While virtual weddings and birthday parties have become the norm this year, another less-talked-about industry has seen a radical change as well — funeral services. With family and loved ones far apart and tight restrictions on event capacity, funeral directors around the world have been confronted with a unique challenge: how do we give families a meaningful way to say goodbye, even if they can’t be there in person?
As a funeral director at Anderson Funeral Home, Alan Iverson has long recognized the benefits of funeral webcasting as a way of bringing families together — but it didn’t truly sink in until a winter storm blew in the day of his father’s funeral.
Allie Ryckman has a unique role at Carlsen Funeral Home —technical director. In addition to the various tasks of managing a funeral home, Allie is dedicated to researching and implementing new products and services to keep Carlsen Funeral Home at the forefront of their industry, and providing the best service possible to their families.
It was during the early onset of COVID-19 when Tracy Jutting, a funeral director at Patton Funeral Home, truly realized the value of livestreaming.
They were preparing for the funeral of a woman who had a daughter that lived in town, and a daughter that lived in New Mexico. Due to the ever-changing COVID restrictions, the daughter in New Mexico was unable to attend. She was devastated.
Many funeral directors have an “a-ha” moment—a moment where something clicks, a realization that this is a profession they want to pursue. However, not everyone has that moment at the start of their career.
For Erik Bergquist, he spent 10 years in another industry that he claims gave him a unique preparation for the funeral industry—radio broadcasting.
May 17, 2021 by Marisa Jackels
When Jill Perdue first stepped behind-the-scenes of the funeral industry, she was terrified. She was newly married to funeral director Brad Perdue, who comes from 8 generations of funeral directors and sparked an interest in the industry at 12-years-old.
Jill, however, couldn’t bear to look at a body. Today, however, Brad and Jill are running a successful funeral home and livestreaming services to hundreds of viewers. "Now, people just expect it," Jill says. Read more about how Zabka-Perdue funeral home is staying ahead of the game, here.