Kristan McNames, funeral director and co-owner of Grace Funeral and Cremation Services, shows a display of photo-personalized casket covers.
12/4/2009 8:42:00 AM
New burial rites get personal
By Toni Rocha
ROCKFORD — For thousands of years, the traditional rites of burial have not only provided comfort and familiarity to the bereaved, but also focused on two primary purposes: to protect and preserve. And while these fundamentals have not essentially changed, both the business and the services are undergoing an evolution in personalization and memory keepsake options.
Among the first to bring this new awareness to the Stateline Area is Grace Funeral and Cremation Services. Based in the Colonial Village Mall at 1340 S. Alpine Road, Grace offers both traditional and innovative personalized products and ceremonies, plus the region's first green burial options. Co-owners Bob and Kristan McNames met at Southern Illinois University where they earned bachelor degrees in mortuary sciences, then spent more than 10 years each in corporate and family funeral businesses before opening Grace last June.
Within Grace's storefront setting is a warm, cozy wood and soft fabric décor arranged to be flexible for services attended by up to 160. Kristan McNames explained that she and her husband didn’t want their business to resemble traditional funeral homes. The fact that it is located in a mall provides not only plenty of free parking, but also high visibility and lowered overhead.
“We pass this savings on to our clients,” Mrs. McNames added. “For larger services, we have several churches who welcome funerals even if no one associated is a member. And we also have hotels with banquet facilities that can accommodate us as well.”
Beyond the traditional, Grace provides such unique touches as Signature Series caskets and crematory urns that can be imprinted with photographs of family, career, home, sports, military affiliations, pets or anything that reflects the personality and lifestyle of the deceased. Mrs. McNames said services can be Web-cast live at a secure site for those who cannot attend in person, or recorded for later viewing, with on-line condolence available as well.
But it is the field of ecological burial practices that Grace is making its mark as a leader in the Stateline Area. Caskets of bamboo, willow or banana sheaves are offered, plus essential oils that replace hazardous, toxic embalming fluids are an environmentally sound alternative.
“People either absolutely love the idea or they absolutely hate it. There is no middle ground,” she said. “Green burial techniques were not taught when we were in college, and truthfully, there are no green cemeteries here, just shades of green.”
However, some cemetery operators are becoming more open to the idea.
“Right now, green is a small part of what we provide, but it is an option,” Mrs. McNames said.
Pets are another aspect of Grace's services, from memorial plaques and grave markers to charms with the pet's paw print, hoof print or nose print embossed. Diamonds can be crafted from pet carbon and set into unique jewelry for eternal keepsakes.
With licenses in Wisconsin and Illinois, the McNames meet with clients in their homes or wherever they feel most comfortable to plan or pre-plan funeral arrangements.
“We honor all faiths, and offer quality reasonably priced products,” she added. “But more importantly, we listen. Then we design services that meet each client's needs, not a pre-packaged plan. I know some cringe when they hear the word 'customized,' but I can assure them that they can make the services as personal as they could possibly want without spending too much.”