Welcome to Helms Funeral Home, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, a full service funeral home established in 1909 by G. Jay Stinson. Designed and built as a funeral home in 1940, our business is conveniently and centrally located at 330 S. University Avenue near the downtown area. In 1973, the business was purchased from Jay Stinson’s son Russel by Harry Helms, a longtime employee, and his wife Alice. Upon the death of her husband, Alice has continued to operate the funeral home. The funeral home has been locally owned and operated since it was started.
Helms Funeral Home offers a wide variety of funeral options, so when families have suffered the loss of a loved one, or have decided to make prearranged funeral plans, they need to consider the many options available to them for funeral services and final disposition.
A traditional funeral service with visitation and earth burial is the most common type of service in the United States. Cremation services are an additional option. These include a traditional funeral service with cremation following, or cremation with a memorial service following.
Whatever type of service you decide upon, there are three areas of expenses to consider. These are:
- The funeral service
- The funeral merchandise selected
- Charges from outside of the funeral home
The type of funeral service you decide upon will include choices from a traditional funeral service with one or more days of visitation, a cremation service with visitation or a cremation with no service or visitation, to a memorial service at a later date, or a body donation to a medical school with services before or a memorial service later. Funeral services are unique to the individual, and can be designed for each family personally, to show honor and respect for the deceased. Costs vary from the type of service desired and the amount of involvement by the funeral home. We will help you by explaining the choices and options that are available and explain the charges to you. Funeral services can be arranged to fit any budget. We assist you in filing for insurance claims, applications for the Veterans Administration, and Social Security benefits.
The type of funeral merchandise you select will depend on the type of funeral services you decide upon. Traditional caskets range in price from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, with a variety of wooden caskets, semi precious metals including bronze, copper, and stainless steel, and steel caskets in several different gauges. In addition, burial vaults made from concrete with liners made from bronze, copper, stainless steel or plastic are available. Cremation oriented caskets include a rental casket, wooden caskets, and an alternative container used to take the deceased to the crematory.
A large variety of cremation urns including cast bronze, wood, various metals, marble, and pottery are available, along with cremation urn vaults for interment of the cremated remains in a cemetery. A variety of register books are available with coordinating service folders and acknowledgement cards for your selection.
Outside charges may include purchase of a cemetery space, grave opening cost, honorariums for the clergy, organist, or singer, newspaper obituaries, certified copies of the death certificate, funeral flowers, funeral luncheon, additional transportation charges and grave markers.
Pre-arranging a funeral before the need arises will give you peace of mind. Pre-arranging your own funeral allows you to express your own wishes, spares your family from having to make some difficult decisions at a time of deep personal loss, and eliminates family confusion over what you might have wanted. Preplanning guarantees that any special requests you may have are not overlooked when family members are emotional, because they are written down at the funeral home. Pre-financing your funeral protects your assets to be sure you have funds available to pay for your funeral without placing a burden on your family, and protects your insurance and savings for your family. Another benefit to you with pre-financing, is that the death benefit increases to cover the cost of future price increases. Financing plans are available to fit every budget. Contact the funeral home and talk with us for more information with no cost or obligation.To fulfill your total protection plan, Helms Funeral Home offers the Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you or your spouse died while traveling over 100 miles away from home? If you purchase the Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan, just one phone call to a toll free number, and everything would be taken care of… including airfare from anywhere in the world. It could save you thousands of dollars.
Licensed funeral directors on staff include Sherman C. Rowley, who has been with the funeral home for 20 years and David J. Foster who has been with the funeral home for over one year, and brings 20 years of experience with him.
A TRADITION OF SERVING FAMILIES SINCE 1909
•Personally designed funeral services for all faiths
•Handicapped accessible
•Seating for 250 people
•Pre-planning and pre-financing available through insurance and trusts, with 100% of your money invested in the plan.
Conveniently located at:
330 S. University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
For more information:
Phone (989) 772-1529
FAX (989) 773-4917