Page 23 - Oshea Funeral Guide Final
P. 23

You may want  to talk  to others who                      continue even after the funeral to help
            are grieving, consider joining a                          along in the bereavement process.
            support group. Most groups are listed
            by subject in the phone directory                         Who can make funeral arrangements?
            or through churches, newspapers,                          In most cases it is the closest next
            hospitals, local health and social                        of kin making the arrangements.
            service  agencies,  the  Chamber  of                      On other occasions, the executor or
            Commerce or your local funeral home.                      executrix of a will is responsible. An
            You can learn and grow in common,                         agent having been appointed by the
            yet different experiences. You do not                     deceased will supersede all others
            have to travel this journey alone. Life                   and  make  the  funeral  arrangements.
            can have meaning again.                                   The agent, having been instructed by
                                                                      the deceased, in the form of a legal
                                                                      document signed by the deceased and
            FAQs                                                      witnessed in accordance with Public

                                                                      Health  Laws,  will  fulfill  the wishes
            What purpose does a funeral serve?                        and will coordinate with the funeral
            It provides the family and friends with                   director  the  arrangements  set  forth
            a caring and supportive environment                       in the document. The person signing
            in which to share thoughts and feelings                   the contract becomes responsible for
            about the death. The funeral becomes                      the  payment  of the funeral services
            the first important step in the healing                   performed.
            process.
                                                                      What should I be prepared to provide
            What do funeral directors do?                             when going to the funeral home to
            They  are  the  pillars  that  support  the               make arrangements?
            survivors during one of their most                        When making at-need or pre-need
            difficult journeys through life. They                     arrangements, the family will need to
            care for the family and safeguard                         provide  information  required  for  the
            and care for the deceased person.                         death certificate. This information,
            They fulfill the wishes of the family by                  referred to as vital statistics consists
            guiding them through and fulfilling                       of the following:
            the funeral arrangements. The funeral                     •  Deceased’s legal name,
            director is trained in embalming and                      •  Legal address,
            restorative procedures required by                        •  Social security number
            a funeral home, for traditional open                      •  Both  parents’ names  (including
            casket viewing by family and friends.                        mother’s maiden name)
            They arrange and provide an orderly                       •  Date of birth
            series of events, culminating with the                    •  Place of birth
            final disposition of burial, entombment                   •  Level of education
            or cremation. The funeral director’s                      •  If served in the military: years of
            responsibility of properly filing the                        service and a copy of the discharge
            death certificate in order to receive                        papers DD214
            permission for final disposition is the                   •  Employment history, position held,
            first step  which  allows  the  family  to                   nature  of industry  and place of
            begin the process of settling estate                         employment,
            matters. The director will advise the                     •  If in ground burial or entombment,
            family  as to  the  number  of  certified                    the cemetery and the deed if
            death certificates needed to begin                           available,
            the process, as well as advising them                     •  If    open      casket     viewing      is
            on potential issues to be addressed                          anticipated, clothing and a recent
            shortly after the final disposition. A                       picture
            growing number of funeral directors
            are trained as grief counselors and


                                                                                        O’Shea Funeral Homes - Page 23
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