Oyate Tawicohan (the way of the people) Funeral Services opened in January, 2007 in response to the needs of financially compromised families in need of funeral services. Many funeral homes do not accept county funding for funeral services, forcing families to find themselves in debt for thousands of dollars for a funeral. Unfortunately, it is too often the case that families experience multiple deaths during a short time frame and consequently, compound their financial worries.
By operating a simple building and reducing our overhead, we are able to lower our prices and commit to working with each family and their payment sources. Several reservations have standard funeral payment amounts and we are able to easily provide all the family desires. Other reservations provide little if any funeral assistance and in those instances we work with the county and their funding.
It can be difficult to leave the house following a death. In response to this, we offer to make initial funeral arrangements in the home. Many of our families do choose to remain in their familiar environment with children, grandchildren and others present and involved in choices and decision making.
Along with traditional earth burials, we offer cremation services. St. Paul Cremation and Trade Services is our primary cremation provider. Our choice of this service was based upon the respectful manner in which the deceased and later, the cremated remains, are treated.
We often receive calls from families who have experienced the death of a loved one in another city or state and they have no idea how to make funeral arrangements under these circumstances. We are able to work with funeral homes across the country, and when cremation is the desired care of the body, we work directly with crematories and are able to reduce the cost of the care, generally making the financial burden much less than had the family using another funeral home. Once again, we offer discounts for our families which are based on cost of services by the funeral service with which we work and the financial situation of the family.
A case in point is an elder in MN whose adult daughter was hospitalized in Indiana and died there. We contacted a cremation service in the city of the death, and they took care of the transportation of the body, the cremation, filing legal documents, and mailing the cremated remains to the family. We waved and/or reduced several of our general charges and we were able to agree upon a good financial arrangement for both the family and the funeral home.
Our extensive interaction with churches and clergy around the country permit us to often find emergency financial assistance for families in need and residing in their town or state. We are grateful for generosity and concern of these parishes and their membership.
