Raven Plume Insights

13 Articles

Cremation Education ×

150 Years of Smoke and Mirrors (The Good Kind)

As we cross the threshold into 2026, the funeral industry finds itself in a peculiar, poetic position. We aren't just flipping a calendar page; we are standing at a massive historical crossroads. In 1...

Business Management Cremation Education Education Funeral Director History Marketing Relevancy

Dec 29, 2025

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

The Changing Landscape of Rememberance

A survey conducted by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) in 2022 revealed a striking statistic: 25% of U.S. households have cremated remains of a loved one in their home . This growing ...

Cremation Education Education Marketing Relevancy

Mar 30, 2025

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Benjamin Schmidt

Fireside Chat—3 Experts Discuss What NOT to Cremate, Environmental Impact, and Thoughtful Cremation Practices

In this blog, Dr. Jennifer Lares, Ben Schmidt and Larry Stuart Jr. Discuss: · What not to cremate: Items like pets, trash, synthetic materials, and previously cremated remains should never go in the c...

Cremation Education Crematory Operations Crematory Operators

Nov 19, 2024

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Cremation and Carbon Impact—A Comparison

Just How Much CO2 Does Cremation Contribute To Global Warming? This Is No Easy Calculation Free From Controversy And A Lot Of Gaslighting From All Ends (Pun Intended!) So Let's Simply Compare The Impa...

Cremation Education Crematory Operations Crematory Operators Education

Jul 28, 2024

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Jennifer D. Lares

Funeral Service Training and Development—Who Should Foot the Bill?

The World Of Funeral Services Is Evolving At An Ever Increasing Pace. We're Seeing All Sorts Of New Options For Laying Loved Ones To Rest, Thanks To Advancements In Medicine And Changes In Society's P...

Business Management Cremation Education Education Funeral Director Relevancy

Apr 29, 2024

0 1601

Benjamin Schmidt

WHY DON’T YOU JUST GOOGLE IT? 🙄

We already know from the marketing people that 85% of Google searches are done to find funeral homes, but if someone Googles information about the different aspects of funeral services, what do they f...

Alkaline Hydrolysis Cremation Education Education Embalming Funeral Director Marketing NOR/Human Composting Relevancy

Dec 28, 2023

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Things Funeral Homes Should Always Consider Regarding Using a 3rd Party Cremation Partner

Funeral directors know, when someone dies, things can happen quickly and all of a sudden there are a lot of plates spinning in the air all at once. Almost all of the plates stay spinning by the funera...

Business Management Cremation Education Crematory Operations Funeral Director Liability

Sep 25, 2023

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Crematory Operator's Pre-Cremation Checklist

Anticipating problems before they happen virtually eliminate the possibility that they will, in fact, happen. No need to rely on a fortune teller! When I tackle a project, no matter what it is, I alwa...

Cremation Education Crematory Operations Crematory Operators Liability

Mar 22, 2023

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Identification and Chain of Custody

It's Not Just for Crime Scene Investigators! When you think of chain of custody does your mind go right to evidence collected at a crime scene? Thanks to the ubiquitous police procedural television sh...

Business Management Cremation Education Crematory Operations Crematory Operators Liability

Jan 15, 2023

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

What Really Goes On Inside a Crematory?

Visualize a bon-fire. Envision the flames licking the air and hear the crackling of the wood burning. Smell the smoke and notice the sparks and embers spitting as the fire consumes the logs. Now imagi...

Cremation Education Crematory Operations

Mar 14, 2022

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Death and Self-Worth are Stange Bedfellows

Why would someone that works for a living making $50K per year, raising 2 children and 2 dogs buy a Louis Vuitton purse for $3,500? What is the attraction? Are they worth that? They aren't even made o...

Cremation Education Relevancy Wellness

May 22, 2018

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Larry Stuart, Jr.

Cremation IS Traditional

According to the Cremation Association of North America the rate of cremation passed 50% of deaths in 2016 and there are no signs of a slowdown for decades. Big deal! Fifty is just a number, right? Li...

Cremation Education Education History Marketing Relevancy

Nov 13, 2016

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Raven Plume Insights

Thoughts, teachings, and musings regarding death, memorialization, cremation, and everything else to help enlighten, edify, and demystify the myths and misconceptions surrounding the deathcare profession.

Raven Plume Insights

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