Dodge approached Doug and said, “We want that product. We want to be the exclusive distributor of The Continuing Care Series.” And, with that and a handshake, in 1991, The Continuing Care Series became the first non-embalming Dodge product to ever be carried by the Dodge representatives and the first books that InSight Books ever agreed to sell on an exclusive agreement.

The covers have changed over the years, Doug has updated and re-written portions of the books, but the concept has remained the same since the very first printing — a set of four books and envelopes, shrink wrapped together with a card to remind the funeral staff when they should be sent. A year’s worth of aftercare in one package. Pretty ingenious.

The Celebrant Connection

When Doug and I first developed the concept of Certified Funeral Celebrants for North America, the Dodge Company were early believers and supporters. Our very first Celebrant training took place at the New England Institute, founded by AJ Dodge, in the Dodge Auditorium in October of 1999. Arnold came to watch the weekend of training and, on Sunday morning, sat at the back of the room with Doug as we watched the very first Celebrant trainees conduct their practice funerals. Though our training has expanded and evolved over the years,

At some point, Doug began working on a concept for an aftercare program that would encompass an entire year. He knew that the grief journey took many twists and turns during that first 365 days and felt that he could write small books that addressed where a person might be at different junctures along their individual paths.

o many important events in life are accompanied by beautiful flowers.

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the bedrock principals that we presented at that first training have never changed: funerals should be personalized and unique, and that we should gather the stories in a family meeting (now we’ve come full circle). Arnold leaned over to Doug and said, “If all funerals were like this, our troubles would be over.” Through the past sixteen years of Celebrant training, the Dodge Company has always been on the front lines of promoting and encouraging their customers, and their representatives, to attend training.

Doug was also honored and deeply moved when the Dodge family asked him to conduct Arnold’s service along with Earl Grollman, in that same auditorium in 2002. We were grateful and touched when Mike and Kristie Dodge came to Barbara’s funeral in Oklahoma City in 2010. We truly feel like we’re all a part of a family.

And the rest . . . is history

Since that first handshake in 1991, The Dodge Company has sold over 750,000 sets of Continuing Care as well as the myriad of other books and resources that InSight Books has produced over the years. We would really like to hit 1 million while Mike and Doug are still around, so if you would pick up your phone and order a few hundred sets from your Dodge Rep, that would be great!

Our office receives phone calls weekly from individuals who are grateful that their funeral director took the time and made the effort to send these books that were incredibly helpful on their grief journey. They are impressed that the firm was interested in them long after the ink had dried on the check. Brand loyalty comes from serving families, not from billboards or brochures or websites. When you touch someone’s heart, they will return.

At this writing, Doug has produced over 40 titles in the areas of grief and elder care and, at the age of 84, just finished his latest book, Grief’s Second Mile, which addresses the years beyond the first year of grief, and is currently working on another

manuscript. His passion and his message have never changed — grief is as unique as a fingerprint and as impactful upon a life as a tsunami and the key to surviving is finding ears and shoulders to hear the stories and accept the tears.

We’ve been given valued space in the Dodge Magazine for two decades to discuss ideas, to cause conversation, to nudge, needle, and implore the readers to consider how to improve the interactions and experiences with their families. We’ve spoken at Dodge Seminars and shared booth space with them on convention floors.

InSight Books has always been proud and grateful to be able to partner with a company that is family-owned and so well-respected in the industry. The Dodge Company has set a proud standard of maintaining family direction and dedication for three generations. That’s pretty impressive. Just like the Dodge Company, we are family owned with day-to-day operations taken care of by my sisters, Kathy Burns and Cindy Perez, (and me when I’m around), and sister Sandra Sherry taking care of the Continuing Care mailing service. We understand the joys and the challenges of working with family and learning how to keep the business side away from the holiday gatherings, as much as possible.

And it all came about because three men were able to see the future and know that they could be an important and industry-changing part of that vision if they worked together. All because of a handshake.

Happy Anniversary to The Dodge Company and InSight Books. I think we should have some champagne. Or at least cupcakes!!

Brand loyalty comes from serving families, not from billboards or brochures or websites. When you touch someone’s heart, they will return.

From Doug Manning and InSight Books

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Editor’s Note: The Dodge Magazine is pleased to publish this excerpt from the first chapter of Todd Van Beck’s latest book, The Story of Cremation.

There are no records of a time in history when cremation has not been present, and because of this no one really knows where and when the practice began. In other words, cremation history first and foremost has no definite beginning, and it certainly has no definite end. If the student of this history looks for primary sources, verifiable documents, or even caveman drawings concerning the genesis of cremation that student is doomed to failure. Cremation is so ancient that much of what has been promoted as historical fact is in truth history based anecdotes, oral traditions, and well-intended speculation.

While our historical verification of the beginnings of cremation is somewhat sketchy what we do have is the story of “The Mungo Lady.”

In the late 1960’s Professor Jim Howler, a geomorphologist with the University of Melbourne (Australia), discovered the fossilized remains of a woman in the Willandra Lakes Region of Lake Mungo, in New South Wales, Australia. Immediately the corpse was dubbed The Mungo Lady. When her remains were carbon dated, she was found to have lived approximately 20,000 to 26,000 years ago, making her one of the oldest anatomically-modern humans ever found in Australia and the world.

It was certain that after The Mungo Lady died, her remains were cremated. From burn mark patterns on the bones it was discovered that the Mungo Lady’s remains had undergone an unusual ritual for the time - the body was burned, then the bones were partly crushed, and then the cremated remains were burned for a second time. The first cremation probably was botched and did not complete the burning process which was the reason

for the second, however another theory has been promoted that possibly her descendants performed this unusual ritual a second time to ensure that she did not return to haunt them, but no matter this is speculation.

Regardless of the well-intended speculations the discovery of The Mungo Lady was extremely important because it represents the world’s oldest known cremation.

What is known, however, is that throughout history (until contemporary times) earth burial by far had superseded cremation as the preferred and the most accessible and practical method of taking care of the age old problem of disposing of our dead.

People who are devoted to and make their livelihoods literally digging up history, the archeologists and anthropologists of the world report that cremation most probably started during the Stone Age in the Near East and some places on the European Continent.

One of the simple practical and common sense impediments which tremendously affected the use of cremation was the glaring issue of the consistent inability of these ancient people (and people for a long time to come) to be able to simply generate enough heat to actually burn a dead body thoroughly, and here thoroughly is the key word. One can only speculate just how many “botched” cremations were performed which ended up in a partially burned cadaver, and it does not take much of an imagination to think of ancient people when the cremation was botched, a job half done, just throwing their hands up in the air and leaving the offensive scene for nature to take its inevitable course of disposing of the cadaver. It is safe to conclude that a partially cremated dead body would have been just as repugnant and distasteful to our Bronze Age cousins as it is today when the crematory retort malfunctions and literally the flame goes out half way through.

From burn mark patterns on the bones it was discovered that the Mungo Lady’s remains had undergone an unusual ritual for the time - the body was burned, then the bones were partly crushed, and then the cremated remains were burned for a second time.

In ancient Greece the greater the glorified and worshiped war hero, the higher the cremation conflagration needed to be.

The Story of Cremation

by Todd Van Beck

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There was also another practical problem for these ancient people concerning cremation. To just survive they needed wood to burn for cooking food, and for heat, not necessarily for burning dead bodies which in any event took a good amount of time, and also a good amount of wood. Wood had other much more important and vital purposes for these people than just the funeral pyre. Wood equaled literal survival.

In the study of ancient cremation history the beginnings of the acceptance of cremation, regardless of available fuel and convenience, appear to be rooted in the thinking and philosophies of the Greeks. The Greeks embraced cremation not because of some odd ritual requirement which used fire, but, not surprisingly, the Greeks based some of their interest in the practice of cremation on the revolutionarily new idea for the time of public health concerns. None other than Plato himself proclaimed that no earth burials (this included cremations) should be made in agricultural fields or by places which were highly populated. It would be a great overstatement to say that the Greeks embraced cremation on the level that we see currently in some places in the world, but it is clear that the Greeks viewed cremation with an acceptance that had not been seen before in history.

The Greeks also, being somewhat aggressive in warfare at times, used cremation as a very practical method of bringing back the bodies of dead Greek warriors who had died gloriously in battle in some far off land. The rationale, of course, being it’s easier and much more pleasant to ship a small bundle of cremated remains 2000 miles, without the obnoxiousness of decomposition, than to attempt to ship a corpse 2000 miles that would be in the advanced stages of decomposition upon arrival. The Greeks were also the first to decide that in the instance of cremation you could also have earth burial - simply bury the cremated remains. Here then is a good example of the historical truth that there is nothing new under the sun, for contemporary cremation practices use this method of inurnment burials routinely. People who are illiterate of cremation and someone out in the present world might even be so bold as to take credit for inventing the inurnment idea, but that would be historically incorrect. The Greeks of antiquity invented the cremation urn burial.

Frequent and protracted battles throughout the ancient classical world made cremation first a commonplace thing, and then, for the military anyway, the preferred means of disposal of the heroic warrior dead. Although ground burials were used for most everyday Greeks, cremation became so closely associated with valor, manly virtue, patriotism, and military glory that in time it was regarded as the only fitting end to an epic life.

Status symbols are not new, and in ancient Greece the greater the glorified and worshiped war hero, the higher the cremation conflagration needed to be. The Iliad tells how elaborate and elegant cremation became for Greek heroes. For instance Zeus, the supreme deity compels the victorious

Achilles to turn over the corpse of Hector so that the slain hero’s father, King Priam of Troy, can cremate it in royal style. Achilles earlier had ordered a huge funeral pyre built one hundred square feet to gloriously burn to ashes the body of his slain friend Patroclus. Unfortunately nothing lasts forever and sadly after an arrow pierced Achilles all-too-vulnerable heel, the leader of the Trojan War was himself afforded the most spectacular incineration yet - it was a classic case of status, keep up with the Jones’ and good old-fashioned one-upmanship.

As the Greeks went, so did the Romans, however the inventive and economically savvy Romans turned cremation into profit or they tried to. By the time of the great Roman conquests and empire building the idea of extramural burials (outside the city walls) was accepted as being the normal method of disposing of the dead. This is compared to intramural burials where the dead were always buried within the city walls.

Virgil in the Aeneid lambasts the tasteless, crude etiquette of cremation conducted without religious funeral rituals and ceremonial fanfare (oh where did the Greeks go?), done merely for profit and expediency (a kind of contemporary immediate disposition Roman style). On the other hand Virgil praises a conflagration in which the correct kinds of dried leaves, twigs, and dead cypresses are set ablaze to the prayerful cries of the mourners who are circling the cremation funeral pyre.

The Romans were quite skilled at putting on elaborate ceremonies, pageants and rituals. Today’s New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration harkens its beginnings back to the Roman funeral processions of old. The Romans even had their own version of ancient funeral directors that were called “Libitinarius” and they were in business to organize all types of death activities, which included cremations, and to be paid for their services.

Predicated on all these Greek and Roman cremation activities was this issue of money. The poor of both cultures might well have been cremated, but the poor received communal cremations. The elaborateness of Roman cremations made them life’s last status symbol. Whereas the indigent, the poor, the wretched went up in small flickering flames, and usually as a group, the wealthy departed this world in towering infernos, however such cremation opulence was not to last.

It will be helpful here to interject the reminder that cremation, while it is evident throughout history in truth is not the oldest form of disposing of a dead body (earth burial holds that record), and it needs to be clarified that cremation throughout history has always been an example of the merging of and living with the tensions created by the merger of sacred rituals combined with secular customs.

27 Fall 2016

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The Romans even had their own version of ancient funeral directors that were called “Libitinarius” and they were in business to organize all types of death activities, which included cremations, and to be paid for their services.

Todd is the Director of Continuing Education at John A. Gupton College in Nashville, Ten-nessee. Read Todd’s latest book now out and available on Amazon, The Story of Cremation.


In our challenging work with families, funeral directors may fail to grasp our impact on their health. The intersection of our interventions at the juncture of death mandates that we do have an impact. The question for the professional is do we help or hurt our families ability to process a death.

Our ability to help rests with helping families make good decisions, decisions that commemorate a lifetime of relationships and memories. Impeding those decisions are several factors which coalesce and potentially harm a family’s vision.

The purpose of this article is to help the funeral director clarify that vision.

Factors that negatively affect a family’s judgement at the time of death come from various sources. Most families do not want to be in our offices, never mind make important decisions. Often we offer options to families whose minds are racing with thoughts about survival without their loved one. Families also arrive in our offices with a sense, shared societally, that funeral directors may take advantage of them in their vulnerable state. Partially fueled by budget conglomerates, such as Costco marketing caskets, customers may come to view a “fancy” funeral as an expensive one.

The nature of today’s deaths also may impinge on clear decision-making. Many communicate to funeral directors that they have been ravaged emotionally watching their loved one’s lingering death. At the time of funeral arrangements this may translate into, “Let’s get this over with quickly.” Understandably, they feel that they have “suffered enough,” but lost in this mindset are the years of memories prior to those final days.

Given this climate and these factors, how are funeral directors able to help families? Let’s examine how a decedent’s daughter, accompanied by her aunt, makes a decision about her father’s burial.

Aunt to Niece: I think it is best, Paula, for you to have a direct burial for your dad like I did for my husband. We don’t have to stretch this out for days. Your dad was a simple man.

Paula, the daughter: I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to do this before. Maybe you’re right, Auntie.

Funeral Director: Funerals do not have to stretch out for days. We have different types of arrangements and many are inexpensive.

Aunt: Money is not the object here. Can you provide us with a direct service with a brief ceremony at

the cemetery?Funeral Director: Sure, if that’s what Paula wants.Aunt: I think it’s best for everyone, Paula.Paula: Maybe you’re right, Auntie.This narrative highlights how ambivalently

some major funeral decisions are made. Paula’s anxiety is palpable as she struggles to plan a funeral. Her ultimate choice is more one of resignation as she searches for answers with input from others.

This scenario also highlights the difficulties funeral directors find themselves in while attempting to help families. We will lose this mental tug-of-war to help Paula every time without careful intervention. As we see in this case, however, the aunt’s advice seems to satisfy her own needs rather than Paula’s.

In general, funeral directors should be aware that cognitive and emotional elements interact in all of our decisions. Describing the benefits of a funeral product without understanding the grief-laden mind will lead to failure. This explains why someone may reject another’s good idea simply because he doesn’t like the person.

In our funeral world, understandably, our families’ emotions may even dominate their reasoning. We see in Paula’s case that her indecision seemed to create great anxiety for her. Her rapid-fire decision seemed to be a triumph of anxiety over thought, freeing her from the task of careful funeral planning.

Let’s examine an alternate scenario for the narrative.

Aunt to Niece: I think it is best, Paula, for you to have a direct burial of your dad like I did for my husband. We don’t have to stretch it out for days. Your dad was a simple man.

Paula: I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to do this before. Maybe you’re right, Auntie.

Funeral Director: Please let me say, Paula, that my job is to provide any service that meets your needs. This is something that you do not do often, fortunately, and it is understandable that you would be confused. I want you to know that a direct burial would not involve any viewing of your dad.

Paula: Oh, I see. Most funerals I have attended have had some type of service.

Aunt: All I know is that it was easier for me not to see my husband.

Funeral Director: Did your father ever discuss his funeral wishes with you?

Perceived pressure or coercion to get someone to act a certain way is unsuccessful. A person, in a sense, persuades herself that benefits exist she may not have seen previously.

Are You Helping or Hurting Your Families?

by Stephen Rocco

29 Fall 2016

Paula: No, but he told all his friends he would come back to haunt them. He was a big joker with lots of friends.

Funeral Director: I see. Are they aware that he died?

Paula: No. (turning to Aunt): I think I want to see my dad again Auntie, and let his friends also say goodbye…

In this alternate scenario we can almost visualize how Paula’s thinking changed. She had to mentally and emotionally absorb the experience of her father disappearing from her. This is the essence of helping people to make good decisions. It does not occur from a person reaching within another to change his or her mind. Rather a person is helped to try on new ideas – similar to putting a new frame around a favorite picture. That person must then adjust his views of the picture until it seems right.

This concept explains why perceived pressure or coercion to get someone to act a certain way is unsuccessful. A person, in a sense, persuades herself that benefits exist she may not have seen previously. In Paula’s case, the need to see her father once again eventually led to the conclusion that her father’s many friends also had to say goodbye to him.

This discussion lends itself to a general discourse about our great profession. Often, it seems to me that we take lots of societal hits, but receive few public bouquets. Mistakes or worse by a few bad colleagues result in vast media attention. It seems to feed into this negative message that funeral directors are only interested in profits. A reader of this article with a negative slant on our work might say we have no rights when it comes to a family’s decision making.

As well as we serve our families we have failed in our societal need to stress the cathartic importance of funerals. The Paulas of the world walk into funeral homes each day and we impact their recovery, good or bad. We must articulate to society that the changed relationship with our loved ones upon death requires acknowledgement - in whatever manner the family prefers.

Few professions know more about the power of the death experience than our own. We have learned about grief at the bereaveds’ kitchen tables, within the walls of our funeral homes, and at cemetery services. Yet when have those exploring a major right-to-die issue, or topics such as suicide or euthanasia, solicited the opinion of funeral directors? Perhaps it is time we proactively affirm the knowledge we have learned from families about loss.

We must articulate to society that the changed relationship with our loved ones upon death requires acknowledgement - in whatever manner the family prefers.

Stephen Rocco is co-owner of Rocco-Carr-Henderson Funeral Homes in Everett. He’s also an adjunct professor at the New England Institute in Newton, MA. This article is an excerpt from his book From Conflict to Cooperation: Succeed With Rocco’s 4 R’s.

© 2016 TH

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Once again, it is that time of year when the phrase “back-to-school” assails us from every angle. Even if we are far removed from our days of actually gather-ing supplies and new clothes for the school year, we cannot help but feel the residual effects of the annual custom. In our own unique nod to fall tradition, this column will once again focus on pioneer “mortuary science” educators as we have since fall 2014. It is no exaggeration to say that without the steadfast com-mitment of these trailblazers, the art and science of embalming would never have evolved, and the very foundation of what funeral service practice offers in service to the public would be missing. This is the final installment in a series of three columns that bor-row from an original series in the De-Ce-Co Magazine (predecessor to the Dodge Magazine) that ran between 1966 and 1968. Back then, the editor chose twelve pioneer educators for recognition because of the unique and extensive contributions they made to the field. The current series is a revised version of their fascinating stories that draws from the original copy as well as supplemental sources.

It is not as if these twelve were the only pioneers who could be recognized. The original columns included the perfect idea from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who wrote an imaginary quote from the Almighty: “I see no best in kind, but in degree; I give a varied gift to each – to charm, to strengthen, and to teach.” So there is no shortage of individuals (actually “characters”) who deserve recognition, but without question this particular group of luminaries had an especially profound influence upon the advancement of embalming and funeral service education. In the words of the original introductory column on these

tributes, it was the singular aim of this group of individuals “to move embalming to its rightful place as an independent and highly specialized profession.” That is what we intend to honor now.

In the first column of this particular series, we highlighted Dr. August Renouard (1839-1912), Dr. Carl Lewis Barnes (1872-1927), Professor William Peter Hohenschuh (1858-1920), and Professor Joseph Henry Clark (1840-1916). In the second edition, we focused on Professor George Burgess Dodge (1854-1923), Professor Felix A. Sullivan (1846-1937), Dr. Charles Auguste Renouard (1871-1953), and Dr. Eliab Meyers (1848-1911). In this segment, we will look at the final four of this exceptional grouping: Professor Clement Williams (1868-1954), Professor Howard Samuel Eckels (1865-1937), Dr. William Sanford Carpenter (1871-1944), and last but far from least, Professor A. Johnson Dodge (1848-1926).

Dr. William Sanford Carpenter was peerless in terms of the credentials he brought to the field of mortuary science. Born in Lucas County, Iowa in 1871, Sanford aimed for medical school since boyhood. He graduated from the University of Louisville, School of Medicine in 1894 (at the age of 22) and began practice as a country doctor in Polk County, Iowa. He taught Anatomy at Northwestern University in Chicago and at Still College of Osteopathy in Des Moines. In addition, he was the Polk County Coroner for 25 years and served on the Iowa Board of Health Physicians.

At the turn of the 20th century, his interest in the emerging field of embalming was piqued by his familiarity with the renowned Professor William P. Hohenschuh who hailed from the Midwest as well.

Time to Go Back to Schoolby Jacquie Taylor, PhD

Professor A. Johnson Dodge 1848 - 1926 Professor Howard S. Eckels 1865 - 1937Professor Clement Williams 1868 - 1954 Dr. William Sanford Carpenter 1871 - 1944

It was the singular aim of this group of individuals “to move embalming to its rightful place as an independent and highly specialized profession.”

Fall 201631

So Dr. Carpenter obtained his embalmer’s license in January 1901 and by the following July was advertising his first two-week course in embalming which was held at the Des Moines College of Embalming. Dr. Carpenter and Professor Hohenschuh began their educational collaboration in June 1903 which they named the “Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Embalming.” Their traveling two-week course was revolutionary at a time when the standard was three days. Using their leadership as an example, the practitioners of Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota led the way in raising the educational standards and striving for the establishment of mortuary science programs at state universities.

Dr. Carpenter was instrumental in the formation of the National Association of Embalming Schools and Colleges, the mission of which was to elevate mortuary science educational standards. He was a civic leader in his home community of Des Moines. Among his many achievements, one of the most remarkable is the fact that Dr. Carpenter is credited with performing the first embalming with a pressure pump in 1901 at a demonstration in St. Louis. It was there that he unveiled the invention of Mr. Curry Carroll, who was a friend and salesman for an embalming fluid company. The device was known as the “Carroll Pressure Pump.”

We would be remiss to not mention the contributions of Dr. Carpenter’s wife to his illustrious career. Although there is much less source material on her available, we know from a biography written by their son that Lenora Carpenter was born in Washington, Indiana in 1870 and met her future husband by chance when young William was researching his genealogy. Her maiden name, which happened to be “Carpenter,” brought him to her family home for a visit. She too graduated from medical school and taught at the Rush Medical School in Chicago. It was she who went overseas during WWI while he served domestically. Dr. Lenora Carpenter obtained her embalmer’s license in 1902 and the couple toiled side-by-side for the betterment of the profession.

Upon the death of Professor Hohenschuh in 1920, Dr. William Carpenter assumed the mantel of leadership at their school. He relocated it to St. Louis in 1930 and absorbed four other embalming schools: St. Louis College, American College, Missouri College, and the National School of Embalming. In 1938 he aptly renamed the conglomerate “The College of Mortuary Science” which it remained until its merger in 1942 with the Williams Institute of Chicago (formerly the Western College of Embalming owned by Professor William P. Hohenschuh). Dr. Carpenter died on December 2, 1944 and is buried in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines. His daughter, Mrs. Helene Craig, assumed the presidency of the college and, for many years, continued its operation in the famed tradition of its founders.

In natural succession, we move from Dr. Carpenter to his close ally, Professor Clement Williams. An immigrant from Wales born in 1868, Dr. Williams came to embalming via an interest

in medicine as did his mentor, Dr. Carpenter. But Williams chose the exciting new field of mortuary science before completing his medical school studies. He began teaching mortuary science around 1900 and, once established upon his new career path, Professor Williams wasted no time moving into leadership positions. For nearly forty years, he dedicated his life to becoming one of the most advanced, progressive-minded, and able funeral service educators of his time. Another adherent to the famed Professor William P. Hohenschuh, Williams first joined the faculty of the fledgling Chicago College of Embalming which had been established by his mentor a few years earlier. By the turn of the 20th century, embalming educators were “coming out of the woodwork” and there was a plethora of new establishments as well as re-locations and mergers of established ones. Keeping track of “who’s on first” during this whirlwind period is complicated by the fact that “schools” were still itinerant and courses were held in various locations for decades before more permanent “brick and mortar” institutions took root. So reading, for example, that the Western School was in Denver meant only that a course of instruction was taught there, not that there was an actual location there.

Around 1899, Hohenschuh moved his Western School of Embalming from Chicago and headquar-tered it in Kansas City, Kansas. Courses were held in various locations such as St. Louis, Iowa City, and Des Moines. Professor Williams moved with the school and, in 1903, he assumed its ownership and promptly changed the name from “Western” to his own. He then moved the new Williams School back to Chicago where it remained until he merged it with the College of Mortuary Science in St. Louis in 1942, not because he was ready to quit working, but because he was plagued with advancing age and ill health. Upon his retirement, he appointed his by now distinguished colleague, Dr. William Carpenter, as president. It is noteworthy that in the early 20th cen-tury, tuition for a course of instruction in embalming at this school was $40. Professor Williams died on Valentine’s Day 1954 in Slater, Missouri at the age of 86. He had outlived all of his contemporaries in the field of mortuary science.

As his original De-Ce-Co Magazine biography is introduced, “no review of mortuary science his-tory would be complete without an account of the distinguished career of Howard Samuel Eckels: pioneer manufacturer of embalming chemicals, Dean of Eckels College of Embalming, and one of the most prominent educators in the field.”

Like most people of his time, the early years of Howard Eckels’ life were marked by a decided lack of privilege. Born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1865, Eckels felt the pressure of economic necessity which compelled him to Philadelphia in search of a career. Hailing from a rural community, he was ill prepared for the business world, much less a profes-sional career. He found work as a druggist’s assistant and soon realized he had a passion for chemistry and a knack for entrepreneurship. First he assumed owner-ship of the drug store where he had his first job, then

“No review of mortuary science history would be complete without an account of the distinguished career of Howard Samuel Eckels: pioneer manufacturer of embalming chemicals, Dean of Eckels College of Embalming, and one of the most prominent educators in the field.”

he bought a second drug store in another section of Philadelphia. While he was flourishing economically, the career path of Howard Eckels was not destined to be in pharmaceuticals. In 1894, through an acquain-tance with a fellow druggist, Eckels learned that em-balmers were anxiously seeking a suitable chemical to replace the toxic arsenic which was finally being out-lawed. Formaldehyde as we know it was only about 25 years old at the time and had been used in the field of medicine but not in embalming. Eckels im-mediately saw a blend of necessity and opportunity, so he set about to formulate a group of non-arsenic preservative compounds that launched him into the manufacture of embalming chemicals.

Professor Eckels did not limit himself to his commercial enterprise but immersed himself in the study and practice of embalming. He is credited with the development of axillary arterial injection. He became a demonstrator at the Philadelphia Training School and, in 1895, he established the Eckels College of Embalming in downtown Philadelphia. It was housed in the same building as his manufacturing company as was often the case with these early endeavors. The enterprise remained there until 1935 when it was relocated to larger facilities in a former Bell Telephone building at 17th and Diamond Streets. A prolific author, in 1906 Professor Eckels wrote Sanitary Science: A Reference and Textbook for the Com-municable Diseases, Disinfection and Chemistry for the Undertaker. The same year he co-authored The Eckels-Genung Method and Practical Embalmer. His book, A New Principle in Embalming, was published in 1922. He lec-tured across the country to local, state, and national funeral director groups and he joined his peers in call-ing for professional legislation.

Professor Eckels died at age 71 in his Wyncote, Pennsylvania home called “The Highlands” on April 5, 1937 and is buried at Westminster Cemetery in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His wife, Josephine H. Eckels, operated the college for almost 30 years after his death following which it closed.

It is only fitting that we end this series of bio-graphical sketches with our founder, Professor A. Johnson Dodge. Born in July 1848 at Edgecomb, Maine, Asa Johnson Dodge was one of 12 children. While he held an abiding interest in science and dreamed of becoming a physician, economic neces-sity dictated that he mind the family’s general mer-chandise business. In the tradition of rural America at the time, A. Johnson carried goods by horse-drawn wagon to the remote fishing and farming communi-ties of coastal New England. As he traveled, he stud-ied Gray’s Anatomy and other medical texts. Although he became a successful merchant and was elected to the Maine legislature while still a young man, Dodge wanted nothing more than to become a phy-sician able to serve his rural community. Eventually

he embarked on formal study of medicine, but this venture was interrupted when, in 1890, his brother, George Burgess Dodge, a successful printer in Bos-ton, took ownership of a floundering embalming chemical company that could not pay its bill. George knew of his brother’s talents in science and enlisted his help with the new enterprise just as the practice of embalming was becoming popularized. It was no time before the Egyptian Chemical Company flour-ished under the able leadership of A. Johnson Dodge, who deepened his knowledge of chemistry and used his extraordinary intellectual curiosity to begin ex-perimentation on improved embalming chemicals. Dodge soon established a reputation for superior products which they manufactured in facilities that were unparalleled.

Not long after his arrival in Boston, A. Johnson became an assistant to Professor Felix A. Sullivan, a lecturer and demonstrator at the Oriental School of Embalming. By the close of 1893 the Dodge brothers had acquired the Oriental School and A. Johnson had resigned from Egyptian to operate it and his newly founded “Dodge Chemical Company” from his residence in the Roxbury district of Boston. In 1894, the name of the school was changed to the Massachusetts College of Embalming. While most of the “schools” were for-profit enterprises, the Dodges incorporated their institution under the Massachusetts non-profit educational act with Professor A. Johnson Dodge as “principal” and Professor Felix A. Sullivan as “demonstrator.” The two teachers traveled the country conducting embalming classes and became well known as the “leading exponents of the new mortuary science technology.”

Professor A. Johnson Dodge took a brief hiatus to lead the famed Barnes School of Anatomy (Dr. Carl Barnes, Founder) but soon after the turn of the 20th century, he returned to Boston where he established the Dodge School of Embalming which was the immediate predecessor to the long prestigious New England Institute of Anatomy, Sanitary Science, and Embalming (NEI). Originally founded in 1907, NEI was chartered as a corporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1910 and became one of the premier funeral service educational institutions in the world under the stewardship of the Dodge family.

Professor A. J. Dodge was the author of Essentials of Anatomy, The Embalmer’s Guide, and The Practical Embalmer which were used as definitive reference works in most embalming colleges during the first quarter of the 20th century. The career of Professor A. Johnson Dodge was built on his firm belief that the “art and science of embalming would one day attain the lofty and highly honored status it rightfully merits.” He sought to shape a finer, more perfect funeral service profession. Respected, admired, and beloved by all who knew him, Professor Dodge died at the age of 78 in Boston in June 1926. He is buried with his family in New Harbor Cemetery in Lincoln County, Maine.


Dr. Jacquie Taylor is the Special Projects Coordinator at The Dodge Company and a consultant in the areas of management and leadership. She is a veteran funeral service practitioner and educator.

The career of Professor A. Johnson Dodge was built on his firm belief that the “art and science of embalming would one day attain the lofty and highly honored status it rightfully merits.”


“A penny for your thoughts, Jerry darlin’ - though belike I’d be losing money by the transaction,” said Monica to me the other night as I sat silent on our way back from the high school glee club’s concert. Then she snuggled up against me in the gentle, teasing way she has. “Is it something that I’ve done to hurt you, pulse o’ my heart?” she asked.

I slipped my arm around her. God willing, next year we’ll be cutting a gold-iced cake, and standing up in St. Michael’s Church to go through the wedding ceremony again on our fiftieth anniversary, but the nearness of her gentle, fragile body still sends shivers up my spine and makes me feel all empty and funny inside. “Nothing in the world have you done to hurt me, now or ever, jewel,” I told her. “I was but thinking. That last song the youngsters sang set me at it. You know, the one that says,

“We’re poor little lambs that have lost our way,B-a-a, b-a-a, b-a-a.We’re little black sheep that have gone astray...”“Wirra, there’ve been plenty like that,” says my

Monica. “Were you after thinking of any special one?” “I was,” I told her. “I was after thinking of

Charles Francis Agnew.”“Were you, now? And what about him?”

* * *This happened in the days when everyone was

whistling tunes from Irene and Wildflower, and the great experiment, noble in purpose but calamitous in operation, spread like a scorching drought across the land. It was about three o’clock on a cold Friday afternoon when Mr. and Mrs. Agnew called on me. Mr. Agnew was a distinguished-looking gentleman in a dark suit with white pique edging the V of his waistcoat, and black-rimmed glasses tethered by a wide black braid. He might have been an eminent banker or mill owner in Minneapolis, St. Paul or Terre Haute. His wife complemented him as Oolong does Formosa or Mocha does Java; gray-haired, slightly chubby, matronly-looking; well and expensively, but not stylishly dressed; the sort who was obviously devoted to guilds and good works in her home city.

Mr. Agnew cleared his throat. It was plain he was not used to talking with funeral directors. “We’ve

come to see you about-er-having our boy sent back home for burial,” he finally announced.

“Certainly,” I answered. “Won’t you be seated?” When they had settled themselves in the club chairs opposite my desk, I reached into the lower left-hand drawer and brought out a humidor of Hoya de Monterey’s. “Smoke?” I asked.

He drew his lips together in a slightly disapproving line. “No, thank you,” he answered. “Mother can’t stand the smell of tobacco.” Then, “Charley was a good boy,” he told me. “A good, sweet, innocent boy. Never said a bad word or thought an evil thought, or did a wicked act in all his life.”

“Oh, yes,” his wife added. “Such a sweet, lovable, innocent boy. Always kind, always polite, always considerate. He won a medal for perfect attendance at Sabbath School, and passed the plate on Sundays...”

“It was the Army that ruined him,” Mr. Agnew took up the recital. “They drafted him, and herded him in with all sorts of low characters - the kind he’d never, never associated with in all his life. They tried to make a killer of him - “

“But they didn’t succeed,” his wife broke in. “He wrote us such long, wonderful letters, how he was helping the chaplain - how he went to prayer meeting nearly every night, and tried to win the other soldiers from their vicious ways. Then, when he came back from the war, he had this fine position offered him in the East, and decided to stay here a while. He must have received a wonderful salary, for he sent home money regularly for us to bank for him; sometimes as much as a thousand dollars a month.”

“Then this dreadful thing happened two weeks ago,” Mr. Agnew took up the story. “He was out on a late business call, we understand, when some horrible bootleggers mistook him for one of a rival gang, and shot him. If I had my way I’d hang everyone found with so much as a single pint of whiskey in his possession. Without giving them a trial, I’d string them up. Drink is the curse of the nation, Mr. Burke, and the vicious people who peddle the vile stuff are no better than common prisoners - not as good, if you ask me.”

If I had my way I’d hang everyone found with so much as a single pint of whiskey in his possession. Without giving them a trial, I’d string them up.

The Strayed Lambby Jerome Burke

“Charley was a good boy,” he told me. “A good, sweet, innocent boy. Never said a bad word or thought an evil thought, or did a wicked act in all his life.”

Jerome is an old funeral director who has told his tales to numerous generations of Dodge Magazine readers.

Jerome Burke

I had no intention of asking him. “You want me to arrange for disinterment, and shipment of your son’s remains back home?” I brought the conversation back to a business basis. “Can you tell me where he’s buried?”

“No, sir. All we know is he was brutally murdered two weeks ago. We’ll give you full authority to act for us; but you’ll have to attend to all the details. Can’t you find out where they buried him - and all that?”

“Of course,” I promised. “Where will you be staying?”

“At the Susan B. Anthony House. We understand that’s a respectable family hotel where they don’t permit women to smoke in the dining room.”

“Very well. I’ll get things started, and report to you,” I promised as I stood up. I was beginning to feel I couldn’t take much more.

* * *“Tell me everything you can about Charles

Francis Agnew,” I asked my friend Bill Hepburn of the Enterprise. “I understand he died about two weeks ago in rather tragic circumstances...”

“I’ll tell the cockeyed world he did!” Bill told me. “Dam’ tragic. His pump gun jammed at the wrong time.”

“Come again?” I queried.“They called him Shotgun Charley,” Bill told me,

“’cause he used a shotgun for his dirty work - and it was plenty dirty, too. He was running a load of hooch in from Canada when the Albertini gang hijacked it. They drilled him so full o’ holes you coulda used him for a fly-net.”

“Umphf?” I grunted. “His folks told me he was in the insurance business.”

“Insurance business is right. Insuring One-Eye Schultz’s stuff got to its destination. He’d shot it out with hijackers at least a dozen times; beat a murder rap by the skin of his teeth five or six times; but got his with compound interest that night the Albertinis stuck him up and his pump gun jammed.”

“Know where they buried him?” I asked.“Sure, Mount Moriah. None of his little pals

came forward when the highway patrol picked up what was left of him. They found two-three hundred bucks in his pants pocket, and the public administrator ruled it should be expended for his burial. It was a lousy funeral for a gangster. No solid silver coffin, no six-foot floral pieces. Just one of Hampton’s cut-rate funerals without even a preacher to look after the fire insurance.”

“Fire insurance?” I echoed.“Prezactly. Fire insurance, old sock. Insurance

against the sort o’ fire they say birds like him are headed for when they bump off.”

* * *The superintendent and two overalled laborers

were waiting at the graveside in Mount Moriah Cemetery. He glanced perfunctorily at my order for exhumation, then told the gravediggers, “Git goin’, and make it snappy.”

The ground was frozen stony-hard, and the picks struck in it with a cold, metallic click. At length a dull, reverberant thump told us they

had struck bottom, and a pair of web straps were lowered, made fast to the rough box, and dragged their burden to the surface. Two pick handles were laid across the grave, and the rough box rested on them. The superintendant wrenched the box top off, exposing the casket. It was a cheap chestnut case covered with shoddy moleskin, and the tinny, imitation-silver name plate was already beginning to show dull, brown-blue discolorations. “There he is,” the superintendent announced as he snapped the fastenings of the casket and threw the upper panel on the frozen ground beside the rough box cover.

Head resting on a sleazy sateen rayon pillow, the “sweet, innocent boy” of super-respectable parents seemed to stare at us.

I’d never had much use for Hampton’s service. As I looked into that jerry-built casket I had still less. Despite the intensely cold weather, putrefication had made progress. The dead man’s mouth was slightly open, a quarter-inch or so of purple, blood gorged tongue protruded from between his lips, as though he greeted us with a “Bronx cheer”; the lids were partly raised, and a thin white line of eyeball showed through the slits. “One thing’s sure,” the superintendent volunteered, “he ain’t in no trance.”

* * *We did the best we could. We raised the

axillary, femoral and carotid arteries (Hampton’s embalmers had apparently used only the brachial), and got a little circulation though not much. Then we made liberal use of the trocar, the hypo and cosmetics. When we’d put a decent burial suit on him and casketed him in a respectable case, I let the old folks look at him.

Mr. Agnew wiped his eyes and swallowed hard as he put his arm about his wife’s shoulders. “Oh, Charley, Charley, my sweet, good boy, why-why didn’t you come home to us instead of staying here in the sinful East?” Mrs. Agnew wept.

“Now, Mother, Mother, don’t cry,” her husband comforted as he patted her shoulder awkwardly.

* * *Monica was silent a long moment, then: “It

wasn’t those gangsters’ slugs that killed him,” she said thoughtfully. “It was his parents, and especially his mother. No one can run away from life. The world’s a wide place, Jerry darlin’; sometimes it’s wonderful, as we’ve found it; sometimes it’s terrible, but it’s what we have to live in. The poor lad never had a chance. He’d been kept so close - so far away from the wide, wonderful world - that he didn’t know what to do with his freedom when the Army cut him loose from his mother’s apron-strings. She thought that she was being kind and loving when she kept him wrapped in cotton-wool. She wasn’t. She was as cruel as one who turns a tame, cage-bred canary out to fend for itself among the wild things of the forest.”

Fall 201635

“They called him Shotgun Charley,” Bill told me, “’cause he used a shotgun for his dirty work - and it was plenty dirty, too.

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