McDowell's Funeral Home, Inc.

Our Services
To Help You Understand
IT IS YOUR RIGHT, and our desire, that you have as complete an understand­ing as possible regarding the cost of our services. The biggest factor is the time element in terms of our personnel and the use of the funeral home facilities. The maintenance of this service is unending; that is, it must be available 24-hours every day of the year. Therefore, ours is a 168-hour week and not the 40-hour week which is the accepted standard.

Many phases of our work are apparent; others are not. The following analysis of some of these details will help you to understand that no two funerals are exactly alike, Traditions, customs, social standing, personal feel­ing, financial ability and a multitude of other influences affect each funeral. Our services must conform to each individual family's wishes and their personal and reli­gious needs.

Generally, funerals are divided into five segments; (1) Professional Services, (2) Preparation and Care of Deceased, including embalming when necessary, (3) Professional Personnel and Non-Professional Assistants, (4) Use Of Facilities, (5) Merchandise, (6) Cash Disbursements and (7) Transportation..
Professional Services
A. Complete Arrangements, Supervision and Direction of the Funeral
1. Meeting with the family to:
a. Secure vital statistic information
b. Obtain obituary information
c. Complete itemized cost agreement
d. Select casket of their choice
e. Oversee all aspects of the funeral
2. Coordinate times of the following services as needed:
a. Clergy
b. Hairdresser
c. Civic Associations
d. Veteran Associations
e. Necessary Automotive Equipment for Conven­ience of Family - including funeral hearse
f. Fraternal Organizations
g. Cemetery or Crematory
h. Vault Company Lodges or other Organizations
3. Complete Death Certificate with vital statistics information
4. Obtain the signature and medical Infor­mation from the attending physician or medical examiner (coroner).
5. File completed and signed certificate with Registrar of Vital Statistics in municipality where the death occurred, and obtain a Burial Permit and as many certified copies as necessary, for the family's needs
6. Call obituary information to all radio and newspapers requested by family
7. Care for all flowers
8. Remove all flower cards and sympathy cards for family to acknowledge
9. Complete all necessary forms such as:
a. V. A. for flag
b. V. A. for allowance
c. V. A. for marker
d. Cemetery or crematory
e. Social Security
f. State and Federal forms required by law
10. Answer all telephone calls - give out funeral information to family, lodge members, busi­ness associates, florists and friends with regard to funeral services to be held.

B. Preparation and Care of Deceased, includ­ing embalming when necessary
1. Hygienically prepared to insure protection to personnel and the public. A deceased who has a contagious or infectious disease requires special care and treatment in excess of the regular preparation.
2. Embalming
3. Shampooing and shaving
4. Dressing and casketing
5. Applying cosmetics; extra care is necessary with regard to bruises, cuts, abrasions and burns.
6. Hairdressing (professional hairdresser may be requested at additional charge)
C. Professional Personnel and Non-Professional Assistants
1. Assist in all of above items
2. Arrange flowers for best appearance
3. Have door attendant during all visitations
4. Assist in conducting the funeral service according to the family wishes.
The above services require an average of 80 man-hours per funeral. The Licensed Funeral Director is available following the funeral services to assist the family in filing all types insurance and gov­ernment forms. In addition to all of the above, there is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, a com­petent and understanding person to answer the tele­phone, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. A funeral home does not close on weekends and holidays!
Use Of Facilities
A. Fixed Overhead
This item is our monthly bills totaled for the year and divided by the number of services that were held that year. Included in fixed overhead:
1. Taxes
2. Specialized continuing education
3. Surgical instruments
4. Inventory of caskets
5. Maintenance of autos
6. Stationery supplies
7. Advertising and promotions
8. Utilities - light, heat, telephone, air conditioning
9. Insurance - fire, theft, liability, auto, casualty, work­men's comp., unemployment comp.
10. Cleaning
11. House cleaning and supplies
12. Building maintenance (complete)
13. Yard maintenance

B. Funeral Home Facilities & Equipment
This charge is made for time during arrange­ments, visitation period(s) and the day of the service. It is used for Capital Improvements: replacing car­peting, drapes, chairs, furniture, funeral equipment and any other item not covered in the fixed overhead. No allowance for Church Service.

C. Preparation Room for:
1. Embalming (when necessary)
2. Disinfection and Sanitization
3. Applying Cosmetics
4. Dressing
5. Placing in Casket
6. Necessary Fluid and Supplies
Merchandise
A. Merchandise Includes:
1. The casket of your choice.
2. The outside receptacle (vault) of your choice. (Most cemeteries require concrete receptacles.)
3. Any clothing the family may choose.
4. The Memorial book.
Cash Disbursements
This represents all of the monies that we may advance for you, such as cemetery or crematory charges, all hired autos, clergy honorariums, air transportation, newspaper charges, church offerings, singers, organists, certified copies of the death cer­tificate, etc.

Most of these items must be paid in advance, therefore, as a convenience to the family, we pay them on your behalf.
Transportation
Complete cost and depreciation of the service car and its operation, our hearse and limousine for the families we serve.