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Spotlight on Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home & Crematory – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Marlene "Marty" Shoemaker is the co-owner & operator of Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home & Crematory in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She shared her experiences with running a successful funeral home that has been around since 1905.

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2022 education focus: Financial fitness & organizational agility

OGR is committed to providing you with the professional development opportunities that address the challenges independently owned funeral homes face, and prepare you for the next stages of funeral service. After all, we have over 90 years of experience serving professionals just like you.

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Lessons of the season

Do you ever notice that during the Christmas season, we always hear the comment “Christmas comes so quickly, it's over before you know”?

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At a Glance: January, February & March 2022

OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.

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Starmark’s Basic Cremation Container Line Receives Environmental Recognition

RICHMOND, Ind. (Nov. 16, 2021) – Starmark, a leading provider of innovative funeral products, is proud to announce that its Artisan Vista cremation container product line has been certified by the Green Burial Council. Starmark joins a number of other funeral and cemetery professionals who share a commitment to creating more sustainable after-death options for families, their communities and the planet.

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Is there more you can do to honor veterans beyond November 11?

November 11 is a day set aside to honor those who have served in the United States armed forces. What began on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month as Armistice Day, has evolved over the years to include all veterans. 

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Messenger’s top representatives honored for 2020 sales achievements

AUBURN, Ind. (Oct. 27, 2021) - Messenger, a leading provider in funeral stationery, personalization solutions and insurance funding, recognized its top sales representatives with achievement awards during their corporate dinner held in conjunction with the 2021 National Funeral Directors Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

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This holiday season, offer the gift of grief support

By Halloween, the Christmas displays are up in stores and those who have lost a loved one begin to dread the holiday season. While you may offer a holiday remembrance service or mark the season another way, why not offer something that lasts all year long?

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Young Professional Spotlight: Kimberly Knight

Kimberly Knight a 42-year-old funeral director and office manager at James A. Dyal Funeral Home in Summerville, South Carolina.

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Member Spotlight on Infinity Funeral Home – Biloxi, Mississippi

Bishop Rick August, president of Infinity Funeral Home in Biloxi, Mississippi, and his children Lasha and Jonathan August - vice president and CFO, respectively - share their experience running a successful funeral home.

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International Perspective: OGR international members on forced innovations they have undergone in the wake of COVID-19

OGR asked some of its international members to offer perspective on how the coronavirus pandemic has forced innovations in their cities and countries.

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Grow your funeral home business by attracting disloyal customers

I started Veterans Funeral Care in 2001 with the goal of serving the veterans in my community better than any other funeral home. It was the first funeral home in America that was named after the customer we served rather than the owner. Since then, we have grown to a more than 900-case funeral home and I attribute our growth to gaining the business of disloyal customers.

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How the pandemic has changed funeral arrangements

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many facets of our lives. That includes changes in how we, as consumers, shop for and purchase goods and services, which in turn change funeral service. 

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401(k) plans: good for employees and owners alike

A 401(k) is how most Americans save for retirement, but many business owners think that a small business retirement plan is too expensive, too hard to manage or not valued by employees. However, more than half of small business owners say offering a 401(k) plan attracts better employees, according to a CNBC small business survey. They also note that nearly 25% of departing employees cite a lack of retirement benefits as part of the reason for leaving.

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We're asking

Dale Carnegie said, “91% will give referrals if asked; only 11% ask.” So, we are asking. We are asking you, our member, to help OGR grow by spreading the word to other funeral directors about all the good things going on at OGR. We hope you have been taking advantage of your member benefits. If not, we need to talk. Just give us a call and we will match you with the programs that best fit your needs. 

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Why have flowers at all?

In 2013, scientists shared a discovery they’d made at a burial site of Natufians, the earliest prehistoric people believed to systematically bury their dead. In these graves, found on Mount Carmel in Israel and dating from between the 13,700 and 11,700, scientists found that a number of the dead had been buried on a literal bed of flowers. This discovery answered a longstanding question of when humans started connecting flowers with the ritual of burial: from the beginning: turns out, we’ve been doing it from the beginning.  

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Thumbies launches new line of print-engraved Cigar Cutters

Thumbies’ New Viper and Deception Cigar Cutters add personality to utility with engraved prints from pets and loved ones.

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