Funeral mishaps - smells and worse 

You are NOT a control freak, you are compassionate and you care for the families as well. 🙏🏼🖤🙏🏼

When I was in high school a classmate was shot and killed. I had never seen a dead body before attending her open casket funeral. I will never forget how she looked in that casket. It looked like her face was caked with powder blue makeup. Then her lips were bright coral which was completely grotesque in comparison to the blue skin. Her funeral was 1 week following her death and I have always wondered why they did such a poor job of presenting her. This was in the 80's, and I have not looked at an open casket since. Maybe Tracy has some insight into what was going on?

That last story was what I was thinking when I clicked this video. How did I not think that things could actually go wrong with the bodies?! I haven’t been to a funeral in many years, but I have never seen any type of problems like that. Big props to the morticians like you that work so hard to make everything look perfect!!! 💜

I remember when my grandma passed 4 year ago a similar thing happened with her, and it looked as though she was crying. It was pretty freaky, it reinforced my desire to just be put in a box and cremated, no coffin just an old cardboard box, no funeral no nothing! I want my family to spend that money in life not for me in death! X

At a co-workers family funeral, the straps broke and the casket fell bottom first and landed upside down. They pulled the casket out and it was damaged badly. They loaded it back in the hearse and took it back to the mortuary. It was a young man who passed. His brothers went with the casket to see the damages. His head was badly damaged. They took video but told their mom that he was fine with no damage. They did not want her to know. 😑

A very caring person, not a control freak! You are so kind and considerate. ❤

I wanted to tell you ladies that i really appreciate you. I find death fascinating but it is also a subject that is not talked about. Thank you for explaining the process in a tasteful manner.❤️

This finally answers the question as to why my husband looked like he cried a tear of blood. Of course my daughter was mortified!

Funny story... My great uncle was a rich man but very frugal. He passed, unfortunately, and was taken to a "discounted" funeral home. The hearse ran out of gas on the way to the cemetery! Lol! What a hoot that was when 50+ cars had to pull over while a deputy went for more gas!

I am amazed at how many small details are so important. I really appreciate the time you both put into this journey of knowledge and strength! BTW. My handicapped son kept touching different parts of his grandfather's body during the viewing. Of course some family members were jot amused until the funeral director asked him what was wrong. My son pointed out that his watch was on the wrong wrist, his dentures were missing because of his 'wrong' smile and a couple of other small things. The FD answered a million questions for him and then asked if he (FD) could keep my son. Have a lovely day! 😊

It's lovely you give them a little check list.. its not control freak..its caring.

Trying to catch up. When my Mother died (we took her home & cared for her there, my sister and I), she was cremated per her wishes. She already had her plot in Arlington next to my Dad, so the funeral Director was to mail her ashes back East to one of her sisters. They didn’t arrive & didn’t arrive, so my Aunt went looking for what happened. At the Post Office, her ashes were finally found…….in the Dead Letter Office!! 😂

Tue funeral directors where brilliant with my baby boy who passed 3 years ago he was 10 days old when passed tiny nicu baby had down syndrome directors looked after him perfectly he looked beautiful so i have every appreciation for what you do and i think you two ladies together are brill thanks ladies

Interesting! Seeing a loved one "cry" would freak anyone out!!

The first deceased i saw was my Granda, i can only say after being quite ill for approx. 17 years. It was a relief to see him looking peaceful and pain free. Still miss him today after about 33 years. God Bless. 😢😢

everyone in my family, I'm from a small, family, gets cremated. We dont do caskets, or viewings. We sprinkle the ashes, or have urns

I was at a funeral where the corpse expelled gas and people not knowing what to do, laughed. How often does that happen? Your story at the end was great. At my grandmother's graveside, my younger brother ahead of me tripped on the boards and went down, I followed down to my knees and my godfather was pulling with all his might so the coffin didn't go in sideways. Wouldn't you know it, we all got the giggles which lasted for the remainder of the graveside service. in the end, we all went golfing and lost the giggles.

The funeral home owners from my county and 4 adjoining counties have a wonderful book about fun stuff from the funeral home . Everything from fights during making arrangements to being drunk at the funeral and all between. The stories are hilarious .😂😂😂😂

I don’t think it’s being a control freak-it’s more being a perfectionist and in this particular profession, I personally don’t see anything wrong with this. Everything needs to be perfect as humanely possible and I think you do an amazing job of achieving this for grieving families to be able to say goodbye and hopefully begin to heal x

I am so glad that the last family found humor and was not mortified. Seriously, I LOL at that! I enjoy your talks a lot, and I recommend anyone who is not used to Australian accents to use the 'closed captions'. It does help a lot.

My sister died of pancreatic cancer. The funeral director was a member of our church and knew her in life. She participated in making her final arrangements, but she told us, if she didn’t look right she wanted her casket closed. The funeral director worked out of a funeral home, but for some reason didn’t offer previewing the body. Anyway, 30 minutes before the visitation my brother and i arrived for an early viewing. He sent me to look cause he didn’t want to see her if she wasn’t right. When i went to view, i was stuck. It didn’t look like her. I kept trying to find her …but i couldn’t. Her complexion was too dark, her face….i just didn’t see her. Only the hands were hers. So I’m immobile at the casket…my brother was calling my name to get me to make a decision, people were arriving, but I’m trying to find that feature that was hers. Finally, i said to close it. I learned a valuable lesson that day….always re-view as it may be possible for adjustments.

👍 this is such a brilliant channel ❤ you make this stuff easier to listen to 🥰, as I'm getting older this is all becoming an educational video 😅💐🇦🇺

I would think some type of clear plastic sealed cover would be advisable for a home viewing. Especially when the deceased is not embalmed and viewed at home.

Hi ladies my first funeral i when too was a disaster, i was 18 and friend was 17 it was a very hot day 42 in perth at the time, and then the electric when off, his mother wouldnt close the coffin, as time when by my friend started to bloat stomach mainly i felt he wasnt embalmed for this to happen in the end the director closed the coffin it was pretty bad to see pretty much cremated straight away as we left the building a funeral taken place and as they were carrying the coffin to the grave site the bottom of the coffin broke and then the body landed on the ground this ended up on evening news. Never when a funeral again until my grandma passed

Back about 50 years ago, I worked briefly as an orderly, now a nursing assistant, and I was in the room when this old man passed. I was asked to wash the body and get him ready for the funeral director. I could not sleep that night as this was my first experience with a dead body. Fast forward about 40 years, I worked part time with funeral home. It was my job to pick up the deceased and deliver them to funeral home.

It does not matter how you passaway. People will try to do best for you but decomp will get you. Thanks ladies yet again from me and summer .Aberdeen.scotland.xx❤❤❤❤

Here I go again , my pastor , who weighs over 300 pounds , literally fell into the grave , underneath the casket , when greeting the widow immediately after the service . 😂😂😂😂😂 I laughed and laughed , it was hilarious. The funeral director had a hard time getting him out. It didn't hurt him . I was the only one laughing my ass off . I still laugh when I think about it .😂😂😂

Tracy’s colleague falling into the grave reminded me of the old ‘Mother & Son’ episode (Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald), when they stop on the way to a funeral because Maggie wants to buy oranges on the roadside. She has them at the funeral and, of course, one by one they all fall into the grave (I think she leans over with the bag of oranges in her hands, and they all start falling out). 😂 Great video, again. Before Trish and then Tracy even said it, I was thinking the same thing - death isn’t generally very pretty, and you can only do the best to get the deceased through until burial or cremation (and then decomposition and disintegration occur). I get why people want to see their loved ones at “their best” - partly because they don’t want to let go - and it’s great that your videos tell the honest truth about what can be expected, and that it’s not always possible for the deceased to look all glam. My dad looked withered in his coffin, but that was what the last few months of his life did to him. My mum looked peaceful, but hers was a sudden death. I didn’t have any issue with how they looked (I understood it), I just wish they hadn’t died - the sense of loss was the hard part. Anyway, thanks again for the videos! ❤️

Horrifying and very interesting. I didn’t know hardly any of this. Thank you.

Ladies...haven't been on your channel for a while..I've missed you both! Nan from Vegas..I wear your tee shirt faithfully..Madame Mortician..boy do I get the looks!! Love your info as usual!!!

Reasons 48 & 49 why I’m going straight to the crematory. I don’t want to be a leaker and don’t want any cannulas poked in me. Thanks ladies.

I have a friend whose uncle who was a priest fall out of his casket. The metal pedestal the casket was placed on collapsed and the casket fell off it and opened. The funeral parlor staff quickly fixed everything. She said all she could do was laugh.

My Dad was drooling when I saw him. I got my T-shirt today - well chuffed! 😊

Enjoyed listening to this Have a great weekend its here again so quickly ❤

Had that at one funeral, friends grandmother, passed from breast cancer. Right arm was swollen, with edema, she looked like she was 'sweating'. Felt awful for the embalmer. Family was not aware what i saw.

Hello there I heard this story from a funeral director driving his hearse with a casket of the deceased when he got into a car accident and the hearse rolled over 3 times. The deceased in the casket was intact and the driver suffered minor injuries and what saved them both was how well the vehicle was built. The deceased was placed in another vehicle and proceeded to the cemetery....

Morticians do their very best. And sometimes perform miracles. But they can’t always do everything to help.

When my uncle died, I could smell the embalming fluid. He had a lot of trauma, so I knew it wasn't possible to completely seal up the wounds. They put him back together as best as they could though.

Good day beautiful ladies. I have my own opinion about the decomp bodies. I think the families should take the funeral homes advice and not view the body when it is in too bad of a shape. Morticians arent magicians. On that note have a wonderful weekend.

Informative as always ladies.❤

My beautiful aunt died in her 20s. Her casketbpresentation was exquisite. Pale pink lipstick and seamless facial colouring. Can be done.

Brilliant video again ladies my absolute fav duo,, Can i ask though, How do you cope if you have a newly deceased person in, which then lets out a breath, or makes gasp noises or worse moves etc, I think i would need a panic room., Thank you

My father died 22 years ago. It was several days before he was found. He lived in a seniors apartment building and his neighbors reported a smell coming from his apartment. At his funeral, the smell was so strong it nearly made me sick. Such an awful way to remember my dad but once you’ve smelled decomposition, you never forget it or mistake it with anything else. I was angry at my dad at the time of his death because I tried so hard to help him but he refused to help himself and stop drinking. I was fed up with it to be honest. I did love him but I just couldn’t help him.

I really Respect what you do!Love from🇱🇷

Fascinating as always. Luv ya vids 😊

My husband passed away 12 weeks ago today. When i saw him in his casket the 1st time i felt nothing. Not shock of him being in it. It just seemed like i had seen it before.

When my kids were small we did small scale farming, large garden, pigs, milk cow etc. When a great aunt died my three year old ask if we were going to butcher her and eat her! Long conversation when we got home.

When my mum passed away in her early sixties she was very young looking. She didn’t have a grey hair in her head - naturally- and wore her hair in that wedge style that was popular then. She wore no makeup. I told the funeral director NO blue eye shadow and no back combing. What did we get - blue eye shadow and her hair back combed ridiculously. I wanted to cry.

Taking you gals on a dog walk with my beagle Joey! Spring chill in the air but at least the friggin sun is finally out 😂❤ This I can’t wait to hear as I somehow got reading up on body brokers in the US and absolute horror stories of very scary and immoral people that mistreat the deceased. I’m sick ! I am near Harvard and am pulling my donation after that sick arse was a necro and the others were selling parts that were diseased and then donated for knees etc ., People like you Tracy are rare. I’m 50 now and have met many funeral directors. I have lived😂😢 (50😮) The embalmers I know are quiet folks so I can only speak to seeing their work. I live behind a funeral home with the first catholic cemetary , and chapel with family from ireland, the uk, and even pilgrims. I’m an avid ancestry DNA person so I poke around up there. Well! About two years ago , twelve bodies were in their garage. Families didn’t pay for cremation so they’re held hostage for a year. Refrigerator yes but the press that descended on my street! I will not use them for dad. Home funeral then ashes into Boston harbor. We can’t do the whole body. That’s my story 😂 xx☘️

What the worse thing that happened at a viewing? During the dinner break that happens between the afternoon and evening the family had leafy the funeral home to get some food.. Unfortunately a large pink glass globe broke and hot was ignited the pillow in the casket.. We were happy to catch it before things really progressed.. We I did our best to rectify the situation but did point this out to the family.. We were able to refresh the lining and restore the casket flower.. When you have mishaps. Nothing helps like the truth… probably 35+ years ago, just hard to forget…

My mom passed in the summer in south Georgia USA. She was not found for 3 days, and her house was very warm...probably in the 90s inside. I was not allowed to see her at all. She was in a body bag and something was used used to cover the odour. Long story short, the funeral director did not even want us at the burial, as he feared gasses would build up in the casket and cause the casket to "burp". I told him I was ok with that. He said ok...but we saw them head to the cementary without us. We followed (just my husband and myself)and were there. No burping, whatsoever.

In the USA the funeral director is usually also the mortician. They may use other makeup artists, ect. but they usually do their own embalming etc. I'm sure if it were a larger company (most are independent here) they probably do it the way you do.

My sister died from cancer in a small town in Colorado; there was a rosary the night before the funeral and viewing, she looked gray (she was white) and the funeral home left her overnight in the church and by the next day she was almost black. Temps were in the high 90s. Never so mad and disgusted in my life!

very interesting topic about furneal mishaps ladies

You two ladies are amazing. I always learn something new from you. Thanks!

16 year old friend of the family died in a horrible car wreck. Went with his aunt to view the casket and we noticed an area that was leaking on his neck and his lips didn't look as full as normal. I had to ask the funeral director to come and look at him. He came in and asked us to leave and he would take care of him. We also discussed with the parents to have a veil over the casket because his injuries were for horrific that they had a hard time making him look natural. Case in point, during the wreck, he had his leg propped up on the dashboard of the car and his knee literally ripped his bottom jaw off. After the service I went by the accident site and was looking around and found 2 of his teeth embedded in the telephone pole they had hit. That was the most horrible event I have ever been involved in.

Back in the 70’s I went to a friend’s older brother’s wake after he was killed in a car wreck and you could see the stitches the mortician had used to close the eyes. I was shocked at how sloppy, uneven it was.

Hi from Texas lovely ladies.Great info.All of my family are naturally funny so being at there funeral,we all knew something funny will eventually happen.Some had cops still looking for them.My cousin had Stairway to Heaven played at my aunts funeralThey had it playing on a reloop.The song is a long song and I think a lot the people including me no longer like it anymore.

when my husband died i asked to have him brought home. He lay in his coffin for 5 days in my house. after 3 days he started to smell and i was advised to keep the coffin lid closed . the strangest thing though.. I put his silver ring on his finger and after a fews days it had turned black ..really strange

A good friend of mine is retired insurance actuary - he was at convention in US many years ago where another chap from the US told him of an occasion in that a casket was dropped by pall bearers whilst exiting a church thus exposing the body - and the service had to be ceased as the casket was too badly damaged - end result was a lawsuit and a large payout by the funeral home

Hello,I was horrified and angry at my mom’s funeral. Her clothes were when I went to view her body, I pulled back her clothes and her incision was open. They did fix her and dried her clothes.Mortician did apologize but it didn’t remove the hurt. That was 2022 and I’m still upset.

My mom leaked a “tear”. Without thinking I wiped it with my finger. Then I told the director. I don’t know what she did after that but I didn’t see it again. It did freak me out after the shock set in. What was the pale clear yellow/brown fluid?

I'm an only child, might be totally insensitive, I can't see any reason why people want to view a dead body in the casket. My 85 year old mother died in her sleep in her own bed, she lived independently, by her own choice. Found dead by our son, (her grandson), when he was called, (I live interstate, 3,000 Klm away, no good calling me to open up), because a regular visiting Veteran Affairs services person couldn't get her to answer the door. I hadn't seen her since we had visited her at Christmas, two months earlier, but spoke with her on the phone a couple of times per week. Funeral Directors asked if we wanted a viewing at the cremation I just said, "I wanted to remember my Mum as the person we had been with over Christmas with all our family together", happy times. Like everything, personal choice.

My son's mother in law in the Philippines was kept at home for a week in a refrigerated coffin which had a glass lid for viewing which would seem like a good idea for Australian hot weather also. I'm assuming that the refrigeration is by something being put into the coffin and removed before the funeral.

Hello. I was just wondering something. My grandfather passed away a couple months ago. He passed away in the hospital due to some complications after a surgery he had. He did have an ostomy bag for the last year of his life until he passed. During his funeral, on the second day of viewing witch was also the funeral day there was a slight smell of feces around thw bottom of the casket. It was subtle and it was only if we went to where his feet were. On top or the sides you coudn't feel it. The used a strong mint spray and sprayd him a bit and we didn't feel it anymore. Do you think this ws cause because of the ostomy that he had? They said they put the stoma back inside but probably they didn't closed it well..I don't know. What do tou think? Thank you

Do you break fingers to get rings off or on?

My cousin was murdered in the summer of 1996 it was a very very hit summer that yr in Alabama. We all had travel there from where lived out of state. His mother my aunt was demanding to see him. The funeral director kept telling her no. Because he had been out in the heat for 5 or 6 days. I remember when you got withing a few feet of his coffin there was the most horrific smell I have ever smelled in my life. Thank heavens my aunts daughters finally convinced her that seeing Tommy was not a good idea. Thankfully also within months they found who murdered him. Turned out his ex wife had lied to some guys and convinced them to kill Tommy and they just threw his body in an abandoned well.

My personal experience of a funeral mishap was the Funeral home forgot to deliver the body to the service. Then when they finally got there the private viewing was interrupted by all the mourners being filed in to rush the service The body was sprayed with what looked like fake tan and the deceased had porcelain white skin. The paperwork for the cremation was signed on top of the coffin which then had an arrangement of reused fake flowers not the arrangement of fresh flowers provided. Total debacle and very traumatic for the loved ones.

As a complete nonbeliever of anything spiritual (no evidence, out of mind, no concern) I always think funerals are just a coping mechanism for the fearful overthinkers. The person is gone, their cellular metabolism has ceased, and that is that. When my father passed, he was cremated within 2 days and only me and my mother went to inter his urn at the memorial garden. There was no service. And I consider anyone who has not talked to us within 2 weeks no longer a friend so these people are not even notified.

I live in the UK and was not able to be with my elderly father when he died. For so-called 'closure', I asked to view briefly the non-embalmed but refrigerated body and this was arranged at the hospital mortuary in a viewing room. My father was laid out under a heavy velvet sheet, with only his head visible on a pillow. I wondered afterwards whether the rest of him would have remained in a body bag, out of sight under the heavy cover, and suspencted this would have been the case. Could anyone confirm that this was the most likely scenario? Many thanks!

The funeral director helped my dad's friends carry the cas I etc, he slept, and git a concussion. My mom was so worried about him, but he recovered nicely.

I have a question! Why is embalming fluid not the exact same color as blood…a rich deep red? Would that not help coloring to look more lifelike and realistic?

Good info. Thanks

Hi Tracy. Hi Trish. I live in NY. (Closer to Canada than to NYC.) In the states the funeral directors/morticians do the prep work in house (mostly.) Is that different from Australia? Is trade embalming more common there?

Odd question. Maybe a yes or no answer, hello by the way, do you get questions 'here' or anywhere that you either refuse to answer or it's awkward when you do? Be it too 'gory' or graphic or whatever.

Not so much funeral but body prep. What about internal defibrillators do they automatically stop shocking the heart after your dead? If you have to remove them can they shock you?

Do you have those refrigerated bed/trolley set-ups for home viewings where you are? I’ve seen them used in continental Europe quite a bit, and they keep the body cold from below but you have to remember to un-prop-up the head overnight so it’s on the cold surface most of the time and just propped up in the day and of course, people forget… I know the baby and premature baby ones are very widespread but I’ve not seen as much use of the adult ones, but that’s probably because adults would be more likely to be embalmed instead, but for those who don’t want it, it seems like a good idea. Pretty sure Pope J-P was on one after he died.

have you seen news? Hull England. Cops raided funeral directors. video response to that will be interesting from you

Question why did my sister's body viewing have that deep red purple color on her face and hands yet showing different parts in her hands looking normal.? Upon her death in the hospital and picked up immediately by the funeral home. I viewed her prior to her embalming and didn't see the changes of skin color. Yet I was horrified seeing her the way I described it. Please I need an answer cause it has bothered me all these years I need closer thank you..

I have a question, can i wear my own clothes to be burried in

My friend 2 year old son drowned at the babysitters house. The sitter decided it was a good idea to take a nap instead of watching my friends son. He wondered outside and fell in the pool and died. I went to the funeral and he looks horrible!! He was blonde and blue eyes. In the casket he was brown skinned and looked bad. I had nightmares

When we got to the cemetary at my grandmothers funeral the grave was not dug. They had the graveside prayer and people left except my Dad. It was after dark before she was in the ground. Later we found out the gravedigger had gotten drunk.

My Mom is an ivory color and she looked grey. She had full lips and her lips were looking thin. Her hair was brushed back. She looked so different from her more natural and peach colores. Her body and face looked square. Didn’t look like her. She was almost unrecognizable 😢

That was a funny story ! How did he get out!

Approaching my mother’s coffin at the initial viewing there was a lot of fluid visible in her ear. I quietly approached the funeral director who discreetly took care of it. No one was aware.

Hi Tracey and Trish Would like to know if you put the plastic underwear or full body suit underneath the clothes to stop leaking Sometimes I've felt something underneath the body clothes Sounds like newspaper

Interesting topic

Where does the blood go? Or do o want to know?😊

I am donating my body to a medical school in the US. I know my body will be embalmed but is there a difference in the embalming process for donated bodies?

My sister law was embalmed and she looked like a beautiful porcelain doll. My dad touched my sister in laws hand, and held it for a minute. He said his hand started burning. When he opened his hand, there was a red mark on his palm, shaped like a cross. The funeral director told him it was embalming fluid leaking from her. ugh! The cross shape....no idea. One can only wonder.

There is no way I could do this job! My hat is off to you that you can. If i did and i heard a noise you would be putting me on the table!😂😂😂 Sorry for the humor! That's just me.I celebrate life not mourn Again that's me.

How long before 'skin slippage' occurs? Some cultures kiss and touch the bodies repeatedly as if the person was still alive. Could skin slippage occur during all this touching?

Please tell me why my husband's hands looked half the size they were. I noticed that it really bothering me.

My husband looked just like he was asleep they did a wonderful job on him. But his hands looked half the size they always were i don't understand why

I’m just curious about the taking the body home… is that common?

My question is i want to be cremated do the mortician embalmed you b4 you are cremated? What do they do?

Sorry. Can't afford it this week. Apologies.

9:11 I would find it more strange if a funeral director and their employees didn’t have direct contact touching the bodies.

Hello guys ! Its hot in texas Its dark in Australia isn't it?😂😂😂

My mom passed from dementia and was prone to falls. I called a reputable fineral home that his been in my town for decades. When i arrived at her viewing i was pretty annoyed they had not removed the steristrips from her forehead. Why didnt they remove them? They just put makeup on her face including right over the steristrips. I thought that was pretty unprofessional.