Articles Of Interest

January 8, 2020

Discovering Your Family History

Ever wonder about your family history? Maybe how your family emigrated to America or even who your notable relatives are? Ancestry research tools are becoming more available online, encouraging many to dive into their family history. After recording the basic information of for your immediate family, what’s next? Many genealogy experts recommend beginning with the final chapter—the record of an ancestor’s death. Death records are a great resource and are usually available to the general public. If you haven’t yet used death records in your ancestry research, here’s what you need to know to get started.

 

The death certificate is a primary source for the details of an ancestor’s passing, such as the date, place and time of death. It also can be a rich source of secondary information for an ancestor’s life, providing clues to everything from birth and parents to spouse and last residence. The names you find in a death record can possibly lead you to other relatives, or perhaps even uncover another generation of your family. The name of the informant on the death certificate could also be exactly the clue you need to solve a maiden-name mystery. The residential address listed can aid your search in census records, city directories or land records. Besides just filling in blanks in your family tree, dates can point you to other records, such as newspaper obituaries, passenger records or other vital records. Even the cause of death could help in building a medical family history or prompting a search for newspaper articles about the fatality.

 

Obtaining death records depends on when and where the records were generated. Most states did not require death records to be kept until the mid-19th century to early 20th century. If the record you want falls within this time period, you can usually find it at the state department of vital records (fees vary from state to state). Although privacy restrictions more commonly affect the availability of birth records, you may run into similar roadblocks with death certificates. Some states keep death records private unless you are an immediate relative.

 

Death records can usually be obtained at the health department or vital records office in the county that the death occurred. The same records available at these locations can also be ordered through third-party businesses such as VitalCheck. A handful of states provide online access to digitized death records.

 

You may also find your ancestor in a death index that was compiled by someone doing their own ancestry research. The popular Ancestry.com uses a death index where you can then request the actual death record. Other substitutes include: contacting the funeral home in which the service took place, searching through local newspapers, asking churches for records of death of their members, coroner records and military records.

 

One way or another, your ancestor’s final chapter is out there for you to read. Although documentation was limited in the past, there is a trail of your ancestry; you just have to find it.

Grieving the Loss of a Pet

August 22, 2024
Pets are such a special source of friendship, joy, unconditional love and companionship.

Helpful Tips On What To Write In A Sympathy Card

June 28, 2024
Struggling to find the right words when sending a sympathy card?

The Basics Of Death Certificates Explained

February 20, 2024
Most people don’t give much thought to death certificates until they have a death in the family. A death certificate is the permanent legal record needed to prove that a person has actually died.

You Can Still Find Reasons To Give Thanks During Thanksgiving

October 13, 2023
Bring their memory to the table Serve up a tasty reminder by preparing some of your loved one’s favorite recipes. Give a Thanksgiving toast or prayer that acknowledges the role that they played in your family’s lives. Consider creating a centerpiece made up of mementos from their life for the table. Or go around the table and ask each person to share something they are grateful for about the person who has died. Do something together to honor their memory There are many Thanksgiving Day events that your family can participate in to honor your loved one’s memory. Sign up for a turkey trot or charity walk. Watch one of their favorite movies together. Attend a remembrance service. Donate food or money in their name. Help to serve a Thanksgiving meal to families in need. Continue to share your memories Every family has their favorite stories and memories that they tell that highlight the unique personalities of each member. Be sure to continue sharing your memories and reminisce about those that you have lost. Whether it’s at the dinner table or during the football game, simply talking about your loved one is often what we need most after a loss. Accept that this Thanksgiving will be different. Try to find the balance between moments of grief and moments of joy. Listen to your intuition and only do what you can manage. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing. Grief is hard and tiring. Get plenty of sleep and give yourself permission to let in some joy this Thanksgiving.

Why You Need To Keep Beneficiary Designations Up To Date

October 13, 2023
Who can be a beneficiary? In most cases, people name their spouse, children or someone who financially depends on them as beneficiaries. A beneficiary can also be a sibling, other family member, friend, charity or trust. There are two types of beneficiaries: primary and contingent. If the primary beneficiary is deceased, then the asset goes to the contingent beneficiary. Why is it important to designate beneficiaries? Beneficiary designations take effect immediately after death. Because of this, they override any instructions that may be in a will regarding the distribution of assets. Having beneficiaries named on an account circumvents the probate process and helps ensure that assets can be transferred to heirs without delay. Even if you write a legal will leaving the assets to another person, whoever is listed as the beneficiary on your accounts is the person who will inherit. Matching beneficiary designations with provisions in your will can ensure that your wishes are followed properly. Retirement account beneficiaries Even changing your job can necessitate updating your beneficiary. If you roll over your retirement account, make sure that the account lists the correct beneficiaries. Previous beneficiary designations generally will not automatically move with your assets. Provisions for beneficiaries vary from plan to plan and state law — some of which automatically eliminate former spouses as beneficiaries. However, for many employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans, these laws do not apply. A cautionary tale Suppose you married in your twenties, had two children and set up a life insurance policy, naming your then-spouse as beneficiary. Fifteen years later, you have divorced and remarried, and now, you have a child with your new partner. If you never updated your beneficiaries on your life insurance policy, your ex-spouse would inherit, leaving no proceeds for your current spouse or any of your three children. Take the time now to check that beneficiary information on your accounts is accurate and up to date. Updating your beneficiaries is simple, usually requiring filling out paperwork or making changes online. DISCLAIMER: Individual circumstances and state laws vary. Only undertake estate planning with the help and assistance of an attorney licensed in your state. If you need advice about designating your beneficiaries, talk to an attorney or estate planner to help ensure your final wishes are carried out.

Make Arrangements In Advance Online

September 26, 2023
You can preplan from the comfort of your home
women experiencing brain fot

Brain Fog – A Physical Response To Grief

April 21, 2023
One of the more common physical symptoms of grief is “brain fog.” Brain fog happens because your body interprets grief as trauma and begins to shut down to protect itself.
couple preplanning their funeral

What To Expect When Preplanning A Funeral

April 21, 2023
Preplanning is not complicated. It usually takes about an hour of your time. There are several components to making funeral arrangements.

How to Help a Coworker Who is Experiencing Grief

February 22, 2023
Consoling a member of your family or close friends over the loss of a loved one can be difficult, but figuring out how to acknowledge that same kind of loss to a coworker or employee adds another layer of complexity. With family and friends whom you have a close relationship, you have the benefit of knowing that person and how you might help them manage their grief. You may not have that same level of familiarity with coworkers. A first step for managers or supervisors of someone who has experienced a loss is to make sure that your employee is aware of how the company (and you) can support them during their time of grief. Make sure that they know about the company's bereavement policy and any human resources support that are in place. In addition, let them know that you are aware that grief can have an impact on their ability to think clearly and perform their job duties. Flexibility is key to helping them. Everyone has struggled to manage the demands of work at one time or another. On average, U.S. employees receive four days of paid leave. Returning to work in such a short period of time can be challenging. Considering that the very real physical symptoms of grief, including ‘brain fog’ and loss of energy can decrease work productivity, coworkers can help by offering to assist them with some of their duties. Coworkers can also support grieving people by acknowledging their loss in person, with a note, or email. Whatever method you chose, it’s important to acknowledge their loss in some way. Remember to keep it simple. Avoid cliches about ‘being in a better place’ or giving advice. If you talk with them, don’t ask about details of the death, which can be upsetting. Simply listening is the best thing you can do. Don’t be tempted to share your stories of loss. Now is not the time to focus on your experience. It’s time to support someone else along their journey. If you don’t know your coworker well, be observant and take your cues from them. Judging as best you can when they are open to talking or when they prefer privacy. Most importantly, give them the time they need to deal with their loss. Grief doesn’t just magically disappear in few weeks or month. It ebbs and flows for a long time, sometimes even years. So, remember to periodically check back in with your coworker to see how they are managing their grief. 

The Abbotts: Father And Daughter Funeral Directors

October 25, 2022
Aaron Abbott’s first experience with funeral homes was when his father worked part time at a funeral home in their community. Aaron and his brother would help with services and doing removals. Before long he realized that being a funeral director was something he wanted to pursue as a career. After high school, Aaron got his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and went on to graduate from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He joined the Buch Family of Funeral Homes in 2002. Over the last several decades, Aaron has benefitted from having Ted Beck as a mentor and now Aaron is passing that learning legacy along to his daughter who works alongside of him. Allissa earned her funeral directors license in 2019. Growing up, Allissa was always aware of the sacrifices her father made to be a funeral director. “As kids, we always knew that when the phone rang, it meant that dad was going to work,” she said. “No matter what time of day or night. At one point, when my brother was little, he took to hiding the car keys whenever the phone rang because he didn’t want dad to leave.” “We always took two cars wherever we went,” explained Aaron. “That way I could always leave if I got a call. Thankfully, we have several funeral directors to share the workload, so I was still able to coach and attend the kid’s events when they were growing up.” Her friends at school wanted to know why her father always wore a business suit, not matter where he was. Allissa explained that he was an undertaker. Her answer confused the schoolkids even more because the only “undertaker” they knew about was a WWE professional wrestler. Every year in November, the Buch Family of Funeral Homes offers a Holiday Grief Support program. When she was around fourteen, Allissa started helping out with the event, greeting people and interacting with the public. “I realized that being a funeral director was not all sad and weird stuff,” recalled Allissa. “I like interacting with people and I also get to use the science side of my brain. Every day is different. We’re always thinking ahead and planning for contingencies in case something doesn’t go as planned.” “Allissa has always been very mature for her age,” said Aaron. “Her growing up around a funeral home really helped her get up to speed when she was studying to become a funeral director. I think the hardest part after she became a licensed director was when she first started meeting with families. She had the same problem I did when I started. We look very young. So, folks would wonder when the funeral director was going to show up.” “I followed the same guidance that Ted gave me when I was starting out,” continued Aaron. “I let her know I had the confidence in her to let her handle it on her own, without looking over her shoulder. She’s smart and will do a good job to establish trust with the families we serve.” Now, after twenty years, Aaron has become a shareholder and serves as Chief Executive Officer for the funeral homes. Just as Allissa is learning new skills, Aaron is gaining a better understanding of the business side of things. “We’ve got a good system in place,” said Aaron. “I have a good teacher in Ted and my goal is to pass what I’ve learned along to Allissa, so that the next generation at the Buch Family of Funeral Homes can continue to serve our community.”
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