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My grandfather (who died at 93 years old) told me the story of how his own father had died.

His father (my great grandfather) had been complaining that he didn't feel well. He called his friend, a mortician, to come by the house in Kansas City and pick him up to take him to the doctor.

His friend arrived, driving their hearse. On the way to the doctor's office my great grandfather died, right in the hearse.

My grandfather was grinning broadly when he told me the story. He said, "It was great! All they had to do was turn right instead of left, and they took him straight to the funeral home. That's the way I want to go!"

That is actually more common than you would think. In small towns, the undertaker usually ran the town's ambulance service as well as providing the usual undertakers duties. Hearses and ambulances were quite expensive, and a little funeral home could not afford to buy one of each. So combination coaches were offered. Simple medical equipment could be installed and removed, ambulance lights installed and removed, and panels on the side could be changed from ambulance crosses to hearse padded vinyl and landau bars. I guess you could just pull over and change side panels and directions if things didn't go too well for the patient.