Many consider the sculpture of General William Tecumseh Sherman as one of the finest sculptures by American sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens. In 1892, St. Gaudens modeled a bust of the general who lived in New York after the Civil War….
When We All Get Through This- How Memorial Services Will Help Heal Following a Death During Social Distancing By Neil Fogarty
Today we find ourselves in an unprecedented time of firsts: social distancing, school and business shutdowns, and stay at home orders have us wondering how to respond to this new normal. With people avoiding large gatherings and funerals discouraged or…
Dodds Memorials: A History You Probably Didn’t Know! By Desiree Roose
Most of the people in Xenia and the Miami Valley know about Dodds Memorials, because we have been in the area for over 155 years. Many, however, do not know the part that Dodds has played in American memorial history,…
Ashes are for Ash Trays Part One: Taking an Honest Look into the Perceptions and Realities of Cremation By Neil Fogarty
This is the first blog in a three-part discussion concerning how we understand, discuss, and properly view the cremation process. Cremation is now the norm in our society. As of 2018, more than 50 percent of deaths lead to a…
Taking a Dirt Nap By Neil Fogarty
Well, you’re gone, dead, kicked off, taking a dirt nap and, according to people I meet, you could care less about what happens to you! How many people, men especially, have the mindset of “just put in a ditch and…
Next Drop in the Bucket- Life Insurance By Neil Fogarty
What happens when you die? I know, you are thinking this will turn into some existential debate about God, the afterlife, or reincarnation! Actually, I am talking about a different subject entirely. What do I mean when I ask what…
Dying Well: Considerations of Comfort Care and Hospice By Neil Fogarty
In the 1978 movie The End, the character Sonny Lawson (Burt Reynolds) discovers he has an incurable blood disease. Rather than undergo the agony of an extended, painful end of life, Sonny Lawson decides to take his own life. Finally…
Not Cousin Eddie! – Make sure you know who will make healthcare decisions for you By Neil Fogarty
Everyone remembers the bumbling Cousin Eddie from the National Lampoon Vacation movies. Played by Randy Quaid, this half-witted character gets laughs for his sheer stupidity. “Real tomato ketchup Eddie?” “Oh, nothing but the best!” This interplay between the Clark Griswold…
The First Drop in the Family Bucket List: What you need to know to protect those you love By Neil Fogarty
“I don’t need a will!” “I’m young and healthy.” “I can worry about that later.” Amazingly, responses like these are all too common in our society. According to a RocketLawyer Study study, 60 percent of Americans don’t have a will….