Member News Member News 4 of 7 named ‘Best of the Best’ by NFDA are OGR members The National Funeral Directors Association announced the recipients of its annual Pursuit of Excellence Awards in September. Of the seven firms chosen as the “Best of the Best” for 2020, four were Golden Rule Funeral Homes: • Arlington Memorial Chapels – Quezon City, Metro Manila, Phillipines • Gardinier Funeral Home, Inc. – Franklin, Penn. • Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc. – West Seneca, N.Y. • Morrissett Funeral & Cremation Service – North Chesterfield, Va. This was the 10th time Arlington Memorial Chapels was chosen for a Pursuit of Excellence Award, which means they’ve now been inducted into NFDA’s Hall of Excellence. “OGR prides itself on helping independently owned and operated funeral homes across the globe provide elite service to their communities regardless of size,” said Interim Executive Director Mark McSweeney. “We could not be more proud of our members and the truly golden service they provide not only during trying times like the current pandemic, but day in and day out.” Pursuit of Excellence awards are given based on proficiency in key areas of funeral service, including compliance with government regulations; staff participation in ongoing education and professional development; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; and more. All applicants submit an essay describing the development and execution of a program or service that had a positive impact on the families they serve or their community, qualifying them for the Best of the Best Award, which recognizes up to 10 of the most novel and innovative programs and services in the profession. 26 www.ogr.org | Fall 2020 Other OGR members recognized as Pursuit of Excellence Award winners this year are: • Anderson Cremation Funeral Belvidere, Ill. • Arnette and Steele Funeral Home and Cremation Center – Pineville, Ky. (Hall of Excellence member) • Brunswick Memorial Home – East Brunswick, N.J. • Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, Inc. – Covington, Ga. (Hall of Excellence member) • Cozean Memorial Chapel & Crematory – Farmington, Mo. (Hall of Excellence member) • David C. Brown Funeral Home – Belleville, Mich. (Hall of Excellence member) • Hightower Family Funeral Homes – Carrollton, Ga. • Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home – Port Huron, Mich. • Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home – Hamburg, N.Y. • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services – Fairgrove, Mich. (Hall of Excellence member) • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services – Grand Blanc, Mich. • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services – Mt. Morris, Mich. (Hall of Excellence member) • Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services – Vassar, Mich. (Hall of Excellence member) • Oliverie Funeral Home – Manchester, N.J. • Pray Funeral Home – Charlotte, Mich. (Hall of Excellence member) • Wieting Family Funeral Home – Chilton, Wisc. and Services –
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