Bible Verse of the Month
Then shall the dust return
to the earth as it was:
and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
Meet Vanessa Gruba – Funeral Director at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City, Montana
Vanessa was born in Wyoming and grew up in Montana, where she graduated from Eastern Montana College in 1991. She married her husband Ed in 1989, and they have 2 daughters: Alexis and Mikenna. Vanessa was an elementary teacher and school counselor for the Miles City School District for 25 years before retiring and going back to college. She studied at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science where she received her Mortuary Science Degree. Vanessa is active in several community clubs, as well as a local Grief Support Group. She loves the outdoors, camping, hiking, reading, watching movies and football, and spending time with her family and friends. Vanessa is a member of the Montana Funeral Directors Association. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes – Serving families in the Montana communities of Miles City, Forsyth, Lame Deer, Broadus, Circle, Jordan and Terry.
A Funeral Planning Aid – Part 2
NOTE: Part 1 of A Funeral Planning Aid is in March’s newsletter
Getting ready for our second meeting
At this meeting, we’ll initiate the processes of planning the funeral. We’ll also offer, for your consideration, some options for burial. We’ll need to ask a number of questions to help us ensure that all of your expectations are fulfilled, and that all of the details are attended to perfectly. It will be most helpful for all concerned if you could arrange to bring the following items with you for this meeting:
- The clothing, including undergarments, that you would like your loved one dressed in for viewings and burial.
- Eyeglasses and jewelry. We can return these items to you, if you so choose, after the ceremonies.
- A recent photograph: preferably one that includes a clear view of the face. This will be used for correctly applying cosmetics. While this is most important for females, it is also quite important for males. (This is not necessary if you do not plan a viewing.)
- Military discharge papers, if your loved one was a veteran.
- Social Security number.
- Life insurance policies.
- The names and the current contact information for six to eight pallbearers. (This may not be necessary, depending on the arrangements you make.)
- A group of photographs and videos that we can use to create an appropriate digital tribute to your loved one. These tributes can be shared for many generations to come.
If you forget any of the above items for this meeting, please do not worry. We can always arrange to get some items later, or at our next meeting.
The Death Certificate
We will have already gathered some of the information required for the certificate’s completion by now. To ensure that we have everything needed to fulfill all the necessary requirements, we are providing the list of required information below. This will ensure that you have time to gather the information and have it available when needed:
- The full name of your loved one
- The Social Security number of your loved one
- The date of birth of your loved one
- The place of birth of your loved one
- The address of your loved one at the time of death
- The marital status of your loved one
- The name of the surviving spouse, if applicable
- Veteran’s discharge papers, when applicable. (A DD-214 is preferred)
- The full name of the father of your loved one
- The full name of the mother of your loved one
- Your loved one’s mother’s full maiden name
- The specific place of your loved one’s death
- The highest completed level of education of your loved one
- The occupation of your loved one at the time of death. (“Retired,” is a frequent response)
We hope the above information will help you to rapidly get past handling the necessary details of your loved one’s passing. We realize how important it is that you deal with the necessities and become fully involved in the grieving process. And please remember, we are always here to help and support you in any way we can.
Financial Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020…
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.
Grief Support
Many people do not have the time to locate a proper 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-up on the leads you believe will be most helpful to your personal situation until you locate exactly what works best for you. 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. Another option would be to start your search at the Mental Health American website. Lots of information, and many places to research groups, centers and more.
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 (https://stevensonandsons.com/news/sign-up/). It’s a great way to lend your support to a friend or a family member.
