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.

Funeral & Burial Questions

What is the purpose of a funeral?

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including:

 * Providing a social support system for the bereaved.

 * Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life.

 * Integrating the bereaved back into the community.

 * Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one.

 * Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain.

 * Reaffirming one's relationship with the person who died.

 * Providing a time to say good-bye.

It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation?

The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.

I've never arranged a funeral before. What do I need to know?

At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral arrangements. This will not be an easy time, but we offer these tips for smart planning:

* Be an informed consumer and ask questions.

* Choose an independent funeral home and a licensed funeral director.

* Discuss all service and payment options during the funeral arrangements. 

* Make sure you receive a copy of the funeral home's General Price List.

* Be prepared and make decisions and organize details in advance of need.

* Plan a personalized and meaningful ceremony to help you begin healing.

What do funeral directors do?

Funeral directors are licensed professionals with specific education and training. During your time of need, funeral directors will:

* Arrange the funeral plans

* Help notify friends and family 

* Secure necessary permits and death certificates

* Coordinate all details with the clergy

* Help in the arranging for burial or cremation

* Help secure any benefits to which you may be entitled

What types of funeral services exist?

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.

Why have a public viewing?

Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death.

Embalming Questions

What is the purpose of embalming?

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 to another country where local laws need be observed.

Cremation Questions

Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?

As more people are choosing cremation, funeral service professionals are striving to give consumers a true sense of what their many options are for a funeral service. Often funeral directors find that people have a preconception that they have fewer choices for a ceremony when selecting cremation for themselves or a loved one. Therefore, they request direct cremation and deny the surviving friends and family an opportunity to honor them with a memorial service. In actuality, cremation is only part of the commemorative experience. In fact, cremation can actually increase your options when planning a funeral.

Cremation gives individuals the flexibility to search for types of tributes that reflect the life being honored. But this does not mean that aspects of traditional funeral services have to be discarded. Even with cremation, a meaningful memorial that is personalized to reflect the life of the deceased could include:

* A visitation prior to the service

* An open or closed casket

* Special music

* A ceremony at the funeral chapel, your place of worship or other special location

* Participation by friends and family.

Commonly, cremated remains are placed in an urn and committed to an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium; interred in a family burial plot; or included in a special urn garden.

Cremation also gives families the option to scatter the remains. This can be done in a designated cemetery garden or at a place that was special to the person.

Where can I get more information on cremation?

We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral or memorial service with a cremation. For more technical information about the cremation process, we encourage you to view information on-line at the National Funeral Directors Association.

Funeral Cost Questions

What does the average funeral cost?

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral as of July 2009, is $7,700. That cost includes an outer burial container, but does not include cemetery costs or other third party charges such as flowers, clergy and musician fees, certified copies of death certificates or newspaper notices.

What to do if Death Occurs

What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?

When death occurs, Drechsler, Brown & Williams  Funeral Home personnel are available to assist you at any hour, seven days a week. Call 708-383-3191 for assistance.

Will someone come right away?

If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good bye, it's acceptable. Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home staff will come when your time is right.

If a loved one dies out of state, can Drechsler, Brown & Williams  Funeral Home still help?