Mar 18, 2014
Funeral professionals who are gifted with the written word have the authority to address a wide range of subjects, both somber and humorous, from a perspective no other writer can offer. There is a fearlessness in their prose that sets it apart. This is because funeral professionals possess the unique ability to draw inspiration from personal experiences while shedding light on issues most writers will not address.
In our effort to connect with funeral professionals through our social sites, ASD has found a number of impressive blogs written by members of the funeral service community. We told you about some of our favorite blogs in our 2012 post, “ASD’s Favorite Funeral Blogs” which featured the fantastic work of Caleb Wilde, Alan Creedy, Lauren Polanski and many others. Recently, we have discovered several new and exciting funeral-related blogs offering fresh perspectives and compelling content we thought you might enjoy reading.
Here are ASD’s Favorite New Funeral Blogs:
The Mortuary Report Blog
Endorsed by fellow funeral writer, Caleb Wilde, The Mortuary Report is a collection of observations, anecdotes and personal stories shared by first generation funeral director and apprentice embalmer, Heather Ratcliff. What we love about Heather’s blog is how her personality shines through in every post, whether she is answering anonymous questions from mortuary science students or describing the strange, unexplainable music she heard playing once while alone in the funeral home. Heather is dedicated to showing readers the good, bad and ugly aspects of funeral work with her blog, but her elegant writing style can make even the most difficult of tasks sound beautiful and poetic.
Our Favorite Post: As I Pour My Poor Heart Out
Heather describes the emotional toll funeral work can take on directors, especially when handling arrangements for a child.
The Cremation Solutions Blog
Cremations Solutions Owner and Funeral Writer, Jeff Staab, covers a wide variety of subjects on his company’s blog, but it is his distinct voice and style that threads everything together. From fun, tongue-in-cheek posts about our cultural obsession with zombies to insightful pieces about the history of different funeral rituals, Jeff’s candidness always comes through in his engaging prose.
Our Favorite Post: Wild Animal Funerals
Jeff explores the interesting and moving ways different animal groups grieve. From elephants to magpies, it is fascinating to learn how other species honor their deceased loved ones.
The Learning Space Blog
The Learning Space BlogFuneral Professionals that follow funeral expert and educator, Lacy Robinson, on Twitter already know they can count on her for thought-provoking content and engaging stories. As a Director of Professional Development at Aurora Casket Company and regular speaker at funeral home trade shows, Lacy has a strong background in helping funeral directors think outside the box. Her new blog, The Learning Space, is a delightful blend of funeral arrangement tips, product recommendations, inspiring stories and practical advice to help funeral directors refocus and reenergize.
Our Favorite Post: Refuel Your Creativity
Lacy provides insightful tips on how to think creatively when helping a family plan a celebration of life service.
Dr. Kate Granger’s Blog
In July 2011, hospital Registrar, Dr. Kate Granger, was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable cancer at the age of 29. After learning she was terminal, Kate made a decision to continue her work as a Specialty Registrar in Elderly Medicine while tweeting and blogging about her disease and symptoms online. As both a Doctor and a terminally ill patient, Kate is committed to tweeting her final days to help inspire positive change in the treatment of cancer patients. With more than 20,000 active followers, Kate’s revelations about end-of-life care have attracted thousands of readers and international media. Her willingness to share daily discomforts, deep regrets and powerful insights about modern medicine with the world requires commendable bravery. Her blog will hit you hard, but is a powerful reminder of what matters most in life.
Our Favorite Post: What would your funeral be like?
Kate discusses the decisions she has made in advance for her funeral service and then describes what was special about two memorial services she had recently attended.
The Funeral Commander Blog
The Funeral Commander BlogThough he has only been blogging for about 6 months, Funeral Expert, Jeff Harbeson, has already covered a vast array of topics and ideas in his blog, The Funeral Commander. Jeff’s background in funeral home ownership, consulting and B2B funeral industry sales allows him to address a wide range of subjects from various viewpoints. His blog challenges funeral directors to think of new ways to manage and grow their businesses. Since Jeff updates the blog several times a week, you’ll find a wealth of information, including food-for-thought tips, lessons gleaned from personal experience and opinions on current funeral-related news.
Our Favorite Post: Is it About Honoring the Life…or Paying the Bill?
Jeff discusses what questions must be asked when a person passes away without prearrangements or life insurance and how funeral directors can better serve cost-conscious families.
The Death Café Blog
The Death Café is a growing movement to increase awareness of death and mortality while encouraging group members to make the most of their lives. In cities across the country, Death Café group members meet up to discuss death and end-of-life decisions over coffee and tea. The Death Café blog features posts from many different viewpoints. Those who have lost loved ones, have a terminal illness or work in hospice examine our cultural denial of death and why it needs to be more of an accepted, mainstream conversation for the sake of those who are suffering in silence.
Our Favorite Post: Taking Death Out of the Closet
Blogger, Cynthia Sumner, a woman whose mother was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, explains why she believes our society should be more open and honest when it comes to discussing death.
The Funeral Fund Blog
The Funeral Fund BlogFuneral Writer, Nancy Burban, who contributes regularly to funeral service publications and is the host of the Funeral Directors Chat podcast recently began blogging for the Funeral Fund team. Funeral Fund is a free website that allows families to collect donations from loved ones towards funeral costs. The Funeral Fund blog is a collection of inspirational and positive stories. Posts about heartfelt tributes or memorials, families pulling together after a difficult diagnosis and unique funeral rituals around the globe showcase the good in humanity and in funeral service work. While most of the posts are crossposted from other sources, the blog provides a fantastic central location for finding compelling content that can be shared on your funeral homes’ social sites.
Our Favorite Post: Having the Death Talk With Your Child
This blog post provides insightful suggestions for talking to children about death and includes a list of considerations that should be made when deciding if a child should attend a funeral service.
The My Kickass Funeral Blog
Like Death Café, the My Kickass Funeral blog aims to make death less of a taboo subject. In her bio, blog creator, Karen Zinn, states, “Nobody REALLY likes talking about death. It’s an uncomfortable topic—especially when there’s a body around. The time to talk about death and how we want our life to be celebrated is when we are alive.” To understand and empathize more with those who have experienced a loss, Karen began preplanning her own funeral and talking to funeral experts. Her blog posts discuss different funeral ideas for her future service and challenges preconceived notions about what a funeral service should and should not be. Funeral directors would enjoy Karen’s posts because she champions the benefits of preplanning from a neutral perspective.
Our Favorite post: “Just Have Me Cremated And Do What You Want With The Ashes.”
Karen explains how instructing loved ones to cremate and not hold a service after a passing can leave family members with no way to channel or process their grief.
Please leave a comment and let us know which Funeral Home blog you enjoy reading the most.
Click here to read Part One.
About The Author
Jess Farren (Fowler)
Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com
