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It's important to recognize that funerals and memorial ceremonies are for the living ... for those who are affected by the loss of a loved one. It is through the funeral process that a number of emotional needs are met for those who grieve.
A funeral is similar to other ceremonies in our lives. Like a graduation ceremony, a wedding, a baptism, and a funeral is a rite of passage by which we recognize an important event that distinguishes our lives.
The funeral declares that a death has occurred. It celebrates the life that has been lived, and offers family and friends the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.
The gathering of family and friends for a time of sharing and funeral service helps to provide emotional support so needed at this time. This will help those who grieve to face the reality of death and consequently, to take the first step toward a healthy emotional adjustment.
The funeral can and does take on many varied forms. Funerals can last from minutes to months and are usually influenced by the lifestyle and values of the bereaved family and friends.
What does a funeral director do?
It has been estimated that over 136 individual activities must take place in order for one funeral to be conducted. The funeral director is actually an organizational specialist.
Here is a condensed list of some of the more visible activities of a typical funeral director.
- Removal and transferring the deceased from place of death to the Funeral Home.
- Professional care of the deceased, which may include sanitary washing, embalming preparation, restorative art, dressing, hairdressing, casketing and cosmetology.
- Conduct a complete consultation with family members to gather necessary information and to discuss specific arrangements for a funeral.
- File all certificates, permits, affidavits, and authorizations, as may be required.
- Acquire a requested amount of certified copies of the death certificate needed to settle the estate of the deceased.
- Compile information and create an obituary for placement in the newspaper and/or website of the family's choice.
- Make arrangements with a family's choice of clergy person, church, music, etc.
- Make arrangements with cemetery, crematory, or other place of disposition.
- The providing of a register book, prayer cards, funeral folders, and acknowledgements, as requested by a family.
- Offer the assistance of notifying relatives and friends.
- Arrange for clergy honorariums, music, flowers, death certificates, obituaries, additional transportation, etc.
- Care and arrangement of floral pieces and the post funeral distribution as directed by a family.
- Arrange for pallbearers, automobiles, and special services (fraternal or military) as requested by a family.
- Care and preservation of all floral cards, mass cards, or other memorial contributions presented to the funeral home.
- Your funeral director, with his/her staff personnel, will direct the funeral in a most professional manner, and be in complete charge of the funeral procession to the cemetery or other place of disposition.
- Assist a family with social security, veterans insurance, grief counseling, and other death-related claims.
- A post funeral meeting, by the funeral director, with a family, to deliver such things as the register book, floral pieces, a recording of the funeral service, and to assure the family that our staff will be available to assist them, should they have further questions or needs.
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What Options are available in services and disposition?
A valuable aspect of contemporary funerals is their individuality. Whether a ceremony is elaborate or simple, funerals are often individualized to reflect the life of the deceased and to hold special meaning for family and other survivors. A service may reflect one's religious beliefs as a reaffirmation of faith in a greater life beyond this world. Some families choose to reflect upon the occupation or hobbies of the deceased, and some choose to center the service around an ethnic background or social affiliation.
In our society, three basic forms of final disposition are practiced. The first is earth burial, which continues to be the form of disposition chosen most often.
Cremation is also a choice. This is a process of preparing the body for final disposition whereby the body is reduced by intense heat over several hours to a few pounds of small fragments. These cremated remains are usually placed in an urn, which may be buried, placed in a memorial niche, or kept in some other location. Cremated remains may also be scattered where permitted by law.
Finally, entombment in a crypt is also a choice and is one of the oldest forms of disposition. Today many cemeteries maintain crypts for entombment, which may be in a mausoleum or in an outdoor garden.
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What is the significance of a funeral service?
From the beginning of recorded history, societies have honored those who died with a traditional ceremony. According to beliefs at that time, 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 are left behind after a death. 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 allow the healing process to begin.
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How much does a funeral cost?
Funeral costs vary depending on the funeral home and type of service 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.
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Is everything included in the price given to me by the funeral home?
All charges involving the funeral home's services and merchandise are available from our professional staff. We will provide a general price list with all charges.
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Can I make my funeral arrangements before I die?
Yes. Today, pre-arrangement and prepayment of funerals are becoming more common. Prearranging will provide you with more time to review your options and give you a choice in your own funeral service. Pre-arrangement will provide you with the peace of mind that everything has been taken care of, relieving your family of the emotional and financial burden that often comes with making arrangements when a loved one passes away. Oftentimes, making arrangements in advance also guarantees a service and funeral at today's prices, free from inflation. At Your Funeral Home, we will assist you with your pre-arrangements.
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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. Prices vary, depending on the exterior and interior materials used. Bronze, a semiprecious metal, is more expensive than steel. Mahogany, a rare hardwood, is more expensive than the readily available softwood pine.
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What is embalming and is it necessary before services are held?
Embalming is the temporary preservation of a deceased's remains. It is not required by law, but is common practice when a viewing is planned.
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Can a funeral home assist me with Social Security benefits and Veteran death benefits?
Yes. In fact, Your Funeral Home will do more than just assist you with securing these benefits. Our staff is trained to complete all necessary paperwork to begin the benefits process and to follow through to ensure that the benefits are secured in a timely manner.
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What is involved in the cremation process?
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 authorizing person and no objections to the cremation can be raised. The cremation then takes place and the cremated remains are placed in the designated container or urn selected for final disposition.
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Are special cremation containers and caskets available?
Your Funeral Home offers a wide variety of cremation containers and caskets to meet each family's needs.
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Are the services held before or after cremation?
Services are held at the discretion of the family. Many choose to have a traditional service first, followed by the cremation.
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What happens to the cremated remains?
There are many options to consider with a cremation. A family can choose to bury the remains in a cemetery, store and display them at home in an urn or scatter them in a place special to the deceased. It is advisable to check local restrictions on scattering remains on public property and obtain permission for private property.
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I have already made arrangements and funded my funeral in advance. What if I move or want to use another Funeral Home?
By making arrangements in advance, you were able to express your own wishes and relieve this emotional burden from your family. By funding your funeral in advance, you also relieved the financial burden from your family. Usually, these arrangements can be reestablished with another funeral home and nearly all funding vehicles are transferable by the owner.
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