The Final Touch

Want to work in funeral service?Think you've got what it takes?Well this weeks episode is all about Mortuary School!Holly wants to know: What kind of education do you need to work in funeral service? Learn all about what it entails and more tonight at 7:00 pm.Important Links:Texas Funeral Service Commission RequirementsNortheast Texas Community College Mortuary Science ProgramDallas Institute of Funeral ServiceCommonwealth Institute of Funeral ServiceSan Antonio College Mortuary Science Program

Thinking about cremation? This episode might change your mind. This weeks question comes from Meagan, and its all about CREMATION. How is a cremation performed and what is my personal opinion on it as a disposition?

This week's podcast, gets really personal. Allison asks three questions: Do you remember every individual you’ve embalmed, or do they sometimes blur together over time?How do you balance the emotional and physical demands of funeral work with maintaining time and space for yourself?Being surrounded by grief and sadness regularly must be heavy—how do you personally cope or find peace amidst it all?Trigger warning: I discuss the cases that broke me in this episode and they can be very emotional and hard to listen to. This is one of the heaviest episodes to date and I do not recommend listening to it if you have lost children or young adults. Link to the book referenced in this episode: Imagine Heaven.

What was it like to work in a funeral home during the pandemic? This week's episode takes a heart breaking look into what it was like to serve families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trigger warning.It is a 100% honest take on some of the horrors our families faced and is not up for political debate or speculation.For some this episode will particularly challenging to listen to. Discretion is advised.

Trigger Warning Our Tenth Episode is all about embalming. Why do we do it? What is it for? What does it actually do to the body? How do you do it? And is it required?This episode goes into detail about the process and may not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised.

Are you superstitious?Do deaths come in threes?Are full moons a bad omen?This week, we talk about all of the funeral home superstitions, some of the most well-known, and some you may have never heard about. Like do bodies "Sit Up" in their caskets?

Apparently last week I ruffled some feathers when I mentioned the struggles we have as women in the funeral industry. Lynn asks the question: “What is it like to be a woman working in what seems to be a man’s field, and what advice do you have for other women who might be interested in working in the funeral industry?” This week, we have the pleasure of hosting Amanda James Shropshire from Kermit Funeral Home as our first guest interview. Her insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by women in the funeral industry will undoubtedly be enlightening.

This week's episode is a question from Tim! Tim asks what all goes into a first call and what should families expect? If you've never been present when a funeral home arrives to bring someone into our care, this episode is sure to help you understand the process and everything it entails.

What's the fuss about Green Burials? Ever been interested in a Tibetan Sky Burial? You might change your mind after listening to this episode. Janie asks “Mark and I go back and forth about our final wishes...Buried with family at a local cemetery or buried/ cremated with family at Veteran’s Cemetery. And then my daughter comes up with “natural burial”. What exactly is it and do any cemeteries around here allow it?Learn about green burials and more on this week's episode. We need questions! Send us your best or worst at finaltouchpodcast@gmail.comWarning: this episode talks about decomposition and dismemberment. Discretion is advised.

In this week's episode, we take a look at some of the recent funeral home issues making national headlines. This includes the widely shared video of pallbearers tumbling into a grave and the funeral home in Houston, Tx that was improperly storing bodies.We also share some of our own funeral flops as well! Link for pallbearer video here: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/us/video/pallbearers-fall-into-grave-philadelphia-contd-digvidLink for the Houston Funeral Home:https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/us-news/stabbing-at-texas-funeral-home-leads-to-discovery-of-10-decaying-smells-like-rotten-blood/

We've got an awesome episode for you this week. Anonymous asks the question: "I know that you live in the old funeral home, is it haunted? And does anyone live in the current funeral home?" Break ins and ambulances? Think you know everything about the history of funeral homes? Guess again!

This week's episode examines the often-overlooked issue of individuals passing away without family or a designated person to handle their funeral arrangements. What happens when a family cannot pay for a funeral service? What is the fate of their body and estate? Amidst rising homelessness in major cities, the response may be startling.

Today we answer a question from Baillie. Baillie asks “What are some of the most memorable things that someone has requested to be buried with their loved one? (Memorable because it’s funny, random, unique, or whatever) And have you ever had to say you can’t bury something with someone? What was it if so?

In this introduction to The Final Touch Podcast, you meet your mortician, Gillian, and learn about how she came to be a part of the field of mortuary sciences, how she struggles with death anxiety, and what it's like to live and serve families in a rural community. You've got questions? We can't wait to hear what YOU want to know. Find us on social media as The Final Touch Podcast or shoot us an email at finaltouchpodcast@gmail.com