Funeral Services

A funeral represents a purposeful opportunity to reflect on a life that has been lived and to determine the impact of that life in the context of the family and friends. There is no single proper funeral service, but we are often influenced by our religious traditions, family traditions, or our own unique ideas. It is a time for human sharing in its deepest sense. You and the ones you love are at the very center of the process, and the choices you make will determine its significance for you. As you participate in the planning of the funeral service, you help create a meaningful experience for everyone.

It is the goal of Memorial Funeral Homes to help people complete the relationship with the one who has died and to provide a climate that encourages each person to give and receive emotional support. During the funeral service, family and friends have the opportunity to relate to each other at the deepest levels and find mutual strength.

 Elements of a Funeral Service

While tradition can be different for every family, our community has frequently celebrated a funeral with services over two days, the first day is a family or public viewing of the deceased and the second day is a religious service followed by a burial. This has long been the practice, but in today's world, we are finding a wide range of service options.  Sometimes the elements are in a different order, sometimes public or private.  Each family and each circumstance is unique, and our funeral home hopes to listen to your requests.

The viewing, also referred to as calling hours or a wake, is usually held in the funeral home and gives an opportunity for family and friends to pay their respects, share in the stories and life of the deceased, and often to display many of the symbols, mementos and photos of that life. The next day, the funeral often fulfills the families’ religious or spiritual needs through prayer and song, gathering as a community, and fulfilling a step in the circle of life. This would be followed by the burial of the casketed remains.

While this may be an appropriate choice for many, other families will create their own traditions, and make choices that create a different, unique ceremony. Other services may include a unique location, many family participants, or representatives of different aspects of the deceased’s life. Below we have elaborated on some more elements and choices that can be made.

The graveside service can be another selection. The casketed remains may be brought to the cemetery where a graveside ceremony could take place with prayers or traditions being fulfilled.

A visitation or wake may be the only public ceremony a family chooses. For many, a religion or church isn’t a part of the funeral service, and a gathering can be held at the funeral home for the community to pay their respects, but it would not be followed by another ceremony.

A memorial service is often associated with cremation, does not need to be exclusively associated that way. Some families can create a combination of public and private ceremonies, with or without the casket or body present. For example, the family can choose to have a private, family only viewing at the funeral home, giving them an opportunity to say good bye in a private, quiet setting. This might be followed by a public memorial service at a church or in the funeral home, with photos, flowers and mementos on display, instead of a casket.

 Personalized Services

At Memorial Funeral Homes, we encourage families to create very personalized services. It is important to acknowledge that life that has been lived and to offer to the community a way in which to celebrate that life. By offering services and memorialization features that are personal and special, a unique life can be remembered and honored in an individualized way that is comforting to the family and friends. For example, if a grandmother was a dedicated gardener, and loved spring flowers, the family can work with the funeral director to have seed packets personalized, and handed out to everyone who attends the service. Or a postman’s family can hand out a custom printed “letter” with a photo of the deceased printed with the obituary inside a stamped envelope. For as many personalities there are in the world, there are as many ideas that can be shared with the community at a funeral.

 How Your Funeral Director Can Serve You

When a death occurs, your primary responsibility is to yourself and the ones you love. There are a number of things that require attention simultaneously. Regardless of the day or hour, Memorial Funeral Homes is always prepared to respond to your needs quickly and competently. The funeral director's main function is to assist you with the necessary details of the funeral process. Among the services funeral directors provide are:

• Spending time with the family to learn what arrangements the funeral plans might include
• Securing necessary permits and death certificates that a town or state may require
• Care and custody of the body, sometimes including embalming and dressing for viewing
• Coordinating all details with the clergy, including readings and music you have selected
• Placing obituary and funeral notices in newspapers
• Assisting in arranging for burial or cremation
• Possibly assisting in arrangements for cemetery space, grave opening and closing, flowers and monuments
• Arranging transportation for you and the members of your family prior to, during, and after the funeral
• Supervision and assistance during the funeral or memorial service
• Helping the family discuss, create, and fulfill various creative and personal elements to the ceremony, both to honor the deceased and to help the survivors

For more information about our Professional Services you can download our General Price List (GPL), or please contact us by or call us at 401-846-0698. We're here to help.