Most of us will not meet a funeral director until someone we know and love has already died.
It does not have to be that way, and organizations like the Living/Dying Alliance of Southern Oregon put on events to encourage people to learn more about death and dying, and their rights as they die.
They also provide chances to get to know funeral directors, including Kate Swenson, a 30-something apprentice. She dispels the myth of funeral directors as older men in gray suits. Kate Swenson and Jennifer Mathews, alliance co-founder, visit The Exchange.