Nancy Burban talks with author, funeral director, and embalmer Marty Flagg about operating a funeral home, embalming practices, and trends in the industry. Marty is the author of Final Celebrations and is associated with the Brian Mark Funeral Home and the Mark – Monroe Funeral Home in Wisconsin.
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Episode: 008
Guest: Marty Flagg
Date: 10/14/10
Also discussed in the Show:
ThanoSeal
Worsham College of Mortuary Science
Interview Excerpt:
Marty: I don’t think that he was wrong in taking me down there at that young of an age, but I learned. I learned by watching and handing him instruments and watching from the back as the family saw their loved one and how they grabbed my dad and said, “Thanks, Jim. She really looks nice.”
Nancy: That’s a great history because you grew up knowing that this was the way to really help families grieved through their loss and to help them. What a wonderful profession it really is.
Marty: It truly is. And of course, unfortunately, that body presentation thing has really gone by the wayside.
Nancy: Really? Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Marty: Sure. I think what I’ve seen over the past 15 to 20 years is that the body presentation is not as important as it used to be. Most funeral homes 20 years ago, if the human remains did not look proper and the makeup was not applied properly and the decedent did not look proper, that’s what everything weighed on. Now, it’s more about price. It’s more about, “it really doesn’t matter”. And of course, that scares me and I see it a lot even here in the Midwest, where very traditional funerals go on every day and I hope that that importance changes. I hope that it shifts back to “that’s very important”. I really think that that’s changing, Nancy.
Nancy: That’s really a shame, it is.
Marty: It is. 53 percent of the families. Tom Wininger was just by with Aurora Casket when we went to Continuing Education Program with them last week and he talked about it. We talked about cremation and we talked about how things have changed and he pretty much is a numbers guy. He’s a pollster. He does numbers and research and he said that is really selling a lot over the past 20 years.
Nancy: Wow. Do you think cremation has something to do with that?
Marty: Well, it does. I think the funeral profession, I think that when cremation really started coming our way 20 years ago, we didn’t handle it properly. I still think to this day that we didn’t handle it properly, 53 percent of the families that come in our doors have no idea what they want to do.
Marty Flagg Interview Transcript
Funeral Directors Chat Home
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful interview!!!!
Death for the living…….Is just hard to grasp….to many unknowns…..
Thanks for taking the time to Author a book that can help families in their time of grievance.
Mr. Flagg……this is coming from a proud MT. Vernonite…:)
Marty,
I was about to retire for the evening, when I ran into your interview. It is great knowing that one of our 1983 guys is still in the business. I will send some others to check it out. If you know where some of the others are, feel free to send an email address. I’ve spoken with Kevin Kish, Lamarr, Pat Tyson and a few others, who don’t come to mind.
I’ll be waiting for that revision. Nice project.
Marty,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge in your book. I am hoping for another book from you in the near future. I’m sure you have some interesting stories to share.
Mr. Flagg,
Your book is very insightful and straight forward. It takes a subject that is difficult for everyone and helps us get through it step by step. The fact that we can be better prepared for the inevitable is a giant burden lifter! Thank you!