Vodrazka Funeral Home

I was inspired by their willingness to give of themselves and help others in their time of difficulty.Q: How do you help a grieving person find comfort? Jack Vodrazka is a funeral director with Vodrazka Funeral Home in Independence.A: We have been told by many of the families we have served, that it is a comfort to them to know that when they call upon us in their time of need, that they will meet with a professional staff, who will provide them with a variety of options when making funeral arrangements, and that carrying out the arrangements with attention to detail is our prime concern.Q: How has the funeral business evolved since you've been working?A: All businesses change over the course of time. Ours is without exception. Years ago, our business was primarily a traditional type funeral; whereby, people were viewed for two or three days, and the funeral and burial the following day. At that time, we did about 1 percent cremation. Today, an average funeral is one-day visitation, followed by either burial or cremation. Sometimes, people prefer to have a memorial gathering at the funeral home, without the remains present. Other times, they will opt for a direct cremation without any services. Actually, there are any number of ways things can be arranged, and we basically tailor-make arrangements to suit the needs of the family. By the way, our present cremation rate is now 24 percent.Q: Do you have a favorite undertaker joke you'd care to share?A: No response was given.Q: What would you like for your own funeral?A: My wife and I have discussed this. We both feel there is an emotional value to have an open casket for viewing. That is, provided that our appearance has not been altered by an accident or catastrophic illness. It is most important that we look natural, without the use of heavy make-up. As long as we can be presented to the public in a tasteful manner, an open casket is our choice. If not, a one-day visitation at the funeral home with the casket closed to the general public, church service and burial the following day. (Plain Dealer)