Merchandise

Caskets today are mostly constructed of bronze, copper, wood or steel. It is your choice to select the right casket to satisfy your budget and personal wishes. The casket provides surviving family members with the comfort of knowing their loved one is protected. Sealer Caskets are caskets that seal air and water tight. Bronze, Copper and Stainless Steel caskets are generally always sealer caskets. Steel caskets are available in sealer and non-seal styles. You will also be selecting a protective outer container referred to as a vault. The vault reinforces the strength of the casket and protects it from the elements.

• BRONZE: Bronze is a semi-precious material and an alloy of copper and either zinc or tin. It is resistant to corrosive elements and is the strongest and longest lasting of all the casket construction materials.
  
• COPPER: Copper is a precious metal and is one-third stronger than stainless steel. It also is resistant to corrosive elements and is an extremely long lasting material.
  
• STAINLESS STEEL: Stainless Steel is an alloy that gets its strength and longevity from additions of chromium [which protects against rust and oxidation] and nickel to carbon steel. Stainless steel is approximately 8.3 times longer lasting than 16-gauge carbon steel.
  
• STEEL: Steel caskets are classified by metal thickness, with the most popular being 18 or 20 gauge. [The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the metal.]
  
• HARDWOOD: Hardwood is strong, beautiful and shock resistant. Because of the nature of wood, it is the only casket that is not available as a sealer casket. You may compensate for this by selecting a quality, sealed vault. 
  

Cremation caskets are constructed of wood and specifically designed for being incinerated. There are several styles to choose from. Crematories require, at a minimum, that the body is placed in what is refered to as an alternative container. This is basically a large cardboard box. If you wish to have a viewing of the body followed by cremation, a cremation rental casket might be more desirable to you rather than a cremation casket. A cremation rental casket is a specially designed casket which looks like a normal casket but is equipped with a cardboard insert. When viewing services are completed, the insert can be slid out of the end of the casket shell and transported to the crematory. The choice is yours. Ask your funeral director about the particulars in regards to style and price.

A burial or urn vault is a protective outer container for the casket or urn. It provides the casket or urn with superior, long-lasting protection against subsoil elements and the weight of heavy cemetery maintenance equipment. Burial vaults protect the casket from ground elements and immense weight after interment. We offer the very well known and respected Wilbert Burial Vault line. All Wilbert burial vaults employ high-strength structural concrete and Unidex®-bonded interior liners of high-impact thermoformed plastics. Several also offer durable interior linings of bronze, copper, or stainless steel. 

Wilbert burial vaults are available in three strength categories: 

• Premium Protection - Triple Reinforcement
  
• Standard Protection - Double Reinforcement
  
• Basic Protection - Single Reinforcement 
  

If you plan on ground burial for the urn, many cemeteries may require it be placed in an urn vault. Lined urn vaults provide varying levels of protection against subsoil elements and weight of the earth. A lined urn vault is made of high-strength concrete and reinforced with durable plastic or a combination of durable plastic and metal (copper, bronze, or stainless steel).

The urn holds your loved ones cremated remains. Which urn you select depends on your loved ones personality, as well as on the urns style, color, cost, and level of craftsmanship. We offer a nice selection of urn choices in wide-ranging styles and sizes constructed of solid-cast bronze, pewter, hardwoods, plastics, and other durable materials.

A monument or marker for your grave provides a lasting tribute and serves to identify where you are buried. We offer many sizes, styles and colors as a representative of Patten Monument Company. Only the finest quality stone is accepted by Patten, and the craftsmanship is excellent. We have a vast number of design patterns and can produce custom designs or etchings, and we offer discounts for the families we serve. Please see us for details.

Additional merchandise and/or services may include but are not limited to:

• A Register Book that may be signed by family and friends
  
• Acknowledgement (Thank You) Cards
  
• Memorial Folders for the Funeral Service or to give to people as a remembrance
  
• Floral Arrangements
  
• Clergy Honorarium (Donation to the clergy/church for their help)
  
• Luncheon Donation/Expense
  
• Obituary costs
  
• Sales tax
  
• Hairdresser charges
  
• Monument/marker lettering costs if monument/marker already exists
  
• Cemetery expenses for opening and closing the grave, with an additional expense if graves need to be purchased
  
• Vault company charges for setting and sealing the vault