Cremation and Funeral FAQ

If the death happens at home and wasn't expected, call 911. If your loved one was under hospice care, call the hospice nurse. Then call us at (405) 443-8085, day or night. We'll bring your loved one into our care and explain what happens next.

Yes. Our phone is answered any hour of the day or night, every day of the year.

In Oklahoma the right generally goes first to a person your loved one named in writing, then the surviving spouse, then adult children, then parents and then adult siblings. If you're unsure where you stand, call us and we'll walk through it with you.

Yes. We regularly help families who live outside Oklahoma, handling the arrangements by phone, email and online.

No. Embalming isn't needed for direct cremation. It may be needed if your family wants a public viewing more than 24 hours after death.

No. Direct cremation includes an alternative container. If you'd like a viewing first, we'll explain the options.

It depends on the paperwork, including the death certificate and the medical examiner's cremation permit. We'll tell you what to expect for your family and keep you updated until your loved one's remains are ready.

No. Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule you can buy an urn anywhere, and we can't charge a fee for using it. We also offer urns and keepsakes if you'd like to see them.

Yes. You can have a viewing before the cremation, or a memorial service or celebration of life afterward, whenever your family is ready.

Direct cremation starts at $695. It includes bringing your loved one into our care within 50 miles, the medical examiner's permit, crematory fees, filing the death certificate and an alternative container. Urns are extra.

Our free cremation program works through whole-body donation to medical science. If your loved one qualifies, there's no charge for transport, cremation or return of the remains.

Yes. You're entitled to our itemized General Price List, and you can ask for prices over the phone.

Yes. We file the death certificate, and you can order certified copies when you make arrangements.

Possibly. Social Security pays a one-time $255 death benefit to an eligible surviving spouse or child, and veterans may qualify for VA burial benefits. Life insurance can also help.

Yes. Along with cremation, we arrange visitations, funeral and memorial services, graveside services, traditional and direct burial, and green burial.

No. Embalming isn't required when the next of kin doesn't authorize it. Without embalming, burial or other disposition takes place within 24 hours unless your loved one is refrigerated, and a public viewing isn't allowed after 24 hours.

Yes. The Funeral Rule lets you buy a casket from another seller, and a funeral home can't charge a fee for using it.

Yes. We help families request military funeral honors and VA burial benefits, whether your loved one is buried or cremated.

Planning ahead lets you record your wishes, compare options without time pressure and spare your family difficult decisions later.

Yes. You can start your plan online at your own pace and call us with any questions.

Personal details for the death certificate, your service and disposition wishes, and the location of important documents. Our checklist walks through each item.

We've gathered local and national support groups, counseling options and resources for children on our grief support page. If you need someone to talk to right now, call or text 988 at any hour.