The Importance of Funerals

An important step in grieving is expressing emotions that may accompany death: Anger, guilt, fear, sorrow, and depression. A funeral gives mourners a time and place to express those feelings. Funerals stimulate mourners to talk about the deceased, one of the first steps toward accepting the death. The funeral brings together a community of family and friends who, by supporting each other, can help themselves through a difficult time. Just as we have rituals for other passages of life, such as graduations and weddings, we need a ritual for death - one of the most significant of all passages. Funerals don't just recognize that a life has ended; they recognize that a life was lived. The funeral ritual also helps the survivors to heal emotionally. When someone we love dies, we experience grief, which though it hurts, is not something to avoid. Grief is part of the healing process that allows us to seperate ourselves from the deceased person and go on with our lives. To resolve their grief, mourners need to accept the reality of death not only on an intellectual level, but on an emotional level as well. It is for this reason that the traditional funeral is usually preceded by an open-casket visitation period. This may seem unnecessary; but many grief experts say that nothing helps one accept the reality of death as much as seeing the deceased person.
For these reasons, it is important that families choose the kind of funeral and disposition most meaningful to them and most appropriate for the deceased.


Complete Assistance

Cemetery Planning, Crematory, Clergy, Church, Newspapper Notification, Veterans Benefits, Social Security Benefits and notification. Free insurance claim service.

National and International Services

Because we live in a transient society, families are sometimes faced with making service arrangements for someone who has died away from home. When a deceased loved one needs to be returned home to our area or returned to anywhere in the United States or to a foreign country, we have the experience necessary to help.

Serving All Faiths, Traditions and Customs

Our experience and in-depth knowledge allows us to help people of all faiths and denominations. Even when someone is not associated with a church we can assist in finding help and clergy.


What to Expect
A funeral is a time-honored celebration of a person's life and all those who were touched by it. The service memorializes the deceased and brings comfort and support to the bereaved. Funerals may be customized to reflect the person's hobbies, military service, social or fraternal organizations and spiritual considerations.

In addition to dealing with your own grief and the needs of those around you, there are many decisions to make. The Powers,Present & Sixbey staff will guide you through the process with thoughtful care and concern.

Their Wishes
Our family and staff will carefully review any personal wishes or pre-arrangements completed by the deceased and ensure that those desires are carried out.

Decisions
There are many decisions that will need to be made at the arrangement conference. There is pertinent information that will need to be provided to complete and finalize the death certificate and obituary notice. The form of disposition (burial, cremation, entombment, etc.) will need to be decided.

Merchandise (casket, urn, burial vault, marker, etc.) will need to be selected to correlate with services. We will assist you with finalizing visitation days and times as well as the time and place of service. In addition, we will contact clergy to officiate the service as well as any musician that would complete the service such as an organist or soloist.

You and your family will want to reflect on the content of the service. Who will eulogize the deceased? Songs, readings and/or Bible passages will need to be selected. You might also consider selecting family members or friends to play a special role in the service.

You will want to consider whom you'd like to serve as a pallbearer. Traditionally six to eight people are selected either gentleman or ladies who held a special place in the person's life. Flowers are another part of the service that may be selected. The flowers can be in any color theme such as red, white and blue to compliment a military service or any favorite color combination.

There are many things to think about and we've touched on a few pertinent items. Below please find a checklist of all the information and issues that will need to be considered at the arrangement conference. The checklist is meant to be a starting point or guide, some items in the list may or may not apply to your family's service preferences. Our family and staff are available 24 hours a day to serve you and would be most pleased to answer any questions or assist you with any specific concerns that you may have.

Preparation
In Preparation for the Arrangement Conference
Information listed below is necessary to complete the Certified Death Certificate.
Formal Name
Legal Residence
Social Security Number
Date and Place of Birth
Parents Names (including Mother's Maiden Name)
Veteran Information and Discharge papers
Final Place of Disposition (Cemetery, Mausoleum, Crematory)

Obituary or Death Notices placed in the newspaper are optional. Notices typically include the information listed below. Notices may be very detailed or simple depending on the family's wishes.
Survivors list-Next of Kin (Spouse, Children, Grandchildren, Siblings, etc.)
Preceded By List-Those family members who have passed away
Biographical Information (Residence, Employment, Memberships, Education, Armed Forces & Hobbies or Interest)
Charity for Memorial Contributions

The following items are service options that may be selected
Visitation or Viewing
Funeral Service or Funeral Mass
Memorial Visitation or Viewing
Memorial Service or Mass
Direct Burial, Direct Cremation and Anatomical Gift
Coordination of Out-of-Town Services

Selection of Merchandise will depend on the type of service and final disposition that has been chosen.
Casket, Decorative Cap Panels and/or Casket Engraving
Burial Vault
Urn
Printing (Register Book, Prayer Cards, or Memorial Folders)
Monument or Marker

Families may choose to personalize the services of their loved one. Many items may be brought in from home to display at services. Other items may be selected at the funeral home.
Photo Collages, Albums and Framed Photography
Personal Interest Items (Golf Bag, Military Awards, Quilts, etc.)
Decorative Casket Panels, Casket Engraving, Floral Pieces, Music
Readings, Biblical Passages, and Eulogies
Pall Bearers

An arrangement conference typically lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the family's wishes and choices. Many of the above decisions will depend on each individual family's service preferences. Some of the items listed above are applicable to particular service or disposition choices and may not apply to all families.