November 14, 2000

In lieu of flowers, send e-mail

By Maricarmen Rivera

Staff Writer, (856) 794-5114

Closing lines in obituaries are starting to change.

Now, together with the regulars "in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to" and "the memorial Mass will be offered," another line will be added: "Written condolences may be offered to the family on the funeral home web site."

In the last year, funeral homes have added the new service where family and friends can send a message through the funeral home’s web site from any part of the world.

Freitag funeral home in Bridgeton includes the message only if the family wants it to be part of the obituary.

Ken Freitag, the funeral home’s owner, said the message is posted at no additional cost.

"We give the option to include the message with the obituary as a way to offer them condolences," Freitag said. "Almost everyone receives one or two of these messages. We see it as another way to provide service to the family."

Their web site (www.freitagfuneralhome.com) offers other services such as directions to the funeral home.

Friends and family can fill a form on the web site and address it to the family. Each message, Freitag said, is printed out and handed to the family with the rest of the documents.

David Kneib, online director for the National Funeral Directors Association said the service could become a national trend.

"More homes are starting to add this to their web sites," Kneib said. "But it is growing so fast that it is hard to tell how many homes offer it right now."

Kneib said this system makes it easier for anybody who wants to contact the family, but cannot make the service.

"The convenience factor is present," Kneib said. "It is a very simple thing to just drop a message on a message board. People are no longer afraid. They are buying everything out of the Internet and now death-related information is starting to meet those needs."

This service is only part of what funeral homes are doing over the Internet.

Rudy Luisi, president and owner of DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home in Vineland said message boards are only the beginning.

"Soon we will be able to tape the service and send it over the Internet to those who cannot come," he said.

All these services, he said, will be a benefit for the family.

"It is a good way in which people can extend their condolences," he said.

McGuinness Funeral Home in Woodberry, Washington Township and Runnemede includes the web site address in every obituary.

Bill McGuinness, director of the Runnemede home, said the stories that family members receive over the internet are worth the service.

"People have a need to relate to stories of significance. The e-mail writer wants to share the story with the family," McGuinness said. "(With this) people get to tell their stories."

McGuinness said the messages are received and printed out by funeral home staff. He said the funeral home has received messages from as far away as Australia.

"E-mail is instantaneous. You don’t have to get in the car, go to the store, buy the card and use a stamp. With e-mail it is just one step," he said.

"We put them on a card titled "The Gift" because these stories are a gift," he said.

This idea, he said, will soon be part of every funeral home.

"Changes in the funeral profession tend to move at a glacial speed," McGuinness said. "But this is amazing."

Questions or comments?  Please feel free to contact us.

Phone: (856) 455-2600 / Fax: (856) 455-2603
Email: Office@freitagfuneralhome.com

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