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| Some religions have specific
preferences or requirements. If you don't know,
ask your funeral director or clergy. |
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| Many lodges and fraternal
organizations have funeral traditions and rituals
that are performed during the visitation or funeral
service. If the deceased was a military veteran,
he or she is entitled to a U.S. flag and military
honors performed by veteran organizations. Your
funeral director will explain and arrange such services
for you if desired. |
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| Yes, cost is a factor,
but all funeral homes have a price list available
for your review. It will be easier to discuss arrangements
if you have an idea of what you are able to afford.
The average funeral in Michigan in 1999, exclusive
of cemetery charges, costs about $6,600 |
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Earth burial is the most
common means of disposition in the United States.
Costs include a casket, cemetery plot, opening and
closing of the grave, a grave liner or vault and
a memorial or marker. These costs vary considerably
by cemetery and locality.
Entombment is the placement of the casket above
ground in a mausoleum. Mausoleum space may be more
expensive than a cemetery plot.
Most cemeteries require full payment at the time
you buy a plot and make burial arrangements and
you should be prepared for this by bringing cash
or your checkbook with you. Some will take an assignment
of insurance if you can prove that the policy is
valid and will pay an amount sufficient to cover
the expenses. Government life insurance policies
are not assignable. |
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| Cremation is just one
form of disposition. The others are ground burial,
above-ground burial, body donations (in which case
the body is eventually cremated) and burial at sea
(not permitted in the Great Lakes.) The choice of
cremation does not limit or dictate the funeral
options available. Most cremations are preceded
by some type of viewing or funeral service. If the
body is viewed, it is usually embalmed. Cremation
reduces the body to small bone fragments, which
are pulverized, reducing the fragments to the consistency
of coarse sand or crushed seashells. |
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Embalming is not required
by Michigan law EXCEPT if burial or cremation does
not take place within 48 hours of death or if the
deceased had certain communicable diseases. Further,
a funeral home normally requires and has the right
to require embalming if a public visitation is planned.
Additionally, common carrier regulations usually
require embalming as a condition for the transportation
of a deceased person. You should also check the
embalming laws and regulations of other states if
the deceased is to be transported outside of Michigan.
If embalming is desired, the amount of time that
elapses between death and embalming can make a difference
in the personal appearance of the body. Permission
for embalming should be granted as soon as possible
for best results. |
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| Visitation, which is also
called a "viewing" "calling hours" or a "wake",
is having the body lie in state with members of
the family present so that friends may pay last
respects to the deceased. A visitation may vary
in length from hours to days. You may prefer a private
viewing restricted to the family. |
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| Arrangements will need
to be made with appropriate clergy to set times
and types of religious services which can be held
in the funeral home chapel or any appropriate place
of your choice such as a church, temple, synagogue
or hall. These arrangements can be made by the funeral
home if you so choose. |
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| When the body or the cremated
remains are buried in the ground or entombed in
a mausoleum, a service may be held at the gravesite.
A graveside service may or may not consist of religious
rituals and is usually of shorter duration than
a traditional service at a funeral home or church.
The times and manner of graveside services may be
restricted by cemetery regulations. Arrangements
will need to be made with the cemetery to set up
the proper facilities. The funeral home will make
these arrangements for you. |
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| While cremation is considered
a final disposition by law, obviously the cremated
remains must be cared for and the funeral director
must know your plans. Unless you make arrangements
with the funeral director, you bear sole responsibility
for their disposition and you should collect them
upon notice of their availability. They may be buried
in the earth, entombed in a mausoleum, placed in
a niche in a columbarium, scattered on or over private
land or water with the permission of the owner or
remain in the possession of the family, usually
in an urn. Scattering of cremated remains must never
interfere with the rights of others. |
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| A memorial service is
usually held after a direct cremation or burial.
The distinctive feature of a memorial service is
that the body is not present. This service can be
held in a funeral home, chapel, church, synagogue,
home, or any place that is meaningful to the survivors.
However, most grief counselors recommend that it
is better to hold services with the body present. |
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| Disposition of the body
may occur without any service. Expenses will include
removal of the body from the place of death, transportation
of the body to the burial or cremation site and
whatever may be necessary to meet legal requirements
and the minimum requirements of the funeral home
involved. For some, not having any services may
be a form of psychological denial and can often
cause emotional problems and guilt feelings for
a family members in the future. |
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| Some persons choose to
have their bodies donated to medical teaching facilities
either directly or after a service is held. This
arrangement with a facility should be made by an
individual prior to death. However, many facilities
already have more requests on file than their needs
warrant. |
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| Funeral homes provide
other services such as placing obituary and death
notices in the newspaper, obtaining Death Certificates
and assisting you in filing for death benefits.
They will arrange for transportation of the body
to another funeral home in or out of state, transportation
to the cemetery, payment of honoraria or gratuities
to clergy and musicians. They will order, accept,
place and transport all floral wreaths and bouquets.
Such services are provided upon request. Some funeral
homes will include some or all of these services
at their cost without additional fees and some will
charge a fee for each service performed. Many funeral
homes also provide, without charge, counseling and
support group services or referral. |
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| You are now ready to visit
the funeral home of your choice to prepare for the
funeral. The funeral profession, as a care taking
group, has personnel and facilities available for
those who need assistance prior to or at the time
of death. |
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To facilitate the arrangements
and the filing of the Death Certificate, it will
be helpful if you bring the following (if applicable)
to the arrangements conference:
- Birth Certificate
if available: information needed is father's
full name, mother's first and Maiden name and
date and place of birth.
- Ancestry (nationality).
- Education level.
- U.S. Armed Forces
Honorable Discharge papers.
- Recent photograph.
- Any information about
cemetery property-Cemetery papers/deeds (if
applicable and available).
- Brief list of surviving
relatives (names and places of their residences).
- List of pallbearers
(if desired).
- Name of person(s)
to officiate at the service/Mass/memorial.
- List of persons playing
music and the hymns/songs requested.
- Clothing: the clothing
should include a complete set of underclothing
and whatever outer clothing the family deems
appropriate.
- 20 family photographs
of the deceased spanning the life (baby, school,
wedding, etc.)
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| Even if arrangements were
preplanned by the deceased, you will be required
to meet with a funeral director to confirm the arrangements
and/or plan the type of service you desire. The
wishes of the deceased do not prevail over the wishes
of the next-of-kin. At this time you must determine
what tasks you want the funeral home to perform
and what facilities are needed to meet your needs. |
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| Although difficult, it
is important to remember during this meeting that
you are purchasing services and merchandise and
are renting facilities. Live within your budget.
Regardless of the cost of your funeral, you will
receive the same professional and compassionate
service from the funeral director. |
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| The funeral director will
provide you with a price list of goods and services
before discussing funeral arrangements. This is
a legal requirement for your protection and information.
Before entering the casket selection room, you must
be provided with a casket price list for your inspection.
There may also be a display of photographs or a
book of casket representations. These are all required
to contain price information concerning the casket
cost and it must be separated from the funeral costs
so you know exactly what you are paying for the
casket. This also applies to the purchase of a vault
or the outer burial container in which the casket
is placed, which is required by almost all cemeteries. |
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| You will be expected to
sign a contract and other documents specifying the
arrangements you have made. You may also be asked
to sign a statement that you have received certain
documents. Do not be offended. Your signature is
proof that the funeral home has met its legal commitment.
Sometimes, when a complaint is lodged against a
funeral home, the complainant does not remember
receiving the documents because of emotional stress.
The documents are important to you and you should
read them carefully and refer to them as often as
you like. |
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| When you have made some
of your initial arrangements, the funeral director
will lead you to a display area which contains a
number of caskets and other merchandise from which
you will make your selections. |
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| The contract you sign
with the funeral home will contain a basic fee for
professional services. This basic fee includes overhead,
such as rent, utilities, administrative personnel,
insurance, maintenance, etc. This is a legitimate
charge. It is not negotiable and does not represent
any of the goods and services you have chosen. |
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| You are entitled to know
what each charge is for and may change your selections
before you sign the contract or you may go elsewhere.
A funeral home may not refuse to release a body
to another home for any reason. However, you will
be financially responsible for any services which
you have previously authorized, such as removal,
embalming, or transportation to another funeral
home. |
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