[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND MORTICIAN RECOGNITION DAY

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 892, a resolution that designates March 11 as 
``National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day.''
  Funeral directors and morticians are vitally important in helping 
families mourn death, celebrate a life, and begin the process of 
closure. They also give advice on the decisions one needs to make as a 
caretaker and as a provider of a funeral service. According to the 
Minnesota Funeral Directors Association, ``The funeral ritual is 
helpful and valuable for all who feel the loss of the deceased. It 
validates life and allows us to go on living. The ritual aspect is 
important for closure and social reasons. Attending the funeral allows 
us to deal with the loss, says goodbye, and reaffirms the importance of 
living.''
  Mayor Bill Sandberg of North Saint Paul, who died on April 20, 2007, 
was one of my mentors. He spent his career as a funeral director in the 
St. Paul area and was active in the Minnesota Funeral Directors 
Association and a Heritage Club member of the National Funeral 
Directors Association (NFDA). NFDA was established in 1882 in order to 
better serve the public and its members. Today, it is the oldest and 
largest national funeral service organization in the world.
  I want to thank funeral directors and morticians for their dedication 
to this profession and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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