Serving York County

Funerals and burials are topics of almost mystical quality, so an endless list of questions arises.  We here at the Koller Funeral Home and Cremation Center in York, PA, have listed those that we receive most frequently below.  If you have other questions or if you wish to request further information on any topics listed, please feel free to contact us anytime.

What does a funeral director do?
A funeral director functions as the funeral home’s administrator.  They are responsible for all the paperwork that is necessary when someone dies.  They arrange for transport of the body to the funeral home and supervise the subsequent care and preparation.  They work with the family and carry out the funeral plan and final disposition of the body.  Funeral directors also counsel family members and offer support and advice as needed.

What is the purpose of an obituary notice?
Typically, when death occurs, the time before viewings and ceremonies are scheduled is a day or two at best.  So the need to quickly announce the death and spread the news about the planned viewing, funeral and burial details is important.  This is done with the obituary notice which is usually published in local and possibly out-of-town newspapers as well as on the Internet.

What is a funeral?
When someone dies, the ceremony that follows honors the deceased and allows survivors to share their loss and grief and to begin to come to terms with the death and adjust to the changes such a loss will bring.  Often, the term “funeral” is a general term that encompasses all ceremonies that might be planned to honor the deceased.

What is the purpose of a public viewing/visitation?
A scheduled viewing that is open to the public allows those who know the deceased or who know the family to come together to share and support one another.  A viewing of the body has specific significance in some religious, ethnic and cultural practices.  Viewings, often scheduled in the late afternoon or evening, allow many people whose schedule precludes them from attending a daytime funeral service, to pay their respects.

How is a memorial service different from a funeral?
Both the funeral and the memorial service serve to honor the deceased and allow survivors to cope with the death.  However, the memorial service is usually carried out without the body present, whereas the body is usually present during a funeral.  Memorial services are often held when the body could not be recovered, has already been cremated or was buried too far away for family and friends to travel.  Memorial services may be held at any time, whereas funerals are typically held almost immediately following death.

Why is embalming done?
Embalming slows the decomposition of a body following death.  It also has a sanitizing and preserving effect on the body and often somewhat improves a body’s appearance.  Therefore, when embalming is done, the family has more time to handle funeral arrangements.  This is especially helpful if the body must be transported from the place of death to another location and/or the family wishes to delay the funeral/burial pending arrival of out-of-town relatives.

Does cremation mean no funeral may be held?
Not at all.  Many families choose to have both viewing/visitation and a funeral before cremation is done.  If no services are planned before cremation, then there is no need for embalming.  However, if viewing and funeral will be held before cremation, then embalming is likely recommended since it does reduce the time between death and final disposition of the body.  Of course, many families elect to proceed with cremation directly after death and then arrange a memorial service instead.

If cremation is chosen, is a casket necessary?
After death and when cremation is chosen, the body must be placed in a casket-like container for transport to the crematorium, and the body remains in this container while cremation is done.  Because it is usually made of a heavy fibrous/cardboard type material, the container is completely consumed during cremation. 

If the family chooses a viewing and/or funeral before cremation is done, then a specially-designed hardwood casket may be used.  It acts as a decorative shell into which the smaller, simpler fibrous cremation container is placed until the funeral is done.

What is a grave liner or burial vault, and what purpose does it serve?
A grave liner / burial vault is a container that surrounds a casket in a grave.  The vault may be constructed of various heavy materials and, once in place, the casket is lower into it and sealed inside.  Usually, state or local laws do not require their use, but we can advise you once we know which cemetery you’ll be using.  Some cemeteries will require a burial vault or grave liner be used because it prevents the ground around the grave from sinking.

What is a mausoleum?
A mausoleum is a structure/building that contains crypts in which caskets  are placed and sealed.  For those who wish to have burial of the intact body but do not want to be buried in the ground, a mausoleum is an option to consider.  The crypts are clean and dry, and each has a marker plaque that may be personalized.  The mausoleum allows a place for families to visit just as a grave does. 

What is a columbarium?
A columbarium serves the same purpose for cremated remains that a mausoleum serves for intact body remains.  Often found in a cemetery’s garden setting, or inside a chapel or a mausoleum, the columbarium provides numersous small sealed niches intended for urns containing cremated remains.  Some are closed and marked with a plaque while others may be sealed in a clear niche so that the urn may be seen.  The columbarium serves as a place where families may visit just as mausoleums do. 

Must I use a columbarium after cremation?
No.  Once a body has been cremated and is contained in an urn, you may choose to bury the cremated remains in a grave – perhaps a family plot – or even have it kept in the home of a loved one.  Alternatively, subject to local regulations, cremated remains may also be scattered over water or land – usually satisfying the previous wishes of the deceased.