Stupid question here

Reverse Panel

Paul Steinberg said:
When looking at the opening side of the casket, wouldn't the head always be on the left?
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"Reverse Panel" caskets do exist. They are simply "backwards".
Here is a page listing some Reverse Panel offerings from the M. Solomon Casket Company:
http://www.solomoncasket.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_52

I vaguely remember a friend in the funeral profession telling me that one use for a Reverse Panel would be in instances where the deceased had been badly injured. The reversed placement in the casket would allow their good side to be shown. Can any of our Funeral Directors elaborate on this?
 
Brad Ross said:
"Reverse Panel" caskets do exist. They are simply "backwards".
Here is a page listing some Reverse Panel offerings from the M. Solomon Casket Company:
http://www.solomoncasket.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_52

I vaguely remember a friend in the funeral profession telling me that one use for a Reverse Panel would be in instances where the deceased had been badly injured. The reversed placement in the casket would allow their good side to be shown. Can any of our Funeral Directors elaborate on this?
Click to expand...

There are occasions when a reverse casket needs to be used due to facial trauma on the deceased.
 
Richard Vyse said:
Actually it's similar to walking. You walk feet first so you go feet first into the coach, into the church as you enter and leave, and as you are carried to the grave. When buried, the foot end of the casket lies towards the east so when God comes back to Earth to claim his children, the dead in Christ will rise and you will be facing God.

Some funeral director's don't take the time to keep this tradition intact but not in my funerals. We turn the casket in the chruch and bring them out feet first everytime. In Scottish tradition the body leaves feet first so the soul cannot find it's way back into the house. I assume this is how it got started.
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Yeah, what he said!:specool:
 
I have used reversed caskets a few times. Most of the public has no idea what end of the casket is "normally" open during a visitation and usually no one notices when it is backwards. Only funeral directors look twice when they see a reversed casket.

The reason for using a reversed casket has always been facial trauma and swelling issues. Reversed caskets are available on special order.

As for the question about just checking what side of the casket opens and knowing where the head is, isn't always that easy. Many metal caskets have hidden hinges and latches so you can not see them when the lid is closed. On most caskets the quick thing to look for is the labels on the casket and the lock and info tube pipes on the foot end. (we call them exhaust pipes and some caskets are dual exhaust and some only have one tail pipe) Aurora caskets have the lock on the middle of the front side of the casket and not the foot end. This gets tricky when you open the hearse door and try to determine which end of the casket comes out first. This is a perfect example of the strange things funeral directors keep track of that the public has no idea. We do more than just drive big cars and drink coffee...well, some of us do more....lol!
 
I am trying to stay on this topic my question on this type of casket and the common used one's, is it true that wooden one's don't have a lock but if you look under the lip on a wooden one there is a release and metal has a locking tube .I have a family friend that runs a casket company here called (SUPERIOR CASKET COMPANY ) located in Redford, Michigan the times i have been there i never seen a reverse configuration but have seen a double.
 
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When you grow up around a funeral home...

When you grow up around a funeral home, such as I did, with a father who is very dedicated to, and serious about, his chosen career, there are many things that are impressed upon you at an early age, including which end of the casket gets loaded into the hearse first.

I was taught that the body should always be transported feet first, for reasons that Richard mentioned. As such, the body enters and leaves the church (or chapel) feet first too, even if this means that the pallbearers face the hearse and back up a few paces while unloading. In addition to the etiquette factor, I was taught that if you always have the casket in the hearse the same way (feet first), you never have to stop to figure out which end is which. This is also helpful when placing an American flag on a casket (i.e. at the conclusion of a Catholic Mass for a Veteran, the funeral pall is folded and removed from the casket and replaced with the American flag.) If you know that the casket always recesses from church feet first, it should never be confused that the flag is unfolded so the stars are over the deceased person's left shoulder.

I'm sure there are many of us here who could sit for hours, telling stories about things that have happened to us; the kinds of "blunders" that are anything but funny at the time, but can be quite humorous looking back on them.

I am reminded of the day we had two funerals and needed to rent a hearse from our local livery service. The service was very busy on this particular day and sent over one of the hearses that is typically used for removals (a service our local livery also provides.) Well, the Lutheran funeral ended and we came processing out of church - feet first - and the pallbearers carried the casket down the front steps of the church as the family followed. You can imagine our surprise when the back door of the hease was opened and there was a removal cot and the carpeted "board" they put under it to protect the hearse floor! Seems the driver - and nobody else at the livery garage - checked the rear interior prior to taking off...

In a situation like this, the worst thing you can do is panic. So, we calmly brought the church truck down to the sidewalk, placed the casket on it (thankfully it was a nice day and the church was not on a busy street), quietly asked the driver to go around to the back of the church, offload the cot and board, and bring the empty hearse back. We apologized to the family and informed them the delay would only be a moment. After the casket was loaded and we were on the way to the cemetery, we called the livery service and suggested they come retrieve their cot, which was hidden in a corner behind the Lutheran church!

In the end, the family was not bothered by what happened, no charge was made for the hearse (by the livery service or us), and that driver always checks the rear interior of a hearse before leaving the garage!
 
wow ....and I all I wanted to know was why the feet go in first !! lol

thank you guys so much.....very very interesting stuff.....thats why I joined PCS !!!

now I can tell all friends ( that care) why the feet go in first

thanks again

Mike
 
Going into church, I go feet first (if liturguical like Catholic/Lutheran), unless its a priest or pastor, then head first as they addressed the congregation in life. *Loading in coach, its usually feet first because I turn the casket to exit church. When we load at funeral home, it's head first so as enter church its feet going in first. At graveside, we never know which way lowering device is set, so we have to instruct pallbearers to either face coach or face away as casket comes out. the only constant is graves face east/west, with head always at west end, normally husband on south side of wife, as they stood at the alter of their wedding (to right of bride). SOME cemeteries and alot of mausoleums have burials/entombments facing north / south...then all tradition is tossed in the air. For cremated remains, i always go in feet first, regardless of faith or position. But thats just how i roll.
 
Well...... If you go in the side, you go head first. That makes it so when the table goes in the Funeral Car in drive position, the head is to the rear and the foot is to the front.

Bee, tell George Hi for me. George rode in my Packard at the National meet in Kansas City to Independence.

Thanks,
Mike
 
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