Funeral Service Options and Costs:

Carlson Funeral Service, Inc. offers a wide range of funeral service options tailored to fit the individual needs and desires of the families we serve. As your funeral service professional, we present you with all available options in regards to type of service and disposition and then work to see that a family’s wishes are carried out to completion. By removing the burden of arranging the details of service and disposition as well as meeting all legal requirements involved, we allow our families to address the most important issues that arise at the time of death; caring for each other, dealing with grief and the implications of a lost loved one, and providing a meaningful tribute and farewell for the deceased.

When addressing funeral options, some primary points to consider:

• Type of disposition: Earth Burial, Entombment, or Cremation. If earth burial or entombment, which cemetery or mausoleum? If cremation is desired, what will happen with the cremains following the cremation process; burial, inurnment in a mausoleum niche, scattering, or retention by the family?
• Type of service: Traditional Type Service with Visitation and Funeral Service with deceased present at funeral home or church, Memorial Funeral Service without deceased present, or Direct Cremation or Immediate Burial with no formal service or viewing.
• Specific desires regarding the actual funeral service including, officiant, music, floral tributes, place and time of service, military honors, establishment of a memorial fund, clothing to be worn by the deceased, pictures and mementos to be present for the service, and information to be included in published obituary notices.
• Type of Casket, Outer Burial Container, or Urn to be utilized. Many options are available regarding these items in a wide range of construction materials, colors, fabrics, and costs.
• Financial Considerations. Financial resources available to cover selected service and merchandise expenses are an important issue for every family to consider. Available resources may include insurance policy proceeds, pre-funded funeral agreements held by the funeral home, and personal monetary contributions. As your funeral director, we will work with you to meet your needs and desires in regards to service and disposition options while being mindful of each individual’s financial situation.

Some of the services offered by Carlson Funeral Home:

• Basic Services of Funeral Director and Staff including 24 hour availability, funeral counseling and arrangement conference, coordination of all service and disposition details with outside parties involved, recording vital statistics, securing required permits, filing and obtaining death certificates and other forms and claims, and preparation of necessary notices.
• Immediate response at time of death and transfer of deceased from place of death.
• Embalming Preparation. Embalming is the process by which the condition of the deceased is stabilized to facilitate viewing and allow the presence of the deceased at the funeral service. Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. However, embalming may be necessary if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement which does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial.
• Other Preparation of the Deceased including dressing, casketing, hair styling, and cosmetizing.
• Use of Facilities, Staff, and Equipment for Funeral Ceremony, Visitation/Viewing, Memorial Service, or Graveside Service conducted at the funeral home or at another facility.
• Use of Automotive Equipment including the casket coach and service vehicle.
• Registration Package including Visitor Register, Acknowledgment Cards, Memorial Folders, and Prayer Cards.
• Forwarding of Remains to Another Funeral Home for services and disposition including removal of deceased, basic services of staff, obtaining necessary authorizations and legal documents, embalming, and transportation.
• Receiving of Remains from Another Funeral Home for local services and disposition including basic services of staff, conduction of funeral ceremony, and transfer to either cemetery of crematory for disposition.

Costs:

Costs and expenses associated with a funeral service and disposition are as varied as the funeral options discussed above. Costs are directly dependent on the choices each individual family makes. You will only be charged for the services and merchandise you select.

In addition to charges made by the funeral home for our services and merchandise, other parties involved will have expenses including opening/closing of the grave, crematory charge, newspaper obituaries, honorariums for minister and musicians, floral tributes, certified copies of the death certificate, luncheon following services, and additional transportation charges if the death occurs outside our service area. These charges vary dependent on the provider chosen as well as the specific wishes and desires of each individual family. At the time of funeral arrangements, we will provide you with a copy of General Price List, Casket Price List, Outer Burial Container/Vault Price List, and an itemized statement reflecting all charges involved to complete your desired services and disposition.

Per Federal Trade Commission law, our specific charges for service and merchandise options are available by contacting our office either in person at 134 N. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin - 54501 or by telephone at (715) 369-1414. We can also provide you with cost guidelines for specific cemeteries in our area as well as estimates for other cash advance items. When comparing costs between funeral homes, it is very important to understand specifically what each firm is quoting you. Does their quote include ALL charges including cemetery or crematory charges or are they only relaying the charges made by the funeral home for their own specific charges? As a consumer, it is your right to receive a written copy of each firm’s General Price List, Casket Price List, and Outer Burial Container Price List.

Carlson Funeral Service has built a strong reputation for honesty and fairness regarding the charges we make for funeral services and merchandise. According to feedback from surveys sent to families following arrangements with our firm, the majority of respondents express that charges were as expected or lower than expected for the services and merchandise they selected. In today’s continually challenging business world, we work hard to control the costs of the services and merchandise we offer while balancing considerations to provide quality and up to date facilities and equipment and to ensure that our family will be here to serve you today and for many years to come. When you choose Carlson Funeral Service, you can expect unquestionable integrity in regard to charges and payment for services and merchandise. In addition, you can expect the freedom and support to make decisions that best meet the needs of your personal values and desires. You should expect nothing less from your funeral director!

Caskets, Burial Vaults, Outer Burial Containers, and Urns:

In addition to a variety of professional services, Carlson Funeral Service, Inc. offers those entrusted to our care a wide range of choices in regard to Caskets, Outer Burial Containers, and Urns. These offerings provide specific functions as to the care and final disposition of the deceased. Some funeral options do not require the use of any casket, outer burial container, or urn such as direct cremation. The final decision in regard to the use of this merchandise is based upon the personal feelings of the deceased, wishes of the family in charge of arrangements, religious beliefs, community custom, and financial considerations. As your funeral director, we will present all available options for your review and then proceed based upon your wishes. At no time can you expect pressure from our staff in regard to these important decisions. We are here to offer options and support your decisions in the best way we possibly can. Per Federal Trade Commission Law, written copies of our Casket Price List and Outer Burial Container Price List are available from our office for your inspection and retention.

Caskets

The Casket serves many important functions as part of the traditional funeral service and disposition. The Casket will serve as the final resting receptacle for the remains of the deceased and can reflect the individual’s personal style and values. Caskets allow us to transport and present the deceased in a respectful and dignified manner for the visitation, funeral service, and disposition. Caskets also afford a degree of protection for the earthly remains of the deceased during disposition.

Caskets are constructed with many different materials with the primary options being “Metal” versus “Wood”.

Metal Caskets are available in basic steel of varying thickness including 20 Gauge, 18 Gauge, and 16 Gauge thickness, as well as in semi-precious metals including Bronze, Copper, and Stainless Steel.

Wood Caskets are constructed in various wood species including Ash, Cherry, Hickory, Mahogany, Maple, Oak, Pecan, Pine, Poplar, and Walnut. Wood caskets involve much greater hand labor in their construction as opposed to metal units and pricing options are reflective of this fact.

Interiors for Caskets are made of different materials as well, including fabric of crepe, satin, and velvet with numerous styling options and colors available.

Carlson Funeral Home offers caskets in all types of materials, styles, and colors in order to afford every family an appropriate option. Caskets may be used for either earth burial or cremation disposition or no casket may be required when selecting an arrangement such as a direct cremation. If a family cannot find a desired casket in our standard offerings, we have access to hundreds of style and material options and will work with you to provide a casket that meets with your complete satisfaction.

Burial Vaults and Outer Burial Containers

Outer Burial Containers and Vaults are used when earth burial is requested. An Outer Burial Container is a concrete form with top cap that houses the casket in the earth and prevents the collapse of the grave over time. Outer Burial Containers do not have liners or seals that prevent the entrance of water or other elements of the earth into the receptacle. Burial Vaults are similar in form and function in that they are constructed of high strength concrete with a top cap that shelters the casket and the deceased and prevents the collapse of the grave over time. Burial Vaults do, however, incorporate liners and sealant materials that are placed to prevent the entrance of water and other elements of the earth into the receptacle. The liners consist of man made materials such as “Marbelon” and “Strentex” and naturally enduring metals including Bronze, Copper, and Stainless Steel. Outer Burial Containers can weigh from 600 to 1200 pounds while Burial Vaults can weigh from 2000 to 3000 pounds.

The use of an Outer Burial Container or Burial Vault is not required by any state or federal law but each individual cemetery can require the use of this merchandise as a term of burial in that particular cemetery. Today, nearly all cemeteries require the use of at least an Outer Burial container as a requirement for interment. Carlson Funeral Home offers eleven different Outer Burial Container / Burial Vault options dependent upon individual style, personal values, and cost considerations.

Urns

Urns are used to house the cremains that are left following the cremation process. Urns can be used for presentation of the cremains at a memorial service, for earth burial, for inurnment in an above ground niche, for retention by the family, or to hold the cremains until scattering takes place. The use of an urn is not required by any state or federal law but can provide a more permanent and reverent receptacle for the cremains as opposed to the temporary container that holds the cremains as delivered from the crematory.

Like Caskets, Urns are constructed of many different materials in many different styles and designs. Carlson Funeral Home offers over fifteen urn options made from Ash, Bronze, Cedar, Cherry, Copper, Marbelon, Maple, Oak, Pewter, Purple Heart, Slate, and Walnut. Engraving and etching is available to personalize Urns reflecting favorite activities including fishing, hunting, and golf to name a few options.

Keepsakes for cremains are available as well that allow individuals to retain a small portion of the cremains as a permanent memento. These keepsakes include personalized jewelry such as pins and pendants that can keep an earthly part of the deceased always close.