Tree Huggers & Mountain Highs | 4M #127

Welcome to the hundred-and-twenty-seventh edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #127, 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!

TerraCon was a trip!

I’m writing this from the airport, returning home from Return Home’s inaugural TerraCon Terramation conference. Over the last several days Return Home CEO Micah Truman and his Return Homies fulfilled their promise to immerse attendees in the transformative world of Terramation – leading the charge in eco-conscious death care. More than 200 in-person attendees were treated to expert presentations on all aspects of NOR, while more than 200+ equally-interested mortuary school students participated online. And while you might think that it was a room full of tree-hugging, Subaru drivers, it wasn’t. A new energy and excitement reverberated through the crowd for two solid days; it’s hard to describe, because I haven’t seen anything like it before. I’m here to tell you that although Terramation is now only available in seven states, it’s a wave that’s headed your way, and as one presenter said, “You’d better have your surfboard ready.” Watch for more information on TerraCon and its impact in your Daily Hearse, coming soon!

(Pssst … For a sneak peek at some pretty big news that was announced at TerraCon, click here!)

Speaking of airports …

If you get upset imagining an airline losing your suitcase, imagine how angry you’d be if they lost your brother’s cremains. This happened to Charles Matthews in March 2023, who was traveling with his family from Canada to Jamaica to fulfill his brother’s final wish to have his cremains spread near his deceased mom’s. Unfortunately, Air Canada lost the entire party’s bags, and while most were eventually located, the one containing the cremains was not. One year later, the bag has still not been found, a situation an Air Canada spokesperson called “regrettable.” 

And one last airport story

You may have heard of this one already, but just in case … In January, a border protection dog at Boston’s busy Logan airport sniffed something in a suitcase that was definitely not “dried fish” as the bag’s owner reported. Instead, authorities found four mummified monkeys inside. Why, you may ask, was this person smuggling mummified monkeys into the country? Apparently, in Africa, where this passenger had been visiting, dehydrated monkeys and other wildlife are considered “bushmeat,” a source of protein and a valuable commodity in some markets. It also is banned from import into the United States because it can contain diseases, including Ebola. 

Another black eye for Colorado

The hits just keep on comin’ for our deathcare friends in Colorado. Just as they were recovering from the Megan Hess/Sunset Mesa scandal, they had to deal with the horrible Hallfords from Return to Nature. Now a similarly-named, yet presumably unassociated, former deathcare provider (“care” may be a stretch) is on the hotseat. On Thursday, Denver authorities announced that they’re looking for Miles Harford, who neglected to turn himself in, despite a warrant for his arrest. Potential charges against the 33-year-old former funeral home owner, including abuse of a corpse, forgery of a death certificate and theft of the money, are pending after authorities executing an eviction notice at Harford’s home found 30 sets of cremains in the home’s crawl space and the body of a woman that had been kept in a hearse of the property for two years.

Mindless marketing?

Seniors in a UK nursing home are incensed about Valentine’s Day cards they received from a local funeral home. The folks at TH Sanders & Sons thought they were doing a nice thing, reaching out to people in their community to wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day; the nursing home staff also assumed the outreach would be a welcome gesture. However, some families, residents, and advocates were furious about the “utterly appalling stunt.” The funeral home has since apologized for any “unintended distress” their cards caused.

Startling statistics

Deathcare professionals are well aware of the impact of drug overdose deaths on families, friends, and entire communities. Now, a scientific study is confirming what you already know. According to an article in the March 2024 edition of the American Journal of Public Health, more than 40% of adults (approximately 125 million) in the United States have lost someone due to a drug overdose. In addition, the study found that one in eight adults have “had their lives disrupted” by drug overdose deaths. 

ICYMI

Shout out to Kennedy Reid for representing deathcare on American Idol Season 22! Reid, 23, is an embalmer in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a “Golden Ticket” to Hollywood for the next phase of the competition with her rendition of Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” Unfortunately, though, Reid is getting a taste of the dark side of fame. As soon as her February 18 audition aired, social media trolls started attacking Reid’s makeup and hair and making snarky remarks about how she looks older than 23. But she’s handling it like a boss, clapping back online with grace and humor.