Commonly Asked Questions

The cost for traditional funeral services range from $4,450 to over $12,000 depending on merchandise selected. For example, caskets range in price from $850 to $6,500. Outer burial containers or burial vaults, which are designed to support the weight of the earth and to protect the casket, range in price from $850 to $3,500. Taking everything into consideration, the average cost of a fully traditional funeral service, **including all cash advance items, is approximately $7,500.

A traditional funeral service consists of a one day visitation, a funeral service the following day at the funeral home or church (or both), followed by a procession to the cemetery for the committal service.

Cash advance items are simply expenses associated with a funeral that we pay on your behalf. We do not mark up the price of these items; we simply front the money for you so you do not need to worry about bringing several different checks on the day of the service. These items include: cemetery expenses for opening the grave, flowers, obituary expense, monument engraving, clergy honorarium and certified copies of the death certificate.

**We are the only area funeral home that fronts all monies for the families we serve. Once we are contacted you worry about nothing and we coordinate every detail. We handle every expense for you, even the funeral meal.

You will need them for anything that requires legal proof of death. For example, vehicle or property title changes, bank accounts, checking accounts, insurance policies, mutual funds or any other type of investment commonly require certified copies.

We take care of all necessary paperwork surrounding the procurement and filing of the death certificate. In Pennsylvania certified copies cost $6.00 each locally during the month the deceased died. The following month they are sent to the state office in New Castle, the price only increases to $9.00 each, but certificates take 4-6 weeks to obtain. Maryland death certificates cost $32 for the first copy and $20 for each additional. They can be obtained locally at the Allegany County Health Department for the first 30 days. After that they are sent to Vital Records in Baltimore. The cost is $24 for the first copy and $12 for each additional. It usually takes 2-4 weeks to receive them.

No need to worry about the paperwork. We file all insurance claims, notify social security of a death, handle all veteran’s benefits and provide guidance with any issue you may have.

We provide custom designed monuments, flat markers, and bronze markers to the families we serve at a discounted rate. From the custom design process to the setting of the stone we handle the complete process from start to finish.

Before trying to coordinate purchasing cemetery lots or mausoleum crypts call us. There are many options to consider when selecting a final resting place that you are probably unaware of. We will help you make an educated decision and be certain that all options are presented to you before purchasing anything. Once cemetery property is purchased you are basically stuck with it. Keep in mind that most cemeteries pay their staff by commission and your best interests do not always come first. We do not make a dime for coordinating cemetery logistics, but this is just another service we provide.

When moments are difficult to express with words, we offer you a way to display them on film. Your loved one’s smile, the way he or she told a story-sometimes words can’t do these moments justice. For that reason, one of the ways we serve you is by offering you a DVD tribute that says more than words could ever express. All tributes are professionally done and formatted for high definition and wide screen formats.