The holidays are big reminders of families and friends who have gone before us. To help bring the community together and honor those who have passed, death care professionals can help by creating community touchpoints.
Get inspired by fellow death care professionals gatherings that range from events based on everything from winter fun to faith.
2019 Holiday events and activities funeral homes are putting on for the community
Community Get-togethers
Christmas Cheer from Yesteryear – Mayhew-Brown Funeral Home
The Mayhew-Brown Funeral Home will be hosting their 9th annual “Christmas Cheer from Yesteryear” event, which includes Free horse-drawn trolley rides through downtown, a Live Nativity with Live Animals, and the High School and middle Choir will be singing Christmas carols and an old fashion trolley that will run from the Funeral Home to a local Park.
A Christmas to Remember – R. Cunningham Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc.
The community can come and enjoy Christmas crafts, carriage rides, reindeer games, holiday cookies and refreshments, not to mention a chance to see Santa Claus. In the spirit of the season, they also have an entrance fee a wrapped Christmas gift for a child (one per family, value of $15) to be donated to the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County.
Christmas with the grinch – Brown Dugger Funeral Home
The community is welcome to come and enjoy the evening by watching the Grinch, doing crafts with their children or take a limo ride to go look at Christmas lights! Everything including refreshments and adult beverages.
Christmas Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides – Bittiker Funeral Home
The Bittiker Funeral Home Staff celebrates the Christmas season with an annual Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride Christmas Event. Guest can listen to live music, visit Santa, or take a free Horse-Drawn Sleigh or a Cinderella Carriage Ride, along with delicious refreshments.
Christmas Karaoke Potluck – Bear Creek Funeral Home
Children and adults are invited to bring a favorite dish and song for the local karaoke potluck event. They will also be hosting a grocery gift card donation for the community agencies to distribute.
Christmas Memorial Concert – Wilks Funeral Home
Wilks funeral home understand that during this time of year, we long for the opportunity to share the joy of the season through gatherings with family and friends. It is a period that always causes us to reflect on memories from Christmasses passed, and reflect on our family traditions and relationships.
In honor of those loved ones, Wilks Funeral Home invites the community to a special holiday memorial concert. There will be a beautiful presentation of holiday music, performed by various local choirs and performers followed by light refreshments. Guests who rsvp will also receive a special memento of a Merry Christmas From Heaven® ornament. The front of the ornament will feature a photo of a loved one and is inscribed with “I love you all dearly, Now don’t shed a tear, I’m spending my Christmas with Jesus this year.” (Copyright 1990 John Wm. Mooney, Jr. )
Open House Events
Anderson-Marry Funeral Home & Anderson-Rudd Funeral Home
Offering visits with Santa, refreshments and an exhibition of decorated trees. They also accept donations of clothes, food, or new toys that are donated to associated charities.
Christmas Candle Lighting and Memorial Service
Kapiti Coast Funeral Home – New Zealand
Kapiti Coastal Funeral Home offers a bereavement support service that is specially put together by the staff of Kapiti Coast Funeral Home to acknowledge the ‘gap’ at Christmas. A Card will be provided for each guest to place a personal message on the Christmas tree followed by refreshments.
Boone Funeral Home, in partnership with EvansvilleWatch, presents the 2nd Annual Evansville Christmas Remembrance Tree. Everyone is invited to place ornaments on the Remembrance Tree in loving memory of friends and family that are no longer present to honor them. They have a short service before the tree lighting followed by cookies and Hot Chocolate afterward. The tree is also available for the community to add more ornaments after the event as well.
Guests are invited to bring an ornament that honors a loved one who has passed away and place it on a Christmas Tree outside the funeral home while listening to Christmas carols by a local choir.
Loudon Funeral Home and Cremations
Loudon Funeral Home and Cremations hosts a special service for people who are mourning the loss of a loved one regardless of when or where the funeral took place. Followed by light refreshments and snacks.
Oliver’s Funeral Home take time to acknowledge the many emotional ups and downs this holiday season may bring by hosting their “Handling the Holidays” Candlelight Service. There is a guest speaker (Lisa Teichroeb), who shares her story of losing her son, Max. They also have a video tribute where attendees can submit a photo for their loved one to be included. Followed by fellowship and refreshments.
Christmas Service of Remembrance – Waller Funeral Home
Waller invites the community to join in remembrance of those we have lost this year as well as any other people you have loved and lost in years past by allowing guests to place an ornament on their Memorial Christmas Tree.
Highlawn Funeral Home – High Lawn Funeral Home
Highlawn will be hosting a memorial service for families who have used our Funeral Home to honor their loved ones. Every person who has had a service at High Lawn Funeral Home will have an ornament that can be hung on one of the trees by their family. Followed by a brief Memorial service officiated by David Bush to honor lost loved ones, and a candle can be lit in their memory. Refreshments will be served following the service.
Springfield Funeral Home – Canada
Springfield funeral home knows that this time of year is a time for quiet reflection, hope, and healing. To help the community make time to remember loved one they are offering a service with music, a candle lighting ceremony and a photo tribute. Guests can hear from others who have journeyed through grief after the loss of a loved one and how they reached out to find support while moving forward.
