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<h3 class="title"><a name="#top"></a>Katherine Mangsen - Living A Life Of
Lies!<br>
</h3>
<h4 class="titlesmall">UPDATE: December 4, 2006</h4>
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<p>This update is the most difficult Update I have prepared since I created
the web site www.justiceatwhatprice.com in March 2005. If you have been
monitoring this web site as so many of those directly (and others in the
profession as well as those indirectly) involved do on a very regular basis,
you are aware of the conspiracy that has clouded funeral service in Central
Massachusetts and potentially impacted funeral service throughout the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts.</p>
<p>Yes, it is a fact that the industry we have come to know as funeral service
is well along in the process of <strong>“imploding”</strong>,
(which means –“collapsing from within”) as compared with
exploding (which means – “bursting outwardly”). There
are many reasons for the implosion I describe, but for the purposes of this
update I shall refer to but “one” of the many reasons.</p>
<p>I speak to the issue of<strong> “greed” </strong>enhanced only
by an <strong>“ego”</strong> so far out of control that to tell
the truth and admit information presented verbally and in complaints made
to the State Governance Board of Registration of Funeral Directors and Embalmers
was less than an accurate depiction of the facts and the truth, will not
now allow the perpetrator to escape the process without severe and lasting
condemnation. Yes, I speak of and to the person of Mrs. Katherine Mangsen,
treasurer of Nordgren Memorial Chapel in Worcester, Massachusetts since
mid 2002, and the wife of Kurt Mangsen, president and CEO of Nordgren Memorial
Chapel since the passing of his dad in 1996.</p>
<p>What truly disturbs me beyond words is Mrs. Mangsen is the mother of five
(5) beautiful children, and they are the ones who will live their lives
knowing how their mother (and to a much lesser degree, their father), turned
on a friend, a confidant, and a person that was there for them for years
– many years – isolating me without cause from serving the Orthodox
Community I had so dedicated myself to without reservation, without complaint,
and without prejudice at any point for more than 23 years. Mrs. Mangsen,
I suggest to you – “You will be judged by the Good Lord, by
your family, and by those who will know the facts and not the blatant disregard
you have for distortions and lies as your foundation for fabricating what
you so much want to believe to be the truth”!</p>
<p>Let us now turn to Wednesday, November 19, 2003. The government functionary
for the Division of Professional Licensure, John Bresnahan, conducted an
inspection at Nordgren Memorial Chapel in Worcester. At that time Mr. Bresnahan
asked to review 5 (or maybe 6 depending on whose testimony we reference)
pre-need funeral arrangements. Two (2) of the six (6) files (all housed
in a steel file cabinet in the office at the funeral home) were arranged
by me. </p>
<p><strong>(Now for the 1st RED FLAG).</strong> One of the two files given
to the government functionary that I had arranged was NOT a pre-need funeral
arrangement, but a file for a funeral that had been completed weeks earlier
– and it just so happened that the family had a refund coming to them
in excess of $800. And would you believe for some unknown reason and a total
surprise to me at the time, the cost of Goods and Services Form for this
completed funeral was not in the completed funeral file. So what we have
here is a completed funeral file was given to the government functionary,
which was not what he had requested. The Cost of Goods and Services Form
was suspiciously missing. And little did I know that Nordgren Memorial Chapel
was refusing to return to the family the $800+ balance I promised the family
that they would receive so long as their mother was not on Medicaid at the
time of her passing.</p>
<p>It had always been my policy as a funeral director and I believed it was
Nordgren Memorial Chapel’s policy to refund balances after the funeral
was costed out at current prices and the funeral home had received all monies
due the funeral home for services rendered for a family’s funeral.
During the Administrative Hearing before Anne Colleton, Administrative Hearings
Counsel and in the presence of Mr. Edward Mazur, Chairperson of the State
Governance Board; Ms. Betty Sander, former bookkeeper and receptionist at
Nordgren Memorial Chapel testified that I authorized and remitted excess
funds to all families that had balances after Nordgren Memorial Chapel was
adequately compensated for current costs associated with services and merchandise
associated with a funeral at the time of the passing of a family member.</p>
<p><strong>(2nd RED FLAG)</strong> <em><strong>– or you would think!
</strong></em>The family to whom the refund was due attempted on several
occasions to obtain the refund due them, and finally contacted the Attorney
General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of Consumer Affairs asking
for assistance in obtaining the balance due them and promised to them by
me (this all happening after I was terminated from my employment at Nordgren
Memorial Chapel). The family was advised by the Office of the Attorney General
to lodge a complaint with the Better Business Bureau – and if unsuccessful
– to once again contact the Office of the Attorney General. At the
same time this was happening, Mrs. Mangsen filed a request for an advisory
opinion with the State Governance Board as to whether or not she and Nordgren
Memorial Chapel could refund remaining balances after the current costs
had been applied to a completed funeral. At this point Mrs. Mangsen had
been treasurer at the funeral home for approximately 16 months, Nordgren’s
had been refunding balances for years (per Mrs. Sanders testimony), and
we have Nordgren Memorial Chapel denying a family that had just weeks before
confided their trust and their mother to the care and attention of Nordgren
Memorial Chapel - and now Nordgren Memorial Chapel and Mrs. Mangsen were
refusing to refund the balance due the family.</p>
<p>Nordgren Memorial Chapel did finally remit the balance due the family,
but only after the Better Business Bureau became directly involved. <strong>For
the Record</strong> – since this debacle, the family has experienced
the loss of two other members of their family and have chosen to go elsewhere
rather than revisit the facility that treated them with little respect after
the funeral of their mother. What is even more troubling to me is that the
daughter whose mother was the decedent was forced to come to Boston under
subpoena, hassle the traffic, find parking, and re-live this terrible nightmare
(and also in the presence of Mr. & Mrs. Mangsen); because an inspector,
the government functionary, chose not to investigate the real rationale
as to why the Cost of Goods and Services Form was missing from the completed
funeral file. Yes! We, all, now know why!!!!!!!!!! </p>
<p>It is a fact! Within hours of the inspection, I was served with a Letter
of Termination signed by Kurt Mangsen; but if I was to present his testimony
from his appearance at the Administrative Hearing on March 31, 2006 you
would clearly understand Mr. Mangsen signed that which was put in front
of him. As an owner of Nordgren Memorial Chapel, I was deprived by Mr. and
Mrs. Mangsen and their corporate attorney, Scott S. Sinrich, Phillips, Silver,
Aframe, Talman, & Sinrich, P.C. of Worcester of the opportunity to see
and review the files in question – and to this very day, more than
3 years later, I have yet to see or have the opportunity to review the files
in question. Atty. Sinrich, as Corporate Counsel for Nordgren Memorial Chapel,
had a corporate as well as professional responsibility to me as a director,
employee, and an owner of the funeral home to allow me to review the files
and respond to the concerns of the government functionary prior to preparing
a letter of termination for me. Yet, Attorney Sinrich brought the letter
to the funeral home for Kurt Mangsen’s signature and had me served
with the Letter of Termination by a constable that very same day. Maybe
expecting honor and integrity from the legal profession is asking too much
in this day and age.</p>
<p>While Mrs. Mangsen was filing the 1st two complaints (<strong>Please Note
</strong>– all complaints filed against me by Nordgren Memorial Chapel
were initiated and either signed or forwarded to the State Governance Board
by Mrs. Mangsen and NOT her husband and president, CEO of Nordgren Memorial
Chapel, Kurt Mangsen), I was slowly coming to the conclusion that the actions
of Mrs. Mangsen were irreversible, and that reconciliation was impossible.
It was not easy to fathom and to accept, as I had given 6 + years of my
life to being there for Kurt Mangsen at great sacrifice to my own family.
Yes, Kurt came before my own family on so very many occasions. So important
were Carolyn and I to Kurt and Katherine Mangsen that we were asked and
accepted with great pride to be God-Parents to their son, Derek. Hence,
you can see the shock and dismay that Carolyn and I and our two children,
Stephanie and David, experienced and wanted to deny was actually happening
in November 2003.</p>
<p>At this point, I shall not get into the lies and distortions that rang
through the meeting of the State Governance Board on December 9, 2003 and
the blasphemous statements made by John J. Kazlauskas, Chairperson of the
State Governance Board as members of the Board and Board attorneys sat idly
by watched, listened, and observed without comment or action. Suffice it
to say, each participant will live with their actions, statements, conscience
or lack thereof, as this and other issues are adequately addressed in the
appropriate forum.</p>
<p>Realizing in January 2004 that we reached the point of NO return, I contacted
Nordgren Memorial Chapel’s corporate attorney, Mr. Sinrich, and informed
him, with sufficient notice, that I would be stopping by the funeral home
with a witness present to secure my personal belongings and included in
subject correspondence was a list of my personal items. Within two (2) days,
I received a letter from Mrs. Mangsen, which I will Not publish at this
time, indicating the items referenced were the personal property of Nordgren
Memorial Chapel and not available to me. The correspondence further stated
that I was not welcome on the premises and to stay away.</p>
<p>The very next day, I was contacted by Officer Noone of the Worcester Police
Department (by telephone), Officer Noone was at Nordgren Memorial Chapel
at the time of the call indicating that I would be arrested for trespassing
if I were to come onto the property at Nordgren Memorial Chapel. I thanked
Officer Noone for the call and asked him, “Are you aware I am an owner
of Nordgren Memorial Chapel?” There was silence at the other end of
the phone, and then I heard him say, “No, I wasn’t aware of
this!” Officer Noone suggested I contact legal counsel in order to
obtain my personal belongings. I took his advice.</p>
<p>Three (3) days later (Sunday morning at 10:45AM during Liturgy at St. George
Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester), my cell phone rang. I left the Cathedral
in order to return the call – since I did not recognize the incoming
phone number. It was Ronald Johnson, a funeral director, member of Nordgren
Memorial Chapel’s Board of Directors, and supposedly long time friend,
indicating my personals items were all packed up and ready when I wished
to stop by the funeral home for them. I refreshed Mr. Johnson’s memory
regarding the conversation with Officer Noone, and indicated there was no
way I was going to come onto the property; let alone enter the funeral home.
Mr. Johnson indicated he would be pleased to deliver my personal belongings
to my residence, and we agreed for this to happen the following Tuesday.</p>
<p>Would you believe, all personal items were delivered to my residence to
include my license certificate – BUT without the beautiful frame which
Mrs. Mangsen and Nordgren Memorial Chapel chose to keep and return ONLY
the parchment certificate. I should not have been surprised, based upon
what had transpired up to this point; but to be perfectly honest, I was
shocked to receive the license certificate without the frame.</p>
<p>Mrs. Mangsen filed a complaint against me dated December 24, 2003 –
you will note this being the day before Christmas. The mother of five (5)
children spent the day before Christmas writing and signing a complaint
against me with the State Governance Board. The complaint stated that I
had contacted two (2) families whom I had met as a result of my association
at Nordgren Memorial Chapel and was enticing them to move their pre-need
funeral arrangements to other funeral homes. The two (2) families referenced
were the family of Freda Haddad and the family of T. Catherine Rizkalla.</p>
<p>The complaint was forwarded to the Division of Professional Licensure,
triaged, and forwarded to me for a response. I responded with the facts
and in great detail disproved Mrs. Mangsen’s allegations. The government
functionary and investigator, Mr. Bresnahan, chose not to accept nor test
the veracity of my response and chose only to contact Mr. Kevin Mercadante,
owner and director, Mercadante Funeral Home – Mr. Mercadante being
the successor funeral home for both referenced families. Mr. Mercadante,
in his haste to get new found business at my expense and lacking wisdom,
integrity and good judgment, indicated to the government functionary that
it appeared to him that the families were influenced by me to transfer their
pre-need funeral arrangements to his funeral home.</p>
<p>That was all the government functionary needed to be convinced Mrs. Mangsen’s
accusations were accurate and Mr. Mercadante’s statements supported
the allegations. But NO ONE including Mrs. Mangsen, Mr. Bresnahan, or Mr.
Mercadante contacted, inquired of, or bothered to ask either family if there
was any truth to Mrs. Mangsen’s allegations. Furthermore, the government
functionary was so prejudiced and biased by the blasphemous statements of
the Chairperson of the State Governance Board on December 9, 2003 that his
investigation concluded before it ever began.</p>
<p>Needless to say, Mr. Mercadante was the beneficiary of the passing of both
Mrs. Haddad and Mrs. Rizkalla (2 very profitable funerals) – NOT to
mention the 26 other very profitable funerals he has had as a result of
my not being able to serve families due to the “cowardly acts and
statements of Mr. Mercadante, Mrs. Mangsen, Mr. Kazlauskas, and the government
functionary responsible for the investigation and who reported to the State
Governance Board.</p>
<p>Both the Haddad Family and the Rizkalla Family were subpoenaed, came to
Boston, and testified under oath to the Administrative Hearings Counsel,
Ms. Colleton and the State Governance Board Chairperson, Mr. Mazur, that
not only had they known me for more than 50 years, but that their decision
to transfer their loved ones pre-need funeral arrangements to Mercadante
Funeral Home was their decision and their decision alone. </p>
<p>Each family read Mrs. Mangsen’s accusations and allegations as presented
in the complaint and indicated the statements made by Mrs. Mangsen were
totally and completely false. I only wish you all could have seen the looks
on Mr. and Mrs. Mangsen’s faces – let alone the startling looks
on the faces of the prosecution attorneys.</p>
<p>The question keeps coming up from so many sources throughout the country
as they look for rationality in the process – <strong><em>“who
were the supervisors of the government functionary conducting the investigation
and where were they during this process”?</em></strong> Additionally,
<strong><em>“who were the attorneys for the State Governance Board
and where were they in this process”</em></strong>, is a question
routinely asked. Other than hiding under their desks at this point, I am
at a loss as to where they were during this process. We will soon find out
and so too will you!</p>
<p>Mrs. Mangsen, desperate as she was to find some justification for the lies
and distortions she had made to the State Governance Board, filed another
complaint against me with the Division of Professional Licensure stating
that I revoked what was an Irrevocable pre-need funeral arrangement for
Mrs. Victoria Adams. Additionally, Mrs. Mangsen, in the same complaint accused
me of conducting a business (Westland Services Corporation) that was in
conflict with the rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
What Mrs. Mangsen conveniently did NOT tell the State Governance Board or
the government functionary (until asked the question during the Administrative
Hearing) was that she had referred two (2) families requesting landscaping
services to Westland and that she personally received and deposited in her
personal bank account two checks from Westland dating back many months prior
to her filing a complaint with the Division of Professional Licensure. (Was
the truth too much for Mrs. Mangsen to handle and was her credibility so
shaken that she had to come up with something else and felt the need to
bring Westland into the equation? Did she know that I had gone before the
State Governance Board on four (4) separate occasions, and that I was informed
there was no conflict with me being a funeral director and being president
of Westland Services Corporation?) </p>
<p>As for Mrs. Adams situation, she wished to no longer receive a 1099 tax
form, and Bank North directed me to complete their form (not Nordgren Memorial
Chapel’s form) which revoked ONLY the funding mechanism for the pre-need
arrangements, and DID NOT change in any way the pre-need funeral arrangements
with Nordgren Memorial Chapel.</p>
<p>I ask you to look at the aforementioned individuals – their statements,
their actions (or lack thereof), their motives, and their pattern of activities
– and draw your own conclusions. There is NOT a word or statement
made on this web site that is NOT supported by the truth, the facts, and
testimony of witnesses called and who testified under oath. What we have
here is a <strong>“failed system”</strong> – failed by
individuals whose conspiracy was uncovered, who had no place to retreat
to and as a result further corrupted a system by turning a<strong> “blind
eye”</strong> to the checks and balances, and whose further actions
attempted to amass a cover-up of incompetence, prejudice, and bias that
has compromised <strong>“due process”</strong> under our constitution.</p>
<p>And we wonder why the public is skeptical when it comes to funeral service!</p>
<p>I returned from travel on Friday, December 1st. During my travels, I had
the occasion to meet with two (3) attorneys and two (2) funeral directors
at different times, but each had followed the proceedings since the inception
of this web site. Each was astonished to see that the government functionaries,
the supervisors of the government investigator, and the State Board attorneys
did not review, analyze, and verify the veracity of the statements made
by Mrs. Mangsen, Mr. Mercadante, and Mr. Kazlauskas and at the very least
contact families referenced in the complaints filed by Mrs. Mangsen and
responded to by me.</p>
<p>It was also suggested to me during the past few days that the information
in my possession, the facts and the truth as presented by witnesses, and
the correspondence to support same would make for a very informative, educational,
and meaningful book. My initial reaction was and is – <em>“It
would reflect poorly on funeral service and there are many wonderful, professional,
and dedicated funeral service providers for whom I have great respect”.
</em> </p>
<p>There are a great many individuals directly and indirectly now living a
“life of lies” as a result of Mrs. Mangsen baseless accusations
and allegations – NO ONE more prominent than Mrs. Mangsen, herself.
I do sincerely feel for her, although I do not forgive her for she has entered
a <strong>“world of hurt” </strong>that only she has the <strong>“where-with-all”</strong>
to emerge from – and only then by coming forth with the soul filled
with remorse for the harm she has unjustly brought on to many many people.
</p>
<p>The victims are many in this process. I have NO empathy for the government
functionaries, for I believe the system will judge them at some point sooner
rather than later. I have NO empathy for the State Governance Board (past
and present) and its attorneys, for you too will be judged by the system
and your peers. I have NO empathy for the Advisors to the Mangsens, who
may or may not have had a hand in the misguided decisions and actions taken
by the Mangsens. </p>
<p>I DO have deep and unrelenting empathy for the many families that have
been traumatized by actions of the aforementioned parties; in some cases
forced to relive the loss of their loved ones, and several being further
traumatized by receiving numerous subpoenas because a system of justice
was broken (intentionally, I purport). At no time in this process were affected
families even given minimal consideration as to what impact the actions
taken were going to have on them. Blatant disregard on behalf of the Mangsens,
Mr. Mercadante, Mr. Kazlauskas, government functionaries, and the State
Governance Board and its attorneys for the families impacted by gross lies
and distortions.</p>
<p>The Mangsen’s attempted unsuccessfully to indict me; but ultimately
indicted themselves and Nordgren Memorial Chapel. Nordgren Memorial Chapel’s
attorney, through correspondence and public statements, indicted himself
and his clients with statements proven to be less than accurate and in several
instances total lies. The “ball” was dropped at every venue
– sometimes, I suspect, accidentally; but in most instances, I suggest
the ball was totally and completely dropped “by design”.</p>
<p><strong>“Cowardly People”</strong> making<strong> “Cowardly
and false statements” </strong>leading to <strong>“Cowardly
and Unjust Actions”</strong> – now being closely reviewed under
a microscope – and there is NO place to hide! </p>
<p>Living a Life of Lies with the Blood of Innocent People indelibly all over
your hands and unable to be washed away – especially if you have a
conscience (which I seriously doubt is the case for many in this process),
must be so hard to live with today. But let me assure you, when tragedy
strikes (and it will for all of us), are you prepared to meet the “ALMIGHTY”
and come clean? I am!!!!</p>
<p><strong>“Are you Mrs. Mangsen?”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Next Update – December 17, 2006 </strong></p>
<p><strong>“The lies behind the TRUTH and the TRUTH behind those LIES
that are behind that TRUTH ! ”</strong><br>
</p>
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