Advice On Remembrance From A Minister

Advice on remembrance from a minister

5 Ways To Make A Memorial Personal

A memorial to a loved one is one of the most personal things you will ever have to choose in your life or for another. Here are 5 ways in which honoring the memory of the recently passed can keep their memory alive in a way unique to them.

Etching Designs

An image etched on to granite can be a particularly touching tribute to a loved one. Most symbols and pictures can be incorporated onto the memorial. Whether it be a religious symbol, type of flower or personal logo, whatever was important to your cherished person can be reflected in an etching design.

Traditional Kerbed Memorials

Kerbed memorials are ideal for those who appreciate traditional burials, a style that has been popular for many years. The entire area of the grave can be marked out by the granite edges. The interior of the memorial can be filled in with whatever would be most appropriate for your loved one, whether it be soil for growing flowers or a solid piece of granite for an elegant and clean appearance.

Special Memorials

Your loved one may have had time to make decisions as to their burial before passing, and if they desired a specially made memorial they can have their particular design made. Most ideas can be reproduced in stone, so perhaps the best way to honour your loved one would be to have something unique carved for them, such as a religious statue or even a granite bench.

Flower Container

A common feature of resting places is a flower vase which can be placed on the base of a headstone or in the center of a kerbed memorial. Although they appear frequently at burial places, this is simply because they are a lovely way to add a personal touch to your loved one's grave. Leaving flowers at a grave is a touching sentiment that is very personal to those who are being remembered and those who are remembering; leaving a favorite flower at a resting place is a dignified way of showing that they will always be remembered.

Photo Plaque

If a visual memory of your loved one would be perfect for them, ceramic or hand-etched photo plaques can be added to memorials. This adds the ultimate personal touch and a way in which the best moments of a cherished life can be immortalized  Whether ceramic or hand-carved, the photo plaque can easily be maintained as part of a granite or marble memorial.

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Chapel Services

Gathering with friends and family gives everyone the opportunity to share memories, express emotions, and find comforting support. Whether you choose burial or cremation; whether you select a formal funeral or a more relaxed memorial service, the need for acknowledgment of the loss with family and friends is ever present. We can help you create a unique meaningful ceremony to express the genuine individuality of your loved one.

We offer families a beautiful setting in which to come together to honor your loved one. But, you may certainly choose to celebrate their life in a more unique setting. No matter where you decide to gather together, such a service will make a difference in the lives of all who attend.

The stained glass chapel seats 70 adults comfortably and is adjacent to a beautiful courtyard. It is equipped with a tape/cd player, so that you may play your loved ones favorite music. The chapel is available for day and evening visitations and services. Families may choose to have an outdoor service. This ceremony is conducted in front of the Birch Dormitory. This type of service is ideal for those who love the outdoors or those having military honors.

Fairmont Memorial Park COA 230 | Fairmont Memorial Park Crematory CR# 180
www.FairmontMemorialPark.com

Burial Or Cremation?

Usually, people are clear on this point. In fact, your loved one may have told you, or someone else, exactly how they wish to be cared for. But it can be a hard decision for some families, especially when the wishes of the deceased were never clearly stated. If that's the case, please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision for your loved one, and for you.

Once you decide, the finer details come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket, vault, and desired cemetery follows. Naturally, we’re here to help you.

If cremation is your choice, then you'll need to make the next decision: whether the cremated remains will be going home with a loved one, placed in a columbarium niche, scattered in the blue ocean, or buried on cemetery grounds. Bryan-Braker Funeral Home does own and operated their own crematory, so no one leaves our care.

In some communities, there's the option for a 'green burial.' If that's what your loved one would prefer, we'll help you select an environmentally-friendly choice.

Post Funeral Check List

Real Estate Properties change all jointly held deeds.
    Solano County Assessor/Recorder    (707) 784-6290

Notify Insurance Companies and file claims
    Life Insurance
    Medical, Health, Disability, Travel, and Accident
    Retirement Benefits, Annuities, Pensions
    Home Owners
    Car Insurance

Apply for appropriate benefits when applicable.
    Social Security Survivor Benefits
         700 Main St. Ste. 220, Suisun City    (800) 772-1213
         Web Address:  www.socialsecurity.gov
    Workmen’s Compensation Benefits
    Civil Service Benefits
    Union Benefits
    Survivor Benefits from deceased’s employer

Notify accountant/tax preparer. Provide certified copies
    of death certificate, previously filed tax return forms, and current earnings and dividend statements.

Notify Stockbroker
    Transfer ownership of joint or solely owned stock, bonds and mutual funds.
    Cancel any open orders arranged by the deceased.
    IRA and Retirement Accounts.

Notify Bank
    Change all jointly held accounts and correct tax identification numbers (usually Social Security number).
    Cancel Direct Deposit Retirement Benefit Payments.
    Re-establish title of Safety Deposit Box.
    Re-establish all outstanding mortgages, notes, leases, accounts payable/receivable, etc.
    Apply for any credit life insurance which may exist on loans, credit cards and mortgages.

Notify Department of Motor Vehicles to transfer titles
    of all registered vehicles, mobile homes, and boats registered in the deceased’s name.
    160 Serrano Dr, Fairfield    (800) 777-0133
    621 Orange Dr, Vacaville    (800) 777-0133

Notify All Credit Card Account Companies
    Apply for all credit card life insurance coverage when applicable.
    Cancel all individual held cards of the deceased.
    Change all jointly held accounts

Department of Veteran Services
    675 Texas Street, Fairfield    (707) 784-6590
    120 W. Main Street, Woodland    (530) 406-4851

Ordering More Death Certificates
     Solano County Recorder    (707) 784-6294

A Special Scar, The Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide by Alison Wertheimer.

The Experiences of People Bereaved by Suicide by Alison Wertheimer.

Every 85 minutes someone in the UK takes their own life, but what happens to those left behind? In a society where suicide is often viewed with fear or disapproval, it can be difficult for those personally affected by a suicide death to come to terms with their loss and seek help and support.

• A Special Scar looks in detail at the stigma surrounding suicide and offers practical help for survivors, relatives and friends of people who have taken their own life.

• Fifty bereaved people tell their own stories, showing us that, by not hiding the truth from themselves and others, they have been able to learn to live with the suicide, offering hope to others facing this traumatic loss. This new, revised edition includes new material on:

* counseling survivors of suicide

* group work with survivors.

• The new material incorporates the latest research findings which have added significantly to our understanding of the impact of suicide, an area which the UK Government has targeted for action in the mental health arena. This new edition will continue to be an invaluable resource for survivors of suicide as well as for all those who are in contact with them, including police and coroner's officers, bereavement services, self-help organizations for survivors, mental health professionals, social workers, GPs, counselors and therapists.

• Alison Wertheimer has been working as a freelance writer and researcher since 1987, after working in the voluntary sector for twenty years. She has a private counseling practice, is a supervisor with a bereavement counseling service and runs workshops on the impact of suicide bereavement. 288 pages.

http://www.bryanbraker.com/store/general-grief-loss-books/a-special-scar

Common Questions: Cemetery

The answers below are here because these are the most commonly-asked questions. If yours isn't listed, we invite you to call us. We're here to provide the information you need, when you need it.

• Are cemeteries running out of space?
  Just like other open spaces, cemeteries are impacted by increased population density in both urban and rural areas. Cemetery spaces are a finite resource, and as such, are at a premium in some regions.
• What is Perpetual Care or Endowment Care?
  "Perpetual Care" or "Endowment Care" usually refers to the correct terms Permanent Care or Endowment Care. These care funds are collected with each interment space sale to maintain the grounds, roads, and buildings of the cemetery.
• Can the vault be personalized?
  Yes, we can show you the wide range of personalization choices, including customized nameplates and military insignias.
• Are there vaults for cremated remains?
  Yes, we offer urn vaults, designed for in-ground burial of cremated remains. The urn vault may be personalized as well.
• Can two cremations be performed at once?
  Never. Not only is it illegal to do so, most modern cremation chambers are not of sufficient size to accommodate more than one adult. Thus it would be a practical impossibility to conduct multiple cremations simultaneously.
• Can the family witness the cremation?
  Yes, for a nominal fee. Our state-of-the-art cremation facility is set up to allow family members to be present when their loved one is placed into the cremation chamber. In fact, some religious groups include this as part of their funeral custom.
• Does a body have to be embalmed before it is buried?
  No, embalming is not required for burial. It is always your choice. Your decision may depend on such factors as whether the family selected a service with a public viewing of the body with an open casket; or to enhance the deceased's appearance for a private family viewing; or if the body is going to be transported by air or rail, or because of the length of time prior to the burial.
• Must I purchase a burial vault?
  In most areas of the country, state or local laws do not require that you buy a container to surround the casket in the grave. However, many cemeteries require that you have such a container so that the ground will not sink. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements.
• What are the advantages of a mausoleum burial?
  Mausoleum crypts are both clean and dry. They offer a viable alternative for those who simply have an aversion of being interred in the ground. Furthermore, with the growing shortage of available land for cemetery use, mausoleums will allow for a maximum number of entombments in a minimum amount of space. The crypt is a vault and it is not necessary to purchase a burial vault.
• What is a columbarium?
  A columbarium, often located within a mausoleum, chapel or in a garden setting, is constructed with numerous small compartments (niches) designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.

Some Important Questions

If there is no pre-arrangements in place, there are several other questions that you will need to have answered in regards to the death of your loved one:

• Do I have to have embalming?
• Do I need to purchase a casket?
• What about cemetery arrangements?
• Does the family have to engage the services of a minister?
• What type of service should we have?

By contacting our staff, we'll be able to help answer your questions and assist in making the appropriate plans. You can reach us at (707) 425-4697.

However, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are taken care of is to make pre-arrangements. This is as simple as outlining your wishes to having all of the details written down and the financial arrangements prepaid. Please contact one of our staff at (707) 425-4697 to learn more about pre-arrangement.

Why You Should Pre-Plan

It’s All About Taking Control

Given time to consider it, you’ll quickly realize that pre-planning is all about ensuring that your wishes are known, so they can be acted upon when the time comes. Making the commitment to planning ahead:

• Is easy. There’s no health questionnaire or physical exam required. Absolutely everyone can make a pre-plan, and there is no waiting for return documents. The plan is completed, and put on file in our office.
• Lets your family clearly know your wishes.
• Relieves your family members of making very personal decisions on your behalf at the time of need.
• Can protect your family from the ravages of inflation. Your expenses can be covered when you need them to be, through a pre-payment plan.
• Reduces the stress on your family at the time of death.

Does Pre-planning Require Pre-payment?

The simple answer is just two letters: No. You can set plan to paper by simply recording your wishes, and leave it for your family to pay for your desired services at the time of your passing.

Or, you can protect you and your family from inflation, by pre-funding your plan. This ensures your expenses will be covered when you need them to be.

When you choose to pre-fund your final arrangements, your money is put in a state-approved trust account or top-rated insurance company until required. After your pre-plan is paid for in full, our price is guaranteed. You will never have to pay more for the services you have already paid for.

Another point we’d like to stress: When you pre-plan with Bryan Braker Funeral Home, your plan will go where you go. No matter where you reside at the time of your passing, no matter what funeral home you choose to work with, your plan will be transferable to any funeral home in the United States.

Why Pre-Plan with Bryan Braker Funeral Home?

By pre-planning with us, you’re assured that your final wishes are known. This relieves your family of the burden of making difficult decisions, under emotional duress. Through pre-funding your plan, expenses will be covered when you need them to be. That's guaranteed.

Our plans offer a variety of payment options to fit your needs. Choose the payment option that's right for you.

Ready to get started?

Request a personal appointment with a Bryan Braker Funeral Home pre-planning advisor. Please contact us by clicking on the link below.

Contact Us for an Appointment

Record your personal information to be kept on file at Bryan Braker Funeral Home. For assistance in completing this online planning process, please contact us by calling (707) 425-4697.

Begin Online Process

Gifts: Organic Sparkler

Crispy red and green organic apples and sweet juicy organic oranges fresh from the orchard. Topped off with a bottle of Sonoma Sparkler organic sparkling apple juice, this gift is a perfectly delicious.