Awards & Recognition

Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home awarded BEST of the BEST by National Funeral Directors Association in 2016.

Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home awarded BEST of the BEST by National Funeral Directors Association in 2016.

NFDA Congratulates 2016 Best of the Best Award RecipientsSeptember 14, 2016

Three funeral homes honored for innovative service to families and communities

For Immediate Release: September 14, 2016

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that the following funeral homes have earned the 2016 Best of the Best Award for innovation in the profession: Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Traverse City, Mich.; Seaver-Brown Funeral Service in Marion, Va.; and Tetrick Funeral Home in Elizabethton, Tenn. 

Reynolds-Jonkhoff was recognized with the Best of the Best Award for its original Hannah Bear coloring book, which helps young children understand death, grief and funerals.

Seaver-Brown earned the award for quickly mobilizing its staff and resources to keep the funeral home’s doors open during a severe winter storm. The funeral home served as a place where first responders and the men and women working to plow the streets and keep the power on could rest, warm up and enjoy refreshments.

Tetrick Funeral Home was recognized for its Hospice Caregiver Award program, which shines a spotlight on the men and women who provide outstanding care to dying patients and their families.

These firms are among the more than 160 funeral homes that earned a 2016 Pursuit of Excellence Award. This award is presented by NFDA annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.

All Pursuit of Excellence applicants submitted an essay describing the development and execution of an innovative program or service that had a positive impact on the families they serve or their community.

After carefully reviewing the essays, the Pursuit of Excellence Committee selected nine finalists for the Best of the Best Award. All NFDA members had the opportunity to read finalists’ essays and vote for the idea they thought was most worthy of recognition. The three firms that earned the most votes were named Best of the Best Award winners.

The other finalists for the Best of the Best Award were:

  • Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Reception Centre, Crown Point, Ind.
  • Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, Madison, Ind.
  • Morris-Baker Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Johnson City, Tenn.
  • Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service, Morris, Minn.
  • Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes and Crematory, New Castle, Del.
  • Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn.

Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home awarded BEST of the BEST by National Funeral Directors Association in 2014.

Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home awarded BEST of the BEST by National Funeral Directors Association in 2014.

2014 NFDA - Funeral Homes Honored for Excellence in Service to Families and Communities.

For Immediate Release: August 25, 2014

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that 151 funeral homes have earned the 2014 Pursuit of Excellence Award. The Award is presented by NFDA annually to firms that have demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to strict ethical and professional standards and providing outstanding service to families and communities.

"The funeral homes that have earned the Pursuit of Excellence Award represent the very best in of our profession and are committed to exceeding expectations every day," said Robert L. "Robby" Bates, CFSP, CCP, president of NFDA. "We offer our heartiest congratulations to this year's award recipients; we are proud to count them as members of NFDA."

To earn an NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a funeral home must demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, such as compliance with state and federal regulations; providing ongoing education and professional development opportunities for staff; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement in the community; participating and actively serving in the funeral service profession; and promoting funeral home services through a variety of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Participants are also required to adhere to a Pledge of Ethical Practices.

Best of the Best Award Recipients

In addition to receiving the 2014 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, four funeral homes earned the Best of the Best Award, which recognizes the development and execution of an innovative program or service that had a positive impact on the families and communities they serve.

  • Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe, La.
  • Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Traverse City, Mich.
  • Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, Tenn.
  • Worlein Funeral Home, Austin, Minn.

2019 NFDAPursuit of Excellence Winner

2019 NFDAPursuit of Excellence Winner

Pursuit of Excellence Award Winner 1999-2019  21 years in a row

This program recognizes funeral homes that are committed to providing outstanding service to families in the community they serve.  The pursuit of Excellence Award is awarded to funeral homes that meet or exceed standards in all areas of funeral service, such as compliance with state and funeral regulations, providing ongoing education, offering outstanding programs and resources to the families they care for and maintaining an active level of involvement in the community.

2014 State History Award

2014 State History Award 

The Society presented a 2014 State History Award in the Publications: Private Printing category to authors Peg Jonkhoff and Fred Hoisington for their book, “Perry Hannah’s Gifts: Then and Now.” The book showcases the life and times of Perry Hannah, Traverse City’s founding father, and celebrates the heritage of the Grand Traverse region. When Hannah arrived in the sparsely settled wilderness in 1851, he envisioned his new home would be the “Queen City of the North” and started building it. Now, even in the 21st century, Hannah’s fingerprint is evident as the region continues to grow and prosper. This volume shines a light on the man, the vision and the gifts that created a thriving, sustainable community.

2014 State History Awards Presented in Big Rapids, Mich.

The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) awarded 15 top honors during its annual State History Conference, which was held in Big Rapids, Mich., Sept. 26-28, 2014. The Society presents the State History Awards every year to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the appreciation, collection, preservation and/or promotion of state and local history. The awards are the highest recognition presented by the Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s official historical society and oldest cultural organization.

The winners are: (Detailed descriptions of each recipient are listed at the end of this news release.)

Lifetime Achievement Award—Kaye Hiebel from Marquette

  • Distinguished Volunteer Service—Marge Sawruk from White Lake
  • Books: University & Commercial Press—
    • “Arsenal of Democracy: The American Automobile Industry in World War II” by Charles K. Hyde, Wayne State University Press
    • “Cholera in Detroit: A History” by Richard Adler, McFarland & Company, Inc.
    • “Detroit: Race Riots, Racial Conflicts, and Efforts to Bridge the Racial Divide” by Joe T. Dardenand Richard Thomas, Michigan State University Press
    • “Holland, Michigan: From Dutch Colony to Dynamic City” by Robert P. Swierenga, Van Raalte Press, in partnership with William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
    • “‘Old Slow Town’: Detroit During the Civil War” by Paul Taylor, Wayne State University Press
  • Books: Private Printing—
    • “Perry Hannah’s Gifts: Then and Now” by Peg Jonkhoff and Fred Hoisington
    • “Schools of Yesteryear Volume II” by Janis Stein
  • Books: Children & Youth—“Hunter’s Quest: Finding Heritage and Friendship in Southwest Michigan” by author Mara MacKay (aka Mara Mae) and illustratorDan Smith
  • Communications: Newsletters and Websites—The Ford Legend, newsletter produced by the Henry Ford Heritage Association
  • Education: Educator—Kelly Eddy from Ann Arbor,teacher at Churchill High School in Livonia
  • Local Societies—Leelanau Historical Society
  • Special Programs/Events—Grosse Pointe Historical Society’s “Legends of the Lake”
  • Best Article in Michigan History magazine—“A Weed Goes to War” by Gerald Wykes

This year also marks the 140th anniversary of the Historical Society of Michigan’s State History Conference. The Society is celebrating this milestone in conjunction with the 130th anniversary of Ferris State University, a statewide sponsor for the conference. Other sponsors and supporters for this year’s conference are Chemical Bank, City of Big Rapids, Mecosta County Historical Society, Ice Mountain, Schuberg Insurance Agency and Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital.

The State History Conference explores significant people, places and events in Michigan’s past through a diverse offering of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, workshops and tours. Each year, the conference moves to a different location within the Lower Peninsula to feature the local history of that area and to address notable statewide historical matters. The Historical Society of Michigan also hosts the Upper Peninsula History Conference, which focuses on the history of the U.P., and Michigan in Perspective: The Local History Conference, which concentrates on Southeast Michigan and statewide history.

2011 Historic Preservation Award from the History Center of Traverse City

2011 Historic Preservation Award from the History Center of Traverse City

In recognition of a special and unusual contribution to historic preservation in the Grand Traverse Region.

2007 Historic Preservation Award - Special Merit from the Grand Traverse Heritage Center

2007 Historic Preservation Award - Special Merit from the Grand Traverse Heritage Center

In recognition of superior maintenance and repair of a historic property to preserve its essential historical, cultural or architectural value, for a period of ten years or more.