Frequent Questions

Transfer of the body from place of death within a 30 mile radius to the funeral home, embalming and other preparation of the body (for public services), an Arrangement Conference with Licensed Funeral Director and the subsequent coordination with third party participants (clergy members, hairdressers,etc.) Evening Visitation at the funeral home, Funeral Service at funeral home or other location, Committal Service at the cemetery, a medium price range casket, an outer burial container, and expenses incurred at the cemetery (grave opening and closing, tent and chair rental and vault/casket lowering device, etc.  Some other “accessory type” services and merchandise may be included as well.

An outer burial container encloses the casket and substantially prevents the earth from sinking into the grave.

There are two types: “Grave Liners” and “Vaults”. 

Grave Liners merely keep the weight of the earth from crushing the casket. They often incorporate drain holes in order to relieve the pressure of the rising and falling of the water table - and they do not seal.  This may allow water to contact the casket. Grave Liners do offer some protection from the weight of the earth that would possibly overcome the limited protection offered by the lid of the casket.

Vaults, on the other hand, constructed of concrete, plastic or metal, use various sealing techniques to prevent the intrusion of water, air or earth from coming in contact with the casket.   Remember: Once buried, the casket protects the body only when the vault protects the casket. Vaults also offer greater protection from the weight of the earth that would possibly overcome the protection offered by the lid of the casket.

For more information on caskets and vaults visit our SERVICES page.

No. It's not required by law in Illinois that you purchase an outer burial container.  However, most cemeteries do require some type of outer burial container to prevent the grave from sinking

In most cases embalming is not required by law in all states. However, there are many reasons embalming should be selected: Primarily, a more lifelike, natural and pleasant appearance of the deceased is often the result of a properly and carefully embalmed body, and of equal importance, embalming preserves and sanitizes the body tissues for a certain time. It does not usually prevent the inevitable breakdown process that involves the tissues but it does delay it for a reasonable period until proper, meaningful and dignified ceremonies may be held.

Direct Cremation normally is.

The body is transferred from the place of death to the funeral home and held 24 hours as per Illinois state law. Once the proper authorizations and permits are obtained and completed the body is cremated . With Direct Cremation there is no public viewing of the body, no visitation and no funeral service before the cremation process. The cremated remains are then returned to the family for final disposition. A Family Gathering or Memorial Service is often held at a later date with or without the cremated remains present to commemorate the life of the deceased person.

A complete service with a visitation/viewing and funeral service all held prior to cremation is nearly always a more emotionally and psychologically fulfilling experience for family and friends. Since, in order to have public services, embalming is necessary - as is some type of casket. This type of service often comes close to the cost of a Traditional Funeral Service With Burial, yet still retains the individual's wishes to involve cremation.

You may have seen ads of this nature in your local paper. The practice is not new to most areas of the country. Be careful! Across the nation, the “discount” and “free gift” offers have been fertile ground for the classic “bait and switch” sales tactic. The advice to compare prices from several reputable funeral homes would serve well here. Be sure to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.  Also, pay very close attention to what an advertised “discount” package does not include. Read the fine print! Ask questions! Get it in writing!

Yes! This is one major benefit of pre-arranging. If you pay the full amount, the price is locked in no matter how long you live, as long as all of the money is held in trust. It may be trusted in a bank, credit union or insurance trust through a funeral home or cemetery organization. Interest is accumulated within the trust and is used to offset inflationary price increases.

Yes.  People do so every day. But again, do some checking first.  In Illinois, a canceled pre-need held in a bank trust may be subject to a funeral home administrative fee of 10% of the payments made under the contract or $300, whichever sum is less.  Although it is legal to do so, many funeral homes do not charge this fee.  However, some do, so check first. Pre-need funds held in insurance trusts are not subject to these fees and the funds are completely transferable.

If cremation is desired the device may need to be removed if it has the potential to cause a hazardous condition.  Pacemaker batteries may explode when subjected to the high heat of a cremation chamber. Nonprofit organizations such as "Second Life" recycle pacemakers and defibrilators by delivering them to underprivileged patients in foreign countries. Hearing Aids can also be reused.  Contact us for more information.