Tree Eulogies & Wills of Fortune | 4M #91
Welcome to the ninety-first edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #91, where we’ll serve up bite-sized, easily-digestible nuggets of the deathcare news you need to crush conversations in the week ahead. Bon appetit!
This newsletter is powered by MemoryShare, a funeral livestreaming platform that you can set up in 30 seconds or less.
Aging like fine wine
A recent study in the U.K. and Wales found that “farmers, undertakers, and elected politicians are among the occupations most dependent on older workers.” About 62% of the countries’ farmers are over age 60, while 28% of folks who identify as deathcare professionals have made it past their sixth decade of existence (and, we’re sure, are some of the best in their field). Clergy also ranked high in the vintage department at 30%, while a whopping half of British politicians are 60 or older. Meanwhile, over here in U.S., 86-year-old practicing funeral director and Minnesota’s “oldest licensed mortician” Chuck DuBore has every right to say, “Hey, you U.K. youngsters, hold my beer.”
A Catholic crisis?
Crisis Magazine, a publication “founded by Catholic intellectuals” 40 years ago, recently published a treatise on the “Anti-Body Harvesting of Dead People’s Tattoos.” Referring to this practice as “the latest fad” that is something “new under the mortuary sun” (we actually reported on it in 2019), the author of the article explains that tattoo preservation — like natural organic reduction, alkaline hydrolysis, and any disposition of cremains other than burial — does not conform with the Catholic faith’s belief in the sanctity of the human body.
Fun with legacy planning!
A Singapore company has created “an immersive strategy card game that helps the public learn about end-of-life and legacy planning in a fun, engaging and repeatedly playable way” — sort of a Cards Against Humanity: Death Edition. Immortalize, a self-described “elderhood marketplace and information provider,” recently launched Will of Fortune by Immortalize, or WOFI, for short. With the goal of breaking down the “cultural and social barriers that are preventing people from talking and learning about end-of-life matters” by “gamifying these taboo topics,” WOFI promises to “help families better prepare for end-of-life early and minimize conflicts in the long-run.” Players assume one of nine personas (complete with backstories) and “strategize, sabotage, or collaborate” to protect the main character’s $100 million estate before he croaks. Along the way, players learn about the real-life tools and professional end-of-life and planning assistance that are available to them.
Ode to a tree
A beloved veteran of the Vassar College campus, well-known and appreciated by generations of students, has been lovingly memorialized in a “tear-jerking” eulogy. Yes, an 80-year-old English Elm that was planted on the grounds during World War II recently lost its battle with Dutch Elm disease. The eulogy, written by a 2023 Vassar graduate whose father hung a swing in the tree for her to enjoy as a child, is thought by at least one writer to be “an obituary for the tree that now stands as a reminder of the tree that was once there.”
Say goodbye to Facebook
If you’re using Facebook for live streaming, does this sound familiar?
- Copyrighted music is silenced (even with proper certifications!)
- Advertisements out of your control pop up during the livestream
- It’s difficult for families to access because it requires a Facebook account
This is why Carlton Stevens Jr., Operations Manager and Mortician at Stevens Funeral Home in North Carolina, said goodbye to Facebook and switched to MemoryShare—a live streaming platform built specifically for funeral professionals.
“Now, families don’t have to worry about Facebook accounts. It works, and it’s easy to use,” Carlton said. “It’s the best, I’m telling you. It’s liquid gold.”
After he started offering live streaming during the pandemic, Carlton saw Stevens Funeral Home call volume bump from 20 calls to 41 calls.
Today, Stevens Funeral Home live streams a service every other day.
And with MemoryShare, all they have to do is push a button.
“It’s a no brainer,” Carlton said.
Read how Carlton is using livestreaming to grow his business in our latest case study—click here to read it!
