Part casket business, part ministry

Get out of here.
Those were Paul Nelson’s words when a funeral director – a family friend – asked Paul and his wife, Debra, if he could borrow money to invest in a casket store.
The friend presented the couple with a business proposal and suggested that they start the casket store themselves.
“I think we need to look at this,” Debra told her husband. They were both retired at the time. Debra had once taught art at high schools and at Eastern Arizona College, while Paul was once an elected official. They farmed and ranched and had some work in construction.
The funeral and casket industry, Paul says, were the last industries they’d ever thought of. So, they jumped in their car, embarked on a six-month road trip across the United States and Canada and gathered information in preparation. They researched funeral homes, cemeteries and casket manufacturers, realizing that if they were going to make their business happen, they needed name-brand products.
Twelve years later, Direct Casket Outlet still stands in its original location at 210 W. Maple Ave. on the Independence Square, located between Lauren Scott Hair Design Company and Square Pizza. Debra and Paul work together as the business’ president and vice president, respectively, with their 25-year-old son, Wesley, completing the three-person staff. 
The Nelsons had to educate themselves about the industry and its stipulations. For example, funeral homes may sell caskets on a pre-need basis, Debra says, though the outlet may only sell them on an at-need basis because of Missouri state law. They learned that cemeteries are unregulated, while funeral homes are regulated.
Living the trademarked motto “Easing the burdens of the family,” Debra and Paul listen as customers express what needs they have. Direct Casket Outlet’s adult casket prices range from $400 to $2,400, with the least expensive casket as a biodegradable option.
In an environmentally conscious society, family members may purchase a casket that breaks down and absorbs into the earth without an outer burial container. Ultimately, individual cemetery bylaws dictate whether an outer burial container is required, Paul says.
Most caskets are built with a religious overtone, Debra says, including Our Lady of Guadalupe caskets sold for Catholic followers, as well as images of a sunburst on head panels that represent the morning of the first resurrection. For the Jewish Orthodox faith, caskets must meet certain requirements, such as containing no metal parts and including holes at the casket’s bottom. 
Faith plays an important role in the Nelsons’ lives. Paul serves as a bishop at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 705 W. Walnut St. in Independence. Debra says she prayed continuously after she was presented with the initial business plan more than 10 years ago.
“I feel like this is not just a business; I feel like it’s a ministry almost in itself – helping people,” she says. “I felt like that was the answer.” 
Caskets represent one of the last purchases that family members will make for a loved person who has died, Paul says. In a sensitive, often uncomfortable topic, they can’t take it personally, he says.
 Debra calls her husband to help with families who’ve lost a baby or child – she’ll cry, otherwise. 
“You’ve got to be focused, and it’s hard,” Paul says. “You’ve got to focus on the service that you’re providing, and we believe in that. We’ve had people and companies try to buy us out, but we’re not for sale. We’ve been offered a lot of money, and we believe in what we’re doing. It’s a great feeling when you help somebody.”
He remembers a well-known LDS hymn – “Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed.” 
 The Nelsons have been married for 37 years, and Debra says she can’t wait for the next 37. Direct Casket Outlet has its set store hours, but the Nelsons answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“A lot of people call in the middle of the night and say, ‘Mom’s just passed away. Can you tell me again what to do?’” Debra says. “We literally go to bed with a telephone, and we don’t mind because we love what we do.”