Services
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Banister Funeral Home provides a variety of services tailored to meet your family
needs. Our licensed and experienced staff accommodates every family with our
personalized care.
needs. Our licensed and experienced staff accommodates every family with our
personalized care.
Funeral Services
Traditional Funerals
Customized Funerals
Direct Burials
Transfer (shipping) Service
Green Burials
Customized Funerals
Direct Burials
Transfer (shipping) Service
Green Burials
Cremation Information
Memorial Services
Direct Cremations
Memorial Services
Direct Cremations
Merchandise Products
Caskets In Our Showroom :
South Land Casket Company
Aurora Casket Company
Capital City Casket
Cherokee Casket (Child Caskets)
Batesville Caskets
Urns
Vaults:Doric Wilbert
Cremation Alternative Containers
Rental Caskets
Transfer Containers
Note: We match any advertised price
South Land Casket Company
Aurora Casket Company
Capital City Casket
Cherokee Casket (Child Caskets)
Batesville Caskets
Urns
Vaults:Doric Wilbert
Cremation Alternative Containers
Rental Caskets
Transfer Containers
Note: We match any advertised price
Veteran Services
Specialized Merchandise
Service for U.S. Veterans
Veterans Flag Caskets
Georgia National Cemetery
Service for U.S. Veterans
Veterans Flag Caskets
Georgia National Cemetery
Memorialization Services
Grave Markers
Custom Plaques
Tribute Videos
Custom Plaques
Tribute Videos
Frequently Asked Questions
What purpose does a funeral serve?
What do funeral directors do?
Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead?
Why have a public viewing?
What is the purpose of embalming?
Does a dead body have to be embalmed, according to law?
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
How much does a funeral cost?
Why are funerals so expensive?
What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging?
Do funeral directors take advantage of the bereaved?
Is it right to make a profit from death?
Don't funeral directors mark caskets up tremendously, at least 400%?
Who pays for funerals for the indigent?
What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
Will someone come right away?
If a loved one dies out of state , can the local Funeral Home still help?
So, I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a funeral or a viewing?
What should I do when a death occurs in my family?
What should I do if a death occurs while I am away traveling?
What if a death occurs while traveling outside the U.S.?
Who is eligible for monthly Social Security Benefits?
How may I find out more information and apply for benefits?
Who is eligible for veterans benefits?
What do the benefits include?
How can I find more information about what benefits I may be eligible for?
What purpose does a funeral serve?
It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and
to help survivors begin the grief process.
What do funeral directors do?
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for transportation of the body, complete all necessary
paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body. Funeral directors are
listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to
answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help.
Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home or in the community.
Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead?
In most states, family members may bury their own dead although regulations vary. However, most people find it very trying to be solely
responsible for arranging the details and legal matters surrounding a death.
Why have a public viewing?
Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the
bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity
voluntary.
What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by
traumatic death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing
family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them.
Does a dead body have to be embalmed, according to law?
No. Most states, however, require embalming when death was caused by a reportable contagious disease or when remains are to be
transported from one state to another by common carrier or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.
While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery space, in most areas of the country, there is enough space set
aside for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries. In addition, land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate,
especially with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
No, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral
service. In fact, according to FTC figures for 1987, direct cremation occurred in only 3% of deaths.
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
Yes, A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is
consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe. Because
the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety of feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors of non-AIDS-
related deaths.
How much does a funeral cost?
In 1998 the charge for an adult, full-service funeral, was $5,020. This includes a professional service charge, transfer-of remains,
embalming, other preparation, use of viewing facilities, use of facilities for ceremony, hearse, limousine, and casket. The casket
included in this price was an 18-gauge steel casket with velvet interior which may or may not be the most common casket chosen.
Vault, cemetery and monument charges are additional. (Source: 1999 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home Operations)
Why are funerals so expensive?
When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings, funerals are not expensive. A wedding costs at least three
times as much; but because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized. A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive
business, with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.), these expenses must be factored into the cost of a
funeral. Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making
arrangements; filing appropriate forms; dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others; and seeing to all the necessary
details. Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned with a modest profit margin. The statistics below may be
helpful in assessing the true economic picture of a funeral home:
Family-owned 85%
Firm in business for 63 years
What purpose does a funeral serve?
What do funeral directors do?
Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead?
Why have a public viewing?
What is the purpose of embalming?
Does a dead body have to be embalmed, according to law?
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
How much does a funeral cost?
Why are funerals so expensive?
What recourse does a consumer have for poor service or overcharging?
Do funeral directors take advantage of the bereaved?
Is it right to make a profit from death?
Don't funeral directors mark caskets up tremendously, at least 400%?
Who pays for funerals for the indigent?
What should I do if the death occurs in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
Will someone come right away?
If a loved one dies out of state , can the local Funeral Home still help?
So, I've decided on cremation. Can I still have a funeral or a viewing?
What should I do when a death occurs in my family?
What should I do if a death occurs while I am away traveling?
What if a death occurs while traveling outside the U.S.?
Who is eligible for monthly Social Security Benefits?
How may I find out more information and apply for benefits?
Who is eligible for veterans benefits?
What do the benefits include?
How can I find more information about what benefits I may be eligible for?
What purpose does a funeral serve?
It is the customary way to recognize death and its finality. Funerals are recognized rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and
to help survivors begin the grief process.
What do funeral directors do?
Funeral directors are caregivers and administrators. They make the arrangements for transportation of the body, complete all necessary
paperwork, and implement the choices made by the family regarding the funeral and final disposition of the body. Funeral directors are
listeners, advisors and supporters. They have experience assisting the bereaved in coping with death. Funeral directors are trained to
answer questions about grief, recognize when a person is having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help.
Funeral directors also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home or in the community.
Do you have to have a funeral director to bury the dead?
In most states, family members may bury their own dead although regulations vary. However, most people find it very trying to be solely
responsible for arranging the details and legal matters surrounding a death.
Why have a public viewing?
Viewing is part of many cultural and ethnic traditions. Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the
bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity
voluntary.
What is the purpose of embalming?
Embalming sanitizes and preserves the body, retards the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by
traumatic death or illness. Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing
family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most comforting to them.
Does a dead body have to be embalmed, according to law?
No. Most states, however, require embalming when death was caused by a reportable contagious disease or when remains are to be
transported from one state to another by common carrier or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours.
While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery space, in most areas of the country, there is enough space set
aside for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries. In addition, land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate,
especially with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.
Is cremation a substitute for a funeral?
No, cremation is an alternative to earth burial or entombment for the body's final disposition and often follows a traditional funeral
service. In fact, according to FTC figures for 1987, direct cremation occurred in only 3% of deaths.
Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?
Yes, A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options afforded to anyone else. If public viewing is
consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching the deceased's face or hands is perfectly safe. Because
the grief experienced by survivors may include a variety of feelings, survivors may need even more support than survivors of non-AIDS-
related deaths.
How much does a funeral cost?
In 1998 the charge for an adult, full-service funeral, was $5,020. This includes a professional service charge, transfer-of remains,
embalming, other preparation, use of viewing facilities, use of facilities for ceremony, hearse, limousine, and casket. The casket
included in this price was an 18-gauge steel casket with velvet interior which may or may not be the most common casket chosen.
Vault, cemetery and monument charges are additional. (Source: 1999 NFDA Survey of Funeral Home Operations)
Why are funerals so expensive?
When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings, funerals are not expensive. A wedding costs at least three
times as much; but because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized. A funeral home is a 24-hour, labor-intensive
business, with extensive facilities (viewing rooms, chapels, limousines, hearses, etc.), these expenses must be factored into the cost of a
funeral. Moreover, the cost of a funeral includes not only merchandise, like caskets, but the services of a funeral director in making
arrangements; filing appropriate forms; dealing with doctors, ministers, florists, newspapers and others; and seeing to all the necessary
details. Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes are largely family-owned with a modest profit margin. The statistics below may be
helpful in assessing the true economic picture of a funeral home:
Family-owned 85%
Firm in business for 63 years
