Service Options

Why Have a Funeral Service?

When thinking about a funeral, we need to think in today‘s terms. While the traditional service still is a great comfort to families, there are now many more service options available to families. At Valley Funeral Home we want the funeral service to be meaningful, and we know that to achieve this goal we must be open and flexible to the desires and wishes of the families we have the privilege of serving. We strive for the funeral service to be a focal point for the family mourning a loss.

Funeral services can be held in our beautiful chapel

It is most important for all of us to realize that funeral services are for the living ... for those who are affected by the loss of a loved one or friend, and for the deceased. . . a final tribute. Like other rites of passage—graduation, weddings, baptisms, retirement celebrations—funerals help the living adjust to a major event and is the first step to a new, different way of living.

The funeral service should meet the needs of the family. Whether the service is religious or not, it may include musical numbers of particular meaning to the family or decedent, memoirs (also called eulogies) by family, friends, or the clergy, readings from Scriptures or other personal favorites, and stories. We believe every life should be celebrated through some type of meaningful service, whether elaborate or simple, brief or lengthy.

While it is quite normal to react with apprehension to the death of a loved one or friend and the necessary arrangements that follow, it is wise to consider the benefits of the funeral service in the grieving process. Consider that the funeral service:

• Is a celebration of the life that has been lived.
• Provides a climate for mourning and the expression of grief.
• Serves as a central gathering place for family and friends to share their sorrow and give support to one another.
• Helps survivors to better cope with their grief and move forward with their lives.
• It is the first step in the healing process.

Indeed, the funeral service has a two-fold purpose. We believe it serves the living and the dead.

• For the living—it provides a means of saying "farewell."
• For the deceased—it provides for the respectful disposition of the dead.

Sir William Gladstone: "Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead
and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people,
their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals."

Our caring, professional staff is ready to assist you with planning a meaningful funeral for your loved one. You may click the links at the top of the page to learn about the options available to you or call or come by our office.  We consider it an honor to serve you.