IF YOU GO* What: “Reflections: The American Funeral.”* When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today and Saturday.* Where: McMinn County Living Heritage Museum, Athens, Tenn.* Admission: Free.* Phone: 423-745-0329.* Web site: www.livingheritagemuseum.com.
From the cross-country funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln to the national outpouring of grief for Elvis Presley, America has a rich history of mourning the dead. Despite changes in customs over the years, the intrinsic value of a funeral for the living remains, according to those in the industry.
A touring exhibit stopping this weekend at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum explores these changing traditions. It begins with American Indian burial mounds and ends with some of the rituals practiced today, such as cremation and online obituaries.
“Reflections: The American Funeral” examines funeral traditions and their role in helping the living achieve closure. Spread out across 1,000 square feet, the thoughtful displays reveal how we mourn our dead, its organizers say.
Of special note is the Lincoln exhibit, featuring a reproduction of the 16th president’s casket and tracing the near three-week funeral procession. Scholars cite Lincoln’s 1865 funeral as the birth of today’s modern funeral service.
Other moving exhibits include “Arlington National Cemetery,” which honors veterans and the more than 3 million Americans buried in national cemeteries.
Other displays recall President John F. Kennedy’s rider-less horse, empty boots reversed in the saddle, trotting briskly in his funeral procession, and Rosa Parks, who was the first woman to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda.
“There are intriguing stories of funeral practices throughout the centuries, and this exhibit educates people on those stories and enables them to connect to the universal human experience of death,” says Diane Hutsell, the museum’s executive director. “The displays on Arlington and fallen public safety officers move people to tears.”
“Reflections” has been touring across the United States since summer 2008. Organized by MRA Experiential Tours, it is supported by the funeral-industry professionals.