No two lives are exactly the same, and no two funeral
services should be, either. A funeral service that’s both significant and
memorable should be as distinctive as the person being celebrated. It should
be a service and gathering reflecting the person’s wishes, honoring and
highlighting your loved one’s life.
A funeral director can help provide, with knowledge and
experience, along with the high quality service, some of the support and
direction needed to help with this momentous service.
Traditional funeral services would follow two formats. A
traditional funeral service would incorporate a visitation a first day, with
the funeral ceremony the next day, followed by a traditional earth burial.
The visitation would usually be held at the funeral home and the ceremony can
be either at the funeral home or at a church. A consolidated traditional
funeral service would have both the visitation and the ceremony on the same
day followed by the burial.
A funeral is an important event. It helps give meaning
to a person’s life. It enables family and friends to come together to express
feelings of grief and sadness and to accept the reality of death, so they can
overcome the emotional pain.
The funeral director can help provide information
regarding available services, facilities, merchandise and costs.
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Cremation is another common form of final disposition.
Many individual reasons base a decision for cremation, such as family
tradition, religious obligations, personal beliefs, convenience or cost.
Cremation does not take the place of a funeral service, like burial, it is
another form of disposition.
By considering all of your funeral options, cremation can
also be an important part of the remembrance process. Many of the traditional
funeral service choices can also be incorporated with cremation choices.
An important thought is that before finalizing any
decision on what to do after death, your immediate family should be
consulted. Make sure everyone is knowledgeable and comfortable with your
choices. Discussing your wishes with your family before the need arises can
make decision making possibly easier and beneficial.
Many questions can be asked with Cremation, such as what
is cremation? During the cremation process, intense heat is used to reduce
human remains into small bone fragments. These fragments are then further
reduced into a powdery form, then being referred to as ashes.
What can be done with the ashes? In most states,
cremation is considered legal final disposition. The ashes are usually
returned in a temporary plastic container. The next of kin has the decision
as what to do with these remains. They can be placed in an urn and kept by
the family, interred in a grave in a cemetery, or scattered in certain
locations.
Can I also have a funeral or memorial service with
cremation? There are many choices; the range can include a traditional
funeral service followed by cremation, which may include a public viewing and
ceremony. Another service idea would be the use of a memorial service usually
held days or weeks after the death. Or some families select a direct
cremation disposition with no services.
Some important things of note with cremation in Wisconsin
would be that State Law requires a 48 hour waiting period between the time of
death and cremation. Also a Medical Examiner or Coroner also needs to provide
a cremation permit in addition to the family authorization.
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In addition to providing our services and facilities for
at-need arrangements, we offer advance funeral planning.
Many families have told us they prefer to make funeral
arrangements in advance. This allows them to discuss their wishes, and make
important choices and decisions at a time that is much less stressful.
Preplanning can relieve your family of the burden of making funeral
arrangements and at the same time allows your funeral wishes to be honored.
We encourage families to memorialize with pictures,
music, flowers, mementos, readings, and eulogies, among other things. We will
assist you in the steps to create a meaningful service that in addition to
allowing everyone a chance to say goodbye, remembers the life being
celebrated.
Prefunding funeral arrangements has become an important
part of prudent estate planning. Consumers can now do this with peace of
mind, knowing that their money is safely placed in trust and will be available
at the time of need. If you elect to pay for a funeral in advance, the price
of services and merchandise can be guaranteed. You are essentially paying for
a funeral at today’s price, even though the need may not occur for many
years. We can advise those who may be making an application for Medical
Assistance (MA) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the rules regarding
prepayment in order that applicable funds can be sheltered.
We will be happy to share with you the advantages and
costs of funeral preplanning and prefunding. Both are designed to assist you
and your family before the need arises.
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It is your right, and our desire that you have as
complete of an understanding as possible regarding the cost of our services.
The biggest factor is the time elements, in terms of our personnel and the use
of the funeral home facilities. The maintenance of this service is unending;
it must be available 24-hours every day of the year, therefore our work week
is greater that the standard 40-hour work week.
Many phases of our work are apparent; others are not.
The following analysis of some of these details will help you to understand
that no two funerals are exactly alike. Traditions, customs, social standing,
personal feeling, financial ability and a multitude of other influences affect
each funeral. Our service must conform to each individual family’s wishes and
their personal and religious needs.
Generally, funeral costs are divided into five
categories. These categories to be further defined are: Professional
Services, Use of Facilities, Merchandise, Cash Disbursements, and
Transportation.
Professional Service areas are: Complete Arrangements,
Supervision and Direction of Funeral; Preparation and Care of the Deceased,
including embalming when required or requested; Professional, Personnel, and
Non-Profession Assistants.
Use of Facilities include: Funeral Home Facilities and
Equipment; Preparation Room, and Fixed Overhead.
Merchandise choices can consist of: Casket, Outer Burial
Container, Cremation Urn, Register Book, Memorial Folders, Acknowledgement
Cards, and possibly Clothing.
Cash Disbursements. This represents all of the monies
that we may advance for you, such as cemetery or crematory charges, all hired
autos, clergy honorariums, air transportation, newspaper or radio charges,
singers, organists, certified copies of the death certificate, lunch and lunch
servers, flowers, etc.
Transportation charges may include the service car and
its operation, and any extra vehicles.
If you have questions on any of the
information, or any other aspect of the funeral, please feel free to let us
know.
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The Picha Funeral Homes are able to provide many
merchandise products that are incorporated with the funeral of a loved one.
Many of these merchandise products are also available with prearrangement
ideas. A complete list of available products, including prices, is available
upon request at the funeral home.
Caskets are made from various materials including:
