Article Category

Articles

Pillars Articles

Or view specific Pillars Categories: People, Places, or Passions
Snyder Funeral Homes

Snyder Funeral Homes

More than 100 years ago, Ora O. Snyder worked as a horse keeper for undertaking establishments. Known as Orrie to friends and colleagues, his early exposure to funeral service consisted of...

read more
Mitchell’s Journey

Mitchell’s Journey

I drove by your building a hundred thousand times and never once noticed it. Why would I? Death is what happens to other people. And when you have young children, mortality is the last thing on your...

read more
Jim Kurtz

Jim Kurtz

We probably have never met, but you may have seen me before. I was that little guy watching funerals from the steps of the Catholic school across the street from Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville, Texas. I especially loved seeing the big cars that led the...

Bibber Memorial Chapel

Bibber Memorial Chapel

The air smells briny and gulls caw overhead. In the distance, against the backdrop of an iron-colored horizon, a few hearty lobstermen trawl the sea, braving the frigid temperatures. It’s snowing again, but that’s not newsworthy. It’s winter in Maine. Three miles up...

Rhonda Keyes Pleasants

Rhonda Keyes Pleasants

Before reading any further, pause for a moment and reflect on your career, regardless of your age or your job title. Reminisce about opportunities that were afforded to you, both past and present. Consider equally decisions you made with the excitement of future...

Jack Backer

Jack Backer

At first glance, John Willmott “Jack” Backer, III – age 16, tall, handsome, varsity tennis player and straight-A sophomore at Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky – appears to be a typical teenager who enjoys tennis and playing guitar, especially Southern gospel and...

Stevens Mortuary

Stevens Mortuary

Stevens Mortuary occupies the historic Cedar Grove estate nestled in north Knoxville, Tennessee. When one arrives at the mortuary, surrounded by flowering dogwood trees, the stately antebellum era house, with wide, inviting porches, is reminiscent of a simpler time...

Kenneth W. Poe

Kenneth W. Poe

First generation funeral directors are fearless. With either none or very little familial connection to a funeral home, stories vary widely as to what initial interest or curiosity eventually evolved into a career. Dinner disruptions, missed family gatherings, working...

Funereal Fridays

The Charleston Nine

The Charleston Nine

Southern Mourning | from Southern Calls Issue 16, September 2017 (Opening Image: June 22, 2007 – Charleston 9 Firefighters ServicePresident, Mike McDaniel,1999-00 (head), President Thomas E. Baker...

read more
Man O’ War’s Funeral

Man O’ War’s Funeral

Southern Mourning | from Southern Calls Issue 9, September 2015 (Opening Image: As visitors look on, legendary thoroughbred Man O’ War lies in state in a casket lined with his racing colors at owner...

read more
The Art of Undertaking

The Art of Undertaking

Here are three powerful images that I believe capture the essence of our beloved Profession - Mike Squires ABOVE: The Recessional | Mac Brown, Photography “Red clay fills the hole left in our...

read more

Present Articles

Billy Graham | Funeral & Eulogies

Billy Graham | Funeral & Eulogies

Leading up to the day of the funeral, feelings of anxiety and uncertainty abounded. Although receiving media passes for the visitation had been fairly streamlined and straightforward, obtaining credentials to attend the private funeral service was a highly-...

Remembering Jacquelyn Taylor

Remembering Jacquelyn Taylor

In a career that came full-circle, the enduring and steadfast funeral service advocate was excited about the opportunity to continue her life’s work. But on August 10, 2018 Jacquelyn Taylor was diagnosed with breast cancer and on September 4, 2019 the cancer returned...

Fallen Heroes

Fallen Heroes

Mississippi Funeral Directors Escort Fallen Heroes Late on the night of July 11, I received an unexpected call from Carson Sprow, president of International Mortuary Shipping. His company had been contacted to coordinate and oversee the transfer of the bodies of 15...

Remembering Mary Hagan

Remembering Mary Hagan

Though you may never been introduced, if you've attended NFDA's annual conventions over the last seven decades, her face will be familiar.  And if you've had the privilege of meeting Mary Hagan, you'll never forget her charming smile, her keen wit and her unabashed...

Past Articles

Sunnyside Magazine, January 1900

Sunnyside Magazine, January 1900

This is "The Sunnyside," a magazine for the funeral industry, dated January 1st, 1900. It contains fabulous old ads for hearses, caskets, embalming fluid, etc. from advertisers such as National...

read more
NFDA State Association Officers from 1900

NFDA State Association Officers from 1900

Here's an interesting look back at the 1900 National Funeral Directors' Association roster of officers from the state associations. This comes from a point in history when there were only 45 states in the United States, and we were just 35 years removed from the Civil...

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

Don't be left out on June 1st, and subscribe today!

Unlimited Access to All of Our Stories, Right At Your Fingertips.

Not only will Subscribers receive their 4 print magazines a year, but will also have exclusive access to additional online articles, as well as the ability to read all Southern Calls magazine articles as they become available only.

Unlimited Access to All of Our Stories, Right At Your Fingertips.

Not only will Subscribers receive their 4 print magazines a year, but will also have exclusive access to additional online articles, as well as the ability to read all Southern Calls magazine articles as they become available only.

1 Year Southern Calls Subscription

$60.00 for 1 year

2 Year Southern Calls Subscription

$100.00 for 2 years

The Magazine

Never miss an issue.

Subscribers receive all of our quarterly magazines by mail, as well as all exclusive content on the website.