I am exhausted tonight. This comes not from a great deal of physical work for the funeral service, but from coordinating the funeral services: making certain the death certificate is filed, the burial permit printed, casket and vault and hearse are ordered, vital authorizations secured and much more. I write this humbly as I realize the huge amount of work Helen has done to coordinate and the funeral and provide all that is needed for each family.

 

We had a burial yesterday and another scheduled for Tuesday.

It isn't easy working with families who have little money and who are faced with the cost of burying a loved one. We are fortunate to have discovered quality merchandise for reasonable prices which we don''t mark up. Somehow, Helen is able to divide the $2,100 into the right categories, merchandise and services.

 

Last week, an elderly woman died in a local nursing home. We received a phone call from her children saying that the deceased woman's body had been picked up by and taken to a funeral home that the family had not specified.

Coordinating post death care and funeral/burial service is more complex for our small company than it is for those funeral homes who often have three or four funeals a day. This is partially due to the amount of time it takes working with our families in coming up with funding for the funeral and burial. Despite their $3,500 maximum payment, one county's allowcation of funds means deep cutting of funeral home charges, leaving us with about $100.00 per funeral after bills are paid! This  causes more trauma for the families than it does for us since they may not go one penny of the $1,400 alloted to them for funeral expenses (out of the $3,500)!

Nine days ago, an 88 year old woman died in a local nursing home. Someone called a funeral home without consulting the family and this woman was transported to one of the most expensive funeral homes in the Twin Cities. Her daughter called one of our staff members saying that she couldn't pay what the funeral home was asking and that they had already embalmed her mother!

Nine days later, we have been asked to pick up the funeral and burial.

 

Sadly, this is not an infrequent occurence. Like most of us, our clients can't imagine a body being cared for without their understanding of what they are being asked and the information being given to them.

WELCOME!

 

We hope that you will share your thoughts, concerns, questions, ideas, and others with us regarding funeral service. Our profession seems to have more unknown that known and/or understood and as consumers, it is essential that you become familiar with the various aspects of funeral care and merchandise that you will be able to make informed decisions regarding both goods and services. "Don't put your money 'all in one casket' (or was that basket)??

 

Understand that Oyate Tawicoh'an-Franciscan Funeral Services is a small business in the world of funeral care.