Funeral Home News

Apache Junction Mortuary in Apache Junction, Arizona has closed as of May 31, 2009. At Season’s End Mortuary proudly announces it’s opening as of June 1st. Christina Duwel, who was the funeral director at Apache Junction Mortuary for eight years and Jim Taft who was the cremationist and funeral counselor for one and a half years, opened At Season’s End at 105 S. Delaware Drive, Suite 4, Apache Junction, Arizona 85120.

ASCAP Inspecting Funeral Homes

Without Music Licenses

Brookfield, Wis—A funeral home in a small town in South Dakota recently opened the door to an unwelcome visitor during a funeral service—an ASCAP inspector who was checking up on funeral homes that do not have music licenses. ASCAP, along with BMI and SESAC, are the three music-licensing organizations in the United States.

After determining that the South Dakota funeral home was allowing copyrighted music to be performed during the funeral service, the ASCAP inspector gave the funeral home a choice: pay for an ASCAP license for 2009 or face a copyright infringement suit with penalties of up to $30,000. The funeral home had no choice but to pay for ASCAP license for the final four months of 2009.

Do you have a music license? Maybe you should check out the alternatives for acquiring one.

William C. Wappner Installed 2009-10 President

of National Funeral Directors Association

Brookfield, WI: October 27, William c. Wappner, CFSP, was elected president of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Wappner, owner of Wappner Funeral Directors in Mansfield, Ohio, was installed as NFDA president during the President’s Mardi Gras Ball on October 28, which marked the end of the 2009 NFDA International Convention & Expo in Boston, Mass.

Additional members of the 2009-10 NFDA Executive Board who were elected and installed during the NFDA convention include: President-elect Patrick E. Lynch, Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, Clawson, MI; Treasure Randall L. Earl, CFSP, Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Homes, Decatur, IL; Secretary Robert “Bob” T. Rosson Jr., CFSP, CPC, Waller Funeral Home, Oxford, MS; Immediate Past President John D. Reed Sr., CFSP, CPC, Dodd & Reed Funeral Home and Adams-Reed Funeral Home, Inc., Webster Springs and Cowen, WV; At-large Representative (2008-2010) Robert “Robby” L. Bates, CFSP, Bates Family Funeral Home, DeKalb, TX; At-large Representative (2008-2010) J. Michael Krill, CFSP, Krill Funeral Service Edgerton, Ohio; At-large Representative (2009-2011) Jzyk S. Ennis, MPA, CFSP, ridout’s Trussville Chapel, Birmingham, AL; and At-large Representative (2009-2011) Mark Mortimore, Mortimore Funral Home, Inc., Thermopolis, WY.

The 2009-10 National Funeral Directors Association Executive Board. Back row, from left: At-large representative Jzyk S. Ennis, At-large Representative J. Michael Krill, NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, At-large Representative Mark Mortimore, and NFDA General Counsel T. Scott Gilligan, Front row, from left: Treasurer Randall L. Earl, President-elect Patrick E. Lynch, President William C. Wappner, Immediate Past President John D. Reed and Secretary Robert T. Rosson

Parker Mortuary, Joplin, MO

Proceeds With Crematory

Parker Mortuary is proceeding with the installation of an on site crematory. Installation was delayed in 2008 when a neighbor tried to block the permitting process. District and Appellate Courts both found in favor of Parker Mortuary and the City of Joplin. The person complaining operates a salvage business.