Frequent Questions

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family and friends with an atmosphere of care and support in which to share thoughts and feelings about death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. It is the traditional way to recognize the finality of death. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show their respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grieving process.

You can have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. Planning a personalized ceremony or service will help begin the healing process. Overcoming the pain is never easy, but a meaningful funeral or tribute will help.

• Pick up the deceased and transport the body to the funeral home (anytime day or night)
  
• Notify proper authorities, family and/or relatives
  
• Arrange and prepare death certificates
  
• Provide certified copies of death certificates for insurance and benefit processing
  
• Work with the insurance agent, Social Security or Veterans Administration to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits
  
• Prepare and submit obituary to the newspapers of your choice
  
• Bathe and embalm the deceased body
  
• Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing
  
• Assist the family with funeral arrangements and purchase of casket, urn, burial vault and cemetery plot
  
• Schedule the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel
  
• Coordinate with clergy
• Order funeral sprays and other flower arrangements as the family wishes
  
• Provide Aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved
  

Contact Harris Funeral Home, we will meet with you and coordinate arrangements with clergy, the cemetery or crematory and all other third parties.  

• Bring the following information to complete the vital statistic requirements:
  • Birth Date
  • Birthplace
  • Father's Name
  • Mother's Name (Maiden)
  • Social Security Number
  • Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
  • Education
  • Marital Status
• Gather obituary information you want to include such as occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service , hobbies and a list of surviving family members.
• Bring in clothing for your loved one
• Bring in 25 to 30 photos for a memorial DVD

Yes. 

Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity is voluntary.

Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition.

The Federal Trade Commission says, "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law." Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. 

Cremains can be interred in a cemetery plot, retained by a family member, usually in an urn, or scattered at a place that was significant to the deceased. Cremains can be scattered anywhere in New York State except in a cemetery.

Today, there are many different types of memorial options from which to choose. Memorialization is a time-honored tradition that has been practiced for centuries. A memorial serves as a tribute to a life lived and provides a focal point for remembrance, as well as a record for future generations. The type of memorial you choose is a personal decision.

You might choose ground burial of the urn. Cremation niches in columbariums are also available at many cemeteries. They offer the beauty of a mausoleum setting with the benefits of above ground placement of remains. 

Yes, if you wish to have your ashes scattered somewhere, it is important to discuss your wishes ahead of time with the person or persons who will be left in charge of your final arrangements.  Funeral directors can also be very helpful in creating a meaningful and personal ash scattering ceremony that they will customize to fit your families specific desires. Scattering services can be public or private.

Yes — Depending upon the cemetery's policy, you may be buried on top of the casketed remains of your spouse, or utilize the space provided next to him/her. Many cemeteries allow for multiple cremated remains to be interred in a single grave space.