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State Convention HighlightsSee Pages 4-13

September2016

Volume 15, Issue 2Membership Bulletin

Fune

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Ass

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President’s Charity Gala & Auction is

“Tremendous Success!”______________________

David West Installed asnew FDAK President -

State Convention HighlightsSee Pages 4-13

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Robert Michael Adams, Paducah

Denver Barrett, Somerset

Denny “Bobby” Franklin, Somerset

Troy Hampton, Barbourville

Larry David Marshall, Clinton, MI

Yvonne Oney, Olive Hill

Rose Parrott, Greensburg

The Voice of Funeral Service in the Commonwealth

108 St. James Court P. O. Box 4779 Frankfort, KY 40604-4779 502-223-0622 - 800-866-3211 FAX: 502-223-0628 E-mail: bcreek@fdaofky.com www.FDAOFKY.COM

Executive Director: Sidney Fogle Editor: Betty Creek

Officers: President ........................................ David West President-Elect ................................John Jones Vice President ................................... Rob Riley Secretary/Treasurer .................. Rusty Preston Sergeant-At-Arms ......................... Marty Jones Immediate Past President ...... Robbie Brantley Chairman of the Board ............... Doug Stanley NFDA Policy Board ..............Shannon Combs Directors: Central District ............................... Grant Bolt Eastern District ........................ George Sparks Northern District ........................ Bill Mullins Southern District ............................. John Hill Southcentral District ............Brandy Harwood Southeastern District .......... Wesley Rominger Western District .....................Chad Townsend

Inside: Fall Barn Scene ...................................... Page 1

President’s Message; In Memoriam ..... Page 2

Funeral Funding Trust of KY .............. Page 3

FDAK State Convention ................ Pages 4-13

FDAK Golf Scramble ......................... Page 14

10 Tips for Embracing Veterans ........ Page 15

Communication Skills ................ Pages 16-17

KY State Board Report ....................... Page 17

Death of Zachary Taylor ............. Pages 18-23

2015 NFDA Convention; Career

Cemter; Cartoon .............................. Page 24

InMemoriam

President’s Message

Hello Fellow Funeral Directors!!

When funeral directors gather there are many issues discussed that cause concern.

I read with interest articles that seek to tell us what actions we should take in response to issues that affect funeral service and I shake my head and wonder if these people have ever worked in a funeral home.  We would all like to be able to afford an IT person who would develop and administer all our technological needs, a full time preneed department, public relations department, etc., but the reality is…….

Most funeral directors must juggle a variety of jobs, are pressed for time, money and resources.    We “ground troops” most commonly discuss how to impact the public with the importance of the services we provide, (If they don’t understand, they don’t value), HOW TO GET PAID for what we do and the future of funeral service in general.

That is where our association and most importantly YOUR participation is important.    Information, classes and seminars are presented to make us use our wits to address these and other issues. As important as these events are,

many times, AS important, is the learning that takes place in the hallways between colleagues.    Discussing with others how situations are handled at their firms can open new thoughts and traditions to take home for your own use.

BUT…. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN… so come on… Make an effort to attend our annual convention next year.    Also, attend continuing education classes, the Mid Winter (and cheer on the ‘CATS!’) and bring your western gear for the president’s Wild Wild West themed gala for some crazy fun at next year’s State Convention.

And you just might learn something..

 

David West President

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The “Funeral Planning Guide” was available at our State Convention in the PNC Trust Booth. We are now mailing a supply to all active trust member funeral homes. We hope you will provide them as a resource of information to your families. Participating trust members will be able to order additional copies in the future. Non-trust firms may order them at a nominal fee.

The Funeral Funding Trust of KY has provided you and

your families, for over 33 years, a solution and choice for

your preneed funds! If you have any questions or need

assistance, please call 800-866-3211.

FuneralFunding Trust

of KY isproviding the

“FuneralPlanning Guide”

to member firms

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Convention SponsorsBass-Mollett Publishers Batesville Casket Co.Columbian Financial Group Matthews AuroraFuneral Funding Trust of KY NFDAState Auto Insurance Co. PNC BankTukios, Inc.Investors Heritage Life Insurance Co.

2016-2017 FDAK OFFICERS(l to r) front row – Southeastern District Director: Wesley Rominger from Manchester; Western District Director: Chad Townsend from Dixon; Southcentral District Director: Brandy Harwood from Tompkinsville; Immediate Past-President: Robbie Brantley from Brownsville; President: David West from Nicholasville; President-Elect: John Jones from Harlan; Vice President: Rob Riley from Carrollton; Secretary-Treasurer: Rusty Preston from Paintsville; and Chairman of the Board: Doug Stanley from Williamstown

back row – Eastern District Director: George Sparks from Grayson; Southern District Director: John Hill from Owensboro; Northern District Director: Bill Mullins from Covington; Central District Director: Grant Bolt from Georgetown; NFDA Policy Board Member: Shannon Combs from Richmond; and Sergeant-at-Arms: Gerald M. “Marty” Jones II from Morgantown

Auction & Raffle Contributors PurchasersCentral District FDANorthern District FDABass-Mollett - St. Louis Weekend Tommy JonesFuneral Funding Trust of KY - Alaskan Tour Brent SummersJones Coach Sales - Barren River Lake House Sidney FogleFDAK & Muster Coach - KY Derby Experience Bryant HightowerBob Milward - Keeneland Box/Fall Meet Stacey CassidyBill Drane, KFDLIC - IPad Mary SteeleXbox Diane BrantleyAmazon Echo Trace Brantley

Andrew Imel was presented a $5,000 Scholarship by Pat Caniff, FDAK

Scholarship Chairman

2016 NFDA Pursuit of ExcellentAward Recipients

Funeral Homes Honored for Excellence in Serviceto Families & Communities

Arnett & Steele Funeral Home, PinevilleMilward Funeral Directors, Lexington

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The Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky held their 134th Annual State Convention on June 28-30, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Kentucky

International Convention Center in Louisville. This outstanding convention was well attended by funeral directors, suppliers and families and included individuals from surrounding states--Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, and Illinois.

On Tuesday morning, the convention started with the Past President’s Breakfast. Following the breakfast, FDAK Chaplain Philip Brown, assisted by Robbie Brantley, conducted the Service of Re-membrance. The First Session began with the Funeral Service Forum. The continuing educa-tion seminar followed with Doug Gober present-ing “Upping Your Game--What to Do When the Competition Levels the Playing Field.”

President Robbie Brantley and family cut the ribbon for the “Official Opening of the 2016 Ex-hibits.” A reception was held in the Exhibit Hall during the opening night.

On Wednesday morning, the Second Session was presented by Tom Lynch and Dr. Thomas Long on “The Good Death, Good Grief and Good Fu-nerals: Finding Our Place in the Continuum of Care.”

The Women’s Auxiliary Brunch, hosted by Presi-dent Patty Davis, enjoyed a delicious brunch at the Hyatt Regency and afterwards enjoyed paint-ing with Whet Your Palette in the Convention Center.

The Exhibits opened that afternoon with a lun-cheon for everyone. A large crowd enjoyed the President’s Charity Gala & Auction to benefit Kosair Children’s Hospital and Kosair Charities. There was a harpist, magician, caricature artist and photographer for sourvenir photos. A big hit was the entertainment that was provided by The Monarchs with FDAK Past President David Owen. The President’s Gala & Auction raised over $25,000 for Kosair Children’s Hospital and Kosair Charities!

On Thursday, the final opening of the exhibits and a Breakfast Reception were held. Afterwards,

the meeting of the Annual House of Delegates was conducted and President Brantley presented the firm awards, continuing education awards and the 50-year licensed funeral director pins.

David West of the Betts & West Funeral Home in Nicholasville was sworn in as President of the Association by his brother, John West. The officers and direc-tors were installed by Chairman of the Board Marsha Caniff Davis of the Caniff Funeral Home in Ashland.

During the Third Session that afternoon, Dr. Michael Baden presenteed “Deter-mining the Cause of Death.”

David West (left) was sworn in as the new President of The Funeral Directors of KY by his brother, John West, of the Betts & West Funeral Home in Nicholasville.

David West (left) was presented his gavel as the new President of FDAK by Immediate Past President, Robbie Brantley.

D a v i d W e s t I n s t a l l e d a s2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7 F D A K P r e s i d e n t

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President Brantley Presentedthe 130, 75, 70, & 50 Year

Firm Awards

Fir m Awards130 Years

Smith Funeral Home, Morgantown

75 YearsHutton Funeral Home, Hillsboro

70 YearsMaggard Brothers Funeral Home, Hazard

50 YearsWilliam L. Danks Funeral Home, Beaver Dam

Strode Funeral Home, Tompkinsville

William L. Danks Funeral Home, Beaver DamJohn Danks

Hutton Funeral Home, HillsboroDenny Northcutt

Strode Funeral Home, TompkinsvilleCharlotte Birge & Charlie Strode

Maggard Brothers Funeral Home, HazardJimmy Maggard

Smith Funeral Home, MorgantownPenni Lee & Keith Lee

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President BrantleyPresented the 50-Year Licensed Pin Awards

(l to r) front row: Scott Hamm; Mike Stanley; Charlie Strode; Marcia Caniff Davis; Pat Caniff; FDAK Coordinator Alan Leichhardtback row: Doug Stanley; Tony Ratterman; Jim Trosper; Jim Davis; David Owen; Robbie Brantley; John Muster; Jerry Patton; Will Muster; Larry Sanders; Shannon Combs; & John Gay

50 Year LicensedFuneral Directors

OJ Brand, VersaillesCharles Burden, LouisvilleRichard Condor, BrandenburgDavid Everly, OwensboroClaudie Ray Farmer, HendersonWilliam J. Fields, AshlandArch L. Heady, III, LouisvilleDavid Jones, FrankfortRoy A. Martin, Mt. VernonJudy A. Mason, MayfieldJohn C. Moore, PaducahWilma Oakley, MiltonDonald Pangburn, Highland Hts.Robert Pruitt, PrestonsburgKenneth Robinson, Russell SpringsWilliam Satterly, NicholasvilleDaniel Schapmire, HartfordEugene Watts, JacksonVirginia Wells, StantonValeria White, LouisvilleJessie A. Young, Auburn

FDAK Past Presidents & Guests

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David Jones

Roy A Martin

John C. MooreWilma Oakley

Charles Burden Richard Condor

William Satterly Valeria White

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Continuing Education Awards

Kim Vossmeyer, Florence .................................25 hrs.Deborah Norman, Harrodsburg ......................25 hrs.Frank Giles, Hopkinsville ................................25 hrs.Billy Butcher, Lexington ..................................50 hrs.Andy Fox, Salem ..............................................50 hrs.Leigh Ann Lewis, Lexington ............................50 hrs.Justin Woosley, Richmond ...............................50 hrs.Doug Brooks, Munfordville .............................75 hrs.Cedric Burnam, Bowling Green ......................75 hrs.Roger Reed, Greenup .......................................75 hrs.Denise Shumate, Middlesboro .........................75 hrs.Morris Coffey, Vine Grove ...............................100 hrs.Jerry Davenport, Lexington .............................100 hrs.Michael Johnson, Munci, IN ..........................100 hrs.Gary Justice, Pikeville ......................................100 hrs.Stacey Cassidy, Georgetown ............................100 hrs.Grant Bolt, Georgetown ...................................125 hrs.Robert Vanderford, S. Fulton, TN ...................125 hrs.Larry Brinneman, Florence ............................150 hrs.Bob Foley, Lexington .......................................150 hrs.Mark Jump, Williamstown ...............................150 hrs.Brandy Harwood, Tompkinsville .....................175 hrs.Jerry Patton, Brownsville ................................175 hrs.Bob Greene, Flatwoods ....................................200 hrs.Walt Parrott, Greensburg .................................200 hrs.Doug Stanley, Williamstown ............................200 hrs.Mike Stanley, Williamstown .............................200 hrs.Jim Davis, Berea ..............................................250 hrs.Linda Strong, Hickman ...................................275 hrs.Bryson Price, Lewisburg ..................................325 hrs.Lacy Robinson, Prospect ..................................325 hrs.Jay Steele, Pineville .......................................1,125 hrs.Mary Steele, Pineville ...................................1,225 hrs.

Continuing Education Awards

WINNERS

$1,000 Cash Daily Drawing:Sponsors: Salesclub & FDAK

Margaret Cofer, DanvilleJo Sanders, HarrodsburgGrace Abbott, Louisville

Robert Vanderford Grant Bolt Jim Davis Doug Stanley

Billy Butcher Michael Johnson

Frank Giles Justin Woosley

Jay Steele & Mary Steele

Brandy Harwood

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Opening of Exhibit Hall

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President’s Charity Gala &

Auction raised over $25,000Kosair Children’s Hospital: $15,300

Kosair Charities: $9,760

Happy Birthday Sid

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Jim Davis was honored

with aResolution

for his years of service to

FDAK

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(l to r) Linda Strong, Vice President; Patty Davis, President; Betty Creek, Treasurer & Tonya Schroeder, Secretary.

Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon

The ladies enjoyed a brunch Wednesday morning, and afterwards, “Whet Your Pal-

ette” provided an opportunity for everyone to enjoy painting. The officers this year are: Patty Da-vis, President; Brandy Harwood, President-Elect; Linda Strong, Vice President; Judy Butler, Past Presi-dent; Tonya Schroeder, Secretary; Rhonda Riley, Historian; and Betty Creek, Treasurer.

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16th Annual FDAK

Golf ScrambleThe Funeral Directors Association of KY held its Annual Golf Scramble in Lexington at the Marri-ott Griffin Gate on Tuesday, August 16, 2016. U. S. Congressman Andy Barr made an appearance at the event and addressed the attendees.

The 1st Place Team was: Paul Burchell, Bobby Jo Johnson, Robbie Johnson and Melvlin Montgom-ery. All on this team received a $50 Visa card. The 2nd Place Team was: Mike Nash, Keith Dillon, Mark Snyder and Robbie Brantley. The “Longest Putt” winner was Robert Garner, the “Longest Drive” winner was Bob Milward; and the “Closest to the Pin” winners were Mark Snyder & Mark Crawford. All of the remaining winners received a $25 Visa card. A big “thanks” to all of the sponsors and door prize contributors:

American Coach Sales of Cleveland & CincinnatiCremation Capsule

Cull & Hayden Law OfficesThe Dodge Company

Funeral Funding Trust of KYHomesteaders Life Insurance Co.

Jones Coach SalesKY Funeral Directors Life Ins. Co.

KY Funeral Supply Sales ClubKY Mortuary Service

Lexington Insurance AgencyMatthews Aurora Funeral Solutions

Messenger LLCMilward Funeral Directors

Patton Funeral Home-Robbie BrantleyPNC Bank

State Auto Insurance CompanyThe Umbrella Man - Steve Becker

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Congressman Andy Barr & Bob Milward

President David West, Congressman Andy Barr & Executive Director

Sidney Fogle

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10 TIPSFor EmbracingVeteransVeterans are important, respected and beloved members of society. Days of remembrance such as Veterans Day and Me-morial Day are perfect opportunities to show the vet-erans in your community that you are thankful and appreciative of their service. Steve L. Muro, undersec-retary for memorial affairs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Public and Intergovernmen-tal Affairs, shares some tips for making veterans feel welcome in your cemetery.

1. THANK THEM. Those who wear the uniform, and their families, make countless sacrifices on our behalf. Let them know you ap-preciate their service.

2. HAVE VETERANS SERVE VETERANS. Pair up veterans on your staff with veterans and loved ones in their hour of need. The shared experience will inspire trust and confidence.

3. PARTNER WITH LOCAL VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. There are veteran’s service organizations in most towns, ranging from The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to the Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Wives. Their members would be glad for your interest in, and support of, the causes they champion. It’s also a great way to meet the veterans and survivors in your community.

4. VISIT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WEBSITE. The Funeral Director Resources page at www.cem.va.gov offers a wealth of information on eligibility, burial benefits and military funeral honors, along with forms for ordering headstones, markers, medallions and certifi-cates.

5. EDUCATE ON BENEFITS. Many veterans leave the military long before they need funeral arrangements and may not be aware of the

benefits they have earned. Take time to educate them. Available benefits in a private cemetery can include a gov-ernment headstone, marker or medallion, a burial flag and a presidential memorial certificate--all at no charge to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for reimburse-ment of certain related expenses.

6. ARRANGE HONORS. Presentation of the burial flag and the playing of taps set apart veterans’ interments from all others. The U.S. Department of Defense is responsible for providing military funeral honors and calls on funeral directors to request this distinctive recognition on behalf of veterans’ families. Some veterans service organizations also provide honors - another good reason to get to know them.

7. HELP THEM SAVE MONEY. The VA provides headstones and markers at no cost for the graves of eligible veterans in private cemeteries around the world. Ensuring next of kin are aware of this option allows them to make sound financial decisions dur-ing a time of uncertainty. Installing government head-stones and markers at little or no cost is another way to help.

8. REQUEST A MEDALLION. If family members forgo the government option, as-sist them with ordering a bronze medallion to affix to a privately purchased headstone to identify the deceased as a veteran. There is no charge for the medallions, which are available in three sizes and for every branch of service.

9. ORDER PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATES. A presidential memorial certificate is an engraved parchment document signed by the sitting president to honor the memory of an honorably discharged deceased veteran. Multiple certificates may be ordered at no cost for next of kin and other loved ones who would treasure this special acknowledgment.

10. KEEP THEIR STORIES ALIVE. Be caretakers of veterans’ history. Commemorate their contributions by sponsoring ceremonies on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day and other appropriate occa-sions. During tours, pay tribute to the fallen and all who have served in the armed forces by highlighting veterans sections and gravesites. Tell the stories behind monuments in their honor. Making certain every citizen understands that freedom is not free is one small way to repay the huge debt we owe those who have worn a military uniform.

---From American Cemetery with permission fromKates Boylston Publications

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Proper

Communication

Skills and Why

They Are So

Important

By Mike NicodemusVice President of Cremation

Services, NFDA

In my presentations throughout the country, I have said over and over: Cremation families know one thing--they want cremation; other than that, they don’t know what they want. That’s why it’s imperative for funeral directors

to help guide the family during the arrangement conference. Knowing what to say and how to say it can make all the differ-ence in the world in helping the family decide if they remain with a direct cremation or end up having a full-service crema-tion and services with the decedent present.

Sounds tough to do, right? Not at all. That’s why I’ve been asked to speak on just how to communicate with a family dur-ing the arrangement conference; how to drive the conversation and make it personal, not just a question-and-answer session.

How many times have you heard a family say, “We just want a simple cremation?” If you are like most funeral directors around the country, you’ve heard this more times than you can count, but there is a way to change that. There is a way to handle the family who wants nothing but direct.

Simple does not mean cheap. I would like you to give some thought as to how you would answer this question by a family member: “On our way over here, we saw a billboard advertis-

ing cremations for $895. Your price is $3,295; aren’t you both doing the same thing?”

Think about it. How would you and your staff answer them? What if you had a death and called a funeral home and were told, “We really don’t do that,” or, “Could you call back?” Would you call back? I doubt it. Instead of asking, “What type of cre-mation do you want?” try using, “Have you given any thought as to how you would like to honor your mother’s life?” Have you ever told a family, “Whether you choose cremation or burial, your options are exactly the same?” Knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it makes a big difference. Lee Iacocca said it best when he stated, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”

He is right on the money. This article is just a small synopsis of how, and why, communication skills are so important. Funeral directors who don’t take the time to get to know the family, and don’t lay out the options a family has when it comes to crema-tion, can end up costing your firm a lot of money--because in four short years, the projected cremation rate is going to in-crease by a large percentage. I’m sure some of you are probably there now. So, what do you have to lose by not changing the way you do things in the arrangement office? PLENTY!

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I will touch on the top funeral director misconception about cremation families. The one that stands alone at the top of the chart is, “The Family’s Mind is Made Up, Period.” Nothing could be further from the truth, since most families have not experienced making cremation arrangements be-fore and have no idea what to think. The family’s mind isn’t made up; the funeral director’s mind is made up.

Instead ofasking, What type of cremation do you want?” try using, “Have you given any thought as to how you would like to honor your mother’s life?”

In closing, I will leave you with one of the best quotes I have ever heard, and it hap-pens to come from one of your past presidents in Michi-gan, Mr. Pat Lynch. Pat said it best when he stated, “We need to change the way funeral di-rectors think about cremation by making it a ceremonial act instead of an industrial act.” How true.

---From the Michigan Funeral Directors Association Journal

2016 Kentucky Night Dinner Hard Rock Cafe, Philadelphia, PA

Tuesday, October 25, 2016 Reception: 7:00 p.m. – Dinner: 8:00 p.m.($50 adults, $15.00 children 12 and under)

Register at www.FDAofKY.comSponsors: Lemasters Consulting, Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions,PFA Tax & Accounting Professionals, State Auto Insurance Companies

KENTUCKY BOARD OF EMBALMERS ANDFUNERAL DIRECTORS REPORT

May 2016 - August 2016

NEW FUNERAL HOMES:Schur Funeral Home, Shannon Schur & William Longest, Pewee ValleyChristian Cremation & Funeral Service, John Harris & Shane Hessey, Hopkinsville

NEW OWNERS:Miller Schapmire Funeral Home, Nathan Morris & Megan Morris, HartfordMcDaniel Funeral Home, Patrick Stanley & Douglas Stanley, CorinthEckler-McDaniel Funeral Home, Patrick Stanley & Douglas Stanley, Dry Ridge

NEW APPRENTICES REGISTERED: 11 Embalmers/Funeral Directors 26 Funeral Directors 37 Total

COMPLAINTS: Total Reviewed: No complaints during this period

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS: 151 Sponsor Programs Reviewed

FINES: $1250

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The Death and Funeral of Zachary Taylor12th President of the United States of America

Biography “Old Rough and Ready” - The Simple Manby Todd W. Van BeckThe Mexican War made Zachary Taylor a presidential

candidate. In 1845, he was a grizzled old soldier, a veteran of nearly forty years of mainly obscure service in the regular Army of the United States. Apart from a

period in Florida hunting down Seminole Indians, he had spent most of his time in humdrum frontier duties. By 1848, however, when he was nominated by the Whigs for President, Taylor had been made into “Old Rough and Ready,” the American hero of Palo Alto, Monterey and Buena Vista and other battles fought by the Army of the Rio Grande during the Mexican War.

It is tempting to poke fun at Taylor, and at the bleary eyed old Lewis Cass with the sagging face and utterly grotesque red wig, Taylor’s Democratic rival in the election of 1848. George Washington, Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison before him had all owed their presidential appeal to military renown, but they were also politically experienced. Taylor was a soldier and nothing else. Taylor’s nomination was somewhat remarkable because he had never voted in a presidential election before his own; and though he was presumed to be a Whig he, in truth, had no party affiliation. Other senior officers such as Major General Winfield Scott and Edmund Gaines were well known to the public, having made themselves conspicuous in one way or another. In comparison, Zachary Taylor was obscure -and possibly, as was said of Napoleon, a “sphinx without a secret.” Even his military career was somewhat of a mystery. He had been commissioned directly into the Army without passing through the military academy at West Point. He was reared on a remote Kentucky farm, and he had no formal education, even spelling his name in an unpolished style. It was said that he was ignorant of military science and that his battle tactics were rudimentary. He was a small man, bow-legged, rumpled and ungainly. Whenever possible he wore civilian clothes, including a battered old straw hat.

The Whigs picked him as their candidate because his name was all over the newspapers during and after the Mexican War. They counted on him as a vote getter, with the added cynical consideration that his political opinions, being hitherto non-existent, could be “taylored” (pardon the pun) to suit the immediate needs of the political bosses of 1848. They were unlikely to win with any other candidate; the aging Henry Clay was too entangled in political defeat and controversy, and General Scott’s victories in Mexico were offset by a reputation for prickliness,

pomposity and just being a nasty, grumpy, fussy old man! “Old Rough and Ready” sounded like a better candidate than “Old Fuss and Feathers” (Scott’s nickname) for a party that was suspected by ordinary Americans of being a vehicle for rich businessmen. Taylor on the other hand could be presented as being everything to everybody. First he was a Southerner, born in Virginia, raised in Kentucky, with a home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a plantation upriver in Mississippi. By virtue of his Army service in Wisconsin, Iowa, Arkansas and other areas he could stand as a Westerner. This universal appeal was balanced on the party ticket by selecting Millard Fillmore of New York State as Taylor’s vice-presidential partner. No one seemed to pay any attention to the fact that Taylor was anti-slavery, while Fillmore was conciliatory to the “peculiar” institution (as slavery was referred to in 1850). Fascinatingly this disconnect in attitude between the two men

concerning slavery would surface 140 years after Taylor’s death in one of the most bizarre and twisted stories concerning the disinterment of a United States President in the annals of American History. But that’s later.

Zachary Taylor in fact possessed far more positive advantages than were recognized during his life time. He was rough, but he was no simpleton. He was sophisticated enough to send his son, Richard, to Harvard and Yale. His own ancestors were of respectable Virginia stock and his wife, Margaret Mackall Smith, came from a prominent Maryland family. Taylor’s daughters all married army

officers. Sarah, who was claimed by the promising young West Pointer, Jefferson Davis, died soon after her marriage of malaria fever. Another, Mary Elizabeth, married William Bliss who was a highly literate son-in-law and served as Taylor’s confidential aid.

Beneath Taylor’s breezy, artless manner was a man who soon showed people that he indeed understood political nuances. What the political leaders of the day underestimated was the unsurprising fact that Army officers, after all, depended upon contacts with political leaders for success in their careers, and hence Taylor was skilled in the art of pulling political strings. Taylor made some mistakes in the campaign, and the Democrats tried to ridicule him as an ignoramus and denounce him as a slaveholder but regardless of his simple manner and rough ways, by March 1849, the people had put Zachary Taylor in the White House.

It is an interesting footnote of history that Jefferson Davis, later in life the President of the Confederate States of America, was Zachary Taylor’s son-in-law, for a brief time. As mentioned earlier

A mausoleum houses the remains of Zackary Taylor and his wife at Zackary Taylor National Cemetery,4701 Brownsboro Road, Louisville, KY 40207

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Jefferson Davis eloped with and married Sarah Knox Taylor on June 17, 1835 and by doing so Davis incurred the wrath of his father-in-law. Tragically Sarah Knox Taylor died on September 15, 1835, approximately 90 days after her marriage. In time, the father-in-law and son-in-law came to terms, and later Jefferson Davis served under Taylor at the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista distinguishing himself both times on the battlefield.Sixteen months after his inauguration Zachary Taylor was dead. During Taylor’s Presidency the tension between the South and the North continued, and Taylor found it harder to make and keep peace than it was to wage war. His cabinet appointments were not well received and some of his department chiefs were involved in financial scandals (gee whiz, think of that!). Taylor never lacked courage he was just President at the wrong time, and for too short a time. He was in life compared to George Washington, a comparison which Taylor enjoyed very much. However what he might have accomplished will never be known for Taylor’s fate with history is much like that of John F. Kennedy. Both men will be remembered primarily for what they intended to accomplish instead of what they actually were able to complete in such abbreviated terms of office.

July 4, 1850 Thursday, Independence Day -The Fateful DayThe day was hot, extremely hot and the dedication ceremonies and festivities at the construction site of the brand new Washington Monument lasted over two hours. Sitting in the blistering hot sun listening patiently to one patriotic address after another was the 65-year-old Zachary Taylor, President of the United States. Oratory in the 19th century was long, bombastic, dramatic and most of all entertaining. Speakers could and would talk for hours and hours. Many speakers tried to compete with each other comparing theatrical skill and abilities and most of all plying for audience appreciation and applause. After the ceremony, Taylor went for a walk where he once again exposed himself to the blistering sun. Taylor returned to the White House hungry and thirsty. Accounts of what he ate and when he ate vary but it seems that he immediately downed a large bowl of raw cherries and drank a large pitcher of iced milk. At supper, Taylor also consumed raw cucumbers, more raw cherries, and then raw cabbage, and again, drank a quantity of iced milk. No one at the time seemed surprised at this unusual combination of food, for the old General boasted that he had the digestive power of an ostrich which of course he did not. Taylor might also have suffered a heat stroke, but what is for certain is by evening the 65 year old Chief Executive was exhausted.Sometime during the night of July 4th Zachary Taylor developed severe cramps. No physician was summoned to the White House because Taylor was known to have had gastrointestinal problems in the past. Also having a stomach and bowel disturbance was not at all uncommon in Washington, D.C. in the 1850’s for the city itself was the breeding ground for numerous diseases. Poor sanitation plagued the city and this risk was particularly high during the extremely hot summer months. Washington was a literal Petri dish for harmful bacteria and diseases and conditions such as typhus, dysentery, diarrhea, were common place.

July 5, 1850 FridayThroughout the day and night, Taylor continued the cramping accompanied by bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. Taylor did not stay in bed but lounged the day away on a sofa. The President basically wanted to be left alone. He rested or tried to rest, but the constant up and down activity of bowel movements, and vomiting scarcely allowed the President a moment of true sleep. The gastrointestinal problem was getting worse.

July 6, 1850 SaturdayTaylor was not getting better and his wife and family was getting alarmed. At 3:00 p.m. Taylor’s personal physician, Dr. Alexander S. Wotherspoon, was called to the White House. Dr. Wotherspoon diagnosed the President’s condition as cholera morbus, a 19th century medical term which included just about any illness imaginable. Dr. Wotherspoon administered calomel (which was a widely used purgative at the time) and opium to the President and waited to see the effect. In time, Taylor’s vomiting and diarrhea did slow down and Dr. Wotherspoon seemingly satisfied with his patient’s progress left. Not surprisingly Taylor actually conducted some business this day. The President concluded the rest of the day with attempting quiet time and retired for the night sometime around 9:30 p.m.

July 7, 1850 SundayIn the morning hours the President started to go downhill quickly. The symptoms varied, but most alarming was the unmistakable signs of a fever. Also, the President developed an intense and

extremely bothersome thirst and ate ice constantly. Dr. Wotherspoon, himself now alarmed returned to the

White House and stayed all night. Adding to Taylor’s physical misery was the fact that he was now

emotionally depressed and confided his fear to others that he would be dead in two days.

July 8, 1850 – MondayAt 2:00 a.m., Dr. Wotherspoon was now extremely concerned about his most famous patient and called in more physicians to share the burden and possibly the blame. Dr. James C. Hall of Washington, D.C. arrived at 3:00 a.m. Dr. Robert C. Wood (Taylor’s own son-in-law) was summoned by telegraph from Baltimore and Dr. Richard Coolidge was also

called in. After an initial consultation more quinine was given to Taylor, but the intense

annoying thirst persisted. Taylor’s mind was clear, but the toll that the uncontrollable vomiting

and diarrhea was taking on the poor sick man was clearly evident. The President was in a state of almost

total physical collapse. More calomel was given, but it had no effect and on top of this Taylor still could not sleep. It had been over forty-eight hours since the President had truly slept.

July 9, 1850 Tuesday Date of Death - The Grim Reaper Visits 1600 Penn. AvenueIn the morning, the symptoms escalated to the point that President Taylor was now coughing up green bile and his pulse was fading. More calomel was given as well as more doses of quinine but nothing worked. The physicians even tried ancient remedies of raising blisters and blood letting, and of course these methods only worsened the already critical situation. Zachary Taylor was utterly exhausted, and due to his blood loss from the bleeding treatments he was now drifting in and out of consciousness.As Tuesday evening descended, Taylor knew his own fate and uttered his last words: “I am prepared to meet my death. I have endeavored to do my duty. I am sorry to leave my friends.”Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States and the hero of the Mexican War, a simple uncomplicated man died peacefully with no pain at 10:35 p.m. in the same room in the White House where President William Henry Harrison had died nine years before. His physicians announced the President’s cause of death as “severe bilious intermittent fever with congestion.” Translated into modern terms the physician had no earthly idea what had killed the President. Such was the state of medicine in 1850. Taylor had lived 65 years and 227 days.

Zackary TaylorMonument

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Cabinet members were in a room nearby as was Taylor’s Vice-President, Millard Fillmore who very shortly would be sworn in as the 13th President of the United States of America. At Taylor’s death, the bells tolled throughout Washington to announce the President’s death.Late in the evening, the physicians left the White House and one newspaper described their departure:“There depart the Physicians. They have struggled hard against the decree of the Almighty -but yield to Omnipotence a dreadful struggle they have had indeed with Death -and the whole arcana of medicine has been arrayed against the Almighty -But all in vain!”Late Tuesday night, a White House messenger was sent to the business of Samuel Kirby, who was an undertaker, and whose undertaking shops were located on 8th Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and D Street. The messenger requested Undertaker’s Kirby’s prompt presence at the Executive Mansion to arrange for the President’s funeral and to also embalm the President’s body. Samuel Kirby was also a cabinet, sofa and chair manufacturer with undertaking as a part of his company. Upon Kirby’s arrival at the White House the undertaker learned that Mrs. Taylor had decided to forbid any embalming of the body. Kirby therefore preserved President Taylor’s remains in ice and kept the body in this condition until it was placed in the casket. The President’s remains were wrapped in heavy blankets which were packed with ice.Zachary Taylor’s wife Margaret by all accounts was a recluse in the White House who refused to appear at any public functions. At the time of Taylor’s death, this account was given of her:“The good, pious, revered old lady, who has never appeared in public, seldom or never seen but in church, and who considered it the greatest of calamities that her husband should have been made the President. Her grief is indeed inconsolable -she mourns without consolation.”

July 10, 1850 WednesdayThroughout the day, President Taylor’s body reposed in the bedroom where he died. The body was lying on an elevated table and was packed in ice which, due to the heat, melted quickly and had to be replaced often. There were small drain openings at the end of the reposing table where two metal buckets were hanging to catch the melting ice water. The preliminary reports of President Taylor’s appearance in death were that his features looked “calm and meek.”

July 11, 1850 ThursdayWhile the President’s body remained upstairs in his White House bedroom, the City of Washington, D.C. was in a frenzy of excitement preparing for the President’s funeral.Mrs. Taylor decided that the funeral would take place on Saturday. Mrs. Taylor first decided that the President’s body should be interred on the grounds of their plantation in near Bayou Sara up the Mississippi a little north of the city of Baton Rouge. Mrs. Taylor later on the same day changed her mind and settled on the family burial vault located on the farm of Taylor’s boyhood outside of Louisville, Kentucky as the President’s final resting place. The burial spot was made up of a semi underground vault on the property which President Taylor still owned.The vault was a simple structure made of brick and concrete, and was burrowed in the side of a small hill. A black iron door gave entrance to the interior of the vault. A few Taylor relatives had already been entombed in this structure. The structure was of the utmost simplicity.

Undertaker Samuel Kirby was deluged with detail work and duties to perform in preparing for the President’s funeral. Throughout the day, he oversaw the construction of the catafalque in the East Room and also the construction of the magnificent funeral hearse which would transport Taylor’s body from the White House to the Congressional Burial Grounds for temporary entombment.The catafalque that Samuel Kirby designed was impressive on the grand scale. It was placed opposite of the most southerly door of the East Room in the White House. Pedestals about four feet off the floor held up a platform which was ascended to by steps. The entire structure was carpeted in black velvet. Over the entire platform where the casket would rest was a canopy that rested upon four carved supports arched in the Far Eastern elaborate style. The canopy was curtained in rich silk festoons in alterations of black and white.Every mirror and every chandelier in the White House was draped and shrouded in raven black. It was estimated that these mourning emblems alone cost over $1,000. While the catafalque was being constructed, Samuel Kirby had contracted with the carriage factory of Haslup and Weeden to make the funeral hearse. The design for the funeral hearse was submitted by Mr. William H. Winter, and the running gear for the hearse was obtained from Mr. Charles Goddard who operated a livery stable in Baltimore. Mr. Goddard’s firm interestingly furnished the hearse for the funeral of President John Quincy Adams (6th President of the U.S.) when his body passed through Baltimore in 1848.The funeral hearse for President Zachary Taylor’s funeral ceremony was heavy, long, and had a coupled running gear from which solid block wooden wheels were attached. The first platform of the hearse measured 12’ x 6’ and on this rested a pyramid platform measuring 8’ x 4’ being 12” off the first platform. On this pyramid platform the casket would rest for everyone to see. The car had a raised canopy which was covered with black broad cloth and the canopy was surmounted by a magnificent gilded eagle. From the canopy hung curtains of black and white silk in alternating festoons with rosettes, fringe and tassels. On each corner of the hearse silver stars and tassels hung and on each four corners of the pyramid platform rested large gilded urns. The hearse would be pulled by eight white horses, each richly caparisoned and led by eight grooms dressed in black clothing with white frock coats and white turbans. The hearse cost a great deal of money, just one tassel alone cost $10.00 and there were over 100 tassels on the vehicle. It was also estimated that over 20 thousands yards of black muslin was used to decorate the buildings in Washington, D.C.

July 12, 1850 FridayIn the morning, Samuel Kirby delivered the trimmed and finished casket for Zachary Taylor to the White House. Samuel Kirby had worked night and day completing the instructions and designs which Mrs. Taylor had given him, and while all the work for the outer casket was done by hand there is a strong possibility that the lead inner casket was a Fisk Metallic Burial Case, which was an extremely popular burial receptacle in the 1850’s. In fact the Fisk Metallic Burial Case was so popular that when John C. Calhoun, the famous States Rights politician from South Carolina died also in 1850 this ad was taken out in several American newspapers by several famous politicians of the day attesting to the great merit of the Fisk case. Here is the script of the ad:

FISK’S PATENT METALLIC BURIAL CASE – The entombment of the remains of Hon. John C. Calhoun in one of these cases, has elicited the following letter, signed by many Hon. U. S. senators: “WASHINGTON, APRIL 5, 1850” “MESSRS. FISK AND RAYMOND – Gentlemen, we witnessed the utility of your ornamental “Patent Metallic Burial Case” used

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to convey the remains of the late Hon. John C. Calhoun to the Congressional Cemetery, which impressed us with the belief that it is the best article known to us for transporting the dead to their final resting place. “With respect, we subscribe ourselves you, & c. Willie P. Mangum Henry Clay D. W. Dickerson William R. King Jefferson Davis Daniel Webster D. R. Atchinson J.W. Macpherson Berrien Henry Dodge Lewis Cass A. C. Greene J. W. MasonThe original may be seen at the sale-room of the proprietors; also a letter written at the request of the family of Mr. Calhoun by his private Secretary. FISK & RAYMOND, 410 BroadwayTo the modern reader this impressive endorsement of a particular casket might seem irrelevant, however just image for a moment if when a famous political leader in America died and was buried in a particular casket from a particular casket company and then a week after the funeral famous United States Senators like Orin Hatch, Ted Kennedy, Trent Lott, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Glenn or other Senator’s took out an advertisement in the New York Times and/or the Chicago Tribune and publicly endorsed that particular casket as being the finest casket they had ever seen and then recommended the casket by name to the American public? WOW! It would be a casket company’s marketing department’s executives, even assembly lines, dream come true.

Undertaker Kirby removed the President’s body from the ice and dressed the remains. Taylor was not buried in his military uniform; he was instead buried in a white satin pleated shroud and trousers which was distinguished by a white cravat and large black bow tie which was gracefully thrown around his neck. He also wore white gloves and white socks.

Undertaker Kirby and his assistants then casketed Taylor’s body. President Taylor’s casket was made of actually two separate burial cases. The outside case was made of solid mahogany and was covered in rich black broad cloth. The inside case (probably a Fisk) was a lead enclosure for air tight protection of the remains. The interior of the lead lining was trimmed in fluted pure white satin. Only the President’s face was viewed through a thick glass pane window. The edge of the casket was trimmed in silver lace and on each corner of the burial case was hung huge silver tassels which were looped with gold fringe buttons. The exterior of the inner metallic casket was ornamented with eight silver eagles and thrown over the casket was a pall of black broad cloth trimmed with heavy fringe. Heavy silver handles were mounted four on each side and one on each end by which the casket was carried. On the top of the casket was the nameplate with this inscription: Zachary Taylor President of the United States Aged 66 Years

(There was an error on the nameplate, for Taylor would have turned 66 on November 24, 1850). The President’s casket cost the United States government $500.00.Just before Kirby placed President Taylor’s remains in the

casket, the Italian artist, A. Fagnani, made a sketch of the features of the dead President. Mrs. Taylor refused permission to have a death mask taken of her husband.

In the afternoon, Undertaker Kirby placed Taylor’s body in state in the East Room of the White House. The casket window was opened and the President’s body appeared as if he was in calm sleep. Taylor looked as he had in life and there was even a faint smile on his face. On top of the casket Kirby placed Taylor’s military uniform and his sword. The doors of the White House were opened for the immense crowds who had been waiting to view the remains. The only problem that occurred during the Friday afternoon viewing was that a pick-pocket in the crowd took $60.00 from one of the mourners waiting in line.

In the late afternoon Major General Winfield Scott, Taylor’s military associate during the Mexican War arrived in Washington. General Scott would take charge of the military aspects of the funeral and lead the funeral procession.Throughout the United States, the citizens were in mourning. In New York State, the Governor issued a proclamation of mourning and in Boston, clergy held mock funeral services throughout the

day. Today the death of Zachary Taylor is a mere bump in history, but in 1850 his death was a highly significant national event.

July 13, 1850 Saturday - Funeral DayThe weather in Washington D.C. was unusually pleasant. The day was in stark contrast to the July 4th heat wave just a mere ten days before. Today a cool breeze blew all day long. At sunrise cannon salutes were fired announcing the beginning of the funeral of the 12th President of the United States.The White House doors opened

at 9:00 a.m. and throngs of people entered the East Room to view Taylor’s remains one last time. The President’s features were still

full even though the body had not been chemically preserved and more than twenty four hours had lapsed. Even so no sign of decomposition was reported.Every train that arrived in Washington, D.C. was packed to capacity -even steamboats that landed on the rivers surrounding the nation’s capital were jammed with people who wanted to witness and participate in the funeral activities. Three thousand people came from Baltimore alone to witness the funeral. Thousands flocked to the White House lawn to watch the ceremonies and at the United States Senate the Chaplain Rev. C.B. Butler led the Senators in prayer at 10:30 a.m. President Taylor’s funeral was not a formal state funeral occasion because his remains would not repose in the rotunda of the nation’s capital building. Across the nation, business was suspended for the day, even Wall Street shut down in New York City.Downtown Washington was in bedlam! Carriages were trying to move in every direction but the streets were gridlocked, and the entire length of Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the U.S. Capital Building was strewn with flowers which made even walking difficult. Everywhere buildings were draped profusely in mourning and all flags were at half-mast.

Zackary Taylor’s original burial location,just behind the Taylor mausoleum.

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At 11:00 a.m. the military troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Walter Jones of the Militia of Columbia, began to form the troops in long lines outside on the streets surrounding the White House. After seeing that the military troops were well in hand, Major General Winfield Scott went to the East Room to say farewell to his comrade in arms. Major General Winfield Scott, “Old Fuss and Feathers”, the rock solid General of the Mexican War literally fell apart and wept over the President’s body before the funeral service began.At noon, Undertaker Samuel Kirby closed the window on the casket and the clergy assembled in the East Room. The officiating clergy at Taylor’s funeral were the Rev. C.B. Butler, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate and the Rev. Dr. Smith Pyne who was Taylor’s personal pastor from the Episcopal Church in Washington where the dead President had worshipped. Although Taylor worshiped at Episcopal services, he never formally joined the church.The Taylor family sat off to the side of the catafalque within hearing distance of the clergy. Mrs. Taylor had attended a private family prayer service at 11:30 a.m. and was not present at the formal funeral service -nor would she attend the services held at the Congressional Cemetery, or accompany the President’s remains on the funeral trip to Kentucky. As was the custom of the day, the widow remained secluded from the public.Hundreds of foreign ambassadors were present in their formal court dress and at the foot end of the casket and catafalque stood the new United States President Millard Fillmore. Rev. C.B. Butler read the 15th Chapter from 1st Corinthians, and an amateur choir from many Washington churches under the direction of Prof. A. Berlyn sang the anthem “I Heard a Voice from Heaven Say.” By 12:30 a.m. the funeral service was over. President Taylor’s funeral lasted just a little under one half hour. Besides James Madison or Thomas Jefferson, Zachary Taylor had one of the shortest presidential funerals in history.

The funeral procession left the White House at 1:00 p.m. with General Scott in his brilliant military uniform leading the cortege. The procession was 1 1/2 miles long. It consisted of over 16,000 soldiers from 22 companies, and 4 infantries. There were 19 bands and all marched to the funeral cadence of muffled drums. Some famous men such as Henry Clay, Lewis Cass (Taylor’s Presidential rival), Daniel Webster and Thomas Hart Benton were in the procession as honorary pall bearers, however, President Taylor’s casket was actually carried by eight stalwart men from the United States Marine Corp. whose names have been lost to history.

In the funeral procession two special participants drew great attention. First was a young boy’s military company composed of 120 boys ages six to sixteen from a military school in Baltimore, and the second attention getter was the presence of Taylor’s old horse that he rode in the Mexican War, “Old Whitey.” When Zachary Taylor moved into the White House, “Old Whitey” his favorite mount accompanied him. The horse that had served the general in battles of Buena Vista, Palo Alto and other battles was given the freedom of the White House lawn by the President. Now the horse was fifteen years old, but today he followed directly behind the funeral hearse. “Old Whitey” was wearing Taylor’s

old saddle and holster and was led by Amos Schwartzman who had served with Taylor during the Indian War.

President Taylor’s body would be temporarily entombed in the receiving vault at the Congressional Cemetery and there await transfer over land and water to Kentucky. As the funeral cortege reached the entrance at the north point of the cemetery the troops formed two lines of honor. The first line was the honor guard and

the second line was the infantry. Next the troops formed a square U around the hearse and stood in salute as the Marines removed Taylor’s casket and placed it inside the vault. The Congressional cemetery had been occupied at an early hour by thousands of people wanting to see the entombment. After the Sexton of the cemetery received the President’s body into the vault the officiating clergy offered only the benediction. Following the benediction, Duncan’s Light Artillery I

which had been commanded by Taylor himself, fired a final three volley salute over the tomb. This group had fired the first guns at Palo Alto and the last guns in Mexico City during the final days of the Mexican War. The committal service lasted just under fifteen minutes.

As the final funeral salute was fired an accident occurred. William Allen, a junior member of the U.S. artillery, had his arm lacerated and his face scorched by being in front of one of the cannons when it was fired. Those in command of the cannon said later they had not noticed him.

Zachary Taylor’s remains were kept without incident in the receiving vault at the Congressional Cemetery until late October, 1850 when preparations for the trip to Louisville had been completed.

October 22, 1850 Tuesday – The Scheduled Transfer and Delay

At an early hour in the morning, Samuel Kirby, along with the Congressional Cemetery sexton and several workers opened the receiving vault to remove President Taylor’s body to Kirby’s waiting funeral coach. All preparations were in order for the long trip to Kentucky, but upon entering the vault, it was discovered that the lead inner casket had cracked at one of the seams and this had created quite an offensive situation. As one reporter wrote, “Removal of the body was delayed a few days for the lead lining of the casket had given way which rendered it almost impossible to go near the body for a short time.” It took two days to correct the problem and repair the inner casket.

October 25, 1850 Friday – The Transfer Completed

The mortal remains of President Zachary Taylor left Washington, D.C. at 6:00 a.m. by the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad. President R.M. Magraw of the Railroad line had furnished a special funeral car for this important trip.

At 8:00 a.m. the remains reached Baltimore where President Taylor’s son, Col. Richard Taylor, and the President’s son-in-law, Col. W.S. Bliss, joined the train. The funeral train passed

Taylor’s original burial is behind mausoleum

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through York, across the Columbia Bridge and along the east bank of the Susquehanna on the new river road to Middleton and on to Harrisburg. At Harrisburg, the body was transferred to the Portsmouth and Central Railroad where it proceeded to Pittsburgh where a grand funeral pageant had been planned. Taylor’s faithful horse, “Old Whitey,” had preceded the remains of the President on this trip. When the General’s old horse passed through Harrisburg, he was visited by hundreds of citizens mostly children who gave the old horse a generous amount of carrots. The newspapers eagerly reported the old horse enjoyed the treats tremendously. “Old Whitey” was even serenaded by a fireman’s band while in route to Pittsburgh. It was planned that the old horse would also march in the funeral procession in Pittsburgh.

October 28, 1850 MondayThe Pittsburgh Funeral - Grand and Elegant

At 11:00 a.m. the remains of Zachary Taylor arrived in the city of Pittsburgh. A detachment of the U.S. Infantry from the U.S. Arsenal lifted the casket and bore it to the waiting hearse of undertaker William Alexander. Alexander had an undertaking establishment at the corner of Pennsylvania and St. Clair Streets and advertised his funeral and undertaking company with this extremely creative name: “The Pittsburgh Mourning Store.”

Unfortunately, “Old Whitey” did not march in his master’s funeral procession as the canal boat by which the horse was traveling by a different route did not arrive in Pittsburgh in time.

The Pittsburgh funeral procession was as large and impressive as it could possibly be. The Governor of Pennsylvania marched along with a long line of clergy. The military was represented by groups known as “The Duquesne Grays” and “The Pittsburgh Blues”. The procession began shortly after 11:00 a.m. and William Penn Street was so jammed that the hearse was hardly able to move. Minute funeral guns were fired for two hours straight. The citizens of Pittsburgh were proud of their farewell for the President.

At 1:30 p.m. the Pittsburgh ceremony was completed and the body was placed on the steamer, “Navigator,” which was docked on the Monongahela River. By 2:00 p.m., the steamer was on her way to Louisville cruising south on the great Ohio River.

Commenting on the funeral of President Zachary Taylor, the Pittsburgh Morning Post made this observation:

“Little did General Taylor suppose when he visited this city last year, full of life and vigorous manhood, that in so short a time his inanimate body would be wheeled through our streets to its long home. Death is no respecter of persons. High and low, rich and poor, must submit to his impervious demand. Twice within a few years have the citizens of Pittsburgh been called upon to escort the remains of the Chief Magistrate through our city. Such scenes should admonish all of us of the uncertainty of life and certainty of Death.”

“Life is short and time is fleetingAnd our hearts, though stout and braveStill, like muffled drums are beatingFunerals march to the grave.”

October 31, 1850 ThursdayCincinnati - “What Happened?”

In 1841, when President William Henry Harrison died and his remains were transported through Cincinnati, the city executed a grand funeral affair, which was the envy of all the other cities along Harrison’s funeral route. However, in 1850 at the occasion of the death of Zachary Taylor, Cincinnati did absolutely nothing. For reasons which are still cloudy, the city of Cincinnati simply ignored the death of the 12th President. Was it politics? Was it forgetfulness? In any event when the “Navigator” docked at the public landing, the very spot where President Harrison’s remains had been received with such pomp and ceremony just 9 years earlier, no recognition

of any kind was made of President Taylor. The Mayor of Cincinnati, the City Council, the Judges, and even the Clergy did not show up. The boat carrying President Taylor’s remains simply sat in dock at the public landing. The Cincinnati Gazette was upset by this serious oversight and took the citizens of Cincinnati to task. The paper wrote:

“Contrast- General Taylor visited Cincinnati in February, 1849, then on his way to the seat of Government. He was met a few miles below the city by two steamers having on board a committee of reception to welcome him to the hospitality of this great city. As the steamers, three abreast, moved majestically up to our landing, a sea of human faces, and thirty thousand throats were there to greet him with an enthusiasm never before witnessed. Never before did a man receive a higher, more

universal or heartfelt tribute of respect from the people. The simple-hearted and good old man

proceeded to the discharge of the official duties demanded of him by a grateful nation.

Death soon removed him from his field of labor, and his remains were placed en route for their last resting place on the spot of his choice. The steamer conveying the nation’s treasure approaches the same wharf upon which he was received with a thrilling shout of admiration so short a time before. No crowd is seen, not even a salute announces his approach -the steamer lays at the same wharf the greater portion of a day, and excites no remark. -What is the reason of this indifference? ‘We pause for a reply.’”

The “Navigator” quietly left Cincinnati in the evening for its final push to Louisville.

November l, 1850 Friday Burial in the Louisville Countryside

For a week the citizens of Louisville, under the leadership of Mayor John M. Delph had been preparing for the ceremony to receive the body of their most famous son. Kentucky and particularly Louisville had strong attachments and affections for Zachary Taylor. In 1850 Louisville was truly in the West, and the people considered President Taylor one of them, the common folk, the farmer, the trailblazers, the pioneers.

At 9:00 a.m., the “Navigator” was sighted coming down the Ohio and two cannons were fired which was the prearranged signal to alert the citizens of the approaching steamer. The day was bright and balmy.

A formal funeral procession was congregated on Jefferson Street and in procession the citizens of Louisville went to the dock on the Ohio River led by Kentucky Governor Crittenden. Hundreds of people were present when “Navigator” landed.

(Article to be continued in next Bulletin)

Entrance to Zackary Taylor National Cemetery

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A Publication of The Funeral DirectorsAssociation of Kentucky

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