Jesse: Yeah, you start recording Yeah, you know I'm the only no, it's the recording so we were here recording what happened. right now as we were recording They came out and asked for help to move a cadaver nice. Yes, so right now there's a on the other side, but we are able to be here with our families and then open up those curtains and will allow us to see the process. Some families choose to be hands-on. The process as in like actual cremation? Not the actual cremation, no. no. What we do allow is for them to step into the next room and be present as we are preparing for that cremation. Okay. So this is like a viewing of the family member prior to the actual location take place. So this is something that you do not see here locally, it has a now. It's one of the events that we have over some of your homes. Also you guys pretty much the only ones here in Kernard County? Union has one. It's a little bit much smaller, much more intimate, but we do have this a little to our families. nice. I've never been to a cremation with one. for the viewing of the burial usually it's just open casket or closed casket? Those options depend on the family. A lot of factors going to play. This one they get to see the family member before they go and get cremated? Some families choose to do so. But it just depends on you. That's what... I think personally, I always share my own personal opinions and these when it comes to this kind of thing, but I personally have chosen not to do an open casket. It really comes down to the... Yeah, preference preferences I've had a couple buddies that have passed away and I don't I personally don't like to see them and you either man It's not for fear nothing. It's just I prefer to remember them as they were it's not as they are at the moment Yeah, which which is that preference because we've all have lost friends family members You know whether it was at a young age and it did have a huge impact, you know, and that makes a big difference So our family is able to press the button? If some family member said we are able to accommodate, that's possibly yes. OK, that's great. I also saw yesterday, you guys posted a thing that I used to think it was like a long gone thing here in the United States where you guys are able to host, like the people are able to host their family member at home? That is what's considered an overnight. So that is one thing that really We take a lot of part of it as well. Basically, it consists of us going to your home, setting everything up, making sure everything is perfect. And then we follow up by going the following morning. So if we have scheduled services, we go the following morning so we are ready to. So the families are able to spend the night with their loved one one more time And with that would you would you consider that more of an affordable option if they didn't want to do like a viewing here at the chapel or something or is this still kind of basically the same thing it's basically about the same cost because either we have a visitation at your local church here, yeah, you know a lot of the families you got to keep in mind a lot of our Hispanic Mexican Breadwin, Something happens to you, God forbid, you know. what's going to happen to your family. Is there going to be somebody who knows what to do after the fact? Are they going to be financially able to proceed and go forward with the funeral? and the cemetery costs, you know, because the average cost for a funeral and a cemetery, we're looking about 16,000 and up just starting. Just starting? Just starting. And you guys help people pre-plan? We definitely help them pre-plan, yes, because pre-planning locks you in into today's price. nice. Pre-planning, how does that work out? that like payment process? The pre-planning is a payment process, yes. You sit down with one of our advisors, they explain to you the process and then depending on what you choose, what services. then they explain to you how and where and when. Do you find yourself that more people now that they are aware of that, that they come and try to do the pre-planning now to be prepared? Not many people are aware of it. know, it's like before I came into this industry, I myself didn't even know that was possible. You know, a lot of us, and myself included, A lot of us have policies in place for our mom or dad not realizing the full impact of it. Because like I said, a life policy is for the living because they're going to be the ones remaining and they're going to be the ones who need to move forward with the cost of living, taking care of bills, taking care of their financial responsibilities. because it is hard. How long has that pre-plan thing been in place? my God, I would imagine forever. I mean, I just personally didn't know until I came into this industry, but basically pre-planning, you freeze into today's costs. You purchase, you select your services, and then let's say for example. You're young. Right? We're all young. mean, you have another what? 30, 40 years. If I'm lucky, yeah. You know, if we're lucky, yeah. But 40 years, can you imagine the cost of the funeral? Or even a cemetery? So it's kind of like, you would say like when buying a home, you lock into an interest, interest rate. Until you pay it off. So if you get it now, you get it cheaper than if you were to wait one. Something happened. So if your average cost today is 7,000, can you imagine how much a funeral is going to cost you 20 years from now? 30 years from now? So do you guys see the prices of funerals going up as the economy? it goes up every year it goes up due to inflation. Something that could have cost you easily a few years ago, 5,000. Now you're looking at 8,000 or more. Because it depends on the services that you select and the merchandise, some of those caskets. which you are not obligated to purchase from the funeral home, but some of those caskets can be pricy. Hey Jesse, what recommendations do you give to anybody who actually needs to go ahead and set up something but it's something that's a little bit out of their budget? What do you usually recommend for families that seem like they're struggling a little bit financially? I recommend that they get in touch with one of our advisors. We talk to you about the options and then we talk about the plans. Because not all the plans are the same for everybody. It's different with a funeral. It tends to, actually it's a lot more different for us, as men, because typically women outlive us. What got you into this business? What got me into this business was a friend. At the time I was in retail management locally. She told me about a place she had just recently joined. She says, hey, come on over. So I went through the process, you know, just like anybody else. I went, I was curious, I applied, I talked to people and the next thing you know, I was in it. Actually, is your friend still in it currently? No, she is not actually. She moved on to other things, but yeah, it's been some time since I've seen her, but no. Last time I checked, she's not in the industry anymore. How long you been doing this for? I'm going on 10 years. All 10 years? Yes. Do you see a lot of people try to get into this industry and they just don't like it? maybe something that swoops them away? I can tell you it's not for everybody. It is not for everybody. I have seen people come and go. It depends on the person, but it's not an easy place to be in. I think it's more maybe because of the eeriness of death or maybe because certain people, they're maybe too, like not sensitive, but they can't handle seeing certain cadavers and it triggers. I would say it's a combination of many things, you know, because those who work in this industry will tell you that we serve from the heart. know. You have to be very compassionate and sympathetic to our families. Not only that, but we all kind of grow up being a little bit scared about death, you know? which is why lot of people don't like to talk about it. They don't like to pre-plan it. They don't even want to mention it. some of us in our own community, we think that by speaking it, we're country in Yes, exactly. And so a lot of things play into it. Yeah, in the Hispanic community, It's lo hablas pretty much like you can get into it. You're man-fixing Well, my parents, they have bought their plots already. Good. Yes. I've talked to families, I start the conversation and they're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And I respect it. It's a very hard topic to talk about. And I myself, I didn't even know that this existed before I came here to America. So do you feel like maybe now that you have the 10 years experience, you're a little more, well maybe you and your family as well, do you guys feel like you're more open about speaking about what to do when the time comes? Or do you guys still kinda like, nah, you know what, we wanna talk about it? Well. Definitely I'm more self-aware and I have started, you I even made changes in the way I do things, the way I drive, the way I see things, my perspective in life overall, right? But even with my own parents, I had a hard time talking to them about this. You know, just recently I managed to get them to take care of their cemetery needs. You know, because again, they're no different than everyone else. You know, they just don't wanna talk about it. So has there ever been a moment you questioned this career? At first I did. And the reason why I questioned it is because when I first started, I started with pre-need sales. I was on the other side. I was meeting with families, selling them a product. So when the opportunity arrived for me to be on the other side, meeting with the families firsthand. going through those motions, he became more fulfilling for me. Yeah. So more hands on with the More hands on, you know, and it was a little bit more emotionally gratifying in a sense, more fulfilling because now I get to do this and be here for the family during one of their very, very critical time in I had a hard time. Yes. So what you used to do before was pre-knee cells? Pre-knee, yes. Pre-knee. Pre-knee. Pre-knee. So in the business pre-knee means before it, planning, pre-planning, and then add-knee becomes you're locked on as fast. Okay. So you said that you guys were going through a lot of renovations right now and that you expected to be finished in about four to six months. What are you expecting to be able to get out of that when the renovations are all said and done? Are you expecting for there to be a rise in growth in like the amount of families that you serve or the number of families that you serve per year? I would say yes. And it would allow us to be more present and be able to provide to our families because at times when we do, I you know, sometimes our families, you know, our families are big. I come from a small family. There's only four of us in my family, but we have big families in our Hispanic communities. know, they're made up of eight, 10. sometimes even more systems. Exactly, los tios, las tias, y todo. And it's hard for us to be able to provide for them here. But once we have our new chapel, we'll be able to provide. There'll be more space for two or three people. I saw they're building a patio also up front. All they need to is like the part of the spot and I'll be Yeah, that's all we need. That's all we need. Has there actually ever been an instance where you felt that either the chapel or something else, like you weren't able to accommodate a family specifically because of just the sheer size of it? No, a lot of factors go into place. Sometimes we are not able to provide for some families, not just because of the space, but because we are not ready. You know, there's a lot of times where... If a family is not in agreement on how to proceed, when you don't pre-plan it, everything's already set. This is what we're gonna do, this is what we are going to do it, and this is the person responsible. When something unexpected happens and everybody's not on board, then it creates uneasiness, it creates a lot of things, so we're not able to move forward with a set date. because of that. See that's a good thing about pre-planning, like let's say you want to be cremated, you don't have, well no, you told me you wanted to be very, no, you told me, and next thing you know, starts a whole different heat within the family, you know? And it happens in all our families. I mean, it has changed for me as well. At first I thought I wanted traditional, then maybe possibly cremation, and then know, I'm on the fence whether I should do this or that for myself, so it's a constant change for someone like this. in that, it's for you to pre-plan. And the beauty about pre-planning is that it's, you can always make changes to it. That's true. You know, it's not a final thing. You know, but what's more important is sharing that with your own family, letting them know that you already have something in place. Yeah. So you do like the pre-plan thing, like you said, with you guys, the, when you lock in that specific price. Let's say if somebody wanted to start with the cremation, that's the cheapest option, right? The cremation? Yes. And, but not always. Okay, because it depends on the services that yes, and I said anything like a basic basic plan Are they able to like later on say why would I want to do a burial but still have that price of the burial from that time? Or now does it become the price that currently is for a burial because it's different Well, once you lock in let's say for example into this play into this price that you purchase now Then you build equity and whatever it is that you choose. So you are able to use that equity towards new changes or new additions to your bed. that's really good then actually. It was kind of, I don't know, was just a little scare. I was getting little worried about it. But then again, it's the hospital so it's like the moment that they pass, we have to take them down to the... You know, I share with my family that we should be more scared of the living bed. You know what? I listen to a lot of horror podcasts and a lot of them, it's from Mexico. So they're in Spanish, know, Spanish and everything sounds way worse. So they're talking about people that work in mortuaries and things like that. A lot of the guys that do even like the security for the funeral homes or just like the morgues, they all say that. They go, well I got the job because you know you're supposed to be more scared, you should be more scared of the living than the dead because the dead is already, you know, they're already passed, they're just sleeping. But that's when they start with the stories like, I heard a noise, they're, you know. Those are stories and those are things that are instilling us ever since we were little. Our own families. La Llorona and Cuculay. So you've never been here late at night and experienced anything unease? Yes or no. And what I mean by yes and no is sometimes it's in the back of your mind. Sometimes you're doing something and you're thinking about something and you hear... and then you make that correlation like, know, automatic it is what it is. I it's a human nature thing, right? So would you say that working here, or working at any funeral home really, do you feel like it's more of a mind trick or do you think your religious beliefs are maybe even spiritual beliefs? Like, you know, how they say like most of the time, well, we have a Christian background, Catholic and then Christian, but we believe, know, like it's not really our loved ones that come back, it's other entities. that try to play tricks on you. So do you think that you have to block away the spiritual or the religious aspect of it and just kind of stick to a more like... More of a pragmatic view? Yeah, pragmatic, like more practical. No, that wasn't it. just... Well, here's the thing. I'm Catholic. I was brought up Catholic, you know. I believe that as a whole, there's energy that remains after we pass, you know, just like in life. Our energy is what makes us right. It's who you are. So after passing, believe that some energy remains. I have taken some energy from you. If you go into my house, again, going back to the whole religion, to the whole thing, beliefs and all that, if you walk into my home, I have my Bible, I have holy water, and I have my groceries. Why? Because it was instilling me. It brings a sense of... security, sense of ease, you know, we were taught about it early in our life. know when my cousin passed away, because he was like a month older than me, so he passed away shortly after we became 18. And his grandpa, the only time I remember someone bringing something up like that, we were kind of kept away from the adults, even though we were already like in 18s, 19s. His grandpa did say he heard a noise in the room that he used to share with him and he was hey, no, no, no, no, no, You know, he got he was worried about it and it was a I want to say the The same night maybe in the morning like around four in the morning after we had already got the news because he possibly dirty I think midnight Eleven or midnight so that same night class obviously I don't know if it was maybe something like very spiritual or just something because it was he had just passed He was just automatically triggered him that It be both. It can be both. I think sometimes we don't really think about it, they're part of you. Even after they pass, they're part of you. They're with you at all times, whether in a mental state or emotional being. They're always part of you. Grief is tricky. I think sometimes there's no right or wrong way of grieving. It's different for... everybody, but it's something that really affects your nervous system. It becomes part of you, you know, and we end up creating our own little rituals, you know, mean, look at the other more. Yeah. So, question, so you did say you have taken energy at home. Yes. Right. And for example, what made you know that you took something home? It just felt out of place. You know, sometimes, and how many times has it happened that, you you allow somebody's energy to affect your mood, to affect your mood, to affect the way you go about your day to day, right? So, I noticed... difference and then it just clicked and I was and then I was a little bit more. looking in and making that like, wow, okay. So then, I did a simple thing, know, a single quick prayer, you're not wanted, you know, please leave my home kind of thing. You know, but yeah, definitely that energy surrounds us. something trying to make your home their home? Not in that way, but at one time, you you hear all these stories about Bakersfield, like for example, Union Cemetery, I saw your podcast regarding Union Cemetery. and not only that, but I guess down on the Bell Terrace area, there used to be a cemetery. Right, right, Terrace Way. Terrace Way back in the day, right? Any little thing I'll spook. Yeah. So, yeah, there's a lot of bacteria. mean, you know, there's been people before us and there's always going to be people after us, but there's a lot of bacteria around the Baker School area. mean, we all know about the Padre Hotel, right? So we all know about all those things. And yeah, it's definitely part of the community in one way or another. I actually have question. from my background working at a hospital, I see and deal with different families in different stages as far as like going in and being happy because a new baby was born to be at the lowest that they could possibly be because they just lost a loved one. I've got to assume that you usually deal and experience the same thing because when they come here, they're coming here at like their lowest point because a family member that may have been very close to them had passed. And as humans, we tend to sympathize with those people. usually like sharing their grief because of one reason or another. Did you ever feel there was any service or view in where you felt yourself like that, where you were sympathizing with the family and it kind of got not too emotional, but like you were able to feel their pain, share their pain and for like a moment get caught up in the moment and it's like, wow, that's really, you know, it's really, really sad what they're going through. You know, I feel, I really feel for them. Definitely, definitely because we are no different than they are. We go through the same emotions when we... the only difference is that is we have the moment, but then, you know, we need to move on. And I need to be here for my family. You know, so sometimes even though, yes, it does happen in our own families, there's times when we kind of have to set all that aside. Do you ever feel like you were part of a service that you couldn't or you found yourself very difficult? to continue? No. You've always been able to hold your emotions together? I've been able to hold it together, believe it or not, yeah. Was there one that as soon as they left and everybody walked out, you just couldn't hold it no more? No. It hasn't happened to me just yet. It has happened briefly at moments, you know, but it's one of those things where you go through the motions, you process it, and then you are able to move on. So I think it's to say that you feel grief, you feel, you get sad, but... You're just like, it's not my moment, it's their moment. It is definitely their hard man. Yeah, that is. I've been part of funeral and even I get choked up. you ever get choked up usually or you guys are able to like? You know, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't, but that's when I need to take a moment, recollect and be here for my family. Yeah. So you keep saying my family. as soon as they come to the door, when you're servicing somebody, you view them entirely as your family, correct? You know, we meet the strangers during a very critical time in their life, during a very vulnerable time. we... A certain dynamic, a certain bond is built with these families. So yeah, you become in a sense part of their family because they're allowing you to come in. I mean, they're fully allowing you to come in and be there for them. That's where... And that's where to me it becomes so much personally, emotionally fulfilling. You know, because I'm able to be here for the family and they're able to give me that trust and give me that huge, huge trust to be here. It's like he's reading my mind, bro. Everything I want to ask of him brings it up. you, what would you say the timeframe is from the moment someone comes in and says, hey, we're looking to do a funeral service for you guys to... day that it's completed in there on their way. Is that like a week time span, two week time span or? You know the fastest that we've done it thinking back about three days. Three days? Yes. You don't know? Yes. Obviously there's some factors that play into it, you know, but... Yeah, that's what makes us different in a sense than a corporation. Because yes, you have the process, but we have a great staff that is able to get things going from the minute that we have your loved one here in our care. We're able to just, pom pom pom, and make things happen for you. Sometimes if this church doesn't work, then we call other churches, we do what we can to be able to do everything soon. because to a lot of our families it's important. You it's important. I mean, you go to Mexico, you know, there's times when some of us are not even able to be there for our own family members because from one day to the next, they have all the services. I never even thought about that. You guys do like call churches, you guys get everything ready so the family doesn't even have to worry about The family doesn't have to worry about a thing. You know, that's our responsibility. We reach out to them. Churches we set everything up. We select the days we reach out to the flowers You know make sure we have all the flowers here at a certain time and so forth so It's it can be a little challenging sometimes, you know, at the end everything just falls into place Do you guys have like a specific church or a specific like you guys build spawn like? Partnerships or it's just like hey, told me this this church and the church kind of They just do what they have to do for the family. You know what, we are lucky to be here at Maker School where we have a lot of churches that are able to work with us, not just us, but even other locals, you know, and that's the difference between making things happen sooner rather than later. I think too, just because there's a big incorporation, it doesn't it's going to be better. No, it's better, you know. I just meant, I don't know how that worked. they're like, no, we only work with the other funeral home. They don't choose one over the other. As long as we are able to provide for our families and make sure that we have everything in order, select the date, select this, select the person, everything that comes together, that's what we do. And even outside of Baker's Row because we're able to provide for some of our families out in Fresno County, Kings County as well. So what steps do you usually take when you're getting ready to prepare for a viewing for a family that's going to come in to go ahead and participate in a viewing? What steps? As far as making sure that I have everything you know? Yeah, essentially. my god. It takes a lot of effort on many parts. You know, we got to make sure we have the proper documentation, make sure we have the proper to go forward to be able to go to a cemetery for Mary. And the last thing we want to do is have something scheduled, move forward without really confirming in verifying that everything is in order for the I guess you need permits. You need permits to be able to go to a burial at a cemetery. You need permits to be able to move forward with a commission. So proper documentation is a big, big thing. So we have a great team that works with that. See, and that's another thing I believe that people say, well, you know, it's expensive. You don't all the cost that goes behind it. That's why it might be expensive. Sometimes the cost is a factor. But another thing is proper. We need all those things in order because I'll give you an example. Us men, and I choose and I say men is because a lot of us don't go to the doctor often. A lot of us shy away from it, right? So what happens when you haven't gone to a doctor for years and then you pass away at home? That's going to make it a challenge. Versus somebody who has everything in order. I have gone to the doctor, I have a history that is able to make everything so much easier for me to obtain all the proper documentation. So what services does Grand Legacy offer there? Maybe a lot of people don't know. Some of the services that we offer, not just here locally, but like I said, King San and Fresno County, LA County, we offer services for markers as well. We are able to have your marker ready. Yes, and we are able to display that marker at the cemetery during the time of our service. So by marker you mean the actual... The actual headstone. nice. Is there a reason now that we switched from the marker to the actual headstone? Well traditionally it's always been a headstone, right? But different terminology for it. Marker, lapida, piedra. So, you know, we all have different... really it's the memorial marker. Okay, because when we were at Union Cemetery we noticed that a lot of the old ones were the actual, they're still the headstone, but a lot of people switched to the marker, the flat rectangular one. Is there a specific reason behind that? Not just cost, some cemeteries have different rules and regulations when it comes to the placement of those markers. know, some don't allow for uprights, that's ones that are standing back in the old days. Some only allow certain sizes for the ground. So it just depends on the cemetery. So you say your markers take up as little as one week to make? Yeah. Because I remember, unfortunately some family members have passed away, Yeah. And it'll be months before they even get the thing out. Our staff, have in-house staff that takes care of that. we're able to have it ready for you in So you got to the marker here in-house. that's nice. Yeah. Maybe that's what makes it, you know. pain to get sometimes because I do remember that too. think for my cousin we waited on the bottom of the month I think also or two months. Like he said sometimes they even have it ready when they're about a burger. Yeah. Yeah. There's been multiple times where we have it ready for you. That's nice. is what advice would you give someone that wants to pre-plan? Advice is to sit down with one of our advisors, know, talk about the options, talk about what you have in mind. You know, sometimes we're not really sure about it, sometimes we're scared about doing it, but the best thing you can do is lock in to today's price, have something in place so that, you know, God forbid when it does happen, your family is fully protected. And he did ask, like, let's say we were to, for example, not that he asked, but for example, let's say I have something already pre-planned for my wife, but unfortunately I have to use it on a daughter. that, were you able to switch that over or it's already pre-planned for her? Actually, that's a good question because whenever you have a funeral in place, that funeral is specific to that person who was written up for it. okay. Right? So now if you have cemeteries, like he mentioned, he has cemeteries already for his parents, right? that cemetery can be used for whoever you want. So if unfortunately a friend of the family or another family member passes away and you're to provide for them, then you can do so as long as that person goes about the process. So like you said, the plots where they are rearrangeable with family members, but the service is not. Yeah, the service when it comes to the funeral services and merchandise, Like you said, you the equity, but that equity you build, only specifically for you. It's not transferable to another person, not a funeral specifically to that one person. And you said that... You provide the services here and you do it like if the family wants to go ahead and do something here that you're able to provide for them and accommodate for them. That includes viewings here, right? Where the family is able to come, they go through the procession and then as they're going to leave they see the body one more time. What steps go into preparing the body for the viewing if it's going to be an open viewing here? where they're gonna see them one last time. What do you guys go through to getting the body ready for the family? Some different factors fall into play, but we have a great staff that is able to work with the family as far as making sure that we have. something that I don't do but we definitely have the staff that is able to. So you said something that you don't do as far as preparing a family, but this is one of the viewer questions. Have you ever been a part of an autopsy or been in the same room while one was? No, actually there's strict regulations, there's strict protocols, not only legally, but only the authorized people who have the knowledge and are able to be present during that time are the ones that. But they aren't performed here, right? they do autopsies, they will perform an autopsy here? Autopsies are usually not done by the funeral home. That's a hospital. Autopsies are usually done through a third party. Would you guys, third party here? No, not here. So specifically here, what do you guys do? Just... Specifically here we have our care center where we do the abomination. Okay, so that's what we're confused about. We're thinking of embalming, but for some reason we're thinking of autopsy. Autopsy is a whole different thing. The embalming is done here. The autopsy is trying to figure out the cause of death, right? Like I said, fewer questions. And then embalming is not required right now. it's not? It's optional. It's optional. And the embalming is when they try and clean the face or make it look... It's a combination of that as well, yes. That's really false under preparation. So what is embalming? Embalming is not the removal of anything like some people. pretty much. that's like funeral homes decide or who does it? That's up to the family. know, family funeral homes will require or not require the involvement because it's not required by law but sometimes what we want to be able to spend time with our loved one during an open casket scenario that is when the involvement takes place. it does what that does it does offer the convenience of us being able Yes. See that's what I've read and heard personally that other funeral homes, like they force you to do that. No, they shouldn't be forcing you, it's not required by law. That's why people say no, they force us. We have to do it. We have to do it. No, it's not required right now. Do they charge? You guys are charged for involving, right? Involving is usually the same cost as refrigeration because by law after 24 hours you need to be... refrigeration is to take place. So I'm guessing you guys do have refrigerators here? Yes. What happens to a person after they're brought into the funeral? Once your loved one is in our care, then we reach out to the primary next of kin, the person who is legally has the responsibility to take care of all the documents, all the signatures for us to be able to move forward. Once we have that primary next of kin, then we set what is called an arrangement visit. That's when we sit down. We go through all the process of preparing documents for Second Church, deciding where we want to do it, how we want to do it, and so forth. Because that's the most important thing, selecting those dates that we are able to arrange with the churches and set a time. And then again, you guys deal with all that, right? You give the families the time to cooperate. Yeah. That's why pre-planning is so important, because pre-planning allows you to fully be in not having to worry about the cost or this or that, right? Yeah. Because usually the first thing that we think about is cost, The most challenging part of your job that people don't get to see. challenge part of my job. You know sometimes those challenges are behind the scenes. You know speaking to the churches, making sure we have this, making sure that we have if we have a dub release make sure that we have that already confirmed and ready to go. You there's times when we make it to the cemetery. My first, first instinct is to look around and make sure what I need is here. You know. Has there ever been a situation where you need it once in a year? Yes, there has been. What are the things that are out of your control? You know, there's a lot of things that are beyond your control. What you can do is you can take control of that situation and make sure that you are there for the family during their time with me. Yeah, I know sometimes maybe the family wanted to it and they didn't make it in the family. you're already hurting them. That's why when it's things out of your control, there's really nothing you can do. know, as long as you're able to be there in the moment for the family, that's what matters. Yeah. Was there ever a moment where you guys had something set up? was a service that was going to happen like a church or something and then something happened with the church last second and it fell through and you guys had to go ahead and try to find accommodations elsewhere with a different church that proves to be difficult or challenging? No, it rarely happens. You it hasn't happened to me, but it does rarely happen every now and then. You know, sometimes church will double book. Sometimes they forget to put on the books. Sometimes, you know, but we've been lucky and we've been fortunate that it hasn't happened to us. I mean, you say double book, you like they were hosting you guys and another few? Exactly. So can you imagine going to church and you already have another funeral happen? Can you imagine? That's where the challenges arise, right? Because you want to be able to, before you even make it to the church, you want to be able to that everything has been confirmed. good to go with this and that, make sure that the flowers are being delivered to the proper place and so forth. those... lot of calls, a lot of emails, right? A lot of calls, a lot of emails, a lot of confirmations. Is there someone that specifically handles that, that aspect of it? One person or a team that actually handle all that? It's, it can be both sometimes, you know, but most, mostly the funeral arranger that is working with the family. Okay. So if you're assigned to a specific family, then you're the one that... basically all of that? I need to make sure that I'm I confirm that everything is a go. Okay, so you're kind of like the team manager and you know your team is on April make sure all these things are good and then you just finalize it. So I personally make sure that everything is accounted for make sure that everything has been confirmed with the church make sure that it has been confirmed with whoever's doing the dub release make sure that I have flowers here before I even go to a church you know those are things that It's a check off list that has to occur before I can even be there. you see typically that people or families try to do funerals primarily during weekdays or weekends or is just whatever the church has or the cemetery has available? You know, that's one of the big challenges actually. A lot of families choose to go with the weekend only because we're so focused during the work week. Sometimes families, that's important, making sure that we do have the services on a Saturday. So would that delay the process though since a lot of people want it on the weekend? Sometimes it does delay the process, you know, because you have so many families that are wanting to do on a Saturday. You know, they're so very limited times allowed. What day of the week do you feel If you have the opportunity to lead the family that way, do you think is the best time during the week to do a funeral service? Where you've noticed that that's like less traffic, less issues. I think, and this is my opinion, I think that for a lot of families, it's important to have it either on a Monday or Friday or Saturday. You know, and only because there's a lot of family members sometimes that need to make arrangements to travel. And that's... what makes a difference between choosing and selecting that date. So how many services, the most services you've done in one day? The most services that I have done in a day? I've burials. that I can think of, three. three? Yes. And so how do you handle dealing with death on a daily basis? It's an interesting question. You don't really think about it. I mean, I don't think of it as death. I'm here to service my families, make sure that everything is in order to meet their expectations. really when it comes out. Do you also deal a lot with the energy of the people that are around you at that moment? let's say two of you, does it ever overwhelm you? Not overwhelm, because keep in mind, there's no right or wrong way of doing it. It's different for everybody. What's important is that I'm there in the moment, I'm present and able to be reactive to what's happening. during that I think, personally, yeah, I think there have been times when I, looking back, I think of doing things a little bit different, but again, there are some things that are out of your control. When I'm expecting, let's say for example, mariachi, and I don't have my mariachi, it's up to me how I'm going to react to that moment. How am I going to proceed? I still need to be here present. So I need to be reactive to that situation. So that's you start thinking of it. I'm a terrible singer. So no, it just reacted in the way that, you know, manage it. You know, sometimes if it takes a little bit longer, I mean, we're hands on, you know, us human nature, we are hands on. Yes. You know, so whether it's we all want to be able to share. You know, all want to be there for them. So there's always ways to be reactive and make the service better. you feel like it's common that you would have to go ahead and call an audible in case something isn't ready or something isn't there or is it rare where you guys have to go ahead and do that? It's like no, everything's going according to plan, everything's running smoothly. well sometimes it does happen. The way you plan it and the you expect it to happen happens. Sometimes it does and sometimes when it doesn't that's when you communicate with the family. You know, let them know, hey, this is what I'm waiting for. This is what we're going to be doing. So it's you pretty much guiding the family and making sure that their expectations are met as well. So you usually have the family have to say, so it's like, okay, it's like, we're waiting on this and this still isn't here yet. Do you guys want to continue to wait or do you want to go and proceed forward? And they just basically make the decision. Let the family decide. because at the end it is them. It's not my say. I'm in control and I can only do so much where my responsibility falls. But at the end it's the family who decide. This one I was eerie reading it to be honest. So this one said, husband passed in 2019. He was cremated. I noticed they cut his legs off without asking me. Is this a normal practice? So unfortunate that she had to go through that and endure it, but no, that is not a common practice. Why would you feel they would have to do that? I don't know. I cannot speak for them, but I can honestly tell you that there's no need for that. None whatsoever. None whatsoever. See. How do you handle a family who has lost a child? Hard, that is the hardest, you know, because for the obvious, you know, but just being there, being able to provide and being able to guide them through that process, you know, because it is very hard. It's probably one of hardest It's one of the hardest ones, you know, sometimes even when we lose, you know, when our little or our little passes or somebody who has lived a full life, even so you think you may be ready, you're never ready. You're never ready. But you need to be able to provide for the family. Yeah, I think it's one of those things where they're older, you're like, they lived a life. Exactly. When they're kids, it's like, shit, they a whole life to live. Yeah, but even if they've lived a full life, it's still your loved one. It doesn't make it any easier. Have you ever had anyone tell you something paranormal happening during a baby? Yeah. Sometimes, you know, we all look for signs, right? Sometimes, like right now, you heard a noise. Yeah. I noticed that, but sometimes the flipping of a picture will come down on the table or maybe technicalities with the TV or with the playlist. There's always those kind of instances where right away, depending on your belief, you automatically think. So you're automatically going to think, wow, that's what that is, right? Situations where a funeral home can't accept a deceased person. Any situation you can think of. Well funeral homes are private businesses so they do reserve that right. The only thing I see happening is where we are not able to meet the family's needs. we can't all come together what we want to do or how we want to do it. know, because sometimes what happens is when, let's say for example, if you're married, your spouse has that legal right to take care of your services, your funeral and so forth. If there is no spouse, then it's your kids. So if you have, let's say eight kids, then the majority of the kids have to decide on how to move forward. If you haven't selected, if you haven't pre-planned it and you haven't shared what you want with your kids, then your kids are gonna be, okay, what do we do now? So sometimes those things, those factors might play along into it. Because obviously we can't set anything on paper until you decide for sure what it is that you want to do at that point. So again, it's better to pre-plan. Yeah, pre-planning, that's why it's important. Pre-planning, you select the where, who, what, and when. know, because one thing I have always shared with families is this, let's say for example, I don't want to be crew-wrecked. Let's say want to be, I want to have a viewing for my family members and friends, but I don't want to open casket, right? Because I don't like to view, I don't like photos to be taken. I don't want an open casket. So if the spouse says, no, you're going to have an open casket. I'm like, no, that's not my preference. I'd rather not. I can always give the legal right to my best friend who is willing and able to do what I want. So sometimes pre-planning comes a way. It just depends on what you want to You said pictures. Is that a thing now, like, people take pictures of the casket? Well, pictures what I've been is really comes out to your family. You know, we're all different. we're all different. It's we're talking about your loved one. Yeah. You know, so even those when it comes to dad, someone might have a kind of shot away from him. Right. You know, still your loved one. So my final question, someone asked about how do they do they not run out of the room at the cemetery? How do they not run out of that's a pretty interesting question. for me, because I'm not in Here's the thing. How many cemeteries do we have here? not sure. I think of the Union. Two Green Lawns. No, three. We got like three, One on Panama, one on Northwest. Isn't there one by Lekas of Alawar, say. So that's... I think it's about a mesoamerican park. I know there's another one where I think it's more like Hindus. Where's that? I don't know. Are you guys aware of the options that go into a cemetery? No. Because sometimes with a cemetery, you either go side by side or what is considered double depth. You know how when our family says, pues vayamos arriba. okay. Right. One on top of the others. there's plenty of spaces. I think there's a big taboo that has always been around that they either resell or reuse. Yes, No. None existed. What about release the plot instead of buying the plot? Is that a thing? I know when you purchase a plot, basically you're purchasing what is considered an internment right. You're purchasing the right to be. late to rest here. You don't know that piece of it. You know, not only are you responsible to do what it is that you want with it, but Yeah, there's different options. You have a side by side, you have a double dad. There's a lot of things that you can actually do. By pre-planning, you're able to, it's a conversation topic that sometimes we don't even talk about, but what about the rest of your family? Mom, dad, do you want to be there next to them? Do you want to, so there's always a lot of options that we don't think about until after the fact. So that's why pre-planning is important. Yeah, that's one of the things we saw at the Union Cemetery. It seems like a lot of families were very in a row. So that means they're next to each other? Yeah, next to each other. Can you imagine purchasing your cemetery needs 30... You're gonna get the good price. You get the good price. Kind of like a car, you buy a car. So before the camera died, you said something about the cemetery holds the rights to that spot. So whenever you purchase your plot, what you really own is the internment right to be laid to rest there. You don't own the actual plot. You don't own that actual piece of... But you also said that that doesn't mean the cemetery can do whatever it wants to Well, yes, but you need to understand that when it comes to that, that the cemetery is not going to resell it 30 years from now or 40 years from now. You know, I mean, would hope not, So the cemetery has the obligation to follow through. It's like you paid for that plot. They're going to, when it's your time, they're going to lay you down. where you paid for they can go into the all remove you to this spot or we're do this or that they have to follow through they cannot do anything without you have to We appreciate your time, No, thank you for having me. Thank you. If you guys have any questions or anything else, please feel free to reach out to us. Can we get more footage of the place? Is there anything else that you could show us that we haven't already seen yet? Well, this is pretty much it. We're hoping that once we open up our chapel, we're able to hopefully bring you guys back so you can take a look at it. Can we take a look at the machine?