Making Arrangements
If someone close to you died today, you should read the following information in order to gain a better understanding of the alternatives available and the decisions you will be making.
Our goal is to provide dignified care for the deceased person and at the same time to assist you in arranging an appropriate disposition of that person as well as a sensitive and comforting celebration of a life according to your individual needs.
- Options:
There are different options regarding the disposition of the deceased person as well as any memorial gathering you may prefer. You can have a service before or after the disposition of the deceased. The disposition itself can be public or private. The deceased can be buried or cremated. Some people choose to donate to medical institutions. You may even decide not to have a any type of public or private ceremony at all. We also help many people who want to transfer the deceased to or from another town or state.
- Steps in Making arrangements:
- Disposition and Service Details: Disposition of the deceased can be by burial, cremation, burial in a mausoleum or columbarium or by the donation to a medical facility
| Disposition Alternatives |
| Burial |
Cremation |
Donation |
cemetery
mausoleum |
burial in cemetery
columbarium scattering |
to a medical institution |
Service: If your decision is to have some type of memorial with burial, cremation or donation then there are several decisions that are important. You will decide the type and place for the ceremony and if it will be public or private. Ceremonies can be conducted at your church, the funeral home, the graveside, or many other public and private places.
| Funeral/Memorial Alternatives |
| Burial Service |
Cremation Services |
Donation Services |
| Complete services |
Visitation & Services |
Visitation & services |
| Limited services |
Private view & service |
Private view & service |
| Graveside service |
Private viewing only |
Private viewing only |
| Direct burial |
Memorial service |
Memorial service |
| |
Direct cremation |
Direct donation |
A funeral or memorial service can be public or private. It can be either before or after the disposition.
- Gather Life Information and Statistics: One important step in making arrangements is gathering the life information and statistics about the deceased person. This information will be used to complete the death certificate and the obituary.
Statistics: The DEATH CERTIFICATE is the original legal document that you will need regarding the person who has died. When, where, and how the death occurred and other historical and statistical information are required by state government. The official document will be filed with the Palo Alto County Recorder and ultimately with the Iowa Bureau of Vital Records.
Click Here> see a Iowa Death Certificate Form
Life Information: This includes the OBITUARY & other media announcements. The obituary consists of life information as well names of family survivors and is presented in paragraph form.
In our community, radio or televisions normally do not announce a death or service unless the person has served the community in a public capacity.
- Select the Funeral Products: You need to decide which funeral products are appropriate for you. Some are desired and required. Some are neither desired nor required. At Harris Funeral Services these products may include a casket, burial vault and flowers.
Click Here> to see and print funeral product information
- Safety:
Consumer protection: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Funeral Rule has been implemented by the United States government to help consumers to make more informed decisions about funeral home goods and services. All funeral homes must follow the guidelines of the FTC-funeral rule.
Click Here> for FTC-funeral rule
- Who Can I Call?
The Staff at Harris Funeral Home knows that death and grief are common human experiences, yet these experiences tend to be different for every individual. As a result, there are no words that can adequately describe what a survivor goes through when grieving. What we know for sure is that many times it is tough and almost overwhelming.
Please contact us and let a Harris Funeral Home staff professional help you with questions that you may have.
