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60 Minutes Feature: Final Resting Place, A Must See for Consumers

Funeral Director Charged With Stealing From Widow: Police Suspect More Victims

Maureen Purcell is accused of theft

Louisville, Kentucky

A funeral home director is facing charges after police say she stole thousands of dollars from an elderly widow and now, police believe there may be more victims.

According to Louisville Metro Police, the funeral director, Maureen Purcell, met the 89-year-old victim when she came into Ratterman Brothers Funeral Home in St. Matthews. Police say the victim went there to have her husband's remains cremated. They say Purcell then befriended the woman, knowing she had no family nearby.

Police say Purcell was able to get power of attorney over the victim, and at that point started stealing from her almost every day.

Purcell was released from jail on her own recognizance. Police say she admitted to stealing $8,000 out of the $10,000 that she's charged with.

The Ratterman Brothers Funeral Home says they are completely surprised by the arrest. Purcell has a bad credit history, and has had several lawsuits filed against her.

What Your Funeral Director Won't Tell You

Readers Digest just put together a list of things, 13 in all, that your funeral director won't tell you. Of course, it has already sparked a nasty battle of words -- the nasty words coming from many funeral directors. I was surprised to see that over at one site (a website dedicated to funeral directors), the owner posted the list. However, he was careful to put a disclaimer above, noting that "The opinions expressed did not reflect those of his site." After all, he just wanted to warn funeral directors that someone was looking out for consumers.

Without any disclaimer of my own (other than giving my endorsement to the items listed below), I present the list.

13 Things the Funeral Director Won’t Tell You

Go ahead and plan your funeral, but think twice before paying in advance. You risk losing everything if the funeral home goes out of business. Instead, keep your money in a pay-on-death account at your bank.

If you or your spouse is an honorably discharged veteran, burial is free at a Veterans Affairs National Cemetery. This includes the grave, vault, opening and closing, marker, and setting fee. Many State Veterans Cemeteries offer free burial for veterans and, often, spouses (http://www.cem.va.gov/).

You can buy caskets that are just as nice as the ones in my showroom for thousands of dollars less online from Walmart, Costco, or straight from a manufacturer.

On a budget or concerned about the environment? Consider a rental casket. The body stays inside the casket in a thick cardboard container, which is then removed for burial or cremation.

Running a funeral home without a refrigerated holding room is like running a restaurant without a walk-in cooler. But many funeral homes don’t offer one because they want you to pay for the more costly option: embalming. Most bodies can be presented very nicely without it if you have the viewing within a few days of death.

Some hard-sell phrases to be wary of: “Given your position in the community …,” “I’m sure you want what’s best for your mother,” and “Your mother had excellent taste. When she made arrangements for Aunt Nellie, this is what she chose.”

“Protective” caskets with a rubber gasket? They don’t stop decomposition. In fact, the moisture and gases they trap inside have caused caskets to explode.

If there’s no low-cost casket in the display room, ask to see one anyway. Some funeral homes hide them in the basement or the boiler room.

Ask the crematory to return the ashes in a plain metal or plastic container — not one stamped temporary container. That’s just a sleazy tactic to get you to purchase a more expensive urn.

Shop around. Prices at funeral homes vary wildly, with direct cremation costing $500 at one funeral home and $3,000 down the street. (Federal law requires that prices be provided over the phone.)

We remove pacemakers because the batteries damage our crematories.

If I try to sell you a package that I say will save you money, ask for the individual price list anyway. Our packages often include services you don’t want or need.

Yes, technically I am an undertaker or a mortician. But doesn’t funeral director have a nicer ring to it?

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