• Will Social Security help with expenses?
   
  Social Security will pay $255 to a surviving spouse and will also in some cases help the underage children of the deceased. Please visit www.socialsecurity.gov for more details
  

• Is it the Funeral Director's responsibility to notify social security of a death?
  
  No. Although the Crematory and most funeral directors voluntarily provide death information directly to Social Security, it is still the legal responsibility of the family members of the deceased to notify social security on their own.   Please visit www.socialsecurity.gov for more details.
  

• Are there funds available to help pay for a veteran's funeral or cremation expenses?
  
  Yes. The federal government offers to help pay for some, and in certain cases, all the expenses of a deceased veteran may be covered by Veteran's Affairs. This varies from one individual's circumstances to another's so please visit www.va.gov for more details. Please also contact the Crematory to find out about available County benefits for veterans.
  

• Can I arrange a time to see the person before cremation?
  
  Yes. The Crematory will only cremate a person after the family has given the order and signed all paperwork that is necessary to do so. Although some restrictions are in place for health reasons, the family in most cases has the option of coming and saying goodbye to the loved one before cremation will take place. Viewing or saying goodbye to a family member or friend is not always possible but is recommended to help the family through the grieving process.
  

• Does the family have to call a funeral home before calling the crematory?
  
  NO. The Crematory functions just like a funeral home in the sense that once a call is made to the crematory, our professional staff will come to the place of death and make the removal of the person's body to our sheltering facility any time of the day or night.
  
  

• Is Direct Cremation the only option for Cremation?
  
  NO. The only real difference between cremation and burial can be where the person's body is taken after the funeral ceremony. Families are more than capable of maintaining the valuable tradition of having a funeral and visitation with the person's body present and still abide with the deceased person's wishes of being cremated.
  

• Can someone pay for their cremation in advance ?
  
  Yes. Trust Account planning through the crematory or our local Purple Cross Agent offers plans for pre-arrangements where a person may choose a monthly financial commitment that they can afford in order to pay for the cremation before the time of need. Please call the crematory or Precht – Harrison – Nearents to make an appointment.