Archive for July 2021

The Bible tells us that death comes “like a thief in the night.” In other words, we never know when someone is going to die.  Survivors are caught off-guard and often don’t know what to do. If the death occurs in a hospital, nursing home or other health care facility, the nursing staff will assist…

Obituaries are notices placed by surviving family members to advise other family members and friends of a death. Historically, these notices have been placed in the newspaper.  In more recent years, obituary notices have been appearing online and funeral home websites.  Obituaries not only announce a death but they also give tribute to a person’s…

In the State of Michigan, it is the funeral director’s responsibility is to ascertain that the death certificate is properly filed with the county clerk in which the death has occurred. The funeral director gleans the information needed for the death certificate from the family. This information includes the legal full name of the deceased,…

Michigan law requires that a cremation must be authorized by a legal next of kin. Generally, the next of kin is easily identifiable.  The next of kin is the surviving person or persons listed in the following order: 1) Spouse; 2) Children; 3) Grandchildren and thereafter the issue of; 4) parents; 5) Siblings; 6) Nieces…

When selecting cremation, many families ask us if they must buy an urn.  Urns are not required by law.  The purchase of an urn is a decision each family can make on their own, however it may be dictated by the families plans for the cremated remains. Urns are made of wood, metal and marble. …

It used to be that when a loved one died, the family would contact the undertaker and he would go to the home to embalm the body and place it in a casket. The body would be viewed in the parlor of the family home.   Some families didn’t like having the deceased loved one in…

One of the hallmarks of funeral service has been professional service vehicles.  In the past funeral coaches (sometimes known as hearses), limousines and luxury sedans have been a part of the fleet of vehicles owned by funeral homes. Funeral coaches (hearses) have been used to transport the casket to the church and cemetery. Limousines, which…

In the State of Michigan, there is a law known as the “anti-combo” law. This law prevents funeral homes and cemeteries from being owned by the same company in the same market.  The purpose of this law is to prevent any entity from gaining a monopoly in the death care industry in any given market.…