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WHY HAVE A FUNERAL?

A funeral is a celebration of life.  A celebration much like a birthday, graduation, wedding and anniversary.  Family and friends coming together to share stories, laugh, cry, reminisce about old memories while making new memories, and recalling why family and friends are so special in our lives.  If we celebrate these important events in our life then it seems only fitting that we should have a ceremony to recognize the end of a life. 
 
A funeral service fills several important needs in today's society.  First, it provides for the respectful care of the deceased, by providing a special tribute to a unique life.  Equally important, the funeral service helps survivors face the reality of death -- the first step in overcoming grief.  It brings together relatives and close friends who can lend support and consolation when they are needed the most.
 
Second, a funeral also gives friends and relatives the opportunity to express the love and respect they feel for someone who was very important to them.  Just seeing how much others cared can be a tremendous help to a family in adjusting to their loss.
 
The Teahen family and staff provide a large selection of services and merchandise that help families through a very emotional and personal experience.  At Teahen Funeral Home we often say, "Life Ends But Memories Live On."  
 


 
WHO IS THE FUNERAL REALLY FOR?

Funerals are for the living.  The funeral service is a very important social function for those who are left behind after a death.  Humans are social beings and need the support of family and friends.  The funeral helps to fulfill the bereaved's need for support. 
 
The funeral provides the opportunity for relatives and friends to express their love, care, concerned and support.  If a proper place and atmosphere is not established for the community to gather to give support the opportunity is lost forever.  It is often said that joy expressed is joy increased, grief expressed is grief diminished.

 


SHOULD WE HAVE AN OPEN CASKET VISITATION?

Most families will decide to have a visitation at the funeral home with the casket open.  Psychologists believe this is a very important step in helping the bereaved face the reality of death.  Denial of death is a very common feeling during grief.  The viewing of the deceased makes us recognize a death has occurred.  This is the first step in coming to terms with the death.  
 
If the deceased suffered from a degenerative illness, we often do not have a favorable memory picture of the deceased.  Many times it is beneficial for the family and friends to be able to view the deceased when the signs of illness have been minimized.  This allows us to remember the deceased at rest and without pain. 

 

CAN I AFFORD A FUNERAL?

Today's funeral costs less than you might expect but, like everything else, the costs continue to rise over time.  Whether you choose a simplified service or one that reflects the traditions of your family, Teahen Funeral Home has a service that is within your budget.
 

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN PRE-PLANNING MY FUNERAL?

Pre-planning a funeral is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step One:  Gathering information.  This is just a matter of putting down all the biographical information about your life, your career, and your family.  All the facts you will want everyone to know and remember.  This is also a good time to write down all the personal information that will make your funeral more meaningful, things like hobbies, special interests, scripture verses, and music.
 
Step Two:  Making Arrangements.  With this step, you will sit down with a professional member of the Teahen Funeral Home staff and make choices about things like burial or cremations, what type casket or urn, the services you want, and other details.  Our staff will explain all your options, outline the costs, and make recommendations, if you like.  It is easy, only takes about an hour, and is a FREE service provided by Teahen Funeral Home.
 
Step Three:  Funding the Funeral.  Though many families only choose to make arrangements many are deciding to pre-pay their funeral expenses.  Pre-payment alleviates the financial burden on your family and may eliminate emotional overspending from grief or guilt.  The professional staff at Teahen Funeral Home will work with you to set up a funeral plan to fit your budget and explain the various funding options including lump sum or installment payments.
 
Begin with our FREE pre-planning booklet.  Protect your loved ones now.  Call us at Teahen Funeral Home for a copy of "Pre-Planning the Teahen Way...A Family Estate Inventory".
 


WILL A MEMBER OF YOUR STAFF SPEAK TO OUR GROUP ABOUT FUNERALS AND PRE-PLANNING?

Yes, Teahen Funeral Home is pleased to provide a speaker, at no charge, on the subjects of grief and loss, the history and value of funerals, funeral service options, and pre-planning.

 

IF I AM CREMATED CAN I STILL HAVE A FUNERAL SERVICE?

Yes, cremation does not prevent your family from having a funeral service.  In fact, many families who choose a cremation option still have the remains of their loved one present for the visitation and religious services and then have the cremation prior to the committal service at the cemetery.
 
Other families cremate first and then have the urn present at the visitation, religious and committal service.
 
Today's funeral options are numerous and are intended to ensure your services are personalized and a memorable tribute to the one you love.
 
A professional member of the Teahen Funeral Home staff will be pleased to discuss the various options available and help you design a funeral that is meaningful for you and your family.

 

SHOULD I BRING MY CHILDREN TO THE FUNERAL?

Yes, children should participate in the funeral celebration.  Their participation will provide an opportunity for them to receive comfort and support from friends and family members.  Of course the age of the child will determine the level of participation and understanding.  It is important to include children in the services while, at the same time, being reasonable with our expectations.  For instance, children should come to the visitation but, because of their age and attention span, you may consider having them stay for a short period of time or having a babysitter available to provide you support in caring for them.


 
HOW DO I EXPLAIN DEATH TO MY CHILD?

Experts agree that there are good reasons to guide children gently and honestly into an early understanding of this puzzling aspect of life; and that to avoid answering questions children ask about the subject is a harmful mistake. 
 
Children are not as vulnerable as most adults take them to be according to psychologist.  But they are subject to fears and traumas that grow out of well-intended attempts to shelter them from learning about death.  Countless youngsters have developed irrational fears about God, doctors and hospitals, sleep, cemeteries, even about forming deep affections for the elderly, because of mis-information.
 
Please contact us at Teahen Funeral Home for a FREE copy of "Answers To A Child's Questions About Death."
 


HOW DO I EXPLAIN DEATH OF A PET TO MY CHILD?

In most homes, a pet provides affection, friendship, and loyalty, and is dependent on family members for its well-being.  Thus, in time, the pet usually does become a truly important member of the family.
 
The loss of a pet may be a child's first encounter with death, thus providing the child with a valuable opportunity to learn how to cope successfully with it and other painful losses that may occur later in life.
 
Please contact us at Teahen Funeral Home for a FREE copy of "Death of A Pet. Answers To Questions For Children and Animal Lovers Of All Ages".
 

WHAT IS A BURIAL VAULT?

A burial vault is a lined and sealed outer receptacle that houses the casket.  It protects the casket from the weight of the earth and heavy maintenance equipment that will pass over the grave.  It also helps resist water and preserves the beauty of the cemetery by preventing the ground from settling.

 

ARE BURIAL VAULTS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW?

Iowa law does not require the use of a burial vault.  However, most cemeteries in Iowa do require that the casket be placed in a outer receptacle, usually made of concrete.

 

IS EMBALMING REQUIRED BY STATE LAW?

Iowa does not require embalming when death is not attributed to a reportable communicable disease. In the absence of embalming, however, the law does require burial or cremation within 48 hours of death.


DO YOU PLANT A TREE IN MEMORY OF MY LOVED ONE?

Teahen Funeral Home has proudly participated in the Living Memorial Program, sponsored by Batesville Casket Company, since 1976.  Through this very special program a seedling is planted at no additional cost to you, in memory of your loved one when you purchase a casket from Teahen Funeral Home.  This memorial is part of reforestation efforts in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

 

IS THERE SOME FORM OF IDENTIFICATION THAT IS BURIED WITH THE CASKET?

Most of the caskets offered by Teahen Funeral Home provide the exclusive Memorial Record System.  The Memorial Record System permits families to enclose parting messages, creating a personal memorial to their loved one.  It also serves as an identification tool should the need ever arise.  The parchment is placed inside a tube, which is then sealed and installed at the foot end of the casket.

 

ARE ALL CASKETS SEALED?

Most of the metal caskets offered by Teahen Funeral Home are equipped with a one-piece rubber gasket.  This gasket creates an effective closure between the top and bottom of the casket and helps resist the entrance of outside elements such as air, water, and soil into the casket.


 
IF A DEATH OCCURS OUT-OF-TOWN WHILE A PERSON IS TRAVELING WHO SHOULD THE FAMILY CALL?

A costly mistake many people make is to call a funeral home in the city where the death occurs.  We recommend that families call our professional staff who can handle all the details through our professional network of funeral homes throughout the United States and foreign countries.  By contacting Teahen Funeral Home first, families will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

 

 DO YOU DO BURIALS IN ANY CEMETERY?

Teahen Funeral Home serves all churches and cemeteries.  Many families have graves in cemeteries that have their own funeral home but still choose Teahen Funeral Home for the caring and compassionate services afforded all families that we serve.


 
DOES TEAHEN FUNERAL HOME SERVE ALL RELIGIOUS FAITHS?

Teahen Funeral Home has a long tradition of serving families of all faiths and church membership.  The professional staff of Teahen Funeral Home works closely with clergy of all faiths and can assist families who do not currently have a church membership but still wish to have a clergy person conduct the funeral service.