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It was more than 30 years ago when the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll passed away, but people still remember the day when a Cadillac hearse took him to his final resting place.

The funeral procession of funeral cars and hearses lined the streets of Memphis on that memorable day – August 18, 1977. Thousands of people gathered along the route to pay their respects as more than 3,000 floral sprays covered the lawn of Forest Hill Cemetery.

Elvis Presley’s copper coffin was flown to Memphis from Oklahoma City with a blanket of rose buds covering the lid. He died just a couple days prior to the burial after suffering a heart attack at the age of 42. As hearses carrying his body and loved ones entered the Forest Hill Cemetery, bystanders tried to follow by breaking through the police barricades. Many of them even found “souvenirs” such as flowers and other mementos from the graveside area.

This is just a short synopsis of the article that ran in one newspaper the day they buried Elvis Presley. You can read the entire thing and read more about the 49-car procession of hearses and funeral cars by clicking here. It was a day that some will never forget and a day that some people wish they could not remember.

Did you ever think you would see the day where they would be a type of social networking website for the deceased?

Eternal Space, a California company, recently launched an online service where friends and loved ones of the deceased can gather and enjoy special memories together. The company demonstrated the product earlier this month at a conference for the funeral industry at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The four-day event included about 300 exhibitors.

After your loved one is taken in a Cadillac hearse to their final resting place, the website allows you to “compile countless multimedia tributes from the departed’s entire social network.” Many people are being drawn to the site because it provides a way for people to offer lasting tributes. Flowers will fade away and the coffin is never seen again once it is put into the ground, but these memorials and memories continue to last.

Is this something you would take advantage of if one of your loved ones passes away? It’s a great way to remember them and keep their memory alive with people from the deceased’s life that you may have never even met. You may even learn something about your loved one that will make you appreciate their life even more.

For much of the 20th century, the SMPF, or Service Municipal des Pompes Funebres, was the place in Paris for funerals of famous people. But hearses no longer frequent the facility where Jean-Sartre and Victor Hugo had their funeral ceremony. Today, the SMPF stands as a place where creativity abounds.

Located at No. 104 Rue d’Aubervilliers in the northern region of Paris, Le 104 (formerly the SMPF) is now the base for more than one dozen artists. These artists include a cartoonist, a rapper and landscape designers who are simply need a place to work away from their residence. The facility cost more than $130 million to make it into what it is today.

“Paris as a city is being emptied of its working artists,” said Frederic Fisbach, Le 104′s co-director. “There are plenty of places in Paris for art to be shown, but not enough places for artists to work.”

The facility has come a long way since the days when it was considered the region’s foremost funeral “factory.” Workers once carved and decorated caskets, wreaths and maintained hearses all the way from the horse-drawn carriage years until today’s most elegant Cadillac hearses. If you ever find yourself in Paris, visit this unique attraction and see what it’s all about.

With prom season upon us, schools, parents and emergency officials are working together to stress the importance of staying safe behind the wheel on prom night.

This story is another instance of trying to show teens the dangers of drinking and driving on prom night. Near Wichita Falls, the town conducted a mock accident in front of the school in which a “drunk” driver was involved. The local police, fire department and highway patrol came to the scene as if it were a real incident. One of the students in the high school lay on the street motionless and was taken away by helicopter. Another person involved in the mock accident was taken away in a Cadillac hearse.

Although this was a mock incident, it is a reminder of teenagers in the past who have decided to drink and drive on prom night. “I think it worked,” said Dakota Zachary, a senior at the high school. “Some of them said they was real scared and some of them was crying.”

Emergency officials also made speeches following the scene to drive the point home. “When I was a kid we did crazy things the night of prom and we want to show them what can happen with a simple mistake,” said Police Chief Lee Aston.

Don’t let prom night end with a real accident and real hearses. Be careful and stay sober. Besides, it’s your prom night. You want to look back on it with good memories for years to come.

Eco-friendly funerals are becoming more and more popular for several reasons. One of the main reasons is because people are more conscious of the impact of modern funeral practices on the environment. With all the chemicals used in embalming and other procedures, people are trying to lessen their “carbon footprint” as much as possible.

Until recently, “green” funerals have gained popularity along the coasts of the United States. However, people in the Midwest, particularly Oklahoma, are expressing greater interest in the practice. Lloyd Brown, an executive director of the Oklahoma Funeral Board, had this to say about the trend: “There’s been some inquiries from individuals to our office concerning green burials or green burial practices.” He went on to say that he has not “noticed any cemeteries in Oklahoma setting aside sections for green burials or things like that, like they have in other states.”

As a result of the new trends, Cadillac hearses are taking more people on their final ride to their “green” burial sites. How do you feel about being eco-friendly following your death? Do you want to be buried in a “green” section of the cemetery or do you want the more traditional methods that we have become accustomed to? Let us know your thoughts below!

Before it was cool to drive a Cadillac hearse around town, the rock band The Invictas were doing it and doing it well. If you’ve never heard of The Invictas, here are some facts about the band, the music and the hearse in which they toured the nation.

• The hearse they drove around was a 1955 Cadillac hearse complete with gold racing stripes. It had a reputation of breaking down often.
• The band had a hit during the 1960s named The Hump. Because of all the controversy surrounding the song, the band usually showed up to their gigs in their hearse surrounded by police.
• The Invictas reunited a few years ago with three of the original four members.
• The bandleader – Herb Gross – bought a 1984 Cadillac hearse from an Iowa City emergency room.
• The Invictas wrote a song about their Cadillac hearse and titled it Big Caddy Hearse.
• One time while pushing the hearse to a safe spot on the shoulder of the highway, Herb Gross tripped and the car ran over his foot and leg. He suffered no serious injuries.
• The band says they have to be prepared for anything at their age. That’s why they keep a hearse around after all these years.

Cadillac hearses gathered today for what was going to be one of the most unique funeral service anybody has ever seen.

Reverend Elmer Kacinko participated in conducting a funeral this morning for Madeline Romell, a woman who was killed on Good Friday. She was struck by a car outside St. Maurice Catholic Church. The twist is that Reverend Kacinko was driving the car that struck her and ultimately led to her death.

The family of Mrs. Romell welcomed Rev. Kacinko’s participation in the somber event. They even embraced him during his visitations.

Four other people were injured in the accident and three of them attended the funeral. Anita Schockling of North Braddock arrived in a wheelchair. Her husband, Bill, was not able to attend as he remains in serious condition at UPMC Mercy. Nancy Del Presto sang in the choir for the service. Donna Rossi of North Huntington read a poem that her son wrote.

Three other priests were also involved in the ceremony. Reverend John W. Skirtich spoke and said it was “a day of sadness but also great joy” because Mrs. Romell was a woman that had a strong faith in God.

Keep those families in your thoughts and prayers during these difficult and trying times.

Before taking your final ride in that Cadillac hearse, there are several things you should take care of to make things easier on your family. One of those things you should do is to make out your last will and testament. Here are some tips on writing your will while it’s not too late.

1. Know your assets. Before you start splitting things up amongst family and friends, you should create a list of your assets and things you can give away.

2. Make a list of heirs. This is an important list because you do not want to forget anybody. Keep the list handy so you can always make additions in case someone comes to mind.

3. Get it notarized. While this may not be a requirement where you live, it does not hurt to get it notarized. You should also have two witnesses sign the will for extra precaution.

4. Put it in a safe place. Your will is very important to your and the surviving members of your family. Make sure you keep it safe and have a few copies in case one gets stolen.

These are just a few tips for creating your will before you take that last ride in a hearse. Once you have your will done, you’ll feel better about dying.

There probably are not too many people that have not seen at least one of the Halloween movies in which Michael Myers chases stupid teenagers and kills them using a variety of creative methods. As a result, this character has become an icon in American pop culture. That’s why Tanner Monroe decided a documentary about the character would be a good idea.

When he first got the call to do the project, one of the first things he thought was, “I need a hearse to pick up Michael Myers from the airport.” A Cadillac hearse is the perfect way to chauffeur a person who has killed so many clueless teenagers in movies over they last three decades. He posted an ad on Craigslist and the offers started to flow in. People offered their hearses as well as equipment for filming the documentary. They were such big fans that they just wanted to be a part of the magic in some small way.

So when Tony Moran – the guy who played the crazed killer in Halloween II – landed on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport a couple weeks ago, the film crew was in a nearby hearse waiting for him. It was a surreal experience for both parties involved and the perfect way to begin filming a documentary about a character like Michael Myers. You can read more about the documentary and the filmmakers here.

Whenever an officer is shot in the line of duty, you can expect a large number of funeral cars to accompany the Cadillac hearses to the cemetery. But when three officers are shot, expect even more.

That’s exactly what’s going to happen today in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Three officers were shot by a disgruntled man on Saturday and their funerals are being held tomorrow. Hearses and funeral cars are going to need ways to get around, so here are some of the street closures and rules so you can change your routine for the next 24 hours.

• Grant Street will only be open to one lane for each direction. There will also be parking restrictions on this street.
• The Blvd. of the Allies, Ross Street and Second Avenue will all have parking restrictions in effect to make room for officers to park as they pay their respects.
• The procession begins at noon on Thursday. It starts at the City County Building and goes north on Grant Street. The procession of funeral cars will end at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland. You can read the itinerary of the procession here in case you need to make adjustments or simply pay your respects as the funeral cars drive by.