Frequently Asked Questions

• Contact the funeral home and schedule a day and time to make arrangements.
• Locate any wills, pre-planned funeral arrangements, and insurance policies.
• Make a list of immediate family, close friends, clergy, employer, or business colleagues. Notify each person by phone to inform them of your loved one’s passing.
• Gather information for the arrangement conference:
  • Deceased’s Birthdate and Birthplace
  • Parents’ Names
  • Social Security Number
  • Veteran’s Discharge or Claim Number
  • Education (schools attended and highest grade or degree completed)
  • Marital Status
  • Additional information to be included in the obituary.
• Begin thinking about special ways to honor and pay tribute to your loved one.

A licensed funeral director is responsible for orchestrating the entire funeral process, ensuring every detail is handled precisely and in a timely fashion. Funeral directors wear many hats, including those of family consultant, event planner, caregiver, and administrator, among others. Their key responsibilities include:

• Coordinating the transfer of the body to the funeral home.
• Scheduling and making arrangements with the family.
• Gathering vital statistics, information for the obituary, and important documents.
• Discussing burial and cremation options.
• Assisting the family in planning desired services.
• Providing guidance on the selection of cremation urns, caskets, burial vaults, etc.
• Coordinating with the cemetery as needed.
• Preparing the body for viewing, including cleansing, embalming, dressing and cosmetizing.
• Contacting clergy, celebrants, musicians, and other funeral participants.
• Ordering flower arrangements and casket sprays.
• Securing permits for burial and/or cremation.
• Writing the obituary, submitting it to newspaper(s), and posting it on the funeral home website.
• Filing death certificates.
• Notifying social security, applying for veterans’ benefits, and managing insurance claims.
• Suggesting resources for aftercare and grief assistance.

If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, that’s perfectly acceptable. Your funeral director will coordinate the transfer of the body to the funeral home when the time is right for you and your family.

This decision is a personal one, influenced by a variety of factors including cultural and religious beliefs, personal preferences, and cost. Ultimately, the decision between burial and cremation should be based on what feels right for you and your family, as there is no right or wrong choice. Families often discuss their options with a funeral director or another trusted advisor to help make an informed decision.

Funerals play an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one, providing an atmosphere of care and support that marks the first step in the healing process. Recognized as ceremonial rituals, funerals allow the living to acknowledge the finality of life’s journey and show respect for the deceased. Personalized funeral services can be planned for those who will be cremated or buried in a traditional manner, ensuring that the ceremony reflects the unique life of the loved one being remembered.

A funeral home is a 24-hour labor-intensive business with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.). These expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Additionally, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets and cremation urns, but also the services of a funeral director in making arrangements, filing appropriate forms, coordinating with ministers, florists, newspapers and others, as well as seeing to all the necessary details.

The visitation offers a valuable opportunity for family members, friends, and members of the community to see the deceased one last time, say their farewells, and express their condolences to those left behind. Many grief experts recommend having a viewing to help those left behind confront and recognize the reality of their loss.

A memorial service offers a meaningful opportunity to celebrate the life and legacy of a loved one who has been cremated. This special gathering provides a space for family and friends to come together, share memories, and support each other. Whether held shortly after cremation or at a later date, a memorial service can be personalized to reflect the deceased’s unique personality and values, creating a lasting tribute.

Embalming is a respectful process that sanitizes and preserves a loved one’s body. By slowing the natural decomposition, embalming allows for an open casket at a public viewing.

Funeral homes offer embalming as an optional service. While embalming is generally not required by law; there are exceptions. For instance, embalming may be required if the deceased had an infectious disease, or if the body is being transported across state lines. Embalming is also necessary if a visitation or funeral with an open casket is planned.

Yes, one of the benefits of cremation is that it provides increased flexibility in planning funeral and remembrance services. Families may choose to have a visitation followed by a funeral service before the cremation, or opt for a memorial service afterwards with the urn present. Cremation also allows for flexible timing when interring a loved one’s remains in a cemetery.

There are several dignified final resting place options for a loved one’s cremated remains. The remains can be interred within a niche or buried in a cemetery, where family and friends can come to pay their respects. They can also be tastefully displayed in the home, distributed among family members, or scattered in a cremation garden, or other meaningful location.