New Orleans funeral home draws notice for posing the dead, NY Times reports

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune ^ | June 21, 2014 | Jed Lipinski

[BBell]

The Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home in New Orleans has fielded dozens of calls lately in response to a growing desire for funerals in which the deceased are displayed in poses reflective of their lives, The New York Times reported Saturday in a feature story.

In recent months, memorial services for New Orleans socialite Mickey Easterling and local resident Miriam Burbank have drawn attention to the practice, the Times noted.

[real saxophonist]

Sorry to hear that. That's why I make a distinction between 'Funeral Service', which I worked in 25-30 years ago, and the 'Funeral Industry', which is what it mainly is now.

Very few small family businesses anymore, everything's under a corporate umbrella.

Again, sorry for your experience.

[Kackikat]

X RATED

[Tijeras_Slim]

For some reason I thought you might find this amusing. ;)

[Kackikat]

LOL

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"And When I Die" by Laura Nyro.

I'm not scared of dying
And I don't really care
If it's peace you find in dying
Well, then let the time be near

If it's peace you find in dying
And if dying time is here just bundle up my coffin
'Cause it's cold way down there
I hear that it's cold way down there
Yeah, crazy cold way down there

And when I die, and when I'm gone
There'll be one child born
In this world to carry on, to carry on

Now troubles are many, they're as deep as a well
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell
Swear there ain't no heaven and I pray there ain't no hell
But I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell
Yes, only my dying will tell, yeah, only my dying will tell

And when I die, and when I'm gone
There'll be one child born
In this world to carry on, to carry on, yeah yeah

Give me my freedom for as long as I be
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally
Oh, I want to go naturally

Here I go, hey hey
Here comes the devil right behind
Look out children
Here he comes, here he comes, hey

Don't want to go by the devil
Don't want to go by demon
Don't want to go by Satan
Don't want to die uneasy
Just let me go naturally

And when I die and when I'm dead, dead and gone
There'll be one child born
In our world to carry on, to carry on, yeah yeah

[BenLurkin]

Some suggested posings for myself and perhaps others here as well:

[real saxophonist]

As far as I am concerned they can dump me in a shallow grave in the woods. Nothing to see here move along.

Burn me up and dump me on the Parade Deck on Parris Island.

[Daffynition]

The Charbonnet Labat Funeral Home, located in the HEART of Treme, the oldest African-American neighborhood in the country, has been servicing families since 1883.

Now it makes sense.

[PghBaldy]

Oh my. She should be posed in the White House Situation Room.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I think it's great!

I have always told my family that I bite the dust I don't want my casket stuck in the corner of the room. Usually mourners make a brief stop at a casket then go on to visit with others leaving the poor dead person alone in the corner of the room.

I want my open casket in the center of the room. I am to be propped up with a cigarette, Martguerita & iPhone within reach.

IOW, it's my funeral and I want to be the center of attention. Yes, I realize it is all about optics. But those are my instructions & if they are not followed I will haunt then until the end of time.

[Gefn]

Plant catnip by my grave. That way kitties can visit me and think I was a great hoomin.

[Slings and Arrows]

I like that idea!

[I still care]

In Victorian times taking pictures of the dead was very common. They would pose them as angels, sleeping, etc, and with living children and family. It was not considered morbid but as a remembrance. Of course, family pictures were rarer at that time. Nowadays, stillborn children are the ones who have no photos and so there is a business taking pictures of them before burial.

The Latin is “Memento Mori”.

[Free Vulcan]

Unfortunately, being only 45 and with the way this country’s going, I expect to end up in a ditch with a bullet in the back of my head.

Hopefully I can take a number of the bastards out before they get me, but I’ll be a cheap funeral. The buzzards will also be grateful.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I have not heard of that custom. I knew my Grandparents and Great Grandparents who were born in the mid nineteenth century. They never reported such behavior. I know from historical photographs that slain outlaws were often photographed.

[sockmonkey]

Off topic, but I was so pissed with "Forest Lawn" in the prep for my mom's funeral.....when she drew her last in a hospital bed, her head of course flopped down and to the side.

Where I live in TX, When someone dies, the hospital ties feet together, and hands, and also, ties a thing around the head so the mouth isn't open, and they straighten the head.

[sockmonkey]

Weekend at Bernie's

Christopher Walken as the glitzy funeral home owner in "Undertaking Betty". I think it's one of the funniest movies ever.

[I still care]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbRD6u-VkVE

I want a “Plots R Us” Salad bar.

[Oatka]

Umm, remember the episode of The Twilight Zone where the astronauts landed and it was a cemetery?
And people were “buried “ like this?

First thing I thought of. Great minds, etc., as in this scene, where the plain girl wins the beauty contest.

Episode HERE . Gotta love those silver-painted combat boots.

[Gefn]

And the astronaut is so sweet he tells the plain girl she clearly *is* the prettiest?

It’s actually one of my favorites from that series.

Thanks for finding it on you tube,