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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A FUNERAL? Funerals are an important step in the grieving process, as well as as opportunity to honour a life lived. They offer surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive enviroment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death. Often funerals are the first step in the healing process.
WHAT DO FUNERAL DIRECTORS DO? Funeral Directors are trained, experienced professionals who assist families from the moment a death occurs until well after services are completed. Their work involves dignified care of the deceased while conselling survivors on designing services that fulfill their needs. They are caring dignified persons, who are caregivers and administrators as far as every aspect of funeral organisation is concerned.
WHY HAVE LYING-IN-STATE? Viewing of the deceased is a part of many cultural & ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognise the reality of death. Viewing is also encouraged for children as long as the process is explained & activity voluntary.
WHAT ALL IS INCLUDED IN FUNERAL COSTS? Costs for a funeral service include the professional services of the funeral director and staff, embalming, use of facilities and/or equipment for visitation and funeral ceremony, transfer from place of death to funeral home, necessary vehicles, an average-priced casket and concrete vault. Most costs do not include such cash disbursements as purchase of cemetary lots, grave opening/closing, clergy honorarium, musicians, paid obituaries, certified death certificates and monument expenses. Certainly the cost of your funeral can fall below or above the average cost, depending on the merchandise and service selections you choose. Your selection of services, which can vary from a traditional funeral service to a memorial service, will also affect your funeral cost.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FUNERAL & A MEMORIAL SERVICE? A funeral always involves the presence of a deceased human body. A memorial service is any service, which commemorates a death but the body is not present.
CAN I STILL HAVE A FUNERAL SERVICE IF I CHOOSE CREMATION? Yes. Cremation opens the doors to a number of different funeral options. From traditional services to contemporary celebrations, cremation gives you the flexibility to personalize the services for yourself or a loved one.
The act of cremation is simply a form of disposition, taking the place of a full body burial. While you may desire a direct cremation with no services, many people choose to have visitations and/or a funeral ceremony prior to the cremation. Others choose to have a memorial service with the urn present.
IS EMBALMING REQUIRED BY LAW? Except in special cases, embalming is not required by law. However, embalming may be neccessary if you select certain funeral arrangements such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embaling, you have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require it, such as closed casket services, immediate burial or cremation prior to your service.
CAN FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS BE PLANNED & IF DESIRED, PRE-PAID IN ADVANCE? Yes. Referred to as "pre-planning" or "pre-arranging", many people find that pre-planning gives them peace of mind knowing that their wishes will be respected and the burden lessened on their family at the time of their death. Others find that they need to protect their assets from the State and assure that their funeral expense will be taken care of.
Pre-planning your funeral consists of meeting with the funeral home to allow them to gather biographical information for a death certificate as well as any information you would like included in obituary notices. At this time, you can also choose the type of service desires, the type of casket, concrete outer, burial container or cremation urn. Once your prearrangements are made, you may prepay your funeral to secure the price at today's cost. The interest that accumulates on your funds is then used to offset inflation.