Ceremonies, Funerals, and Memorials
Just as we have ceremonies for baptisms, graduations, and weddings, we have funeral and memorial ceremonies which allow family and friends to gather and pay tribute to a unique life that has been lived.  When someone close to us dies, we need to complete this relationship and say good-bye.  The funeral is a service for the living that allows friends and relatives to offer comfort and support to one another.  The funeral permits a time for expression of feelings and helps us to accept the reality of our loss.

Role of the Funeral Director
When a death occurs, there are many decisions to be made.  Our funeral directors are trained and licensed to handle all technical arrangements and to counsel on many personal aspects of a funeral.  Funeral directors provide service in three areas: professional services, facilities, and automotive equipment.

Professional services include:

• Removing the deceased from the place of death and transfer to the funeral home
• Embalming and preparation of the body for services and viewing
• Obtaining the necessary and required legal documents
• Consulting with the family, clergy, and others to make service arrangements
• Placing obituaries in appropriate media
• Contacting the cemetery or crematory
• Providing care to mourners before, during, and after the ceremonies
• Providing staff services for visitation and services

Role of Funeral Services
A traditional funeral with the body present for viewing and visitation is one ceremony which allows survivors to accept the death and begin grieving process.

When a life ends, all that remains is the body of the man, woman, or child whom we loved and who loved us in return.  And when we remember that person, we think of their physical life being – their body.  When a life ends, our mind requires evidence.  By viewing the body, we acknowledge that a death has occurred.  We confirm that a life has been lived and is now over.  Viewing allows that living to confront the fact of death.

The funeral service may take many forms.  Whether the service is held at the funeral home or the family church, the service should meet the needs of the surviving family.  We can help you with any special requests that will personalize and add meaning to the service.

Cremation
Miller Funeral Home houses the only on-site funeral home crematory in the Sioux Falls area.  While other funeral homes may offer cremation services from out-of-state providers, our crematory is on-site to better serve area families.  This is an important security feature.  Our crematory technicians are licensed funeral directors and are specialized in the crematory process and handling the cremated human remains.  There is absolutely no chance of co-mingling or misidentifying the cremated remains.  From the first phone call at the time of death, to the delivery of the urn, the Miller Funeral Home staff is the only personnel involved in handling the body during the cremation event-line.

Cremation Options
With any of the cremation service options, the family may choose to have or not have a service with the body present, a visitation, embalming and viewing, open or closed casket visitation, or service with the urn present.

Cremation with a Traditional Funeral Service
Many families choose to have the body embalmed and casketed for viewing, visitation, and a traditional church or chapel service.  This allows the family to share in the viewing experience and adhere to their own personal and religious beliefs.  Typically in Sioux Falls when families choose this type of service, there will be a normal viewing and visitation period at the funeral home.  This may last for one day or several days depending on the wishes of the family.  On the day of the service, the casket, flowers and personal items are transferred to the church or chapel for the funeral service.  This scenario gives the family and friends a final chance to say a last goodbye.  Following the service, the family may go directly into the fellowship hall for a luncheon or period of fellowship and refreshments.  The casketed body is then returned to Miller Funeral Home for the cremation.  After this, the urn that contains the cremated human remains is delivered or picked up by the family at an arranged time.  Some families choose to bury the urn, while others may choose to scatter or maintain at a personal location.

Cremation with a Memorial Service
As personal options become more pronounced, we find that some families choose to have the body cremated followed by a memorial service or service of memories.  This option allows the family to cremate the body and still adhere to religious or personal ceremonial beliefs.  When this is done, the body is not brought to the church or chapel.  Rather, the family may choose to have the urn present along with photo collages and personal items.  With this option, many families in Sioux Falls still choose to have a period of visitation (without the body present) at Miller Funeral Home.  Again, this gives the family a chance to share thoughts and memories with old friends, neighbors, business associates and other extended relatives.  Following the service, the family will often times hold a public or private committal service at the cemetery.

Cremation with a Graveside Service
This option allows for an immediate cremation, (with no public viewing) followed by a graveside service.  With this option, the family is still able to have a public visitation at some point, usually prior to the Committal Service.

Cremation with no services
This option is for families that choose to have the body cremated, but do not wish to have any services held.  However, the family is still able to have a public visitation and reception if so desired.