MERCHANDISE The variety of funeral merchandise available to the consumer today is virtually endless. It is designed to range the full spectrum of the needs, desires, tastes and budgets of each individual. There are no federal, state or local laws, which require you to purchase any merchandise of any kind. There are some cemetery and crematory regulations, which do make certain requirements of you. These will be fully explained to you before any selections are made. The merchandise you will be choosing from may be divided into several categories, and each are listed below. CREMATION These products range from the basic and essential to the lavish. Because most crematories do require a container of some type for the remains, we offer a variety of caskets and containers, specially designed for cremation. The basic container is designed to meet crematory requirements, but is not suitable for visitation or viewing of the remains. The range then progresses through various cremations caskets, designed, not only to meet the regulations of the crematory, but also to be attractive and suitable for viewing. We also offer a vast array of urns and other containers, designed to hold the cremated remains. Cremains are returned from the crematory in a temporary or transportation container. Urns are designed to hold these remains in a beautiful container, suitable for either interment, scattering or retention by the family members. Additionally, keepsake urns and jewelry are available, which enables a small portion of the remains to be retained by one or more family members. CASKETS Caskets today are produced in a wide range of materials, shapes and styles, as well as a seemingly endless selection of colors and interior fabrics. A major division in caskets may be made with the choice of wood or metal. Metal caskets are manufactured of several metal types. The most basic of the metal caskets is Carbon Steel. Carbon steel is used in 20 gauge, 18 gauge and 16 gauge thickness, with 20 gauge being the thinnest and 16 gauge the heaviest. Stainless Steel is also used, and provides greater resistance to rust and deterioration. The only truly non- rusting metal caskets are those constructed of either Solid Copper or Solid Bronze. These, too, are produces in several thicknesses of metal. Most metal caskets are also fitted with a rubber gasket and locking mechanism designed to prevent the entrance of any external elements. Wood caskets may be constructed of almost any variety of hard or soft wood. Whether it be pine, oak, cherry, walnut, maple, mahogany or any other species, most are available with either hand rubbed oil finishes or high gloss lacquer type finishes. Just as with the painted surfaces of metal caskets, the variety of stains and finishes enable wood caskets to be produces in a wide range of colors and hues. Because of the porous nature of wood and its various reactions to humidity, wood caskets do not lend themselves well to any sort of sealing mechanism. All caskets are available with interior fabrics such as crepe, velvet and satin, in a rainbow of shades and colors. In addition, every casket may be personalized through the addition of either stock, custom or personal designs, which are added to the interior by either embroidery or lithography. We primarily feature caskets manufactured by Milso Industries of Richmond and C.J. Boots of Anderson. Milso is a leading manufacturer of metal caskets, and is known for quality of finish and attention to detail. C.J. Boots constructs wood caskets using hand craftsmanship and hand finishing, creating quality that rivals the finest of furniture.   PRINTED MATERIAL This area includes the guest register book and memorial folders. These come in a variety of styles, ranging from the simplest to designer styles by such artists as Thomas Kincaid. You will be offered many choices, and will, almost certainly, find a design of your liking. In addition to standard designs, photos, either of the deceased or of a favorite subject, can be printed on the cover or inside the folder. We can also personalize the folder with your favorite verse, poem, quotation or other text. Acknowledgement cards are also available, and can also be personalized with your choice of photo and text. BURIAL VAULTS Nearly every cemetery in our immediate area requires some form of outer burial container for interment. The basis of this requirement is that they want to have some form of rigid outer container which will hold up the form of the grave and prevent settling, as often occurred in older cemeteries. While the requirement of the cemeteries has not changed over the years, the demands placed upon this container certainly have. Only a few short years ago, graves were opened by hand and the soil was removed by wheelbarrow. Today, heavy equipment is the norm in virtually all cemeteries, with backhoes and dump trucks prevalent. The containers designed for the loads of days gone by are of somewhat questionable value in today’s time. Outer burial containers may be generally divided into two categories, grave liners and burial vaults. Grave Liners are of two basic styles, the concrete box and the airdome. Both are constructed of concrete and, as the name implies, the concrete box is a simple concrete box style liner, meeting all cemetery requirements. It will hold the form of the grave. It does not seal, is not waterproof and does not resist the entrance of any element or insect. The airdome style, by virtue of its design, will resist the entrance of water. The dome of this style creates an airspace, trapped inside, which will not allow water to raise above a certain level. It is not sealed and cannot prevent the entrance of insects, etc.. Both have been common for many years. When the airdome style was introduced in the 1930s, it was considered state-of-the art. It has remained virtually unchanged since my grandfather was manufacturing it at that time. While of an excellent design for its time, it was designed for the days of shovels and wheelbarrows rather than backhoes and dump trucks. Burial Vaults are also constructed of concrete. A basic burial vault weight about 2000 pounds, and has a top which is designed to withstand the increased pressure and load created from modern day equipment. A tongue and groove joint is used between the lower portion of the vault and the lid and a mastic is applied to seal the lid to the body of the vault. Because concrete is porous, a liner is bonded to both the upper and lower portions, in order to prevent water from entering through the walls. Essentially, the concrete give strength to the vault and the seal is effected by the mating surfaces of the liner. These vaults are constructed with varying thickness of concrete and type of liner, all of which effect the overall strength of the vault. In addition, metal carapices are added to the top of some styles, thereby providing an additional layer and, thus, additional strength. The liners are formed from various materials, such as plastic, stainless steel copper and bronze. We offer burial vaults manufactured by the Wilbert Burial Vault Company. They are the largest burial vault manufacturer in the country and back their products with a written warranty. We hope that this brief overview of funeral merchandise has been helpful to you. For any additional information, please feel free to contact us.