Serving York County

The funeral/burial plans made by the family could offer multiple opportunities for you to pay your respects to the deceased and the family.  Your relationship will usually determine whether you attend one or possibly more of the services scheduled.

You might wish to only attend a visitation or viewing; but if you are a close friend or relative, you might also attend the funeral  service and perhaps the burial service as well. 

Here at the Koller Funeral Home and Cremation Center, we include that information in the obituary which may be published in multiple newspapers including the York, PA local papers.  It can also be found online by visiting our website.

If you are attending a visitation / viewing, don’t feel that you must stay for the entire time.  Unless you feel comfortable and wish to reach out to many of those attending, it is perfectly acceptable to stay just long enough to pay your respects to the family. 

Here at the Koller Funeral Home and Cremation Center, we would offer the following “must do” advice…

• Introduce yourself if necessary to the family and offer your sympathies.  Depending upon the circumstances, even if you have met before, you will want to remind the bereaved how you knew the deceased (for example, “Julia and I were colleagues”).
• Sign your name legibly in the register book and perhaps add a brief description (“co-worker”, etc.) to help the family to know who you are.
• Unless you are a recognized family member, avoid sitting in the first few rows at the funeral or memorial service.
• If there is an open casket, viewing the deceased is optional.  Don’t feel that you must do so, if you are not comfortable.
• Remember to turn off your cell phone before the service.
• If you have children to whom the deceased was important, it is acceptable to bring them to a viewing or service.  However, if you are not very confident that they will not create a disturbance, then make other arrangements for their care while you attend.
• If you will be attending graveside/burial services following a funeral, be sure to follow the directions of the Funeral Home staff for parking and then for forming the funeral procession following the funeral.

More Information:

• Funeral Etiquette: General Guidelines
• Funeral Etiquette: Sending Condolences
• Funeral Etiquette: A Gift of Your Time