Why do we have funerals?

A funeral affirms that a death has occurred and pays tribute to a life lived. It is an organized response to death that allows family members, friends and associates the opportunity to commemorate a loved one. The funeral also serves to care for the dead by properly and honorably disposing of the body. The gathering of family and friends supports those who grieve and helps them to adjust spiritually, emotionally and socially.

Have we always had funerals?

Every culture and civilization ever studied has had some type of funeral ceremony, a sacred place for the dead, and has memorialized their dead. Dating back to the days of Neanderthal man, who lived more than 40,000 years ago, evidence has been discovered indicating some type of ritual for their dead. Funerals are older than the practice of agriculture and our alphabet.

What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?

A funeral always involves the presence and final disposition of a dead human body. A memorial service is any service, which commemorates a death, but does not involve the presence or disposition of the body.

How much does a funeral cost?

Like healthcare, education, housing, or transportation, the range of expenses related to funerals is a wide one and will depend upon a number of variables. Staff and professional services, use of facilities, motor equipment, merchandise, cemetery and crematory fees, flowers, music, printing, all of these may be a part of final expenses. All funeral home fees are itemized by federal mandate. No discussion of funeral arrangements will be held unless the family has a General Price List, from which to make informed decisions. The General Price List is available to anyone at anytime who requests one in person at the funeral home, whether or not they are there to make funeral arrangements. Likewise, price information is available over the phone.

How much does a casket cost?

A full range of caskets is available at the funeral home. Prices range from a cardboard container for $79.00, a carved-top mahogany container for $12,000.00, to a variety of prices in between. In addition to traditional caskets in wood and metal, cremation caskets are available in a variety of combustible materials and wood.

Do you have a casket for cremation?

For cremation or for burial, all that is required is that the dead body be “in” something so that crematory or cemetery personnel do not have to handle the body themselves. The family of the deceased makes the decisions for what kind of casket to use depending on their preference.

When should funeral arrangements be made?

The time to make funeral arrangements varies by a family's and individual's preference and need. Some families find that preplanning for a funeral puts their minds at ease. Others do not wish to make these difficult decisions until the need arises. For families attached to religious or ethnic traditions, the arrangements for a funeral may follow a pattern established by their church or culture. Peterson Funeral Services are always available to provide information and education on this topic as well as to openly discuss planning options.

Should the body of the deceased be present at the funeral?

The decision of whether to have the body present at the funeral or not, is a personal, family decision. Some families want the body present to allow, what they feel, is a necessary part of the grieving process. Some people feel that the best way to accept a death is by viewing the body of the deceased. It allows family and friends to confront the loss of the person, to honor his or her memory, and to address religious and spiritual beliefs. Some families find it too difficult and painful to have the body present. It is important that each family make the decision that suits them best.

Why do some people bury their dead and others cremate? What are some of the reasons for each?

All through history humans have looked for efficient, proper and honorable ways to dispose of their dead and to memorialize them. Burial was and remains the most often used method of disposition. But more and more families, in the last fifty years, have chosen cremation for a variety of reasons. About one in three deaths now ends in cremation in America. As a culture, we are more mobile, less “grounded” than earlier generations and cremation suits this cultural change. A century ago, people were born, lived, and died in the same community. It made sense in such places to bury the dead. Now that is not so much the rule. Our sense of “home” changes many times in a lifetime. So like living, which has become more transient and portable, cremation makes the dead more transient and portable. Cremation may cost less than earth burial – though the difference is most often in the hundreds, not the thousands of dollars – because crematory fees are most often less than grave opening charges. Still, when the cost of urns, nitches, or cemetery space for the ashes is added, the cost differences may be very little. Too often we mistake cremation as an alternative to a funeral rather than as an alternative to burial. Unlike cultures where cremation has been practiced widely and well, cremation in our culture has too often been seen as a way to get rid of the dead. In some places, cremation is highly ritualized, done with ceremony and symbol and has profound meaning for the living. It is seen as “cleansing,” “release,” or “reuniting with creation.” But in western thought, our ideas about fire are often negative – it is seen as wasteful or punitive – and so too often it is at odds with our culture conditioning. But the value of a funeral does not proceed from what we spend or from what we save. It comes from what we do about the fact that someone we love has died. Both burial and cremation can have positive meanings for a family. The question is not so much “what is done” but “by whom and for what reasons.” As with all other important decisions, open discussion and careful consideration help to make for good decisions. 

How does one become a funeral director?