Why should I prearrange my funeral and/or cremation?
Preplanning allows you to compare the many options available to you. These options include the services, products, and pricing among competing funeral homes. You will have the ability to make an informed decision about your arrangements. You will experience peace of mind knowing that your family will be relieved of making arrangements when a death occurs. If you elect to prefund your arrangement, a guaranteed price contract will allow you to purchase at today’s prices, free from inflationary pressures in the future.

What if the ownership of the funeral home or cemetery changes?
Prior contractual agreements are not voided because a change of ownership takes place. The funeral planning agreement you have with prior ownership is carried forward with the successor owners as part of the purchase agreement.

Can social services take my prearrangements away from me?
Social services cannot take away your prefunded agreement. However, they can challenge the amount being set aside to pay for an expensive arrangement. Funds set aside to pay for a reasonable arrangement are not counted as assets as one qualifies for social services.

Why do we have funerals?
The funeral helps confirm the reality and finality of death. It is a declaration that a life has been lived and serves as a vehicle for the community to pay its respects. While some view the visitation and funeral as a painful experience and would thus want to avoid it, it is in reality a first step toward healing. While we affirm the value of viewing the remains as a means to confirm the reality of death, we also acknowledge the family’s right to arrange whatever services they feel would be meaningful to them. We believe that death is both a private and public matter. The death of a family member is a very personal loss. However, death also impacts distant family, friends, and the community at large.

What happens during the cremation process?
The casket or container is placed in the cremation chamber. The temperature is raised to approximately 1400-1800 degrees Fahrenheit. After approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours, all organic matter is consumed by heat or evaporation. The human remains are reduced to bone fragments, which are known as cremated remains or ashes. The cremated remains are carefully removed from the chamber. Any metal is removed with a magnet and later disposed of in an approved manner. The cremated remains are then processed into fine particles and are placed into the urn purchased by the family.

Can a casket be rented instead of purchased when choosing cremation?
Many funeral homes offer a ceremonial casket for funeral or viewing purposes prior to cremation. The ceremonial (or rental) is specifically designed to provide a very aesthetically pleasing, affordable and environmentally prudent alternative to purchasing a casket for a cremation service.

Why is having a permanent place to visit so important?
Permanently memorializing the deceased provides a focal point. To remember, and be remembered, are natural human needs. Throughout human history, memorialization of the dead has been a key component of almost every culture. The Washington Monument, the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Vietnam “Wall” in Washington, D.C., are examples of memorialization which demonstrate that, throughout our history, we have always honored our dead.

Psychologists say that remembrance practices, from the funeral or memorial service to permanent memorialization, serve an important emotional function for survivors by helping to bring closure and allowing the healing process to begin. Providing a permanent resting place for the deceased is a dignified treatment for a loved one’s mortal remains, which fulfills the natural human desire for memorialization.