General
Funeral Questions
 Financing
a Funeral
Cremation
Death
Away From Home
What is
the significance of a funeral service?
From the
beginning of recorded history, societies have honored those who
die with a ceremony. In the beginning, the purpose of the ritual
was to send the deceased on his or her journey into the afterlife.
Today,
however, many experts agree that the benefits of a service are for
those who remain behind. A "closure" of sorts must occur
to help survivors adjust to their loss and recognize that a death
has occurred. A funeral service provides the opportunity for
friends and family to celebrate the life that was lived and allows
the healing process to begin.
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Can I
make my funeral arrangements before I die?
Yes,
preplanning is one of the most caring things you can do for your
family or loved ones. It provides them with a clear picture of
your final wishes and relieves them from having to worry about how
you would really prefer to be remembered. These plans may be as
simple or as elaborate as you choose - and keep in mind that
making personal and meaningful plans does not have to mean added
expense. You can comfortably prefund your arrangements to
alleviate placing future financial burdens on your family. The
preplanning process allows you to plan at your own pace, equipped
with facts and ample information, so that you feel comfortable
about the choices you make. Oftentimes, making arrangements in
advance also guarantees a service and funeral at today's prices,
free from inflation. We can assist you with your prearrangement
needs. You can also visit www.simplicityplan.com
for more information.
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How many
types of caskets exist, and why are some more expensive than
others?
Caskets
are made of either metal (bronze, copper or steel) or wood, and
are available in a variety of styles and colors. Prices vary,
depending on the exterior and interior materials used. Bronze, a
semi-precious metal, is more expensive than steel. Mahogany, a
rare hardwood, is more expensive than the readily available
softwood pine. There is also the option of adding personal touches
to most caskets.
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What is
embalming and is it necessary before services are held?
Embalming
is the temporary preservation of a person’s remains using a
chemical process. This procedure allows family and friends an
opportunity to say their good-byes. We require embalming when a
public viewing is planned as part of the service.
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Can a
funeral home assist me with Social Security benefits and Veteran
death benefits?
Yes. In
fact, our staff is trained to complete all necessary paperwork to
begin the benefits process and will follow through to ensure that
the benefits are secured in a timely manner.
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How much
does a funeral cost?
Funeral
costs vary depending on the funeral home and type of services and
merchandise selected. There are two types of costs associated with
a funeral: (1) services provided by the funeral home and (2)
merchandise such as a casket or urn. Some types of services
require more or less involvement of our professional staff and
facilities than others and are priced accordingly. We pride
ourselves on our ability to help every family create a meaningful
tribute and lasting memorial for their loved one in any price
range. Call or visit our funeral home to discuss your needs and to
receive a general price list that will give you full details. And
remember, if choosing burial or interment, you may need to
purchase cemetery or mausoleum space as well as some type of
memorial. Those arrangements are sometimes made separately with a
cemetery.
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What
methods may I use to pay for the funeral?
Funeral
costs may be paid by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, American
Express, Discover or an assignment of verified insurance benefits.
Many families choose easy payment plans available through
preplanning. This important decision can limit or eliminate the
financial burden when the death of a loved one occurs.
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What is
involved in the cremation process?
During
your first call to the funeral home to let the funeral arranger
know that a death has occurred, the funeral arranger will gather
information to be able to transport your loved one to the funeral
home. The arranger will schedule a date and time for you to meet
at the funeral home to gather necessary information and obtain
required authorizations.
Before
cremation occurs, the death certificate must be completed and
signed by the attending physician or medical examiner, and all
civil and medical authorities must have issued all required
permits. In addition, necessary authorizations to cremate must be
obtained from the next of kin or other authorized person.
Regulations in many states also require that a certain number of
hours must have transpired since the death occurred (usually 24 to
48 hours). After these conditions are met, the cremation takes
place and the cremated remains are placed in the designated
container or urn selected for disposition. The family or those
authorized to make arrangements will want to discuss with their
funeral arranger specifics concerning a personal tribute to the
deceased and whether this will occur before or after the cremation
process, or both.
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Are
special cremation containers and caskets available?
We offer
a wide variety of cremation containers including caskets,
alternative containers and urns to meet each family's needs. A
cremation casket is a special casket constructed from materials
that are environmentally friendly. It appears very similar to
burial caskets and may be used for visitation and/or a funeral
ceremony or gathering. It is cremated with the decedent. There are
also a variety of alternative containers from which to choose.
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Are the
services held before or after cremation?
Services,
or gatherings as they are more commonly being called, are held at
the discretion of the family. The service or gathering is a place
and time for family and friends to come together to celebrate
special memories of the decedent and to support each other during
this time of loss. Many choose to have a traditional service
first, followed by the cremation. Others may have a memorial
service at some point before and/or after the cremation.
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What
happens to the cremated remains?
There are
several options to consider with a cremation. A family can choose
to bury the cremated remains in a cemetery, store and display them
at home in an urn, or scatter them in a place special to the
deceased. Many cemeteries have created areas specifically for
cremated remains. These areas may be in a mausoleum, in a
columbarium, in a ground burial area or in a cremation garden
offering even more choices. It is necessary to check local
restrictions on scattering cremated remains on public property or
private property.
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How can
we memorialize cremation?
There are
many ways to memorialize a decedent after cremation. One option is
burial of the urn, marked with a bronze memorial or sculpture.
There are also memorialization options available, including
keepsake urns, columbarium niches and cremation benches. We can
review with you all the choices available to meet the needs of
your family or the wishes of your loved one.
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What has
to be done when a death occurs in one city and the funeral service
will be held in another city?
A death
that occurs away from your loved one’s hometown may be an
unusual experience for you and your family. However, funeral
arrangers are trained and experienced in handling the details
necessary when this happens. The local funeral arranger can assist
you in selecting a funeral home in the city where the services are
to be held and will help coordinate the transportation of your
loved one to the care of a funeral arranger in that city.
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If our
loved one is being transferred to another city for a funeral
service and burial, can we also gather family and friends for a
local service?
Yes. The
funeral arranger can work with the family to organize a time and
place either before or after the transfer for family and friends
to gather to celebrate special memories of the decedent and to
support each other during the time of loss.
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What has
to be done when a family member passes away while on a trip out of
town?
When a
family member passes away while out of town, contact your local
funeral arranger. The arranger can assist you in selecting an
out-of-town funeral arranger, who will handle all the necessary
details in the distant city, state or country. Working together,
the two funeral arrangers will gather all the necessary
information to allow for the transfer of your family member back
to your local area.
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