J. T. Morriss & Son Funeral Homes

J.T.Morriss & Son's wide range of services does not end at the grave site. We realize one of the most important parts of the funeral process is the grieving and sense of loss that takes place afterward. That is why we offer an Aftercare Program that provides you access to insightful literature, counseling and support groups with others sharing similar losses. There are ways to lessen your pain, and we will help you find them.

What to do in case of death

At some point in our lives we will have to deal with the death of a friend or loved one. When death comes grief or shock can make it impossible to complete even the smallest task. After a death takes place there are over 100 decisions and actions that have to take place within two days of a death. That is why it is important to have someone you can count on to assist you and guide you through that process. Here at J.T. Morriss & Son we guide you through the decision making process and try to educate you on your choices and selections so you can make informed decisions. We take care of everything from arranging for a service that meets your needs to the smallest detail that ensures everything goes smoothly. That is why we have been serving our communities for over 150 years.

When death occurs there is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for the pain and initial shock of losing a loved one. It is important for you to reach out and contact folks that will offer you support and comfort, your funeral director, clergy person, family and friends. However, do not feel as if you have to contact every family member and friend personally. The news of a death travels quickly so rely on others to pass the word.

J.T. Morriss & Son will help you deal with your needs immediately and step by step. We will assist with such things as:

Explaining options, guiding and helping you plan the service that meets your needs.
Provide you with the type of service you need, either burial or cremation.
Provide the family with a list of local cemeteries and coordinate with the cemetery to ensure those details are taken care of.
Help you to determine the location of the services – our chapel, church, graveside or other location.
Coordinate and arrange for military services for veterans – obtaining a flag, arranging for an honors team, helping the family apply for veteran’s benefits.
Arrange and coordinate the time and place for a visitation and ensuring the family has a comfortable environment for the visitation.
Help with ordering flowers and ensuring any flowers delivered here are properly handled and marked for the family.
Arrange for or provide an organist and discuss musical selections to be played.
Coordinate with a clergy member or friend who may be officiating the service.
Prepare and send obituary notices to local and out of town newspapers and even posting obituary notices online so the friends and family who live out of town can read the obituary notice and post a condolence for the family.
Help the family to personalize the service and ensure the service is as meaningful and individual as you would like. Whether it be through a video memorial tribute or a telling the story of a life with photographs and a story to hand out to all in attendance, there are no limits.
Here is a form that can be filled out and printed at your convenience that will contain much of the information or vital statistics your funeral director will need during the arrangement process. (link to advance planning form)

These are just a few of the many decisions we will guide you through during the time of your loss. This is one of the reasons we recommend Advanced Planning (link to advance planning section) so these details can be discussed in advance. However, regardless of when the arrangements are made, we will take care of everything.

After the funeral services are over we are there to help and guide you through the paperwork and decisions that need to be made. Our full time, trained aftercare directors are there for you. They will help you with things, including:

DMV paperwork – any vehicle, boat, trailer with a title will need to be addressed
Social Security Benefits
Life Insurance Claims
Canceling or changing names on bank accounts
Contacting credit card companies
Military or VA benefits
Grief support – one on one or through a group setting
Quarterly newsletters with information on grief and hope
And any other needs you may have

During the first few days after the death, your are surrounded by family and friends offering you comfort and strength. You are busy planning and arranging for funeral services and often times don’t have time to think about yourself until later when you are alone. You must remember during this time to take care of yourself. Allow others to help when offered. Do what you can to lessen the burden on you.

J.T. Morriss & Son is here for you before, during and after a death takes place to assist and guide you through the process. One of the things we strongly recommend is advance planning because it helps to lessen the burden and decisions a family member must make. It also helps to eliminate questions and doubt about selecting a service and whether or not you are doing what the deceased wanted. The advance planning form (highlight for a link to form) is one that you can fill out to assist us and the family with some of the information we will need to complete our paperwork and to plan a service. Regardless of whether you decide to plan and fund your arrangements or just want information to be kept on file, you should take time to review, fill out, or even print the advance planning form. Anything you do today will be one less thing to do later.