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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.
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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.
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Monteagle funeral home is facing disciplinary action in crematory case |
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Written by DeadGirl
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Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
By BRIAN MOSELY
July 23, 2004
MONTEAGLE - The state's Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers is taking disciplinary action against a mountain top funeral home regarding the remains of a Monteagle woman that was sent to a North Georgia facility, but was never cremated.
In May, James E. Gipson of Monteagle appeared before the state board, where Marilynn Tucker, Legal Council for the board, presented his compliant against Mr. Dean Lay and Cumberland Funeral Home of Monteagle.
The local case is related to the scandal involving Tri-State Crematory of Noble, Georgia, where the discovery of 339 uncremated bodies from Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama at the facility sparked national outrage in February of 2002.
According to Robert Gribble, Executive Director of the state board, the board's attorney made a recommendation earlier this month regarding the dispossession of the case and the board has acted on it.
However, the cases are presented anonymously to the board as a case number and the action that the attorney recommended has not been completed, therefore the board can't comment on the matter.
But according to published reports, Gipson claims that the funeral home had been found guilty and that the state "fined them as much as they could."
"Some justice has been done," he said.
Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers member Bob Foster recused himself regarding this particular compliant since he is a business partner with Lay in Tracy City.
Gipson states that he had prepaid for a funeral policy for his mother, Hatie Marie Gipson and himself at Lay's Cumberland Funeral Home in April of 2000.
According to the complaint, when his mother passed away on Sept 1, 2001, Gibson was told by Lay that his employee, Mr. James Berry, would transport Mrs. Gipson's body to Chattanooga for cremation and bring back her remains.
Gipson stated that he felt good about this arrangement since he personally knew the person transporting his mother's remains to and from the crematory.
Memorial services were conducted for Mrs. Gipson in September of 2001.
However, in February of 2002, Gipson stated that while in Florida, he heard reports about the Tri-State Crematory controversy and that he tried unsuccessfully several times to contact Lay to find out about his mother.
Gipson stated that he was initially told that his mother's remains never went to Georgia, but he later found out that Tri-State Crematory was used and that his "friend" did not transport the body.
The uncremated remains of Hatie Marie Gipson were found on the property of the crematory in Noble, Georgia, along with over 300 other corpses.
Gipson stated that Lay avoided telling him this information and that prior to the body's transpiration to Tri-State, had failed to inform him of the intended place of cremation of the body.
Gipson alleges that Lay should have known of the situation at Tri-State Crematory and that Lay lied to him on various occasions.
Gipson did state that he had signed a cremation authorization form, but was not given a copy of it. Gipson feels that Lay should be punished for his actions.
Mr. Lay was asked to appear before the board to tell his side of the story according to the board's minutes from the June 15 meeting, however, the minutes do not state what Mr. Lay said.
Lay could not be reached for comment.
Gipson was also recently part of a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit in federal court between Tri-State operator Ray Brent Marsh and as many as 1,600 plaintiffs. However, that settlement has fallen through.
Earlier this month, attorneys for Marsh, who's accused of stashing hundreds of human bodies on his property instead of cremating them, say the $3.5 million settlement would not have been valid because his insurance company would not cover it.
The trial in the class-action lawsuit against Marsh is now set for Aug. 23 in U.S. District Court.
A criminal trial is also scheduled to begin in October for Marsh. He faces 787 felony counts, including theft by deception, abuse of a corpse, making false statements and burial service fraud.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1614&dept_id=161050&newsid=12458753&PAG=461&rfi=9 |
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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
Taphophilia Facts
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According to USA Today, Americans are increasingly considering home funerals as a cheaper and more relaxed alternative to commercial mortuary services. Traditional U.S. funerals average $5,000 to $6,000, per the Funeral Consumers Alliance.
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Quote Repository
“Here was still another consequence of the mind's inability, when it ponders death, to picture something other than life.” Marcel ProustFrom Albertine
Grave Epigrams
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The memory of ye Just is Blessed.
Oh! what is frail and Mortal Man
Or any of his Dying race,
That God should think to entertain
And freely save him by his Grace. 1775 |
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Shirtless and Sculpted
The Men of Mortuaries 2008 Calendar is now available! All sale proceeds benefit KAMMCARES, a breast cancer foundation.
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