Funeral Services
If you choose to have a funeral service, we offer three packages that you might want to consider. The following is a brief explanation of each plan.
The Traditional Service includes preparation of the remains and up to one and one half-days of visitation. The following day, a funeral service will be conducted in the funeral home or the church of your choice. Our staff will accompany you and your clergyman to the cemetery to conduct a committal service, when necessary.
The Moderate Service is very similar to the traditional service but only provides for one evening of visitation at a reduced cost.
The Limited Service includes preparation of the remains, visitation for two hours with the funeral service immediately following the visitation period. A service at the cemetery can be added if you desire.
At the R.J. Nixon Funeral Home, you can choose your church for the place of the service, or you can use the funeral home facilities. The service can be held in our beautiful traditional chapel at the south end of the building, or you can pick the more contemporary "Wabeek" chapels in the newly expanded area at the north end of our building.
These three funeral service options can be followed by a cemetery burial or by cremation. These are referred to as "methods of disposition" and are merely choices that are made following the funeral service.
Our funeral directors can advise you in selecting a casket that is appropriate for burial or cremation and also fits your budget. We can also tailor a package of services to fit your individual needs, if you desire something different from what has been described.
Memorial Services
A memorial is a service to honor the deceased that is held without the body being present. This usually means that the service follows either a burial or cremation. It can be held in a church as memorial service or mass, or in our funeral home. A photograph or an urn containing the cremated remains may represent the deceased.
When the memorial service is held at the funeral home again, you have the choice of the traditional funeral chapel or the contemporary chapels in the new part of the building. We would be glad to help arrange this type of service in a way that suits the needs of your family and friends.
Burials
When families have selected a burial as their method of disposition we can help you to coordinate the necessary services with your cemetery. Many cemeteries in our area require the use of a burial vault or outer container to support the casket. We have many models to show you in a wide variety of prices depending on what you feel is appropriate.
Markers We also offer granite and bronze grave markers and monuments and can provide you with each cemetery's guidelines so that you can make an informed decision about your memorial. There is never a cost or obligation to have us provide you with a price quotation.
Cremations
If you have selected cremation as your method of disposition, we can discuss the options that are available. We offer Direct Cremation, where there is no service or viewing before the cremation. You may also choose to have the cremation following a period of visitation and/or funeral service. If the cremains are to remain in your home or will be buried at a cemetery or placed in a cemetery niche, we can provide a cremation urn. They come in a wide variety of different materials and finishes. Bronze, ceramic, and wooden urns are very popular.
We have several models of smaller urns that can be used to divide the
cremains among family members. We also have different containers available to accommodate your wishes for
final disposition of cremated remains.
Funerals Arranged in Advance
We would be happy to talk with you about arranging your own funeral service or a family member's service in advance. We can provide insurance and trust accounts that guarantee that the cost to your family will not increase for your lifetime. Many of our clients now feel that planning their funeral in advance can provide a loving gift to their survivors.
We also find that many clients now contact us ahead of time when a death is imminent. Decisions about the services can be decided on at a less emotional time. This also allows more family members to help in the decision process. We are happy to meet with you to discuss an arrangement prior to death and only ask that you call ahead for an appointment. This way you can be sure that one of our funeral directors is expecting you and will give you undivided attention.
Veterans & Social Security Benefits
We want to help you in obtaining any state or Federal government benefits that your family members may be entitled to because of employment or military service. We maintain up to date information on applications and location of the offices.
Insurance Claims
Our business offices can be helpful to you in applying for insurance benefits to either be applied to your funeral bill or sent directly to the beneficiary. We have the claim forms available for the most popular insurance companies. At times, we can obtain the forms of other companies almost immediately by fax machine. If we can save you some time or make the task easier for you, we are glad to be able to serve you.
Department of Social Services
We are proud to help needy families that require the assistance of the Michigan State Family Independence Agency (Social Services) to provide funds for funeral services. Depending on your situation, we can provide the funeral at a low cost to the family. The agency does allow you to supplement with your own funds to provide additional services and merchandise. We keep up to date on the present government regulations. We have not and never will refuse to deal with a family based solely on their financial situation. We guarantee that a fair solution can be agreed upon so that you can pay respects to your loved one in the manner that satisfies your family's needs without embarrassment.
Aftercare
At the R.J. Nixon Funeral Home, our service does not end when the funeral is over. We would like to help you in the all-important process of grieving so that you can once again find peace and happiness. We maintain an array of books that might be of benefit that we are glad to loan. We also have available a large quantity of pamphlets that will address some of the things that you are experiencing and offer helpful suggestions. These are always free for the asking. We can provide you with an up to date list of support groups that are meeting in our area, some specific to the loss that you are dealing with. Please, don't be afraid to ask for our help.
Payment
It has been our tradition to work with the families we serve, therefore, we
allow three different options for payment to help fit your individual needs.
A more detailed explanation of our payment policy is available. We accept
cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover or assignment of a life insurance
policy.
The funeral director will inform you in a professional way on the exact
total of your arrangements. He or she will also discuss with you when
payment is due. Most cemeteries now require that you pay their interment
fees on the day of the burial of before, we can also assist you with this.
A Word About Cost & Your Finances
First and foremost, we want to be respectful of your wishes and providing funeral or cremation services and merchandise within your budget. It is your decision to decide how much or how little you want to spend. We want our clients to feel that we appreciate their business whether they have selected a traditional funeral or one that is modified to fit their taste or financial circumstances. Our prices are based on services rendered by our professional staff and the use of our spacious and beautiful facilities. We are also willing to make any special considerations to those who are unable to fit into one of the plans described in this page. Our goal is to earn your trust and confidence and our greatest asset is a satisfied client.
