Funeral Services

Our Services...

We will assist your family in planning a funeral and choosing the options that suit your families needs and your loved ones wishes. We are able to assist you in holding services in a wide variety of areas. From our spacious contemporary chapel, to your church location or at the cemetery for a graveside service, we are able to prepare a meaningful service to honor your loved one. We are able to accommodate and tailor our service in the fashion in which you desire or sometimes can afford.

We recognize that some families may have a price sensitivity and GARY MEMORIAL CHAPEL stands ready to assist in providing alternatives. We will listen to your family and help to arrange a celebration of your loved one's life through whatever means you choose.

Payment Options

Payment Options Available at Gary Memorial Chapel

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to serve your family during your time of need.  At GARY MEMORIAL CHAPEL,  it is our goal to assist every family, regardless of their financial resources.  We have a range of payment options that can meet any family's needs.

Option 1: Payment in Full amount by cash or by check - no later than at the assigned time for family's private first viewing. This date and time is set during the arrangement  session. We believe that the family should not be burdened with paying the funeral expenses on the day of the service and to avoid those transactions taking place on the day of the Celebration of Life, we ask that payment be made at the family's first private viewing.

Option 2: Payment in Full by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express- no later than at the assigned time for family's private first viewing. This date and time is usually set during the arrangement session. 

If the amount due exceeds your credit line, you may use cards of other family members, have your credit line increased, or pay the balance in the form of a cash or check. Out of town checks drawn on banks out of our service area will be contacted to verify merchant funds.

Option 3: Life Insurance Assignment- Most insurance companies allow the beneficiary of the policy to assign payment of the funeral expenses from the proceeds of the policy.  For your convenience, we accept Assignments and work through a third party specialist/funder, to process and expedite all Insurance Assignments. The third party specialist/funder fee ranges from 4- 5% of the assignment amount of all claims which will be added to the funeral bill.  All Assignments, if this method of payment is chosen, will be verified by he third party specialist/funder, and if it is deemed that the Insurance is not assignable, has lapsed or is invalid, an alternative method of payment (Options 1, 2, or 4) will be necessary.  Likewise, if the amount of the insurance benefit is less than the funeral expenses choosing one of the other payments options for the remainder will satisfy the balance.

*Please note that a certified death certificate is required for all assignments and each insurance company requires one. We will directly forward the assignment form along with claim forms to the assignment company upon certifying the death certificate.

Option 4: Bank Note- If Options 1-3 are not possible alternatives for you, payment fromthe proceeds of a personal loan through a bank or other lendinginstitution may be used for the funeral expenses. 

A Note about Payment Plans: 

Unfortunately we DO NOT offer payment plans, however you may use any combination of the above payment options in order to satisfy the balance due. Until a method of payment has been secured we will not be able to proceed with scheduling the visitation and services, or with running public obituary notices.  We do not wish to add any additional stress by having to cancel a service or change a notice once it has been placed in the paper. Therefore, these payment options are the only forms of payment that we accept. Once payment has been secured we will proceed with all arrangements. 

MEMORIALS AND MONUMENTS

Monument and Memorial Information

We offer custom designed monuments and memorials in all shapes, sizes, and colors of granite.  We also offer granite curbing, granite and marble vases, and several options of photos which can be placed on any monument.  We can design a monument which will reflect each person's own unique style and way of life which will be a lasting tribute to those gone before us.

Estimates are free of charge and we will generate a computer sketch for you to view before making a final decision on the design of the monument.

We view the purchasing of a monument as a process in which the family's own vision of what they want is the most important aspect. We recognize that our families benefit from us offering them the opportunity to select a marker while they are doing arrangements.

Pre-Planning

Why do loving families pre-plan final arrangements?

    * To take the burden off those they love
    * To freeze the cost at today's prices
    * To make small, monthly payments
    * To take advantage of before-need discounts
    * To make decisions together, rather than alone
    * For peace of mind

For those wishing to pre-arrange their final wishes, we have designed special Burial and Cremation Packages to assist you. These packages are simple, dignified and affordable. By pre-planning, you'll spare your loved ones the overwhelming burden and expense that often comes with making funeral arrangements.

Imagine having everything taken care of and the only thing that has to be done is simply make one telephone call to us at 614 235-GARY (4279). It is one of the most loving acts of kindness you can do for your family. In just ONE, comfortable visit with a funeral arranger, you can take care of burial, and cremation arrangements.   
                                                        
Whichever option you choose, your family will find years of peace-of-mind through pre-planning. When pre-planning, you freeze the costs at today's prices against inflation and simply make small, monthly installments. Call GARY MEMORIAL CHAPEL at 614-235-GARY (4279) and make an appointment with the funeral director.

There are many advantages to planning a funeral ahead of time. By pre-planning a funeral, difficult decisions will not have to be made during a time of grieving and stress. You will be able to visit a potential resting site and have time to decide on and compare options.Your wishes can be put into writing to give your family direction when the time for the funeral comes. Our staff will help you plan so that your family can carry out your wishes. See Our Preplanning Ad for more details

Online Memorials

We can set up an online memorial for your loved one. Our online memorials provide information for guests about the funeral services and also provide a tribute to your loved one. Guests will be able to gain information about dates, times and locations of funeral services.

Guests will also be able to order flowers, make donations and sign a guest book through the memorial. The family will have access to the memorial to add photos to create a photo gallery for their loved one. By providing information to guests about services, our online memorials help lessen the load on a family during a difficult time. The memorials also serve to pay tribute to your family's loved one. A special feature of our online memorials is a section for you to leave stories or fond memories. These are treasured by our families.

Obituaries

We will prepare an obituary to be published for your loved one. The local Columbus, Ohio newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch does have the ability for guests to sign a online guestbook.

In addition, we provide our families online memorials where they can sign right here on our site. Click back to our home page and search for the loved ones name. Please see the section on online memorials for further information on how to create an online memorial for your family member.

Veteran's Benefits

We will help you secure your potential veterans benefits, such as burial flags, government markers, memorial certificate and a burial plot. We will provide for military burial for those veteran's who qualify. If you do not have your loved one's discharge paperwork, we will secure it by working with local and national resources to obtain the DD214 (discharge documents). GARY MEMORIAL CHAPEL honors veteran's and is proud to service their families.

Social Security

We will notify the Social Security Administration of the death. We will explain and help you apply for any benefits you may be entitled to through Social Security. Click here to go to our resources page for more information on Social Security Administration.

Death Certificates

We will help you in obtaining a death certificate which can be important for insurance purposes as well a host of other issues.

Why do I need a death certificate?

One of the most important documents you need to settle the affairs of your loved one is a death certificate. The death certificate is the official legal record of death. It includes information about the person who died and about their cause of death. Insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, and other agencies may request certified copies of the death certificate as proof of death. Certified copies are printed on special paper that cannot be easily duplicated.

How do I order a death certificate?

The funeral home can order death certificates for you from the county or state vital records office.If you wish to order directly, certified copies of the certificate of
death may be purchased from county or state vital records offices, depending on how long ago the person died. The fee for the certified copy from the Columbus Health Department is currently $25.00.

To order online go to:

Internet: www.vitalchek.com
Fax orders: 503-234-8417
Phone orders: 971-673-1190

Address for Mail-In ORDERS ONLY:
http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/vsmail/vsmail.aspx
Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, Ohio
43215-0098
(614) 466-2531

For Same day service for Death Certificates, you will need to go to the Ohio Department of Health:

After Care

Sometimes the loss of a loved one can be especially painful. We understand that the grieving process does not end with the funeral. We are here not only to help arrange the funeral, but to help families cope with the loss of their loved one. There are a wide variety of grief resources available and we will help to point you in the right direction and begin the healing process.