When thinking of businesses that are deeply connected with their community, funeral homes may not be the first that come to people’s minds. In reality, funeral homes like Bartholomew Funeral Home are some of the most integrated businesses in our community, collaborating with others to provide kind, quality service when people need it most.
“Between all of our employees, we probably make 100 phone calls a day. Being in an organization that a lot of people don't know a lot about or don't want to know a lot about because of the topic of death, they don't realize everything that goes into making a modern funeral happen,” said Kyle Newhard, office manager.
From the moment someone passes, Bartholomew begins working with others to recover the deceased individual. Some of the first people Bartholomew has to work with when someone passes are the coroner, EMTs, fire department, and the police department. Each group plays an important role in making sure a person is laid to rest properly.
“It's always great to work with our first responders,” said Newhard.
The list of businesses and organizations Bartholomew’s works with to organize a funeral is truly endless. Bartholomew's team constantly makes calls to insurance companies, organ donor agencies, cemetery owners, religious organizations, suppliers, and local florists to provide families with the exact funeral they need to begin their healing process.
“All these different organizations have to come together and are an individual piece of the puzzle for a funeral. There are hundreds of them,” said Newhard.
When organizing funerals, Bartholomew also works closely with the active duty military and several veteran organizations including the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Bartholomew will invite the military to a veteran’s funeral to play “Taps,” fold an American flag, and present the flag to the veteran’s family. The American Legion will also occasionally do a 21-gun salute for families if they request it. These connections help add a nice touch to veterans’ funerals.
Not all of Bartholomew’s partnerships revolve around organizing a funeral, though. Bartholomew partners with the Porter County Career Center so students have the opportunity to learn about the funeral home industry. Bartholomew typically has two to three students a year who come spend a couple of weeks job shadowing and getting a feel for what the industry is like. Even if students discover that a job in the funeral industry isn’t for them, it still gives them a chance to gain a better understanding of what the funeral industry is and isn’t.
“Opportunities for job shadowing are important to us because the funeral home isn’t an industry that people know very much about. Giving students the chance to explore is a good thing. It helps take the veil of mystery off of it,” said Newhard.
Lastly, staying connected with other funeral industry professionals is extremely important to Bartholomew. Bartholomew is a proud member of both the Indiana Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) and the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Both organizations provide Bartholomew with technical support, extra training for the team, and general guidance. The organizations also hold conventions so funeral directors from all across the country can come together, support one another, and enjoy each other's company.
“It sounds a bit odd, but when funeral directors all get together they’re a pretty fun bunch – they let loose quite a bit. It’s always fun to see,” said Newhard.
Ultimately, between all their connections with countless local businesses, first responders, military organizations, schools, and professional associations, funeral homes are far from the isolated businesses people might think they are. The team at Bartholomew is grateful to work with so many wonderful individuals and couldn’t be prouder to serve the Region.
“It's nice to know that we all work together. Most of us are pretty cooperative with each other – we're willing to bend a little bit to make it easier on everybody involved. Even other funeral homes work well with each other. We're here to help each other out because we all understand the business. It's just nice to be part of a community where everybody supports each other,” said Newhard.
To learn more about Bartholomew Funeral Home and its connection with the community, visit bartholomewnewhard.com.
