undertakers turning into funeral directors

The late 19th century reflected the rise of the funeral home and the funeral director. Most social and cultural transformations resulting in the modern funeral profession were completed by the 1950's. In our society today,  the focus of the profession remains the funeral home. 
With the passage of time, 'undertakers' become known as morticians and funeral directors. In the early 1900's, the newly formed National Funeral Directors Association was pressing members to consider themselves "professionals," and not as tradesmen as the earlier coffin makers had been. As time passed, regular use of embalming was encouraged, and the new "professionals" used it to suggest they were the keepers of public health ( the funeral source).

U.S. Funeral History- North American Funerals: The Funeral Source. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://thefuneralsource.org/hi0301.html 


Duke, T., Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks, Glendale, California, Sloane, D., Laderman, G., & Prothero, S. (2004, June). Cemeteries and Funeral Rituals: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow | ICCFA. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.iccfa.com/reading/2000-2009/cemeteries-and-funeral-rituals-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow 

I found an interesting article called "13+ Things A Funeral Director Won’t Tell You"
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-a-funeral-director-wont-tell-you 

Crouch, M. (2011, June). 13+ Things A Funeral Director Won't Tell You | Reader's Digest. Retrieved October 13, 2013, from http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-a-funeral-director-wont-tell-you 

  
 Questions to think about:
-Have you had any experience with a funeral director? 
-Should funeral directors encourage embalming? ( there is a prior post about embalming)
-Would you want to be embalmed? why or why not?
-Would you ever rent a casket or buy one from Walmart or Costco?