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| Funeral Facts |
| WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW The funeral service has evolved through the years as a result of our instinctive wish to honor our dead and to comfort the bereaved. The ceremony of the funeral symbolizes the beliefs of a culture, its hopes, its ideals, its spiritual concepts. Just as there is complexity in life, so are there many dimensions of the modern funeral. It generally involves religious, social, fraternal, civic and military organizations. It is affected by local, state and federal laws and regulations. But most importantly, the funeral is a vital part of the process by which the bereaved begin to adjust to a way of life that has been abruptly altered. If you are the one to whom your family may turn for leadership or assistance at such a time, you will want to be as well prepared as possible. As the nation’s leading burial vault company Wilbert® has been a part of helping funeral directors and families for nearly a hundred years. We understand how important it is for families to have all the facts. This booklet has been made available to you specifically for the purpose of furnishing you with essential information about funerals and other arrangements concerning death. Your funeral director can assist you even further with specific questions or concerns you may have. THE ROLE OF THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR Most families have already given some thought to the choice of a funeral establishment, so when there is a death, they know whom to call. In the days immediately following a death, you will rely on your funeral director to be present when you most need his or her assistance- to help receive callers during the visitation, to guide you through the maze of paperwork and to offer support after the service. And you can take comfort knowing he or she is also quietly working behind the scenes to take care of many important details for your family while creating a fitting tribute for the deceased. Possibly not until after the funeral service will you fully appreciate the vast amount of detail, the numerous specialized services and the tremendous responsibilities the funeral director has assumed in serving your family at this time of need and often for a considerable period of time to follow. |
| Please click on link below, and print out as many copies needed for you and your family. Fill in the information asked and keep in a safe location. This information will help you or your family in times of grief and stress. |
| WHEN YOU ARE IN CHARGE When someone you love has just died, there are a number of responsibilities that require your immediate attention. Your first priority, naturally, will be to comfort those most affected by the death. Then when you are able to focus your attention to making arrangements, the first calls should be to the funeral home and clergy person preferred by the family. As soon as you are able, other family members, close friends, neighbors and business or professional associates need notification. You may assign this duty to another family member or close family friend, so you can give your full attention to other important matters. Attending To The Details: Your funeral director is always ready, at a moment’s notice, to make his or her complete services available to you. You will meet as soon as possible with your funeral director to review personal information about the deceased in order to complete the death certificate and prepare the obituary. Prior to this consultation, you should also ascertain whether the deceased had preplanned for the funeral. This set of instructions will aid you greatly in assuring that the wishes of the deceased are carried out, and will take much of the decision-making burden from your shoulders. The Obituary Announcement: With your assistance, the funeral director will prepare the obituary announcement or paid death notice for publication in the newspapers. This notifies people of the time and place for visitation and the funeral services. He or she can also send notices to papers in other localities, often former places of residence of the deceased. Your funeral director can advise you the most effective and informative notices to send. The Paperwork: Unfortunately, there will be a lot of paperwork. But you won’t have to contend with it on your own. Your funeral director can assist you in securing all the benefits rightfully due your family. He or she can answer many of your questions, guide you to the proper resources, and assist in much of the paperwork required to file for insurance, Social Security and Veterans Administration benefits. Some of the assistance your funeral director can provide includes the following: • Help you obtain the required certified copies of the death certificate necessary to file for insurance benefits; • Send an appropriate form of the death certificate to the district Social Security office; • Direct you to your nearest Social Security office to determine current benefits and to file a claim, including Survivor benefits, and Medicare benefits to help pay the final medical bills if the deceased wa 65 or over; • Obtain an American flag for placement on the casket for any honorably discharged veteran; • Assist you in applying for a veteran’s grave marker and in making arrangements for burial in a national cemetery for eligible veterans and family members. MAKING PLANS FOR THE FUNERAL Throughout all the planning, your funeral director will be respectful of the familys’ wishes. The visitation and funeral can be a valuable experience as it meets the religious, social and emotional needs of the mourners. The funeral arrangements are particularly important in giving friends and family a meaningful way to express themselves. The Visitation: Assisted by your funeral director, you will decide the time, place and type of visitation. Usually, the visitation will be held at the funeral home. During visitation hours at the funeral home, your funeral director assists you in the reception of those who call. Whether you prefer a small or large gathering, your funeral director can help you make arrangements to best suit your wishes. The Service: Your funeral director will help you arrange a service that will best satisfy the preferences of you and your family. Most funeral homes offer a chapel or another appropriate setting for the service where an atmosphere of comfort, beauty and reverence is offered. You may also choose to hold the service at the family church, synagogue or other suitable location. If you are not affiliated with a church or synagogue, but wish to have a religious service, your funeral director can suggest a clergy. If a non-traditional service is desired, he or she can suggest alternatives that maintain the positive values and dignity of the funeral. The Tribute: You will also consider what kind of tribute you may wish to make. A suitable tribute might include a eulogy or personal remark either by the clergy or a close personal friend. Biblical passages, favorite poetry or other appropriate readings may be chosen. You may also wish to include music, both for its beauty and symbolic significance. Your funeral director will assist you in all your decisions… If the deceased was a member of a fraternal group or similar organizations, associate rituals may be available for the family’s use before the service, or incorporated into other plans being made for the funeral. Your clergy can advise you, and your funeral director will know whom to contact for these arrangements. Flowers and Flags: The family may choose to place a floral spray from the family on the casket, which should be delivered just before the visitation period begins. Your funeral director can advise you, or you may prefer to personally contact a favorite florist. The caskets of veterans may be draped with a American flag. Your funeral director can obtain a American flag without charge for the Veterans Administration for you. After burial, this flag is presented to the next-of-kin. Casket Bearers: Together with other family members, you will select casket bearers, to be notified by either your funeral director or a member of the family. Sometimes honorary casket bearers are also chosen, not to assist in carrying the casket, but to honor the memory of the deceased. SELECTIONS TO BE MADE Selecting A Casket: Whether you are preplanning for yourself, or choosing for a loved one, casket selection is a very personal decision, and a expression of your feelings. You may select the beauty of wood, or the brilliance of fine metal. You may prefer tailored simplicity of a more elaborate design. A casket selection which reflects the personality and taste of your loved one can be your final tribute to their life… A wide variety of caskets, in many price ranges, are available. You can rely upon your funeral director as an invaluable source to provide you with all the information you need to make a selection. Selecting A Burial Vault: Although not required by law, you may desire to select a burial vault; a sealed, warrantied and lined outer receptacle used in cemeteries for underground interment. Outer burial containers may be required by cemetery or memorial park, to help preserve the beauty of the property and reduce maintenance costs by supporting the weight of the earth and heavy equipment that may pass over the grave. Usually, the vault is set at the grave prior to interment. A brief service may be held at the grave, when the casket is interred. After the service, the cover will be placed over the base and the grave will be filled, compacted and then seeded or sodded. Wilbert® Burial Vaults: Wilbert is the burial vault recommended by leading funeral directors across the nation, and selected by more families than any other brand. The value of a Wilbert brand burial vault can be measured by the peace of mind that a structurally sound, finely crafted burial vault offers the family. Superior engineering and advanced technology combines with hand craftsmanship to produce every Wilbert vault. High-quality structural concrete is the basis of our vaults’ strength and durability. Additional strength is added in the bonded interior liners, made of high-impact thermoformed plastics such as ABS Marbelon, ABS Trilon or Strentex. Beauty and additional strength are added with interior linigns of stainless steel, copper or bronze. TRANSFERRING FINAL ARRANGEMENTS AFTER THE FUNERAL: Your funeral director can assist you with final disposition details. Even if the burial is to take place in another city or even another country, making proper arrangements will present no difficulty to your funeral director, whose affiliations extend his or her services throughout most of the world. Wilbert® can also be of assistance, with transferability to any location in North America. If the deceased had some definite feelings about where the burial should take place, arrangements for cemetery property may have been made in advance. Advise your funeral director so all the details relative to the interments can be made. If burial property needs to be acquired, your funeral director can assist you. He or she can guide you so that you may make arrangements with the cemetery. If you are arranging for new cemetery property, you may want to purchase a group of adjoining spaces for the eventual needs of your family. If this is not done, these adjacent spaces will most likely be secured by others and will not be available when needed. CREMATION CHOICES® If cremation is preferred, you will still be able to make the same decisions concerning the visitation and service. For a cremation service, you may select a casket for the visitation or viewing, and an urn for the cremated remains. If you choose not to have a viewing, you will still need to select a casket or alternative or alternative container. After cremation, many people prefer to bury the urn. While not required by law, many cemeteries or memorial parks do require the use of an urn vault. Again, many choices are available through Wilbert, including double and single- reinforced construction. Urn vaults offer added protective value. Double-reinforced urn vaults include metal liners, either semi-precious or stainless steel, while single-reinforced urn vaults are manufactured using durable plastic liners in addition to concrete. Above-ground entombment, permanent possession or scattering, are other choices for final disposition. You also have the opportunity for memorialization. UNDERSTANDING FUNERAL COSTS: Your funeral director welcomes your questions about costs because experience suggests the more completely you understand funeral costs, the less chance there will be for apprehension or misunderstanding. There is a wide range of funeral services from which to choose. Since each funeral is planned to meet the special needs of the family, it is difficult to speak in generalities about the “typical” funeral or “typical” costs. There are certain expenses basic to almost every funeral, but many are determined by the selections that are made, the services specified and the additional items requested. Keep in mind, all or part of the funeral expenses may be covered by a portion of forthcoming life insurance benefits, supplemented by any death benefits when applicable from Social Security, the Veterans Administration, fraternal groups and others. The deceased may have also made some prepaid arrangements which will cover all or most of the expenses. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AFTER THE FUNERAL: After the funeral, there will still be a number of things that require attention. Most of them, fortunately, can be postponed for a reasonable length of time, until you feel ready. Thank You Notes: As soon as possible, write notes to those who extended special help, sent flowers or made contributions to designated charities. Your funeral director may offer you cards for this purpose, or you may use your personal stationery. There will be an ample description of the floral tribute on the back of the sender’s card, permitting you to make special reference to the flowers in you note. You will probably want to thank the casket bearers and others who helped in various ways. You may also wish to acknowledge letters of sympathy; however, it is not necessary to answer notes or cards.. Handling Letters and Calls: You will undoubtedly receive mail and phone calls for the deceased for some time. Try not to let these become upsetting, remembering these people are making an unintentional mistake. Monuments: A monument or marker can be installed shortly after the funeral, or you may postpone this decision until some time in the future. It is wise to check with the cemetery official beforehand to learn about any restrictions in size or style. You may select an individual monument, engraved to your specifications, or a family monument to mark two or more adjoining graves. In the second case, when future burial are made, pertinent data can be inscribed in matching lettering on the same stone. Personal Possessions: In cases where a house or apartment is to be vacated, there is often a substantial accumulation of personal belongings. Although it may be difficult, this task should be performed by close family members, subject to the prior consent of the executor or administrator. Items of sentimental value or other personal significance that might otherwise be overlooked will be recognized by family members. And it is always possible that something of value or importance may be discovered. After careful review by the family, often some items remain which are not wanted. It is considerate to offer clothing, tools, furniture and other household items to a charitable organization that can put them to good use. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW: As you read this booklet, it may occur to you that planning a funeral can be an immense responsibility. You can take steps to relieve some of that burden. Life insurance, a will, and preplanning the funeral are just some of the important matters you should attend to now to make things easier for those who survive. Life Insurance Protection: Your insurance agent can advise you about the types of coverage available, and recommend the amount of coverage you family will need. Keep your policies in a safe place, but not your safety deposit box., which will be sealed for a time following you death. Notify your beneficiaries about your insurance and the location of the policy certificates. As you plan for providing for your family’s long-term needs, don’t overlook their short-term needs. A dilemma many families face is that the entire estate, including joint bank accounts and other funds, may be inaccessible for a considerable length of time. In order to meet ordinary daily expenses until the insurance is paid or the estate is settled, it is wise to set aside a special fund for this time of adjustment. Consult your banker or attorney for professional advice. Your Will: If you want to direct the administration of your affairs after death exactly as you wish, a properly prepared will is essential. Without a will, your property and holdings will be distributed according to law, and the court will appoint an administrator to dispose of your estate. A will reflecting your specific wishes will be reassuring to you and your family. A properly prepared will enables you to: • Select your own executor; • Remember and provide for members of your family and other loved ones; • Make bequests to your church or synagogue, charities, schools and other organizations; • Possibly reduce estate taxes; • Examine the benefits of a trust fund, and establish one if you desire; • Provide for an organ donation(s); • Ensure all instructions are carried out according to your personal wishes. If you do not already have a will, make arrangements with an attorney to have one prepared. If you do have a will, plan to review it periodically to make certain it still expresses your wishes. PREPLANNING YOUR FUNERAL: Thoughtful preparation can offer peace of mind not only to the one making the plans but also to those left behind. Preplanning is also a practical gesture because it allows you to make unhurried, informed decisions. Preplanning compels you to organize important documents your survivors will need later. With advance planning, you can choose a reasonable budget, and even set aside the funds over a period of time, to ease the financial burden on your family. There are several important things to consider when preplanning. You will want to consider any religious practices that are expected by your faith. You should be especially considerate of the family members who will be left behind by not overplanning. Instead, make general suggestions that can be adapted or adjusted to make the funeral more meaningful to the participants. Refrain from impractical requests. Your funeral director can discus the many preplanned and preneed funeral plans available, and help you select one suited to your personal needs. If at all possible, discuss these plans with your family, for the assurance your plans are appropriate, and for their cooperation in respecting them at death. IN CLOSING: If this booklet has helped you to begin the process of preplanning, we congratulate you for taking that important step. If you have used this booklet as a guide during a time of need in your family, we sincerely hope it has been helpful. There is a special satisfaction in knowing you have done all you can to provide financially and emotionally for your family after your death. The people of Wilbert also feel a great measure of satisfaction when we know we have helped a family through their difficult days. We consider it a true privilege to serve our community in this way. |