The Family Plot Blog

The Unique Offerings of Wilbert Funeral Services

The Unique Offerings of Wilbert Funeral Services

In this video interview recorded at the National Funeral Directors Association convention and expo, Dennis Welzenbach, President & CEO of Wilbert Funeral Services, provides an overview of the company’s many different products and services.

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Video: How to Reach a Gentle Death in NM

Video: How to Reach a Gentle Death in NM

“How to Reach a Gentle Death in New Mexico” is one of the panel discussions that took place at the Before I Die New Mexico Festival Symposium. During this one-hour discussion, panelists presented information on a range of topics, including hospice, healthcare and end-of-life options for terminally ill people. They also discussed the upcoming legislative session starting January 2019 in Santa Fe, where a bill regarding medical aid-in-dying will...

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Video: How To Get a Green Burial in New Mexico

Video: How To Get a Green Burial in New Mexico

"Getting a Green Burial in New Mexico" is one of the panel discussions at the Before I Die New Mexico Festival Symposium. During this one-hour discussion, the experts on the panel examine a range of green burial issues. Topics include what green burial means, how Jewish funerals are naturally eco-friendly, different ways to green your final disposition, the different shades of green in funeral arrangements, hospice and home funerals, and other...

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2018 New Mexico Death Discussion Festival Reaches More People

2018 New Mexico Death Discussion Festival Reaches More People

Two Natural Burial Plots Awarded to Kay Ohmberger of Albuquerque The 2018 Before I Die New Mexico Festival, with events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Belen, NM, was a resounding success. A total of 685 people participated in 32 free or low-cost events to prompt death discussions and planning ahead. Festival events included Death Cafés, workshops, movies, speakers, parties, panel discussions, and field trips to cemeteries, a crematory, the Office...

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The One Who Dies With The Most Toys…

The One Who Dies With The Most Toys…

THEY'RE BAACK! We've got more of those black T-shirts with the eye-catching slogan, "The one who dies with the most toys... still dies." Show off your gallows humor and downsizing derring-do with this always-in-fashion statement. Available in long-wearing 50/50 cotton/polyester, these short-sleeved T-shirts are available in Medium, Large, Extra-Large, and XX-Large. They cost $20 plus shipping. True story: A guy who bought this T-shirt was...

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Top Downsizing Tips from Professional Organizers

Top Downsizing Tips from Professional Organizers

Want to know how to downsize and still keep your family legacy? At the 2018 Before I Die New Mexico Festival, three professional organizers tackled the topic, and the video of the discussion is now available on YouTube! The panelists were Hazel Thornton, Miriam Ortiz y Pino, and Karen Hyatt, and the moderator was Gail Rubin, death educator and Coordinator of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival. During the panel discussion, audience members...

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Listen to Gail Rubin on KKOB Radio this Saturday

Listen to Gail Rubin on KKOB Radio this Saturday

On Saturday, December 1 at 2:00 p.m., pioneering death educator and Before I Die NM Festival coordinator Gail Rubin will be interviewed on KKOB News Radio. She's scheduled to be on the Jeffrey Candelaria Show for an hour. You can find KKOB News Radio at 94.5 on the FM dial, or 770 AM in Albuquerque, NM, or listen live online through this link. Among the questions and topics to be discussed: When is the best time to have a conversation about...

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December 16: Albuquerque Death Cafe

December 16: Albuquerque Death Cafe

The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held Sunday, December 16, 2018, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will take place in the Fifth Floor Lounge at Manzano del Sol Village, 5201 Roma NE, Albuquerque. This is located just south of Lomas Blvd. and just west of San Mateo Blvd. The objective of the Death Cafe is “To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.”  It’s all about an interesting,...

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Video: Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews

Video: Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews

"Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews" was an innovative part of the Before I Die New Mexico Festival, held October 30 to November 4, 2018. Four funeral directors in their 30s participated in a panel discussion held at Tractor Brewing Company in Albuquerque. Among the topics discussed: funeral service and autopsies done at the Office of the Medical Investigator, the role of embalming in today's funerals, rising interest in green burial and...

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Remembering the Remarkable Brother Arturo Olivas

Remembering the Remarkable Brother Arturo Olivas

Arturo Olivas died on November 18, 2017. On this first anniversary of his passing, let us celebrate his life and remember the remarkable memorial service held for him earlier this year. I had the opportunity to meet Arturo in 2013, 18 months after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He was given a prognosis of six months to live. Yet, he pursued cutting edge treatments that extended his life well beyond that initial "death sentence." He...

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A Good Goodbye