LANSING — Eugene Wagner, of Connelly Chapel Wagner Family Funerals in Cassopolis was recently elected Recording Secretary of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association (MFDA).

MFDA is a professional organization representing roughly 1,200 funeral directors serving 500 funeral homes statewide and over three-quarters of all mortuary science licensees in Michigan. Wagner was installed at the Association’s recently held 135th annual convention in Kalamazoo.

“First, I like that this is the same office, in the same organization, once held by Tom Connelly, one of my predecessors,” Wagner said. “The Connellys, Billy, Tom and Greg were using ‘best practices’ long before those buzzwords were known.  Whether complements or complaints, people can tell us to our faces, because we live where we work.

“The people we serve are more than just clients, they are our neighbors and our friends. For me, the next logical step of accountability after community is by adhering not only to laws and regulations, but the best practices of our profession, as well as making sure that we are doing all that we can for the families we serve.”

Wagner is a native of Detroit who brings over 40 years of experience helping families to Connelly Chapel. A graduate of Wayne State University, Wagner is a charter member of the Michigan Embalmers Society, a founding member and past president of the Independent Funeral Directors of Indiana, and a rostered clergy (Emeritus) in the Lutheran Church.

Wagner and his wife, Lois, are active in church and civic activities in Southwest Michigan, including service on the Cass Area Utility Authority and Cassopolis/Vandalia Chamber of Commerce.  Wagner is also a member of the Cassopolis
Village Council.

“You’ve already seen that the Michigan Funeral Directors Association (MFDA) is the oldest organization of funeral professionals in the country,” Wagner said. “Not only have we have helped to set the standards, but we have actively sought to maintain and strengthen them as well. As an example, Michigan enjoys one of the strongest pre-need trusting laws in the country. Southwest Michigan, unfortunately, has seen first hand the effects on a community when that pre-need bond of trust is broken. The MFDA is working to make sure that we keep the strong consumer protection laws that we have in place because they help keep our families’ funds safe and secure.”

 

Founded in 1880, the Michigan Funeral Directors Association is the nation’s oldest organization of funeral professionals.

The MFDA board of directors guides the work of the association in its mission to enhance the value of funeral service and the profession through government advocacy, public information and professional education.

The recording secretary post is the association’s entry-level officer position and generally ascents to the presidency in three years after serving in the additional offices of Vice President and Treasurer and President-elect.