Services

In the course of everyday living this is the question that we are constantly confronted with regardless of what we are purchasing. With trends and society changing, funeral consumers have become more cost conscious than ever before. Funeral costs are no secret but can be misleading, especially when they are not fully explained at a time when it is difficult for families to understand.

There are 4 basic factors that constitute the cost of funerals:

• Services (professional services, staffing, equipment. & facilities, automobiles, other overhead related items)
• Merchandise (caskets, vaults, urns, reg. books, cards, etc.)
• Control Costs. By paying for your funeral in advance, your assets are protected and grow at competitive interest rates
• Cash Advances (services provided by others i.e. obituaries, grave openings, honoraria & gratuities, and administrative fees)

There exists a level of service and overhead that is factored into our prices that we must charge each family, commonly referred to by funeral directors as a 'service charge.' We must first respond by making an initial transfer from the place of death to our funeral home. We will meet with family members to help decide what arrangements will take place and we coordinate services with the family, clergy, military, florists, cemeteries/crematories and assist with composing and submitting obituaries. We secure, complete and file necessary documents, provide necessary care and handling of the deceased (including embalming if necessary). We offer facilities, equipment and staffing for visitations, arrangements, gatherings and ceremonies and will make transfers to the church, cemetery or crematory. (Included in providing these services are insurances, taxes, licensing, compliance with regulatory agencies, facility & vehicle maintenance, utilities, office and inventory expenses, etc.) These are all items that we refer to as 'overhead' and are incorporated into our 'service charge.'

Merchandise usually includes the cost of caskets, vaults, urns, shipping and cremation containers, register books, burial clothing, memorial and acknowledgement cards and any other goods that may be provided.