Online Reporter
AN undertaker once walked into a preparation room where a woman had been embalmed.
He found a little box next to the corpse’s feet and opened it, only to discover a little white poodle inside. Unbeknown to the undertaker, the deceased woman had wished to be buried with her dog.
Since the dog was still alive, it had to be euthanised so it could be buried with her.
In the United States, another undertaker faced a peculiar request. Typically, the deceased is dressed in a formal suit. However, one family requested that their relative be buried in the comfortable, everyday clothes he liked to wear around the house — jeans and a sweater.
The undertaker dressed the corpse in a formal suit for the funeral viewing.
After the church service ended and the doors were closed, he changed the deceased out of the suit and into jeans, a sweater and comfortable socks before placing him in the hearse.
Jack Mitchell, a funeral director in Pittsburgh, encountered some strange requests as well.
A gentleman requested to be embalmed in his recliner with a Steelers game broadcast on television in front of him. He was embalmed and laid in his recliner chair instead of a casket.
In another incident, the family of a certain lady requested that she be buried with her prized possession — a framed picture of Simon Phillip Cowell.
Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive known for judging on the British television talent competition “Britain’s Got Talent”.
Another family requested that all attendants at their loved one’s funeral wear Thunderbirds outfits during the entire procession.
Meanwhile, Jenn Park-Mustacchio, a licensed and veteran undertaker in the United States, once shared her experiences in the field. Below are excerpts from questions she received from different people:
Q: Tell us about something surprising, or unexpected, that happened to you while working?
A: I have had several interesting things happen on the job, but one particular moment comes to mind. I went in for a 3am embalming and heard a strange whisper. I quickly fumbled for the lights and, upon turning them on, figured out that the noise was coming from the occupied stretcher.
I approached with caution, expecting the person inside could be alive. However, upon unzipping the cover, I found a tape recorder (that I later found out was playing a Buddhist chant).
The next day, the family explained that, ideally, a monk would be at the place of death to chant when the soul exits the body. Chanting calms down the soul, which Buddhists believe is in a state of confusion and fright after exiting the body.
The soul of the deceased must be put at ease with food and chant throughout the difficult time of transition. This particular experience was both enlightening and frightening!
Q: What makes for a really good day at work?
A: My job is fulfilling when a particularly difficult case comes out better than expected. If a family decides to keep a casket open when they previously thought they would not be able to, or when someone compliments my work.
The best compliment I got was from a woman whose daughter died of bone cancer. She took my hand and said, “Thank you, she is so beautiful, she looks like she could get up and dance.”
Q: Have you ever made a mistake at work?
A: I am fortunate enough to say that I have not made any major mistakes.
When I was an intern, I was super careful and very aware that any mistake I made could potentially affect the grieving process of the deceased friends and loved ones, so I always consulted with senior funeral directors if I was unsure of what to do or how to proceed with difficult cases.
Q: Have you ever worked on a friend or relative, or would you ask a colleague to do that?
A: I helped prepare my grandmother and embalmed my cousin and one of my high school teachers. I would draw the line at mom or dad.
However, I do know of a few embalmers who have embalmed their parents. Those of us who choose to handle the preparation of our friends and loved ones usually do so because we feel as though we can do the best job restoring their natural appearance because we knew them so well in life. It is difficult, but it is a labour of love.
Q: Do you believe in ghosts or other clichés associated with graves?
A: I have yet to see anything that convinced me of the presence of ghosts. If they do exist, I am sure they could think of better places to be than haunting me at the funeral home. — Wires.
