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<h3 class="title"><a name="#top"></a>“Consumed by Evil – A Disturbing
Pattern of Activity” Part 1 of 12<br></h3>
<h4 class="titlesmall">Update for February 10, 2006</h4>
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<p>What I am about to share with you is a troublesome and disturbing pattern
of activity by Katherine Mangsen and Gail Wiles, and to a lesser extent,
Kurt Mangsen (for our investigation indicates that Kurt was unaware of much
of the goings on at Nordgren Memorial Chapel until long after the fact)
that can only be characterized as crimes of hate. </p>
<p>Complaints filed by Mrs. Mangsen against me with the State Board of Registration
of Funeral Directors and Embalmers – complaints that clearly were
a <strong>“shot gun attempt at a character assassination”</strong>
and for which the State Board in the persons of its Chairman, John Kazlauskas
and its investigator, Mr. Bresnahan, played a pivotal supporting role, have
now finally come under close scrutiny and are being proven to be <strong>“less
than accurate”</strong> – in order to be kind to the complainant.</p>
<p>We asked ourselves during the investigation – “Why didn’t
the State Board investigator review the complaints for accuracy of fact
either before or, at least, after I had responded to the complaints?”
No merit or credence was given to or afforded my in-depth responses to the
complaints – responses that were prepared with precise detail and
substantiated by the facts – certainly not a representative sample
of the handwritten and shot gun complaints filed by Mrs. Mangsen.</p>
<p>Before drawing any conclusions, you would think the investigation conducted
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s investigator would have looked
at past performance by me as well as what series of actions in recent times
had catapulted this <strong>“over-the-top”</strong> barrage
of complaints filed by Mrs. Mangsen on behalf of Nordgren Memorial Chapel.
Since Mr. Bresnahan has chosen an alternate course of action, I shall present
“the documented series of events” that led to my abrupt and
premeditated termination of employment at Nordgren Memorial Chapel without
notice, explanation, or opportunity to respond on my behalf. And yes, to
this day, I remain an owner of Nordgren Memorial Chapel.</p>
<p>The decision by Kurt & Katherine Mangsen to purchase Jack & Stephen
Carrigan’s interest in Nordgren Memorial Chapel was made not in haste,
but certainly with emotion; as Kurt was consumed by the historical and family
significance of the Nordgren name. I made it perfectly clear to Kurt and
Katherine that the acquisition meant Kurt would have to come to work for
a living and was no longer going to be an employee – able to disappear
whenever he felt like it to work in his yard or baby-sit his children.</p>
<p>The process of negotiating the sale and eventual purchase of the Carrigan’s
interest in Nordgren Memorial Chapel was a rocky road from the start. Kurt,
through his new lawyer and accountant, accused Stephen Carrigan of taking
funds from the funeral home that did not rightfully belong to him –
facts that were alleged but never proven to the best of my knowledge. Kurt
didn’t want to get involved in the negotiations either directly or
indirectly, and I was asked to work closely with Katherine Mangsen, Atty.
Scott Sinrich, and Johanna Higham, Nordgren’s accountant in the process
– which I agreed to do for Kurt’s sake.</p>
<p>Once the sale was consummated, the environment changed. All remnants of
the past (the Carrigan years) to include part time staff right down to the
cleaning woman were let go as if they never existed. The tragedy, which
I and my son, David, will never get over, is what was done to Jimmy O’Connor,
which will be a subject in a future update. Needless to say, Jimmy O’Connor,
who was there day and night to cover for Kurt Mangsen under any circumstances,
received a tragic yet similar fate.</p>
<p>Kurt wanted me to be at the funeral home more and more – even though
I had indicated this would not happen. Kurt even indicated that he would
have Bob Carlson, a wonderful carpenter/builder construct an addition on
top of the funeral home to accommodate office space for me if I would consider
moving Westland to Worcester. Not able to agree to this, <strong>“the
evil from within”</strong> became <strong>“the evil from without”</strong>
as you will now see.</p>
<p>Gail Wiles, Nordgren’s new secretary hired after the departure of
Betty Sander, was at that time a friend of Katherine Mangsens. Although
I interviewed Gail and certainly thought she was capable of performing in
the position with the proper training, I cautioned Katherine that I was
opposed to hiring friends or acquaintenances as a general rule. Regardless,
Gail was hired and apparently Katherine had indicated to Gail that I was
opposed to hiring her. </p>
<p>From the outset Gail was less than cooperative and went out of her way
to create disharmony between me and Katherine; all the while Kurt finding
himself in the middle. Several examples are presented for the record. In
late 2002, there were several instances of mail addressed specifically to
me being opened; even though I had made it perfectly clear that I did not
wish to have mail addressed to me opened without my consent. Never in the
previous 7+ years at Nordgren’s had my mail ever been opened without
my permission. It just wasn’t ever done, until Ms. Wiles was hired.
When I brought it to Kurt’s attention, he immediately brought it up
to Katherine. The very next day, Kurt wrote on one of the pieces of mail
and I quote, “If it says Nordgren’s name on it anywhere, we’re
opening it. Have your personal mail go to your residence.” Kurt wrote
this to me, even though I was and still am an owner of the funeral home;
not to mention at that time – a God Parent to his son, Derek. The
<strong>“Die had apparently been cast!”</strong></p>
<p>Soon thereafter, I had completed conducting the funeral for an Albanian
Family that had just spent almost $10,000 for the funeral of their father.
Within hours of the burial, the caterer who does a great many of the mercy
meals following Orthodox & Armenian funerals called and indicated the
family wanted the funeral home to pay the $800 cost of the Mercy Meal and
add it to the funeral bill, and that the family would be in to pay the entire
bill within the week. I was so informed, spoke with the family and then
the caterer and directed Ms. Wiles to prepare a check and that Ross Johnson
would deliver the check to the caterer on his way home.</p>
<p>Not only did Ms. Wiles not prepare the check as directed, she did not have
the courtesy to inform me or the caterer. Two weeks later, the caterer called
looking for his money, and that was my first indication it had not been
paid. When I asked Ms. Wiles why it was not paid, she stated, “It’s
the policy of the funeral home not to pay for Mercy Meals!” When I
asked who made this policy, Ms. Wiles indicated it was Kurt. When I immediately
approached Kurt about the issue, Kurt indicated he was not aware of the
policy or decision not to pay the caterer.</p>
<p>Another example of Ms. Wile’s blatant disregard and lack of consideration
to and for families I had served was when she proceeded to send out a statement
to an Orthodox Family the day after the funeral without my knowledge and
without my usual handwritten note accompanying the statement. When the family
contacted me within a day of receiving the statement (2 days after the funeral,
shocked they received an invoice so soon), I asked Ms. Wiles why she did
this. Her answer, “the family called and asked for the bill!”
When I inquired of the family if they had called asking for the bill, the
answer was “no they had not”. When I confronted Ms. Wiles with
the information obtained from the family, she became flustered, and stormed
out of the office. I then realized I had to put everything in writing to
her, and to keep an on-going log of events.</p>
<p>Several more disgusting instances occurred such as the time Ms. Wiles refused
to scan a photograph for a family who had just lost a loved one and wanted
to take the photo home with them to mount it on a collage prior to the visiting
hours the next day – a process that would have taken 30-60 seconds.
With the door open to the arrangement room and when I asked Ms. Wiles if
she would please scan the photo, she yelled, “I’m too busy and
don’t have the time now!” in close proximity and certainly within
hearing distance of the family. Before I could say a word to the family
or apologize for Ms. Wiles actions and comment, the family stated, “it’s
O.K., we’ll come back later for the photograph.”</p>
<p>Katherine Mangsen continued to defend Ms. Wiles and her actions as did
poor Kurt; while Kurt all the while could see exactly what was happening,
but was not man enough to stand up to his wife for what was right. There
are several additional instances well documented with families coming forward
as defense witnesses before the Division of Professional Licensure to tell
their stories in the weeks and months ahead. Suffice it to say, the intentional
sabotage that was going on and consented to by Katherine Mangsen and, by
default, Kurt, was almost unbelievable.</p>
<p>I was abruptly voted off the Board of Director’s of Nordgren Memorial
Chapel by Kurt and Katherine Mangsen, and replaced by Ronald Johnson. Ron
stated at the conclusion of the meeting to me, “I did not know you
were being voted off the Board and that I was taking your place”,
even though he was there for the entire proceedings! NOW, Ron!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>My salary was stopped with just 2 days notice by Kurt Mangsen in July 2003,
but he has continued to blame Ms. Higham, Nordgren’s accountant for
the 9 week error in judgment. That’s right, no pay for 9 weeks; and
when a thorough and accurate assessment of the business I generated was
tallied, it was determined not only should my salary not have been terminated,
but revenues generated were almost exactly what had been projected.</p>
<p>Mrs. Mangsen, with Ronald Johnson present & Kurt Mangsen conspicuously
absent, as usual, attempted to restructure my employment agreement of 8+
years, effectively reducing my salary by as much as 40% in late September
2003. I obviously rejected the proposal, and within days Mrs. Mangsen and
Nordgren’s took my cell phone and discontinued my family dental coverage.
(Mr. Bresnahan, inspector for the State Board, “do you see a pattern
of activity here that makes the complaints filed against me <strong><em>just
a little bit suspect?</em></strong>)” </p>
<p>You need not be a Sherlock Holmes type nor do you need to be a <strong>‘cracker
jack’</strong> investigator to see through the charade of complaints
filed by Mrs. Mangsen to see clearly her intent. Mrs. Mangsen enlisted the
assistance of Ms. Wiles to be her ears, eyes, and to carry the <strong>“smoking
gun”</strong> at all times. What Mrs. Mangsen didn’t know then
and may not even know now, is that lies and distortions of the truth come
back to haunt you now and forever as they will for Ms. Wiles.</p>
<p>Enough for now, but stay tuned. It gets better or should I say, <strong>“worse!”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Part 2 in the series – Monday, February 20, 2006</strong><br>
</p>
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