Bible Verse of the Month

Wait on the LORD:
be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalms 27:14

Uniquely Memorable Celebrations of Life

Not everyone chooses to have the same final celebration of life for their deceased loved one. Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes have been fulfilling the many wishes of the hundreds of families we’ve served since 1962. During those many years, and the three generations of Stevenson’s who have served, practically every imaginable final celebration has been requested and fulfilled.

 

Funeral Planning Aid

There will be a lot to do when you are the one chosen to make the decisions regarding the funeral arrangements for a loved one. The number of decisions and the complexity of those decisions will depend on many factors, starting with what your loved one’s final wishes were. And no matter how many or how few, or how complex or how simple the arrangements are, you will be grieving your loss, and that will add to the weight of these necessary tasks.

Two things to note before proceeding are 1) the staffs at all of the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Homes are always available to assist you in any way possible and 2) when your loved one has pre-planned their final arrangements, your burdens in the planning processes are minimal, and the deceased’s final wishes will be precisely obliged. Relieving a grieving loved one of coping with the countless necessary final details is largely why the pre-planning of final arrangements is becoming more and more common.

You will not immediately need everything listed below. To ensure that all of your loved one’s final wishes are met, dates and times are workable and all legal aspects are properly attended to, an experienced Stevenson & Sons representative will meet with you on more than one occasion. At times, face-to-face meetings can be avoided, and matters can be fully handled via phone calls and/or emails.

Getting ready for our first meeting

During this first casual get-together, we’ll discuss things that will, essentially, just prepare us both for our second meeting: we’ll know what we need to have with us for you to look at or make decisions about, and you’ll have a more comprehensive grasp of everything involved. We believe it is also very important that we get to know each other a little better. You are entrusting us with the final care of your loved one, and while our decades of service and sterling reputation assure you that we will treat your loved one with unwavering dignity and respect, we have found that the first personal meeting cements the highest levels of trust and understanding possible.

• Who will be the primary contact for the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Director to speak with about details?
• In the event the primary contact is unavailable, who is the second contact?
• We strongly suggest that you bring a close friend or family member with you to the initial meeting with the Stevenson & Sons Funeral Director. The emotional support is always beneficial, and since so many details will be brought up, taking notes is advised; your companion can usually do this more easily than you will be able to. We recommend a digital tablet smart phone or laptop computer, but paper and pen are also just fine.
• If your loved one made any manner of arrangements, which would include written, specific wishes and pre-selected  cemetery plots, which are possibly even paid for – be sure to know about these things. Bringing anything that is written will be most helpful.
• The discussions at this meeting will include quite a few things. Since Stevenson & Sons Funeral Directors treat each final celebration of life individually, specific details that will be discussed cannot be listed. However, some topics of discussion will include: any specific elements that you wish to be part of the funeral? Does your family have specific traditions to observe? Will any religious rites be required at the funeral? A decision should be discussed about what type of funeral, burial, monument, etc. would best pay homage to the life, beliefs, and accomplishments of your loved one.

Three generations of Stevenson & Sons have created unique services for the people in all of the communities we have served for over 50 years, and this is only possible when we have all of the important information about the deceased.

Getting ready for our second meeting

At this meeting, we’ll become deeply involved in 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 any necessary cosmetics and for combing the hair properly. 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 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 make arrangements to get something later, or at our next meeting.

The Death Certificate

We will have already gathered some of the information required for the certificate’s completion. 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 complete dealing 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. You need never feel alone…