Frequently Asked Questions

 Many people have questions that they may or may not feel comfortable asking their funeral director. We hope this will be of some help to you and if you think of something else you would like us to add to this list of questions, please contact us by email or telephone.



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.

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 DOES A FUNERAL DIRECTOR DO?  

 Pick up the deceased and transport the body to the funeral home (anytime, day or night)

 Notify proper authorities, family and/or relatives

 Prepare, process and order death certificates

 Provide certified copies of death certificates for insurance and benefit processing

 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

 Bathe and embalm the deceased body, if requested

 Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing

 Assist the family with funeral arrangements and purchase of casket, urn, burial vault and cemetery plot

 Schedule the opening and closing of the grave or crypt with cemetery personnel, if a burial or entombment is to be performed

 Coordinate with clergy if a funeral or memorial service is to be held

 Arrange a police escort (if allowed) and transportation to the funeral and/or cemetery for the family

 Order funeral sprays and other flower arrangements as the family wishes

 Provide Aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved

 Many people have questions that they may or may not feel comfortable asking their funeral director. We hope this will be of some help to you and if you think of something else you would like us to add to this list of questions, please contact us by email or telephone.

WHAT IS EMBALMING?

It is a process that temporarily 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. It restores a life-like appearance to the body and can enhance the appearance of a body that has undergone a traumatic death or long illness. This process can take anywhere from one to three hours to perform. The time spent embalming depends upon the cause of death or the severity of injury to the body, whether it be from trauma and or by not being able to perform embalming within a reasonable time after the death.

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 temporarily preserves the body, often allowing more time for arrangements. It is required by most funeral homes if there is to be a visitation. If the deceased is to be directly buried or cremated, embalming is not necessary.

WHY SHOULD I BUY MY CASKET OR CREMATION CONTAINER FROM YOUR FUNERAL HOME INSTEAD OF A CASKET OR CREMATION DISCOUNT STORE?

We purchase fine quality products from reputable casket and cremation companies who have been in the business for many years. Their products all come with a liability warranty attached on each unit. With cost being very important to the consumer, most all funeral homes are able to sell merchandise at a lesser price than a retail store, as they have other income to offset their overhead.


IF I CHOOSE TO BE CREMATED, CAN I HAVE A FUNERAL and/or CELEBRATION OF LIFE? Yes. Cremation is a process that prepares the body for its final disposition - burial, entombment or scattering, or any combination thereof.  It can take place either before or after depending on what type of service you choose. You can have a viewing, funeral/memorial service and  burial.