Funeral FAQs
Everything you need to know about funerals.
What is a funeral?
A funeral is any ceremony that offers an opportunity for family members and friends of the deceased to express love, respect, honor and grief for a loved one. Whether you choose burial or cremation as the final disposition, a funeral offers the bereaved a setting in which to celebrate the life of a loved one and take the first step towards healing.
What do funeral directors do?
Essentially, a funeral director is trained to anticipate your needs with care and compassion when you are called upon to make end of life arrangements. Directors help you decide on the details and facilitate the arrangements for the type of service best suited to honor and celebrate your loved one. Our directors are also trained to answer questions about grief and can connect you with support groups at the funeral home and in the community.
A funeral director is prepared to respond to your needs in the following ways:
- Provide guidance and assistance in determining the funeral, cremation and burial options that best fit your needs
- Coordinate the details associated with a funeral, memorial or celebration of life service including the arrangement for clergy when needed
- Coordinate cremation
- Coordinate cemetery, columbarium/mausoleum space, grave opening/closing
- Coordinate long distance transportation, funeral service, cremation or burial if the deceased is being relocated to a different city, state or country
- Provide transportation for family and special friends to and from funeral service locations
- Coordinate military honors for services if eligible
- Prepare and/or coordinate any VA benefits that may be applicable
- Provide a large selection of caskets, vaults, urns and memorial keepsakes
- Prepare all necessary state and county legal documents such as death certificates, social security forms and notification of death
- Secure any permits necessary to transport remains across state lines or abroad
- Prepare and submit death notice or obituary to newspapers
- Customize a remembrance package including items such as a guest book, service folders, prayer cards, acknowledgements and a DVD slide show
- Provide transportation of floral arrangements following the service either to the family’s residence or a local nursing facility if being donated
- Provide monuments, memorial plaques and grave markers
- Guidance in what to do after the funeral is over
- Assist in obtaining the grief support resources best suited to your individual needs including literature, counseling and support groups.
Why do we need an obituary notice?
An obituary notice serves to celebrate the life of a loved one. They also detail the many memories and stories of a persons life. Publishing an obituary can help take some of the burden of having to notify many people about funeral details. For more information, refer to our guide on how to write a beautiful obituary.
What type of service should I have?
The possibilities are endless for you and your family to create a one-of-a-kind experience. We have the latest technology to incorporate memories into the service. We now have the capabilities of streaming eco-scapes and personal images on our video wall in one of our family gathering rooms. We can also incorporate special music, readings, as well as electronic photo presentations. Our goal is to appropriately reflect the life of your family member and those he/she touched.
Can I personalize my funeral service?
Absolutely, in fact, we recommend it. After all, a funeral is a celebration of life and each life lived is unique. Funeral directors are happy to discuss any and all options to ensure your funeral is tailored to your wishes, and you will find that you can personalize services in many unique ways. You can reach out to us at any time to explore your options, or view our Create a Healing Experience page for more information.
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
Cremation is an alternative form of final disposition, but it can, and frequently does include a funeral, memorial or celebration of life service. We can assist you with the necessary information about cremation, including the details of several wonderful cremation service options, if this is an avenue you wish to explore.
Can I have a visitation period and a funeral service if cremation is chosen?
Absolutely. Cremation does not mean you cannot have a visitation period and a funeral service. Cremation is simply one option for final disposition of the body.
What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming is a process to sanitize and preserve the body. It also makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and final disposition, allowing family members time to arrange the type of service most comforting to them and begin their own healing processes. While this is a personal decision for you to make, the emotional benefits of viewing the deceased can be quite helpful, particularly to those who are having difficulty dealing with the death.
What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call to us at (704) 664-3363.
What should I do if a death occurs while away from home?
Your funeral director can help you if a death occurs anywhere on the globe. The director will coordinate all arrangements that are needed to get your loved one safely back to his or her community. Please refer to When A Death Occurs for the key steps you can follow in the event this occurs.
Is embalming mandatory by law?
It is not, but there are factors of time and health that may make embalming either appropriate or necessary. Please note that embalming may be required if the deceased is being transported by air to another country where local laws need to be observed. You can always contact us if you have questions on this subject, as we know it can be an unfamiliar subject to many.
How do I pay for funeral expenses?
If you and your family members are not able to cover the cost at the time of service, we offer at-need financing options through a third party for your convenience. If you have a life insurance policy that can be verified and assigned to the funeral home we will work with you. Please refer to our financing options for other options.