Frequently Asked Questions

What is an interment right? The Interment Rights or Burial Rights for a grave or plot give the Rights Holder the right to say who can be buried in the grave. Interment Rights also include the right to erect a memorial and direct inscription.
 

What is a second rite of burial? A second rite of burial is for burying cremated remains in the same space where a burial has occurred. Because the original purchase is for just 1 interment right, to do another burial of ashes in the same space requires a 2nd interment right.
 

What is the purpose of a burial vault?  A burial vault is a lined and sealed outer receptacle that houses the casket.  It protects the casket from the weight of the earth and heavy maintenance equipment that will pass over the grave.  It also helps resist water and preserves the beauty of the cemetery or memorial park by preventing the ground from settling.
 

What is a traditional burial? A traditional burial includes purchasing a full-size plot at a cemetery, a vault, and a memorial stone, and a casket. Generally, embalming is the process chosen to preserve the body. 
 

Why is grief support needed? It's important to seek support for grief and loss because talking through what you feel can help you better identify what the issue is. When you can place the real problem, you can begin taking steps to alleviate the painful emotions that go with it.
 

Why should I pre-plan?  When you pre-plan, you make those first 24 hours easier for your loved ones. You can also save them money. The stress of making last-minute funeral and burial arrangements often causes people to make unnecessary purchases. By taking care of the arrangements yourself, you free them from spending more than they need too.
 

Why we don’t set monuments and memorials in the winter? Weather in Michigan is not conducive for setting markers and monuments.  The ground is often frozen or too soggy and to avoid causing damage to the monuments and memorials.  
 

Who do I call first when my loved one passes? If a loved one passes away at home, call the police first so they complete a report so the body can be released to the funeral home.  Your second call would be the funeral home. If your loved one is in hospice call hospice first and then they will call the police for you. If your loved one passes away in a hospital you would call the funeral home first.
 

What should I do first if my loved one hasn’t  pre-planned?  Call your funeral home to schedule a planning appointment.