Frequently asked questions
We are happy to answer any and all questions which come our way – and we hear some over and over again. Those are the ones we’ve included in this section of the website.
However, if you’re question isn’t listed, don’t hesitate to email us. If yours is an urgent need, please call.
| Who will conduct the service? When and where will the service be? | |
| It is important to make these decisions jointly with the funeral director. Our staff handles all the details associated with the funeral whether the services are held in the chapel or it will no service, or at the gravesite only. One phone call to our staff removes the burden of a family needing to make multiple detail-oriented calls. We coordinate with cemeteries and all parties involved in preparing for a funeral. | |
| When can I notify relatives and friends of the service time and location? | |
| Details of the service should not be made public until both the funeral director confirm the time and place of the service. | |
| When should the funeral take place? | |
| The funeral can be arranged on the any acceptable for you time and date. But please note the cremation could be organized at least 2 days after the death certificate and permission to cremate (cremation certificate) were issued, as crematorium need to check all the papers. | |
| Where should the service take place? | |
| Most funeral services used to take place in the chapel at the funeral home or crematorium. It is a comfortable and proper locale to eulogize and memorialize your loved one. Plus a chapel service is not subject to the vagaries of the weather, or other outside distractions. There are, however, times when an alternative location might be appropriate. If, for example, only a very few people will be attending, or because of geographical considerations, one might choose to hold the service at the gravesite. If the deceased had been an active member of a church, the service might take place there. Our staff or the priest will be able to advise you. |
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| How do I prepare for the service? | |
| If the priest is the only speaker, then your meeting with the priest will provide all the information necessary. If others in the family, or friends, plan to speak, then they will make the necessary preparations. You should plan to be at the funeral home approximately 5-10 min before the scheduled start of the service (note that funeral services almost always start exactly on time) to be available to acknowledge friends and family coming to the service. |
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| How long does the service take? | |
| The service duration should be agreed with the funeral director. The “average” funeral service at the chapel, with only the priest speaking, usually takes 20-30 minutes. If others will be speaking, the length of the service obviously, then, depends on them. If there are multiple speakers, the service could take an hour. Please advise the priest and our staff if there will be additional speakers. | |
| Should I bring children? | |
| The tradition regards a funeral as a very important part of the life cycle, and an important educational opportunity. Children are naturally curious, and amazingly resilient. They will absorb as much as is appropriate for their age and level of maturity. They will ask questions; answers need not be complete, but should always be truthful. Most children are perfectly capable of dealing with such stressful situations, sometimes actually better than adults, and under normal circumstances their presence at both the funeral service and the burial is appropriate. Ultimately, however, you know your own children, and must make a decision based on what is best for them and for you. | |
| What is the procedure at the cemetery? | |
| Everyone who is able should make every effort to “accompany the deceased” to the cemetery. Upon arrival at the cemetery and filing the papers at the office, the procession will continue to the gravesite, where the casket is carried to the grave, accompanied by the family and friends. After lowering the casket, it is then appropriate for all present to participate in the actual burial by shoveling earth into the grave, as it is the primary responsibility of the family and the community. | |
| How long does it take? | |
| The service at the cemetery, depending upon which prayers need to be recited and how much of the grave is to be filled in, could take from 15-45 minutes. | |
| Should children come to the cemetery? | |
| As noted above, children usually deal quite well with the entire funeral experience. If it is age-appropriate and maturity-appropriate for your child, there is nothing wrong with bringing them. | |