As The Hearse Turns

04/01/2026

Let’s talk about why embalming is not cookie cutter…. Rather truly an art and science!

03/31/2026

Lets go into the embalming room and lets talk about what a canula is.

03/31/2026

Lets start our Journey into the embalming suite and discuss aneurysm hooks and what Katharine K. Wagner-Elfner, Mortician and Christopher Boggs - Mortician do with them.

03/31/2026

While I was in bed this morning soaking in some Monday morning cuddles with our little guy, Max, our phone rang twice ☎️

Funeral service is often unpredictable, and moments like this are a reminder of how important teamwork and communication are. When multiple calls come in back-to-back, it’s not about rushing ~ it’s about coordinating, supporting one another, and ensuring each family receives the same level of care and attention they deserve.

Here’s a look at what happens behind the scenes when that occurs, and how we worked together today to make sure everything flowed smoothly and without interruption.

~Katharine K. Wagner-Elfner, Mortician

03/31/2026

🚨 UNPOPULAR OPINION 🚨

Most people have no idea how funeral service actually works…
…but somehow have very strong opinions about it.

“Funerals are a waste of money.”
“Cremation is simple.”
“You guys just show up and make money off grief.”

👀 Really?

Let’s talk about it.

As The Hearse Turns isn’t here to make people comfortable…
it’s here to tell the truth.

The conversations most funeral homes won’t have.
The questions families are afraid to ask.
The realities people don’t want to hear.

📅 Save the dates:
🗓 Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 – 6:00 PM EST
🗓 Thursday, May 14th, 2026 – 6:00 PM EST
🗓 Thursday, June 18th, 2026 – 6:00 PM EST

🎙 With Funeral Directors
Katharine Wagner-Elfner & Chris Boggs

Streaming everywhere. No filters. No scripts.

💬 So let’s do it…
What’s YOUR biggest criticism, question, or hot take about the funeral industry?

Drop it below 👇
We’re reading ALL of them… and we just might answer yours LIVE.

👉 Share this before someone says “funerals are just about money” again
👉 Follow if you actually want the truth

03/29/2026

Tissue builder is one of the tools we use in funeral service to help restore a more natural appearance when someone has experienced significant weight loss. It’s a specialized product that allows us to gently fill areas where volume has been lost, such as the cheeks, temples, or hands, so that the features look softer and more like the person families remember.

Every application is done with intention, using photographs and conversations with loved ones as our guide. The goal is never to change how someone looked, but to thoughtfully recreate a familiar, peaceful appearance so families can focus on saying goodbye, not on the effects of illness.

It’s a quiet, detailed part of the work, but one that can make a meaningful difference for the people we serve.

03/29/2026

I stopped down the other day to help Chris at Wagner-Elfner & Harkins Funeral Home and Cremation Services and quickly realized… they don’t even have gloves in my color or size 😆

Gloves aside, it’s about showing up, doing the work, and making sure a family walks away with a sense of peace ❤️

Sidebar: The coffee cup was empty from my 35 min drive down here! I carried it in with me, Chris and I started talking, and I honestly forgot all about it until the end of the video when I tossed it. I would never be drinking coffee while handling instruments in the prep room.

~Katharine K. Wagner-Elfner, Mortician from Wagner-Elfner and Burg Funeral Home & Cremation Services

03/28/2026

Connie asked us a wonderful question on Wagner-Elfner and Burg Funeral Home & Cremation Services and we are going to answer it here on this page.

Let’s talk about commingling cremated remains.

03/27/2026

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

03/27/2026

Christopher Boggs - Mortician from Wagner-Elfner & Harkins Funeral Home and Cremation Services and I came across a post this morning in one of our funeral director and embalmer groups, and it sparked a 7 AM conversation that we couldn’t ignore.

So we figured, why not bring it to you?

Tonight at 6 PM EST, we’re hosting a pop-up LIVE here on As The Hearse Turns.

Throw on your cozy Friday night clothes, get comfortable, and come hang out with us. We want to hear your thoughts too.

We can’t wait to see you! And if you can’t make it, no worries ~ you’ll be able to catch the replay right here.

Katharine K. Wagner-Elfner, Mortician from Wagner-Elfner and Burg Funeral Home & Cremation Services

03/21/2026

Let me say something most people don’t want to hear…

You are NOT ready for death.

Not emotionally.
Not logistically.
Not even close.

You think you are…

Until you’re standing in a room, being asked questions you’ve never thought about, making decisions you’re not prepared to make… on the worst day of your life.

And then what happens?

You guess.
You rush.
You hope you’re doing the right thing.

But hope isn’t a plan.

Here’s the truth…

Most families don’t struggle because of grief.

They struggle because they were never prepared.

🎙️ That’s why we’re having these conversations on As The Hearse Turns.

Because avoiding it now… doesn’t make it easier later.

It makes it harder.

So I’ll ask you one question…

👉 If something happened today… would your family actually know what to do?

Or would they be left guessing?

03/18/2026

🚨 WE NEED TO STOP HIDING BEHIND THE WORD “COMFORT.” 🚨

Let’s just say it.

Every time this topic comes up, the same answer shows up…

👉 “People choose a funeral home based on comfort.”

But here’s the uncomfortable part…

What are we actually calling “comfort”?

Is it:
• Trust?
• Tradition?
• Religion?

Or…

👀 Is it choosing what feels familiar — because that’s all we’ve ever known?

Because if we’re being real, this profession has patterns.

Not policies.
Not rules.
Patterns.

And those patterns didn’t just appear overnight.

So instead of pretending this is simple…

👉 Why don’t we actually talk about it?

Why do certain communities consistently choose certain funeral homes?
Why do some firms rarely serve outside of specific groups?
Why does it still look the way it does in 2026?

And here’s another question that doesn’t get asked enough…

🎓 Are we preparing future funeral directors for ALL families?

Because in mortuary school, we talk about:
• Embalming
• Restorative art
• Cosmetics

But how much time is really spent on:
• Caring for different skin tones
• Understanding cultural and religious practices
• Preparing remains in ways that honor specific traditions

Or are some of those things learned later…
only if you happen to be exposed to them?

That’s not an attack.
That’s a reality we need to look at.

Because if we’re truly here to serve everyone…

👉 Then education, experience, and awareness have to match that mission.

💬

Some people won’t like this conversation.

That’s okay.

The conversations that make people uncomfortable are usually the ones that move a profession forward.

🎤 We’re not avoiding it on April 7th.

📅 Tuesday, April 7th
⏰ 6:00 PM EST
🎤 LIVE on As The Hearse Turns

👇 Let’s be real…

Do you think funeral service — including education — is truly preparing professionals to serve every community equally?

👍 Like
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💬 Comment

Let’s talk about it.

🎤🔥