His & Hearse Press

Hello! I'm Louise Pachella, the mastermind behind His & Hearse Press. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, writer, and death educator.

I love answering questions and helping people understand all things death and funeral related. My specialty is teaching authors to write accurately.

Ask me anything! I'm here in a social and educational capacity.

I'm also a fanatical book reader, a welder, a demolition derby driver, a mom, a dinosaur owner, and a trash cat lover.

#Introduction #Introductions #Welcome #Newbie #Funeral #Death #DeathPositive #Embalming #Education #MortuaryScience #Writing #WritingCommunity #Author #WritingTips #Bookwyrm #Bookstodon #NiceToMeetYou

Dec 3, 2022 at 5:31amWeb
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 16, 2022

#ThrowbackThursday to way back when I joined Mastodon... two weeks ago

#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFun #TBT #Welcome #ILoveItHere #Mastodon #TwitterMigration

Show threadSteelerfan4lf3Dec 16, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress I just got back on! Glad to make the switch
Show threadRobscatrayDec 19, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress hey Louise. Fascinating career you have. So many questions to pose but what’s the most popular one you get asked by others?
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 19, 2022

@robscatray hi there! I get asked a few things over and over, in no particular order:

1) dead bodies don’t sit up, not ever
2) hair and nails don’t grow after death, the skin dehydrates and shrinks back a bit
3) not all bodies get butt plugs 🫠

#FuneralFacts #DeadBodiesDontSitUp #AskAnUndertaker #HisAndHearsePress

Show threadRobscatrayDec 19, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress I’m glad I didn’t think of any of those questions 😵‍💫
With cremation, is the coffin burned with the person? If not, what happens to the casket?
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 19, 2022
@robscatray where I am (USA) the law states that a body must be in some sort of rigid, combustible container for cremation. Like, you can't just toss a body in like a pizza oven. It's up to the family whether they prefer a basic cardboard box, a fancy wooden casket, or something in-between. The casket is fully consumed during the cremation. If there's hardware leftover (screws, metal hinges), it's combed out before the cremated remains go in the urn.
Show threadONE WAY OUT (she/her)Dec 19, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress @robscatray I’ve always wondered - do you know the reasoning for this? Would it work just as well without the box?
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 19, 2022
@laurenandcats @robscatray tbh, it would be super awkward trying to slide a floppy body in over the bricked floor of the chamber. Having a container keeps it rigid and allows the body to be properly positioned. It’s also supposed to be leakproof so it protects the crematory staff from exposure to yucky things.
Show threadONE WAY OUT (she/her)Dec 19, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress @robscatray makes sense! I thought once rigor morris set in it wouldn’t be so floppy, but I suppose even that only lasts so long
Show threadONE WAY OUT (she/her)Dec 19, 2022
@HisAndHearsePress @robscatray mortis *
Show threadRobscatrayDec 20, 2022
@laurenandcats @HisAndHearsePress I think my dad drove a Rigor Morris. Great mileage. Stiff ride 😜
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 20, 2022
@robscatray @laurenandcats Rigor Morris Minor!
Show threadHis & Hearse PressDec 19, 2022
@laurenandcats @robscatray yes, rigor mortis is a temporary stiffening. By the time a body is usually ready for cremation, that window has passed.