John J Gmiter Funeral Home

Many people today are choosing to pre-plan their funeral as a way to ease the stress and financial burden on their loved ones when they pass away. If you choose to go this route, a funeral director can guide you through the process and the decisions to make.

It’s important to remember that pre-paying for your funeral or purchasing a policy for it doesn’t have to mean making all the arrangements. While we can get your wishes on file, it’s not necessary for you to start thinking about flowers and songs if those things are not already on your mind.

Before the advent of funeral homes in the United States, home funerals were instead the norm. Each community had a group of women who would come in to help, and visitation was held in the front parlor followed by a procession to the church and cemetery.

Was your loved one someone who touched the lives of others in meaningful ways? You may want to set aside time during the service to allow others to share their fondest memories.

While planning a funeral can be overwhelming after experiencing a loss, it may be the first step in letting go of your grief. It’s also a time when your family and friends can show their support.

We offer a wide range of services to help family and friends after the death of a loved one. Events such as a viewing, funeral, memorial service, or graveside service provide an important step in the grieving process.

To save family members from having to make decisions at a difficult time, we suggest making arrangements for your funeral ahead of time. When your final wishes are known and already taken care of, your family will be better able to cope with their grief.

Did you know that the tradition of flowers being an integral part of the modern funeral has partial musical roots? Aspects of this tradition can be traced to 1914, when Austin Miles wrote the famous funeral hymn “In the Garden.”

One of the decisions that must be made after a loved one passes away is the manner in which the remains should be handled. The funeral director can walk you through the options (burial, entombment, and cremation) and help you choose the one that's right for your family.

We recognize that setting the correct tone for a loved one’s funeral isn’t always easy. If you want to ensure you’ve created a safe atmosphere for people to grieve in whatever way they choose, we may be able to help with that during the planning.

Have you been hesitant to begin funeral preparations because you have vastly different spiritual beliefs than your lost loved one? If you aren’t quite sure where to start your planning, we’re always available to provide guidance.

Different cultures deal with death in different ways, which means there are a lot of choices that need to be made when it comes to funeral services. A funeral home professional will make these choices easy by laying out your options and helping you go through them.

According to J. William Worden, PhD, "The funeral service, if it is done well, can be an important adjunct in aiding and abetting the healthy resolution of grief." The funeral home you choose can help you work out the details of the ceremony, so it's both meaningful and personal.

Be sure to speak with the funeral home in case there are specific wishes regarding flowers and donations. Often, donations, in lieu of flowers, are requested for specific organizations, charities, the hospice that cared for your loved one, or as a reflection of your loved one's passions.

Did you know that our experienced staff can help you personalize memorial services to preserve the memories of your loved one and memorialize his or her legacy? As the saying goes, "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal."

We offer comprehensive preplanning funeral services to help you be prepared. This allows you to plan your own arrangements to relieve your loved ones of this burden and ensure that things are carried out according to your wishes.

Are you concerned that the money you have available with which to pay for a loved one’s funeral may not be enough? Let’s talk about the type of service you hand in mind and your budgetary constraints, so that we can help you incorporate as many of the elements that are most important to you without breaking your budget.

Although it’s natural to want to give a lost loved one a spectacular funeral that’s in line with the kind of person he or she was, it’s not necessary to spend a small fortune on it. If you’re not sure how to balance budgetary concerns with the funeral elements you believe he or she deserves, we may be able to help.

During the process of mourning and funerary rites, you want to be sure that your loved one is treated with respect. The staff at the funeral home know how important this is, and will care for your loved one as much as you have cared for him or her.

While no one wants to consider a time when they’ll no longer be around, making your own funeral arrangements can help spare your family the decision-making while they’re trying to grieve.

Although you may have specific elements that you believe you must have for a loved one’s funeral, there’s really no right way to honor the memory of a lost loved one. Whether you want something simple and traditional or a little more unusual, we’re always ready to help you make it happen.

Pre-planning your funeral is as a way to care for those you’ll leave behind. By working with a funeral home ahead of time, you will make it much easier for them to grieve and heal when the time comes.

When you’re making the pre-arrangements for your own funeral, it’s not always necessary to select every hymn and flower arrangement. Instead, many people opt to select and pay for a particular package that meets their needs and only make specific arrangements for funeral elements they feel strongly about.

Arranging a funeral and a reception can be incredibly complicated and full of many details. Instead of letting all of these details catch you or your loved ones off guard, pre-planning a funeral will make sure the funeral home can easily take care of them.

It may be the last thing you want to worry about, but there are certain legal obligations when someone dies, including figuring out who can make funeral decisions. A funeral director can be a valuable ally in figuring this out.

Arranging for a pre-paid funeral is an easy process. We will sit down with you to discuss your wishes and to help you lay out the particulars. We will then provide you with a written document for your review and records.

While funeral rites have been around since the Neolithic Era, funeral homes are a relatively recent creation. Before cities increased in size at the end of the 1800s, undertaking was usually done by someone like the barber, but, today, funeral directors are trained and experienced professionals.

Are you dreading the funeral planning because you don’t know how to put together a service that won’t put your grief on display? Let’s talk about the various ways we can help to keep the focus on honoring the life your loved one lived instead of the fact that he or she is gone.

It's a good idea to leave the planning and booking to the funeral directors. Concentrating on creating a loving tribute to your deceased family member for his or her funeral service is where your attention needs to be focused.

Losing a loved one can make us feel isolated, lonely, and misunderstood. Sometimes, it's hard to share with others the emotions we're experiencing. Finding someone a little removed from the situation, but who has been through similar circumstances can be helpful if you feel you can't confide in those closest to you.

Funeral or memorial services play an important part in the grieving process by giving family and friends a time and a place to say goodbye. These services provide vital support to help you through the pain and loneliness of the initial stages of grief.

A funeral can be an expression of a life well lived. If the loved one had a hobby or life work that was important during his or her life, consider displaying items from that aspect of his or her life such as sporting equipment, crafting tools, a picture board. This is a very meaningful way in which to share that person’s life with others.

When it comes to the timing of the cremation, there’s really no right or wrong way to handle it. While some families may need the open casket viewing to receive closure, others may prefer to replace that funeral element with a smiling picture of their loved one.

Unfortunately, even a simple memorial service can quickly grow unaffordable when you don’t have an eye on the budget. Rest assured that we can help you plan a funeral service that will honor your loved one without overextending your budget.

In many parts of our lives, we are expected to push aside our grief and strong emotions, which can make it tough during your time of loss. A funeral service creates an environment where you and others can express their grief.