your questions, answered

Frequent Questions

Click on the questions below to reveal each answer.

Why have a funeral?

Funerals play a crucial role in the mourning process, offering a supportive atmosphere for family and friends to share their thoughts and feelings about death. They mark the traditional recognition of death's finality and help survivors begin the grieving process. Even for those choosing cremation, a full funeral service can be held. Planning a personalized ceremony aids in the healing journey, providing a meaningful tribute that helps overcome the pain of loss.

What does a funeral director do?

The funeral director will help you with the following:

Pick up the deceased and transport the body to the funeral home (anytime day or night)
Notify proper authorities, family and/or relatives
Arrange and prepare death certificates
Provide certified copies of death certificates for insurance and benefit processing
Work with the insurance agent, Social Security or Veterans 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 necessary
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 with cemetery personnel, if a burial is to be performed
Coordinate with clergy if a funeral or memorial service is to be held
Arrange a police escort 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

When I call, will someone come right away?

If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, that’s perfectly acceptable. Your funeral director will come when your time is right.

Burial or Cremation?

Burial in a casket is the most common method of final disposition in the United States, though entombment also occurs. Cremation is increasingly popular due to its lower cost and the flexibility it offers for scheduling a memorial service at a more convenient time. A funeral service followed by cremation can be similar to one followed by burial. Cremated remains are typically placed in an urn and may be buried, placed in a mausoleum or columbarium, interred in an urn garden, or scattered according to state law.

Why have a public viewing?

Viewing is a common practice in many cultural and ethnic traditions. Grief specialists believe that viewing can help the bereaved come to terms with the reality of death, which in turn aids the grief process. It is recommended to explain the viewing process to children and ensure that their participation is voluntary.

What is the purpose of embalming?

Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them.

Is embalming required by law?

The Federal Trade Commission says, "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial."

Why are funerals so expensive?

Compared to other major life events like weddings, funerals are relatively affordable. While a wedding can cost three times as much, its expenses are rarely questioned due to the joyful occasion. Funeral homes operate 24/7, requiring significant labor and facilities, which contribute to the costs. The price includes not only merchandise like caskets but also the services of funeral directors who handle arrangements, paperwork, and coordination with various parties. Funeral homes, while providing essential services, must also remain profitable to sustain their operations.

Do I have to make different funeral arrangements if I choose cremation?

It really depends entirely on how you wish to commemorate a life. One of the advantages of cremation is that it provides you with increased flexibility when you make your funeral and cemetery arrangements. You might, for example, choose to have a funeral service before the cremation; a memorial service at the time of cremation or after the cremation with the urn present; or a committal service at the final disposition of cremated remains. Funeral or memorial services can be held in a place of worship, a funeral home or in a crematory chapel.

What can be done with the cremated remains?

With cremation, you have numerous options for handling the remains. They can be interred in a cemetery plot, kept by a family member in an urn, scattered on private property, or at a significant place for the deceased. Always check local regulations for public scattering, and your funeral director can assist with this.

Memorialization offers various types of tributes to honor a life lived. These memorials serve as focal points for remembrance and historical records for future generations. The choice of memorial is a personal decision, reflecting your unique preferences and the deceased’s wishes.

What is memorialization for a cremation?

You might choose ground burial of the urn. If so, you may usually choose either a bronze memorial or monument. Cremation niches in columbariums are also available at many cemeteries. They offer the beauty of a mausoleum setting with the benefits of above ground placement of remains. Many cemeteries also offer scattering gardens. This area of a cemetery offers the peacefulness of a serene garden where family and friends can come and reflect.

Can we scatter the cremated remains?

If you wish to have your ashes scattered somewhere, it is important to discuss your wishes to be scattered ahead of time with the person or persons who will actually have to do the cremation ashes scattering ceremony, as they might want to let your funeral professional assist in the scattering ceremony. Funeral directors can also be very helpful in creating a meaningful and personal ash scattering ceremony that they will customize to fit your families specific desires. The services can be as formal or informal as you like. Scattering services can also be public or private. Again, it is advisable to check for local regulations regarding scattering in a public place-your funeral director can help you with this.

If I am cremated, can I be buried with my spouse even if he or she was in a casket?

Yes — Depending upon the cemetery's policy, you may be able to save a grave space by having the cremains buried on top of the casketed remains of your spouse, or utilize the space provided next to him/her. Many cemeteries allow for multiple cremated remains to be interred in a single grave space.

What do I need to know about income tax when I lose a spouse?

Uncertainty about income tax issues can add to the stress experienced from the death of a spouse. You should meet with your family attorney and/or tax advisor as soon as possible to review your particular tax and estate circumstances. Bring a detailed list of your questions to the meeting. If you do not have an attorney or tax advisor, call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 for answers to specific tax questions.

Is there financial help if I need it?

There are a number of options available, including:

Determine if the deceased person qualifies for any entitlements. Check with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and with your State Fund. Many people are entitled to get financial assistance with their funeral costs from these agencies if they qualify.
Review all insurance policies the deceased person has, including life insurance. Some life insurance policies have coverage clauses for funeral related costs.
Find local charities providing financial help for funeral expenses. Search for non profit organizations and for churches in your area.
Talk to your funeral director about cremation options - these can be much less expensive depending on your choices.