Miranda Hummeldorf has been working for Milward Funeral Directors since 2016. The funeral home celebrates its bicentennial anniversary next year. Photo by Mick Jeffries
When mortician Miranda Hummeldorf attended Eastern Kentucky University, she initially thought about following in her parents’ footsteps and becoming a nurse. Clinicals, however, set her on another path — one that lets her talk less to the living and more to the dead.
“When it came down to it, I found that instead of the sick and dying, I preferred being with those who had already passed,” she explained. A particularly stressful night at clinicals led her to look into other options, and a bit of research led her to the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. At the time, she was seeing someone who lived in Cincinnati — her now husband — so it made sense for her to end up there for school.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Mortuary Science in 2016, Hummeldorf came to Milward Funeral Directors for a one-year apprenticeship; since then, she has since taken on the management of the funeral home’s crematory and of its Care Center, where bodies are prepared for viewing and disposition. Although she holds the title of Funeral Director, Hummeldorf works primarily behind the scenes, as Milward’s senior embalmer.
“Embalming allows for the deceased to appear clean and whole for viewing,” she explained. “It’s an important part of the grieving process for many to see and be with their deceased, even if they will be cremated. If you are planning a public visitation, embalming is a no-brainer as it preserves and delays natural decomposition, providing a better presentation for loved ones.”
For many people, the act of seeing a loved one for a final time is an important part of being able to truly understand they are gone, she said.
“It can be difficult to process a death without seeing the body,” she said. “Your mind feels like they could still be out there somewhere.”
Although she holds the title of Funeral Director, Hummeldorf works primarily behind the scenes, as Milward’s senior embalmer. Photo by Mick Jeffries
In recent years, Hummeldorf become somewhat of a nationally known public figure with a video that the Vice Media outlet Refinery29 made about her having gone viral in 2018. Today, she has more than 26,000 followers on her Instagram account (@mortician.miranda), which reflects her tongue-in-cheek, retro-goth aesthetic that sets her squarely apart from other popular “influencers.” With performance and costume design in her history and a strong current focus on the restorative arts — reconstruction and restoration of a body to a natural state after a trauma — she considers herself an artist at the core.
“I love what science can do to help the art of restoration,” she said.“I like to take on the difficult cases that can make other embalmers nervous. Talking with families in those situations is where I thrive.”
Though her work doesn’t regularly bring her into contact with the loved ones of those she cares for, she finds that, at times, talking with families about how she will care for their loved one provides additional comfort.
“They put a lot of trust in me. I have no words that I can say that will change what they are going through, but it can help to know that I have a connection to their deceased and that I will give them my best care,” she said.
A project that Hummeldorf is excited about is the upcoming bicentennial of Milward Funeral Directors. Started as Milward Furniture Company in 1825, the business soon added caskets to their offerings. In 1905, Col. William Rice Milward, head of the business and son of founder Joseph Milward, built the current downtown location on North Broadway. Since then, the Milwards have established three additional locations in Lexington, and Milward Funeral Directors holds the title of the longest continually operating business in Lexington, and the 37th longest in the nation.
Hummeldorf and a group of staff are making plans for the celebration including a history display specific to each location. A history tour of the North Broadway location is in the planning stages, and Hummeldorf has a dream of hosting a block-party style event in the parking lot complete with a hearse show.
While she would one day love to teach the art of embalming, Hummeldorf is currently relishing her role in helping bring families together with funeral services. Photo by Mick Jeffries
“This is such a historic property, and we have a lot of unique photos from the past. This business has such deep ties to the community after 200 years, and we’d like to thank and honor the community for its support,” she said.
Hummeldorf began her training at a time when the funeral industry saw an increase in the number of women entering the business, a trend that continues today. According to a National Funeral Directors Association study from 2017, 65 percent of graduates from funeral director programs were women, and that number has continued to rise. And while men still make up nearly 70 percent of funeral directors, the balance is shifting.
“Historically, women have been the ones to care for the dead. Men would build caskets and dig graves, but women washed and prepared the body,” she said. “Women are drawn to this profession and care for the deceased like a mother cares for a child.”
One way that Hummeldorf cares for the dead and their loved ones is by inviting them to be a part of the preparation of the body.
“It’s important for families to know, although it’s not talked about a lot, that they are welcome to help with anything they want. While most still want the help of a professional, family members can come and style their loved one’s hair, paint their nails, or just be there while the body is prepared,” she said. “Some people come in to help and are terrified but are soon comforted by the contact. It’s like a weight is lifted from their shoulders.”
“Embalming is one of those dying arts,” she said. “When I go to conferences there are a lot of people with embalmer’s licenses, but there aren’t a lot of people that really know how to embalm. I think that’s been my ‘why’ for focusing on embalming.”
One day, Hummeldorf says she would love to teach the art of embalming, but for now she’s focused on her role in helping bring communities together with funeral services.
“Whether the disposition is a burial or a cremation, the act of gathering together and seeing the deceased helps with grief and healing,” she said. “I love that I can help people with that.”
Miranda Hummeldorf is competing in Face of Horror, a national competition for fans of the horror genre. The winner will win $13,000 and team up with actor Kane Hodder (best known for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in the “Friday the 13th” franchise) for a paranormal photo shoot. She was in first place at the time of publication; to cast your vote, visit faceofhorror.org/2024/miranda-benge-hummeldorf.