• Writing a Funeral Thank You Card

    After your friends and family members attend the funeral service or cremation service of your loved one, it is customary to send a note to thank them for their presence. A funeral thank you card shows the people who attended the funeral service that their encouragement and support was meaningful to you.

    Watch this video for some helpful advice on writing thank you cards to those who attended a funeral service or cremation service. Steve Spann, a funeral home director, gives tips on what you can say, and how to begin the thank you note process.

    If you’re funeral planning or funeral pre-planning near Oakland, come see us at Chapel of the Chimes Oakland . Our funeral home staff has experience planning funeral ceremonies, memorials, burial services, and cremation services for community members of all religions and cultures. To learn more about our funeral home and funeral services, call us today at (510) 654-0123.

  • What Financial Information Should You Organize When You Pre-Plan Your Funeral?

    Funeral Planning Oakland

    Funeral pre-planning offers you and your family several advantages. By organizing it yourself and planning ahead, you ensure that your funeral service is precisely how you would like to be. You also help your surviving family by having the paperwork organized and most of the decision-making already completed. Most importantly, preparing financially for your funeral beforehand can make the funeral process easier for your family members.

    Planning Your Ceremony
    Preparing for and purchasing your funeral services in advance can save your family money and stress. Start by deciding what type of service you would like, whether you would prefer cremation or burial, and if you would rather have people send flowers or make donations to charity. It’s also a good idea to leave information regarding the locations of any family heirlooms, photographs, or family history documents.

    Creating a Will and Living Trusts
    Preparing a will or living trust is one of the best ways to make sure your property, money, and any money owed to you or your family end up where you want it to end up. You will want to locate all documents regarding your will or living trust, as well as any pension, annuity, life insurance policy, or retirement account records. Also, be sure to designate a power of attorney for health care along with a living will so your wishes can be carried out if you are unable to due to illness, and give your executor a copy of you will so it’s immediately accessible.

    Reviewing Financial Documents
    Organizing any documents regarding property and money will help keep your wealth in the right hands. If you own bonds, stocks, or money in mutual funds, be sure to locate and organize the records, as well as the deeds to any real estate that you own. You can save your surviving family extra hassle and costs by arranging for any utilities, telephone services, or subscriptions to be canceled.

    If you are interested in funeral pre-planning near Oakland, please contact Chapel of the Chimes Oakland at (510) 654-0123 to meet with one of our pre-planning advisors and learn about funeral pre-planning resources.

  • Exploring Religious Perspectives on Cremation

    Funeral Pre-Planning Houston

    When you begin pre-planning a funeral , you will have the option to choose burial or cremation services. The choice you make may depend upon your own personal religious and cultural beliefs. Here is a look at some major religious perspectives on the practice of cremation.

    The Catholic Church’s Views on Cremation
    Until 1963, the Catholic Church didn’t support cremation services. The Church believes that funeral services should follow the path of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and after death, the body and soul pass from the physical world to live on in the afterlife. Due to the Catholic belief in the body as a temple for the Holy Spirit, and faith in the resurrection of the body, there’s a strong preference on entombing or burying the body. After 1963, the Church relaxed its ban on cremation services, but still prefers the body be present for the funeral mass. After cremation, the remains must be buried or entombed, and cannot be scattered.

    Buddhist and Hindu Cremation Services
    The Buddhist religion allows for cremation or burial. After cremation, the remains may be kept by the family, enshrined in a columbarium or memorial park, or scattered at sea. According to the Hindu tradition, every member of the Hindu faith is cremated after death. The only exception to this tradition is babies, children, and saints.

    Jewish Beliefs About Cremation
    The views on cremation services depend upon the degree of orthodoxy of the deceased. Orthodox Jews believe that cremation is unacceptable, and that the body must be buried in a burial plot at a Jewish cemetery. Conservative Jews oppose cremation, but a rabbi might agree to perform a funeral service for someone who has been cremated. Reform Jews and Reform rabbis support cremation services.

    If you’re interested in learning more about cremation near Oakland , come see us at Chapel of the Chimes Oakland. We can help you arrange a funeral, memorial, or cremation that follows the traditions and beliefs of any religion or culture. To learn more about our funeral home and memorial park, call us today at (510) 654-0123.

  • What Is the Conversation Project?

    Funeral Home Oakland

    The Conversation Project is a non-profit organization that promotes the discussion of preferences for end of life care, and planning ahead for funeral, burial, or cremation services. The organization works in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to provide community members with information about the benefits of funeral pre-planning.

    When people feel comfortable talking to their families about their wishes for their funeral service, they can save their families from a lot of stress and heartache. After a death, many families experience extreme financial and emotional difficulty when burdened with the task of planning a funeral and paying the high costs associated with funeral homes, cemeteries, and burial plots. When you pre-plan a funeral, you can ensure that your wishes are followed, and the financial and emotional burden is lifted from your family.

    If you’re interested in learning more about the Conversation Project or funeral pre-planning in Oakland, come see us at Chapel of the Chimes Oakland. We can walk you through the process of pre-planning a funeral or cremation ceremony. To speak with one of our compassionate and knowledgeable funeral home employees about funeral pre-planning, call us today at (510) 654-0123.

  • Starting a Conversation with Your Family About Your Final Wishes

    Funeral Planning Oakland

    Very few people enjoy talking about death, especially their own death. But by doing funeral pre-planning and discussing everything from burial methods to funeral homes, you can ensure that your final wishes will be met when you pass away. You should take the time to start a conversation about your final wishes with your family so that you can plan ahead . Here’s how to get the conversation started.

    Set aside a specific time to talk about your final wishes.
    If you want to make sure your friends and family are prepared to talk about your final wishes, choose a time to do it and let them know ahead of time what you want to talk about. You shouldn’t randomly spring a discussion about burial plots and funeral services on them at the dinner table. Instead, let them know you want to talk about funeral pre-planning and ask them when they are available to speak about it.

    Tell your family exactly what you want to happen when you pass away.
    When you speak about your death and your final wishes, you should be as open and honest as you can possibly be. If you are against the idea of being buried in a cemetery or you want your ashes spread in a specific spot after you are cremated, this is the time to let your family know about it. They are going to be responsible for seeing your final wishes through, so let them know the details of what you want.

    Be open to listening to the ideas your friends and family might have.
    While your friends and family will likely be open to all of the ideas you have about your funeral, you need to be reasonable with regards to what they will be able to do. Listen to concerns they have and make adjustments accordingly.

    Chapel of the Chimes Oakland specializes in funeral pre-planning in Oakland. Once you have spoken with your family about your final wishes, contact us at (510) 654-0123 for further assistance.

  • What to Know About Funeral Pre-Planning

    Funeral Home Oakland

    Today, more and more people are calling funeral homes to secure information about how they can pre-plan their funerals. Planning ahead for a funeral is one of the best ways to ensure your wishes are exactly fulfilled when you pass on. Pre-planning can also save your surviving loved ones a great deal of stress and anxiety when you pass on. Keep reading for helpful pointers on how to pre-plan funeral services.

    Important Choices
    When you pre-plan a funeral, your first decision should be whether you prefer burial or cremation. In Jewish funerals, burial is required. However, many people of other faiths feel strongly about their final resting places. You have many options when it comes to cremation and burial. For example, it is important to select your urn and crematorium of choice. If you choose burial, you should pick a burial plot or resting spot in a mausoleum.

    Personalized Touches
    One of the biggest benefits of planning ahead is that it allows you to completely customize your funeral. Many people have special music that they would like to play, while others select particularly meaningful poems or readings. Another touch is to incorporate pictures of you with your loved ones.

    Advanced Payment
    When it comes to planning ahead for a funeral, almost everyone opts to pay for some or all of the products and services ahead of time. When you pay in advance, your loved ones will have much less of a financial burden. Rather than worrying about bills, they will be able to focus on celebrating your life knowing they honored your last wishes. When you do pay in advance for funeral services, make sure to secure detailed paperwork so you have a record. You may also want to look into funeral insurance to defray some of the cost.

    Chapel of the Chimes Oakland is a full-service funeral home and one of the most beautiful historic sites in California. If you are interested in planning ahead, call our funeral home at (510) 654-0123 today. We are proud to offer Jewish funerals and Catholic funerals, and are here to help with funeral planning in Oakland.

  • How to Plan a Graveside Service

    Funeral pre-planning and funeral planning in Oakland often involve planning a graveside service. A graveside service involves many elements, which is why planning ahead is key.

    When you map out a graveside service, the first thing to consider is what kind of cemetery you prefer. One key thing to think about is how much space the cemetery provides around the burial plot. You will want to make sure there is enough room for chairs for everyone who wants to attend the funeral services.

    If you want to know more about funeral pre-planning service for yourself or you are planning funeral services for a departed loved one, contact Chapel of the Chimes Oakland . You can reach us at (510) 654-0123.

  • Planning Readings for a Funeral

    When someone you care about passes away, you’ll need to choose a funeral home to assist you with the arrangements. As you plan a funeral, you may want to include readings during the service that had some importance or bearing on the deceased’s life. Watch this brief video to learn how to plan readings for a funeral.

    In order to personalize a funeral service, you can ask friends and family members if the deceased had a favorite author or poet. If the deceased was a religious person, a verse from the bible or other spiritual text could make a good selection for a reading. Remember to keep the readings relatively brief so that everyone has a chance to pay their respects.

    When you’re planning a funeral near Oakland, you can rely on Chapel of the Chimes Oakland to provide you with professional and courteous services. We are a full-service cemetery and funeral home and work directly with you. Call us at (510) 654-0123 or visit our website to learn more about what we do.

  • The Process of Arranging for a Cremation

    Cremation Oakland

    Whether you are making the end-of-life arrangements for a loved one or funeral pre-planning for yourself, there are a number of decisions you need to make. Many people choose cremation for a number of reasons, including religion, environmental causes, and simplifying the funeral process. Once you have made the decision to have remains cremated, there are many things to keep in mind about the process. Continue reading for an overview of what you should know about making arrangements for cremation.

    Covering the Logistics
    The first step to arrange a cremation is to meet with the funeral home and discuss your individual cremation plan . Be sure to bring all necessary details to this meeting, including Social Security information. The funeral home will help you arrange for transportation of the body. They will also assist in obtaining the official death certificate, writing the obituary, and gathering any other paperwork that is necessary. You will then sign the authorization allowing for the cremation.

    Picking the Type of Cremation
    Generally, there are three types of cremation services. There is a traditional cremation with a visitation ceremony; with this ceremony, loved ones are able to view the deceased in a casket prior to cremation. A ceremonial cremation offers a ceremony that is held following the cremation, and there is no viewing. For a non-ceremonial cremation, the deceased is cremated and the remains are given directly to a designated person.

    Choosing Post-Cremation Options
    After you make cremation arrangements, you will select a cremation urn, or some other container to hold the remains of the deceased. There are many options for what to do with the remains. Some individuals bury the ashes in a cemetery and select a grave marker. Some may scatter the ashes at a place that was important to the deceased. Others may choose to keep the ashes in an urn in their home.

    When it comes to making arrangements for cremation in Oakland, Chapel of the Chimes is here to help. With on-site cremation services , we are able to provide detailed care in assisting with the entire process. To learn more, call (510) 654-0123.

  • Offering Grief Support During a Funeral

    The loss of a loved one causes a substantial heartache, and can bring on devastating grief. It is not always clear how to be supportive for someone who is going through the emotionally difficult challenge of loss. Everyone has his or her own way of grieving, but there are things you can do to offer grief support to someone during a funeral . Continue reading for tips on how you can help a friend during this time.

    Remember the Deceased

    A funeral, while a time of mourning , is also a time to reflect on the deceased’s life. It is beneficial to the grieving process to reflect upon loving reminiscences, life accomplishments, and significant memories. Conversations and stories about a loved one who has passed on can be healing, and should be encouraged at a funeral.

    Know What Not to Say

    It may be tempting to offer your grieving friend a comforting cliché, but these types of sentiments should be avoided. These sort of statements, while they mean well, can undermine the healing process. To be supportive, the best thing you can do for a friend is to listen to your friend talk about his or her feelings. Try not to get hung up on how you will respond; just focus on letting your friend talk openly about the grief. You should also not be afraid to leave your friend alone if he or she needs space to grieve.

    Offer Continual Support

    Grieving does not end once the funeral is over. It is a process that takes time, and there are things you can do to offer your support after a funeral. Regularly check in with your friend—this can be weekly or monthly. Simply letting your friend know that you are thinking of him or her can be comforting. You can offer to help with daily tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, or shopping. Acknowledge the deceased on holidays, anniversaries, and other dates when a loved one will be remembered.

    If you or someone close to you has lost a loved one, Chapel of the Chimes offers grief counseling in Oakland, in addition to our funeral home services. Call us at (510) 654-0123 to learn more about how we can help you.