Ask a mortician
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If we don't have any bodies we clean the prep room, do laundry, catch up on paperwork, and scan in old files to our system. My boss is great , he let's me go home early or take the day off if we go several days without anything. I'm paid salary so I get paid whether we do anything or not.7
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My brothers and sister have been traumatized by my father who used to play the accordion at EVERY BIRTHDAY party. Being Catholic he also played it in church with the choir. He still to this day takes with him everywhere he goes "just in case". My dad's 84 now and we've vowed to bury the thing with him. Can this be accommodated?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This may have already been asked - have you already planned your own funeral/cremation? If so, will you tell us about your plans?
Also, do you get a discount?0 -
My brothers and sister have been traumatized by my father who used to play the accordion at EVERY BIRTHDAY party. Being Catholic he also played it in church with the choir. He still to this day takes with him everywhere he goes "just in case". My dad's 84 now and we've vowed to bury the thing with him. Can this be accommodated?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Sure, it can be placed by his feet in the casket.
I have my wishes written down in a file at the funeral home. I want to be buried in an 18 gauge round cornered Charcoal gray and black casket and a steel vault. I only want a spray of flowers on my casket and nothing else since they are so expensive. My preacher is currently 80 so I doubt he will out live me, I want a black preacher to officiate because they are so upbeat and lively. I don't have an outfit picked out, but I've left specific I instructions not to bury me with bra or panty hose or I'll come back and haunted them.Broomstick_Boo wrote: »This may have already been asked - have you already planned your own funeral/cremation? If so, will you tell us about your plans?
Also, do you get a discount?
The only thing my family will have to pay for is the casket and vault. I need to get my butt in gear and pre-pay for it so they won't have to worry about it when the time comes. Those in the funeral business are the worst about taking care of their own plans because they are busy taking care of everyone elses.
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Thank you!
Your casket sounds gorgeous! ( which would perhaps be a strange thing to say to most other people
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I may change it to a wicker casket if we start carrying those. I love how simple and pretty they are.
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Is a wicker casket like you have shown above cheaper than a standard metal or wood one?0
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Are old naked people hard to look at? I mean, its like a giant raisin, right?
If you've seen one, you've seen them all.MalkinMagic71 wrote: »Is a wicker casket like you have shown above cheaper than a standard metal or wood one?
Yep and they would also be a great alternative for someone who wants a viewing then cremation.6 -
LittleHearseDriver wrote: »Are old naked people hard to look at? I mean, its like a giant raisin, right?
If you've seen one, you've seen them all.MalkinMagic71 wrote: »Is a wicker casket like you have shown above cheaper than a standard metal or wood one?
Yep and they would also be a great alternative for someone who wants a viewing then cremation.
Or for sending your baby down the Nile River.
Bazinga5 -
If I were to go into the business of working at a funeral home, what would I do? Where would be a good first step?0
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Why do you want a steel vault?0
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So the weight of the dirt doesn't cave in the casket and I stay dry.1
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Interesting. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
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Would you say there is anything that people do when they're making future plans that you consider an outright waste of money?
I mean - generally there's some in every industry I think, things that cooperation try get you to buy into that aren't at-all necessary.0 -
One square foot of dirt weighs 76-78 lbs3
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Is 6 feet under the actual depth of a grave? I
Where the top of the vault is at the 6 foot mark?0 -
I live very nearby a funeral home attached to a cemetery. It mostly doesn't bother me (cemeteries are actually the best neighbors you could ask for) but I do notice quite a bit of sticky dust build up in my place. I always blamed the proximity of the 5 Freeway (I live in Southern California and it is a very busy freeway) but after reading this I am a little afraid it's cremated people. The funeral home is probably a few hundred yards away. Do you think it's people dust?0
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Now they dig them 4 1/2 feet.Is 6 feet under the actual depth of a grave? I
Where the top of the vault is at the 6 foot mark?I live very nearby a funeral home attached to a cemetery. It mostly doesn't bother me (cemeteries are actually the best neighbors you could ask for) but I do notice quite a bit of sticky dust build up in my place. I always blamed the proximity of the 5 Freeway (I live in Southern California and it is a very busy freeway) but after reading this I am a little afraid it's cremated people. The funeral home is probably a few hundred yards away. Do you think it's people dust?
No, I highly doubt it.
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »Do you have conversations with your corpses?
A la six feet under.
I *love* that show!0 -
Have you ever worked on someone who was really in shape, like a body builder? Did they still have their six pack?
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Hey OP
Fantastic topic! I had a similar childhood (well, the going to many cemeteries part). Very fascinating, especially the old cemeteries and their histories. I still find them fascinating.
My question is, how 'competitive' is business really between funeral homes? Also, what is one of the strangest moments you've encountered in your job?
Do you ever embalm and reconstruct? If yes, what was the most challenging reconstruction you or your employee worked on?
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Hi Hearse,
Kind of a broad question here. How much does an average (empty) coffin weigh? I have been a pallbearer many times, and always find myself wondering," how much of this is Grandpa, and how much is box?"0 -
Not a bodybuilder, but I have worked on people who are we're in great shape. Formaldehyde synthesizes with the proteins in muscle tissue and makes the tissues firm. The more muscle a person has the better they embalm usually.ClubSilencio wrote: »Have you ever worked on someone who was really in shape, like a body builder? Did they still have their six pack?
For the most part it doesnt scare me, occasionally I get a little weary about it.happilymegan wrote: »Are you scared of dying now?
Do you sew the eyes shut?
We use eye caps to keep the eyes closed and to keep them from sinking in. They look like contacts with little spikes on top. If the eyes still peep open a little we super glue them closed.
It depends on the area and the owners of the funeral homes. My town has 5 funeral homes and only one of them talks crap about the other four. The rest of the funeral homes are supportive and help eachother out. They like to tell people I'm a secretary just to piss me off. The narrow minded hicks think I woman can do what they can.cerise_noir wrote: »Hey OP
Fantastic topic! I had a similar childhood (well, the going to many cemeteries part). Very fascinating, especially the old cemeteries and their histories. I still find them fascinating.
My question is, how 'competitive' is business really between funeral homes? Also, what is one of the strangest moments you've encountered in your job?
Do you ever embalm and reconstruct? If yes, what was the most challenging reconstruction you or your employee worked on?
A lady and her husband came in to pre arranged his cremation. He has a heart condition and had an up coming surgery so they wanted everything planned out in case he didn't make it through the procedure. She asked me if it was possible for me to cut out her husband's heart before we cremate.
The most challenging reconstruction I've done was a guy who shot himself. I was able to make him look normal. I was so proud of myself and the family was thrilled he looked like himself.
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Hi Hearse,
Kind of a broad question here. How much does an average (empty) coffin weigh? I have been a pallbearer many times, and always find myself wondering," how much of this is Grandpa, and how much is box?"
Metal caskets are about 150 lbs. Wood caskets are around 200-250 lbs.badgerface1k wrote: »Have you ever been just about to jab them with ur instrument and they all of the sudden wake up?
Nope. If it ever happens I will probably pee my pants.1 -
LittleHearseDriver wrote: »So the weight of the dirt doesn't cave in the casket and I stay dry.
Sooooo.... even though you will be dead. I mean. You're dead. You don't know
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Touche1
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Anytime0
This discussion has been closed.
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