Need advice as a funeral service student

I'm 18 and I'm attending Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. I'm currently in my second quarter and I'm starting to look for Funeral homes so I can do my embalming cases or at least just get a feel before I start. I need to start my cases at the end of December for the start of my third quarter. I am a very nervous person and I don't really know what to say when looking for a place. I need advice on what I should ask and what to say. I know I am probably overthinking it but i want to be as prepared as i can. Do i say im a student looking for cases or that i just wanna see if they have a place for me to just task around the funeral home. Is it better for me to call go in person or email? Any advice would be phenomenal and greatly appreciated thxs:)

I'm 18 and I'm attending Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. I'm currently in my second quarter and I'm starting to look for Funeral homes so I can do my embalming cases or at least just get a feel before I start. I need to start my cases at the end of December for the start of my third quarter. I am a very nervous person and I don't really know what to say when looking for a place. I need advice on what I should ask and what to say. I know I am probably overthinking it but i want to be as prepared as i can. Do i say im a student looking for cases or that i just wanna see if they have a place for me to just task around the funeral home. Is it better for me to call go in person or email? Any advice would be phenomenal and greatly appreciated thxs:)

We picked out a casket a week before the burial. When we arrived at the burial site and saw the casket, we all thought it looked very nice, but a bit different. Later on I investigated and realized our receipt was for a Nashua casket, but they actually gave us a different one (Clifton-2 it looks like). This wouldn't be a big deal, except we picked out a brown casket, and the one they used was a cherry/red color. When I called to ask about what happened, they said the company doesn't make our casket anymore, so they gave us a "major upgrade" to the next closest model. They didn't have an answer for why they didn't call us to have us pick out another one.

At this point I think I don't want to exhume the body, but I am also very upset that they completely changed the color without telling us. I'm not sure what to do.... probably nothing honestly, but I needed to vent.

Has anyone had something like this before? Is this standard practice?

Hey everyone, Currently trying to become an arranger at any location I can find as an employee at an SCI owned location. I am not an arranger, just an assistant. The only reason why I've been calling and emailing independant homes is because there isn't a single SCI FH in my location that have posted a job opening. If you call when they do not have a position, they often will brush you off (in my experience).

I was hesitant to mention to my mgr that I was looking at independant firms. There is such a bad feud between corp and family I've witnessed thus far, and it really sucks to me because we're all in the same business. The same niche, undersaturated, non-growing business...(at least in the realm of embalming and largely tenured directors).

I understand why people dislike SCI. They have their own reasons, and I'm not going to say whether I agree or not.

But since we are all in the same business, it makes me sad that I have to be "cautioned", and my mgrs have been looking at me like I shot their puppy when I say I'm applying for independant homes. What's the big deal?

A family owned location near me (who I did not call) listed nearby funeral homes that were corporate (SCI & other corporations). Basically saying families should choose them because they are family owned. That just feels like bad, mean business. FH's rely on eachother all the time. Can someone give me some insight and help understand what's going on? Lol. Thanks

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Hello all, I'm in my FS law class and we are reviewing sea burials. Have you ever witnessed one? What was that like?

My brother recently passed away and I was the one who filled out the paperwork online for the death certificate, I correctly spelled my mother's first name correctly. I just saw the death certificate and her name has one extra letter in it.

Would this matter with filing for my brother's life insurance or any other legal processes with her name slightly incorrect?

Edit: to add he has no estate, just need to know about submitting it to insurance. The state is Arkansas, so hoping a correction on the DC won't take months as I really need to submit the DC for insurance. I am the only beneficiary on his insurance.

UPDATE: So the funeral home said they will submit the correction and it should be done within a day. Hope that is true..

I have a question though about something that happened to me last night. I just started working at a funeral home ,I have been in a few other embalming prep rooms and never had this happen.. as soon as I walked in I got the heaviest feeling in my chest I couldn’t breathe my eye site became sorta blurry , it felt like I had pressure in my head and chest. The moment I walked out I was fine! I’ve never had this happen. I do not want it effect my job there but this was so weird. My God given purpose I feel is to peruse this career but I’ve hit a wall….Death to me is not scary I’m not scared of the dead but that feeling I got took over my body while I was in the room and I just felt like my head and chest were going to explode. I just do not understand it and need help with getting past this.🤍It also smelt very fishy in the room like stagnant water. The room was very clean but all this hit me when I walked in.

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/georgia-funeral-home-director-arrested-after-18-decomposing-bodies-found/PI6KJ535YNCWHH42SGWCN477YI/#

child deaths, tragic deaths, young suicides, experiences during the funeral, etc.. i am curious to how you emotionally handle such difficult cases.

Hey everyone! I’ve been working on ceramic urns and experimented with two shades of purple glaze. We did a gradient on the color rendering. I'm curious—which shade do you think looks better? I'd love to get your thoughts and any feedback.

https://preview.redd.it/o2103wlcwsxd1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d77301a3cf031f25f9200177a7278ab76646e2d

https://preview.redd.it/vuti0xlcwsxd1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08d36d78d076656057c5ec0be7d900482fa41bc2

Hi everyone! My university is making us conduct research for a project client, our client looking to better marketing services for family owned or independent funeral homes. My cold calling attempts have been pretty dull so I figured I would try here! If you use any specific marketing services i would love to know what it is and any of your concerns using it. I really don’t know anything about this industry so any input to better improve my research would be greatly appreciated!

I’m currently doing a research project at my university where we’re supposed to find out what funeral homes don’t like about their current marketing system. So far it’s been tough cold calling so I thought I would ask here! If you could also name the marketing service you’re using that would help too :) thank you !

Tomorrow morning I have an interview about possibly shadowing at a local funeral home. I can’t rack my brain on what questions I need to ask and I don’t want to come across as awkward or unfit. Any suggestions on what I can ask about, or what to ask about. I’ve always wanted to work in a funeral home since I was little, and it’s finally happening. I just want to make sure the job is right and I don’t waste time going to school just to not like it anymore. Thank you!!!

For example, a deceased man was seeing multiple different women without any of them knowing about the other, and they show up to the funeral? Any awkward situations?

Further more, why is it soo common to wear all black in funerals?

I'm Jewish. Can I be buried with ashes from my animals? I thought that was against the rules in general, not just for Jewish people. But as I read more, it seems that some people can be buried with cremations from animals. What's your take?

My father passed way on the 11th unexpectedly in his home. He had recurring prostate cancer and I’m not sure what stage it came back in (stage 2 when it went into remission). He was in fact a long term alcoholic. I requested an autopsy for my dad to see if the cause of death was from anything internal (he had been drinking when he passed and presented to had passed in his sleep). The OCME declined to do an internal autopsy because they deemed it unnecessary only performing an external autopsy. If no foul play was determined externally, why would they decline the internal autopsy? Wouldn’t it have made sense to perform an internal autopsy even if he abused alcohol and was a cancer patient ? I know the OCME in NYC is backlogged extremely but it almost feels as though it was a disservice because taking blood doesn’t give a definitive COD. Wouldn’t an internal autopsy even be able to assist TOD ? They told me it’s too many factors to consider to determine it but based on his last phone record, he made his last call at 1pm while walking the dogs and was found at 6am.

EDIT TO ADD: I’m not angry with them for not performing it, I assumed they would’ve because he died at home and that would be the way to get a definitive COD. I’m aware I could’ve paid for one but my grandmother didn’t want that for him or to know they “cut him up” that way or at least she wasn’t interested in paying for it to be done to him. They weren’t clear on why and if I’m being honest I figured they only did it due to the backlogging and workload

What fluids would be used to embalm a hanging case and why?

When my beloved dog experienced liver failure, we were able to do a loving home euthenasia. We kept her body with us for a night, surrounded with flowers and wrapped in a soft blanket on a table, so that we had a moment to speak to her and pray. Then we transported her for cremation.

If a human dies, after the required legalities and medical necessities, is there a way to request a home viewing period for the same sort of processing time? It is in my faith to do that, but I don’t know the modern laws.

I am in Tennessee USA if that is pertinent.

During the Fall, I see more deer on the side of the road dead. Which makes me curious..... do we blow up like dead deer when we decompose? Makes me think about a stiff blowed up deer with big bellies.

Hey everyone! I'm doing research and get many responses from Hospice workers, but unfortunately not many Funeral workers. And very few males as well. I need enough responses from each profession to compare death anxiety between the two. If you want to help me out, I'd really appreciate 10 min of your time! Must work in the US and be over the age of 18.

https://kennesaw.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8jL5iEXkk3HGNng

And if you have any tips for getting more responses, I'm all ears! I've gone to the local funeral homes, and honestly it feels cringy to walk in and ask for survey responses.

Hi. I’m fairly new to this sub, but have learned a lot in that short time from the wonderful professionals here. I have a question about the circumstances surrounding the passing of two of my relatives. Actually, two questions. First, my uncle. I saw a post here earlier today and it brought back memories of what I witnessed when he passed. He was 55, passed in 2011. I was the only one with him in the hospital room at the moment he passed and it was very unsettling for me. Like the previous OP said, the answer may be difficult, but could not be any worse than what I’ve imagined. He had been in and out of consciousness for a couple of days and at the moment he passed, he had been “asleep”, for lack of a better word. But then suddenly, he raised his head, eyes very wide, and had a look of terror. Then, black ooze(that’s the best word Ive been able to come up with), was coming out of his mouth. Not spewing, but a LOT of liquid oozing from his mouth and nose. And as soon as that stopped, he dropped his head and was gone. He was an extremely bad alcoholic. Had been for many years. That was basically what killed him, alcohol. My question is what WAS that liquid? And, is it possible to know if he hurt at that moment. He looked so scared. 2nd: My Grandmother was 72, passed from Parkinson’s Disease in 2003. She was my world. I was lying in the hospital bed beside her, holding her hand when she passed. And at the very moment I heard her take her last breath, she squeezed my hand. I’ve always wondered if she hurt, as well. Or if it was an involuntary spasm. Or, what I would love to believe, that she was telling me goodbye.

Thank you so much for any insights and thank you for the beautiful work that you do!

Hello everyone, not directly working in the funeral business but in a surgical education wetlab, so day to day is post mortem human subjects or parts of them, from here on called specimens. Whilst updating our Mental Health Guidelines, I conducted loads of interviews with people in the company as well as people in different companies doing the same or a similar job. Rewarding because it's a good cause, but still loads of people have issues with certain types of specimens (heads, whole bodies, hands). I've spoken to people who have dealt with this kind of stress for a few years, some are still fine but a bit awkward around the living, some are showing signs of ptsd, some couldn't cope and left the field. So far I've encountered two people who have worked over a few years with the dead and still find it rewarding and interesting and have basically no negative feedback. Question to all the people who worked a long time in the industry: is there a point, where all of it gets too much and you need a break or have a breakdown? Were there signs of that or more one point that broke the camels back?

Also a general question, because we have a sort of theory to that end: Do you think people with previous mental or death related issues are better at coping with the whole situation than people without it?

Thanks for your answers already :)

Hi everyone,

My mom passed away suddenly Thursday. We decided I would be the “officiant” of the funeral, since we are not a religious family and she would’ve liked for one of us do it.

Do you have any advice? Any scripts I can sort of follow?

Thank you in advance.

I am hoping someone can guide me to how I can find a specific grave plot.

My mom gave birth to a stillborn in 1980, and her and my dad are very hesitant to give information, understandably. I know her name and date of birth/death. Find a grave didn't have anything.

I know there was a funeral and my aunt tells me the baby was in a small casket. I just want to find the spot to go and visit it.

Thank you.

Just curious - have any of you ever dropped a casket with a decedent inside? Or has a body in a casket ever fallen off the church trucks during a viewing or funeral, etc? Was the family present and how did you and they both react?

I’ve been to many funerals and thankfully have never seen anyone dropped, but I do always wonder when they carry the casket down steep steps if the body slides down further toward the end of the casket and gets all scrunched up inside. Morbid, I know, but these are the things my mind wants to know.