Funeral Service Questions

Our funeral home staff will work with the funeral home or mortuary where the death occurred to arrange for the preparation and transportation of your loved one’s remains back to our funeral home. If you plan to hold a service before returning the deceased to your home area, we can also assist with coordinating those arrangements to ensure everything is taken care of. We are here to support you every step of the way.

For thousands of years, funerals have provided survivors with a meaningful way to express their grief and honor the life of someone they loved. These rituals offer comfort during a time that can feel chaotic and overwhelming. The funeral serves as an important space for expressing deep sorrow. For many, a visitation followed by a funeral or memorial service marks the beginning of the grieving process. It’s a time for friends, family, and other guests to gather in support of one another and to openly grieve in a shared, communal setting. It also provides an opportunity to say goodbye. Viewing the deceased can offer a sense of closure to those who may still be processing shock and denial.

Our funeral home will assist you with every step of the process during this difficult time, including:

• Picking up the deceased and transporting the body to the funeral home (available anytime, day or night)
• Notifying the appropriate authorities, family members, and relatives
• Arranging and preparing the death certificates
• Providing certified copies of the death certificates for insurance and benefit processing
• Working with the insurance agent, Social Security, or Veterans Administration to ensure necessary paperwork is filed for benefits
• Preparing and submitting the obituary to the newspapers of your choice
• Bathing and embalming the deceased body, if necessary
• Preparing the body for viewing, including dressing and cosmetizing
• Assisting with funeral arrangements and purchasing a casket, urn, burial vault, and cemetery plot
• Scheduling the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel, if burial is planned
• Coordinating with clergy for a funeral or memorial service, if desired
• Arranging a police escort and transportation to the funeral and/or cemetery for the family
• Ordering funeral sprays and other flower arrangements as requested by the family
• Offering Aftercare services, including grief assistance, to support the bereaved

We are here to provide compassionate and comprehensive support throughout the entire process.

Embalming is a process that sanitizes and preserves a deceased body, slowing down the decomposition process and allowing time for family members to view the body and hold services before burial or cremation. The procedure helps restore a life-like appearance to the body and can also enhance the appearance of a person who has experienced a traumatic death or illness. Embalming typically takes one to three hours, though the time required can vary depending on the extent of any damage to the body, such as from traumatic injuries, or if there has been a delay in performing the embalming after death notification.If your loved one made a pre-arrangement with our funeral home, we will have that information on file and will review any remaining details with you during the arrangement conference.

If the pre-arrangement was made with another funeral home and you’d like to transfer it to us, please inform us as soon as possible. If the funeral has already been prepaid at another funeral home, we can transfer those funds to ensure your loved one's wishes are honored.

No, embalming is not always required. However, most states may mandate embalming under specific circumstances, such as when the death is caused by a contagious disease or if the body will not be disposed of within a certain time frame. Embalming helps preserve the body, allowing more time for funeral arrangements. It is required if there will be a visitation or viewing. If the deceased is to be directly buried or cremated without a public viewing, embalming is typically not necessary.

A funeral service can be deeply personalized to reflect the life and passions of your loved one. Every service should be as unique as the individual being celebrated, and we welcome any ideas you may have to make the service special.

Many families add a personal touch by incorporating memorabilia that represents a loved one’s hobbies or interests. For example, an avid sports fan might have a display of their favorite collector’s items, or an artist could showcase recent works or the tools of their craft. Some families take it even further, such as providing homemade chocolate chip cookies for attendees who knew the deceased as a skilled cook. These personal touches help family and friends remember the deceased's personality and relive cherished traditions. Photo albums and memorial tribute DVDs are also meaningful ways to reflect on the past.

Personalized merchandise is a popular option as well. Many caskets offer interchangeable corners, allowing you to choose designs that symbolize your loved one's life. Caskets can also be personalized with an embroidered panel, and cremation urns and keepsakes can be engraved with meaningful details. We also offer a wide selection of keepsake jewelry and stationery that can serve as lasting tributes.

Increasingly, families are opting to hold unique services outside the traditional funeral home setting. Churches provide a warm, comforting environment for services, but memorial services can take place almost anywhere—whether it’s in your home, a local park, or even at a sporting event. As funeral directors, we also act as event planners. Whatever your preferences or ideas, we are here to help create a meaningful and memorable tribute that honors your loved one.Dying intestate—without a will—means that a probate judge will appoint an administrator to manage the deceased’s estate. If you are chosen as the administrator, your responsibilities will mirror those of an executor of a will: distributing assets, paying creditors, and balancing the estate.

Many people assume that, upon death, all assets automatically go to the spouse. However, without a will, this is not always the case. In most states, the assets will be divided between the surviving spouse and any children, regardless of the children’s ages. If there are no children, some assets may be granted to the deceased’s parents. In the case of a single person with children, the entire estate will be split among them. For a single person with no children, the estate may go to the parents (or to siblings if the parents are deceased).

It’s important to remember that state probate laws vary, and individual circumstances can influence the distribution of the deceased’s assets in probate court. If you have questions or concerns, it may be helpful to consult an attorney experienced in end-of-life planning and probate.

Depending on the region or religious tradition, terms like viewing, visitation, and wake are generally used interchangeably to describe an informal gathering before the funeral. Traditionally, this event takes place the day before the funeral, but many families now choose to hold the visitation and funeral services on the same day. The deceased is often embalmed and placed in an open casket, though it may be closed or absent altogether. This gathering provides an opportunity for family, friends, and colleagues to offer condolences, share memories, and provide support to the bereaved.

A visitation typically lasts several hours, allowing guests to come and go as they wish. It is not expected that anyone stay for the entire duration. Visitors should feel comfortable leaving after offering their condolences. Upon arrival, it is customary to first offer your sympathy to the family, and if you are not well-known to them, remember to introduce yourself. It is also acceptable to share a fond memory or a few kind words about the deceased. Some may choose to send flowers to the family, and if ordered in advance, the florist can deliver them directly to the funeral home for display during the visitation.

Visitation can evoke a range of emotions. You might witness individuals crying, and it's important to respect their grieving process without staring. On the other hand, you may also hear laughter and see smiles as people share happy memories of the deceased. Be sure to sign the guest book with your full name before you leave, as it’s an important part of the visitation process.Veterans are eligible for benefits regardless of whether they are interred in a national or private cemetery. If your loved one will be laid to rest in a national cemetery, the benefits include a gravesite in any national cemetery with available space, fees for opening and closing the grave, a government-issued headstone or marker, a flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate—all at no cost to the family.

If the veteran will be buried in a private cemetery, they are still eligible for a government headstone or marker, a flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. In some cases, they may also qualify for a burial allowance. To find out exactly what benefits your loved one is entitled to, you can contact the Veterans Administration directly or visit their website for more information.

A memorial service is a special ceremony held without the body of the deceased present. These services are often conducted in a church, fraternal hall, or other chosen location. Memorials can be held just days after the death, or they can take place weeks or even months later, allowing the family time to coordinate with distant relatives or secure a special venue. Some families even choose to make the memorial service an annual event in remembrance of their loved one.

With the growing popularity of cremation, memorial services have also become more common. Typically, a memorial service will be held after cremation has taken place, often with the cremated remains present in a decorative urn. However, memorial services are not limited to cremation; many families opt for a memorial service after burial. These services can be held alongside other events like a visitation or funeral, or they can be the sole gathering to honor the deceased’s life.

To learn more about how to write an obituary, please refer to this helpful article from our partners at Tributes.com. It provides detailed guidance on crafting a meaningful obituary that honors your loved one’s life and legacy.

The grieving process doesn’t end once the funeral services are over. There are many resources available to support you during this time. You can visit our grief support section on our website for helpful information and guidance. Additionally, our funeral home staff is available to assist you and can refer you to local grief counselors, support groups, and other resources that can help you cope with your grief.

Grief can have both emotional and physical effects, and it’s important to remember that everyone grieves in their own way. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. We are here to support you during this challenging time.