We will assist your family in planning a funeral and choosing the options that suit your families needs and your loved ones wishes. We are able to assist you in holding services in a wide variety of areas. From our chapel, to your church or at the cemetery we are able to prepare a meaningful service to honor your loved one. We will listen to your family and help to arrange a celebration of your loved one's life through whatever means you choose, whether it be a traditional funeral service or cremation service. We realize that when a family from out of town uses our services, it may be of some distance for friends and family to travel to our locations. We are happy to hold visitations and viewings at your local church, fellowship hall, communtiy building or some other facility suitable for such a purpose.
In addition to funeral services our staff also provides the following services:
Cremation
Cremation has been a choice of preparing a person’s mortal remains for final disposition for centuries. Cremation probably dates back as far as 4000 B.C., and has been practiced throughout the world depending upon religious beliefs or a person’s wealth. In Roman times, cremation was reserved only for those who had wealth, while in many Asian countries; cremation was almost the exclusive form of disposition.
At Sykes Funeral Service, we feel it is our obligation to explain to you all of the options you have with regard to the services you are requesting, it is also our obligation to listen to what your wishes may be. Cremation is a choice that is available to everyone. There are only a few requirements that we would like to share with you about cremation in the State of North Carolina, a person may not be cremated until a 24 hour waiting period has passed, and in some cases a medical examiner is required to authorize the cremation. Many crematories require at least the use of an alternative container (a container for holding the deceased usually made of fiber board and particle board with no liner) for cremation, not necessarily a casket. In the state of North Carolina, a funeral home may rent a casket for the purpose of viewing and funeral. The liner is then removed and cremated leaving the shell of the casket to be relined and reused.
At Sykes Funeral Service, we take the time to offer you a wide variety of choices from the simple to more traditional. The following are just some of the choices that people have made with us:
Simple Direct Cremation: No services or visitation with an alternative container.
A Traditional Funeral Service: A casket present for visitation, a funeral service in our chapel or at a place of worship, followed by cremation, then burial of cremated remains in a cemetery, scattering, or family retention.
Memorial Service: No casket present, cremation followed by a memorial service with an urn present held in our chapel or place of worship or any other significant location, followed by burial in a cemetery, scattering, or family retention.
The choices you can make are endless, and we can help you make a decision about what is right for you and your family, and what might be the way you wish to memorialize the person who has died.
Pre-Planning
There are many advantages to planning a funeral ahead of time. By pre-planning a funeral, difficult decisions will not have to be made during a time of grieving and stress. Your wishes can be put into writing to give your family direction when the time for the funeral comes. Our staff will help you plan so that your family can carry out your wishes.
If you desire to pre fund your funeral arrangements, please contact us to discuss the methods available.
We can set up an online memorial for your loved one. Our online memorials provide information for guests about the funeral services and also provide a tribute to your loved one. Guests will be able to gain information about dates, times and locations of funeral services. Guests will also be able to order flowers, make donations and sign a guest book through the memorial. The family will have access to the memorial to add photos to create a photo gallery for their loved one. By providing information to guests about services, our online memorials help lessen the load on a family during a difficult time. The memorials also serve to pay tribute to your family's loved one.
Obituaries
We will prepare an obituary to be published for your loved one.
Veteran's Benefits
We will help you secure your potential veterans benefits, such as burial flags, government markers, memorial certificate and a burial plot.
Social Security
We will notify the Social Security Administration of the death. We will explain and help you apply for any benefits you may be entitled to through Social Security.
Death Certificates
We will help you in obtaining a death certificate which can be important for insurance purposes as well a host of other issues.
After Care
Sometimes the loss of a loved one can be especially painful. We understand that the grieving process does not end with the funeral. We are here not only to help arrange the funeral, but to help families cope with the loss of their loved one. There are a wide variety of grief resources available and we will help to point you in the right direction and begin the healing process.
