Funeral notification has entered the 21 century, says our own Bart Boxwell, who delivered a fascinating program about a “funeral app” that’s been developed for those in the business of tending to the loved ones of the deceased.
Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home recently won the West Texas EnterPrize Challenge award for the app it has developed. Bart noted that the funeral industry spends about $1 billion annually to publish obituaries in newspapers around the country. The new app is designed to make it easier for family members to send information to media outlets; it enables people to link up with funeral directors in their hometowns; and it allows users of the app to track the status of pending funerals.
“People can link to cities and towns and the app will notify them of deaths and funerals in those places,” Bart said.
“It’s new technology,” Bart said, noting that it takes some getting used to. He admitted to an awareness that he was speaking to a crowd of Rotarians with a lot of gray in their hair.
“Traditional funerals are on the decline,” Bart said, explaining that on the west and east coasts, as many as 93 percent of end-of-life services are cremations. He said one can obtain the app by clicking on Funeralapp.com. “It’s very utilitarian right now,” he said, “but we’re trying to make it easier to navigate.” It’s a work in progress.
Thanks so much for the informative program, Bart.
---
Cal Harriman has been named Facebook administrator for the Rotary Club of Amarillo. Cal says that if we have things we want posted on the Club’s Facebook we can send items to him either by text message or e-mail. Cal’s cell phone number – for texting purposes – is (806) 220-4851; his e-mail address is calharriman49@gmail.com.
---
Jay Campbell had our Hold-Up report and he told us of a couple from New Jersey who got held up at the Texas Travel Info Center at I-40 and Airport Boulevard. Phil and Barbara Michael were treated to a good time at the musical “Texas,” a night’s lodging, and a chicken fried steak dinner at Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner in Canyon. Jay reports the Michaels hadn’t eaten chicken fried steak before. So, there’s a first time for everything. Thanks, Jay, for the great report and thanks to Police Col. Martin Birkenfeld for corralling the “hold-upees.”
---
We have two proposals for membership to report.
Thomas Glover, classification Home Mortgage Lending, is proposed by Travis Fanelli; and Amarillo Police Lt. Dustin Ponder, classification Law Enforcement, is proposed by David Chapman. Welcome to you both.
---
Thanks this week go to: President-elect Rocky Gafford for presiding; John Early for the invocation; Daniel Martinez for leading us in singing the National Anthem and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; Lea Ann Fulton for introducing guests and visiting Rotarians; Martin Birkenfeld for selling Foundation drawing tickets; Dale Bippus and Gail Bram for greeting us as we arrived; and Gina Rodriguez for making sure the Rotary Club takes care of business.
