Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for transportation of the deceased, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the deceased.

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.

The funeral director is actually an organizational specialist handling all of the funeral activities including these more visible activities.

• Removal and transferring the deceased from place of death to funeral home.
  
• Professional care of the deceased, which may include sanitary washing, embalming preparation, restorative art, dressing, hairdressing, casketing and cosmetology.
  
• Conduct a complete consultation with family members to gather necessary information and discuss specific arrangements for a funeral.
  
• File all certificates, permits, affidavits, and authorizations, as may be required.
  
• Acquire a requested amount of certified copies of the death certificate needed to settle the estate of the deceased.
  
• Compile an obituary and place in newspapers of the family's choice.
  
• Make arrangements with a family's choice of clergy person, church, music, etc.
  
• Make arrangements with cemetery, crematory, or other place of disposition.
  
• The providing of a register book, prayer cards, funeral folders, and acknowledgements, as requested by a family.
  
• Offer the assistance of notifying relatives and friends.
  
• Care and arrangement of floral pieces and the post funeral distribution as directed by the family.
  
• Contact pallbearers and special services (fraternal or military) as requested by a family
  
• Care and preservation of all floral cards, or other memorial contributions presented to the funeral home.
  
• The funeral director, with his staff, will direct the funeral in a most professional manner.
  
• Assist a family with social security, veterans insurance, and other death-related claims.
  

The funeral director will meet with the family after the service, to deliver such things as the register book, and floral cards, and to ascertain whether or not he can be of further assistance.

Yes, we can assist you with any out of state arrangements.

The best way to answer this question is to ask the child. Generally, children beyond the age of four can express for themselves whether they wish to attend the funeral or not. Extra care should be taken to explain to the child what to expect. If a child indicates a willingness to participate in the funeral, parents should comply and offer their support. If the child does not want to participate in the funeral, every effort should be made so as not to force them to go.

Caskets are made of two materials, wood or metal. Wood caskets are usually made of pine, poplar, oak, cherry, maple, walnut, or mahogany. They come with a glossy or natural finish. Metal caskets are made of bronze, copper, stainless steel, or 16, 18, 19, or 20-gauge steel. The gauge refers to the thickness of the metal. For example, 18-gauge steel is 1/18 of an inch thick and is therefore thicker than a 20-gauge casket. Metal caskets come in many colors. Most metal caskets have a rubber gasket designed to seal the casket when closed, thus preventing the entrance of water and other graveside substances. Wood caskets do not have such a seal. Interior fabrics are usually velvet or crepe and come in various colors and patterns. The materials and craftsmanship affect the cost of the casket.

When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings, etc., funerals are found to be reasonable. A wedding may cost as much as three to four times as much as a funeral. A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive facilities, trained staff, and equipment all which has to be factored into the cost of a funeral. Many funeral homes are family owned with modest profit margins compared to the large conglomerates.

Out of respect, it has been the custom to pull over as the procession approaches you. One must also consider other traffic, and is it safe to stop where you are? In our area, often you will see a police escort, and like any emergency vehicle that you come upon, you must pull over and stop. Remember, when you are the family member of that person who has died, how you feel when total strangers stop their car as the hearse drives by. It's all about respect.

Prearranging is a very smart choice. There are many benefits. Pre-arrangement is not a preoccupation with death; it gives our ideas special attention. Since your funeral will most directly affect your family, it would be a good idea to include their suggestions in your plans.

Yes, many families have done this. By law, pre-arranged funeral plans are completely portable; meaning they can be transferred in the event that you move to another part of the country or just want to switch to another funeral home. If they are pre-funded, the money is actually held by a third party such as a bank or insurance company. The funds are not controlled by the funeral home at all - this protects you as a consumer. The beneficiary is simply changed from the original funeral home to Taylor Funeral Home with just one form. The best part is that we handle it all for you! We honor the pricing that your previous funeral home quoted you and, at death, will return any excess funds to your survivors. Keep in mind, too, that even if the pre-arrangements were not transferred to Taylor Funeral Home prior to death, we will still honor the pricing that was quoted by your original funeral home.

No, there are many aspects to pre-arranging a funeral service. The most important is talking about it before the need arises. Pre-funding these arrangements, however, has advantages such as locking in the price at today's cost and protecting these funds from being depleted for long-term care.

One of the many services we provide to families is to assist them in the filing and notification process for the business affairs of the deceased. Although this may seem overwhelming to the family, we have had many years of experience in assisting them after the funeral.

Social Security will pay $255.00. Benefits are paid to the spouse or dependent children. Our staff will notify Social Security for you.

Honorably discharged veterans may receive the U.S. Flag, government marker, and some military honors. A monetary benefit is paid for veterans that meet certain criteria.