What Is the Current State of the Funeral Home Industry? An Interview with Glenda Sheffield: Part Two

Welcome to Part Two of our interview with Glenda Sheffield. (You can find Part One here.) Glenda is the founder, owner and Senior Director of Sheffield Funeral Home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has been in the funeral home industry in one capacity or another for more than 30 years.

Lucas: How popular are green burials? Are they starting to gain momentum throughout the country?

Glenda: Not quite yet, from my understanding. I would like to say that they are, but I really haven’t gotten too many requests for them. From what I can tell, most funeral homes are not really doing them or even promoting them much. A lot of them still seem more interested in the bigger, more elaborate funerals. Sheffield Funeral Home actually has not performed any yet. As I said before, a majority of people just aren’t aware that green burials are available to them, but I would certainly recommend them for friends and family. I would love to see the funeral home industry become more involved in the green burial movement.

A wooded area is a perfect setting for a green burial
(Credit: connectingdirectors.com)

Lucas: How expensive are green caskets and urns?

Glenda: They are about the same price as traditional caskets and urns, which is another reason why I think more people would be interested in the green movement if they were aware of it. I actually have a favorite “green” urn on FinalFootprint.com. They have an African one which is very beautiful. I’d love to have it in my funeral home.

Lucas: Do you have any new plans or ideas in the works for 2017?

Glenda: Oh yes, in fact I have many new things I’m planning for the upcoming year. One of the more exciting ones I have lined up is a special 1-800 number I’m calling “After the Storm.” It will be a sort of comfort line for people who’ve lost a loved one or a pet, or simply want someone to talk to. People can call the number 24/7. I will be one of the people answering the phone as well as a few other people. It’s really an effort to help those dealing with grief. Sometimes people need an outside voice to put things in perspective. I’ve never done anything like this before, so I don’t know how it will go.

We will also host a hot pepper plant sale in either September or October. I’m looking forward to that. It’s another way we’d like to get involved with and give back to the community. And finally, I want to set up a pet crematory. I will start to look for a building to buy soon. Animal crematories are generally smaller, but I don’t know too much about them.  I need to check it out with some others in the funeral home industry.  Cats and dogs are small, but horses are quite large! I plan to include a meditation room there as well.

Sheffield Funeral Home hopes to add a pet crematory to its list of services this year.

Lucas: Wow! You certainly have a lot on the horizon for the new year!

Glenda: You know, the funeral home industry is definitely changing. We’re not busy like we used to be. Some families haven’t had a funeral in 15 years, so funeral homes have to think of new ways to make up for lost revenue. We are also getting a new logo, which is very cool. It’s for the funeral home in general, so when everybody sees it they’ll know it’s Sheffield Funeral Home.

Lucas: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Glenda: Definitely when a family is satisfied with the work we’ve done with their loved one and the memorial service. Seeing a family at peace with their loved one’s service and being pleased with the outcome makes it all worthwhile.

Lucas: Do you have any tips or recommendations for families who may lose or have lost a loved one?

Glenda: I would say to plan the memorial service as soon as possible, because you never know when someone with a terminal illness will die. It’s a smoother transition when you at least have an idea of what you or your loved one may want out of the service. We also really want to personalize each person’s funeral service, so knowing someone’s favorite color, flower etc. can also help a lot. It’s also important to finalize things like any insurance policies they may have had, to close bank accounts and take care of social security. Sometimes people forget about those things.

Lucas: Thank you very much for taking time to speak with us! I certainly have learned a lot about the funeral home industry. Good luck with all of your new ventures for the new year!

Glenda: Thank you! It was great speaking with you too.