Patti Martin-Bartsche

New York

Managing Editor, Kate Boylston Publications at American Funeral Director

Managing Editor, Kate Boylston Publications at American Cemetery and Cremation

Managing Editor, Kate Boylston Publications at Funeral Service Insider

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Articles

The Next Generation

Dec 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

Those words, spoken by Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home President Hatch Bailey, still ring as clearly in Josh Blake’s ears as they did when they were first uttered more than a decade ago. “He just knew,” Blake said. “He recognized something in me early on that I hadn’t recognized in myself … but he waited – patiently – until I realized for myself that funeral service was where I belonged.”The Early YearsBorn in Mexia, Texas, Blake and his family moved to Waco when he was 4.
The Winner - 2023 Funeral Director of the Year

Dec 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

Yet, it is the job that she has held since 2013 that means the most to Quigley … funeral director. “I think everything in my life has led me to where I am today,” Quigley said. “I don’t know if you would call it fate or destiny, but I felt I had more to give ... and this is where it led me.”It also led Quigley to be named Funeral Director of the Year by American Funeral Director magazine.
Wagging Tales and Purrfect Poses

Dec 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

It was several years ago that Richard Pinkerton walked into Camino del Sol Funeral Home & Cremation Center in Sun City West, Arizona, wanting to transfer his preplanned funeral arrangements from the state he previously lived to Arizona, which he now called home. During that preplanning meeting, Pinkerton happened to mention that he often became Santa Claus, or perhaps more appropriately, Santa Paws, during the holiday season.
The Year in Review

Dec 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

How do you describe 2023? Perhaps it could be best summed up as the year of the good, the bad, the ugly and the undecided. In the News for All the Wrong ReasonsThe year started out with news that the operators of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, Colorado, were sentenced Jan. 3 to federal prison for illegally selling body parts or entire bodies without the consent of the family of the deceased.
The Story and the Family Behind 'The Burial'

Nov 2, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

O’Keefe, “Jerry” to his friends and family, purchased his competitor, the Bradford Funeral Home Co., in 1958 and later merged it with the family business (which traces its roots back to the 1800s) to form the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Biloxi, Mississippi. The same year, O’Keefe and his wife founded the Gulf National Life Insurance Co., which became the state’s largest seller of life and burial insurance policies. But the two did meet, first in the boardroom and later in the courtroom.
A Special Night for Exceptional Students

Nov 2, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

It was a night that dreams are made of. For more than 30 Griffin-Spalding County School exceptional students, April 23 was a night to arrive in style at the Griffin (Georgia) Historic City Hall, walk the red carpet, dine in style, and dance the night away. Hosted by the school system’s Department of Exceptional Students, the Special Needs Formal provides students with disabilities an enchanted evening. While the event has been held for many years, the 2023 formal was different.
Serving the Interfaith Community

Nov 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

“We are a ‘funeral home’ first,” the fifth-generation funeral director, who is also a vice president and co-owner, explained. “We serve all faiths and ethnicities, including interfaith families.”In an increasingly multicultural and diverse society, many families are choosing to honor their loved ones with interfaith funerals, Schwartz pointed out.
Connecting with the Community with Tacos

Nov 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

When your community is feeling down and isolated, how can you provide a much-needed pick-me-up? It’s a question the staff of Basham Funeral Care in Bakersfield, California, found itself asking during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns and ever-changing restrictions, holding any type of event would prove challenging.
The Story and the Family Behind “The Burial”

Oct 12, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

If it hadn’t been for Raymond Loewen and The Loewen Group, Jeremiah O’Keefe and Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Homes would likely never have become a household name in – and outside – of funeral service. O’Keefe, “Jerry” to his friends and family, purchased the Bradford Funeral Home Co. in 1958 and later merged it with the family business (which traces its roots back to the 1800s) to form the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Making Meaningful Connections with Hospice

Sep 1, 2023 | kates-boylston.com | Patti Martin-Bartsche

It makes sense. By working together, funeral directors and hospice providers can educate their communities about their end-of-life options. But developing those meaningful relationships takes time … and involves more than dropping off cookies at the holidays or co-sponsoring an occasional event.