Funeral Home Superheroes & Granted Wishes | 4M #209

Welcome to the two-hundred-and-ninth edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #209, 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!

Granted

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has been busy lately — specifically in the grants department, as they recently awarded funds for the creation of or improvements to several veterans cemeteries:

• Alaska received $16.7 million for the interior’s first state-run veterans cemetery.
• Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery received $1.5 million for expansion.
• The State of New Mexico received a grant of up to $1,325,135 for the expansion of the Fort Stanton State Veterans Cemetery and a grant of up to $5,993,108 for the expansion of the Angel Fire State Veterans Cemetery.
• The Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery received $931,500 for expansion.

As these funds were approved as part of the federal government’s previous budget, they cannot be withdrawn and reallocated during the current government shutdown — thankfully!

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Davis Mortuary update

Authorities reported last week that six of the 24 bodies found at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, Colorado have been identified, which is two more than what was shared a few weeks ago. Owners Brian Cotter and his brother, Chris, still have not yet been criminally charged, as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and other investigating agencies are delaying arrests until all 24 bodies are identified.

Another great idea to steal!

Later this month, Restland Funeral Home & Crematory in Dallas, Texas will host a Trunk and Treat for their community, and we wish we could be there for it! They promise “an unforgettable evening of laughter, community, and festive fun as we transform our grounds into a safe and magical Halloween celebration for families of all ages,” which we think is a fantastic way to remind their neighbors that funeral homes don’t have to be scary, and funeral directors are real, down-to-earth people — even though this time they might be dressed as superheroes or princesses.