Growing up, living in, and working in a small-town funeral home may not be for everyone, but it certainly means life is never dull. Ralph was born the month his father and mother moved to Flushing, Michigan, to work in his uncle's funeral home. Dinners and sleep interrupted by calls from families were a common occurrence, but so were the heart-warming moments helping grieving families.
The Life of Death is a collection of stories about Ralph's memories of the funeral home, both growing up and then working there as a licensed funeral director for more than 45 years. His tales range from the ironic, such as a widow learns of a secret windfall only after selling the item at a garage sale, to the inspired, when a hard-hearted minister gets an earful about preaching to those who need it and reaches out to the family.
Ralph includes humorous stories: a power outage that causes a minister to be late to the funeral of a man who was never on time, a family concerned about the smell of smoke that later requests an area to smoke cigarettes, and a funeral service that is over almost before it begins. And the book would not be complete without a few paranormal experiences. Step through the doors of the funeral home via Ralph's memory for an unforgettable glimpse into small-town life, the business of funerals, and the very human responses to the mysteries of death.
Ralph R. Rossell has been an active licensed funeral director for more than 45 years He received an Associate degree from Flint Community Junior College, a BA degree from the University of Michigan-Flint, a Mortuary Science degree from Wayne State University, and an insurance license from the State of Michigan. As a hobby, he and his wife of more than 45 years, Elizabeth, have enjoyed restoring many old homes and them renting them out. They have a daughter and son-in-law and two grandchildren, a son and daughter-in-law, and a dog.
Ralph, who is ordained with American Marriage Ministries, has officiated at several weddings. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, fishing, and spending time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
