Life Celebrations

Life Celebrations are so much more than just a funeral. We look at a person in whole and focus on his/her life. What are their passions, their beliefs, their likes, their dislikes and take all that information and create an experience that depicts a life well lived. We engage all senses. We want you to think of our facility not as a funeral home but a stage and we are going to share their legacy. Our eyes will confront the death either body or cremated remains but we also use “Life Props” to tell the story. Our theater is a integral part. We use scent technology that has a calming effect. We use the streaming music to enhance and set the stage with selections of their favorite songs or artists. Our lounge is always used for breaking bread as a family to which people find great comfort. But most importantly we listen to the needs of the you and your family and give a Life Celebration that allows you to live based upon the life that was shared.

Traditional Funeral Services

“Each person is unique and their funeral should be a representation of who they are.” Most people at some time in their life will be responsible for arranging a funeral, or assisting with the funeral arrangements. Important decisions must be made. Therefore, when the burden is heavy these decisions can seem overwhelming.

Kolssak Funeral Home’s family and staff work very hard to make the burden light – taking care of things, without taking over. They provide expert guidance through all of the practical arrangements. From the selection of the caskets, urn, vault or cemetery to coordinating the flowers, to making funeral luncheon arrangement or providing food during the visitation – our staff makes light work of these many details. We are your private butlers in your time of need.

Kolssak Funeral Home offers 24-hour personalized service. Our family and staff will ensure that each service is representative of the individual. Whether cremation, burial, or anatomical gift- our staff is ready and poised to assist you. Personal service, care and an attention to detail coupled with professional integrity have earned Kolssak Funeral Home an enviable reputation. Please contact us if you would like more information.

Burial Options

There are a number of different interment options available, which are dignified and respectful to the deceased:

Ground Burial

The space for ground burial is called a plot, and can vary in size from an individual space to a family estate. A family estate is traditionally set apart from other plots, creating a distinctive setting for future generations to visit. A burial vault is required in most cemeteries to protect the casket and prevent ground sinkage when ground burial is chosen.

Mausoleums

Some of the best-known monuments in history are mausoleums, which contain concrete or stone crypts in which the caskets are stored. Famous above-ground entombment sites include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Great Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. A mausoleum crypt offers secure protection, is clean and dry, and the burial containers entombed do not come in contact with the earth. Private mausoleums offer prestige and personalization, as they can signify your family has been an important part of the community. Another element of ground burial is the gravestone or marker. Markers are made of either bronze or granite and can range in size from individual to custom estates. Custom designs are available. Meaningful emblems can adorn the marker such as a religious symbol, an association or military emblem, or a depiction of two hands clasped in prayer.

Cremation Memorialization

Cremated remains are often placed in the memorial urn, which can be placed in a mausoleum or wall niche. The urn may also be buried in a family burial space or urn garden with a marker to memorialize the site. A relatively new alternative is a cremation garden, with a variety of options for memorialization in a beautiful, natural setting.

CREMATION

Although cremation dates back to ancient times, it has only recently become a more common choice throughout the United States. People choose cremation for a variety of reasons. Some do so based on environmental considerations. Others have philosophical or religious reasons.

Many people believe that choosing cremation means limiting your options. Actually, there are a variety of options available with cremation. Most families hold services, which help the bereaved cope with the loss of a loved one. Many people find that opting for cremation gives them the opportunity to create and personalize the various service options for a more meaningful experience.

The greatest misunderstanding about cremation is the belief that with cremation, there is no need for services. However, a service or memorial ceremony is an important step in helping the bereaved overcome their grief, and gives family and friends the opportunity to honor a loved one.

Services or ceremonies can precede or follow the actual cremation. Prior to cremation, there may be a gathering, which can be either public or private, with an open or closed casket.

When the service follows the cremation, a receptacle or urn containing the cremated remains may take a place of prominence. Ceremonies can be simple, contemporary, religious or secular. Music, readings, stories and poetry can be added to personalize the event to both reflect on and celebrate the life that was lived.

Anatomical Gift

The need is great for anatomical gifts in the majority of medical programs throughout the United States. The lack of anatomical subjects in many schools forces anatomy departments to request shared bodies from other schools or institutions. In many situations, five or more students have to share one donated body, which limits hands-on education.

In addition to basic anatomy as a foundation course, donated bodies are also used for teaching surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology, and other specialty fields. Millions of lives have been saved, and countless individuals enjoy optimum health today because of anatomical study using donated human gifts.

Important Issues

Whether donating a body to medical science for altruistic or pragmatic reasons, donation of a human body is not complicated if you know all the rules and regulations for each medical program. The most important things to remember in all whole body donation programs are:

• No medical schools or state anatomical boards in the United States are permitted by law to purchase bodies from families or estates.
• Physical condition of the body, and not age, is the important factor in body donation. There is usually no upper age limit in donation of a human body to medical science.
• Organs and whole body donation are two separate programs, with different needs. A potential donor must make a decision to either donate his or her whole body or individual organ parts at death. With few exceptions, organ and tissue donations at death will prevent whole body donation for medical education. The exception would be the cornea of the eye, which can be donated without affecting whole body donation.

One of the most important things to be stressed here is that a potential body donor should not have a false sense of financial security concerning whole body donation. Many donated bodies are rejected at death for various reasons by the medical schools listed in the Whole Body Donation Guide. Be prepared with alternate burial or cremation plans for final disposition of the body.

Graveside Service

A graveside service is simply a service that takes place at the graveside rather than in the funeral home, church, or other facility. This bypasses the traditional funeral service in a funeral home, church or other facility and often saves some of the expenses associated with a traditional service. The funeral director and clergy will often meet the family at the graveside and a brief committal service will take place. Variations may include a limousine to pick up the family and bring them to the graveside, a hearse to take the body to the graveside, etc.

Pre-Arranged Planning

Have you ever wondered… How much a funeral costs? What will a funeral cost in ten years? How would your family handle it when the need arises?

Talking about death is often difficult, yet a death in the family may create problems for survivors which can sometimes be alleviated by discussion and pre-planning.

Today more and more Americans are learning the value of planning ahead. We spend much of our time and money making sure we are prepared for life’s uncertainties. We buy insurance for our homes and cars, we pay for disability, fire, even flood insurance, just to be ready for life’s surprises. Doesn’t it make sense to plan for the inevitable?

There are two main reasons for pre-arranging a funeral. Some people will want the assurance of a funeral and burial which meet their personal beliefs, standards or lifestyle. Others feel a responsibility to assist survivors by arranging approximate funeral and burial cost guidelines. Once the pre-arrangement is complete, you will receive a copy, and the funeral home will keep one on file.

The following are some of the decisions you make ahead of time during a pre-arrangement:

• Select the casket
• Give vital statistics
• Decide what kind of service is appropriate
• Give family information
• Decide a method of disposition (burial or cremation)
• Select a burial vault (if burial)
• Decide how much to spend
• Select the music
• Decide which newspapers to use
• Decide whether to pre-pay the funeral costs or not

Why pre-pay your funeral?
Prearranging and pre-financing your funeral is a simple and secure way to provide for your final arrangements. It is a valuable and protected investment and is one of the kindest gifts you can give your family. By investing in a prearranged and pre-financed funeral, you assure the services you desire, while at the same time, your investment is earning interest for you.

What are the benefits of planning ahead for your funeral? Economy.
The earnings on your money are reinvested in the insurance policy (or annuity) so you can hedge against inflation. The money is placed in a portable investment (life insurance policy) so if you move or change funeral homes, the money goes with you. Your wishes are memorialized with the funeral home. You choose the extent, kind and cost of service you want, right down to the smallest detail.You’re assured that your funeral and disposition will be consistent with your individual standards and lifestyle.You and your family can share in planning together.

Peace of Mind.
By making these decisions in advance, you can bring peace of mind to yourself and your loved ones. You’ll know that the arrangements you want are complete and that the costs won’t burden your family. Kolssak Funeral Home is available for expert pre-need counseling.

Eco-Friendly Funeral

An option for the environmentally conscious. Having a Eco-Friendly funeral helps to minimize the environmental impact compared to other end-of-life practices. To learn more about the option of an Eco-Friendly funeral please visit www.greenburialcouncil.org.