Edwards-Dowdle Funeral Home, Inc

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is embalming a requirement?

Embalming is not required by law in the state of New York. It is indeed necessary for some specific choices you might make when you make funeral arrangements.

What is the benefit of working with a family owned funeral home?

Family owned and operated funeral homes are better prepared to provide personal service in your time of need. They are staffed by funeral professionals who live and work in your community with a commitment to providing service to you. They are not accountable to stockholders and corporate managers. Our accountability is to our neighbors.

I hear that more persons are beginning to pre arrange their funerals. Is that a good thing to do?

Prearranging is a very smart choice. There are many benefits. Please visit our pre-need page for additional information.

Should children attend a funeral?

For both children and adults, the rituals surrounding death are of great importance. It is a step we all take on our road to understanding the reality and finality of death. It is a time for open talk and discussion. After careful preparation, a child should be allowed to attend, but should never be forced to do so.

Dad wants to be cremated but we'd like to have a visitation. Is that possible?

Yes. Even when cremation is chosen, visitation with the body still present is not only possible, it is frequently a very helpful part of beginning the greif process by confronting and accepting the reality of your loss. You may have an open or closed casket, a public or private gathering or visitation, a funeral service in a church, or other traditional funeral options, and still use cremation as a form of disposition.

Do I need to take care of arrangements at the cemetery?
If you already own cemetery property,it is part of our service to notify the cemetery for you. We will need the plot and grave numbers and/or the cemetery deed.

If you do not own cemetery property we can provide you with the names and locations of several local cemeteries and assist you in making your decision.

I heard a news report that a family pre-arranged a funeral and after the funeral home changed ownership they lost their money. Could this happen now?

No. In New York, funeral homes are required to place prearrangement monies in individual trust accounts in a bank The money is not available to the funeral home until after they have performed their services. New York State law makes it a crime for any funeral home to use these funds for any purpose other than providing the funeral for the individual contracting it.

The law also requires funeral homes to provide notice to all prepaid funeral clients when a funeral home changes ownership. Since the funds are secure in a bank trust, they are safe and cannot be lost.

If I should move to another country or change my plans, can I get my money back?

Yes, in New York State the money deposited and interest that accumulates in a pre-paid funeral trust is yours until such time as we provide the requested services. It is completely refundable at your request. If however, you have chosen to set up an irrevocable trust to comply with Medicaid regulations you cannot cancel of change the contract. The entire amount must be used as spelled out by the contract.

How do I get certified copies of death certificates?

In New York, certified copies of death certificates are purchased from the registrar of the municipal district where the person dies. Your funeral home will order them for you. Keep in mind that municipal districts respond to these orders as they see fit… some are fast and some are slow.

Social Security Benefits

Who is eligible for monthly Social Security Benefits?

A widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled), or at any age if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled; a divorced widow or widower age 60 or older (50 if disabled) if the marriage lasted 10 years, or if caring for an entitled child who is under 16 or disabled; unmarried children up to age 18 (19 if they are attending a primary or secondary school full lime); children who were disabled before reaching 22, as long as they remained disabled; dependent parent or parents 62 or older.

How may I find out more information and apply for benefits?

You must apply in order to receive benefits. You may apply at any Social Security office or, if you wish, you may apply by telephone. Just dial the toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 and the operator will schedule an appointment for you or arrange for the local Social Security office to take your claim by telephone. You may also visit www.ssa.gov for more information.

Veteran's Benefits

Who is eligible?

An eligible veteran must have been discharged or separated from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable and have completed the required period of service. Persons entitled to retired pay as a result of 20 years creditable service with a reserve component are eligible. A U.S. citizen who served in the armed forces of a government allied with the United States in a war also may be eligible. A 1997 law bars persons convicted of federal or state capital crimes from being buried or memorialized in one of the VA national cemeteries or in Arlington National Cemetery.

Spouses and minor children of eligible veterans and of service members also may be buried in a national cemetery. Adult children incapable of self-support due to physical or mental disability are eligible for burial. If a surviving spouse of an eligible veteran marries a nonveteran, and remarriage was terminated by divorce or death of the nonveteran, the spouse is eligible for burial in a national cemetery.

What do the benefits include?

Burial benefits in a VA national cemetery include the gravesite, a headstone or marker, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care. Many national cemeteries have columbaria or gravesites for cremated remains. Benefits also include headstones and markers, Presidential memorial certificates, burial flags and Reimbursement of Burial Expenses, depending on the circumstances. Contact should be made to the Veterans Affairs Office to determine what benefits can be claimed and then gather the information required. The National Toll-free Number for the Veterans Affairs Office is (800) 827-1000 or visit www.cem.va.gov for more information.