A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, honoring and remembering the life of a person who has passed away. While specific customs, traditions and practices differ across cultures and religions, all funerals serve the key purpose of giving survivors a special time and place to say goodbye and find comfort and healing in each other. Every funeral is different, and we believe it should reflect your loved one’s unique personality and life experience.

A funeral director is a licensed professional who specializes in all aspects of funerals and related services. They provide support to the family, guide the arrangements of visitations and funeral ceremonies, prepare the deceased according to the family's wishes and ensure everything goes according to plan. Funeral directors also coordinate the transportation of the deceased and file all the necessary legal paperwork associated with receiving a death certificate and necessary burial or cremation permits. Are there some things you could potentially do on your own? Sure, but would you really want to? Grief is an incredibly overwhelming feeling. It can be very hard to think clearly while you are processing the loss of someone close to your heart. Our professional team thrives on lifting that burden for you by handling a long list of details, so you don't have to. We bring decades of experience and compassion to help you through this difficult time.

A visitation – also known as a viewing or a wake – can involve an open or closed casket, and is a vital part of the grieving process. Having your loved one physically present can help family and friends accept the reality of their loss, especially if they had not seen the deceased for some time. The opportunity to come to terms with the death and say a final farewell is an important step on the road to healing.

Yes, we offer cremation services. Cremation is a popular alternative to burial, and it does not limit your options for a funeral service. You can have a visitation with a body present before the cremation, or you can have a Celebration of Life or Memorial Service after cremation, with or without cremated remains present. You can also do a service at the cemetery if you choose to bury your cremated remains or place them above-ground in a niche. We also offer the opportunity to witness the cremation, which is important in some cultures and traditions.

As loved ones age, it is not uncommon to gain greater humility and feel that perhaps you do not “deserve” a big, fancy funeral. This can be especially true for members of the Greatest Generation, who went through the Great Depression and highly value practicality and frugality. Sometimes our loved ones forget that funerals are for the living, and not the dead. Your loved one’s family and friends deserve the opportunity to say goodbye and to comfort one another as they come to grips with their loss. The need to acknowledge death is a fundamental part of the grieving process and part of our humanity. You don’t need anyone’s permission to design a truly meaningful funeral that gives you closure and allows you the peace of saying goodbye to your loved one.

We're here to help you through every step — you don't have to navigate this alone. Here's what to expect first:

• Reach out to us. We'll coordinate with the cemetery, help you determine how many death certificates you'll need, and take care of ordering them.
• Gather a few key details we'll need for the state vital records: birth date and place, parents' names, Social Security number, veteran's discharge number, education, and marital status.
• Connect with your clergy to decide on a time and place for the service — we can help arrange this too.
• Let loved ones know. Make a list of immediate family, close friends, and colleagues to notify.

From there, we'll help you plan the obituary, choose a meaningful memorial gift option, and handle the many small details along the way.

For a full step-by-step guide to the first 48 hours, read our blog post here.

If you request immediate assistance, yes. If the family wishes to spend a short time with the deceased to say good-bye, that’s perfectly acceptable. Your funeral director will come when your time is right.

Burial in a casket is the most common method of disposing of remains in the United States, although entombment also occurs. Cremation is increasingly selected because it can be less expensive and allows for the memorial service to be held at a more convenient time in the future when relatives and friends can come together.

A funeral service followed by cremation need not be any different from a funeral service followed by a burial. Usually, cremated remains are placed in urn before being committed to a final resting place. The urn may be buried, placed in an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium, or interred in a special urn garden that many cemeteries provide for cremated remains. The remains may also be scattered, according to state law.

Viewing is a part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity is voluntary.

Yes — Depending upon the cemetery's policy, you may be able to save a grave space by having the cremains buried on top of the casketed remains of your spouse, or utilize the space provided next to him/her. Many cemeteries allow for multiple cremated remains to be interred in a single grave space.

Uncertainty about income tax issues can add to the stress experienced from the death of a spouse. You should meet with your family attorney and/or tax advisor as soon as possible to review your particular tax and estate circumstances. Bring a detailed list of your questions to the meeting. If you do not have an attorney or tax advisor, call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 for answers to specific tax questions.

It is important that you first contact local emergency medical personnel (as well as the police, if appropriate). After local authorities are involved, please give us a call at (847) 741-1128 as soon as possible. We are available 24-7 to take your call.

We will work with you to make the necessary arrangements to return your loved one back home as quickly and easily as possible. By calling us first, you can avoid duplication of efforts and fees. We have experience with both domestic and international repatriation of human remains, so no matter your location, we can help.

If you travel frequently or have a seasonal home more than 75 miles away from your permanent residence, you may want to consider Travel Protection.

We no longer live in a world where there is a single “accepted” version of a funeral. We strongly believe funerals should be as special and unique as the person being honored. Consider the sky to be the limit as you plan your loved one’s funeral. As long as no laws are being broken, we will help you bring your vision to life! Some of the more unique funerals we have been a part of include a Celebration of Life for a person who LOVED Hawaii, a funeral procession with horse-drawn hearse for a person who treasured history, a Memorial Service for an artist that featured original artwork throughout the funeral home, and many more. If you have an idea, please bring it to us! We would love to help you create a truly unique experience.

Embalming is a process used to sanitize and temporarily preserve the body of a person who has passed away. It can also enhance the appearance of a person who may have experienced damage from an accident or illness. By preserving the body through embalming, we can give you and your family time to make personalized and meaningful arrangements, including a viewing, if desired. Embalming is not mandatory, but some circumstances may require it. If you choose an open casket with visitation, embalming is required by funeral home policy. If you opt not to use embalming, we can offer you the opportunity for a private viewing prior to burial or cremation, with minimal preparation.

Owner and Funeral Director Daniel Symonds Sr. retired in 2026 after 24 proud years in the U.S. Army Reserve. He has been a licensed funeral director for more than 25 years and has owned Symonds Family Chapels since 2013. As a veteran who comes from a long line of veterans, Daniel understands the importance of honoring those who have served our country with a proper military funeral. We consider it an honor and a privilege to serve fellow military families and help them pay tribute for their service to our nation. Visit our veterans section for more information on what to expect when you partner with us to honor a veteran in your life.

Yes, you can. By planning ahead, you can take time to research and consider what type of funeral you would like. Once your planning is complete, you can have peace of mind in knowing that your family will not be left to scramble during those challenging early days of grief. For more information on planning ahead, click here.

It's natural to think about cost when you're planning a funeral, and we want to be transparent with you about what goes into it.

Funeral homes operate around the clock, every day of the year, ready to care for families whenever they're needed. That means maintaining welcoming spaces for visitation and services, chapels, and vehicles like limousines and hearses — all so your family has a peaceful, dignified place to gather and say goodbye.

The cost of a funeral also reflects more than merchandise like caskets. It includes the personal guidance of a funeral director who walks beside your family through every detail — filing paperwork, coordinating with doctors, clergy, florists, and newspapers, and handling the countless small tasks so you don't have to carry them alone during such a difficult time. For many of us, this isn't just a profession — it's a calling to serve families in one of life's hardest moments. And like any service that supports a community day and night, it does need to sustain itself to keep being there for families when they need it most.

We're always happy to walk through the details with you and help you find options that feel right for your family and your budget.

It really depends entirely on how you wish to commemorate a life. One of the advantages of cremation is that it provides you with increased flexibility when you make your funeral and cemetery arrangements. You might, for example, choose to have a funeral service before the cremation; a memorial service at the time of cremation or after the cremation with the urn present; or a committal service at the final disposition of cremated remains. Funeral or memorial services can be held in a place of worship, a funeral home or in a crematory chapel.

With cremation, your options are numerous. The cremains can be interred in a cemetery plot, i.e., earth burial, retained by a family member, usually in an urn, scattered on private property, or at a place that was significant to the deceased. (It would always be advisable to check for local regulations regarding scattering in a public place-your funeral director can help you with this.)

Today, there are many different types of memorial options from which to choose. Memorialization is a time-honored tradition that has been practiced for centuries. A memorial serves as a tribute to a life lived and provides a focal point for remembrance, as well as a record for future generations. The type of memorial you choose is a personal decision.

You might choose ground burial of the urn. If so, you may usually choose either a bronze memorial or monument. Cremation niches in columbariums are also available at many cemeteries. They offer the beauty of a mausoleum setting with the benefits of above ground placement of remains. Many cemeteries also offer scattering gardens. This area of a cemetery offers the peacefulness of a serene garden where family and friends can come and reflect.

If you wish to have your ashes scattered somewhere, it is important to discuss your wishes to be scattered ahead of time with the person or persons who will actually have to do the cremation ashes scattering ceremony, as they might want to let your funeral professional assist in the scattering ceremony. Funeral directors can also be very helpful in creating a meaningful and personal ash scattering ceremony that they will customize to fit your families specific desires. The services can be as formal or informal as you like. Scattering services can also be public or private. Again, it is advisable to check for local regulations regarding scattering in a public place-your funeral director can help you with this.

There are a number of options available, including:

• Determine if the deceased person qualifies for any entitlements. Check with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and with your State Fund. Many people are entitled to get financial assistance with their funeral costs from these agencies if they qualify.
• Review all insurance policies the deceased person has, including life insurance. Some life insurance policies have coverage clauses for funeral related costs.
• Find local charities providing financial help for funeral expenses. Search for non profit organizations and for churches in your area.
• Talk to your funeral director about cremation options - these can be much less expensive depending on your choices.

For more information on payment plans and other ways to ease the financial burden, visit our Funeral Financing page.