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35 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 28, 2004 Dorothy Simonsen and her son Tim use this room at Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home in Ashland to prepare corpses for viewing. Of the 250 bodies Litwiller-Simonsen handles each year, about 40 are prepared for viewing. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven When Somebody Dies ... A LASTING HONOR Restorative arts handled with respect: ‘I don’t think of them as a dead person’ By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune An Ashland funeral director who embalmed his own grandmother considered the process an act of love and honor. "I wouldn’t have had it any other way," said Tim Simonsen, 52, sitting in the cozy parlor of the funeral home that bears his name. And when he was finished with the internal preparation, Simonsen’s mother took care of the rest. "I had done Mom’s hair so many times, I was just doing her hair," recalled Dorothy Simonsen, 73, who has handled after-death styling for a decade. By the time 102-year-old Myrtle Running’s funeral began in 2002, she was a picture of placid calm, a comforting final vision for family and friends to remember. Advertisement That’s just the effect that Simonsen and his mother strive to achieve for other families who choose to view their loved ones after death. Together, they perform cosmetic preparations before the firm’s public funerals. Local funeral homes, including Litwiller-Simonsen, have seen a decrease in viewings as cremation has gained in popularity. That has meant less need for cosmetic treatment of the dead, said Nick Preboski, general manager of Rogue Valley Funeral Alternatives in Medford. "There’s not a lot of restorative art done any longer because we live in an area, the West Coast, where funerals aren’t as formal as they used to be," he said. But for the dwindling percentage of funerals that include public viewings, final hair, makeup and dress arrangements can leave a lasting impression. "If we blow it, that’s going to stay with them," Tim Simonsen said. Of the 250 bodies Litwiller-Simonsen handles each year, perhaps 40 require viewing, he said. Preparing a body to be seen is a process that begins immediately after death and lasts until the first chords of music sound during the service. "We have to do something within 24 hours," said Simonsen. The four options are burial, embalming, cremation and refrigeration. Typically, bodies slated for viewing are refrigerated quickly and held for up to a week. Embalming is required if there will be a viewing with access to the general public. Services for embalming and cosmetology cost about $500, a portion of the average funeral fee of about $3,000. Ironically, embalming is required for a corpse to look "life-like," Simonsen said. "It’s the embalming that restores color and appearance," Simonsen said. The process involves cutting a 2-inch incision, usually in the neck, and using tubing to flush blood out of the body’s arterial system and replace it with an orange-colored mixture of formaldehyde, ethyl alcohol and other ingredients. The fluid used in the 60- to 90-minute process includes moisturizers that keep tissue soft. "You can actually, physically see the difference in the person as you do it," Simonsen said. With the body properly embalmed, it’s time to consider cosmetic corrections. Depending on the manner of death, some corpses require extra attention before they can be seen. "If we’re having to restore damage, whether it’s a car accident, gunshot or whatever," Simonsen said. "It’s no different than an auto body shop trying to repair damage." Before mortuary students are certified, they must demonstrate that they can re-create common body parts from wax. "In school, you are required to build an ear, a mouth, a nose and an eye," said Simonsen, adding that such total reconstruction of organs is rarely required. Most cosmetic treatment is more limited, he said. Modern funeral homes try to go easy on the makeup as well, he said. The goal is to make the dead person look natural and normal, in part to help family members begin to deal with the death. "To accept the fact of that is difficult, to say the least," Simonsen said. "To witness lack of life. But grief is not going to start until they accept that fact." With the body laid on the same sterile metal gurney used for embalming, Simonsen turns his attention to facial features. Eyes are typically glued closed with a special glue. Lips are treated with one of several kinds of wax, which allows them to glide into place. Because muscle tension disappears after death, it’s up to Simonsen to arrange a final expression before gluing lips in place as well. "I could put a smile on, I could put a frown on, but generally, it’s relaxed," said Simonsen, who works from a favorite family photograph whenever possible. An array of cosmetics, many specially designed for corpses, come next. An orange-ish Kalon cream is applied first. "It restores the natural glow," Simonsen said. Eye shadow, rouge, clear mascara and lip color are applied next, often for men and women alike. Many families agree to bring the person’s own cosmetics — using Mom’s favorite lipstick makes her look more familiar, Simonsen said. Hair arrangement comes next. Tim Simonsen typically washes the person’s hair, leaving Dorothy Simonsen to dry and style. A tray of hair care tools — blow dryer, brushes, a can of Rave hairspray — is arranged. "I am focused on wanting to make them look good so when the family sees them, they’ll look like they did," said Dorothy Simonsen. There’s nothing macabre or uncomfortable about arranging hair and applying makeup to corpses, the pair said. "I don’t think of them as a dead person," Dorothy Simonsen explained. "I think of them as someone I want to make look nice." Bodies are dressed and then arranged carefully in a casket for viewing. Most mortuary students and others who work at funeral homes get over the perceived "creepiness" of the profession very early. Tim Simonsen was a teenager when he got a job as a janitor at a funeral home in Idaho. "Death never bothered Tim. Even as a kid, it never bothered him," his mother said. "Once he keyed in on something, he became very interested. It just brought him to life." Today, staff members at the funeral home owned by the nationwide Alderwoods Group understand the responsibility their work entails. "This is an art, this is something I do with and for the family," Tim Simonsen said. "It’s a real honor for me." That’s evident in the notice that greets workers as they enter the embalming and preparation area. "Remember," it cautions, "behind this door is the most sacred room in the building." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities