Jarred Marlowe takes us on a fascinating journey through how we care for the dead, from ancient mummification and early American burial customs to the rise of embalming, hearses, cremation, and the modern funeral home. Along the way he answers questions like the difference between a coffin and a casket, why cemeteries and graveyards aren’t the same thing, and how funeral traditions in Martinsville and Henry County evolved over the last century.

Marlowe is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, a consultant for the Blue & Gray Education Society, and the chairman of the local Virginia 250 Anniversary Committee. He writes the “Community Chronicles” column for the Henry County Enterprise and, with Andy Doss, runs the YouTube video channel “Doss-Marlowe: History in Sight.”