FAQ

What are my options for financing a funeral?

A funeral is an essential expenditure and a little planning will eliminate the uncertainty of costs and payment. Here are some options for financing funerals:

• Pre-Need Insurance
  
• Annuities
• Life Insurance
• Bank or Funeral Trust
  
• Savings Account
  

Why do we have funerals or memorial services?

The ritual of a funeral and/or memorial service isn't for the deceased but for the living. It is a time when friends and family can gather together to grieve openly and to provide support for one another.

Why Is a Funeral Important?

For thousands of years, funerals have allowed survivors to express their feelings about the death of someone they love. The rituals provide comfort when things seem chaotic and out of control. The funeral is for expressing intense grief. For many, a visitation followed by a funeral or memorial service is the first step in the grieving process. It is a time when friends, family and other guests can come together to grieve openly and to support one another in a community environment. It is also a time to say good-bye. Viewing the deceased can bring a sense of closure to the bereaved who may be in shock and denial.

What Do We Do If Our Family Death Occurs Away From Home?

Our funeral home staff will arrange with another funeral home or mortuary, where the death occurred, to have preparation and transportation made back to our funeral home. We can also help you if you are planning to have a service prior to having the family member returned to your home area.

What Does a Funeral Director Do?

The main goal of a funeral director is to make the planning of a funeral easy for all those involved. We know that this is a difficult time for all involved. With that in mind, a funeral director also is involved in the following activities, but is not limited to:

• Transfer the deceased to the funeral home (anytime day or night)
  
• Notify proper authorities, family and/or relatives
• Arrange and prepare death certificates
• Work with the insurance agent, social security, or Veteran’s Administration to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits
• Prepare and submit obituary to the newspapers of your choice
• Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing
  
• Order funeral sprays and other flower arrangements as the family wishes
• Provide Aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved
  

What Is Embalming?

It is a process that sanitizes and preserves a dead body. It delays the decomposition process and allows time for viewing and services by the family prior to burial or cremation. The time spent embalming depends upon the severity of damage to the body, whether it be from traumatic injuries or disease.

Is Embalming Required When a Person Dies?

No, however most states insist on embalming under certain circumstances such as when the death is caused by a contagious disease or if final disposition isn’t made within a certain time frame. Embalming preserves the body, often allowing more time for arrangements. It is required if there will be a visitation. If the deceased is to be directly buried or cremated, embalming is not necessary.

If I Choose To Be Cremated, Can I Have a Funeral?

Yes, cremation can take place either before or after a funeral depending on what type of service you choose. You can have a viewing, funeral/memorial service or burial.