What is the PA state law regarding funeral processions?
As one might expect, each state has its own laws regarding funeral processions. In Pennsylvania, each vehicle in the procession must have its headlights lit and emergency lights flashing as well as...
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GoFundMe for Funeral Expenses
An unexpected loss can be devastating—not only emotionally, but also financially. Many people turn to GoFundMe and other platforms to raise money for funeral costs because they feel stuck. But usin...
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How should I dress for a funeral?
In the past, custom dictated that immediate family wore black clothing to the funeral of a deceased family member. While other relatives and friends didn’t necessarily need to be dressed in bl...
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Are vaults required in Pennsylvania?
Vaults or other types of outer burial containers are not required by federal or Pennsylvania state law to be placed in the ground prior to a casket being buried. However, most cemeteries in Lancast...
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Children and Grief
Grief is a human reaction to loss. Grief can be experienced as the result of the loss of a job, a home, a marriage, a pet, a lost opportunity, a relationship, and the list is endless. I...
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How included should children be in funerals?
This is a great question that often gets asked. For the record, I am not a licensed psychologist, counselor, or even a parent. However, my study and observation have provide me with sev...
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The thing about “Closure”
The longer I am a funeral director the greater disdain I have for the word “closure” as it is used in the context of one’s grief. Many well-meaning individuals, and even professionals, often offer ...
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Is embalming required by law?
Embalming is only required by Pennsylvania law under certain circumstances. If it is the desire of the family to have a public viewing of the deceased, the law requires that the body be embal...
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The Queen's Funeral
Great Britain has demonstrated to the world in a royal manner the importance and power that ceremony and ritual provide to family and community when someone they love dies. Across time and cu...
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What happens if I die away from my hometown?
Although it is seldom that death occurs when traveling for business or pleasure, it occasionally happens. The short answer to the question is, “Call the funeral director of your choice in you...
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