Funeral 101 - The Basics of Arranging a funeral - Learn More

Welcome to Funeral 101 from Miller Funeral Home & On-Site crematory in Sioux Falls, SD. The boxes below contain links to some of the most frequently sought-after information from people that have limited or no experience with death or funerals.For further information on these or any other death or funeral related topics, please call one of our directors at Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory in Sioux Falls, SD, at 605-336-2640.

A viewing is just that. It is an opportunity for family and or friends to view the body. Visitation is typically a public event, a time to share the loss of and celebrate the life of someone very dear to us. The visitation is held with or without a casketed body present.

Most grief specialists strongly encourage a family to have a public viewing, as it helps the family and community to acknowledge the reality of death. It brings a sense of calm to many people, giving them a chance to say goodbye; it helps them start to come to terms with a life now changed through the loss.

As a rule, families will bring in a full suit of clothing for a man and a long-sleeved dress for a woman. Underclothing is also necessary to bring in. If you would prefer not to be so formal with the clothing, a full set of informal clothing is certainly acceptable as well.

Some people wear glasses every minute they are awake. We are used to seeing them with glasses on and the frames become a part of their look. To see them suddenly without them wearing their glasses would not be the same.

Think about hobbies, hunting or sports equipment, gardening tools, or collections. If the person had won awards in the past, you may wish to bring those. Don't forget about past military service items, musical instruments, or old yearbooks. Larger pictures will be placed onto easels; smaller photographs are usually mounted onto picture boards and placed onto an easel.

Yes. DVDs give people an increased opportunity to share memories and stories. We will have a DVD made for you. Simply bring in up to 25 photographs. Your personal DVD Tribute will be professionally created from your photographs and will be ready at the start of the visitation. Although it contains instrumental background music, please keep in mind that the DVD may not be made using copyrighted music.

You may, but you might be missing out on seeing a number of friends. By having the visitation the day or night before the funeral, it enables a great number of people to come and share time with the family that otherwise might not be able to make it to the funeral or memorial service.

Visitation does not imply viewing. People come to the visitation to have a chance to extend their condolences, share their stories, and offer their support and love in an informal setting. This embrace by the community empowers the family to begin moving forward in life in a more healthy way.

Embalming is the science of sanitizing and temporarily preserving a deceased human body, forestalling the decomposition process and thereby restoring the appearance of the deceased for purposes of viewing or visitation and holding a funeral. Although a somewhat similar method was used in ancient Egypt, the practice grew in the United States in the 1860s during the US Civil War.

Immediately following the moment of death, our bodies, like any other living entity that has died, will begin to decompose.

Embalming sterilizes the tissues and chemically changes the composition and protein structure resulting in firming the body's tissue. When alive, our bodies are just above 98 degrees F. At death, we become the temperature of the room, approximately 70 to 72 degrees F. The difference of these temperatures is what we notice when touching someone who has died.

Restorative art refers to the restoration of a person's appearance prior to death taking place, or prior to an agonal illness. For purposes of visitation, restorative art is done in conjunction with the embalming process and restores the body to a restful, natural appearance.

When we are living, our bodies circulate blood through even the smallest of capillaries, giving the skin a reddish or pink undertone. After we die, with the blood no longer circulating, our skin and lips become very pale with no highlight of color. Cosmetics will be conservatively placed to restore a natural appearance to a person.

While it is traditional in the US to use "half-couch" caskets and not show the legs of the deceased, we find that at times children may want us to open the lower end of the casket to make sure the legs are still there. In the United States, full-couch caskets which show the entire body, are used more frequently for members of the Catholic clergy or Orthodox faith.

Not all religions do. Members of the Orthodox Jewish faith typically do not embalm. It is also not the practice to embalm for members of the Islamic faith, Hindu, Buddhist, or Baha'i faith.

Yes. Some families would rather opt for a private viewing for family members and inner-circle friends and colleagues only. This is not uncommon.

Generally, unattended deaths are investigated. Other circumstances may involve deaths due to injury, (even if delayed complications result from the injury), poisoning, infectious complications and of course, a death where foul play may have been a factor.

Not always. At the discretion of the office, a coroner may choose to do a series of exams and tests including toxicology tests.

If the Coroner's Office does not order the autopsy, the family will need to make arrangements to have a private autopsy completed. This can be expensive.

Many times you will find the role of funeral director passed down from generation to generation in a family. Other times, people may be influenced to become a funeral director due to a personal death of a family member or friend. In any case, we find it to be a calling of sorts. It is the strong desire to want to help others in need that becomes the driving force in choosing this profession.

Being a funeral director requires a person of complex abilities. Outside of the educational requirements, a funeral director must be a person of strong character, a good communicator, sensitive to others needs, patient and professional, community-oriented, and artistic and creative, to name a few of the suggested assets. This career choice is also very demanding of time.

Yes, although the actual requirements may vary from state to state. An accredited school of mortuary science will have very thorough training on the many subjects that are involved in mortuary sciences.

Yes. For example, Worsham School of Mortuary Science, Chicago, is comprised of 50% women today, up from only 10% decades ago.

An applicant for a funeral service license must successfully complete the prescribed course of study from a college of mortuary science accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, Inc. In addition, the applicant must complete an academic course requirement of 60 semester hours credit from an accredited college or university. The board requires coursework in each of the following areas:

Communications, Social science, Natural science, Business, and various electives. The applicant shall also serve 12 months supervised traineeship, and pass state and national board exams prior to being licensed.

Cemeteries are typically non-profit entities that are governed by a board of directors. Some are community-based; some are tied to a particular church or religious denomination, while others are operated by the city or county government. They are all regulated by state law as well as having their own set of rules and regulations.

Yes. The people digging the grave have methods of thawing the ground prior to digging. These methods can range from gas-fueled heating systems to burning wood over the grave to encourage thawing. Cemeteries need at least two business days to adequately prepare the space for burial.

A mausoleum is a building or structure that holds casketed or cremated bodies as a part of the final resting place. It can be intended for the community and be a rather large structure holding hundreds of casketed bodies, or it can be a private mausoleum, holding one to several family members.

A columbarium is much like a mausoleum, only it is constructed for the permanent placement of cremated remains. The urns are kept in individual spaces called niches.

Yes. In Sioux Falls, both Woodlawn and Mount Pleasant Cemeteries contain private mausoleums. Most notably, the mausoleum of US Senator Pettigrew can be found at Woodlawn. It is made of Tiffany quarried granite and contains the bodies of the Senator, his wife, and siblings. Hills of Rest Memorial Park has a community mausoleum. It is a spacious chapel-like structure that has both interior and exterior spaces available for entombment.

Hills of Rest, Mount Pleasant and Woodlawn all have given guided or self-guided walking tours in the summer or autumn months. Mount Pleasant and Woodlawn both contain graves of a great number of Civil War veterans and historical civic leaders.

Yes. This procedure is called a disinterment. First, contact your local funeral home. They will generate the necessary permits and legal applications. Then, the funeral director will coordinate with the cemetery and the vault company. The grave must be reopened; the burial vault or outer burial container containing the casketed remains removed, and finally, the grave must be re-closed. If the vault or container is damaged in this process, it must be replaced by the family. Then, after transporting to the new area, the new grave space needs to be opened and closed. Please be aware that this complete process can be costly.

After careful security measures are met, the casket or container is placed into the crematory, where extreme heat and flame is applied. After a few short hours, the body is consumed. The operator then separates out any foreign material left from the casket, etc. The bone fragments remaining are referred to as cremated remains. The cremated remains are then processed and placed into an urn.

Yes. At Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory in Sioux Falls, SD, only one body is cremated at a time.

In South Dakota, we have a waiting period of 24 hours after death has been pronounced before a crematory may cremate a body. If the death was unattended or other complicating issues are present, the cremation must also be authorized by the coroner or medical examiner. The cremation will not take place until all required authorizing signatures are in place.

The cremated remains are ash and bone fragments processed to a uniform particle and powder-like texture following the exposure of the deceased to several hours of intense heat and flame in a crematory.

It is your choice. The practical necessity may depend upon whether the family has selected a service with a public viewing of the body, whether there is to be a funeral service, or if the body is to be transported on a public airliner prior to the cremation taking place.

No. Again, it is the choice of the family. The crematory authority does require that at the very least, the deceased be cremated in a combustible, leak proof, rigid, covered alternative container.

There is a choice of very affordable cremation caskets that are completely combustible, as well as ceremonial or rental caskets that are specifically designed to be used for a funeral service followed by a cremation taking place.

Yes. The rental casket is specifically designed to provide an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to purchasing a casket for a cremation funeral service.

Yes, absolutely. Arrangements can be made to tour the secured crematory and processing area.

No. Not all funeral homes have an on-site crematory. It is important to understand where the cremation is taking place when considering this service.

No, cremation is simply a method of preparing human remains for final disposition.

Visitation does not imply viewing. People come to the visitation to have a chance to extend their condolences, share their stories, and offer their support and love. This embrace by the community empowers the family to begin moving forward in life in a more healthy way. It also offers the public who may not be able to attend the memorial service, a chance to visit with you.

It's completely a matter of family preference. Many times when a family is split regarding the decision to cremate, a compromise may be achieved by having a traditional service first, followed by cremation.

Yes. An urn ark is frequently used to carry the urn to the front of the church and to the grave site if the family wishes to bury the urn. You may use four pallbearers to carry the ark.

The cremated remains can be buried in a cemetery, placed in a columbarium or mausoleum niche, scattered at a place that was significant to the deceased, or kept at home. With any of these options, keepsake urns would be an additional option. A keepsake urn is a small urn usually an inch or two tall, containing a fraction of the cremated remains that the family could keep at home or scatter ceremoniously.

A columbarium is usually located at a cemetery or church. It can be either indoors or outdoors and is comprised of compartments designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.

If you are planning to scatter them, it is suggested that you scatter only a ceremonial portion. Over time, many families regret scattering the entire amount. They feel that having a place to go to, such as a cemetery, is helpful, healing and meaningful.

Because it provides a focal point for memorializing the deceased. To remember, and be remembered, are natural human needs. Throughout human history, memorialization of the dead has been a key component of almost every culture. The Washington Monument, Tomb of the Unknowns and Vietnam "Wall" in Washington, D.C are examples of memorialization which demonstrate that, throughout our history, we have always honored our dead.

Depending upon the cemetery's policy, you may be able to have the urn buried on top of the casketed remains of your spouse, or utilize the space provided next to him/her.

Yes, of course.

Some do not recommend cremation, while most permit the family to choose. Should you have any questions or concerns, we suggest you speak with a member of your clergy.

On-site cremation is a cremation which takes place in a crematory that is located within a funeral home. If the funeral home does not have a crematory of their own, the cremation may actually be "outsourced" to a place or person you don't even know.

Yes. Any active duty service member or any Veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable may be buried in one of the national Veterans Administration cemeteries. The spouse or dependent child of the veteran may also be buried there if qualifications are met. The Veterans Administration maintains 131 national cemeteries and interred more than 118,000 Veterans and family members in 2012.

Arlington falls under a different jurisdiction than do Veterans Administration national cemeteries. Arlington maintains tighter or narrower eligibility standards that may only be fully determined and confirmed at the time of death.

Yes. Used as an option mostly for cremation services without a burial, military rites may be performed at the funeral home chapel; or if allowed, at the church. These honors are typically done without the three rifle volleys and consist of folding and presenting the flag to the family and taps being played.

No, a Veteran is allowed only one honor detail.

Yes. Some veteran families choose to have partial rites. This would still include folding and presenting the flag, presence of a color guard, and taps.

No. Neither the US Government nor the Veterans Affairs will pay for the funeral of a US Veteran.

The funeral expense or burial/plot allowance is restricted to qualifications. To name a few of the qualifiers, you must have a service-related disability or be eligible to receive pension or compensation or die under VA facility care. Families are encouraged to contact the VA to confirm eligibility. If eligible, the VA will pay up to $700.00 toward burial and funeral expenses (if hospitalized by VA at time of death), or $300.00 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by VA at time of death), and a $700.00 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery). This may be subject to change.

Yes. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will furnish a Government headstone or marker for the grave of any deceased eligible Veteran.

This area is for families and legal professionals. We recommend that families always contact an attorney to explore legal options in dealing with estate work. Proceeding without a professional is risky and more complex than most people realize.

The Codified Law sections found on the buttons to your left are links to the laws that specifically deal with death care and funerals. The index that follows will help you pinpoint the sections. This area also contains legal information concerning cremation issues, power of attorney instruments, helpful tips on estate work, and death certificates.

Codified law index:

SDCL 36-19 (Funeral Directors, Embalmers and Funeral Establishments)

SDCL 34-26A (Crematories and Cremations)

SDCL 34-25 (Vital Records and Burial Permits)

SDCL 34-26 (Custody and Disposition of Bodies and Body Parts)

SDCL 34-27 (Cemeteries and Burial Records)

SDCL 55-11 (Prearranged Funeral Trusts)

For further information on these or any other death or funeral related topics, please call one of our directors at 605-336-2640.

SDCL 36-19 (Funeral Directors, Embalmers and Funeral Establishments)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=36-19&Type=StatuteChapter

SDCL 34-26A (Crematories and Cremations)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=34-26A&Type=StatuteChapter

SDCL 34-25 (Vital Records and Burial Permits)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=34-25&Type=StatuteChapter

SDCL 34-26(Custody and Disposition of Bodies and Body Parts)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=34-26&Type=StatuteChapter

SDCL 34-27 (Cemeteries and Burial Records)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=34-27&Type=StatuteChapter

SDCL 55-11 (Prearranged Funeral Trusts)

http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=55-11&Type=StatuteChapter

Cremation may pose some legal challenges for families.

The Cremation Authorization paperwork, if not pre-signed directly by the deceased, will need to be signed by the spouse. In the absence of a spouse, it must be signed by all adult and capable children. The next of kin list descends from there. This paperwork must be completed prior to the cremation taking place. The funeral home views faxed signatures as legally valid. To further assist families, an authorization form may be emailed, signed, and emailed back to the funeral home.

The Crematory must wait a period of 24 hours from the time of death before it may cremate a body. (Pursuant to 34-26A-13). Following the 24 hour waiting period, all other required legal obligations must be met prior to the cremation taking place. There are to be no exceptions to waiving the 24-hour rule unless directed by the coroner in extreme cases of infectious disease, etc.

Scattering is permitted in South Dakota with restrictions. Cremated remains may be scattered over a public waterway or sea, or on the private property of a consenting owner. There are restricted areas to scattering, however.

If the death is such as is to be investigated by a coroner, the human remains may not be cremated by the crematory authority until the coroner has completed his investigation and authorization to cremate has been received in writing from the coroner of the county in which the death occurred.

A Power of Attorney is a legal instrument authorizing a person to act on behalf of someone else in legal or business matters. This ends at the time of death. This instrument has its limitations. For purposes of arranging for final disposition, it must contain a specific statement indicating this authority. Unless it does, the instrument is of no use in signing, for example, a cremation authorization on behalf of a person facing imminent death.

A durable power of attorney will stay in effect, authorizing you as the attorney-in-fact, to handle affairs of business even after the individual becomes incompetent.

A Healthcare Power of Attorney allows you to make decisions regarding healthcare and treatment. Although it does not authorize you to make financial decisions, you can be authorized to do both at the discretion of the person drawing the document.

We recommend that all families consult a lawyer. The attorney will tell you if the estate will need to be probated and will give you valuable guidance on how to proceed with things properly. Estate administration can be complex. An administrator may be held personally liable for an error in making a distribution that cannot later be recovered. The attorney may also be able to help you with tax liability questions.

A will is an instrument that directs the transfer of property at the time of death. The person writing the will may direct specific individuals to receive certain items of value, or simply make wishes known that the property should be split or shared in equal portions or not.

In planning to make a will, you should consult an attorney to help you. You will want to make sure that it is correctly drafted, worded and signed. If not, the will could be administered differently than you had intended, or worse yet, could be thrown out completely and deemed to be invalid.

If a will is not valid, or if no will was created prior to a death stating how the property is to be distributed, the decedent is said to have died intestate. Assets held jointly with right of survivorship will transfer to the other holder. Insurance policies having a designated beneficiary will go to that beneficiary. Other solely owned assets will transfer in accordance with the Intestate Succession Laws. Generally, this means the property will pass to a surviving spouse and children, but not in equal shares.

After a person dies you will need to contact an attorney. He or she will need to know a few things about the estate. To save you time and money, here are some things you may want to prepare prior to your initial consultation:

The attorney will need to determine the value of the estate. You will need to take an "inventory" of assets all of the decedent's assets or property including real estate or land, automobiles, boats, money, stocks, jewelry, or other items of value. With this, you should also determine to whom money is owed; debts accrued prior to death and as a result of death taking place.

You will also need to identify the people or organizations named to share the estate. Your attorney may need to have complete names, social security numbers, addresses, and phone numbers of the individuals, so that he or she may notify them.

The attorney will handle the paperwork for the representative to be appointed, establish a tax ID number for the estate, publish a required notice to creditors, offer counsel as to which debts need to be paid first in accordance of the law, file accounting's showing income and disbursements, and finally, will guide you in distributing the assets.

To assure accuracy, you may also wish to contact an accountant to help you with filing the last tax return. The decedents last year income taxes will still need to be paid in most cases. The accountant will also give you advice on paying out proceeds of the estate to better benefit the recipient parties.

When a person dies, safety deposit boxes are protected as assets of the estate. Therefore, a person's having access to the box must have proper documentation declaring access. Banks may be strict or more lenient. At the time of death, access is permitted if you are a co-owner, executor or successor trustee, or are an appointed representative with a court order. You should also be willing to present a death certificate and again, have any papers or documentation declaring the rights to your access.

In South Dakota, the death certificate is filed electronically. A portion of the certificate is completed by your funeral director, and the other portion is completed and signed by the doctor or attending physician. You may order any number of certified copies of the death certificate, but keep in mind the county has a charge of $15.00 for each copy ordered. It normally takes 10 working days to have the certified copies completed. Additional copies may be obtained for the same price by ordering them through the funeral home or going directly to the any South Dakota county Register of Deeds Office.

You may also order a "Fact of Death" Certificate. This certificate may be used to close out accounts, etc., and is basically a death certificate without a cause of death listed. These may be obtained almost immediately without a waiting period. Like a death certificate, the cost is also $15.00.