Reflections: The American Funeral Tour

West Virginia Funeral Directors Gather in Charleston

2010-06-13T19:44:00.001-04:00

While we were in Washington DC for the NFDA Advocacy day this year we made contact with the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association and starting planning a visit to their 2010 conventions. Upon arriving in Charleston and finding out that we would be setting up right by the front doors of the hotel you couldn’t wipe the grin off of Josh’s face. We had hustled down from Michigan; stopping for a night in Parkersburg, where we participated in those holiday parades. I have said this before but we do enjoy joining state conventions and talking with the area funeral directors. Meeting them in an educational and social environment always leads to great conversations and we learn what has been trending in the state.

The local media took an interest in the week’s happenings and we spotted more than one reporter interviewing West Virginia Funeral Directors to get their take on the state of business. Both Frank and I were interviewed a few times for nightly news pieces and newspapers from around Charleston. One additional benefit to parking outside of a convention center is that the public is then welcome to come inside. We did have guests join us all day from offices and building all over downtown.

Curwood Festival in Owosso, MI

2010-06-10T13:03:00.001-04:00

Two parades in one week is a huge treat for us, love seeing communities come out and have fun together. The Curwood Festival on Owosso, MI has to be one of the craziest parades I have been to. We were one of the early floats and pulled off to then set up, both Josh and I kept getting distracted by the other participants. Little motorcycles chasing each other, go-carts that looked like plains and more music then you could keep up with. The route was filled with drum and bugle corps, a bagpipe band and a few local marching bands. We had a such a great time, we were able to have the doors open before the parade ended and welcomed guests as they made their way around town for activities. The staff at the Jennings-Lyons Funeral Chapel passed out water bottles to guests and even had a vintage hearse in the parade.

As you can see we were right in the heart of the activities, luckily we had some time to walk a few blocks over and walk around the park and main festival area.

Memorial Day with Hinsey - Brown

2010-06-09T12:02:00.003-04:00

What better place to spend Memorial Day then a wonderful small community like New Castle, IN. A close knit town that comes out in full force to say thank you to those who have served. the entire city participates in a variety of activities. We were there to join Hinsey - Brown Funeral Service at their facility for an open house and to be in the parade. For two days we greeted visitors there to see our exhibit and take tours. The staff from Hinsey - Brown chatted with the guests and served hot dogs.
Both Josh and I enjoy parades, I love to great everyone and pass out candy. I think Josh just likes to honk his horn for the kids. We had a wonderful reaction and a live about 40 people long before we were set back up at the end of the parade. For the rest of the day we talked with folks about their visit and the community. This was a special few days for us and a wonderful visit.

The Gardens At Olive Branch Cemetery

2010-05-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

We often talk about Reflections being a unique way to view history but when a cities or churches records have been destroyed, the funerals might be your only key to finding the roots of a community. We joined GH Herrmann Funeral Home for the dedication of a cemetery that had been moved to allow for progress in the Greenwood community. The graves in the cemetery dated back too the 1800s and with two fires having destroyed the records it will take a team archaeologists to help. That's is just what is going on here, the family at GH Herrmann, while moving each grave to a new location within The Gardens At Olive Branch grounds are working with archaeologists to put some of the history back together. So many people have interest in ancestry these days and filling the gaps here could help many folks on their quest to trace back roots. I have often wondered how far my family goes back in the United States; it has been easier to find records in

Scotland

. I guess that is what makes it fun.

We shared the day with an open house and then a very touching dedication that included bagpipes and a dove release. These are both services the funeral home offers and for those not having experienced either it was a one of a kind day. The staff and family great guests all day, shared some history and fellowship then joined everyone for a lovely meal.

This is a wonderful group of caring funeral directors and an amazing facility.

Celebrating Armed Forces Day in Cincinnati

2010-05-21T10:19:00.002-04:00

Our last event was hosted by the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. This event was in the making for more than a year. We met the school’s administrator, Karen Giles last year at the Ohio Funeral Director’s Convention in Columbus. She was extremely impressed with our exhibit and worked with us to create an event at her school. It was our pleasure to be a part of Operation Welcome Home a 3 day event celebrating Armed Forces Day. It included a full day CEU program for funeral directors and alumni reception on Friday. Saturday was an open house with presentations, ceremonies, and cook out for the public to enjoy. On Sunday we moved to the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, the second largest cemetery in the country.

On Saturday Karen Giles who is a retired Colonel in the Air Force, gave a presentation about her experience as the director of the Port Mortuary Center at Dover Air Force Base from 2003-2008. This Base is the intake and preparation point for all military and government employee deaths overseas. The focus of her talk was about the process of returning our fallen service men and women to their families for burial. It was sobering and heart wrenching to hear about the reality of war and the terrible effects of IEDs and combat deaths. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for their families to cope with not being able to see their loved ones as they remembered them. I was also filled with a sense pride to learn how much attention to detail and care is ensure they are returned in their proper uniform and to allow the family to view the remains if possible. Colonel Giles’ presentation truly reminded me how important a funeral can be to give closure to the deads’ loved ones.

On Sunday we moved to the Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. This is the 2^nd largest cemetery in the United States and is more the 800 acres. Frank and I were able to take a cemetery walk and view a small portion of this vast and beautiful cemetery. Our tour guide Diana Brake gave us a great tour. It was a fantastic history lesson. It is amazing that historical scope that can be found by researching the lives of those buried. We learned of Cincinnati’s heritage, history, its industries and its place in Ohio’s and America’s history. The architecture and burial customs were fascinating as well. I encourage everyone to go to cemetery pick out the most intriguing headstone and start digging into the past (figuratively of course). It is amazing where it can lead.

Minnesota Funeral Directors Association 2010 Convention

2010-05-15T19:40:00.002-04:00

To finish up our trip up north we joined the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association for their annual convention, held in St. Cloud. This meeting of professionals from all over the state was forced to deal with some pretty nasty weather. I don’t think anyone told them it’s not supposed to snow in May.

Matt Smith from Frigid Fluid joined the MFDA and us for the two days we were at the convention. Matt has become a huge supported of the tour over the last two years and we always enjoy being able to see him. We all got a chance to have dinner together as well. This is a real treat for three people who travel so much.

Joseph S. Klecatsky & Sons Funeral Home

2010-05-13T19:42:00.001-04:00

Last week Reflections was hosted at a very special location for us, the field team, we bought it to a funeral home in Eagan, MN. For the six years before joining the MRA team we called Eagan home. So when Klecatsky & Sons Funeral Home called us to plan an event I couldn’t help but be giddy. After speaking with Rich Graner I knew exactly where the location was, just two blocks from our home. We had a bit of fun planning this event and getting invites out to all the local groups that we were associated with. Now if the weather had just cooperated.

The Klecatsky family came out in force to help out; even the grandkids were put to work placing flags. Friday was filled with visits from local families and a few home school groups, the rain and winds did not keep guests from coming to see the unique exhibit. I forget sometimes how different it is to view history this way. Being with Reflections will forever change the way I view events. History writes about people and their works but to look at a funeral you see what that person meant to society in their own lifetime.

This was probably the event with the cutest group of kids, even if one did happen to be my nephew. We got a real sense of how the families at Klecatsky’s have become close to the Eagan and South St. Paul communities.

Tri-State Funeral Directors Convention

2010-05-12T17:55:00.003-04:00

Last week we joined funeral directors from Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas for the Tri-State Funeral Directors Convention in Overland Park, KS. You don't have to ask Josh twice to head south a little and enjoy some barbecue. It was a few long days to make it from Maryland to Kansas but with spring in the air what a drive it was.

The convention had a special guest, William C. Wappner, CFSP 2009-2010 NFDA President, we enjoyed our visit with him as well.

The convention made a wonderful decision to open the exhibit to the community, it's nice to greet industry professionals and have them around to answer questions from guests.

Bogwardt Funeral Home

2010-05-05T17:39:00.005-04:00

Our next stop was at the Bogwardt Funeral Home to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They are located in Beltsville Maryland, a suburb between Washington DC and Baltimore. It was another day of threatening rain clouds but we still had 241 people come in. The event featured 2 extremely rare cars, an immaculate Edsel hearse and flower car. They were both incredibly interesting vehicles. We also had a number of distinguished guests including state delegate Barbara Frush.

Keeney & Basford helps us visit Frederick

2010-05-04T17:35:00.005-04:00

Even though the weather did not cooperate the community of Frederick, MD still braved the rain to visit us. Our friends at Keeney & Basford Funeral Home made this visit to possible. Their historic funeral home sits right in the heart of downtown, not too far from the lovely creek that runs through the city. We would have loved to have been set up at their facility but I'm not sure that we could even have fit down the street. Luckily these guys were able to invite us to a local church's lot. It's kind of nice to have all the room in the world to park sometimes.

We were joined by members and staff of the Maryland National Guard's Honor Guard. I felt bad for them, with the rain coming most of the day they were stuck under a tent.

Celebrating 25 Years with Pritts Funeral Home

2010-05-03T17:32:00.004-04:00

Celebrating an anniversary is always fun but when there's catering involved, sign me up!!! There are defiantly some perks to this job and visiting a place like Westminster with a wonderful host like Kyle Pritts makes for an unforgettable weekend. The Pritts Funeral Home of Westminster, MD celebrated 25 years of service at their location and the community came out to share. We heard so many stories of the deep connection they have to the Pritts staff and the community in general.

Our event started with a unadvertised day for a local retirement community, this was a way to let the residents view the exhibit without the rush of area visitors. It was touching to see all the hugs and thank yous exchanged from the staff and guests to Kyle.

The city of Westminster held a few surprises for us too, the rolling hills and wonderful historic downtown made an evening stroll a special treat. Not to mention how well we feed ourselves.

Pritt's then hosted a large party for the rest of the area, including food, giveaways and a Baltimore Ravens Fan-mobile. All day visitors lines up to tour us and to see the funeral home. The had to have a staff member outside to help park cars. The wind kept no one away, I know this will be an unforgettable event for us and I hope for all of Westminster.

NFDA Advocacy Summit

2010-03-15T10:49:00.003-04:00

Anytime we can join the NFDA for an event is a treat but doing so at the foot of our nation’s capitol is a unique experience. I don’t think many enjoy starting their workday at 4:00 AM but in order to be cleared by capitol police, that is just what we did. After a once over by the k9 unit and a good chat with officers starting their early morning shift it was time to open up Reflections for attendees of the 2010 NFDA Advocacy Summit in Washington DC. Sitting next to the reflecting pool below the statue of General Grant we were visited by several Congressional Reps and their staffs as well as government employees out enjoying the pleasant weather, the media and hundreds of people who were visiting Washington DC from around the country and literally from around the world.

Being just a few hundred feet from capitol steps and where the tour buses drop off has its advantages; those waiting to be picked up took a few moments to take in the exhibit.

This is will be a lasting memory for Josh and I, it’s going to be hard to top this one.

McMinn County Living Heritage Museum

2010-03-07T09:48:00.005-05:00

Guess you all might want to hear from the driver every once in a while. It sure is nice to be on the road again, and headed south! We left the snow and slush behind us in Detroit and headed for Tennessee. Abigail abandoned me and went on a vacation to Mexico with some of her pals. Not to worry though! Frank Lorbach hopped in the truck with me and we headed off to do a 3 day event at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens TN.

This local museum was quite impressive with more than 7000 artifacts in their collection! Its exhibits portrayed daily life and artifacts from different time periods throughout the county's history. We had a nice show and had a surprising number of veterans and their families come visit us. The area has a strong tradition of military service. It was a rewarding experience to receive their appreciation for the exhibit.

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln

2010-02-09T15:03:00.007-05:00

Each year the city of Danville, IL has a special way to wish their hometown hero a Happy Birthday. Abraham Lincoln practiced law in that area for many years and to celebrate they host an annual Birthday Card contest. This year found more then 400 entrants, on Sunday the Vermilion County Museum hosted a party for all the participants. The winners were announced and birthday cake was served. This is an annual happening to Danville and we found it to be the perfect place to celebrate Abe.

Here you can see a collection of the top finishers, I was blown away by the creativity and construction.

New Content Coming

2010-01-13T11:28:00.004-05:00

As Reflections prepares to start it's next season on tour, new content will be released. I am going to keep is secret until we launch but look for added features and new display. We are very excited around here, we are hustling and bustling to book shows for next year.

If you are looking at adding Reflections to your schedule please get a hold of the team here at MRA for information.

Look forward to seeing you all this year.

Celebrating the Holidays With Parkersburg

2010-01-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

We had a very special opportunity this December to visit Parkersburg and Vienna, WV, taking part in their Holiday parades. It is always a unique day for us to take part in a parade and then open up for guests. Thanks to Lambert-Tatman Funeral Homes we made the last show of the season a great one. Both communities had wonderful turnouts to their very different parades. With pleasant weather and tons of floats families of all sizes joined us.
After the festivities we opened the exhibit to the public and Lambert-Tatman's south Parkersburg location. More then 300 guests came by to visit us and the staff of the funeral home.

Happy Anniversary Heritage Funeral Home

2009-12-10T20:57:00.008-05:00

To celebrate the one year anniversary at their new facility, Heritage Funeral Home invited Reflections into the Columbia, TN community. They have created a beautiful and state of the art funeral home, crematorium and cemetery. Despite some rainy weather we had a nice turn out and lots of folks got a chance to visit our exhibit see what the funeral home has to offer.
As you can see the staff really tries to offer the best for their families. With flexible options for the service and viewing this is some of the most extensive facilities we have visited.
We had a number of home school groups come through, providing a little field trip without having to go far from home. They had lots of great questions

Teaming Up With Frigid Fuild in Nashville

2009-12-08T15:05:00.005-05:00

Matt and John Smith from Frigid Fluid are no strangers to Reflections, and Matt has joined us at numerous events to share his industry expertise and information about Frigid Fluid. John A. Gupton College hosted us and in conjunction with a presentation from him . Before the students left for fall break they were able to sit in on a lecture from the Smith's about advanced embalming and preparation techniques. Many local funeral directors where able to come in for the talk. It was a joy to visit with students and staff at the college.

Unfortunately I don't have photos to share with you from this event but we hope to repeat it soon.

Murfreesboro Funeral Home

2009-11-30T14:19:00.007-05:00

We were not there for the Grand Opening of the Murfreesboro Funeral Home but what a grand place it is. The beautiful building and its wonderful staff made us feel so welcome in the community. As a new facility in the area, hosting Reflections gives a funeral home the opportunity to open its doors and invite in guests. Since many people only visit a facility for services, these events can be a great way to meet staff and see what the building offers.

Kates Boylston Hosts Business Plan Conference

2009-11-23T12:40:00.006-05:00

After the pace of Ribfest is was nice to join one of our sponsors, Kates Boylston, at their 4th Annual Funeral Service Business Plan Conference in Clearwater, FL. For two very sunny days we welcomed attendees and community members. Sitting almost on the beach a number of vacationers and locals came to explore Reflections.

The conference featured many of the industries leading lecturers and covered topics that keep directors thinking creatively. There is a need to be able to meet the expectations and wishes of clients today, conferences like these allow professionals to share ideas and experience. Like any industry there is a always need for innovation.

We thank Kates Bloylston for their continued support.

RibFest Breaks the Record

2009-11-19T09:54:00.009-05:00

It's a tough task visiting Florida in November but I guess we have to do it. We were greeted with 70 degree days and more sunshine then I have seen all year. The Anderson McQueen Funeral Home invited us to join them for the Annual St. Petersburg Ribfest. The day before setting up for that event we brought Reflections to their St. Petersburg facility to say thank you to special guests and supporters. The lovely evening was hosted with refreshments and the entire staff.

The Anderson McQueen Funeral Homes are the premier facilities in the bay region, serving thousands of families a year and providing the only pet crematorium in the area.

That was just the begining of our fun week. Being around a close group of employees and community members was a treat, but greeting a record 5774 guests was amazing. Ribfest welcomes near 50,000 visitors each year. Each day featured a concert lineup that featured old favorites and new popular acts. There were over a dozen vendors from across the USA and world featuring award winning BBQ and ribs. The festival takes place right in a beautiful downtown waterfront park. We even saw dolphins patroling the shore line the morning of our set up!

Our guests varied from family groups to car enthusiasts to those who were there to chow down and listen to their favorite band. I think everyone was able to enjoy the sun, the music, and of course the food. I know we did.

Atlanta's Veterans Day Parade

2009-11-09T17:19:00.005-05:00

Definitely a change of pace for Reflections was taking part in the 28th annual Atlanta Veterans' Day Parade. It was kind of exciting to rush around and get placed in line for an event so close to our hearts. At the end of the parade route we stopped and set up the exhibit to share with the attendees and the community.

Flora Funeral Service Shines in Virgina

2009-11-06T21:40:00.009-05:00

The community of Rocky Mount welcomed Reflections this past week, it was quite a drive but worth it. Winding roads and beautiful fall colors lead us to a wonderful small community that is surrounded by farmland and nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Our host Flora Funeral Service is seated on Main Street in this close knit town. When an opportunity presented itself to open up shop in Rocky Mount founder Lee Flora knew he found a home. Flora's wonderful staff joined us to welcome guests and open up the host refreshments.

Our day started with an interview from the Roanoke Times and the Franklin Times, which opened the doors to a steady stream of visitors. Parking right on Main Street we certainly were able to draw in guests. It was a lovely day in a lovely community.

NFDA in Boston

2009-11-02T19:55:00.004-05:00

The Reflections team spent a very special week in Boston at the NFDA International Convention. With three days of exhibit floor hours, we met many professionals whom had not heard about the tour yet and were very inspired by it. Looks like we will be coming to your area soon. This was the second time Reflections has been to the NFDA Convention but after more then a year on the road it was nice to see so many familiar faces. It was a treat to visit with most of our sponsors and past hosts. They all start to feel like family.

We had a chance to give a little thank you to our sponsors by placing miniature models of our truck in their booths.

NFDA has created a new media outlet, NFDA-TV, this will be a monthly broadcast featuring stories about up and coming people in the industry and programs like ours. Plus we did an interview for it. Not sure when it will be used but look for us in the upcoming webcast.

Again we want to add a special Thanks to NFDA for allowing us to share the exhibit with the highest attendance convention in their history.

Miles Martin Thanks Community for 80 Years

2009-10-24T08:05:00.006-04:00

As a special thank you to the Mt. Morris community for 80 years of support the Miles Martin Funeral Home hosted an open house reception and invited Reflections to join in. What made this event so special for us is that the local junior high classes come to see the exhibit. It was a busy day of bus fulls of inquisitive minds but a fun one. They certainly had tons of questions and enjoyed being able to see the funeral home as well as the company vehicles.

It was very touching to hear stories from visitors about what the staff had done for their families and how they had touching their lives in some difficult times.

Temrowski Family Funeral Home Open House

2009-10-19T08:46:00.004-04:00

The Temrowski Funeral Home in Fenton, MI hosted an open house this Saturday and invited us to join them. This is a stunning facility run by husband wife team, Becca and Ken Temrowski. They opened their doors to talk to families about what services they offer and provide. This was an event similar to others we have been at recently, a local funeral home that reaches out to thank the community for its support.

Wayne State Open House 2009

2009-10-18T05:58:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the help from sponsors we were able to attend the Wayne State Mortuary Science program open house. Kaul Funeral Home, Will Funeral Home and Frigid Fluid; staff made themselves available for questions and the student volunteer to greet and guide guests. It gives you a sense of the pride Wayne State has in their Mortuary program.

We were joined by some special guests; Lloyd Young, Dean of the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Services (far left), Matt Smith of Frigid (center), and Peter Frade, Program Director of the Mortuary Science Program at Wayne State (far right). It was an honor to guide them through the exhibit and express the pride we feel sharing this with communities.

There were many alumni that joined the event as well, many of which we have met at previous industry events.

With a line out the door most of the night, anyone can see how much this event means to the community. I spoke with a few people whom have attended in multiple years and some who expressed excitement about being future members of the program of study.

We were also joined by some officers and members of the Mortis City Hearse Club; hopefully we will be able to visit one of their events soon.

Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home - Fremont, OH

2009-10-16T20:12:00.004-04:00

To celebrate 65 years of serving the Sandusky area communities Wonderly Horvath Hanes Funeral Home hosted an open house and reception. In addition to hosting the Reflections exhibit, refreshments, giveaways and pre-planning information was available.

Grand Traverse Heritage Center

2009-10-15T14:53:00.000-04:00

After a great series of shows in Illinois, we headed into Michigan and made the scenic drive up to Traverse City. Our next event was sponsored by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. The location for the event was at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center. They have a museum with many excellent exhibits about the area's natural history, Native Americans, local industries. They also have an impressive collection of military artifacts.

We were part of a special reception the first evening for guests invited by the Museum and Reynolds Jonkhoff. They enjoyed the premier of an exhibit on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Michigan has a rich Civil War connection, as some of the largest Union Regiments hail from there. We enjoyed another 3 days there sharing with the community of Traverse City.

Catholic Cemeteries Conference

2009-10-15T13:09:00.002-04:00

We were honored to attend the 60th annual Catholic Cemeteries Conference. One of the key events was a Cemetery tour of the formidable Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside IL. Reflections greeted the attendees as they arrived at the cemetery's meeting facility. Our exhibit was well received by the two bus loads of national conference goers that made the trip. It was a great opportunity to meet with so many interested people and we hope to see many of them again. We were joined by Frigid Fluid the exhibits sponsor.

Malcolm X Community College

2009-10-14T12:45:00.006-04:00

The next stop was in the windy city of Chicago at Malcolm X Community College. The school features a mortuary department, so it was our pleasure to provide its students with a unique educational experience. The turn out was pleasantly surprising as many others from the college ventured across the windswept parking lot to experience Reflections. We also included a special exhibit from Frigid Fluid, the events sponsor.

Reflections Participates In Rockford's Salute to Mr. Lincoln Weekend

2009-10-14T11:41:00.012-04:00

We had a wonderful opportunity to participate in a very special event with Rockford Illinois' Salute to Mr. Lincoln event which included the dedication of a new 5 foot tall Abraham Lincoln sculpture in front the courthouse. We were able to set our exhibit in front of Rockford's Veterans Memorial Hall. It happens to be the first memorial hall of the nation and was dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1903.

The dedication of the sculpture was quite an event and the city pulled out all the stops. Hundreds attended the proceedings which featured historical reenactors, including Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln, Illinois 33rd Regimental Band, and several key speakers. It was an honor to participate in this one of a kind event.

The newest Lincoln Statue, "Iron Determination"

Cognetta Family of Funeral Home Hosts Reflections

2009-10-13T09:42:00.014-04:00

On a very special invitation, Reflections joined the Hoyt-Cognetta and Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home for open houses.

Our first event took place at the on the Green of Norwalk, Connecticut in front of Saint Paul's Church and Cemetery that was founded in 1737. It was beautiful setting for the exhibit and drew a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. We were not the vehicle there however. We shared our space with a sharp new Harley Davidson hearse that had come up from Moloney Family Funeral Homes of Long Island to participate. We also had an ice cream truck on location that was providing tasty treats compliments of the Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home. The home's manager, Danny Turocy, did an excellent a great job promoting the event and we were even featured on the local news that day.

Our second open house took place just down the road in Stamford on the grounds of Saint Bridget of Ireland Roman Catholic Church. We were quite busy early in the day as it was Sunday and two masses took place. The Cognetta Funeral Home staff were all present and providing information about funeral services and planning. Nick Cognetta was also providing complimentary refreshments for the event which including hot dogs, hot pretzels, ice cream, and cold beverages. No one left hungry!

Della Vecchia Funeral Home brings us to Southington

2009-09-26T15:54:00.006-04:00

On the invitation from Della Vecchia Funeral Home, Reflections made two stops in the community of Southington. First hosting the exhibit at their facility in town and then sharing with the Mortuary students of Briarwood College. It was a very unique show full of wonderful visitors. The local fire department came out and brought their fire trucks. Now that was a first to have a firemen leave his boots at the door. They enjoyed it so much a second truck came to visit.

This is will long be a story we tell, remember when the fire truck came to visit.

Bailey Funeral Home Celebrate 125 Years

2009-09-20T16:58:00.003-04:00

As a wonderful show of thanks for 125 years of community support, Bailey Funeral Home of Plainville, CT held an open house and reception that was open to the public. To augment their event they invited Reflections to join them in their celebration. This funeral home has deep roots in the community and the grandchildren of the original owners were there to enjoy the honors. More then 200 guests passed through our doors and we were filled with the comments from a close knit community. We feel a great privilege to have visited such an established funeral home with so many years of continued service.

Indianapolis

2009-09-02T14:27:00.003-04:00

Reflections finished out the summer in Indianapolis at two great locations. First was American Legion Post 64, hosting the kickoff of the Legacy Run, a 1,200 mile motorcycle ride to raise money for American Legion Scholarship programs.

Many Legion members and ride participants toured the exhibit, and were especially interested in the tributes to the men and women in uniform.

After the good times at the American Legion, Reflections crossed town to the National Cemetery Administration Conference. Set up at the Indianapolis Hilton between the Capitol building and Monument Circle, Reflections was in quite an official setting. With the excellent help of officer McAtee, traffic was routed around the expandable from 9am-6pm so that conference goers could experience the ways in which Reflections is educating the public about funeral customs.

Dream Cruise

2009-09-02T14:15:00.004-04:00

One of the great end-of-summer traditions in Southeast Michigan is the Woodward Dream Cruise. Car enthusiasts of all kinds flock to Woodward Avenue to see the impromptu parade of classic cars that meanders between Pontiac and 8 Mile. Halfway along the route, Reflections was open to visitors Friday evening and all day Saturday in the parking lot of Peabody's Restaurant in Birmingham. A special sign was created detailing the some of the well known residents of the many cemeteries along Woodward Avenue.

Our host for the day was Lynch Funeral Homes, a great supporter of the Reflections exhibit. They brought with them their pristine 1939 Packard hearse, so the car enthusiasts had a special treat. Pat even ran into a featured member of Reflections next to the Packard!

The folks at Peabody's were also operating a lift to give people a better view of the crowds and cars below, so we took the opportunity to get a good shot of the whole amazing scene.

Early August in Michigan

2009-08-14T16:36:00.003-04:00

The first Monday of the month took Reflections to Cobo Hall in Detroit for the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association Annual National Convention. Reflections was specifically the guest of the 100 Black Women in Funeral Service. It is always great to do a show indoors where guests will not be deterred by bad weather, and in this case was especially great since hundreds of people were in attendance for multiple events and educational sessions.

Cobo is a massive space right down town - the truck matched it pretty well in scale!

About a week after the rewarding few days at Cobo, Reflections headed a little way west to the charming historic town of Chelsea, Michigan, where it was the guest of Cole Funeral Home. As we have seen in so many other communities, Cole is a very active presence in Chelsea, and hosted an open house to let everyone learn a little more of what they are about. They also had on display two beautiful antique hearses to add to the sense of history in the culture of funeral customs.

Chelsea, Michigan is also home to the famous Purple Rose Theater, founded by Michigan's own Jeff Daniels. The play they are currently putting on, called Wake, features a mortician as the main character! Several of the event attendees visited Reflections and then headed over to the theater. The lucky ones also stopped at Chelsea's famous Common Grille for dinner.

Wake is in its world premier run and is on through August 22nd at the Purple Rose Theater.

http://www.purplerosetheatre.org/plays/wake.shtml

Fraser and Fowlerville, MI

2009-08-03T15:45:00.003-04:00

On July 19th, Reflections was a feature of the City of Fraser Annual Picnic & Parade. Fallman & Walsh Funeral Home has been a participant in the Fraser community for many years, and made arrangements to have Reflections out at the event to celebrate their corner of southeast Michigan. Jim Walsh of Fallman & Walsh Funeral Home was there with his vintage 36 Auburn Funeral Coach, and dressed in period clothes of that time. With Jim as our added attraction we had lots of interest in the exhibit.
The trailer, with its impressive graphic wrap, became a favorite backdrop for other participants in the parade to have their picture taken. Jim was always standing proudly by!

When the parade began, Jim led the way distributing flags to families along the parade route.

After the parade, the exhibit was parked and opened to the public. Many visitors came through in a few short hours, and Jim had a chance too share some of the historic and educational aspects his profession with the community.

The weekend after the Fraser event, Reflections was down the road to the west at the Fowlerville Family Fair for the fair's Veterans and Government Day. Amidst the musical acts and animals, the Reflections exhibit gave people a place to pause and reflect on the ways that we honor those who served our country.

Although Reflections was only out at the Fair for one day, and a bit of a rainy one at that, a lot of excitement and interest was shown by visitors.

Reflections Celebrates Independence

2009-08-03T15:14:00.003-04:00

Michigan likes to start celebrating early, so Reflections' Independence Day engagements began the last weekend in June with 3 days and over 3,000 visitors at the Stars and Stripes Festival in historic downtown Mt. Clemens, MI. Once again, Traci Lee was at the event, and provided this report:

"The Reflections trailer was set up on Thursday morning just outside of the main food court area and across the street from one of the main restaurants in downtown Mt. Clemens. We were also close to one of the smaller music stages.
The event was very well-attended. From what the festival organizer said, there was 150,000 people on Friday and he had expected about 500,000 people to attend the event over the entire weekend.
Because our location was in a very good spot, we saw a lot of people throughout the festival. We had a very wide variety of people of all ages that came through the exhibit. A few WWII veterans, who had just come back from Washington DC, came through the exhibit and they enjoyed it. Since we have had many events in the area, we had a lot of people come through that had already seen the exhibit and spoke of seeing it at Kaul's funeral home or in the Grosse Pointe area.

As the weekend progressed, we had people come in telling us that they had heard that the exhibit was very cool (and not just because of the air conditioning)!"

For the actual 4th of July, Reflections was on display in Wyandotte, MI. This downriver community has a real small-town feel, with a true sense of community. Their Independence Day Parade took place at 10am, and Reflections was parked right along the parade route for visitors to view before, during, and after the parade.

Even with a brief show, Reflections saw over 300 visitors in Wyandotte.

A very family-oriented event, the parade was a great location for Reflections, and since it was early in the day, the drivers had time to see some fireworks that evening!

Erie, PA

2009-08-03T12:56:00.003-04:00

Reflections was hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Funeral Directors' Association at their annual conference in Erie, PA. MRA employee Traci Lee, who has worked with Reflections on many previous events, had this report:

"We arrived to find that everyone was very excited for our arrival and we were soon put in place in front of the Bel Aire Convention Center.
We were set up right in front of the hotel with our entrance doors in line with the side doors of the hotel, which was the main entrance into the exhibit area. We were surrounded by different limo cars and hearses, as well as a old fashioned horse drawn hearse.

The Reflections exhibit was open from 9am - 5pm and we believe that the majority, if not all, of the exhibit attendees came through the exhibit, in addition to a few members of the public.
The organizing committee was extremely hospitable and we were welcomed to breakfast and lunch during the conference.

Many attendees, and the organizing committee, came out to specifically thank us for coming and adding something different to their convention in their 101st year. "

Lynch & Sons, Brighton, MI

2009-08-03T12:19:00.005-04:00

Reflections was fortunate to participate in several festivals and events in southeast Michigan leading up to the 4th of July. On June 13th, Lynch & Sons Funeral Home hosted Reflections at their location in Brighton, MI. The president and senior partner of the firm is Thomas Lynch, who wrote the book The Undertaking; the film of the same name is featured on Reflections.
The event was a rededication of the funeral home, with an open house that invited the community to learn more about the work of the funeral home.

Ceremonies included speeches, a flag raising, and a 5 gun salute.

It was truly an honor for Reflections to help their firm educate and serve the public with our free exhibit.

Busy Summer For Reflections

2009-08-03T11:37:00.007-04:00

The Reflections Tour has been very busy this summer, with several of the MRA staff pitching in on successful stops around Michigan and beyond. As the schedule for the fall starts filling out, it is great to look back on all the miles traveled and visitors educated in the last year of touring. We have been fortunate that several of our summer stops have been close to MRA's home base in southeast Michigan, giving us a chance to feel like we are really participating in giving something back to our local community, and as always, paying tribute to the funeral professionals who play a sometimes unsung role in the functioning of our communities.

Shortly after the Ohio Convention in May, Reflections had a very special Memorial Day show at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

Always a beautiful location, in this case the education of the exhibit was enhanced by the emotion of the ceremony, which took place on the lawn of the War Memorial leading down to Lake St. Clair.

After the ceremony, many of the veterans and many other guests toured the exhibit, and expressed how they were happy to see such an important subject on view.

After the War Memorial, the two days after Memorial Day were spent at the Guardian Angel Cemetery in Rochester, MI. As people came to pay respects to relatives in the cemetery, they were also able to tour the exhibit, and learn more about the history and culture of mourning.

Ohio Funeral Directors Association Convention - Columbus, OH

2009-05-29T10:02:00.004-04:00

To us who work on this tour everyday is special, sharing this content with others is a very rewarding job. However when we get the opportunity to be a highlighted portion of an event then those are the special times. Not to say that our latest stop wasn't without it difficulties. We got an entirely new experience, parking the exhibit inside of a building!

As guests of the Ohio Funeral Directors Convention in Columbus, OH we parked the truck right inside the exhibit floor. As an added bonus for the convention attendees, touring our exhibit was worth an additional CEU credit.

One of our full time sponsors, Legacy.com, was on hand to talk about some of their new products and to celebrate their recent front page article in USA Today.

The Ohio area Funeral Directors made a wonderful audience and i do believe that soon you will be here about us going back to visit a few of them.

I want to extend a special thank you to Batesville Casket Company for bringing us to the convention.

International Museum Day - Sandusky, OH

2009-05-27T10:01:00.003-04:00

We were excited to be invited to take part in a very unique community celebration, nine different Sandusky area museums joined together to offer a fun day for the area. Each location has activities, giveaways and transportation available. Our spot was parking was right at the marina in the lot of the Sandusky Maritime Museum.
The day was full of visitors, 525 to be exact. This outgoing and active community will be a highlight for the rest of the tour.

Michigan Funeal Directors Association - Mt. Pleasant, MI

2009-05-25T19:06:00.003-04:00

Our next stop was in Mt. Pleasant Michigan for the Michigan Funeral Director's Convention. We were set up in the parking lot of the Soaring Eagle Casino where the event took place. We were open for 3 days and had a good turn out. About half of our visitors were part of the convention and the other half were curious casino goers. It was great to meet so many of Michigan's funeral directors. I hope that we will have a chance to visit them in their hometowns in the near future.

Reflections Sponsor Makes USA Today Front Page

2009-05-24T22:14:00.004-04:00

Our sponsor Legacy.com had a wonderful article published on the FRONT PAGE of USA Today. Check it out!

McLean County Museum of History - Bloomington, IL

2009-05-21T19:06:00.001-04:00

Our next stop was in Bloomington Illinois which coincided with with the anniversary of Lincoln's funeral train stop in 1865. We were located at the beautiful McLean County Museum of History. It was the old court house and several floors of really well done exhibits. Abigail made her debut on the lecture circuit and gave a presentation on the Lincoln Funeral Train. My opinion be biased but she did a great job!

ABFSE Conference- Chatham, IL

2009-05-16T07:03:00.001-04:00

We moved on to Illinois and set up at the Staab-Polk Funeral Home of Chatham. Paula Staab-Polk was hosting an event as part of the annual American Board of Funeral Service Education convention. More than one hundred teachers and adminstrators representing mortuary schools from across the United States came in by charter buses and toured our exhibit as well as Paula's facility. The group had lunch and listened to several presentations. One of which was by our own boss Harry Kurtz, joined by Frank Lorbach about our exhibit. It was a very interesting group of people and I hope we get a chance to bring our exhibit to many of their schools.

We also had a student group from the local middle school who were taking a grief class come and tour the exhibit. A classmate of theirs had died earlier that year and Paula was meeting with them periodically. They were very curious about the exhibit and asked a lot of questions.