Frequent Questions

A funeral director does the work that grieving families should not have to manage themselves. When you call Stauffer-Breznik at 3 a.m. because your mother just passed, we answer. From that moment forward, we handle what needs to be done so you can focus on your family.

Immediate Response

We bring your loved one into our care, whether death occurs at home, in a hospital, or at a nursing facility. We coordinate with the coroner if required and transport the deceased to our Ringtown facility.

Preparation

We bathe, dress, and prepare the body. If you choose a viewing, this includes embalming and cosmetic work to present your loved one as you remember them.

Paperwork

We complete and file the death certificate, obtain the permits required for burial or cremation, and order certified copies you will need for insurance claims, bank accounts, and legal matters.

Planning

We sit with you to plan the service—scheduling the date and time, selecting a casket or urn, choosing readings or music, and coordinating with your clergy if applicable. We write and submit the obituary to local newspapers.

Coordination

We arrange everything with third parties: the cemetery or crematory, florists, musicians, police escorts, and any fraternal or military honor details your loved one earned.

Day of Service

We manage every element—receiving guests, directing the service, leading the procession, and conducting the graveside committal.

Aftercare

We help you file for Social Security benefits, VA burial allowances, and life insurance claims. We provide grief support resources and remain available for questions long after the service ends.

Funeral costs vary based on the services and merchandise your family selects. Here is what typically factors into the total.

• Professional Service Fee — This non-declinable fee covers the funeral director's coordination of all arrangements, staff availability, facility overhead, and administrative work including permits and death certificates.
• Transfer of Remains — The cost of bringing your loved one from the place of death to our facility, regardless of time of day.
• Preparation — Embalming, bathing, dressing, and cosmetic preparation if you choose a viewing. Embalming is not legally required in Pennsylvania but is necessary for open-casket services.
• Facility Use — Charges for use of our viewing rooms, chapel, and staff during visitation and the funeral service itself.
• Transportation — Hearse for the procession to the cemetery, plus any additional vehicles for family or flowers.
• Printed Materials — Programs, prayer cards, register books, and acknowledgment cards.
• Casket — Prices range widely based on material and construction. We carry wood and metal options at various price points.
• Burial Vault — Required by most cemeteries to prevent ground settling. Concrete vaults with optional protective linings are available.
• Cemetery Costs — Plot purchase, opening and closing fees, and any monument or marker charges. These are paid to the cemetery, not the funeral home.

We provide itemized pricing for every service and product. No package is mandatory—you choose only what your family needs.

A funeral exists for the living. It is the designated moment when grief has permission to surface—when we stop answering emails, step away from daily obligations, and sit with the weight of what has happened.

The service itself creates structure for emotions that otherwise have nowhere to go. Standing beside others who knew the person, hearing their name spoken aloud, watching the casket lowered or the urn placed—these rituals make loss concrete. They mark the line between before and after.

For many families, the funeral is also the only time everyone gathers in one place. Siblings who live in different states, childhood friends who lost touch, coworkers who only knew one side of your loved one—they come together briefly, share what they remember, and in doing so build a fuller picture of the life that ended. That shared remembering matters. Grief carried alone is heavier than grief carried together.

Families have several options when deciding how to honor someone who has died.

1. Traditional Funeral — The body is present, typically in an open or closed casket. A viewing or visitation precedes the service, which is held at the funeral home, a place of worship, or another location. A procession to the cemetery and graveside committal follow.
2. Memorial Service — Held without the body present, usually after cremation or burial has already occurred. This allows more flexibility in timing and location—families can gather days or weeks later, in any setting that feels appropriate.
3. Committal Service — A brief ceremony held at the graveside, mausoleum, or crematory. Some families choose this as their only service, while others use it as the closing ritual following a larger funeral.
4. Celebration of Life — Focuses on honoring how the person lived rather than mourning their death. These gatherings are often less formal, held at a home, park, restaurant, or favorite gathering place. Music, storytelling, and shared meals typically replace traditional liturgy.

Each format can be adapted to your family's beliefs, traditions, and preferences. Some families combine elements—a private committal followed by a public celebration, or a traditional service with a reception that feels more like a gathering of friends. We help you decide what fits.

Yes. Cremation is simply what happens to the body—it does not determine how you honor your loved one's life.

Many families hold a full funeral service with the body present before cremation takes place. The viewing, visitation, and ceremony proceed exactly as they would before a burial. Afterward, the body is cremated and the remains returned to the family.

Other families cremate first, then hold a memorial service with the urn present. This allows more flexibility in scheduling—there is no urgency to gather within days of the death, and the service can be held wherever feels meaningful.

A third option skips formal services entirely. Some families prefer a private gathering at home, a scattering ceremony at a favorite location, or no organized event at all.

Cremation keeps your options open. It does not limit them.

Pre-arranging funeral services can be done regardless of the final disposition. Pre-arranging is simply recording your wishes with the funeral home and prefunding if you choose to do so.

Bring whatever you have available. We can work with incomplete information, but having these items helps the process go smoothly.

Documents

1. Any written instructions your loved one left regarding funeral wishes, whether in a will, pre-arrangement contract, or separate directive
2. Military discharge papers (DD-214) if applicable
3. Deed or documentation for any cemetery plot or columbarium niche already owned
4. Social Security card or number

Personal Items

1. Recent photograph for the obituary
2. Clothing for the burial or viewing
3. Jewelry, glasses, or personal effects to be included
4. Photos or memorabilia for display during the service

Information for the Death Certificate

1. Full legal name
2. Home address
3. Date and place of birth (city and state)
4. Social Security number
5. Marital status
6. Highest level of education completed
7. Occupation
8. Father's full name
9. Mother's full name including maiden name

For the Obituary

1. Names of surviving family members
2. Names of those who preceded in death
3. Church or organizational memberships
4. Military service details
5. Employment history
6. Hobbies or notable achievements

If you cannot locate something, come anyway. We will help you gather what is missing.