The Family Plot Blog
Amanda Dillon Life Celebration
Amanda Nicole Dillon died too young at the age of 36.
Bernice Greer Seventh Day Adventist Celebration
Bernice Greer was a real life Church Lady, and I say that with the greatest admiration.
Everyone Dies: Lessons From Six Feet Under
Everyone Dies: Lessons from Six Feet Under By Gail Rubin From 2001 to 2005, the award-winning HBO television series Six Feet Under took viewers behind the scenes at the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles. Over the course of the series, the program explored themes of death, grief, mourning and transformation. In spite of its emphasis on death, Six Feet Under offers important life lessons. I just spent my summer vacation watching all...
Remembering Annie Jones Hogan
Annie Jones Hogan spent the last ten years of her life at a senior living center, and that’s where her grown children held a gracious memorial service in her honor.
Ralph Perea: A Victory Celebration
A victory celebration for Ralph Perea coming into the radiant presence of his heavenly Father filled the funeral home chapel with family and friends gathered to remember and pray for a man who died too young.
Kimberly Marie Sauter Funeral
Purple was the color scheme for Kimberly Marie Sauter’s funeral.
Celebrating Ernest Garcia: Artist, Teacher, Activist
The memorial celebration for Ernest Garcia took place at the Albuquerque Museum of Art – a place he loved to visit every week.
Celebrating Ellie Sanchez
When Ellie Sanchez’s intriguing obituary drew me to her memorial service, I didn’t know she had been a neighbor who lived two blocks down the street from me.
Elements of a Jewish Graveside Service
Jewish traditions at a graveside funeral services include specific prayers, ribbon tearing, and placing earth on the casket in the grave.
Paul Holcomb Celebration of Life
Paul Holcomb was only 42 when he died in his sleep on Saturday night, but he had lived three decades longer than doctors predicted.
Vernon Garcia Rosary and Wake
Vernon Garcia faced death ten years ago when he suffered a massive heart attack at age 54. Quadruple bypass surgery saved his life. On Sunday morning, another heart attack took him to be with the Heavenly Father.
Clotine B. Irvin: An Intimate Family Funeral
Clotine Irvin, a.k.a. Nanny, did her own funeral planning and pre-paid for her arrangements. Nanny's plan was to have family and friends come together and tell stories. The intimate family funeral that occurred to remember her did just that. As the family gathered, I met her son Jim outside the funeral home. He said his mom, at age 81, was ready to go. Her husband had died 20 years ago, her boyfriends had died, and she herself almost died a...
Orlando Muller Visitation and Rosary
Orlando "Orlie" Muller loved to smile, loved to cook, loved to golf. He ran the celebrated El Camino Restaurant in Albuquerque until he sold it and retired in 2002. He died of kidney failure at the age of 72. The visitation and Rosary service for him at Holy Family Catholic Church brought about 150 people to pay their respects and comfort his widow Mary Ann and his six daughters Janet, Lillian, Rachel, Josephine, Anita, and Elizabeth. The duo...
Pat and Connor Porter Life Celebration
As I pulled out of the driveway to attend Pat and Connor Porter's celebration of life service, the song "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum came on the radio. That set the tone for a true celebration of the lives of a father and son taken too soon in a private plane crash on July 26. The extensive obituaries for two-time Olympian Pat and his son Connor (included at the end of this post) detail their achievements, their personalities, and...
Connie Gotsch: Broadcaster, Author, NM Press Woman
Broadcaster, journalist, author and animal lover Connie Gotsch’s large family of friends remembered her at a memorial service at the NM Broadcasters Association.
Irene Mora, Devout Member of LDS Church
Irene Mora loved her family, her students and her church. A devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), her community filled the chapel to overflowing at her funeral. It was a love-fest that left those who attended commenting that it was one of the nicest services they'd ever witnessed. The eulogy by Mateo Martinez noted that Irene was a special person from a young age with a strong faith. She was a living example...
Kent Gormley: A Home Funeral
I was late for Kent Gormley's home funeral. A few wrong turns on the way to his remote 40 acres on the east side of the Manzano Mountains delayed my arrival. The strains of a bagpipe tune floated on the air when I finally found all the cars parked along the gravel road. As I followed the signs toward the meadow and house, five guys in jeans and t-shirts straggled out of the woods. But I didn't miss everything. A greater part of this story took...
Starting the 30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge
The 30 Funerals in 30 Days Challenge starts today! By the way, today is the 35th anniversary of the day "Elvis left the building." Here's a short description of my reasons for doing this challenge. http://youtu.be/igEDCn7TPwg Remember, talking about sex won't make you pregnant, talking about funerals won't make you dead. Tune in to see what's happening on the front lines of funeral service and start a funeral planning conversation today!
Gail Operates a Backhoe at a Cemetery
After speaking yesterday at the Ohio Cemetery Association's annual meeting in Columbus (and lots of glowing reviews) I got to test drive a honking big backhoe! What a rush that was (see video). Forest Lawn Memorial Park hosted a field day, complete with lunch from the famous German Village restaurant Schmidt's Sausage House. Nothing like getting fired up with brats and sauerkraut and operating heavy machinery! Apparently, the cemetery planned...
Hello Ohio Cemetery Association!
Looking forwarding to speaking today at the Ohio Cemetery Association annual convention here in Columbus! My talk is titled "Grave Expectations: Trends in the Cemetery Trade." A few topics I'm talking about: QR codes on memorial markers in cemeteries Cremation rates, the economy and the change in burial rates The impact of baby boomers reaching retirement and death Growing interest in green burial Certified Celebrants: what they do and what...
Essays on Mourning and a Nice Wedding Story
Yesterday's New York Times had two really great essays on mourning I'd like to draw to your attention. The Modern Love column featured a piece by Lucy Schulte Danziger titled "Sad News Like a Warm Hug Goodbye." She writes about how her dad died on Father's Day at the age of 82. He was a lifelong swimmer who drowned while swimming in a lake. He died while doing something that he loved - what a way to go. She feels the mourning more as a warm hug...