Endless Possibilities
We invite you to explore the many unique ways to celebrate and honor a life.
Whether you choose burial or cremation, having a service to honor life, and a permanent place to visit remains, is an essential part of the healing process. We’ll educate you on the traditional and nontraditional inclusions in these ceremonies—and help you design an observance that’s as unique as the life it’s about.
-
Comfort in Tradition
Familiar rites and rituals gives everyone peace-of-mind. A traditional funeral with an accompanying visitation looks and feels like it did years ago and brings comfort to all.
-
A Patriotic Tribute
Honoring a veteran can include a 21 rifle salute, a flag presentation ceremony, a graveside ceremony, and even the playing of taps. No matter what you choose to include, such a service always shows your gratitude for their sacrifice and dedication.
-
The Value of Coming Together
Even with a cremation, bringing family and friends together to share memories and to support one another can be done simply and elegantly. Offer everyone an opportunity to collectively begin the healing process.
-
Comfort Hearts and Nourish Connections
Throughout their lives, they cared for those they loved with good food, lovingly prepared. Now, celebrate that love by sharing their favorites in a relaxed gathering. A chili or seafood feast? Maybe desserts were their specialty. Whatever it was, gather together and savor the memories.
-
A Last Ride
There’s often a special connection between someone and their vehicle. Maybe it’s the fire truck they served on; maybe it’s the motorcycle they loved to ride on weekends. It might even be the love of a fine horse. Bring that love to life, by including that special relationship in the services.
-
Coming Home
There’s no place like home. Bringing family and friends together in a home or private garden focuses the emotions of comfort found in such a familiar setting. There may be no better place to say goodbye, because home is where the heart is.
-
Explore The Possibilities
Visualize the possibilities with this unique planning tool. Scroll through the images with the slider, and when you’ve found yourself inspired, visit Designing Your Funeral for additional support in planning a service as unique as the life well-lived.
-
A Sporting Celebration
Consider the sports fan. No matter what the sport, there’s an energy, and excitement to being a part of the scene. Bring that energy into the service by surrounding everyone in the favored team memorabilia, or possibly a tailgate party, and share in the traditional ‘game fever.’
-
A Treasured Keepsake
Bringing home such a gift of love can make a memorial service truly memorable. Gather together a beloved collection, whether teddy bears, tea cups, or fishing lures; and share them with the guests after the ceremony to let everyone leave with a memory they can keep forever.
-
Playing the Game
Poker, anyone? Maybe Bridge was their game. Or Chess. Whatever game they enjoyed, bring it into the service by staging a card party in their honor. Just think of the memories that will surface, as the games progress.
-
Taking the Stage
“All the world’s a stage, and all men and women merely players.” For the thespian, such a theatrical event would be the perfect end to a perfectly brilliant life. Bring up the lights, and honor the actor and the life they so enjoyed.
-
Into the Deep Blue
Eternal life as part of a barrier reef. For those of us who love the sea, there’s no better thought than our cremated remains providing shelter for the beautiful creatures of the deep. Create a permanent living legacy, to memorialize and honor your loved one.
-
Reach for the Stars
“Fly me to the moon; let me sing among those stars.” Many of us long to be able to travel among the planets of our solar system and out among the stars. Becoming part of the cosmos may be the perfect ‘send off’ for someone special.
Designing your Funeral
There are two facets of the design process. First, we ask you to consider how you wish to honor and celebrate the life. When those important decisions are made, we’ll turn to the issue of how you wish to care for the physical remains.
How to Honor a Life
It’s about bringing those you love together, at a time of loss. It’s a natural thing to do, and over time, has become a socially-expected practice. More importantly, a funeral or memorial service, whether traditional, or contemporary, is the first step in healing.
You can have your service anywhere, and any way, you want. Your choices include the place of celebration, day of the week, and time of day; the musical selection, what prayers will be said or songs you’d like sung. We can arrange to have doves, butterflies, or balloons released at the close of the service. Keepsake gifts of wildflower seeds or a tree seedling can be given. We’re here to help you create the most memorable and meaningful service to honor your loved one.
Burial or Cremation?
Your next consideration focuses on choosing between burial and cremation. Usually, people are clear on this point. In fact, your loved one may have told you, or someone else, exactly how they wish to be cared for. But it can be a hard decision for some families, especially when the wishes of the deceased were never clearly stated. If that's the case, please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision for your loved one, and for you.
Once you decide, the finer details come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket, vault, and desired cemetery follows. Naturally, we’re here to help you.
If cremation is your choice, then you'll need to make the next decision: whether the cremated remains will be placed in a mausoleum niche, or buried on the cemetery grounds.
In some communities, there's the option for a 'green burial.' If that's what your loved one would prefer, we'll help you select an environmentally-friendly choice.
Designing Your Memorial
There are few decisions in life as personal as deciding where you wish to be permanently memorialized. After all, it is a decision that extends into the lifetimes of your children and grandchildren – where do you wish them to go to honor your memory and share their emotions?
Ground Burial
Deciding on the type of memorial property is a very personal decision. Al Jenkins Funeral Home provides a setting where meditation, reflection, remembrance, and healing can take place.Mausoleums
Mausoleums allow for above ground entombment in either community buildings or specially designed family structures. At one time the advantages of mausoleum entombment were available only to royalty, the famed or the very wealthy. Well-known mausoleums include the Taj Mahal, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Egyptian Pyramids. Mausoleum property is now affordable to most everyone.
The mausoleum at Al Jenkins Funeral Home is a community mausoleum with crypt spaces and cremation niche sections. Private family mausoleum property is also available. These mausoleums are individually designed, custom-built and personalized to reflect the traditions and values of the individual.
Cremation Options
Cremation niches, including those with glass front panels, are available in our mausoleum, and in our outdoor cremation Water Garden. We also provide bench, tree, and statue memorial interment of cremated remains.
Create Your Perfect Ceremony
Once you've explored the world of possibilities, map out the personalized services that speak to you. There's no option that's too grand or too unique. We want to make your wishes a reality.
