Common Questions

We have heard thousands of questions, and chosen to provide you with the answers to some of the more common questions relating to a funeral, a funeral service and funeral homes. If you have further questions related to funerals, please contact us and we will do our best to give you the most reliable information possible.

• What is a funeral?
  The funeral is a ceremony of proven worth and value for those who mourn. It provides an opportunity for the survivors and others who share in the loss to express their love, respect and grief. It permits facing openly and realistically the crisis that death may present. Through the funeral, the bereaved take that first step towards emotional adjustment to their loss.

• What type of service should I have?
  Only you can answer that question. The type of service conducted for the deceased, if not noted in a pre-arrangement, is decided by the family. The service is usually held at a place of worship or at the funeral home. The service may vary in ritual according to religious denomination, fraternal customs, local traditions, or the wishes of the family. The presence of friends at this time is an acknowledgment of friendship and support. A private service is by invitation only where selected relatives and a few close friends attend the funeral service. A memorial service is usually a service without the body present and can vary in ceremony and procedures according to the family's community and religious affiliations.

• Can I personalize my funeral service?
  Absolutely. In fact, we recommend it. After all, the funeral is a celebration of life. We are happy to discuss all options and ensure your funeral is tailored to your wishes. It may be personalized in many unique ways. Contact us at to explore the possibilities.

• Why should we have a public viewing?
  There are many reasons to view the deceased. It is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions, and many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process, by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is even encouraged for children, as long as it is their desire to do so, and the process is explained well. We have fielded questions from several parents in preparation for younger children attending a visitation/viewing or funeral.  If you have questions, please feel free to call us.

• Why do we need an obituary notice?
  The publication of the obituary notice is helpful to friends and the community as it is used to announce the death and the corresponding funeral arrangements. The official obituary notice is posted on the Obituary page of our website. This provides the fastest and most complete publication of the service arrangements. To assist you in receiving this information as soon as possible, the notification can be provided to you free of charge by email by registering for the Obituary Notification service in the Obituaries link at the top of this page. We will also post a basic notice on our Facebook and Twitter pages to further announce the service arrangements. Under the direction of the family, the obituary can also be made available to newspapers or other sites on the Internet, as well as a growing number of television stations. This is especially helpful in communities such as ours whose daily printed newspapers have been reduced or even eliminated.

• What do funeral directors do?
  Funeral directors are both caregivers and administrators. In their administrative duties, they make the arrangements for transportation of the body, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body.

  As caregivers, funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help. Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home or in the community.

• What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
  We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All you need to do is place a call to us at . If you request immediate assistance, one of our professionals will be there to assist you. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good bye, it's acceptable. We will take over the care and custody of your loved one when your time is right.

• What should I do if a death occurs while away from home?
  Contact your hometown funeral director of choice immediately. Your funeral director can assist you if a death occurs anywhere on the globe. They will assume responsibility and coordinate the arrangements for the return of the deceased person to their community. They may engage the services of a funeral director in the place of death who will act as their agent. But allow the hometown funeral director to make these special arrangements on your behalf, as funeral directors will often extend professional courtesy to one another, saving families time and money.

• What is the purpose of embalming?
  Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic death or illness. It makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them. Embalming the body enables mourners to view the deceased if they wish. The emotional benefits of viewing the deceased are enormous, particularly to those having difficulty dealing with the death.

• Is embalming mandatory by law?
  No. But, certain factors of time, health and possible legal requirements might make embalming either appropriate or necessary. Please note that embalming may be required if the deceased is being transported by air or to another country where local laws need be observed.

• Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
  No, cremation is defined by the State of Michigan as one of the forms of final disposition.  It is an alternative to the body's earth burial or entombment and often follows a traditional funeral service. We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral with a cremation following a memorial service.

• Can I have a visitation period and a funeral service if cremation is chosen?
  Yes. Cremation does not preclude the survivors from having a visitation period and a funeral service for their loved one. Cremation is simply one option for final disposition of the body.

• Is cremation as a means of disposition increasing?
  Yes, but services that include a visitation period and funeral—the traditional service—still make up the far majority of funeral arrangements. 

• Have there been any changes in the way families tell their loved one's story?
  Yes. A function of today's funeral services that has seen continued growth in the past few years is personalization and technology. These have become an important part in many arrangements. In fact, we encourage families to make this time personal with their loved one in ways they feel is right for them. Many families will select caskets or other products with specific themes that is in keeping with their loved one's work, hobbies or retirement. Families will also bring very specific keepsakes or family heirlooms into the funeral home to put on display during services. These are just a few examples.

  What adjustments, if any, has your funeral home made to accommodate these changes?
  Technology is perhaps the greatest tool the families are now using to share their loved one's story. We have the ability to build a truly unique memorial website of their loved one allowing family and friends to interact with the site and share their memorable stories, photos and more.

  Another frequent request is for us to prepare Tribute Videos, produced from photos selected by the family and set to music. These Tribute Videos, treasured keepsakes for family members, can be displayed on our flat screen televisions throughout our facility to share with visitors during the visitation or funeral.

• Also, In this age of a limited ability to take time off from work or travel long distances to attend services, we have the ability to broadcast the funeral service over a private Internet connection, making it possible for the other family members who couldn't attend to now participate in the service from anywhere around the world.

• Click here to learn more about how we help families honor the life of their loved one.

• Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
  Yes, a person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe.

  Because the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety of feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors of non-AIDS-related deaths.

• How much does a funeral cost?
  Funeral costs are associated with the type and style of services and merchandise the family deems appropriate for themselves and for their loved one. The range of costs begin at a direct disposition that includes registering the death, a basic casket or container, and transporting the deceased to a cemetery or crematorium, to a full-service funeral, including all professional services, transfer of remains, embalming, and other preparation; use of viewing facilities and the facilities for the ceremony; funeral vehicles, and merchandise, including the casket, vault for the grave, and other products. We understand costs are often an important factor in the overall selection of the funeral. This is why we provide families with the ability to customize services in ways that that not only reflect upon the life of their loved one, but allows them to do so affordably.

• Has this cost increased significantly?
  Funeral costs have increased no faster than the consumer price index for other consumer items.

• Why are funerals so expensive?
  In some respects, funerals are a lot like weddings or birthday celebrations. The type and cost will vary according to the tastes and budget of the consumer.

  Not only that, a funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.), these expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral.

  Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making arrangements; filing appropriate and necessary forms; communicating with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others; and seeing to all the necessary details. Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned with a very modest profit margin.

• What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging?
  All funeral homes in the United States are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission to provide consumers with pricing and other information regardless of the type and style of services selected, which means families will know the cost of services, in either a preneed arrangement or an at-need arrangement, before any contracts are signed. Therefore, it is extremely rare for families to be "overcharged" for services or merchandise since all items and their fees have already been identified and presented to the consumer prior to the completion of the contract.

• While most funeral homes and funeral directors provide outstanding services, so much so that the far majority of all funeral directors will go their entire career without a complaint of any kind filed against them, sometimes things can go wrong. In addition to the Federal Trade Commission, most states are also governed by their state's licensing board. In Michigan, our governing body is the Michigan State Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science. Most funeral homes are also members of state and national associations of funeral directors who adhere to a strict code of ethics.

• In the event of a problem, the consumer should discuss their concerns with the funeral director first. If the dispute cannot be solved by talking with the funeral director, the consumer may wish to contact the FTC by contacting the Consumer Response Center by phone, toll-free, at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357); TDD: 1-866-653-4261; by mail: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580; or on the Internet at www.ftc.gov, using the online complaint form. You may also choose to contact the state mortuary science board, your state consumer protection office, or local Better Business Bureau.

• Who pays for funerals for the indigent?
  Other than the family, there are veteran, union, and other organizational benefits that may be available to help pay for funerals. Most funeral directors are aware of the various benefits and know how to obtain them for the indigent. However, funeral directors often absorb costs above and beyond what is provided by agencies to insure the deceased a respectable burial.

• Is there a license required to operate a funeral home?
  Yes. Most states, including Michigan, require years of education for a prospective funeral director, some of which includes attending an accredited mortuary science school, and pass the national board and state board examinations before they may be granted licensure. Michigan funeral directors and funeral homes are licensed by the state through the Michigan State Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science. Individual funeral home buildings must also be licensed. This process includes, among other things, passing a mandated state inspection of the facilities, and identifying the name of a full-time licensed funeral director as its manager before the state will grant the necessary establishment license. If the funeral home will provide funeral arrangements to be sold on a preneed basis, the firm (not each separate building) must be registered with the state of Michigan as a preneed provider. If the individual funeral director intends to sell funeral insurance (a preneed product), they must also hold a limited insurance license from the State of Michigan.

• The funeral home will have their valid licenses, as identified above, available to consumers for inspection at all times.

Cemetery Common Questions

The answers below are here because these are the most commonly-asked questions. If yours isn't listed, we invite you to call us. We're here to provide the information you need, when you need it.

• Are Michigan cemeteries also licensed funeral homes or licensed funeral directors?
  No. While cemeteries hold an important function in the overall process of a dignified and respectful final disposition of human remains, Michigan law requires funeral homes and cemeteries to operate independently from one another. This separation serves the consumer well as funeral directors can act as advocates for the family.

• Even though there are no educational requirements to operate a cemetery, each cemetery must be registered with the State of Michigan, properly maintain the required Endowment Care funds (see below), and, if they sell on a preneed basis, be registered as a preneed provider.

• What if I encounter a problem at a cemetery?
  In the event of a problem, the consumer should discuss their concerns with the cemetery first. If the cemetery is a corporation, you will want contact the cemetery's manager or owner; if it is a municipal cemetery, you will want to contact the cemetery division of the specific municipality; if it is a church or other privately-run cemetery, contact the cemetery sexton. If the dispute cannot be solved by talking with the cemetery, the consumer may wish to contact the Cemeteries Division of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth toll-free at (866) 913-3534 or (517) 241-8070, or the Michigan Cemetery Commissioner at (517) 373-9280. You may also choose to contact your state consumer protection office, or local Better Business Bureau.

• Are cemeteries running out of space?
  Just like other open spaces, cemeteries are impacted by increased population density in both urban and rural areas. Cemetery spaces are a finite resource, and as such, are at a premium in some regions.

• What is Perpetual Care?
  "Perpetual Care" usually refers to the correct terms Permanent Care or Endowment Care. These Care funds are collected with each Interment Space sale to maintain the grounds, roads, and buildings of a cemetery.

• Can the vault be personalized?
  Yes, we can show you the wide range of personalization choices, including customized nameplates and military insignias.

• Are there vaults for cremated remains?
  Yes, we offer urn vaults, designed for in-ground burial of cremated remains.

• Can two cremations be performed at once?
  Never. Not only is it illegal to do so, most modern cremation chambers are not of sufficient size to accommodate more than one adult. Thus it would be a practical impossibility to conduct multiple cremations simultaneously.

• Can the family witness the cremation?
  Yes. Though it is a rare request by the family, we can make special arrangements with the crematory for this purpose. In lieu of the family witnessing this process, we are happy to explain the details of the cremation process to give the family peace of mind.

• Does a body have to be embalmed before it is buried?
  No, embalming is not required for burial. It is always your choice. Your decision may depend on such factors as whether the family selected a service with a public viewing of the body with an open casket; or to enhance the deceased's appearance for a private family viewing; or if the body is going to be transported by air or rail, or because of the length of time prior to the burial.

• Must I purchase a burial vault?
  In most areas of the country, state or local laws do not require that you buy a container to surround the casket in the grave. However, many cemeteries require that you have such a container so that the ground will not sink in. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements.

• What are the advantages of a mausoleum burial?
  Mausoleum crypts are both clean and dry. They offer a viable alternative for ground burial. Just as the family has options regarding the details of the funeral, a mausoleum provides an option as a final resting place. 

• What is a columbarium?
  A columbarium, often located within a mausoleum, chapel or in a garden setting, is constructed with numerous small compartments (niches) designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.