Ceremonies

Memorial

A Memorial Service is a unique and personal ceremony to honor the life of the deceased, and is similar to the traditional service in many ways except that the body of the deceased is not present.  This service is typically held within a few days of death, and can follow with a graveside committal service.  It is also important to note that if there are family members or friends who wish to view the deceased, this can be arranged before the cremation takes place.

    With a Memorial Service, because the body of the deceased is not present, we offer many other ways to bring a visual memory to the friends and family during the service.  Personalized service folders, portraits, collage boards and video tributes have all become very popular in memorializing the deceased's life during the service.  The video tributes have become increasingly popular since we are able to put together many photographs from throughout the deceased's life into a lasting "Life Portrait" that is shown during the service.  The personalized video tribute will also include some of the deceased's favorite music which is played in the background while the video is being shown.

What can I do with the cremated remains?    This is often a topic that families have many questions about.  There are a number of options that one has as to where the urn will rest after the memorial service.
The most common of these options is to inter the remains in the same manner as one would inter a casket at a fully traditional service.    Snodgrass Funeral Homes have recently purchased a device know as the Funeral Ark which allows for a more traditional service when the deceased's wishes were to be cremated.  Pallbearers, and the funeral coach may both be used when using the Funeral Ark, which also allows close family members and friends to take part in the service.
The inurnment ceremony can then be held at the cemetery following the memorial service.  The deceased will then be committed to their final resting place which may be either a burial plot or a niche in a columbarium.  The urn may also be taken home with the family.