Hearse History Video

[@toms641]

My Uncle Jim was a retired NYC Firefighter. When he passed, the local FD took him to the Cemetery, on a Firetruck. It was very memorable.

[@KaritheMortician]

Very cool

[@emdb1981]

I’m sure it’s stated elsewhere in this comment thread , but the “three way” or side load hearse was incredibly useful in the city setting where the hearse has to loaded from a curb thus allowing tighter parking in the rear of the coach and less risk of tripping off the curb. Great video!

[@Valkyrie_Coach]

If memory serves correct, the curb-loader (3way) actually gained the most popularity in Chicago, out of necessity.

[@ddylla85]

If you're in the Houston area, I highly recommend visiting the National Museum of Funeral History. They have an amazing collection of hearse coaches on display. The Cadillac Superior Hearse that carried President Reagan's body, Grace Kelly's hearse, a funeral bus, Model T's, and dozens more. The museum also has exhibits explaining burial customs, as well as unique caskets.

[@deniseroe5891]

I am in Arlington, next time I an in Houston I will have to check it out.

[@JamesJones-kr9uv]

It is a very interesting museum.

[@lisajoyce6803]

Sounds interesting

[@raphaelszok8561]

Service Corp International, Carriage Service, North Star Memorial Group, Legacy Funeral Group are all based there.

[@zacharyshorter9422]

you may not know this but the museum and a mortuary school occupy the same building, its essentially separated by a wall source: I'm a student at the mortuary school

[@scipio6130]

I remember as a child having nightmares about the black Pontiac Bonniville hearse. Actually, fast forward 50 years and they still give me the creeps. As always, great video!!

[@scipio6130]

@Gordon Ivan Your car warranty is about to expire. Don’t miss out on this special

[@brenthofstra9401]

In the summer of 1988 I was riding back from a rather depressing week that I had endured at summer camp in Michigan to my home in Indiana with my Father. I had decided to take a nap in the back of the car as I was tired. I remember looking out the window and watched people gasp with mouths open as wide as saucers at me. Oh yes...now I remember! Why all of the surprised gazes you ask? My Father had recently purchased a 1974 creme colored Cadillac Hearse! Wonderful memories of childhood. My older Brother refused to ride in it as did a neighbor friend of mine as He claimed that it smelled of "Old geezers bones", Interestingly a few short years later that neighbors Mother began working at the local funeral home in my town.

[@gennarojg3]

Kari, It's Dr. Giammarino. I was watching this and when you said Prohibition Era, with Hearse, I started to laugh hysterically. Sorry, but here is why. My Dad's Dad, before opening and starting the largest hobby company in the World, owned his own Laundry Business on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Mom's Dad, a career Army Officer, who also had an Undertaker License and an Embalmer License met when they first came to this country, with my Grandmothers. They remained friends until the day they died. My 4 Grandparents, Mom's Maternal Grandfather and Dad's Maternal Grandparents lived either next door to each other or later in life, in the same home with my Parents and myself. They were friends for over 70 years. During Prohibition both Grandfathers ran liquor either in the hearses of Pop John or the laundry trucks of Pop Gennaro. May They Rest In Peace, they never were caught either. Lol!! That's one of my funny stories. Another thing they did was both of them ordered new Embalming Bottles freshly made and never used for Embalming fluid and empty new Laundry Detergent bottles to put the liquor in so that no one would even think they had liquor in them. One day you and I must talk when I'm not busy. I am off all next week from everything and I'm just going to relax with my Wife and family. We always take our Birthday weeks off so we can spend time with and enjoy one another and our family. God bless and keep making these videos. They're magnificent. Thanks, Jerry G. _____________________________________________ Dr. Gennaro G. Giammarino, III Medical Examiner Pathologist Forensic Pathologist & Licensed Funeral Director

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you! I sent you an email :)

[@kristinreynolds577]

That was very cool! Every aspect of the funeral should be memorable! I love it when funeral homes will go above and beyond to cater to the family. One of our friends was killed in a motorcycle wreck. The funeral home was able to get a motorcycle herse and they were able to take her on one last ride. It was so very special for everyone. It’s nice to know that people are out there that care about the families enough to really get every single detail right!

[@kristinreynolds577]

Kari Northey I will be excited to see the Motorcycle Hearse video! The Motorcycle that took our friend to her final resting place was amazing!!! Can’t wait to see your video! You do such a great job!! 😊😊

[@j.s.connolly8579]

Actually the car used as "Ecto-1" both in the moves AND in the animated series was in fact a 1959 Cadillac Hearse/Ambulance built by Miller Meteor.

[@stevetaylor5046]

Love those old Cadillac's! Another great video. Thank you Kari!

[@KaritheMortician]

Thanks for watching!

[@ashleynave3383]

Hearses are actually awesome even outside of the funeral services. Hearses also known to be driven by normal everyday people,too. When caskets aren't in the hearse it can perhaps be roomy for groceries, and other goodies. Hearses aren't really bad. They're also used for other things such as an ambulance.

[@KaritheMortician]

Many people love driving them

[@HillCountryWine]

Some hearses actually had a seat in the rear of the hearse that would fold up and down. It was directly behind the passenger seat. It would be used for a staff member or pallbearer. So the slide window allowed for whoever got to sit in the rear seat to talk with those in the front seats.

[@bigredred3582]

Loved the video my grandmother drove hearses for a local funeral home that was also a dealer when i was a kid.I have been on many trips in hearses and limos they get attention for sure when you pull in to a gas station or to grab a bite to eat.

[@davidvogel6359]

I actually took a date in a hearse. I had a date planned for that night and my sister's car that I was going to use broke down as we were coming home. So we had it towed to our mechanic and he left his hearse for us to get home. I called the girl and told her what happened and asked her if she wanted to date as planned or reschedule. She said it didn't bother her so off we went and had a good time.

[@1cremate]

Also when you go through a drive-through restaurant😊

[@garybrown7044]

enjoyed your video, kari. my grandfather worked for a mortician during the depression, not as a funeral employee, but as an electrician. in the rural ohio village we live in,there was not enough business for funerals full time, so grandpa would take the hearse, a 1937 studebaker, load it full of electrical supplies & wire houses & other buldings to fill in the gap. some out-of-towners thought it was a bit strange to see a hearse outside a building for days while it was being re-wired.

[@KaritheMortician]

That is fun thank you for sharing!!

[@sterlingodeaghaidh5086]

The sideloading feature was actually pretty useful, the funeral home that I work for used a hearse with that feature up until 10 years ago. It makes loading the casket curbside easer so that the pallbearers were not in the street, also it allowed them to stay dry in the rain as you can load directly under an awning or a covered walkway with no issue. They fell out of fashion because the mechanism was too unreliable for the most part, it partly is still here with the extendable platforms in some higher end hearses today.

[@sterlingodeaghaidh5086]

As for the divider, they served a functional role back in the day for the ambulance purpose, but nowadays they are just added for tradition, their not sealed so the HVAC use is not really that good, its much like landau bars, they are there because they used to have a use but are now just decoration.

[@jimwarnow6771]

You took the words right out of my mouth Sterling O'Deaghaidh. The firm I first went to work for had a 3-way and I loved it even if it was a 62 and this was in 73. Not only does it make loading easier curbside, but also was nice at the cemetery where you are trying to squeeze cars in for parking. They upgraded to a 74 in 78 - one of the last full sized cars before they started the downsizing in 77.

[@sterlingodeaghaidh5086]

That's for sure.

[@gaylenewood7707]

Sterling O'Deaghaidh They need to bring those back cause in my opinion they help alot funeral directors and pallbearers cause during funerals weather isnt always good at the moment of sadness.

[@mikeg2727]

Great video Kari, our funeral home had a side loader back in the late 70's, the staff that was here then said it was easier to load/unload on busy street fronts or where church's that fronted them were. They could open the side door and the pall bearers could proceed at the sidewalk. With the cost of new coaches now, Mr. Simpson is wise with his purchase. With more families choosing cremation now, the hearse isn't required as it once was. Take care!

[@goosubux]

This is such an interesting video. You always do an awesome job of sharing information and explaining in all of your videos. Please keep it up! In the 1960's my Dad got hurt at work and the small town did not have an ambulance, so he was taken the 25 miles to the hospital in the town funeral home's hearse with a police escort. He said it was a smooth ride, but he's in no hurry to ride in a hearse again.

[@allanjelinek2738]

Sorry Guy, But this woman doe not know as much as she reports to.... The UUUHHHMMMS should be a dead (No pun intended) Give away. Sorry. Everything you see & hear on the internet, Is given by folks that just sit & write stuff that they believe to be true but with no investigation or FACT!

[@troydobyns3803]

Lol...she looks like Brenda from six feet under.

[@califdad4]

My neighbors owned the busy local funeral home for many years, they always drove a Olds 98 in the 50s and 60s and she told me she always drive her daughter to high school and a couple neighbor kids and went out one morning and her husband had taken the Olds somewhere so she had to drive them in the Cadillac hearse, she told me she stopped a block away and dropped them off so they didn't have to be seen getting out of that vehicle LoL

[@fastsetinthewest]

March 1947, at Bendle Cemetery near Flushing, Michigan. My g grandfather casket had to be put on a wagon and pulled up into the cemetery by a John Deere A tractor. A sudden blizzard made the snow deep. What a great ride. Roy Burleson had been a farmer his whole life. 🦅 Eaglegards...

[@Jemalacane0]

Late 50's and early 60's hearses are awesome. I would love to have a 1965 S&S Victoria and a 1959 Superior Crown Royale.

[@ddylla85]

The hearse/ambulance used in Ghostbusters was a 1959 Cadillac by Miller-Meteor. The golden era of funeral car design: 1959-1963 Cadillac Superior They are stunning works of art.

[@BulletNoseBetty]

When Bill mentioned that people don't really care about the colour of the hearse, it reminded me of the first funeral home I worked for. The whole fleet--limo, hearse, lead cars, transfer vans--was GREEN!!!

[@KaritheMortician]

Fun!

[@BulletNoseBetty]

@@KaritheMortician And did I mention we wore GREEN suits?

[@larryboysen5911]

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we had a dedicated trolley line to Colma. There where two of these trolley hearses. They had a space for the casket and the family to ride to the cemetery. As a side note, I have a small collection of model hearses. Your presentations are very informative and well done!

[@billybotts9521]

You do such a wonderful job keep the content coming I've learned so much .

[@KaritheMortician]

thank you!

[@kennygore1395]

that was so cool and the 1901 electric hearse wow. thanks for sharing Sis Kari.

[@jasonrodgers9063]

For over 20 years my work truck was a beyond-raggedy, "Road Warrior-esque" 1980 forestry service Chevy Suburban. It was my wish to have it haul my carcass to the graveyard, driven by one of my friends. It finally bit the dust, had to meet it's own end at the scrap yard shredder. Guess I'll have to go the more traditional route. Thanks for posting!

[@KaritheMortician]

You are welcome

[@winterpurple4587]

I think the glass that separates the cabin exist as (1) another form of final respect for the dead - remember limos for the living have them too, to separate the 'boss' from the 'chauffer' (2) is to keep smell away, as you've mentioned (3) to keep diseases away if the person died from something airborne contagious, and finally (4) so that you don't have to A/C the whole vehicle like you've also mentioned. Overall many uses. Very useful. :)

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you!

[@shellcshells2902]

Just have to say your videos are top notch and so interesting. Thank you for what you do. I could learn about all this all day.

[@eddieramos7857]

I always remember , when living in Chicago , IL ., there was this guy who owned a hearse and had " We bury you deep" written on both doors !! That was crazy !!

[@georgetunstill2341]

Thank you for your videos Kari, they are very interesting and informative. I took a psychology course in death when I was in college but I didn't learn much about funerals and the funeral industry until I started watching your videos. There is a TV show on cable TV called "How It's Made" and they showed a segment about how a hearse is built but not the history behind it so thank you for the history lesson.

[@1cremate]

They also have a show on making caskets from a standard casket to an oversized casket😊

[@serinawolf5821]

Love this video ! So educational on the history of them . You do such a great job explaining them all. Thank you again Kari . I really enjoy and am thankful for all your videos ⚰️🕯💒🌸

[@edwardmcilwain2139]

Dear Kari the Mortician, Three-way hearses were used in metropolitan areas to facilitate safe loading and unloading at the curb of busy streets. Significant value to a funeral establishment in a large town or city. The divider glass between the front and rear cabins goes back to the early days of automotive funeral cars, when they were generally made from limousine chassis. Funeral Homes began to operate ambulance service because in most of America, they owned the only automobiles designed to carry people laying down. Combination cars were built to save small firms a little money, buying one car for two purposes. And just so you know, Central Waste uses "removal vehicles". A professional funeral practitioner would use a first call car. A subtle difference in terminology, but important when you're driving someone's beloved mother, or child. As a practicing funeral professional, I would encourage you to read "American Funeral Vehicles" if you would sincerely like to know a little history of that profession.

[@willkiser478]

Ther's my video. Thanks Kari. Very professional as always and the host is so special a lady. Worth waiting for angel. Thanks.

[@willkiser478]

@@KaritheMortician Your welcome. Have a good one hon.

[@tbartle1963]

Ma'am. I truly enjoyed this documentary. I just wanted to impart a little information. The three-way hearse was designed for use in areas, such as a cities, where the vehicles needed to be parked closer together. Since you need at least 10 feet of space behind the hearse to facilitate unloading of a casket, the use of the three-way hearse made it possible to maximize apace. The reason the casket could be unloaded from the left or right side of the vehicle was that it could be unloaded on the side nearest the church or graveside. Your video was great ... I hope to see more of them. The reason for the center divider was originally because the cars were converted from Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-five limousines, which featured a divider window. The reason that they remain is the reason that you correctly suggested ... odor control.

[@gailjohnson8315]

Love everything about the business and thanks for sharing.

[@leewhite-graham753]

Love the fancy horse drawn ones! Wow!! THAT'S WHY there is train tracks near our family cemetery. I was taking a painting class there last week when the train went by and we all thought we would drop our brushes it was so loud!!!😆

[@KaritheMortician]

Oh wow!

[@leewhite-graham753]

@@KaritheMortician It was funny, I know. And so LOUD. For a brief half second, the thought raced through my mind " If anything raises the dead, this could be a more interesting class than we bargened for"😂🤭

[@mandi4886]

This was weird for me because I was born in 1999 and I live in Arkansas! I really enjoy videos like this one that share some of the history around funeral homes, though!!

[@gaylenewood7707]

mandi4886 You know what's even cooler some of the old funeral homes were in horror movies and some music videos as well.

[@ashleyhussman5036]

Me too and I actually live in Arkansas as well lol

[@nvmedic7910]

I grew up across the street from a mortuary and my parents were close friends with the owners. The mortician's wife was an X-Ray Tech and worked with my Mother (who was a Nurse). Their Funeral Home had a 3-way coach and I'd seen it in action many times, in both traditional and side loading operations. The 3-ways were designed and very handy for curb-side loading and unloading at locations (i.e. Churches) when there wasn't enough space available for the coach to do so from it's rear door. It was also marketed as a "safety feature" for areas that saw icy winter conditions and would "eliminate the need to risk stepping off the curb with a heavy casket, risking serious injury to one or more pal barer..." Which makes sense. I've only seen a handful in my lifetime and they're quite interesting.

[@johnanderson3700]

When I was growing up there seem to have been more variety in the cars used to manufacture hearses today; of course, Cadillac has always seemed to be the most used. I have seen Buick, Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln, Pontiac as the primary ones; I have seen Chevrolet hearses, though most funeral homes used them as pickup cars. One of the things which seemed true in the past each funeral home in a community seemed to use a particular color as their identity; I’ve seen Black, Green (both light and dark). Maroon, White, Grey and many with Vinyl roof lines and s bars. I grew up in the time when hearses were also adaptable and used as ambulances when needed, though many funeral homes also owned cars designed as strictly ambulances, I imagine to not have to do the conversion process from hearse to ambulance that often. Most funeral homes in my area had at least one independent ambulance as well as the hearses being able to do double duty as needed. The larger funeral homes seemed to own almost a fleet of hearses and limos, but gradually over time I think larger cities started using Livery services. While in college, the funeral homes mostly got out of the ambulance business, but the transition to other types of vehicles was slow. The first ambulance I drove in those times was a 1955 Cadillac straight shift. It was a retired Navy ambulance. We always had to leave the motor running on calls as they frequently developed vapor lock and were difficult to restart. We gradually converted vans to ambulances which had room for much more equipment to use on scene. This was prior to the kind of training existing today for ambulance drivers; we were trained by physicians in the hospital. We had to take the highway patrol driving course for emergency vehicle driving. It was indeed a different world both in the funeral business and the ambulance business with some funeral homes at first maintaining ambulance services. Private companies started ambulance services, but then most ambulance services shifted to local city and county government operation. So there was a long history of transition from funeral homes to first private, and then mostly public ambulance services. Operating ambulances is very expensive so I guess it made really good sense to transition it to government operation. Some fire departments also were used in those days. It’s an interesting history of how hearses were once the main ambulance vehicles. Sadly there were areas where funeral homes operating ambulance services sometimes raced each other, hoping to arrive first in case a death resulted and they might get the funeral as a result of having provided the ambulance. I once saw a fight between two funeral directors when the one who picked up the victim at an accident where the patient died in ER actually almost comes to blows when the family chose a different funeral home. Thankfully that was a rare occurrence. When my father had a heart attack we used a funeral home ambulance, and we did use them for the funeral service as they were very kind during the crisis. This was true even though our family normally used their competition for funerals. I’m sure there are many interesting stories surrounding the use of funeral home ambulances. I think today’s ambulances are much improved in terms of design of vehicles as well as a well trained staff of emergency techs; but the long standing practices of funeral homes operating ambulance services was, in most instances, a real service to the community that was of great value. Those services were normally offered free in a time before there was intensive training available to ambulance personnel.

[@KaritheMortician]

Yes agreed

[@mariomurillo5684]

Side loading funeral coaches debuted in 1926 by Eureka and in 1927 by Knightstown for curbside loading due to areas with limited parking or one way streets and also to allow families to view the casket arriving or departing the funeral home, church and at cemeteries. They initially did not have rear doors.

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you!

[@j.s.connolly8579]

I have a book that is all about Hearses and Funeral Cars. I used to own a 1968 Cadillac Hears that was a "Miller Meter" built Hearse. I have a friend that owns a 1967 Cadillac "Flower Car" that is TOTALLY Restored! Awesome Car!

[@j.s.connolly8579]

My '68 Cadillac Hearse had the "Three Way Doors" I LOVED that car and would have another one TODAY!

[@greghanson407]

When my dad died in 1967, Houston TX didn't have a city ambulance service, so if you needed an ambulance, you called the nearest funeral home because they all had at least one ambulance. Even at that time, I wondered if that wasn't a conflict of interest, if they hurried over the person might live and all they'd collect was an ambulance fee, if they took their time the person might die and they could probably get a whole funeral out of the deal. BTW, in 1967 my dad's funeral including the casket cost $690.

[@KaritheMortician]

thank you for sharing!

[@Iazzaboyce]

When I was at college, I took a job helping out at funerals. One time the coffin was to be placed in and underground tomb and was going to be difficult to get the coffin into the narrow space. To make this easier the undertaker fixed some small fridge wheels to the base of the oak coffin. On route to the church the hearse stopped on a hill to wait for family cars held up at traffic lights. The undertaker told me to go to the back of the hearse and stop cars coming out of a side road until the family cars joined the hearse. I thought it would help if I was wearing my top hat and white gloves that were in the back of the hearse. As I opened the back door the very heavy coffin rolled back pushing the door and me out of its way and crashed out onto the road, then began rolling down the hill. There was just a few women screaming and no men to help us lift the coffin back into the hearse. The undertaker was bent down trying to stop the coffin rolling too far from the hearse, but it was difficult to stop it moving. He shouted at me to go into a store and get something to wedge under the coffin. I ran into a bakery and there was nothing to use, the coffin rolled past a newsagents and there was nothing in there, the coffin rolled past a betting shop and there was nothing in there. Finally, I ran into a pharmacy and shouted: 'Do you have anything that will stop this coffin!?' The lady sold me a packet of Strepsils. (True story).

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@crabbymilton390]

Very interesting and informative. It’s too bad that FORD and GM no longer build traditional full size sedans anymore. Those were the ideal platform for hearses. But these crossovers seem to work for that and the funeral limousine. I’m a traditional type but I won’t care what takes me to my grave since I’ll be in Heaven anyway. I’m a bit surprised that full sized vans never got over as hearses. Plenty of room for the builder to customize it.

[@KaritheMortician]

Very true!

[@70sfan64]

Great funeral home,. Very caring people when my grandparents and other family members were there.

[@Nambazi]

I would love to know more about how one would be able to drive the horse-drawn hearses that some funeral homes use. I believe most places hire out instead of having assistants or funeral directors drive?

[@kzariuscook1275]

hearses has very creepy look to them. Those vehicles makes death seem even more scarier than it already is.

[@KaritheMortician]

Thanks for your input

[@adamjohnathan]

In large urban areas where street parking in front of a funeral home may be difficult and where cars would park right up close behind the hearse, is where the 3-way became the most useful for entry and exit. You could load or unload right at the curbside, at the side of the hearse, especially if you were inadvertently blocked by a vehicle parked at the rear of the hearse. This was not a fashion statement of design for the hearse, but a practical design for usage in high density parking situations in urban areas.

[@andreasdimitratos9494]

I would think the separation in the hearse is there for safety reasons... if the driver needs to break quickly, there’s another barrier to keep anything from coming flying in the front (although I’m sure a casket is strapped down).

[@jimstevens1726]

The floor in the back has racks where you can insert what's called bier pins. Rubber padded steel pins to lock the casket in place. The partition, is really great for keeping AC or heat up front for the driver.

[@deathwheel27]

The 1970 Cadillac is beautiful!

[@kimdevlin832]

Great piece Kari.

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

When my uncle died 5 years ago after the service at the church he didn't ride in a hearse to the cemetery. He rode on top of a Farmall tractor cuz he was a farmer. the cemetery was only a mile up the road. So my cousin carried his urn on top of the tractor all the way to the cemetery.

[@clydeferguson519]

The 3 way coach was used to load and unload the casket at the curb, so that the pallbearers would not have to be in the street behind the coach. The partition between the front seat and the casket deck could possibly be for safety purposes to keep the casket from being thrown into the driver's compartment in a crash.

[@naomiemoore5725]

Fantastic video! I knew the history and nice to have a video to explain for those that don't know! A friend of mine bought one from a local mortuary when they purchased new ones. You should see people's faces when she pulls up to Home Depot or a yard sale. You can cram a lot of treasures in them!

[@lindathrall5133]

I HAD A NEIGHBOR WHO LOST HER BROTHER THE FUNERAL HOME NEXT DOOR TO CEDAR PLACE APARTMENTS WAS VERY KIND TO HER THEY HELPED HER TO GET HER BROTHER BURIED YOU HAVE TO ADMIT SHE WAS SO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE FUNERAL HOME PERSONNEL FOR THEIR HELP

[@KaritheMortician]

very nice!

[@Cal619Guy]

I never knew a bike cycle hearse existed! 😮

[@Cal619Guy]

@@KaritheMortician cool! 😎

[@debbie4503]

I didn't either!

[@JamesJones-kr9uv]

I hope the deceased wasn't obese... LOL,

[@ashleynave3383]

We learn of new things everyday. There are also bicycle cars which are 😎.

[@JohnPatterson-kz8jr]

When he was a teenager in East Texas in the 50's my late father in law sometime drove an ambulance for the Funeral Home in Buffalo.

[@Actionfiguresarefun]

I love your videos, I think they are super interesting and very informative.

[@keithcitizen4855]

Sydney Australia has a Victorian mortuary station not used just protected under historical order, the building takes up valuable real estate space, in fact central station is built over the top of a cemetery. An identical mortuary station was moved stone by stone from Rookwood ( Lidcombe ) to Ainesley Canberra modified for church use.

[@susanmitchell9257]

This is amazing thank you for sharing 😊

[@KaritheMortician]

You are welcome!

[@GeorgeVreelandHill]

I love hearses. Thank you for this very interesting video.

[@deniseroe5891]

When he mentioned the mileage on the hearse, I never had thought about the fact that they really wouldn’t have high mileage. A ten year old vehicle with 55k miles is good, might make a interesting family vehicle.

[@KaritheMortician]

True

[@JamesJones-kr9uv]

I purchased a removal Chevrolet station wagon from the funeral home, it was a very good car, I paid $1000.00. I wish I could get another car that good.

[@drewwise5966]

Once again, FANTASTIC video! Any possibility on a video of the history of coffins/caskets ? Thanks!

[@DavidLee-oj3tz]

When my friend passed away the funeral home had a old Packard that was very appealing to all who attended his funeral because he was a car guy and all of us agreed it was very appropriate

[@glencrs]

Hi David, I own a 1938 Packard Hearse and also a 1948 Packard Hearse. Was curious in what city was the funeral home located that buried your friend? Thanks, Glen

[@lauragadille3384]

The funeral home that came to pick up grandma, it was a van. I was shocked. I was looking for an old fashion hearse.

[@mariesykes1049]

A 3-way was more for displaying the casket then for loading the casket. We own a 3-way 1951 cadillac hearse It may be a Eureka, I'm not sure, my brother owned a Eureka it is a different model than we have.

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you

[@califdad4]

The 3 way is the most expensive hearse and one person can unload or load the casket by themselves, saw it done by a local funeral home at my Episcopal church, they just rolled it out of the church and opened the doors and moved the tray table out and slid the casket on to the tray table and then the tray table electrically moves back into the hearse. The rear loader's are not as easy to load , I've had to do that a couple times and it was difficult because those caskets are heavy and the door is in the way on one side of the pall bearer

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you!

[@robaldred9656]

The side loading coaches were popular for store front funeral homes where they had to park on the street in front of the funeral home. Also if you search for hearses for sale on KIJIJI.CA in Canada you will get listings for plows in Quebec.

[@kathrynsue1986]

i think the answer is tradition and maybe because people dont like change even when what they are doing doesnt make sense or doesnt need to be done anymore

[@devonnewest7990]

Very interesting! Thank you for the continuing education :-)

[@paulcarlsen4088]

The “Cycle Hearse” is pretty cool!

[@KaritheMortician]

They are awesome!

[@tomjefferson3148]

i had a 1962 Cadillac hearse made by S&S painted it off white and put 4" white walls on it and drove it around the country for years....big fun!

[@KaritheMortician]

So fun!

[@MsCathy42]

I love hearses. I am from a 100 year old funeral company in middle TN. I would have loved to work in the business however the men of the family wouldn't allow females. When the Deadman Funeral Business was both an ambulance and a hearse.

[@ginggur17]

Very cool video as always. Thankyou.

[@Q-Man-9137.]

When my Dad worked at the funeral home in our small town the funeral homes owed the ambulances and for the patients that had to go far away to Dr., hospitals or whatever my Dad drove the hearse. He said they thought the window was to talk to the patients and they could close it if the patients had flu or just didn't wanna talk... Lol

[@The_DuMont_Network]

Also, in a hearse with a seat for a passenger/mourner/someone accompanying the deceased, the opened window lessens the emotional sense of being locked in a confined space.

[@mistidiane788]

Great episode!

[@meleepinata]

3 ways we're best for roadside loadings such as churches on main roads or making loading easier outside of funeral homes at the carport areas. Also, the Ghostbusters hearse was a 59 Laundalet.

[@andyng3666]

In Singapore, you can find hearses in many kinds- a car hearse, a van hearse, a 10 feet long truck hearse and even a 14 feet long truck hearse meant for the coffins of the elderly! I remember in 2015 when our founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away, his coffin is being transported by a Mercedes-Benz car-converted hearse into the Istana where the President of Singapore stayed. When my father watched the news on TV and saw the hearse, he began to feel strange and asked me:" Son, I thought that is just an ordinary Mercedes-Benz car. How can it transport coffins?" I reply saying:" Father, it is indeed a car but it has been modified as a hearse. Nowadays advanced technology has made the impossible become possible. Even an ordinary Volvo S60 can undergo modifications to become a hearse. All the hearses are not made in Singapore and brought in from other countries in where they are manufactured. It is through the special requests by funeral homes in Singapore that the carmakers remodify the original car bodies and turn them into hearses.

[@KaritheMortician]

thank you

[@legiontheatregroup]

Interesting video. However, I was drawn to watch it by the screen grab that accompanied the title, which shows a 1959 Dodge. I did not see this car appear anywhere in the actual video (?)

[@KaritheMortician]

I had taken that photo that day. It was hard to showcase so many cars from the event!

[@SuperHaunts]

You also left out many other hearse companies, most notably sayer and scovel whom had motorized coaches before the company you mentioned. It is worth noting that no car manufacturer makes hearses, they take vehicles and convert them into coaches.

[@SuperHaunts]

As for different coaches, yes different ones do have different purposes, Especially in different parts of the country. White coaches are typically used for either children and females as well to denote innocence. Three way vehicles became popular in inner cities to be able to load from the sidewalk. Some communities preferred Lincoln over Cadillac for negro services, though not so much anymore. First call vehicles today are often vans, as they are cheaper, and don't have the stigma when they show up at rest homes. Just a bunch of different facts for your reference.

[@KoldingDenmark]

Interesting. As for the window behind the driver in a hearse, I believe it is a relic from the limousines. Three way hearses were completely open. That is not always nice for the driver. I imagine the coach builders thought it as an advantage to put a window in, like they did in the limousines. My hearse has a fixed window. A/C air is blown into the casket room through vents in the floor. It is an old joke not to tap a taxi driver on the shoulder, if he was a hearse driver in the past. I have driven US cars all my life and bought my first Cadillac in 1986, when I was 25. I later started chauffeuring limousines for the local limousine company. My parents always shared my interest in cars. So when my father died in 1994, and my mother asked me to handle the arrangements with the funeral home, I took advantage of the situation and asked the funeral home to ask another funeral home to come down with their hearse. A 1989 Cadillac Sedan dé Ville, rebuilt as a hearse in Denmark in the Danish style with large windows in the back. Mother didn't know about it, but when she saw what I had arranged, she thought it was very respectful. Mother died three years later in 1997. My brothers turned to me to deal with the funeral home again. Not only did I ask them to call for the same Cadillac hears again, I also arranged for a stretch Cadillac limousine in the same blue color for us in the motorcade. This is as unusual as it can be in Denmark. But we had to go a longer distance with mother, to bring her from the hospital, where she died, to the church, where the funeral should take place. My mother played the pipe organ in chuches, when the pipe organ player was off on holidays. Father was a songleader on Sundays and was the church registrar, at a time when it was only allowed to write with fountain pens (those days are over). The talk about death was therefore no taboo in my childhood home. Old ladies with no relatives left, would call my father and ask him to come to afternoon coffee for a talk about how she wanted her funeral arranged, when the day came. It happened that I joined him as a kid. Years later we would get a phone call that she had died, and father would leave with his note book to do the arrangements. I had always been facinated with limousines and hearses. As we in my opinion had many old people in the family, I suggested it as great idea to have a family hearse. I had no response to that suggestion, though. In 2013 that changed, when I found out that the hearse, we had used for our parents was for sale. Long story short. I bought it and had it restored. I now assist local and remote funeral homes if they are busy, or help them meet the request for an American hearse. It is rare, though, that people are that specific. I also meet requests from neighbours and friends, if they want my service. In these corona times, it is an issue that only the closest family members are allowed inside the church. What we do then, is drive by the place where the deceased has lived, so nieghbours and friends can pay their respect, when we drive by. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fojUgopobsyAj6s&ab_channel=KoldingDenmark This is from the funeral of a neighbour in 2020.

[@KaritheMortician]

So true

[@ianallen2]

Interesting video. Refering to the '3 way hearse', I thought it was because of the belief of the saying feet first. When I was a kid growing up in the 60's / 70's, I was told the bodies are transported 'feet first' and as they were put in the hearse feet first, they had to come out of the hearse head first, so the side door was designed and opened fully and the table / platform slid and turned so the coffin / casket and deceased would continue the journey 'feet first'.

[@ScottVargovich]

I've always had a question about hearses: Who drives them during the procession? Have you ever driven one on procession?

[@KaritheMortician]

most states required a licensed director drive them. many many times

[@joeblow8593]

Another great video, thanks

[@jimwarnow6771]

Another great vlog Kari. I had to laugh at your comment about the use of a 3-way hearse. From that comment I am guessing that you have never used one or been around one but if you had I think you would like them. Not only are they easier to load and keep the pallbearer's out of the street, but there is a bit more room between the doors and the table. I miss them and hope they make a comeback as has been hinted at by some people.

[@matthewtaylor3308]

5:15 My 1966 Superior Cadillac Combination and 6:00 my 1974 Superior Cadillac Sovereign 3-Way Hearse. FYI.

[@2snowgirl520]

So interesting. How often do funeral homes have to buy new hearses? I also loved Abraham Lincolns coffin. For iconic hearse, I think of the ones at JFKs death and funeral.

[@lpn8585]

I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO SAY LINCOLNS HEARSE. I TOTALLY KNEW IT HAHAHAH. LINCOLN HAD THE GREATEST FUNERAL OF ALL TIME.

[@KaritheMortician]

So true!

[@joncampos5551]

There's an old Alsatian hearse from Castroville, TX at the Institute of Texan Cultures. The guards say that everytime they do their rounds at night, the back doors are open. They just close them and move on.

[@kevinjames7367]

Look forward to seeing you're uploads kari. Keep up the good work x

[@lucywall8186]

++

[@keeptyrannyfromamerica8519]

The window is a holdover from the ambulance days. On the Miller-Meteor and you’ll still find some that have jump seats. The 5 way door is from overly large caskets, and, easier loading from train cars as the hearses has air suspension that could raise up to the refrigerated train door. I’ve had to have a grave marker that’s from the 1929-30 era reset 3 times. It’s on about 35* slope. Suggestions as to it being reset? I was informed that since my Grandmother’s Brother died of TB they won’t reset it again without a $4,000 vault. The coffin was walnut and disentegrated 75 years ago. Exhumation and reburial in a family cemetery wouldn’t be hard as my Brother is the Judge and I’m a deputy coroner. How hard do you find it dealing with the military graves registration paperwork more deserving veterans are asking or families are requesting service plots but spaces are becoming extremely limited. Limit it to medal recipients, service related cancers or cremation unless religion requires a special burial. Also after watching US VS UK. How are they handled, since time limits are involved we have a large, influential traditional Hebrew community too the point I was asked by a friend to do a Christian burial right alongside the Hebrew ceremony in addition to the Kaddish to make the 13th. How does the UK 🇬🇧 handle something of that nature?

[@KaritheMortician]

That seems crazy. Is there a foundation? Burial in a National Cemetery is easy. Do you have one near you? I don't know what you are referencing with service plot. They do expedite for specific religions to allow for their guidelines of their religion.

[@jimlaforte1755]

Death never Ends. Thank-you. (APPLAUSE!)

[@KaritheMortician]

You are welcome

[@michaelgreiner7081]

Another grand slam video, keep it up love your subjects, presentation and insight best regards

[@michaelgreiner7081]

@@KaritheMortician what do you know about old Egyptian methods of preparation of their kings? They seemed to know a few things even back then look forward to your take on the subject. As always all the best and God bless

[@doug9066]

When I was a kid i remember calling them funeral cars. Interesting history of the hearse.

[@KaritheMortician]

Thank you

[@doug9066]

@@KaritheMortician your welcome!

[@AgataKaminska84]

I like your chanel, it definitelly serves the purpouse, when my mom passed away I realised how we in the society don't know how to deal with death. Greetings from London, UK.

[@AgataKaminska84]

@@KaritheMortician ;) I actualy live just by Manor Park cemetry and crematorium, is that the one? (Probably too much of a coincidence:) but if so you are welcome for tea or coffe). Enjoy London and your work here ❤

[@AgataKaminska84]

@@KaritheMortician it's a good idea! Waiting for your post. Cheers X

[@d.peters6075]

Why the patrician? I'll give you one very valid reason. CRASH PROTECTION. If, for some reason, the hearse was in an accident and the the casket broke loose from its attachments...the force of the impact would cause the casket to move forward at the speed of whatever the impact was. That patrician will serve as a crash barrier. This is the same concept as work vans having that metal cage behind the seats. Why cargo airplanes have a 9G "spider web" net behind the cockpit. All in the name of the cargo behind from impacting the passenger compartment in the front. Don't know if that is "THE" reason, but a very logical one.

[@ianallen2]

The window behind the driver. This isthere to seperate the rear from the front as in limo's. It is there to open so the pallbearers in the rear can talk to the one in the front and the driver. Some hearses have 'dickie' seats in the back where pallbearers can sit either side of a casket. If no pallbearers are with the hearse, the seat backs can be folded down to be part of the platform for flowers etc. This is what I was told. I am in UK. Might be different in USA.

[@faithinhumanity3390]

Awesome video

[@SuperHaunts]

Goodness, I guess you've never been on a recovery where the deceased has not just departed follow or you would definitely appreciate the Sliding barrier. Also, if you ever had a bier pin slipped and had to make a second stop, you would also appreciate that as well

[@richcarnaggio1525]

Interesting segment I like the old hearses I’ve never seen a van style yet

[@matthewr1900]

Great and very informative!

[@swaggergospelmusic]

Thank you again for the Ghostbusters plug! Lol. The movie car, the 1959 Miller Meteor combo is my favorite of course ;).

[@swaggergospelmusic]

Yes!!! Can’t wait!!