Director's Insight 2017 Issue

DIRECTOR’S INSIGHTWWW.DIRECTORSINSIGHTMAG.COM | WINTER 2017 | ISSUE 11 MAGAZINE Kevin KelleySpecialStatementFrom 2017 Letter From Kevin Kelley And The Kelley Law Firm - Page 14FUNERAL DIRECTOR FUNERAL HOME THREE AFRICAN- SCOTT FUNERAL HOMEHAS UP-CLOSE VIEW OF FEATURE - GARMON AMERICAN SOLDIERS ADDS ANOTHER GENERATIONCHICAGO VIOLENCE FUNERAL HOME GIVEN FULL BURIAL Page - 16Page - 4 Page - 8 Page - 12

aThSehiFnuytCureemoeftDeeryatBheCneoautldh BteheManhattan BridgeImagine the Manhattan Bridge twinkling from underneath with hun- and polluting the air with cremation smog in the New York metropolitandreds of small pods filled with decaying biomass - the final resting area. It’s a lot of death, in other words, in a very small space, and howplace of many former New Yorkers, shining like stars in an otherwise we’ll deal with it in the future is an open question. One thing is for sure,dark sky. though: it’s probably going to look a lot different than how we’ve dealt with it in the past.There, you might lay flowers near a pod containing the remains of aloved one, until decomposition finishes its course and all that remains But, like Constellation Park, the latter ideas have been met with obsta-is a container to keep as a remembrance. cles: No commercial prometorium, or freeze-dryer, has yet been built. And although seven U.S. states approve of flameless creation, religiousThis is the vision that is Constellation Park, a shiny new cemetery pro- institutions, including the Catholic Church, have declared the disposalposed by DeathLab, a trans-disciplinary research and design space of liquefied bodies “undignified,” contributing to the demise of a 2008at Columbia University. For the past five years, DeathLab has been fo- bill that would have legalized alkaline hydrolysis to New York.cused--during an era of global warming, overcrowding, and leave-no-trace environmentalism--on solving the problem of last rites in New Proponents of alternative means of dealing with corpses have said,York, where an average of 144 bodies stack up per day. however, that some religious institutions--and society itself--might have to rethink their burial dogma.That, in turn, totals around half a million plots per decade, consumingnearly all of the ground left in the dozens of cemeteries2PAGE

Content04 Funeral Director Has Up- 10 Mattie Smith Colin, Chicago Close Of Chicago Violence Defender reporter who covered Emmett Till story, dies at 9807 Keion Carpenter, former 12 Three African-American Civil Woodlawn High, NFL player, War soldiers given burial with dies at 39 full military honors08 Garmon Funeral Home 16 Family lineage: Scott Funeral Feature Home adds another generation Special Statment From Kevin Kelley And The Kelley Law Firm14 Founders’ Day Kappa Alpha Psi19The dead are my business20 3PAGE

Funeral Director Has Up-Close ViewOf Impact Of Chicago ViolenceThe families file in to Leak & Sons Funeral Home, grieving lost loved ones, most of them youngblack men, and begging for help to foot funeral and burial costs. After 17 people were killed last weekend — Chicago is seeing more killings this year than the city has seen in more than a decade — family after family streamed through the doors of the funeral home on South Cottage Grove. For years, when poverty and death collide, Spencer Leak has been a mortician they turn to. His Chatham funeral parlor has played that role since his father, the late Rev. Andrew “A.R.” Leak, opened the place in 1959. “It’s always difficult to sit across from a mother who has lost a child, a young man, for the most part to street violence,” says Leak, 78. “I have to arrange a funeral and, at the same time, try to comfort a family in dealing with this death. Four of the victims last weekend were under 17 — fourteen of them black, two Hispanic, one white. That brought the total number of people killed under 18 so far this year to 78. 4PAGE

Leak’s parents were part of the Great Migration, his father following rela- “We thought we had made a tragic error. Then, a lady came in with atives heading north from Little Rock, Ark., in the late 1920s. At first, Andrew young daughter who passed away. She said, ‘Mr. Leak, I want to bury myLeak sold insurance. Seeing brisk business in burial policies, he opened daughter. I want to have a funeral. But I have no money, no resources.’Unity Funeral Home, his first, in 1933. “My father called us together and said, ‘We’re going to give this child aIn 1964, Leak joined his father and 10,000 others in a march on Oak funeral fit for a princess. We’re going to give her the finest casket, lim-Woods Cemetery, located in the middle of the city’s then-Black Belt on ousines.’the South Side, which refused to bury or cremate blacks. Three days later,Oak Woods was integrated. “He saw this as a sign we should not, in this new location, turn anyone away, no matter what their resources. It became our policy. And from thatWhen the city cleared miles of land in the Black Belt to build the Robert point on, our business thrived. A lot of these young victims of violence,Taylor Homes public housing project, businesses were forced to relocate. their families oftentimes don’t have insurance. We turn no one away.”A.R. Leak Funeral Home moved to its current location in 1959. While working in the family business, Leak got his master’s degree in“We hoped we wouldn’t lose the business we had in the previous location, criminal justice and held positions in state and Cook County govern-but we opened that Monday, and no one called,” Leak says. “Neither Tues- ment from the early 1980s through 2000.day, Wednesday or Thursday. Nor the second week, nor the third week.” 5PAGE



Keion Carpenter, Former WoodlawnHigh Graduate, NFL Player, Dies At 39 Carpenter, who made his NFL debut with the Buffalo Bills in 1999, played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2002 to 2005. He had 14 interceptions in six NFL seasons. According to the Bills’ official website, Carpenter collapsed and suffered a brain aneurysm while he was running. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but fell into a coma. It happened while Carpenter was on vacation with his family. Carpenter, a Baltimore native, played college football at Virginia Tech. “He had a heart of gold,” former Hokies head coach Frank Beamer said. “His work with The Carpenter House and other charitable organizations to help those in need truly embodied the Virginia Tech spirit.” 7PAGE

Funeral Home FeatureGarmon Funeral Home - Henderson, TX“I have the honor of being able to comfort them in their time of sorrow and the ability to present their loved one in a natural memorable fashion.1. In your own words, who is William F. Garmon III? 5. Imagine there is a conflict between two people at a funeral service. How would you resolve the conflict?William F. Garmon, III is a third generation funeral director/embalmer. My par-ents are the late William F. Garmon, Jr. and Myrtle J. Carter Garmon. My mission There’s almost always a ‘conflict’ or ‘issue’ when dealing withis to serve the people in a time of need. Regardless of economic status or eth- families. I consult with my families during the arrangementnic background, I’m dedicated to those I serve and will provide quality service conference to address anything that may be a distraction tobeyond their expectations. the services being planned. Once that has been identified, I simply let them know that the services aren’t about them, but2. What have you always wanted to be growing up? of their loved one. I affirm that our firm will not partake in any- thing other than a peaceful ceremony. I’ve never had a serviceMy initial career pursuit was to be an Architectural Engineer. Upon filtering out get out of hand, but; we should never, say never.football scholarship offers and the time frame on returning to our family busi-ness, my attention led me to my second passion in the funeral industry.3. How did you become interested with the funeral industry?Well, that was quite simple. Growing up in the family business and having twoolder siblings working there also, it wasn’t hard to be acquainted with the in-dustry. Our parents were definitely a huge influence on us in our younger yearsabout the importance of working and community service. As a teenager, I hadexperienced every aspect of the business from washing cars, first calls, to park-ing cars and grave site preparation.4. Why do you enjoy working in the funeral industry?It’s a ministry working with people in a time of bereavement. I have the honorof being able to comfort them in their time of sorrow and the ability to presenttheir loved one in a natural memorable fashion.8PAGE

6. How important is customer service at your funerals? Customer service is at the top of my priorities. I instruct our staff to always be readily available to assist the funeral goers, as well as the family we are serving with whatever they need within reason. If it’s to park a car for some- one, carry food into the dining hall, or walk a person to a seat, we are readily available to assist them. 7. What demographics does your business typically cater to? We serve predominately the African-American community; however, we have served every ethnic and religious group in our community. At one time we were the exclusive Muslim faith provider in our local region that expanded a 75-mile radius from our location. 8. What was the most memorable funeral you serviced? My dad. My father passed away January 28, 2012, surrounded by my mom, two sisters and I at home. I took him to our facility and prepared him that night. We had a beautiful, dignified celebration of life that I personally di- rected along with our staff. That’s the way he wanted it, he always told me; “no one can do a Garmon service, but a Garmon!” I will never forget the attention to detail, size of attendance and eloquence that was present that day. I will say it was definitely a proud moment for me both personally and professionally.9PAGE

Mattie Smith Colin, ChicagoDefender reporter who coveredEmmett Till story, dies at 98 Mattie Smith Colin, a reporter for the Chicago Defender, was dispatched to a Chicago train station in 1955 to cover the return of Emmett Till’s body. A deeply moving experience, covering what would become a flash point in the civil rights movement, Colin eloquently captured the anguish of Till’s mother as her young, black son, slain in Mississippi after reportedly whistling at a white woman, was returned to her. Colin also was at Till’s funeral, where his mother insisted on an open casket to expose the horror of what had happened to her son. Images of his mutilated body were printed in the Chicago Defender and made international news. “Mattie was a gifted and highly intelligent writer whose heart was open to the truth,” said Col. Eugene F. Scott, the publisher of the Chicago Defender during the 1990s. “She had empathy and character, and could tell the kinds of stories that nobody else could.” 10PAGE

“She had done and seen so much but rarelytalked about her own achievements,” longtimefriend Esther Barnett said. “She was a very mod-est woman and always more interested in whatyou were doing rather than what she was up to.”Colin, 98, who also worked for the Chicago Park District and the De-partment of Streets and Sanitation before retiring at age 93, diedDec. 6 at the Warren Barr Living and Rehab Center in Chicago after arecent stroke.Through her affiliations and work with the Defender, Colin came to “He’d tell me these wonderful stories about Mattie and Ethel, howknow scores of local and national politicians and was an invited they’d hold their own against their male counterparts in the news-guest at the presidential inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson. She also room, and would speak of them only in the highest regard,” Scottserved as grand marshal of the Bud Billiken Parade, the largest Afri- said.can-American parade in the nation.She was born and raised Mattie Smith on the South Side, and her After many years as a reporter, Colin became the newspaper’s foodfather was the owner and operator of two taxi companies. A graduate and fashion editor. She continued working as an editor-at-large forof Chicago Public Schools, she studied journalism at Roosevelt and the newspaper before leaving in 2002.Northwestern universities. In his 2016 book “The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper“She was the kind of person that understood the importance of being Changed America,” Ethan Michaeli, a former investigative reporter atwell-informed, so journalism was a natural fit,” said her cousin Anne the Defender, wrote this about Colin:Fredd. “The features desk was manned by two editors from different gen-In 1950, Colin joined the staff at the Chicago Defender, which was erations: Soft-spoken, kind and polite, Mattie Smith Colin cast anfounded in 1905 and considered for many years to be the nation’s elegant figure in the newsroom in her furs and jewels, her articlesmost influential black weekly newspaper, with more than two-thirds on fashion, food, literature and culture were crisply written and me-of its readership outside of Chicago. ticulously self-edited. Proud of having worked for the newspaper for many years, she never bragged about her work as a ‘hard news’Scott recalled having long conversations with the late John H. Seng- reporter, though she had covered the return of Emmett Till’s body tostacke, the Chicago Defender’s publisher during the time of the Till Chicago, among other stories.”story, and Colin’s name would come up regularly. “Mattie was a real treasure, not just at the newspaper but for the city“He described Mattie as a stellar reporter and talked about her in the of Chicago as a whole,” Scott said.same light as Ethel Payne,” Scott said. A celebration of Colin’s life is being planned for Jan. 21.Payne, who died in 1991, wrote front-page stories for the Chicago De-fender and is known as the “First Lady of the Black Press.”11PAGE

Three African-American Civil War SoldiersGiven Burial With Full Military HonorsThree African-American Civil War soldiers found a permanent burialsite at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery after over 100 years in anobscure, backyard graveyard in rural Penn Township near Newville, Pa.The three veterans: Cpl. William Anderson, “We are just so happy and pleased that we can in a prideful sense, proud to be part of thisof the 54th Massachusetts Infantry and Pvts. be part of this ceremony today, honoring these ceremony.”Greenberry Stanton and John Nelson, both of people,” Hassinger said.the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry, were buried Several dozen members of the Harrisburg, Pa.in unmarked graves after the original head- The headstones were removed during a five- chapter of the Buffalo Soldier Motorcycle Clubstones were lost or moved. year period when Hassinger’s family did not and the Buffalo Soldier Cavalry Scouts attend- own the site, but one headstone has been lo- ed the ceremony and acted as pallbearersThe graves were in the backyard of Lowell cated a half mile away in an AME cemetery in as three caskets covered with American flagsHassinger who’s family has owned the prop- Irishtown Gap, Pa. where loaded into three hearses from Hoff-erty since 1940. He remembers putting flags man Funeral Home & Crematory and drivenon the graves with his father and brother as “I stood there and cried like a baby,” Hassinger up Interstate 81 to the Indiantown Gap Nation-a little boy. said of the ceremony. “We’re proud, and not al Cemetery. 12PAGE

13PAGE

2017 Letter From Kevin KelleyHappy New Year and I wish you the absolute best for your 2017. I could think of no better way to start our first message of the year. My associates and I atthe Kelley Law Firm are thankful for 2016 and all of the love and support provided to our law firm. Our team is now stronger than ever and we have beenblessed to add some of the highest quality and character professionals to our team.I’m not sure of your goals for 2017 but know that I absolutely believe in you and know that You Can Do It! From me, to you, You Can Do It! As for the KelleyLaw Firm, in 2017 we look forward to doing all that we can to ensure victims of accident and injury accidents cases are treated with the care andrespect they should be afforded. We want to make sure every single harmed family is protected.If you have not worked with our firm I want you to consider why you should be looking at the chart below: 14PAGE

The infographic to the left says a thousands words. In the future we hope that when considering who to contact for matters of wrongful death and serious consider the foundation of the Kelley Law Firm, Character, Hard Work, and Compassion.Character We only hire individuals of high character who families can trust. Honesty and integrity is a must and is never sacrificed by all employees of the Kelley Law Firm. Hard Work We refuse to allow any other firm to outwork our law firm. Our clients deserve the best and our commitment is always with this in mind.CompassionDuring difficult times a family only benefits from a law firmwho cares and may have shared experiences. Our diversestaff mirrors our clientele and ensures comfort, care, andfriendship to families during their most difficult time. I am absolutely convinced that 2017 will be a phenomenal year for our law firm and for you as well. With that in mind, please know that if you or your friends or family need legal counsel, no matter what the issue, we are here to advise you. May God be with you and we can’t wait to hear from you! 15PAGE

Family Lineage:Scott Funeral Home AddsAnother Generation 16PAGE

”I love the Smurfs because Vernita Butler Brookins is part of a tight-knit family, one whose name means integrity they’re a close family like my in Corsicana. As the granddaughter of Robert and Mable Scott, and the daughter of Faith family and Papa Smurf is my Holt, the 1994 Corsicana High School graduate completed her studies at the Dallas favorite because he keeps Institute of Mortuary Science in September of 2016, and is now helping her grandmother peace in the family. run Scott Funeral Home. Vernita also has a sister, Veronica Butler, as well as a daugh- ter, Qualesha Thomas and husband Nate, and grandchildren Loriana, 3, and Louis, 8 months. 1. What did you want to be when you grew up? When did you make the choice to pursue funeral director as a career path? In high school I wanted to be an attorney because I love to prove my point. I enjoy arguing over certain things. My decision to become a funeral director came after my grandfather fell and lost his eye, then had open heart surgery and lastly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, leaving my grandmother to run the business by herself. 2. Did you spend some time away from Navarro County? What made you decide to return here? In 2012 I moved to Dallas and returned about a year ago. I returned to help my grand- mother at the funeral home. 3. You have a daughter and grandchildren. Do you want to see them grow up in Navarro County? What qualities do you see here? I would love to see my grandchildren raised here. Our crime rate and child abduction is not as bad here as it would be in the larger cities. We do have our fair share of crimes but nothing compared to Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta. Qualities: as far as Corsicana, you know everyone here or their family. 4. Do you participate in community service? Service through your church? In the past I wasn’t much into community service, but since I’ve decided to work in the funeral home I’m starting to be a part of different things. 5. You come from strong women who never slow down, and a very close- knit family. Are those things important for you to maintain in your family in the next generations? If you let them tell it, I won’t let them slow down but being close is very important. My daughter and her family will be moving to Atlanta when she finishes at Texas Tech and everytime I think about it I get a new strand of gray hair! All jokes aside, being close is very important especially since our family is so small. 17PAGE

18PAGE

January 5, 1911K20a1p7pNaaAtilophnaalPFsoiunders’ Day It is a fact of which KAPPA ALPHA PSI ® is justly proud that the Constitu-Kappa Alpha Psi ® , a college Fraternity, now comprised of functioning tion has never contained any clause which either excluded or suggestedUndergraduate and Alumni Chapters on major campuses and in cities the exclusion of a man from membership merely because of his color,throughout the country, is the crystallization of a dream. It is the beauti- creed, or national origin. The Constitution of KAPPA ALPHA PSI ® is predicat-ful realization of a vision shared commonly by the late Revered Founders ed upon, and dedicated to, the principles of achievement through a trulyElder Watson Diggs; John Milton Lee; Byron Kenneth Armstrong; Guy Levis democratic Fraternity.Grant; Ezra Dee Alexander; Henry Tourner Asher; Marcus Peter Blakemore; Chartered and incorporated originally under the laws of the State of Indi-Paul Waymond Caine; Edward Giles Irvin, and George Wesley Edmonds. ana as Kappa Alpha Nu on May 15, 1911, the name was changed to KAPPAIt was the vision of these astute men that enabled them in the school ALPHA PSI ® on a resolution offered and adopted at the Grand Chapter inyear 1910 - 11, more specifically the night of January 5, 1911, on the December 1914. This change became effective April 15, 1915, on a procla-campus of Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana, to sow the seed mation by the then Grand Polemarch, Elder Watson Diggs. Thus, the nameof a fraternal tree whose fruit is available to, and now enjoyed by, college acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and KAPPA ALPHA PSI ® therebymen everywhere, regardless of their color, religion or national origin. became a Greek letter Fraternity in every sense of the designation. 19PAGE

BUSINESSTHE DEAD ARE MY20PAGE

Enos Chebi, 27, is a mortician - he worked which involves incising and injecting bodies with preserv-on his first body when he was just 13 years atives, applying fragrances and assisting relatives throughold. This, he says, is what he wants to do for the mortuary procedures of admitting, viewing, and takingthe rest of his life. their body. In a day, as the lead mortician, I’m also involved with orientating human anatomy students from the Uni- His is a job that many frown at. First introduced to this prac- versity of Nairobi. I also train them how to dissect, how to tice by his radical grandfather when he was a pupil in primary reconstruct, and to sew up a body, which is not part of my school, Enos Chebi, who first studied animal husbandry before job, but which I do out of enthusiasm. deciding he would make a better mortician than vet, says that given a choice, he would still choose this. He works at the Chiro- What steps do you take to protect yourself from mo Funeral Parlour. Welcome to his fascinating world. contracting possible infections at work? Why a mortician of all other careers? This particular job has Standard Operation Procedures. We have gumboots, lab coats, gloves, and masks which we put My grandfather was the only mortician in our village, and he was on while at work. We’re also examined on a regular basis to keen to pass on his skills to me. From him, I learned the basics detect any infections. We are well taken care of. of body preservation. I would watch him inject the body with formalin at various parts - the brain, limbs, thighs, the backside, Does this job give you satisfaction? back and abdomen. He would then place the body in a struc- ture made of banana stems with a base of gravel, placed on Nothing would come close to this. If I wanted, I would be a transparent polythene bag. He would then sprinkle water on working as an animal production expert, or as a vet with the structure daily to keep the temperature low, this way, the the County Government of Busia for instance, but I chose body could stay for up to two weeks without decaying. When to preserve bodies, to give them dignity in death. When be- my gradfather died, I thought I should fill his shoes. I enrolled reaved families call to appreciate your work, it gives me for a certificate course in mortuary science at the University of immense fulfilment. Nairobi, and later did a diploma course on the same. Is this what you wish to do for the rest of your life? You studied animal husbandry before you studied to become a mortician, have you ever worked as a vet? Gladly, yes. I have dedicated my life to this profession. I plan to upgrade my level of education though, and perhaps Only for a short time, back home. Once in a while though when venture into forensics. Later I could start my own facility I travel back home, villagers call me regularly for consultancy where I will attend to people at a more personalised level. services, which I offer at a fee. What message do you have for young Kenyans How long have you been in this job? searching for employment? Since 2004. This is my twelfth year. The first body I treated was First you must identify the career you want to pursue, then a cousin’s. I was only 13 years then. you need to be fully conscious of your strongest assets and weaknesses. Nurture your strengths. Focus on the job What is a regular work day for you like? and dedicate all your energy and enthusiasm to it. Mean- while, seek to plug your flaws. The rewards come later, but When I report to work in the morning, I ensure that the facility in bundles. is clean and that no stench is emanating from the laboratory or storage cabinets. A regular day will involve embalming,21PAGE

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TXPERMIT NO. 2247