|
Welcome
Taphophilia (dot) Com...
A repository of morbid curiosities:
Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery,
Funeral Industry and Death Related News.
A Taphophilia Thank You...
Taphophilia (dot) Com would not be possible without the knowledge, experience and talent of DarkestWeb. From its conception and early development, DarkestWeb was faced with many challenges; from inspiring and motivating, to providing guidance and direction. The continued dedication and support has produced results greater than ever expected, and for this, I owe a huge debt of gratitude.
Announcements
Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!
Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!
Men of Mortuaries Calendar
To purchase your 2008 calendar, learn more about the KAMMCARES Foundation, or to be featured in the 2009 calendar, please visit Men of Mortuaries.
Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers
For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.
Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman is now
available. Please visit
Studio Indiana for more information.
West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.
|
|
Families again say farewell to loved ones |
|
|
|
|
Written by DeadGirl
|
|
Thursday, 27 May 2004 |
Melanie Whitfield hung her head and blinked back tears when she heard her father's name read yesterday at a memorial service honoring those whose remains were found nearly a year ago in the Sherrill Harden Funeral Home.
It was a difficult service for Ms. Whitfield, who believed the cremated remains of her father, Manuel Pearson, had been given to her aunt. But it was one she needed to attend with hopes of achieving some sort of peace.
"He's at home sitting on my mantel. He's at home with me," she said. "I really didn't want to come here today, but I had to come to make peace, with me and my dad."
The Funeral Directors Association of Northwest Ohio held a service at the Historic Woodlawn Cemetery, where the unclaimed remains of 17 cremated bodies were buried. Also buried was Jane Doe, an unidentified female body found at the Sherrill Harden Funeral Home last June.
The funeral home was closed, and owners Henry and Sandra Harden lost their embalmer's licenses after an inspector with the state Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors found eight bodies in various stages of decomposition at their business. Also found were the cremated remains of 33 people that had not been claimed.
Seven of the eight bodies eventually were identified, but Mr. Harden was never able to identify the eighth body, which was found in a mummified state. Yesterday, in a donated casket, the body known as Jane Doe was finally laid to rest.
About 40 family and community members, including Toledo Mayor Jack Ford, attended the service. Forty-one white doves were released, one for each family affected.
Delores Stephenson lived through the pain of having a loved one found at the funeral home when her daughter was identified as one of the eight bodies. Donja Swaggerty died at age 29 in November, 1996.
Last summer, after her daughter's body was found, Ms. Stephenson had a second funeral for her. Yesterday, Ms. Stephenson attended the memorial service to grieve again and to show her support for the other families.
"None of them deserved to be treated like that," she said, holding a program from her daughter's July 18 funeral. "If they had been treated like they were supposed to, we wouldn't be here today."
Lisa Russell was at the cemetery hoping to pick up the cremated remains of her cousin, James Russell. Ms. Russell said she was surprised when she learned that a service was going to be held, though it did little to calm her anger.
Believing her cousin's girlfriend had his remains, Ms. Russell said the family had been through enough pain when he died in July, 2001, and nobody should "have to go through a funeral twice."
Mr. Harden was sentenced in October to 60 days in jail on eight counts of abuse of a corpse and one count of theft. Yesterday, Ms. Russell tearfully and angrily said he should have spent more time behind bars.
After the service, Ms. Whitfield pulled a yellow daisy from the floral arrangement that draped Jane Doe's casket. She said she planned to take it home to adorn her mantel, where the cremated remains of her father now rest.
The day had been stressful, she said, and brought back memories of her father's death. It also reminded her how devastating it was to learn that her family had been deceived by the funeral home they trusted.
"I just hope that based on what happened, nobody would ever let something like this happen again," she said.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040527/NEWS16/405270502/-1/NEWS
|
|
Taphophilia?
taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)
ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"
DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries
Quote Repository
“Here the stone images Are raised, here they receive The supplication of a dead man's hand Under the twinkle of a fading star.” T.S. Eliot The Hollow Men
Shirtless and Sculpted
The Men of Mortuaries 2008 Calendar is now available! All sale proceeds benefit KAMMCARES, a breast cancer foundation.
|
