lanning a funeral and making arrangements is a challenging time for families. We do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible and will assist you with all the decisions and details necessary to ensure that everything is just right. We serve all faiths and provide the following services:

Traditional Service
    A Traditional Funeral Service has been the most common type of service in the past. This service consists of a viewing/visitation with the deceased body present prior to a funeral ceremony conducted at the funeral home chapel or a church. Burial usually follows the service.

Memorial Service
    A Memorial is similar to a Traditional Service except the body of the deceased is not present for the ceremony. There may or may not be viewing/visitation prior to the memorial ceremony and the body may or may not be present. This depends entirely upon the wishes of the family. The deceased or the family may wish cremation, entombment or donation of the body before or after the visitation and prior to the ceremony of remembrance. This ceremony may take place at the funeral home chapel, church or another public facility such a lodge hall.

Graveside Service
    This service is similar to a Traditional Service except the funeral service takes place at the gravesite instead of at the funeral home or church. A viewing/visitation may or may not take place prior to the graveside service.

Veterans Services
    Any honorably discharged veteran is entitled to additional services. Many of these services depend upon the availability of an active veterans group such as VFW or American Legion. The services may be included in any of the above types of funeral ceremonies and may include an honor guard, color guard, taps and gun salute. Veterans may also be entitled to a Flag, a Grave Marker, and some monitory benefits depending upon the circumstances surrounding the death.

Types of Disposition Available

Burial is interment in the ground in a registered cemetery. Usually a burial container of some sort is required by most cemeteries. In Florida, this is not a law but sometimes may be required by a cemetery for burial.

Cremation is the breakdown of the deceased body by fire and heat. This facility is called a crematorium and the device used is a retort. After the cremains are processed they are returned to the family. The family may bury, scatter, entomb or keep the ashes or they may be divided among family members if desired. Ashes may be present at a memorial ceremony or life celebration service. Cremations require a signed permit by a coroner and signed family authorization. Authorizations signed by the deceased in a prearranged form are not valid after death, but do serve to let the family know the wishes of the deceased. See our Cremation products.

Donation is the giving of the body to a medical facility or school. The body is used for research and study, after which it is usually cremated. (However, if the family desires it can be returned to the funeral home after the research is finished.) The cremains are either returned to the family or scattered in a designated area by the medical facility or school. Viewing/visitations and funeral services can take place prior to the body being taken to the facility but it is important for the funeral home to know a donation is desired as different preparation of the deceased body is required for the schools. Most schools require the donation be arranged in advance of the death.

Entombment is the placing of the deceased within an enclosed facility above ground. The space is called a crypt. Some facilities require a casket that seals (is air and water tight) to be used and the body to be embalmed. The facilities have ventilation systems and may be climate controlled. There are usually crypts that have accessibility from either the inside or outside of the building. Plaque markers can be attached to the front of the crypt to mark each space. The cost of each space will include a perpetual care charge. These cost vary greatly depending upon the facility, location of the space and company who owns the facility. All of these considerations should be looked at before deciding to purchase a crypt. Spaces are usually available for entombment of ashes also.