Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an average funeral cost?
Our funeral home offers burial services starting at $5,250 and cremation services at $1,195. National averages for funeral services in 2017 were over $8,000. Most funeral service experts will tell you to budget at least $10,000 for a basic funeral and burial. That will not be necessary if you decide to allow McCafferty Funeral & Cremation Inc. to professionally conduct your loved one’s services. Our firm has been built on the ability to provide excellent service for the lowest price in the Philadelphia area for over 50 years. Our expert caring staff will be able to help you and your family through the most difficult time of their life without overspending.
I’ve never arranged a funeral before. What do I need to do?
- Make your decision after meeting the funeral service professional.
- Did the deceased express his/her wishes about the type of funeral service they desired?
- If the funeral is going to involve a burial…what cemetery is the burial going to take place? If it is going to be a cremation…what is the surviving family going to do with the cremains (ashes)?
- Discuss payment options with the funeral home and have a budget to work within before you make any decisions.
- Plan a meaningful ceremony for your loved one and designate a priest, minister or preacher to officiate.
- Designate a location for the viewing or memorial. It can be held in our funeral home, any church, nursing home or household.
Can I still have a funeral if there is a cremation?
Yes, there are many different ways to have a beautiful meaningful funeral service that involves a cremation. Call our office anytime 215-531-5014 to discuss the options or just click on the Cremation Options tab.
What do I do when a death occurs?
When a death occurs contact Mark McCafferty 215-531-5014 24hrs a day, 7days a week (cell 215-432-8339). We will arrange with the hospital, nursing home or medical examiners office to have your loved one picked up and placed into our care. If the death occurs at home, please contact us when you are ready for us to come. If your family wants some extra time to spend with the deceased to say good bye, that is acceptable also.
If our loved one dies out of state, can McCafferty Funeral & Cremation Inc. still help us?
When a death occurs far from home, McCafferty Funeral & Cremation Inc. can still help you. We have relationships with shipping services and funeral service establishments all over the continental United States. We are able to assist you no matter how far away the death occurs.
When Death Occurs
When Death occurs in your family, you will be faced with many important decisions. Preplanning can alleviate many of these tasks by taking care of them before the death occurs. For more information on prearrangements just click on the pre-planning tab. McCafferty Funeral & Cremation Inc. is here to guide you through the entire process 24hrs a day 365 days a year.
- What type of funeral service did you wish to have for your loved one?
- What location do you wish to have the service?
- Has the Funeral been pre-arranged?
- What clergy do you wish to be involved in the service? Have they been contacted?
Once we have established where the death has occurred, we will set up a time with your family for the arrangement conference. It may be the same day as the death, but it is ok to want some time to gather your thoughts and come in the next day.
At the arrangement conference, we will need the following items and information:
- Clothing for the deceased
- Picture of the deceased
- Cemetery lot information
- Insurance Policy if applicable
- Pre-planning information if applicable
- DD 214 if the deceased was a veteran
- Social Security # for the deceased
- The deceased’s date, city and state of birth
- Information about the deceased’s education level
- Marital Status of deceased
- Deceased’s Parents names including mother’s maiden name.
Also, there are several other things to think about and take care of regarding the services. If there is going to be a digital obituary we would need all of the background information about the deceased. We contact social security for the surviving family members alerting them of the death. If you are paying the funeral bill with insurance, we will handle that call for you. Think about what flower shop you want to use. To make things easier for you, our firm will order flowers and coordinate the delivery. Also, you will need to select pallbearers to carry the casket and honor the deceased, typically 6 pallbearers are required.
