Serving As A Pallbearer

Many traditional details go into final services when a loved one passes on. The professionals at funeral homes in Eatonville, WA are there to help your family with those details. When the person in charge starts putting together the details, they might reach out to you and ask if you would be a pallbearer. Not only is this a responsibility for the service, but it’s also a honor to be asked. IT means that you meant a lot to the person who died and the family. It is hard to turn that position down without good reason. Assuming you accept, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Dress In A Formal Manner

Pallbearers are a group of people and they are responsible for escorting your loved one’s casket. They might move it into the funeral home room being used, escort it to the hearse after, and carry it from the hearse to the cemetery plot for the burial portion of the service. The people in this position are visible and, at times, will be in the center of what is going on. You will want to dress in a respectful, formal manner. You might check with other people who are named so you can all dress with the same amount of formality. Or, ask the family what they would like for you to wear.

Arrive A Bit Early

Since your role is an integral part of the service, you might want to arrive at the funeral home a bit earlier than you would otherwise. Talk to the family about what time they want you to be there or ask the funeral home professionals what is standard. You can arrive a little early so you can get instructions as to what you are to do, where you are to go, and so on. You want to do the job well and that means knowing what you are doing.

Ask About Extra Duties

You may understand what a pallbearer is to do, but what does the family expect from you outside of that? Maybe nothing, but they might also appreciate it if you acted as an usher or greeter as people arrived. Perhaps they would like you to stay at the back of the room and hand out bulletins until the service starts. Anything you can do to help, do so.

Act Respectfully

This is something you want to do whether you are in this position or not, but it’s especially true when you are a visible part of the service. Go along with whatever the family has planned. Leave your phone behind so it doesn’t accidentally ring. Concentrate on the services at hand and the person who passed on and nothing else.

If you have been asked to be a pallbearer, it’s a position of honor that only so many people are going to hold for each service. The funeral homes in Eatonville, WA can help you understand more about it if you need further instruction.