Itemized Cost
$5,515
 
Package Price
$4,895

Graveside Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming or Refrigeration
  • Cosmetics, Dressing & Placement in Casket / Other Sanitary Care of Remains when no Embalming
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Same Day Visitation and Graveside Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle

Package discount pricing is only applicable with casket purchased through funeral home

 
Itemized Cost
$5,515
 
Package Price
$5,095

Same Day Traditional Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming or Refrigeration
  • Cosmetics, Dressing & Placement in Casket / Other Sanitary Care of Remains when no Embalming
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Same Day Visitation and Funeral Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle

Package discount pricing is only applicable with casket purchased through funeral home

 
Itemized Cost
$5,710
 
Package Price
$5,295

Full Traditional Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming or Refrigeration
  • Cosmetics, Dressing & Placement in Casket / Other Sanitary Care of Remains when no Embalming
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Visitation (prior to day of service)
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Funeral Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle

Package discount pricing is only applicable with casket purchased through funeral home

Affordable Funeral Services in Simi Valley, CA

All we need to do is say the word "funeral" and within microseconds, you have an image in your mind of what a funeral looks like. This mental image comes from many sources: the geographical place, culture and society in which we live; our faith; our life experience. Obviously then, a traditional funeral service in Borneo would look very different from one held in Tanzania; there are even significant differences between the funeral services held in ethnically and/or geographically diverse regions of North America.

Yet, despite the differences, these funeral services have much in common. We invite you to read further to learn the really simple answer to the question "what is a funeral?" Should you have questions about what you read here, we encourage you to call us. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the wide spectrum of traditional funeral services seen around the world.

What is a Funeral?

No matter where it's held, a funeral service is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

Anthropologists label a funeral as a rite of passage, which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors—the immediate family most especially—has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral arrangement—no matter where, no matter when—lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.

The Funeral Process

End-of-life services are intended to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time. However, traditional funeral services follow a structure that is much different than a less traditional memorial service or celebration of life.

There are four basic aspects of a traditional funeral process.

Visitation

Also known as the viewing or wake, this is the time in which family and friends of the deceased visit with the immediate family of the deceased, offer condolences, and take the opportunity to view the body of the individual. It usually takes place the day prior to the funeral service.

Funeral Service

The funeral service usually takes place at a funeral home, church, or at the graveside. It can include music, the reading of literary or religious passages, a eulogy, prayer, and the singing of hymns.

Committal Service

If burial is chosen by the family of the deceased, this step includes a procession of funeral vehicles to a chosen cemetery.

Funeral Reception

This part of the service is usually held at a reception hall. It is a time to share old memories, enjoy refreshments, and laugh together.
Pre-Plan Your Service Here

The Basics of Traditional Funeral Services


Funeral arrangements, whether traditional or more modern (memorial service or celebration-of-life), have two functions: to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and to bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time.

There are four basic aspects of a traditional funeral service:

Visitation

This is often called a viewing or a wake. Guests come to pay their respects to the deceased by viewing their casketed body and spending time with the grieving family. A visitation can occur at any time before the funeral service.

Funeral Service

This event commonly takes place at the funeral home, a church, or at the graveside. It can include music, the reading of literary or religious passages, a eulogy, prayer, and the singing of hymns.

Committal Service

If the family plans to bury the deceased, this stage involves the vehicle procession to the cemetery.

Funeral Reception

Many choose to host this post-service gathering (or repast) at a reception hall. This is considered a time to share memories, laughter, and support.

Looking for Affordable Traditional Funeral Services?

For families and individuals living in this region (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral service"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals about our affordable funeral services.
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Source:
Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979
Rostad, Curtis, "The Basics of Funeral Service", Indiana Funeral Directors Association, 2014