Traditional Funeral Services

Low Cost Funeral Services in Clarksville & Erin, TN

We have years of experience in this industry, and we take pride in offering families quality and affordable funeral services in Tennessee. We hope to help as many families in need as we can as their funeral service provider, and we promise to help each and every family member heal as they embark on their journey with grief. On this page, we have provided a breakdown of the traditional funeral process included in the services we offer as well as an overview of what a funeral is.


If you have any questions about our Clarksville & Erin funeral services, please feel free to contact us.

What Is A Funeral?

Many people ask 'what is a funeral?'. All we need to do is say the word "funeral" and within microseconds, you have an image in your mind of what a funeral looks like. This mental image comes from many sources: the geographical place, culture and society in which we live; our faith; our life experience. Obviously then, a funeral service in Borneo would look very different from one held in Tanzania; there are even significant differences between the funerals held in ethnically and/or geographically diverse regions of North America.

Yet, despite the differences, these funeral services have much in common. We invite you to read further to learn the really simple answer to the question "what is a funeral?" Should you have questions about what you read here, we encourage you to call us. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the wide spectrum of funeral ceremonies seen around the world.

More Information About Our Clarksville & Erin Funeral Services

No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

Anthropologists label a funeral as a rite of passage, which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors—the immediate family most especially—has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral—no matter where, no matter when—lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.
Learn How to Prepare for a Funeral Service

4 Parts of a Funeral Service

All traditional funerals contain the same main components. We explain each component below:

Wake or Visitation

The purpose of a wake or visitation is to give people the opportunity to pay their respects to the deceased and the family. You often do not have this chance during the funeral service. The body is placed in a casket, and is either open or closed based on family preference. Often people say a short prayer by the casket then proceed to say their condolences to each family member. A good suggestion is to just say something simple to each family member such as "I am sorry for your loss", especially if there are a lot guests waiting to pay their respects. 

Funeral Service

As opposed to the visitation, the purpose of the funeral service is to honor the life of the deceased, remember what he/she contributed to our lives, and to say a final goodbye to their presence. The funeral service can take place at the funeral home chapel, a church, or at the graveside/cemetery. Often prayers are said, hymns are sung, liturgy or religious passages are read, and the eulogy is given. 

Comittal Service

After the funeral service has concluded, there is a vehicle procession to either the cemetery or the crematory depending on the type of disposition that has been chosen. If burial has been chosen, the family and guests will congregate at the open plot or mausoleum. The Rite of Committal, the final set of prayers are given for the deceased, is said at this component of a traditional funeral service. 

Funeral Reception

Many families choose to have a social gathering after the committal service with food and refreshments. It is a chance for the family to thank guests for attending, and it is a chance for everyone to share memories and provide support to each other.

The funeral service component is the biggest and most important component that we mentioned above. A traditional funeral service has long been associated with religion. For the most part when people think about a traditional funeral service, people imagine or have a Christian style funeral in mind. To further illustrate the funeral service component, we will examine it through the lens of a Christian style funeral. However, please remember that you can still have a traditional funeral that is not Christian.

Our Complete Funeral Service Package

In most cases, a family will choose to hold a complete funeral service to honor their loved one. This is commonly referred to as a traditional funeral service and includes a visitation, funeral service, committal, and reception.

For this funeral arrangement, guests will have the opportunity to host a visitation the evening prior to the service and up to the hour of service on the day of the funeral. After the visitation, a funeral service will be held at either the funeral home or a church the deceased held membership with. Immediately following the conclusion of the funeral service, the remains will be transported to a local cemetery for burial. Following the funeral service, guests are encouraged to stay for a reception where they can offer condolences and share memories of the deceased over refreshments and snacks.

Our affordable funeral service pricing for this package includes everything mentioned above. Please keep in mind that your family will be responsible for additional expenses like the casket, grave liner and monument. If you have any questions about our funeral service pricing or payment options, a member of our staff would be happy to assist you.

Our caring and professional staff would be happy to meet with you and discuss the different packages we have available. From there, we will work with you to personalize the funeral arrangements and pay tribute to the deceased with dignity and respect.

Our funeral service professionals can tailor services to suit any specific desires or needs of the families we serve. For further information or specific pricing, please consult with one of our funeral directors by visiting us or by calling us.

Providing Quality Funeral Services in Clarksville & Erin, TN

For families and individuals living in this region (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals.

Source:

Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979

Rostad, Curtis, "The Basics of Funeral Service", Indiana Funeral Directors Association, 2014

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