Loading...

Where to Begin

WHEN DEATH OCCURS

First and foremost, we are sorry for your loss. Thank you for seeking information and help from the team of experienced professionals at Whitaker Funeral Home and Newberry Memorial Gardens.


Right now you likely have strong emotions and a lot of questions, and both of those are perfectly normal. Our objective is to help you through this time of transition in a smooth manner, and to make this process one of healing and comfort for you and your loved ones.


The following information will help you to understand what will happen in the days ahead.

Please visit our service options page to learn more about our ceremonies.




The First Few Hours

We will take your loved one into our care and contact you to discuss a time that we can meet with you in person or via web conference.
Let us know if you have questions at any stage of this emotional situation.



Within the First Few Days

To notify close friends and relatives, you may want to make personal phone calls. If this is too painful for you, lean on a trusted person to help you. or feel free to provide us with a list of those whom you need help contacting.


At the arrangement conference, we will learn more about your family and your loved one, provide options for how to pay tribute to them, assist you in planning for services, and help you to draft an obituary for sharing the news and service information with the community.


You should review any of your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes, and will meet with a funeral director to begin planning their service.


The funeral is a safe place to gather in celebration of a life. You can speak your loved one’s name, you can cry if you want to, you can share stories and laugh. You look at photos, you remember the victories, and you commemorate the efforts.


Planning a funeral is not a skill that comes naturally to most of us. Just as there are professional planners for other life celebrations, a professional funeral director will help you understand and best choose what kind of goodbye ceremony you’d like to give your loved one.


Some of the immediate choices you’ll be asked to make include:
  • Burial or cremation
    • If burial, the type of casket ,and the location of their final resting place in a grave or mausoleum.
    • If you don’t already have cemetery property, we can provide placement options at Newberry Memorial Gardens.
  • If cremation, a viewing in a casket is still an option beforehand, and then you will choose an urn along with the location of a final resting place. There are multiple choices for the final placement of cremated remains, and we will help you to understand them.
  • The types of services that will be meaningful to your family, possibly including a viewing, life celebration, graveside memorial.
  • Any religious services you need, such as clergy or spiritual leaders, and storytellers.

 

These decisions are your starting point, and you don't need to know the answers right away. Our team gives you a clear explanation of your options when we meet, to help make this process easier for you.




What to Expect When We Meet

This may be your first experience inside a funeral home, let alone planning one. Please let us know if so – we want to help comfort you on this traumatic day.


It’s important for us to learn as much as we can about you, and about the person the services will honor.


Use this time to communicate your ideas and preferences, share your loved one's life story, revisit memories, and highlight their accomplishments.


Our professionals will listen, then use this information to help you create a meaningful celebration of your loved one's life.


We’ll provide you with a general price list to give you a basic idea of cost. We have several payment options we can discuss at this time.


All the above may seem overwhelming. We’ll help you sort things out in an organized way.


We’ll also ask you for a recent photograph of the deceased, and any clothing or accessories you'd like us to use when dressing them for the service.

NFDA Logo
CANA Logo
Newberry County Chamber of Commerce Logo
Chapin County Chamber of Commerce Logo

Whitaker Funeral Home – Newberry
Phone: (803) 276-5000 | Fax: (803) 276-5002
1704 College St, Newberry, SC 29108

Whitaker Funeral Home - Chapin
Phone: (803) 345-9288
939 Chapin Rd, Chapin, SC 29036

© Whitaker Funeral Home
Crafted with care by Frazer Consultants and TA

Privacy Policy & Terms of Use | Accessibility