FUNERAL SERVICE: The funeral service fills many needs. It serves as a tribute to the life of an individual who has died. It helps family and friends to come to terms with the reality of the death and it brings individuals together for support and comfort. The funeral service is a way of saying good bye and allowing the healing process to begin. The James J. Terry Funeral Home is a full-service funeral establishment offering personal, distinctive and affordable services to individuals and families of all religious faiths. Listed below is a general outline of the many services we provide:

• Traditional Funerals
• Cremation (Traditional and Direct Services)
• Out of town funeral arrangements Prearrangement counseling available
• Service to all faiths
• Honor and Dignity to our military veterans

A traditional funeral is just that, a tradition carried on for generations. This service is generally organized by the religious belief or ethnic customs. A typical traditional funeral has three parts but can be modified to meet the needs of the families.

• The Viewing or Calling Hours: Also known as the wake, is a period of visitation in which extended family and friends gather with the immediate family to extend their sympathy and comfort. Typically, the viewing is held the evening before the funeral service, although recently many families prefer to hold the viewing prior to the funeral service. The family determines, along with the advice of the funeral director, if the casket should be opened or closed.
  
• Funeral Service: Based on religious customs, traditions or one's own beliefs, the funeral service is a gathering of relatives and friends in a church or at the funeral home. The service provides structure for the mourning and speaks about death and loss. A typical service consists of scripture readings, prayers, hymns, poems and eulogies.
  This takes place at the cemetery immediately following the funeral service.
  
• Committal or Interment Service: Again the family can determine if the committal is to be public or private.

When choosing cremation, one option is to have traditional funeral services prior to the cremation process. With this type of service, a rental casket is generally used although families may also purchase a cremation casket. The family may choose to have calling hours and funeral services at the church or funeral home. However, after the funeral service the deceased is taken to a local crematory instead of the cemetery.

At the time of death, the deceased is taken to the funeral home and a state mandated 24 hour period must be completed before the cremation can take place. The deceased is not embalmed and the family does not have to purchase a casket for the deceased; however, some crematories require the deceased to be placed in a cremation container usually made of corrugated paper.

The cremains of the individual are returned to the family. The family can then choose to bury the urn in a cemetery or scatter at a place that had meaning to the individual or family.