W2W Funeral Director
By: Dana Winklepleck
Updated: June 20, 2011
Men dominate the funeral business, but that's starting to change.
In this week's Woman to Woman report, we take a look at how women are moving into the "deathcare" industry.
Millie Malone has one more year at Vincennes University before she can have a full-time career at a funeral home.
"I just think it is a different business and an area I could spend the rest of my life in," says Millie Malone
Millie is in the university's Funeral Service Education program. She's one of a growing number of women going into the "deathcare" industry.
When VU graduated its first class back in 1977, it was all men, but in last years graduating class 15 of the 16 students were women.
Professor Jonathon DeHart is the Chairmen of the Funeral Service Education Department. He's also a graduate of the program.
He says like many other typically male dominated fields women are making their move into the funeral business.
"A lot of barriers are breaking down and a lot of women coming into this are just strong. Through their education and upbringing they've been taught you can be anything you want to be and they're really learning they can be anything they want to be and really learning they can do it," says Dehart.
Many opportunities are available to women at funeral homes, especially in bigger cities. There are many organizations and websites popping up to help mentor women in the funeral industry.
However, there are still some barriers women must overcome, especially in some smaller towns, where a female helping to collect a dead body in the middle of the night might not be quite as accepted.
"Sometimes in the smaller areas people don't want to be seen out at 2 or 3 in the morning with a young female so those are the stereotypes and issues that we do battle from time to time but i think most funeral directors are starting to see that having a woman on staff will be of benefit to them," says DeHart.
As for Millie, she has dreams for her future.
"I just want to find a good funeral home. I don't care if I own it or just work there as long as its a good job," says Malone.
Students taking part in the funeral service education program at Vincent University can be licensed in 48 states.
In this week's Woman to Woman report, we take a look at how women are moving into the "deathcare" industry.
Millie Malone has one more year at Vincennes University before she can have a full-time career at a funeral home.
"I just think it is a different business and an area I could spend the rest of my life in," says Millie Malone
Millie is in the university's Funeral Service Education program. She's one of a growing number of women going into the "deathcare" industry.
When VU graduated its first class back in 1977, it was all men, but in last years graduating class 15 of the 16 students were women.
Professor Jonathon DeHart is the Chairmen of the Funeral Service Education Department. He's also a graduate of the program.
He says like many other typically male dominated fields women are making their move into the funeral business.
"A lot of barriers are breaking down and a lot of women coming into this are just strong. Through their education and upbringing they've been taught you can be anything you want to be and they're really learning they can be anything they want to be and really learning they can do it," says Dehart.
Many opportunities are available to women at funeral homes, especially in bigger cities. There are many organizations and websites popping up to help mentor women in the funeral industry.
However, there are still some barriers women must overcome, especially in some smaller towns, where a female helping to collect a dead body in the middle of the night might not be quite as accepted.
"Sometimes in the smaller areas people don't want to be seen out at 2 or 3 in the morning with a young female so those are the stereotypes and issues that we do battle from time to time but i think most funeral directors are starting to see that having a woman on staff will be of benefit to them," says DeHart.
As for Millie, she has dreams for her future.
"I just want to find a good funeral home. I don't care if I own it or just work there as long as its a good job," says Malone.
Students taking part in the funeral service education program at Vincent University can be licensed in 48 states.
