Articles

The World of the Generous Grows Larger. How funeral professionals build trust by serving their communities long before families ever need them

I grew up above one of my family’s funeral homes in Wis consin. One Christmas, my siblings and I got bicycles, but with snow on the ground and no chance of riding outside, we learned by making endl...
By Damon Wenig
In Articles
Tuesday, September 8, 2026

7 WAYS FUNERAL HOMES CAN SUPPORT GRIEVING FAMILIES YEAR-ROUND (Not Just at the Time of Loss)

In the past, most funeral homes focused almost exclusively on the details of the service itself. Once the funeral concluded, their role often ended as well—perhaps with a referral to an outside cou...
By Jess Farren
In Articles
Tuesday, September 8, 2026

HOW FUNERAL HOMES CAN ADD VALUE WITH BRONZE GRAVE MARKERS IN 2026

The year 2017 marked a significant shift in the deathcare profession: for the first time, the U.S. cremation rate surpassed the traditional burial rate. Although cremation had been steadily increas...
By Jill Darby
In Articles
Tuesday, September 8, 2026

EFFICIENCY MEETS EMPATHY: Why AI is the Ultimate Tool for the Human-Centric Funeral Director

A funeral director recently asked me: “Curtis, all this AI stuff sounds cool, but aren’t we losing the human touch that makes our profession what it is?” I love this question. It’s the elephant in ...
By Curtis Funk
In Articles
Thursday, August 6, 2026

A New Chapter for Historic Cemeteries Green Burial as a Tool for Revitalization

Nearly 20 years ago, a small historic burial ground nestled within the forest gave little hint of what it would one day become. Steelmantown Cemetery, located in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, opera...
By Ed Bixby
In Articles
Thursday, August 6, 2026

Having the Conversation About Greener Funerals

For funeral consumers who care about the environment, there are many ways to interpret and measure what it means to be “green”. For example, in a household environment, we can go green by focusing ...
By Emily B. Miller
In Articles
Thursday, August 6, 2026

EVERY FAMILY, EVERY TIME? Why Cremation Families Need Something Different

It seems clear, through both experience and research, that cremation families want specific, unique, different things. So the question we have to answer is this: do we accommodate, or do we keep on...
By Pierce Dempsey
In Articles
Monday, July 13, 2026
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Previous Posts

THE FRICTION OF THE FUTURE: Why We Can’t Wait Another 150 Years

  In his 2026 CANA Cremation Symposium session this February, Larry Stuart, Jr., reflected on 150 years of cremation practice and explored what the next 150 years might hold for our rapidly e...

150 Years OF CREMATION IN AMERICA

Few things have shaped and reshaped our profession like cremation. Modern cremation in America began in 1876 with the construction of the first crematory in Pennsylvania. Over the next century and ...

Is Your Selection Room Driving the Race to the Bottom?

When approximately one-third of funeral home revenue comes from casket merchandise, the selection room cannot simply function as a display. It must serve as a carefully managed, intentional represe...

The Personal Touch: How Casket Personalization is Changing the Way Families Say Goodbye

When families gather for a viewing, visitation, or service, the casket is the centerpiece — not just physically, but emotionally. It is where people come together, where stories are shared, and whe...

Enhancing the Sensory Funeral Experience

When my husband and I recently drove by the remains of the old Best Western Hotel, a desolate, condemned building that sits down the road from my funeral home on our way to church, I was hit with a...

Mergers & Acquisitions in Death Care

If you spend any time talking with funeral home owners today, one thing becomes clear quickly—this industry is changing, and it’s changing fast. At The Decain Group, we’re in conversations every da...

How to Ensure the Best Price With the Smoothest Transition

When selling a funeral home business, owners are often in new and perhaps uncharted territory. There are legal factors, unknown tax implications due to the sale structure, negotiations, marketing, ...