Frequently Asked Questions

This section of our web site answers many of the questions you may have regarding funeral and burial arrangements. Click on one of the main topics below, or start at the top and scroll though until you find the answers you need. 

This comprehensive list of “Frequently Asked Questions” was created in a printer-friendly format—you can print it out, take it with you, and discuss matters with family members.

Your funeral director can answer any additional questions you may have. Simply call (319) 352-1187 or e-mail us at

— General Questions —

Why should I plan a funeral for my loved one?
A funeral or memorial is a customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are held for the living to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grief process. They also give mourners a chance to share stories, create memories, fulfill religious beliefs & customs, participate in a support system, and gather at a peaceful place during a time of confusion and uncertainty.

What tasks are involved in arranging a funeral?
There can be as many as 200 tasks when planning a funeral. Many of them are listed below. Our Funeral Director will coordinate most of these for you, after meeting with you at a private consultation.

• Obtain the signature of the attending physician, coroner or medical examiner on the required certificate; file the certificate with the registrar of vital statistics where the death occurred
• Ensure compliance with government regulators
• Transfer the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home (local or out of town)
• Obtain family history
• Make decisions regarding the remains of the deceased
• Determine the budget (if funeral has not been pre-arranged)
• Determine the funeral or memorial service location(s), such as church, chapel, or graveside
• Plan for a viewing/visitation and determine open or closed casket
• Choose the final resting place (cemetery, mausoleum, private land, etc.)
• Make necessary arrangements with clergy, church and cemetery officials
• Obtain certified copies of the death certificate, as necessary
• Procure the burial permit and file with the cemetery
• Select and purchase the casket, outer burial container or urn
• Select a monument/marker
• Order and schedule the delivery of all products/merchandise
• Compose and submit newspaper and other media notices
• Choose clothing & jewelry
• Select poems, scripture, readings
• Select music: taped, live musicians, etc.
• Choose pallbearers
• Arrange for transportation of the deceased
• Secure flower/equipment trucks, as necessary
• Purchase acknowledgement cards, register books, memorial folders, etc.
• Purchase a door wreath & flowers
• Arrange for family transportation
• Complete social security papers and secure social security benefits
• Secure Veterans benefits (if applicable)
• Secure life insurance benefits (if applicable)
• Contact insurance agents
• Complete accounting, clerical and filing work
• Answer telephone calls
• Notify other organizations that your loved one participated in
• Deliver flowers to local nursing homes, hospitals etc. following the funeral

For your convenience, we have also compiled a checklist of tasks that are generally the family’s responsibility

What do funeral directors do?
Funeral directors are caregivers, advisors, and administrators. They make the arrangements for the transportation of the body, complete all necessary paperwork, and carry out the wishes of the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death, are trained to answer questions about grief, and can recommend sources of professional help.

Who should be included in the gathering or ceremony?
Family, close friends, co-workers, fellow worshippers, neighbors & acquaintances, and in some cases, the greater community.

What costs are associated with funerals?
The cost of a funeral includes all the services of a funeral director (see task list above), merchandise, such as caskets and urns, and transportation. Other costs may apply. In general, funeral homes make only a modest profit. We have included our General Price List on our web site for your convenience.

What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging?
Funeral service is regulated by the FTC and state licensing boards. In most cases, the consumer should discuss problems with the funeral director first. If the dispute cannot be solved by talking with the funeral director, the consumer may wish to contact the Funeral Service Consumer Assistance Program. FSCAP provides information, mediates disputes, provides arbitration, and maintains a consumer guarantee fund for reimbursement of services rendered. (To contact FSCAP, call 708-827-6337 or 800-662-7666).

Some people cannot afford basic funeral services. Is financial aid available to the poor?
Other than the family, there are veteran, union, and other organizational benefits to pay for funerals, including, in certain instances, a lump sum death payment from Social Security. In most states, some form of public aid allowances are available from either the state, county, city, or a combination. Most funeral directors are aware of the various benefits and know how to obtain them.

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What type of service should I have?
Every family’s needs are different, and therefore, every service will be different. We can accommodate for almost any type of ceremony or service you desire. Please see our Service Options page for more details, or contact us at (414) 462-6020.

Should I have a public viewing?
A viewing or visitation is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Some grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity voluntary.

How can I personalize a service?
Services range from simple to formal, religious to secular. We can offer many creative ideas for personalizing a funeral or memorial service. These may include photo displays, memorial folders, videos, special music, and much more. Your funeral director can provide specific information.

What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them. Embalming may be required by the state, in some cases (unless cremation is chosen).

Is there a shortage on burial space?
Although some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery space, in most areas of the country, there is enough space set aside for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries. In addition, land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate, especially with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.

Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
Yes. A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe. Because the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety of feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors of non-AIDS-related deaths.

Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
No, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service.

Does your funeral home provide cremation services?
Yes. We offer all the services a cremation society offers, plus we have facilities to conduct public or private gatherings. 

What is involved in the cremation process?
Cremation is a process that reduces human remains to their original elements by the application of intense heat. The body is enclosed in a container during the process, and following the process, cremated remains are placed in a second container for final disposition. An urn is often used for this purpose.

Is cremation as a means of disposition increasing?
According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), cremation was the disposition of choice in about 27% of all deaths in the United States in the year 2001. It is projected that the percentage will rise to about 39% in 2010 and 47% in 2025. These figures represent the United States as a whole; individual states may have lower or higher rates of cremation. (Source: Cremation Association of North America)

If I choose cremation, can I still have a funeral or a viewing?
Yes. Quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation. We can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral with a cremation following, or a memorial service.

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What is Preplanning, or pre-arrangement?
When you plan in advance, you are making choices now based on your wishes as to how your final arrangements will be carried out. Thus, you can reduce family concerns at the time of your death.

What do I need to do to preplan a funeral?
At your convenience, you can meet with one of our funeral directors to discuss your options and your preferences. Funeral arrangements usually include professional services, transportation services, embalming and other preparation, facilities for visitation, the funeral ceremony, and funeral vehicles. Funeral merchandise includes a casket, outer burial container, and other associated items. The cemetery decisions include property, committal service, and memorialization. There are nearly 70 decisions that must be made when there is a death in the family. By making most of these decisions now, you can offer your family peace of mind, and also benefit financially.

What are the advantages of advanced planning?
There are many advantages when you take care of your final arrangements in advance. The most obvious benefit is financial, but there are a number of emotional benefits, too. When you make arrangements in advance you have a better opportunity to make informed choices. If you decide to prepay, you guarantee today's prices, and can take advantage of affordable payment plans. We can provide additional professional advice on preplanning and prepaying.

What is the difference between prepaying and preplanning?
When you preplan, you do not need to pay for everything in advance—your estate can pay for the services at the rates being charged when your funeral is held. When your plan is complete, the funeral director will keep it on file until it is needed. However, if you prepay at the time you make your pre-arrangements, you can lock in today’s prices. We offer several affordable payment and investment options.  We’ll be happy to discuss these options with you and help you make a decision that best suits your needs.

Where does the money go that I prepay into a plan?
100% of the money you prepay will be used for your funeral. Once we receive preplan money from you, we will deposit all of it into a trust where it cannot be released to us until after the funeral you have chosen has been provided for you. Types of Trusts: A Revocable Trust is a trust that any amount of money may be deposited into. At anytime, you may ask for this money and the interest it has made. At the end of the year you will receive a 1099 statement on which you must pay taxes on the interest as it is considered income. An Irrevocable Trust is most commonly purchased by someone who eventually might need care in excess of his or her assets. Once purchased, it can be used for burial purposes only. This trust can be started for any amount. It may be added to at any time. You will receive a 1099 at the end of the year showing total interest earned.

What if the cost of the funeral service I prepay is greatly increased at the time of my death?
The funeral firm makes no promise or guarantee that the fund of money established by the purchaser will be sufficient to purchase those goods and services specified. However, the interest earned by a fully funded account should offset any reasonable price increase.

What if your funeral home is no longer in business at the time of my death?
Because your money is held in a certified Trust governed by state law, it will always be there for your funeral, even if our funeral home were to be purchased or go out of business.

What if my family moves out of the area before I die? Do we lose the money we paid?
Should you move outside of our service area, your funeral plan provides those funds for your funeral at the funeral home of your choice.

What information will I need to provide on the Preplan/Pre-Arrangement online form?
This easy-to-use form should take only a few minutes to complete and will require basic contact information and your personal funeral preferences. You’ll have the option to select services, based on your preferences and the associated costs. View or complete the Preplan form now.

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What should I do first when a death occurs?
Call us at (414) 462-6020, anytime, day or night, to make immediate arrangements. One of our experienced staff members will carefully walk you through the important tasks. Or, you may choose to fill out our At-need form through our secure, online form submission. We will coordinate everything from that point on.

At the time you contact us, we will need some basic information from you, including:

• Full name of the deceased
• Location of the deceased
• Your name, address and phone number
• Your next-of-kin’s name address and phone number
• If the deceased had a pre-arrangement plan, we’ll need the plan name or number

What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
Our Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply call us at (414) 462-6020.

Will someone come right away?
We will be there as soon as you want us there. Your family may wish to spend a short time with the deceased first. We will plan to arrive when the time is right for you.

If a loved one dies out of state, can your funeral home still help?
Yes, we can assist you with out-of-state arrangements, either to transfer the remains to another state or from another state. We can make all the arrangements from one of our locations. We will call our representative in other areas of the country on your behalf.

What do I do in the event of a death away from home?
Wherever the death occurs, we can help. Call us immediately, and we will begin making necessary arrangements to have the deceased returned home.* For people who travel frequently, particularly international travelers, you may want to consider a pre-arranged funeral that includes an insurance policy to provide for the return of the deceased, no matter where death occurs.
*Transportation fees may apply. If you choose to have services or visitation in the town where the death has occurred, we can provide assistance in contacting a local funeral home.

When do I discuss the funeral arrangements in greater detail?
We will set an appointment time for you to come to the funeral home to complete the details of the arrangements. We may ask you to bring the following items and information at that time:

• Clothing for the deceased
• The deceased’s social security number
• The deceased’s birth date, city and sate of birth
• The deceased’s parents’ names, including mothers maiden name
• Information about the deceased’s education
• Marital status of the deceased
• Veteran’s discharge papers or Claim Number
• A recent photograph of the deceased
• Pre-arrangement paperwork (if applicable)
• Cemetery lot information (if applicable)

Who will contact my clergy?
We will work with you to discuss arrangements with your clergy, and to decide on a time and place of the funeral or memorial service.

What do I need to know about a death certificate?
The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of copies of the death certificate that you will need and we will order them for you.

Can you provide a checklist of all the tasks I’ll personally need to take care of?
Although we can help you coordinate most of the details, some tasks will need to be the responsibility of the family. To help, we’ve provided a convenient checklist. [pop-up window? Printable? Or list directly under question. This checklist can also be a link in the General Questions section]

• Make a list of family, friends and business colleagues, and notify each by phone. You may wish to use a phone tree system: make a few phone calls to other relatives or friends and ask each of them to make a phone call or two to specific people.
• Decide on an appropriate charity to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, organization, school).
• Gather obituary information, including a photo, age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work and a list of survivors in the immediate family. Include the time and place of the funeral services. The funeral home will usually write the obituary and submit it to the newspaper(s).
• Arrange for family members and/or close friends to take turns answering the door or phone. Keep a careful record of visitors and flower deliveries so that it will be easier to thank people at a later date.
• If Social Security checks are deposited automatically, notify the bank of the death.
• Coordinate the food supply in your home for the next several days.
• Delegate special needs of the household, such as cleaning, food preparation, etc., to friends and family who offer their help.
• Arrange for childcare, if necessary.
• Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.  
• Select pallbearers and notify the funeral home. (People with heart or back difficulties may be named honorary pallbearers).
• Plan for the disposition of flowers after the funeral (to a church, hospital or rest home).
• Prepare a list of distant friends and relatives to be notified by letter and/or printed notice.
• Prepare a list of people to receive acknowledgments of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments, which may be a written note, printed acknowledgments.
• Notify insurance companies of the death.
• Locate the will and notify the lawyer and executor.
• Carefully check all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check on possible income for survivors from these sources.
• Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them. If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and ask for more time before the payments are due.
• If the deceased was living alone, notify the utility companies and landlord and tell the post office where to send the mail.

If I choose to complete the At-Need/Immediate Arrangement online form, what information will I need to provide?
This easy-to-use form should take only a few minutes to complete and will require basic contact information and your family’s funeral preferences. You’ll have the option to select services, based on your preferences and the associated costs. View or complete the At-need form now.

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What are my choices for containing my loved one’s remains?
We offer a large selection of funeral caskets and cremation containers. Click here for more details, and to view our catalog. Or, your funeral director can discuss your options with you at your private consultation.

What are my choices for markers or monuments?
We offer a large selection of markers, monuments, and memorials. Click here for more details, and to view our catalog. Or, your funeral director can discuss your options with you at your private consultation.

What other merchandise should I consider?
Other merchandise you may wish to consider includes flowers, and personalization items, such as memory boxes, jewelry and other keepsakes. Click here [link to Products/Services sub-page] for more details, and to view our catalog. Or, your funeral director can discuss your options with you at your private consultation.

If I have lost a loved one, whom can I rely on for emotional support?
Grief support groups and counseling can help almost anyone who has suffered loss through death. Friends and family members are often your greatest support network, but perhaps you need to share your emotions with others who, like you, have experienced a similar loss.  Your needs may vary through each phase of the grieving process. Your funeral director can offer advice on the type of grief support that may be most beneficial to you.

What resources are available to me?
We have provided information on local and national grief support groups on the Grief Support pages of our web site. Your funeral director can provide additional information at your request.

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