We pride ourselves on the service we provide each family we serve.

Our funeral home provides a full range of funeral service options, from the traditional religious service to simple cremation. Each family is provided with the opportunity to learn about and discuss the wide variety of funeral service options available to them.

Value of Funeral Service

The value of the service depends on how it is constructed. Our family attempts to create funerals that leave families and friends feeling very lucky that the deceased was a part of their lives: the music, the stories, the whole nature of the person being well integrated into the service that it captures just who they were.

Personalizing a Funeral Service

The purpose of a funeral is to provide a way of commemorating a life and drawing together friends and family members so that they can support each other as they share memories. Although different religious communities have created set formats or rituals that they follow in conducting funeral services, there really is not a right or wrong way to do a funeral.

The most important thing to keep in mind when creating a service or commemoration is that it should be reflective of the person who has died. While religious elements may play a part, it should also include stories about the person’s life that help everyone recapture and revisit their own memories. Sometimes this is best accomplished by having friends or family members share their reflections as part of the service. Some people personalize the service with special music (which may be religious or non-religious). Others bring in pictures to have at the service. Sometimes favorite things that belonged to the deceased are integrated into the ceremony such as wood carvings, golf clubs or even a motor cycle.

The goal is to give a true sense of who this person was. There is nothing wrong with telling funny stories about the person who died: a funeral recognizes the sad event of a death, but can include humor.

Whether or not an open casket is part of the ceremony is an individual family choice. The main reason that we have any “viewing,” is because that allows people to have a physical presence to focus on when saying their goodbyes. Since most people are very visually inclined by nature, it seems to help them to see the person for the death to be “real” to them and allows them to better focus to begin to tidy up the loose ends that they have with this person. A funeral helps people begin to complete their relationship with the person who died, and sometimes seeing the body helps.

Consider Family in Cremation

Those who say–whether seriously or in jest–”Just cremate me and throw me out!” don’t realize the burden this places on family members. Direct disposal of cremated remains without funerals or memorialization of any kind can cause serious emotional problems for survivors.

An executive of the Forum for Death Education tells of one patient under therapy as a result of scattering the cremated remains of a loved one. She had no focal point for her grief until he suggested she obtain a niche at a local mausoleum and place some memento of the loved one within.

In day-to-day contact with bereaved families, many cemetarians have noticed signs of severe emotional stress among the survivors in instances of cremation without memorialization and without funerals.

In some cases, such problems may take the form of delayed reaction many months later and are more apt to come to the attention of the medical community or clinical psychologists than to the layman or the general public.

Many psychiatrists feel that the funeral serves a very real need for the survivors. One of them stated that the primary purpose of the funeral is to fulfill the need for grieving for the living and that this need goes unfulfilled for many in our culture.

The result, in many cases, is that months or years later people require psychiatric treatment for severe depression.

In suffering a loss, the traditional rites of passage and memorialization can be beneficial in helping individuals pass through the stages of grief.

When the practice of cremation is accomplished with human dignity and recognition, it will:

• help assuage grief
• alleviate guilt
• contribute to emotional stability
• create peace of mind

Understanding Cremation Options

There are some issues to consider when deciding between cremation and burial. Families may encounter some discomfort with cremation and resistance from family members for a variety of personal reasons.

Will your family be comfortable with cremation? Some family members are disturbed at the thought of death itself, much less cremation, which many perceive as a cold and uninvolved process. They may resist your wishes when the time comes. Address it with your family now if you want to be cremated. You can put their unease to rest, and have peace of mind knowing your wishes will be carried out.

Direct cremation is another option–many people request to eliminate “all the bother of funeral services” for family members. Funeral services aren’t provided for the deceased–they’re there to help support and comfort the living. Take time to consider family and friends and their need to work through the grieving process before you make this decision.

Scattering requests should be given careful consideration as well. Emptying the urn of all that remains of a loved one can be a traumatic experience–carefully consider the feelings of the family in deciding whether or not to do this.

Another factor you should consider when deciding whether or not to choose cremation include the fact that crematories are operated by dedicated people with great respect for the deceased.

For purposes of safety and dignity, it’s generally required that bodies are cremated in a rigid container such as a casket or other container approved for cremation.

Restrictions on cremation are different from state to state, even from one cemetery to the next. Depending on the final resting place you choose, requirements may include an urn, urn vault, and other items. Making your choices now can help your family down the road. In most cases, cremation satisfies federal clean air requirements.

You should check to ensure that all personal property has been removed from the deceased at the funeral home and returned to the family or executor unless otherwise instructed. Families should also be mindful of valuables and mementos placed with the loved one. For more on the cremation process, and what happens before, during, and after, visit the cremation process information on Funeralplan.com provided by the Cremation Association of North America.

A funeral can and should be as unique as the life that is being celebrated. Don’t feel that you have to have a cookie cutter type of service or that your ideas for a special ceremony are foolish.

You shouldn’t feel pressured or rushed into making a decision. We want to help you make the arrangements that you want.

Personalizing a funeral or memorial service can be very therapeutic–it gives you and your family something to concentrate on as you relive memories. It’s also welcomed by family and friends attending a visitation or service because it gets them involved and provides a topic of conversation when they might otherwise not know what to say. We offer many ways to personalize a service.

Ask questions and make suggestions; we want to assist you in any way we can to ensure that your loved one is memorialized in a meaningful way.