Frequent Questions

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. They are considered the first step in the grieving process, providing surviving family and friends with an atmosphere of care and support as they come to terms with the finality of the death. In many cultures, funerals also have a religious or spiritual significance, with specific rites and rituals.

• Field and respond to phone calls 24/7
• Transport the deceased to the funeral home (anytime, day or night)
• Meet with the deceased person’s family to discuss their wishes and preferences for funeral arrangements, and assist the family with the purchase of casket, burial vault, urn, or cemetery plot.
• Assist with the creation and placement of obituaries in newspapers and online platforms
• Coordinate with clergy if a funeral or memorial service is to be held
• Order flower arrangements as the family wishes
• Prepare, file, and provide certified copies of death certificates
• Obtain necessary permits and other legal documents required for burial or cremation
• Work with life insurance companies, Social Security, and the Veterans Administration to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits
• Wash, disinfect, and embalm bodies (when embalming is requested)
• Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing
• Oversee the details of the funeral service, including coordinating with florists, musicians, and other service providers
• Schedule the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel, if a burial is to be performed
• Organize and lead the procession of vehicles to the funeral location and/or cemetery, including a police escort when possible
• Provide aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved
• Maintain funeral home facilities
• Maintain and operate the crematory Field and respond to phone calls 24/7
• Transport the deceased to the funeral home (anytime, day or night)
• Meet with the deceased person’s family to discuss their wishes and preferences for funeral arrangements, and assist the family with the purchase of casket, burial vault, urn, or cemetery plot.
• Assist with the creation and placement of obituaries in newspapers and online platforms
• Coordinate with clergy if a funeral or memorial service is to be held
• Order flower arrangements as the family wishes
• Prepare, file, and provide certified copies of death certificates
• Obtain necessary permits and other legal documents required for burial or cremation
• Work with life insurance companies, Social Security, and the Veterans Administration to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits
• Wash, disinfect, and embalm bodies (when embalming is requested)
• Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing
• Oversee the details of the funeral service, including coordinating with florists, musicians, and other service providers
• Schedule the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel, if a burial is to be performed
• Organize and lead the procession of vehicles to the funeral location and/or cemetery, including a police escort when possible
• Provide aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved
• Maintain funeral home facilities
• Maintain and operate the crematory 

When your loved one has died at home:

• If your loved one was under hospice care, contact hospice right away. A hospice nurse will come to your home to pronounce the death, and will contact the funeral home on your behalf when you are ready for your loved one to be transferred into their care.
• If your loved one was NOT under hospice care, your first call must be to 911. Emergency services will arrive and contact the county medical examiner to pronounce the death. The medical examiner will contact the funeral home on your behalf when they are ready for the funeral director to transfer your loved one into their care.

When your loved one has died in a hospital or nursing facility:

• You only have to tell the facility the name of the funeral home you wish to use, and the appropriate staff will contact the funeral home on your behalf when they are ready for the funeral director to transfer your loved one into their care.

A funeral director will contact you to schedule a time to make arrangements.

Bring the following information and items to the arrangement meeting:

• Birth date
• Birth place
• Father’s name
• Mother’s name including maiden name
• Social security number
• Military discharge form DD-214
• Education history
• Marital status
• Clothing for the deceased to wear if a viewing is desired
• Keepsakes like photos or letters to be cremated or buried with your loved one

• Make a list of immediate family, close friends, and employer or business colleagues; notify each by phone.
• If desired, contact your clergy to notify them of the death. While you can discuss potential dates and times for services, it’s best to refrain from scheduling anything until you’ve met with the funeral director. Your funeral director will coordinate with the church during or after the arrangement meeting.
• Gather obituary information you want to include such as age, place of birth, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, and a list of survivors in the immediate family. Your funeral director will often write the obituary for you to review, unless you prefer to write it yourself.

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

When compared to other major life events like births and weddings, funerals are not expensive. A wedding costs at least three times as much; but because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized. A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive facilities and equipment, and these expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Funeral costs also include merchandise like caskets and vaults, which can vary widely in price depending on materials used to construct them. Funeral directors must also maintain professional licensing through continuing education courses.

Funeral directors look upon their profession as a service and oftentimes a ministry, but it is also a business. Like any business, funeral homes must make a profit to exist. 

On average at our firm, you can expect a traditional funeral and burial to cost anywhere from $12,000-$20,000; a traditional cremation from $9,500-$12,000; a memorial cremation from $6,500-$10,000; and a direct cremation around $4500. On average at our firm, you can expect a traditional funeral and burial to cost anywhere from $12,000-$20,000; a traditional cremation from $9,500-$12,000; a memorial cremation from $6,500-$10,000; and a direct cremation around $4500. 

Cremation is the process by which a body is reduced to bone fragments using flame and intense heat. The process typically takes from two to four hours. The cremated remains are then pulverized into a granular texture commonly referred to as “ashes.”

These services involve either the cremation or burial of a body without any visitation or funeral ceremony beforehand. An arrangement conference is still necessary to go over vital statistics, to sign paperwork, and to select either a casket or an urn. Oftentimes families who select direct cremation and burial services will hold their own private memorial gatherings or services without the assistance of the funeral home.

No. The arrangement process for cremation is not very different from the arrangement process for a traditional burial. Families choosing cremation can still have a traditional viewing/visitation and funeral ceremony with the body present, prior to cremation. They can also opt to hold a memorial visitation and service with the cremated remains present instead. Services can be held in a place of worship, at the funeral home, a cemetery, or other locations such as a park or country club.

If a direct cremation is chosen, arrangements will typically take less time to complete as there are fewer details to discuss.

Choosing between burial and cremation is a personal decision dependent on various factors such as cultural, religious, and individual preferences. Some considerations to be made when deciding:

Burial:

• Some cultures and religions have specific traditions, rites, and practices associated with the burial of an intact body
• Visitation and viewing of the embalmed body can assist in processing the reality of the death and provide a sense of closure. Mourners can see the person one last time and say their final goodbyes
• The cemetery is a physical place to visit and commemorate your loved one

Cremation

• Cremation services typically cost less than traditional burial services
• Cremation can offer increased flexibility in terms of when and where a memorial service is held
• Visitation and viewing of the embalmed body can occur in a rental casket or cremation casket prior to the cremation, if desired
• There are many options for the final resting place of the cremated remains
• Some feel that cremation is a more ecologically friendly option, as cremated remains take up less space than a casket in the ground

Embalming is the physical and chemical process of disinfecting and preserving the deceased human body. Embalming does not stop the natural process of decomposition completely, but rather delays it to allow for funeral arrangements to be made and for friends and family to come together to view and pay their respects to the deceased.

In many instances, embalming and restorative art can help to restore the natural, healthy appearance of a decedent who has experienced physical declines in health prior to death. Embalming and restorative art can also improve and sometimes eliminate signs of physical trauma to a decedent who has experienced death due to accidents or violence.

Viewing the embalmed body can help individuals to process the reality of the death. Honest confrontation of the reality of the death is the best way for the bereaved to overcome any death-denial feelings and to navigate the grief process in a healthy manner.

In short, no. 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."

No! Despite popular belief that embalming chemicals (namely, formaldehyde) pollute the earth, there are several studies that set the record straight.

Formaldehyde occurs naturally in the environment and is produced during the decay of plant material in soil and during normal chemical processes in most living organisms. It is also found in lots of everyday items like composite wood products, building materials, glues, vaccines, permanent press fabrics, paints, medicines, cosmetics, fabric softeners, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Formaldehyde is naturally broken down when exposed to sunlight, bacteria, and nitrogen. Essentially, the formaldehyde used in embalming is broken down and denatured after coming into contact with proteins of the body or organic material in waste water.

With cremation, your options are numerous and will depend on the preferences of the deceased as well as the surviving family.

• Scattering: Families may choose to scatter the ashes in a meaningful location, such as a favorite outdoor spot, the ocean, or a memorial garden.
• Burial: Cremated remains can be buried in a cemetery burial plot or dedicated cremation garden. This provides a permanent location for family and friends to visit and pay their respects.
• Retainment: Cremated remains can be placed in an urn and kept at home. Be sure to have a succession plan for the cremated remains that details how they should be handled upon your own passing.
• Keepsakes: Portions of cremated remains can be placed in small urns or memorial jewelry, allowing family members to keep a small amount of the remains as a personal keepsake.
• Columbaria: Some families choose to place the ashes in a columbarium, which is a structure with niches designed to hold urns, usually in a cemetery. This provides a permanent, communal space for memorialization.
• Artistic Creations: Some people opt to incorporate cremated remains into artistic creations, such as glass sculptures or paintings. Artists can work with families to create custom pieces.
• Planting: Cremated remains can be mixed with soil and used to plant a tree, shrub, or flowers. This creates a living memorial that continues to grow and flourish.
• Water Burial: Some companies provide services for placing cremated remains in an underwater memorial, such as an artificial reef. This can be an option for those who had a connection to the ocean.

If you wish to have your cremated remains scattered somewhere, it is important to discuss your wishes ahead of time with the person or persons who will actually have to do the scattering, 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 scattering ceremony that they will customize to fit your family’s specific desires. The services can be as formal or informal as you like. Scattering services can also be public or private. It is advisable to check for local regulations regarding scattering in a public place-your funeral director can help you with this.

This is frequently allowed—depending upon the cemetery’s policy. You may be able to save a grave space by having the cremated remains buried on top of your loved one’s casket. Most cemeteries will require a second interment fee and the memorialization of both deceased persons on a headstone.

Today you can find a multitude of cremation societies that advertise very low-cost direct cremations, so you may wonder why funeral homes charge more. First, funeral homes generally have much higher overhead costs than cremation societies, as funeral homes tend to have more staff members to pay and more facilities to maintain. Next, while cremation societies may advertise very low prices for cremation, there are usually additional fees associated with providing services to your family. Here are some examples of things that are included in our services that cremation societies may charge extra for:

• Transfer of a body from a home as opposed to a hospital or nursing home
• Transfer of a body heavier than 300lbs
• Transfers requiring two staff members
• Transfers after 5pm or on weekends
• Trips to the medical examiner’s office for cremation exams
• In-person arrangement conference (vs. online arrangements)
• Ordering death certificates
• Removing pacemaker or defibrillator prior to cremation
• Obtaining fingerprints via ink pad or digital scan as a memento
• Writing and posting an obituary
• Temporary urn
• Preparations for private viewing
• Storing cremated remains temporarily

The value of a funeral home’s service goes beyond financials, however. When you choose a family owned and operated funeral home and crematory, you know who you are working with. Ours, Southern Lakes Crematory, is the only family owned and operated crematory in Walworth County. Low-cost cremation providers often have attractive websites indicating that they are local to your area, when in reality, they do not own a crematory and instead contract with multiple crematories across the area. We operate our own crematory and can ensure high standards of practice. You can rest assured that your loved one will remain in our care from start to finish.

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.

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.
• Cremation services are typically much less expensive than burial options. Discuss all options with your family and your funeral director.
• Talk to your funeral director about splitting the funeral bill into payments.