Laura Anderson, a service manager at Neptune Society and Master of Theological Studies, was invited by a former professor to speak with future ministers, missionaries and teachers taking a course on Death and Dying at St. Thomas University.
While the class allows students to engage with real issues concerning the dying, the bereaved, those who work with them, and their caretakers, Laura’s hour long presentation on May 6, 2015 covered everything from what happens when a death occurs to the processes and laws surrounding a death as well as how the funeral service has changed, which tied in smoothly with the overall objective of the course.
Since St. Thomas is also a Seminary, she and the class also spent time discussing religious perspectives on death and dying and how they can affect personal and familial choices when a death occurs.
The students were especially interested in the embalming process. “I even discussed the history of embalming and they seemed to like that,” says Laura. They were also interested in how a growing number of people in the US are choosing cremation and the reasons why there’s such a large shift from more traditional burials.
None of them were interested in becoming morticians, however. When asked why, the class agreed that it would be too hard.
When asked if the class asked any questions that resonated with her, Laura said, “One young lady asked me how my job has personally affected me. I told her that I appreciate my family – and their relative sanity – much more after dealing with so many families over the years and seeing the different dynamics.”
“I also told her that I worry less than I used to. I worried a lot when I first started as a mortician and became a bit of a hypochondriac. But after a few years I realized that life will just happen the way it needs to happen. I don’t have a lot of control over most things that happen; I have faith that if I do my best, it will work out in the end.”
Neptune Society is a national cremation society providing respected, dignified cremation services from dozens of locations across the country. We’ve served tens of thousands of families with affordable cremation over the last four decades. Please contact us to learn more about our cremation service.
Special thanks to Laura Anderson, service manager of Neptune Society Minneapolis for her support and contributions to this post.
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The Neptune Society is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of affordable cremation services. Whether you have an immediate need or want to plan cremation services in advance, we are always available to assist you and your family.
Call 1-800-NEPTUNE (800-637-8863) today or contact us online to learn more.
