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Planning A Local Funeral For An Out-Of-State Relative? What Should You Know?

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Planning a funeral for a parent or other close relative is never an easy process, even if the death was somewhat anticipated. And if your loved one passed away in a hospital or nursing facility hundreds or even thousands of miles away from his or her hometown, family, and friends, you may be wondering how, exactly, you'll be able to transport him or her back to this hometown for funeral services. Fortunately, there are a variety of transportation options available to suit just about every budget and set of needs. Read on to learn more about the logistics of planning a local funeral for an out-of-state relative:

Transportation

For local funerals, the transportation options are fairly straightforward--once you've selected a funeral home, the director will coordinate with hospital staff to ensure the timely release of your loved one's body and its transportation by hearse or town car to the funeral home. 

This process also takes place for out-of-town funerals, but the receiving funeral home is deemed the "first call" home; from here, your loved one will be transferred to the "final call" funeral home where the funeral is actually to be held. In many cases, once you've enlisted the first call funeral home and selected and notified the final call funeral home, your job is done; the first call home can coordinate transportation arrangements with the final call home to ensure arrival by a certain date or time without involving you in the process.

If you choose a nationally-branded chain of funeral homes, you may even be able to ensure that both the first call and the final call homes are owned by the same parent corporation, making coordination and payment a breeze. 

Even if you find yourself dealing with two different funeral homes, you should have a largely stress-free experience; funeral home directors are accustomed to engaging in these transportation negotiations and understand the importance of ensuring that your loved one arrives safely and on time for his or her funeral. 

Obituaries 

Although written obituaries published in the local newspaper have fallen by the wayside in some areas (in favor of online obituaries), having an obituary published in the city where your loved one passed away can be a nice memento for those in the circulation area who have fond memories of your relative. Your first call funeral home should be able to provide you with everything from an obituary template to publication information; meanwhile, the final call funeral home can help you do the same thing in your loved one's hometown, ensuring prompt notice of funeral arrangements for everyone who might be interested in attending. 

Contact a company like O'Halloran & Murphy Funeral & Cremation Services for more information and assistance. 


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