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Show 8M3t622iOHS C&iiUiuuuty B 1 Wednesday, October 29, 2008 WdU to Thomson-BTackburn Vernal Mortuary By Patrick Timothy Mullikin Express Editor Alone upstairs in the casket showroom is fascinating, more than a little creepy, but surprisingly peaceful. Aligned head to toe are some 20 polished metal and varnished wooden caskets. With their white, padded liners, they look much like twin beds. Comfortable twin beds at that. To lie down in one (keep the lid open, please), while still on this side of the grass, is tempting - just to see how it feels. But the opportunity to "play dead" ends with the arrival of TyAnn Blackburn, 37, who, with husband, Mitch, 42, owns and operates Thomson-Blackburn Vernal Mortuary at 15 E 100 N, Vernal's sole mortuary and funeral home. She is at ease in the casket room, pointing out their features as if she were describing mattresses, cars or appliances. She does so with a smile and unbridled enthusiasm. With a grieving family, however, TyAnn would present this inventory differently. dif-ferently. Selecting a casket, which range from $1,200 to $9,000, is one of the final steps in the process of arranging a funeral service at the home. Here, and around the country, the average funeral can cost upward of $8,000 depending on the casket selected. Eight grand is nothing to laugh at. And neither is death. Well, maybe a little laughter, says Blackburn from the big table downstairs down-stairs in the home's consultation room. It is in this room families meet with Blackburn to discuss funeral pricing options. "There's a lot of laughter. There's a lot of tears in this room. There's joking and things about some of the funny things the deceased had done. There's a lot of healing." As a funeral director (he also serves as a funeral services licensing board member with the State of Utah Department of Commerce), Mitchell says healing is a big part of his job as families seek closure. "That's what I like about Mitch," says TyAnn, who's now joined her husband at the table. "He does whatever he can for that family to reach closure." (The other part of his job, the one conducted behind closed doors, is preparing bodies for viewing and burial. This is a netherworld of white-tiled white-tiled walls, embalming fluids, stainless-steel needles, carotid and femoral arteries, pumps and vials of assorted potions. The goings-ons most people associate with funeral directors. People react differently to death and the way they grieve, says Mitch. "They're mad at the deceased for dying, mad at the ambulance driver for not saving them, and they're mad at me - because they died." Is this any way to make a living and live life? The Blackburns think so. TyAnn, a licensed cosmetologist who does the hair at the mortuary (Mitch does the makeup), was born into the funeral home business. Her father owned a funeral home now run by her brother. As a 12-year-old she used to type the funeral service programs for her dad. She also learned about life - and death from him. "My father made it clear to us and helped us understand the reason why we're here on earth, why we die, and where we're going." Mitch, on the other hand, came from an agricultural background and married into the mortuary business. He says that while the outside world views death as a scary thing, he and TyAnn use it to teach their own kids about the values of life. Life lessons aside, the mortuary business in Vernal has been a viable business for the Blackburns, one with an inexhaustible list of future clients. The friendly, outgoing couple lays to rest the stereotype of the mortician of yesteryear. "This generation is different," says Mitch. "I think you have to have a personality to be in this business. I think you had to be stern then because of the way death was perceived." The old perceptions of death may have changed, but how a service is conducted in Vernal remains much the same, he says. "It's still a very traditional tra-ditional funeral service. We have a viewing, go to the church for services or have a service here at the mortuary, depending upon their different religious reli-gious affiliations." Still, he says, there's room within this traditional services for personalization. personal-ization. Take clothing, for example. "If somebody didn't wear a suit (in life), I'm certainly not going to suggest sug-gest they wear a suit (in death)." Mitch says he's buried clients in their military uniforms, wearing pajamas, Bermuda shorts, cowboy boots and, sadly, brides-to-be in their wedding dresses. And then there's music. "'Stairway to Heaven' gets played a lot," he says with a laugh. That one is brought in. The funeral home's own collection of CDs pits Vince Gill and Bette Midler against Bach and Beethoven. There's the traditional stuff, too: the "Old Rugged Cross" and similar fare, Blackburn says. While the job is demanding and unpredictable ("You can be at work from 9 to 5, all day, go home, have dinner ready, and the phone rings. You have to come back to work," says TyAnn), there's no holiday from death. But, they say, it is rewarding work; "The reason why we continue doing it is the friendships you make. There are so many people we meet, and that's what I love about this job," says TyAnn. Mitch adds: "When you have two or three funerals a week, with 300 people each night, you get to know people pretty quick." pmullikinvernal.com no l f rT3P 1 If i J Li " i p v. g I t- ,.f . p ,J i" , " 'Minn " . A 5 - ; ' , i v-.v-J . ' Y TyAnn and Mitch Blackburn in the upstairs casket .-Z I room. Caskets range from $1,200 to an all-bronze , c- --1 $9,000 model. . J J j r ; ; ' V. '. -,: -h i ...... - "4 f f - 4 w.qamwa .. r ,'v. I Some people forsake a casket burial and opt for cremation. Urns, such as this one that contain cremated -1 remains, are meant to be displayed in the home. Blackburn uses different shades of makeup to compensate for differing skin tones and lighting at the viewing. mil) whij JH... 1 1111 1 iwiii ui .1 , -Mv. AZ' .-. - ; : : , - , I.. - ... .rii,i,nij -"'' One section of the embalmers oath reads: "That I shall lead my life and practice my art in uprightness up-rightness and honor." Blackburn takes the oath seriously. 1 . ... .-7a r S A v y Thomson-Blackburn Vernal Funeral Home's electronic marquee has become a fixture in Vernal. When it's down, the owners hear about it. Many Vernal residents depend on its information and will drive around the block several times to stay posted on who has died and when funeral services are scheduled. Mitch Blackburn demonstrates how an old portable por-table gravity-fed embalming apparatus was used. The glass container was lowered closer to the body as the body filled with the fluid. Calendar October November Golden Age Center Dances, 155 S. 100 West Vernal. Every Friday night, 8 to 10 p.m. Kays Band, all are welcome. TOPS club meets in Vernal City Offices, 447 E. Main Street, Thursdays 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tot and Mom Story Time, 10:30, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Uintah County Library, 155 East Main, 789-0091. Joy Club, ages 4 thru grade 6, Grace Baptist Church, 3816 South 2500 East, Vernal, Thursday 6 to 7:30 p.m. Epilepsy support group meets at Uintah County Library, second Tues. of the month at 7 p.m. Call Kari (435) 790-8589. 13th Annual Juried 'Shootout' Photography Art Show at the Wester Heritage Museum, Oct. 6 through 31. October 28, 29&30 Youth Wrestling Clinic, K - 8th grade, new Uintah High School Wrestling Room. K-4th grade from 4 to 6 p.m and 5-8th grade from 6-8 p.m. Call 781-3110x2711. 781-3110x2711. October 29 Equine Welfare Forum, 7 p.m. at Western Park. Help solve the unwanted horse problem. For more information contact Boyd Kitchen, 781-5455. October 31 Halloween Mayor's Walk & Fall Carnival, 4 to 5 p.m., at Community Center, 610 S. Vernal Ave. Call Shauna Jo Eves at 781-0982 ext 108 for the details! Halloween Dance, Crossroads Senior Center, 50 E. 200 S., Roosevelt, 7:30 to Midnight. Costume contest, snacks, door prizes, adult only, please Cost $2person. November 1 Pilot Car Certification class in Vernal at UBATC. Register on line at:lvww. uspilotcar.com or call 725-71 725-71 09 for information. November 2 Daylight Savings Time Ends! Clocks should be turned back. November 3 Info Fair, Golden Age Center, 155 S. 100 W., at 1 p.m. Darren Hotten (Utah Div. on Aging) on Medicare issues and Dale Allred, VTV on TV service. Call 789-2169 "It's Tag" Teen Advisory Group Meeting, 4 p.m., Uintah County Library, 155 east Main, Vernal. November 5 Detox: Free class, Uintah Care Center, 510 S. 500 W., Vernal, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call Dr. Ruth Martinez 621-6664 to sign-up. November 6 AARP Safe Driving Class, Golden Age Center, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., $10 fee, but most insurances discount. To sign up call Fred Muller 454-3470 or Brenda 789-2169. Girl Scouts Parent Meeting, 7 to 8 p.m., State & County Building, 152 E Main, Vernal in the cafeteria. Hosting an event? Post it for free on our community calendar at Each office is independently owned and operated. ' j ifk portion V ' ' ' of every sale is - J( donated to the 1820 West 1 Children's Miracle U Vernal, Utah , Hwy. 40, Ste F Network. 1 435-781-2500 ? Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Results 5 Till! Seller. Motivated!. Spring Creek Custom Home 1 700 sq. ft. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. Hardwood & tile flooring. Cedar deck and fencing & 8 foot garage doors. You'll love the secluded location! Call the"Real"Team. ML57955S0 y 5 i " '- " t.vStTi.... i Beautiful home in Cottonwood Heights 3 Bedroom, 2.5 balh & over 2200 sq. ft.!! New paint, new carpets great curb appeal. Fabulous gazebo hot tub Included! 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