Traditional Services
Visitation
Whether burial or cremation, the family may wish to have a visitation, affording family and friends to view their loved one, spend time together, extend sympathies, and honor the transition from life to death of their loved one. Visitations (often called wakes) are helpful in allowing families to acknowledge the reality of death and to say their final goodbyes. Visitations often take place in churches or in our funeral home chapels, usually the evening before the traditional funeral service or before the traditional funeral service begins.
Full Traditional Funeral Service
A full traditional funeral service includes the professional services of Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home funeral directors and staff, including embalming and other preparation of the remains of the decedent; a viewing or visitation; receiving of family and friends; and a funeral service at a church, in one of our funeral home chapels, or other location of the family’s choice. After the service, family and friends follow the hearse to the family’s selected burial site for a final committal ceremony.
Graveside Service
A graveside service is held at the burial site where the remains of the loved one will be interred, rather than in a church, funeral home or other location. Some of the expenses associated with a traditional service may not be necessary such as those for limousines, floral arrangements, and flower cars. There are many variations of graveside services. Families may arrange for the clergy and guests to meet them at the graveside for the committal service. As per the family’s wishes, the service may be open to all persons who wish to attend the service or may be limited to the immediate family. Graveside services are sometimes followed by memorial services held in a church, in one of our funeral home chapels, or in a location of the family’s choice, usually taking place at a later date.
Memorial Service
During a memorial service, the remains of the loved one are not present. This service may be held at a church, in one of our funeral home chapels, or at the location of the family’s choice. Memorial services are often held when the funeral service will take place in another state, affording family and friends who may not be able to travel to come together to honor, remember, and celebrate the life of the deceased. During this time, memorabilia, photographs, videos, and other personal items of the loved one are available for viewing. Families are encouraged to personalize the service by having those who knew their loved one share fond memories with those in attendance.
Domestic Shipping
Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home assists families in transferring their loved ones to out-of-state funeral homes. As a full-service funeral home, we are able to provide all necessary pre-travel services, arrange authorization for travel, and escort the remains of the decedent to the transportation connector – to be forwarded by air.
Alternatives to Traditional Services
Direct Burial
Direct burial includes basic services extended by our funeral home staff; however, embalming, non-basic services of our staff, and use of any facilities for viewing, visitation, or for a funeral ceremony are not included. We transfer the remains of the decedent from the place of the decedent’s death to our funeral home. The decedent is then placed in a casket or state-approved burial container and transported to the cemetery. This type of service is more often used for the respectable and final disposition of decedents without families or for decedents who cannot be identified by authorities and are in need of dignified, yet simplified arrangements for their final dispositions. There are no final rites or funeral home staff present during the interment. A memorial service may be held at the graveside at a later date.
Direct Cremation
Direct cremation includes basic services extended by our funeral home staff; however, direct cremation does not involve embalming or use of facilities for gatherings or for a funeral ceremony. The remains of the decedent are transported from the place of the decedent’s death to our selected crematory. After cremation, the remains of the decedent are placed in an urn or approved container and transported by Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home and given to the decedent’s family. There are no final rites or funeral home staff present during the interment. A memorial service may be held at a later date.
Please speak with a funeral director for more detailed information about services provided by Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home, and prices associated with the different services provided.