Resources


Resources

Welcome to the Merchant Memorial Group. Here you will find information regarding funeral issues, guidance, where to turn, local cemeteries and church listings and a growing number of community support links.


Links

Here are some places on the Internet that we would like to share with you.

  • Pre-Planning

    Purple Cross


    Our funeral home has a long standing relationship with the Purple Cross Plan. They have many options available for those wishing to pre-plan final services. Their website is a wonderful place for information about their products. When you are ready to pre-plan, contact one of our funeral directors for complete assistance with all aspects of final arrangements.

  • Hospice Care

    Tri-State Memorial Hospital Hospice

     

    Tri-State Memorial Hospital Hospice has a long caring tradition of serving the needs of the terminally ill and their families. The hospice may be contacted through the hospital's main page under the Services Heading, or by calling 509-758-2568.

  • Grief Support

    Tri-State Memorial Hospital

     

    Tri-State Memorial Hospital has recently formed a monthly grief support group. Information on the support group and their meeting may be obtained by contacting the hospital through their website or by calling 509-758-5511.

  • Local Interest

    Clarkston, Washington Local Information

     

    A website containing useful information about our area, and the services available here.

  • Cremation Related

    Transportation Security Administration

     

    Visit this website to learn about restrictions regarding the transporation of cremated remains on airlines

Recommended Reading

Most of us are not prepared to plan and carry out a funeral ceremony for the death of someone we love. And so much of the information available on this critically important subject fails to focus on what is most important: having a personalized, meaningful funeral that helps families and friends begin mourning after the death of someone they love.

 

In addition to the information contained in this website, a list of recommended reading is provided below to help you understand your choices and allow you to plan the most meaningful funeral for your loved one.

 

Dr. Alan Wolfelt

 

  • Wolfelt, Alan, Creating Meaningful Funeral Ceremonies: A Guide for Caregivers, Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press, 2011
  • Wolfelt, Alan,Creating Meaningful Funeral Ceremonies: A Guide for Families, Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press, 2011
  • Wolfelt, Alan, The Journey through Grief: Reflections on Healing, Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press, 1996
  • Wolfelt, Alan, Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart, Fort Collins, Colorado: Companion Press, 2003

 

Other Authors

 

  • Fulghum, Robert, From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives, New York: Villard Books, 1995
  • Long, Thomas G., Accompany Them With Singing: The Christian Funeral, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009
  • Metrick, S.B., Crossing the Bridge: Creating Ceremonies for Grieving and Healing from Life’s Losses, Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1994
  • Noel, Brook and Pamela Blair, Ph.D., I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One, Milwaukee: Champion Press, 2008
  • York, Sarah, Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death, San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2000

Glossary

As the planning begins, you may be introduced to new words and terms that are associated with the funeral planning process. We have provided a quick glossary for your reference.

 

Arrangement conference - The meeting with the funeral director in which you discuss your wishes for the funeral and the disposition of the body

 

Burial - Also called interment, earth burial at a cemetery is the most traditional method for final disposition of the body

 

Celebrant - A person who provides personalized services to a family to create a meaningful ceremony or ritual during a life transition

 

Columbarium - An above-ground structure for final disposition of cremated remains

 

Committal service - A brief graveside ceremony held with the casket or urn present before it is lowered into the ground

 

Cremation - A form of disposition that involves reducing the body through intense heat to cremated remains

 

Crypt - An above ground burial site in a mausoleum

 

Direct cremation - Cremation without a funeral or memorial service

 

Embalming - A method of preserving the body for a number of days following the death, allowing the family to view the body and hold the funeral service on a day that is convenient for out-of-town friends and relatives

 

Entombment - Placement of the casket in an above-ground structure called a mausoleum

 

Funeral - The ceremony that honors the end of a person's life

 

Grave liner - An unlined outer burial container

 

Honorarium - The fee typically paid to a clergyperson or celebrant for officiating the funeral ceremony and to musicians or soloists for their contributions

 

Mausoleum - A small building in a cemetery that is like a burial plot above the ground

 

Niche - One of a number of recesses in the wall of a columbarium where the urn containing cremated remains is placed

 

Obituary - A notice in the newspaper that announces the death to the community, summarizes the person's life and invites readers to attend the funeral and/or make memorial contributions in the name of the person who died

 

Pallbearers - The people who carry the casket from the ceremony to the hearse and from the hearse to the gravesite

 

Urn - A small vase-like container specially designed for holding cremated remains

 

Vault - A concrete or metal container into which the casket is placed before burial at a cemetery

 

Visitation - A scheduled time for family and friends to see the person who died, perhaps for the final time

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