Steve Nicely spent his working years as a journalist, writing about the doings of Kansas City area people who were very much alive. And he's a funny, loves-to-laugh man who takes chances, welcomes change, and immerses himself in life.
But he also has more than an ordinary familiarity with death—and his comfort with death has caused him to become an advocate for the rest of us. As we work out the fine points of an elder's passing or plan for our own, we have resources and knowledge available because of the efforts of Nicely and his colleagues with the Funeral Consumers Alliance.
We talked to Nicely, 74, of Mission, during a walk through Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Lenexa and then at the Porter Funeral Home across the way.... [ READ MORE ]
It was close to midnight. The darkness hid the flowers and neatly trimmed shrubs that lined the driveway from the sight of the 16 men in the four cars that quietly approached the brick building.
According to one observer, the building was "lit up like a battleship." The four cars, filled with law enforcement officers, blocked the cars of those inside the building so they couldn't leave.
The people inside the building were eating chicken, drinking alcoholic beverages, dancing, and in general enjoying themselves. In today's world, nothing would be considered wrong with that. This, however, was 1921... [ READ MORE ]
The 'good' visitor
Most of us head to the hospital to visit a sick or recovering friend or family member without giving it a thought. But you can do many things to make sure the experience is positive and safe for yourself, the patient, and your family....[ READ MORE ]
If you could speak from the grave, what would you say? What would be your epitaph? Or what if the place you were buried turned out to be something other than a cemetery? And you don't have to be rich and famous to leave a lasting testament of your life.
Not unlike the clothing they choose to wear, their status in life, the way they live, or the hobbies they engage in during a lifetime, some people express their "life view" in the form of their epitaph or tombstone.
So take a minute to get your favorite drink, then sit back and take a tour with me of some of the most unusual grave markers in the country.... [ READ MORE ]
