| How does pre-arrangement work? |
| You may pre-arrange today for a funeral to be delivered at an unknown date in the future. Your wishes and selections are recorded and kept in a personal file. When death occurs, we can go to your information and determine exactly what is to be done.
If you choose to pre-pay for the services and merchandise selected, you pay at today’s price. Your money is then invested in an irrevocable trust that earns interest until death occurs. The trustee then releases the money to the funeral home to pay for the funeral. The funeral home receives from the trust the cost of the funeral on the day it is delivered.
For example, if you select a service and merchandise that totals $5,000.00 today, and at the time of death that same service and merchandise totals $5,600.00, the trust would pay $5,600.00 to the funeral home. The payment would consist of the $5,000.00 principal amount plus $600.00 in interest earnings. If there is more money than is needed in the trust to cover inflation, that excess may be used to upgrade the service or to pay for different third party services, such as flowers, honorariums, or paid obituaries. The excess may also be refunded to the family if no other expenses are incurred. If there is less money in the trust than is needed to cover the pre-selected services and merchandise at the time of death, then the funeral home must provide the pre-selected services and merchandise for the amount that is in trust, and discount any remaining balance.
Pre-arrangement can definitely provide peace of mind and inflation protection to the person who is pre-arranging as well as to their immediate family members. For more information, please contact one of our Directors. |
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| How do I choose a funeral provider? |
| Many people don't realize that they are not legally required to use a funeral home to plan and conduct a funeral. However, because they have little experience with the many details and legal requirements involved and may be emotionally distraught when it's time to make the plans, many people find the services of a professional funeral home to be a comfort.
In addition, there's a growing trend toward consolidation in the funeral home industry, and many neighborhood funeral homes are thought to be locally owned when in fact, they're owned by a national corporation. If this issue is important to you, you may want to ask if the funeral home is locally owned.
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| What type of service should I choose? |
| Every family is different, and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. Funeral practices are influenced by religious and cultural traditions, costs and personal preferences. These factors help determine whether the funeral will be elaborate or simple, public or private, religious or secular, and where it will be held. They also influence whether the body will be present at the funeral, if there will be a viewing or visitation, and if so, whether the casket will be open or closed, and whether the remains will be buried or cremated.
Among the choices you'll need to make is whether you want one of the basic types of funerals, or something in between.
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| How are funeral services priced? |
| The cost of services is determined by the type of service chosen and the individual components of that service. Strunk Funeral Homes offers convenient service packages consisting of items that are chosen most often by the families we serve.
A service package includes all components of a particular type of service for a single fee. Examples of different service packages would include the traditional funeral service, graveside service, forwarding to another funeral home, receiving from another funeral home, immediate burial, and cremation packages. Individual service components may also be purchased separately from our itemized general price list.
The cost of a service is based on the actual expense related to the specific items chosen, as well as a percentage of operating expenses. |
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| What options are available to pay for a funeral? |
| Many people choose to pre-arrange and pre-pay for their funerals in advance. Death is one of the certainties of life, and preparations must be made for its eventual occurrence. By pre-paying, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your family will be protected from future price increases.
For payment at the time of death, Strunk Funeral Homes offers many options for your convenience. We accept assignments on life insurance, and will take care of all details involved in the filing of claims. If the deceased person was not insured, we accept cash or personal checks. In addition, some of our locations also accept credit and debit cards. While we do not offer in-house financing, those wishing to make payments over time may make those arrangements with a bank or other financial institution. Payment or the securing of payment is requested at the time arrangements are made. |
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| What makes a “good” funeral? |
| A "good" funeral is one that is authentic, creative, personalized, and meaningful in relation to the person who died and those who are grieving. Readings, music, the location of the funeral - paying attention to all these symbols of caring will help add meaning to the ceremony. A funeral can and should be a celebration of life! Today, funerals are becoming more and more personal and don't have to be formal oppressive affairs with the "standard" music and a complete stranger conducting the service. |
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| What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service? |
| A funeral service usually occurs before a person is buried. A memorial service can be held before or after burial.
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| Where are funeral and/or memorial services held? |
| Funeral services are usually held in a church or a funeral home. Memorial services can be held in a church, funeral home, in a person's home, outdoors, or any place that feels appropriate to the family. |
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| Can I still have a service if I donate my remains? |
| Yes. Your funeral home can coordinate a memorial service or gathering at the family's preferred time and location. The funeral home can also arrange the donation of organs to medical science. |
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| “I'm not religious, why have a service?”
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| The gathering of family, friends and loved ones at a time of a death is an important part of the grieving and healing process. A service acknowledging a life is equally important. There are many alternatives to a religious service that you may wish to consider. In fact, many people today are choosing to "celebrate" a life and it's accomplishments by allowing family and friends to speak at a secular gathering devoted to sharing memories, music, videos and pictures. These creative services can take place at home, in the funeral home, at the graveside or any other suitable location. Attendees gain the benefit of a healthy transference through sharing this memorial.
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| "Dad wants to be cremated, but I want to have a visitation and service for him. Can we do both?" |
| Yes you can! Cremation is nothing more than a means of final disposition. Many people recognize the need to have a time for family and friends to come together and share their feelings and experiences following the death of someone they love. Most also understand the importance of planning some type of personalized ceremony that remembers and pays tribute to a life that has been lived. A traditional visitation and service may be planned with the body present, or a memorial service may be planned following cremation. Your funeral director will be able to discuss different options that are available to you and answer any questions you may have |
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| Do I have to be embalmed if I choose cremation? |
| No. Embalming is not required by law. If you choose a cremation service which does not include an open casket, public visitation, then embalming is not necessary. |
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| Why are caskets open? |
| Often our first response to news of a death is "I can't believe it". In fact, many people who have had someone close to them die report a period of "denial" prior to the visitation or funeral. Viewing of the deceased in an open casket serves to acknowledge the reality of death as physical fact and helps to promote the subsequent process of grief and healing. |
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| Should children attend funerals? |
| We believe children who are old enough to love are old enough to mourn. Mourning helps the healing process, and a funeral is a time to mourn. |
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| What should one do if the death of a loved one occurs while that person is traveling? |
| In this situation, a family may choose to either contact a Funeral Home in the community in which the person resides or in the location where death occurs.
If a family is familiar with a Funeral Home in the community in which the person resides, it is generally recommended, regardless of where death has occurred, to contact the Funeral Home in that community. The Funeral Director will then make all the necessary arrangements to transport the remains back home. Funeral arrangements can then be made, on a personal basis, upon the family's return.
If a Funeral Home in the location where death occurs is contacted similar transportation arrangements would be made by that Funeral Home to ensure the remains are transferred to a Funeral Home in the community in which the deceased resides.
The above noted alternatives assume the family would desire a traditional funeral service with viewing and earth burial. Another option would be the cremation of the deceased at the place of death with the cremated remains transported home by the family for interment or scattering.
Should the remains be transported home, some preparation and embalming will be necessary to meet the carrier's requirements. The carrier will accept a "shipping container" designed for this purpose or the remains may be shipped in a casket.
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| Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Funeral Merchandise |
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| What is the difference between a grave liner and a vault? Isn’t one just as good as the other? |
| A grave liner has a single purpose. It is a load bearing container that is designed to support the weight of the earth and help keep the grave from sinking in over time. A vault serves two purposes. It is a load bearing container just like the grave liner, but it has the addition of a sealing mechanism that makes it resistant to the entrance of water found in the soil around the gravesite. |
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| Do I need to have a vault? |
| There is no state or federal law that requires the purchase of any type of outer enclosure. Some cemeteries do require the use of an outer enclosure for the casket because it supports the weight of the earth and helps to keep the grave from sinking in over time, reducing cemetery maintenance. Your funeral director can explain to you the different types of outer enclosures available and any requirements concerning their use. |
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| Do I have to purchase a casket or urn? |
| No. The purchase of a casket or urn is not required by law, if an urn is not selected, the crematory will return the cremated remains to the family in a plastic temporary container. |
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| Are special cremation caskets used? |
| Cremation casket selection varies from cardboard to hardwood. Many are quite affordable and totally combustible. |
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| Can I change interiors from one casket to another? |
| Casket interiors are permanently installed during the manufacturing process and cannot be transferred from one casket to another. If another color is desired, your funeral director can tell you whether or not the casket you have chosen is available in a different color. |
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| One casket looks as good as another. Why is there such a big difference in cost? |
| The price of a casket is determined by many things. The material from which the shell of a casket is constructed, the design of the shell, the type of fabric used in the interior and the way that fabric is stitched, whether or not it has a gasket around the opening, the type of hardware (handles, mounts and corners) used on the casket, and the amount of hand detailing (brushing, pin striping, custom finishes, etc.) all contribute to the final cost of the casket. Caskets are very similar to any other type of merchandise; the quality is reflected in the price. |
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| Do wood caskets seal? |
| Wood caskets typically do not feature a rubber gasket around the opening that makes them resistant to the entrance of water found in the ground around the gravesite. Wood is a porous material, which renders a gasket ineffective. If this is a concern, the use of a vault will protect the casket from elements found in the soil at the gravesite. Some wood caskets are available with inner liners constructed of metal with a rubber gasket around the opening of the liner. |
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| I will not be able to gather the photographs for the memorial DVD tribute in time for the service. Can I do it at a later time? |
| You may bring the photographs in at your convenience following the service and we will be glad to produce the memorial DVD tribute for you as a family keepsake. |
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