And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4
Taking Steps to Help With Your Own Emotional Health
Looking after your emotional health and well-being is always important, especially when you’re suffering a loss. The following can help you in matters of emotional health.
- Stay physically active. Exercising has been shown to have a positive impact on not only your body, but also your mind. Depression and anxiety can improve when you’re active.
- Take up a hobby. Take your mind off what’s troubling you by enjoying a hobby of your choice. It’s important to do things you enjoy, and not feel guilty about having a good time.
- Get enough sleep. A lack of sleep can make things worse. Try to start relaxing before it’s time to go to bed
Grief Support
Many people do not have the time to locate a good grief counselor. Others do not live in an area where there are any grief counselors available. And finally, many people are not prepared to pay a professional for grief counseling. Fortunately, the internet provides some solutions for those who wish to seek grief counseling or to interact with groups of people who are also coping with grief. Many such services exist, as do professional counselors who will assist people privately on line, hence eliminating the need for travel. Not all services are the same, nor are all chat rooms/groups. You should research what you are interested in and follow the leads you believe will be most helpful to your personal situation. In your search engine look for terms like “grief chat rooms” “bereavement support groups” “professional grief counseling” or “grief management.” Good research is the path to successfully linking up with what, or who, will work the best for you.
Supporting Others
If you know someone who would benefit from the uplifting messages and support information we provide in these monthly newsletters, they can sign up here (https://stevensonandsons.com/news/sign-up/). It’s a great way to lend your support to a friend or a family member.
Unique & Meaningful Services
At all of the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes, we know how important the final celebration of life is to family and friends. We also understand that the final celebrations of a life are very personal, and so requests can often be not only extremely personal but require unique arrangements. The video below demonstrates just one of the many special arrangements we’ve made for members of the many communities we serve. The video not only shows a unique caring and respect for the deceased, it also greatly helps everyone cope with the grieving process. Also, the video of these special final arrangements will be available for many generations to watch.
How Would A Pre-Need Help?
Pre-planning is a loving gift you can make for your family and survivors that provides complete peace of mind to everyone involved.
Why should you make pre-arrangements for your funeral?
• You can plan together as a family
• You help spare your loved ones from having to make difficult decisions
• It ensures your wishes are well-documented and carried out
• It ensures all your personal documents are organized and easy for your survivors to locate
• It helps control costs and reduces emotional overspending
• You can personalize your plan to reflect your unique personality
Here are some tips that may help you start the advance planning conversation with your loved ones:
• Set a time to have the conversation. Schedule it as an
appointment with your loved ones, whether you want to
share your plans with them or ask them to make their
plans to share with you.
• Tell your parent or loved one that you want to ensure
their final arrangements are done according to their
wishes, and you need their help to make that happen.
To open the discussion to learn more details about your loved one’s wishes, ease into the conversation with questions such as:
• “Have you ever thought about where you would like to be buried?”
• “What type of funeral would you like to have?”
Take advantage of funeral-related opportunities. Attending the funeral of a friend, family member, or colleague or watching a movie or television show with funeral scenes may naturally prompt the discussion with your own loved ones. Talk about what you liked or didn’t like about the services you saw or attended.
Monument Care
It’s the perfect time of year to properly care for the monuments that mark the final resting places of friends and family members. No matter where the monuments you care about are located, they suffer from the effects of the area’s environment. Some areas have very harsh, very destructive environments, others – not so much. A primary destructive element to monuments is the weather. Blazing sun, extreme sub-zero temperatures, icing, frost and more cause appreciably harm to even the hardiest of stone monuments. Blowing sand and dirt also acts as an abrasive. If you wish to clean a monument yourself, we suggest contacting the monument maker and getting instructions. If that contact is not possible, for help and instructions, contact: Stevenson & Sons Monument Company • 1717 Main Street • Miles City, Montana 59301 • or call 406.232.4457 or 1-800-775-4460 or FAX: 406.234.0078.
Planning Ahead
More and more people are realizing the many advantages of prearranging their funerals. The process is simple, and the benefits to the loved ones who are left to handle the arrangements are very well recognized and appreciated. To accommodate the growing need for professional pre-planning support, we provide highly trained and experienced Pre-Need Counselors at Stevenson & Sons:
Lynn Anderson in Miles City, Montana • 406-232-4457
Natalie Boey in Helena, Montana • 406-442-8520
Steve Pearce in Williston, North Dakota • 701-572-6329
Some of the benefits of prearranging are:
Pre-planning allows you to express your own wishes • It means that your loved ones will not have to make a number of important decisions during a time of mourning • Your funeral plan is transferable, in case you move away • It relieves your family of the financial burden • It allows your loved ones to spend their time comforting each other during a time of grief, instead of concerning themselves with the specifics of the arrangements • When pre-planning, there are both guaranteed and non-guaranteed plans available to choose from • It allows you the opportunity to discuss your final arrangements with family members to ensure clarity, and to ensure that those responsible are comfortable with all of your decisions.
If you’d like to know more, we recommend visiting: https://www.whypreplan.org/
Funeral Planning Aid
We frequently receive questions regarding what the person responsible for making funeral arrangements should expect. Since we’ve received so many requests for this information, we are placing a link which allows our newsletter subscribers to download a complete copy of our Funeral Planning Aid. The informative article is presented as a PDF – simply click the PDF Button below to access it. That way, if you wish, you may keep it on your computer for future reference or sharing with others. If after you read the article, you have any questions, please contact one of our pre-planning professionals: Lynn Anderson in Miles City, Montana at 406-232-4457 • Steve Pearce Williston, North Dakota at 701-572-6329 • Natalie Boey in Helena, Montana at 406-442-8520. To download the Funeral Planning aid PDF CLICK HERE.
Who’s eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
How to establish veteran eligibility
Submit the DD Form 214. The DD Form 214 may be obtained by filing a completed Standard Form 180 with: National Personnel Records Center(NPRC) • 9700 Page Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63132. The Standard Form 180 may be obtained from: http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf
Headstones for Veterans
For complete information and ordering, please visit: Legislative Changes Concerning Eligibility for Headstones, Markers and Medallions – National Cemetery Administration (va.gov)
Supporting Others
If you know someone who would benefit from the uplifting messages and support information we provide in these monthly newsletters, they can sign up to receive their own copy here. It’s a great way to lend your support to a friend or a family member.
Financial Assistance
If you lost a loved one due to Covid-19, you may qualify for financial assistance for your family’s funeral expenses. Click here to find out more information. Recently posted on the FEMA Covid-19 Funeral Assistance page: The COVID-19 incident period ended on May 11, 2023. FEMA will continue to provide funeral assistance until Sept. 30, 2025, to those who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic.
