Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Purpose of a Funeral?
Funerals are the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grief process.

What Do Funeral Directors Do?
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for the transportation of the body, complete all necessary paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body.

Funeral directors are listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help.

Why Have a Public Viewing?
Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids in the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of the death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity voluntary.

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.

Do Human Remains Have to be Embalmed, According to Law?
No. Most states, however, require embalming when the death was caused by a reportable contagious disease or when remains are to be transported from one state to another by common carrier or if final disposition is not made within a prescribed number of hours.

Isn't Burial Space Becoming Scarce?
While it is true 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 Cremation a Substitute for a Funeral?
No, cremation is an alternative to an earth burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral service, or memorial service for the deceased.

Why are Funerals So Expensive?
A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive business, with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.). These expenses must be factored into the cost of a funeral. Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making arrangements, filling out appropriate forms, dealing with doctors, clergy, florists, newspapers, and others; and seeing to all the necessary details. Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned with a modest profit margin.

What Should I Do if the Death Occurs in the Middle of the Night or on the Weekend?
At Gorton-Menard Funeral Home we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Will Someone Come Right Away?
If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, it is acceptable. They will come when your time is right.

If a Loved One Dies Out-of-State, Can the Local 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, usually at a savings to you as well.

So, I've Decided on Cremation. Can I Still Have a Funeral or a Viewing?
Yes, quite often some sort of viewing precedes the actual cremation. Our Funeral Home can assist you with the necessary information for a funeral with a cremation following or a memorial service.

Can I Purchase Merchandise from You to Use at Another Funeral Home?
Yes, according to the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule, you can purchase caskets, urns, and/or burial vaults to be used at other funeral homes through us. We offer the lowest prices in the area and encourage you to compare prices.

What if I Already Have a Pre-Need Account Payable to Another Funeral Home and Wish to Transfer These Arrangements to Gorton-Menard Funeral Home?
In this uncertain time of economic instability you will want to compare prices and make sure you are getting the best value for your dollar. We at Gorton-Menard Funeral Home encourage you to compare costs at other local funeral homes. We think you will be surprised at the difference in cost from home to home. If you choose to move your pre-need funds to Gorton-Menard Funeral Home, we will accept the transfer of any pre-need account and will assist you in making the change.