Funeral Services via Web
By Brittny Goodsell Jones | Printed Source
Funerals can now be webcast around the world from Logan''s own Nelson Funeral Horne. For family members, this means everyone can attend the funeral even if they are scattered across the nation.
Funeral Director David Simmons said the first funeral service webcast at Nelson Funeral Home occurred in the first part of August for a family member who could not make it to a funeral in Logan. Nelson Funeral Home had recently scattered across the nation.Webcasting is the technology to broadcast events - in this case funeral services - in real time online.
Nelson Funeral Home had recently bought the technology from the company Event By Wire, and when he told the family webcasting was available, they jumped at the chance, he said.
"Virtually every family has a need for this or could be affected positively by this," Simmons said.
Simmons, a part-owner of Nelson Funeral Home, said this Logan business was the first mortuary in Utah to offer webcasting. And as of the first day of September, only one other Utah-based funeral home offers the technology to its patrons, according to Event By Wire.
Webcast funerals began with a California resident Dan Grumley. More than two years ago, Grumley said his dad died in Los Angeles, 500 miles away from his home. Grumley traveled to the funeral home in Los Angeles where the service was being held. He told the funeral director to use whatever they could to connect his family to the funeral. (Grumley had teenage children in school and relatives throughout the country who were unable to attend.) Grumley, who has worked in the software business for more than 15 years, said he expected his request was common. It turns out. he was just naive. "They looked at me like I grew a new head," said Grurnley, the president and CEO of Event By Wire.
"After explaining it a second time he said, ''Oh, I think you need George.'' I thought George was a software program, so I guess I needed George. He said, ''Hold on, I will call him.''
Well, George was a videographer who charged $500 todo this."Forget George. It was interesting to Grumley that no one had tried to connect family members by broadcasting funeral services online. After realizing no one could help him, Grumley said he got upset.
This got him thinking about how a company could create a webcasting service.
And Grumley left his job to begin Event By Wire in 2005. The business is built around the question, "Is there anyone you want to view the service who lives too far, can''t afford airfare, is too ill or frail to travel, has young children at home, or has job commitments?" "100 percent of families are going to say yes to one of those," Grumley said.
At Nelson Funeral Horne, Simmons said the option for webcasting is available to all customers, but just like other funeral arrangements, families will be charged for the service. Nelson Funeral home is currently offering the service for free, since they are still learning about webcasting.
But when they begin to charge, Simmons said the cost will be worth of it. "Families do a delicate dance finding a (funeral) date that will work for everyone" he said. "Now any date can work."
The Webcasting system comes in a small, portable bag wich allows it to be taken to the graveside service - all that is needed is a basic connection, Simmons said. The recorded portion of a funeral is downloaded onto a web page in real time.
The funeral recording is uploaded to the Web, so people can watch the event after it occurred if necessary, Simmons said. Once the video is uploaded, an e-mai l with the webcast link is sent to a designated family member. A password to type in after accessing the webcast page is sent in the e-mail, That family member can then forward the link to anyone. The password is just a precaution to protect the privacy of the family.
For information about Webcast funerals. contact Nelson Funera l Horne at 752-326 1. They are at 162 E. 400 North in Logan.
Original Source:
The Herald Journal
