Local news outlets reported the coffin was one of the last ones made by our Marsellus Casket Company. 

Truman, Kennedy, and Nixon were also buried in Marsellus boxes (though I'm sure Nixon's had a 'very plain Republican lining' in keeping with his comment about his wife Pat's coat not being a fur).

Here's an interesting story about the company shutting down (at least maybe to those who are interested in burial stuff and jobs being lost).  Turns out a large company (Service Corporation International) bought them about seven years ago and then decided that rather than running them they would "part them out," selling their good name, designs, and patents to Batesville Casket Co. 

http://www.taphophilia.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=53

Gotta get me a 710...

A local TV station's report:

>

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/?ArID=21207&SecID=83
     
Marsellus helps put President Reagan to rest
Updated: 6/10/2004 7:16 AM
By: Sarah Sevier, News 10 Now Web Staff
 

After 131 years, in August, the Marsellus Casket Company closed down.

But proud former employees are often able to see their craftsmanship on television.

"Folks that work in the industry -- we always watched TV coverage and see if our products were involved or not and it is rewarding to see how many times they were involved in high-profile funerals," said former company president Larry English. 

President Ronald Reagan is being buried in a casket from the now-defunct Marsellus Casket Company.

Workers who watched Wednesday's funeral procession for President Ronald Reagan once again saw their work on screen.
Company officials say Reagan's casket was ordered about four months before the Marsellus Casket Company closed. 

"Sometimes the person would make their own funeral arrangements. It was my understanding that Ronald Reagan and his family were quite heavily involved with making arrangements for the funeral," said English.

Reagan is not the only President to be buried in a Marsellus Casket.

Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were as well.

English says the list of actors, actresses and sports stars over the last 131 years goes on and on, and that Marsellus' caskets were often selected for high-profile funerals because of the luster of the wood.

"For those of us who spent our careers - and there are many of us who stay in touch even now and get together - this is a source of pride for us that our products were selected once again and for a high-profile funeral. It's a source of pride, there's no question about that."

The shine on Reagan's casket took a worker about two solid days of buffing, and the casket itself took forty hours to assemble.

"The casket that Ronald Reagan is being buried in is our finest casket...it's the 700 masterpiece design and it's the finest casket that we made. In fact, it's the finest hard wood casket made anywhere in the world today," said English.

Company officials say while the average casket costs about seven hundred dollars, Reagan's was upwards of ten thousand dollars.

When we asked English whether any more caskets are set for high-profile funerals, he said there was no way to tell - when he sends out a casket all he sees is the funeral home's name.

But it won't be long before the company's caskets run out of stock and disappear forever. 

English says the few remaining Marsellus caskets should be gone by the end of June. 

>



-----Original Message-----
From: A man of honor pays his debts with his own money. --DeGaulle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Pamela Stevenson
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 1:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] talked to Phil Murray today..


Where'd you hear 700 pounds?  I heard 400 pounds by whatever reporter was on the air when they were moving from the caison to the steps.  That I could believe - a couple hundred pounds for him and a couple hundred for the coffin.
-----Original Message-----
From: A man of honor pays his debts with his own money. --DeGaulle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 8:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] talked to Phil Murray today..


In a message dated 6/16/2004 4:13:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

BTW, I don't understand why that mahogany coffin, even with him in it, woulda weighed 700 pounds.  Anybody got any insights into the funerary arts that might clarify this?  On the other hand, I was relieved to hear McNeil Lehrer confirm last night that "Amazing Grace" had NOT been written by Schubert, as somebody said last week after it was played at the Natl Cathedral.

Ralph

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