Give your family the gift of love

The death of a loved one is a reality every family must face. If you have been involved with making funeral or cremation arrangements then you are well aware of the high cost of caskets, urns and cemetery property, not to mention the details and many emotional decisions that must be made. Simple steps can be taken to minimize this burden on the people you love.

The Veterans Funeral Plan was created to save your family unnecessary stress, grief, and money, and includes assistance obtaining VA Benefits paid directly to your family. Whether you served in war or peacetime, these benefits are available to all eligible veterans, spouses and their dependents at no cost.

Act now and request a brochure that provides important information on how you can save hundreds, even thousands on funeral or cremation services. In current economic conditions, these low cost, inexpensive plans stretch dimes into dollars which helps all veterans and their families. Northern Indiana Funeral Care is the exclusive provider of Veterans Funeral Care for Fort Wayne and all of Northeast Indiana. This program is exclusively endorsed by The American Legion, Department of Indiana. Give your family the gift of love – plan ahead and enroll today!

What is the purpose of embalming?

Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic death or illness.

Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them.

Most states require embalming when death was caused by a reportable contagious disease or when remains are to be transported from one state to another by common carrier or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Northern Indiana Funeral Care at 1-877-382-2756.

What do I need to know about preplanning my funeral?

At some time in our lives, most of us will make or assist in making funeral arrangements. This will not be an easy time, but we are here to assist you and your family in any way we can. Today’s funeral director offers a variety of options to meet your financial needs and wishes. Families should discuss all options with their funeral director when making arrangements.

• Be an informed consumer. Don’t be reluctant to ask questions.
• Today’s funeral director offers a variety of options to meet your financial needs and wishes. Families should discuss all options with their funeral director when making arrangements.
• When selecting a funeral director, choose one who is licensed and has a good reputation in the community. Give thought to this decision as you would when choosing a doctor, attorney or other professional.
• Be prepared! Avoid the burden of making decision while under emotional stress by organizing details with your funeral director ahead of time. Remember … preplanning doesn’t necessarily mean prepaying.
• Plan a personal and meaningful ceremony or service to help you begin the healing process. Getting through grief is never easy but having a meaningful funeral will help.

Contact Northern Indiana Funeral Care 1-877-382-2756 and we will provide you information on making meaningful arrangements.

Should I preplan my funeral?

We recommend that everyone preplan his or her own funeral. Doing so can offer emotional and financial security for both you and your family. By preplanning a funeral you will get the kind of service you want and your family will be unburdened from making decisions at a stressful time. Preplanning doesn’t necessarily mean prepaying. If you are considering preplanning your funeral anywhere in northern Indiana, please visit the Preneed section of our website or contact Northern Indiana Funeral Care for more information at 1-877-382-2756.

The Jonathan Field Collection

A classic Military Casket has now been created, and is being presented to the Veteran Community by Northern Indiana Funeral Care in recognition of and with respect for their service. Since the very inception of our military, there has never before been authentic military burial products. These will be needed by our service men and women at the time of their passing. The Veterans with whom we have had the pleasure of speaking have all expressed the same feeling, “It’s about time we had our own casket and cross, so we can be buried like who we are”. It is appropriate for the warriors of our time to be honored with a great deal of pride about how they fought, and survived, and lived their lifetime with us.

The Jonathan Field Collection is available from Northern Indiana Funeral Care.

The Only Constant is Change

In 16 years of helping families plan ahead for cemetery and funeral needs I have witnessed a dramatic shift in the attitudes and opinions of the consumer. Northern Indiana Funeral Care was established to meet the needs of the rapidly growing percentage of the population looking for a simple, inexpensive, and straightforward approach to funeral and cremation services. I started to take notice 10 to 12 years ago which also coincides with the coming of age of baby-boomers.

I believe casket makers were probably the first to realize what was happening because I began to hear again and again “just give me a cheap casket” or “I really need this to be inexpensive”. With people buying less expensive caskets, margins began to shrink, and this was the beginning of a “death spiral” for many in the funeral industry. Unable to understand, or want to understand the changes taking place, they simply buried their heads and decided that heritage and continuing to build new and elaborate facilities was enough to allow them to continue doing business the same way they always had, even though consumers were clearly looking for something different. I believe people generally fall into 2 camps – they either have the money but don’t want to spend $8,000 to $10,000 on a funeral or they just simply don’t have the money. Either way, the old ways of doing things are over even if most funeral homes don’t realize it yet.

This change in attitude also brought with it a significant rise in the cremation rate. Many people are deciding that cremation offers a low cost alternative to traditional burial but still offers the opportunity to say goodbye because you can still have a viewing at a funeral home or church followed by cremation. In this case the funeral home offers the family the option of using a rental casket which costs thousands less than buying one. Others choose to have a memorial service which could include a private family viewing, or just a simple or direct cremation with no services. Cremation eliminates traditional cemetery needs which often cost more than the funeral bill. There’s no doubt that cremation as a method of disposition will continue to increase for the foreseeable future.

Although Northern Indiana Funeral Care may seem like a new concept or idea, it’s actually just renewing old and traditional ways of offering funeral and cremation services. We’re not claiming that Northern Indiana Funeral Care or Veterans Funeral Care of Fort Wayne is any better than other funeral homes in Ft. Wayne or Northeast Indiana, just different. By keeping overhead low, families that want cheap caskets, urns, vaults, or other funeral or cremation merchandise will find that we offer the same quality at prices significantly less than other funeral homes in the area. If you would like to find out what makes us different than other funeral service providers, please visit our website at www.northernindianafuneralcare.com.

-Thomas Hyatt

Military Caskets from The Jonathan Field Collection

These Military Uniform Caskets are made available for all of the Branches of Service: Marine Corps, Navy Chief Petty Officer and Petty Officer, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, for Men and Women, Officers and Enlisted. They are offered in the categories of: Class “A” and a casket for the Veteran’s Wife. The exterior is a 18 gauge steel sealer casket with a Memorial Tube, and painted the exact colors of the Dress Blue uniform, or the uniform of choice. The pin-stripping replicates the uniform trim, red of the Marine Corps, gold leaf is used for the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, with the Air Force having silver leaf. Also, custom made 1/4” brass American Flag and Motto Plate, and Cover Emblems on each of the handles, with a brass Star attached on each side which represents the other four branches of service. The 5’X9.5’ American Flag that drapes the casket is provided by the Veterans Administration.

The interior is completely lined using the Uniform Fabric, as well as the Trim, Cover Emblems, Coat and Pocket Buttons. The mattress is covered using the trouser fabric, with the trouser stripe (Marine Corps the “Blood Stripe”) sewn down the middle. Included with the purchase of a Class “A” casket are all of the following items:

1. Cover & Gloves.

2. Branch of Service Sword with an Officers Sword Mourning Knot attached to the handle.

3. Ceremonial Belt and Buckle.

4. Embroidered Branch of Service Emblem inside the open lid.

5.Branch of Service 3’x5’ Flag with Fringe is used for a blanket, as most Veterans have stated that they “…would like to go down wrapped in my colors…”.

6. Register Book is made of the uniform coat fabric and trim, buttons, and a cover emblem. The corner is cut with the Good Conduct Ribbon for at-need, or a ribbon of choice, such as a Silver Star, for pre-need.

7. Flag Bag is made of the uniform coat fabric and trim, button, cover emblem, with the corner cut with the Good Conduct Ribbon for at-need, or a ribbon of choice for pre-need. The Branch of Service is embroidered in gold metallic thread, or silver for the Air Force.

An American Defense and Honorable Service Commemorative Ribbons are included with an Honorable Discharge or a Service Lapel Pin. Three M-1 Rifle spent cartridge shells are added and in a velvet bag which is to be placed in the fold of the American Flag at the grave side ceremony. Each cartridge represents one of the three volleys of a 21-gun salute, as this tradition dates back to World War One. An authentic notched dog tag is attached to the zipper clasp and stamped as was issued for pre-need, or left blank to be engraved for at-need.

8. Honorable Service Display (Saddle Blanket) is a testimonial of Honest and Faithful Service is made of the uniform coat fabric and trim, button, cover emblem, with the corner cut with the Good Conduct Ribbon for at-need, or a ribbon of choice for pre-need. The Branch of Service is embroidered in gold metallic thread, silver for the Air Force.

Displayed are American Defense and Honorable Service Commemorative Medals, and a engraveable gold Medallion “In Appreciation of Excellence” for the Veteran’s service, silver for the Air Force. Plus, a Honorable Discharge/Service Pin. The Display items can be discarded and replaced with the Veterans’ own Ribbons, Medals, Insignias, and other Devices if the Veteran is not in uniform, or wishes not to wear them.

9. Pallbeares’ Kit consists of six pair of White Gripper Gloves, Officer Sword Mourning Knots, which are used as arm bands, and Branch of Service Lapel Pins. This Kit can also be used for Family members, or given to close Friends and Relatives to show respect to the deceased Veteran.

10. A Branch of Service Lapel Pin encased in a plush-lined leatherette jewelry box for the Widow or Next-of-Kin to wear to honor the memory of the Veterans’ passing.

11. Notched Dog Tag is attached to the handle of the casket stamped as was issued for pre-need, or blank which can be engraved at time of need. This is used as a casket identification tag.

12.Certificate of Authenticity

13. Sympathy Card

14. Package of Poppy Seeds is included for grave site planting or a Veterans Memorial at home in the garden.

15. $25.00 Donation to the Veterans’ organization contributed by The Jonathan Field Collection in the name of the Veteran.

Please feel free to call fellow veterans Bryan Jenisch or Alan Parr at Northern Indiana Funeral Care to learn more about this program. They can be reached toll free at 877-382-2756 or you can also visit their website at www.northernindianafuneralcare.com.

Militay Honors

Military Funeral Honors include flag folding, flag presentation and taps. The funeral directors at Northern Indiana Funeral Care will arrange a meaningful service for those who have honorably and faithfully served our country. One of the highlights of military funeral honors is the flag folding ceremony, a must for honoring a service veteran, conducted by local active duty troops.

We would be honored to answer any questions you may have. Please call us at 877-382-2756 or visit our website at www.northernindianafuneralcare.com. You may also contact the Department of Veteran’s Affairs at (800) 827-1000 or visit their website at www.cem.va.gov.

A Special Funeral for Veteran Heroes

This unique funeral procession, with a horse drawn caisson, is pulling into a local country cemetery with with the flag draped casket of a WWII veteran. This service was organized and conducted by Northern Indiana Funeral Care, a Veterans Funeral Care provider in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Active duty troops are saluting as the caisson passes by.

Northern Indiana Funeral Care and Veterans Funeral Care of Fort Wayne, Indiana is a proud supporter of our local American Legion and VFW posts. We are THE ONLY funeral service provider that has an EXCLUSIVE ENDORSEMENT of the American Legion, Department of Indiana. Through the years, we have established both meaningful professional and personal relationships with our local service organizations. Our funeral directors are committed to and experienced in arranging both very simple military honors to unique and high profile, personalized military funerals in the time frame your family needs. We have been given the honor of conducting the service to honor the life of a fallen, active duty soldier of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars.

Northern Indiana Funeral Care is honored to be a Veterans Funeral Care provider in Indiana and is becoming the preferred choice among veterans in northern Indiana. Our funeral directors are well versed in the required veteran paperwork and forms and will work with veteran’s families to make 100% sure due benefits are applied for and received.

What is the purpose of a funeral?

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including:

• Providing a social support system for the bereaved.
• Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life.
• Integrating the bereaved back into the community.
• Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a lovedone.
• Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain.
• Reaffirming one’s relationship with the person who died.
• Providing a time to say good-bye.

It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.

Feel free to contact us or visit our website at www.northerninfianafuneralcare.com if you have any questions about funerals or the benefits of pre-planning.