Coffins, Kits and More
Brand New Website: Launched September 8th to commemorate 40
years of service by Lee Ward; the author of Coffins, Kits, and More. While
there are over 5,000 books written on the American Civil War, Mr. Ward's
is the only one to focus on the Civil War embalmer!
- A Bonus of this man's devotion and service to the industry is now being made
available in a brand new book on EMBALMING. When, where and why embalming
has become such an important part of our culture.
- “In Coffins, Kits and More, author/funeral director Lee Ward turns his passion
about the history of embalming into words and ideas for every reader. History
buffs will read to the wee hours on this page-turner. Lee makes this important gift-
and embalming is a gift to the grieving-especially through the funeral rituals for
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis-come alive.—Harold I. Smith, author,
storyteller and grief educator.
- “There was no embalming prior to the Civil War. It was unheard of except for
specific applications in medical schools. It was also very dangerous, because of the
chemicals they used,” Ward said. “The Civil War threw a whole new loop into it,
because parents wanted their boys brought home. Early in the war, parents would
go out into the battlefields, search for their loved ones, dig them up and bring them
home for burial. Keep in mind, there was no embalming early on in the war. So
someone had to figure out how to get that done safely for all who would be
involved.” Therefore, the government eventually hired embalming surgeons. Thus,
the field of embalming began.
For All Ages: Our hope is that this website will be a tool to help educate people of all
ages about a complex aspect of our society. It is one that has been shrouded in
emotion and shunned because of the fear of the unknown. With the help of these
books and the information provided on this website we hope you will see the
importance of how this service has helped keep members of our society balanced and
fully aware of the cycle of life. Embalming is a service/procedure for the dead that can
provide the living with a little extra time to adjust to the loss of a loved one, and to
regain the composure necessary to make informed decisions that enhance the
healing process. That extra time can be utilized to formulate a fitting tribute that
documents the contributions of the loved one who is passed, and then rejoice in the
many ways that others have benefited because of the life that was lived.
Your Interactive Participation and our Knowledge - Yields a Museum:
It has often been said that “the only time we ever get together is at weddings or
funerals”. Rather than divert on a philosophical tangent, consider the passing of
Presidents as an example of the historical rituals and ceremonies used through time.
This will help us comprehend an overview of how society has integrated affordable
segments of this process into community affairs. Here is where a walk-through facility
is very helpful; an opportunity to see, hear and interact with the past to better
understand the present and shape the future.
Coffins, Kits and More
Click on the images for more information