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MEMORIAL SERVICE
Our
experienced staff can help create a service that is both individual
and meaningful for relatives and friends. We will suggest ways
of bringing the spirit and essence of the deceased into the service.
Some past suggestions used at previous memorial services follow.
Some examples are general and will apply to many families.
Others are much more specific, but the creativity and individual
expression that is possible remains limitless.
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The
enlargement of photographs to as large as life-size.
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Custom
interiors in the casket of different fabrics and colors.
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The
use of floral arrangements, creatively designed and arranged.
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We
will forward information for newspaper obituaries regarding
contributions to a favorite charity in memory of the deceased.
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Video
and audio taping of a memorial service is available to preserve
the words and anecdotes of family and friends.
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We
will provide elegant wooden tables and pedestals to display
personal photos or collectibles.
The
use our memory boards and easels to display photos recalling
cherished memories are often desired.
We
can arrange for musicians to perform during the service, or simply
play a CD or cassette recording on our state of the art music
system.
At
burial sites, our staff can arrange for such things as dove and
balloon releases.
For
cremation we can arrange for ashes to be entombed in a niche or to
be scattered in a variety of ways, by boat or even by plane is
possible.
When
a parent dies that has young children we provide a memorial book and
a desk where friends and relatives can sit and write about their
relationship with the deceased and perhaps how that person helped
and made a difference in their life. This bound volume is a
wonderful and valuable keepsake when the children grow older.
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We
have conducted services for equestrians where we have set
the casket atop hay bales and used the deceased's saddle on
top of the casket instead of flowers. The riders show helmet
and boots were displayed as well.
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After
the death of a young man, we displayed his kayak, skis, and
surfboard along with other personal items.
The
family of a woman that collected hats had many of them displayed
around the room, and in the obituary the family invited eleven women
attending the funeral to wear a hat or bonnet.

When
a prominent artist died, we turned the room into a gallery of sorts
by displaying some of his paintings. We also used the artist's
self portrait, had it miniaturized into a memorial card and printed
a poem that the family selected on the reverse side to hand out to
those attending.
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For an
individual who loved Japanese maple trees, we brought in
15-gallon potted trees and displayed them along with his
personal belongings. Our staff later arranged to
have the trees planted on their country property.
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When
an owner of an opera company died, we suggested they bring in some
sets and costumes to personalize the service.
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For an avid
car collector's funeral we suggested that his favorites be
parked outside the funeral home, so when everyone arrived
for the services they were on display.
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