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Memorial Services

Our Services in Justice and Chicago, IL

 Arrange a meaningful memorial for your loved one.

 

Honoring and celebrating the life of our loved ones does not have to stop at the funeral. A memorial service allows us to organize a respectful and loving tribute to remember all the dearest moments with our person. Your loved one’s life can be honored at any point in your grief journey. Keep reading to learn more.  

What is a Memorial Service?

Memorial services give family and friends an opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one’s memory and support one another in their grief journeys. Because after the funeral, one’s journey through grief isn’t over.

  

Memorial Services

 Memorial Services vs. Funerals

 

A memorial service is similar to a funeral service and celebration of life ceremony, but serves a slightly different purpose. It doesn’t include a visitation and is held after the funeral, often on significant days such as:

 

  • A loved one’s birthday 
  • The anniversary of a loved one’s passing 
  • Holidays such as Valentine’s Day


One other difference between a memorial and a funeral is that the casket isn't present in the memorial service, but if the body was cremated, you might display the urn with the remains during the ceremony too.

Holding a Memorial Service in a Funeral Home 

You can hold your memorial service in a Funeral Home like us, a church, or a significant location such as their gravesite, memorial site, or one of their favorite places. Our Funeral Home is a suitable place to hold a memorial service since we can provide you with the necessary facilities and amenities to keep every guest comfortable. Our caring staff knows what to do and how to do it.

 

You can use the memorial service as a time to share more memories of your loved one and to gather with friends and family. Use it as a time to reflect on your loss and to connect with those you love. 

 

What to Bring to a Memorial: Etiquette and Suggestions

Like every funeral or cremation service, a memorial has rules to follow regarding etiquette. The first one is about respect. We need to understand that even if there is no casket and sometimes no urn, we are still honoring the presence and memory of our loved ones.

 

Thinking about them and sharing stories with respect is a must. If the family or yourself consider that it would be better not having children in the room is respectable. Similarly, if you or the family thinks your person would have loved having the little ones around, it is also worth it. Just keep in mind that it is a moment of contemplation and respect.

 

The second thing to consider is bringing something to share with the family or asking your guests to do it. For example, the tradition is flowers, sympathy cards, and photos. You can also decide on donating to a place or institution with a cause your loved one would have liked to. If they were pet lovers, donate to a Rescue Center. Or if they were part of a Senior Community, contribute to it.

 

It is not usually mandatory to bring something, but according to our experience, it is always more meaningful when everyone contributes to keeping the person's memorial alive. It is a beautiful way to remember them.

 

 Why Hold a Memorial Service?

 

There are numerous benefits to holding a memorial service for your loved one, but some will be more important than others depending on your particular situation. Here’s a list of memorial service benefits:

 

 

  • More time to plan - there’s no need to rush to plan a memorial right after the burial or cremation service. Since families are usually still dealing with grief and other emotional burdens from the recent loss, having that extra time to process and plan everything is very helpful.
  • Cost - Memorial services are usually more affordable than funerals, which alleviates some of the financial pressure that comes with this process
  • Personalization - Memorial services are way more customizable than a traditional funeral, which means that it leaves a lot of room for creativity and customization, leaving the ceremony more personal and uniquely tailored to your loved one’s life
  • Not tied to religion - Families and individuals that are not religious prefer a memorial service since that’s not so often associated with religion as traditional funerals.
 
Memorial Services in IL

Memorial Creative Ideas

When it comes to planning a memorial, a lot of questions may emerge and to give you some more guidance, here are a few things you can be mindful of: think about your loved one and the things he or she liked, hobbies, cultural background, profession, voluntary work, sports, anything that somehow reminds you of he or she and things you liked to do together. Having those in mind will help you personalize a custom service uniquely made to honor your loved one’s life.

 

Some creative ways to personalize a memorial service are: 

 

  1. Having family and friends share memories with their loved one. Guests could have the chance to share their stories in front of everyone, or you could all break off into smaller groups and go around sharing your memories with your loved one.  
  2. Choosing readings, prayers, and other materials that remind you of your loved one. 
  3. Serving your loved one’s favorite food or signature recipes. A potluck is a great way for everyone to be involved.
  4. Making a DIY memento together, such as a scrapbook or personalized photo frame. 
  5. Playing your loved one’s favorite music or music that reminds you of them. Perhaps they enjoyed a local musician who you could hire to play a few songs.

 

 

 

Still Unsure? Talk to Us. 

Your loved one’s life can be honored at any point in your grief journey. Our staff at Kaminski Family Funeral Homes & Crematorium can help your family plan a beautiful memorial service to pay tribute to your loved one.  


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Memorial IL

Kaminski Family Funeral Homes & Crematorium
Phone: (708) 496-0200
7861 S. 88th Ave., Justice, IL 60458

Sheldon-Goglin-Kaminski Funeral Home
Phone: (773) 237-4404
5935 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60634

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Crafted with care by Frazer Consultants and TA

 

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