Helping Families Honor Their Loved One

To glorify God as we provide our families with quality, value-priced funeral services. To treat others as we want to be treated: treating all families with respect, fairness, and integrity; caring for and listening to them; professionally serving them; always being a model of compassion and striving toward excellence.

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In accordance with the NFDA Code of Professional Conduct, we acknowledge and adhere to the obligations of the funeral profession in five (5) key areas, which follow an Ethical Principle that sets forth the goals and ideals of the profession.

These obligations are:

I. To the Family

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to serve each family in a professional and caring manner, being respectful of their wishes and confidences, being honest and fair in all dealings with them and being considerate of those of lesser means.

II. For the Care of the Decedent

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to care for each deceased person with the highest respect and dignity, and to transport, prepare and shelter the remains in a professional, caring and conscientious manner.

III. To the Public

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to offer their services and to operate their businesses in accordance with the highest principles of honesty, fair dealing and professionalism.

IV. To the Government

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to maintain strict compliance with the letter and spirit of all governmental laws and regulations that impact the funeral consumer, the funeral profession, and the public health.

V. To NFDA

Ethical Principle: Members have an ethical obligation to promote, participate and support the National Funeral Directors Association in its mission to help all members enhance the quality of funeral service to families.

NFDA Consumer Tips for Arranging a Funeral

At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral arrangements. This will not be an easy time, but the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) offers these tips for smart planning.

1. Be an informed consumer. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

2. Today's funeral director offers a variety of options to meet your financial needs and wishes. Families should discuss all options with their funeral director when making arrangements.

3. When selecting a funeral director, choose one who is licensed and has a good reputation in the community. Give thought to this decision as you would when choosing a doctor, attorney or other professional.

4. Be prepared! Avoid the burden of making decision while under emotional stress by organizing details with your funeral director ahead of time. Remember ... preplanning doesn't necessarily mean prepaying.

5. Plan a personal and meaningful ceremony or service to help you begin the healing process. Getting through grief is never easy but having a meaningful funeral will help.

Funeral Preplanning Can Offer

Emotional and Financial Security

Thinking about one's funeral leaves most people feeling a little uneasy, but more adults are finding that preparing for the inevitable is a wise decision. Those preplanning their own funerals say it offers great emotional and even financial security.

Approximately 98 percent of American funeral homes offer preplanning options to families in their communities, according to the National Funeral Directors Associations (NFDA). Among the biggest reasons families prearrange is the peace of mind that comes with knowing a spouse or child will not be left with making important decisions at a stressful time.

Preplanning ensures the family that their loved one's final wishes will be met. Many families are comforted knowing the funeral reflects what their loved one wanted. Preplanning may or may not involve prepaying. NFDA recommends prearranging for everyone and suggests discussing with a licensed funeral director the benefits prepayment can offer.

There are generally three basic ways to prepay a funeral.

1. A regulated trust can be established by a licensed funeral director.

2. A life-insurance policy can be purchased, equal to the value of the funeral.

3. Individuals can establish a savings or certificate of deposit account earmarked for funeral expenses. The account can be designated as "payable on death" (POD) to the funeral home.

Once you've made your prearrangements, keep a copy of your plan and any pertinent paperwork in a safe place and inform a close friend or relative what arrangements you’ve made and where the information may be found. Just complete our Funeral Information and Planning Guide or contact us so we may visit you to discuss pre-planning.