Services

Traditional Funeral Services

A traditional service includes a viewing or a visitation of the deceased in a casket prior to the actual funeral service. The visitation can take place the evening before the funeral, just prior to the funeral service, or at both times. A visitation is an option, however it is not required. You may choose an arrangement that does not include a viewing, such as a closed casket funeral or direct burial. Following the funeral service, friends and family usually drive to the cemetery in procession. The deceased is then interred in the cemetery or entombed in a mausoleum. The pallbearers place the casket above the grave and family and friends gather for a brief service conducted at the graveside or in the mausoleum. At the Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., we offer the finest selection of caskets, burial vaults, and clothing available in the funeral industry today. These items can be personalized to meet your personal tastes and needs.

Cremation Funeral Services:

There are many different ways to arrange a cremation service. At the Ludwick Funeral Homes Inc., we understand that each family is different. We offer many different cremation options to meet your needs and preferences. We create a memorial experience that is tailored to your personal tastes. If you have questions, or would like additional information, please feel free to contact us at any time.

DIRECT CREMATION

Direct cremation does not involve any sort of formal rite or religious service. After identification of the deceased by the family and a legally required waiting period of twenty-four hours, the body is cremated. Each body is cremated separately and the cremains are returned to the family.

CREMATION WITH MEMORIAL SERVICE

Many families choose to have a memorial service after the cremation to honor and remember their loved one. A memorial service can be a time for family and friends to come together to deal with their loss and share their grief. A memorial service, like a funeral, is a service of remembrance; however, the body of the deceased is not present. An urn can be selected and displayed in our Cremation Ark for the memorial service, which can be held at a place of worship, the funeral home or any other appropriate location. The Cremation Ark (Shown in picture) is designed to carry the cremains, allowing family and friends to participate in the ceremony. From visitation and ceremony at the funeral home or church, pallbearers may carry the urn in a formal procession to the cemetery.

CREMATION WITH FUNERAL SERVICE

Choosing cremation does not limit your choices with respect to services prior to the cremation. The only difference between a funeral followed by burial and one followed by cremation is cremated after the service, a committal service is optional. We offer a wide selection of hardwood caskets specifically designed for cremation. However, it is not required that families purchase a casket for cremation. In these cases, we offer a rental casket which is used for a visitation and a funeral service.

CREMATION WITH A VISITATION FOLLOWED BY A MEMORIAL SERVICE

Choosing this option allows a family to have a public visitation, as they would for a traditional funeral service, prior to the cremation. This allows for family and friends to view the deceased before the cremation process. After the cremation, a memorial service may take place at a later date, either at the funeral home, place of worship, or another location of the family's choice.

CREMATION WITH A GRAVESIDE SERVICE

After the cremation has taken place, friends and family may gather to celebrate the deceased's life at a graveside memorial service. With this option, the cremains are present at the time of the service and can either be inurned in the ground or placed into a mausoleum, niche, or columbarium.

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE CREMATED REMAINS (CREMAINS)?

After the cremation takes place, there are decisions to be made about what to do with the cremains, such as selecting an urn, an urn vault, cremation jewelry, and other cremation products, if the family chooses to do so. We offer a wide selection of urns and other cremation products in our cremation display room for your consideration. If you are looking for something that we do not carry in our display room, we offer a complete list of urns and other cremation products that will better suit your loved one. There are a great variety of urns and other cremation products available today.

There are other options as well. The cremains can be buried in a cemetery or placed in a mausoleum, niche, or columbarium. Some cemeteries have special gardens where the cremains may be scattered. Many families, who select these options, choose to have a service at that time.

Other Services We Offer

We sponsor a free "Living with Loss" support and discussion group, which meets several times a year, for those grieving the death of a loved one. Feel free to contact us for further information.
We offer an annual "Holiday Service of Remembrance" for our community.
We offer assistance in arranging funeral luncheons, if requested.
We help in coordinating arrangements with clergy, church staffs and cemetery personnel.
We offer assistance with Social Security and Veterans Benefits, and Insurance Policy claims. This is available at no cost to you.
We have an on-staff Notary Public.
We provide assistance to families with audiovisual tapes and brochures on bereavement, funeral etiquette, explaining death to children, suicide, and values of the funeral and advance planning.
Our professional staff is available to churches, civic organizations and other groups for public speaking engagements to help people better understand the funeral profession and the many service options available.
There are also many other considerations that we can provide for families and organizations upon request.