Welcome to a-community funeral home

Families tell us, "You're not like other funeral homes". They express to us that our facility is like no other, comfortable, classy, warm, in a historic facility. Our Funeral and Cremations prices are affordable. Our staff is patient, understanding, and treats each family with compassion and respect. We are complimented on how we adapt to accommodate all religions, faiths, and ethnicities. Thus making everyone feel comfortable at our 75 seat chapel which is our elegant show piece. To assemble we have a comfortable family waiting room, coffee and snack area. We welcome you to our beautiful facility!

A-Community Funeral Home was built to provide a comfortable place for all families to celebrate life and honor their loved ones. We welcome you to stop in and make your acquaintance. We love to meet you! 

If immediate assistance is needed please call   (713) 747-4220,  24 hours a day.

When a death occurs, the order in which things need to be done often depends on where the death occurred. But, one thing should always be remembered: your heightened emotional state upon the death of a loved one. That's why we suggest that you ask a friend for help - someone who is more able to think clearly, and give you the support you need.   

At Home or at Work

When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, a family member or co-worker should contact emergency personnel and the person's physician if he or she was under a doctor's care. If the death occurs at home with family or friends present, and the person is under a physician's care, the family will want to call us directly.

However, if the death occurs in a residence and no one is present at the time of death, please notify the police immediately before the deceased is removed from their place of death.

If you are not sure of who to notify or what to do, call us (713) 747-4220, and we'll assist you in notifying the proper agencies.   

While Under Supervised Care

When a death occurs in a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, the professional staff will notify you and the necessary authorities. If the name of the funeral home has been left with them, the institution will notify the funeral home at the time of the death. The funeral director will contact you immediately following their notification to help you proceed. (However, we suggest you contact the funeral home immediately, to reassure your request are properly addressed).

If a loved one is in hospice care, a hospice representative will give family members instructions and procedures to follow. The coroner/medical examiner will be notified by hospice. Following their release, hospice will contact the funeral home. It is always a good idea for the family to contact us immediately so that we will be aware of the pending call from hospice.    

Widening the Circle

Our staff members are experienced professionals who can provide much of the information you need, such as emotional support and compassionate guidance.

While you may ask the director questions at this time, you will be able to discuss the arrangements in detail later when you meet in person. During this initial call, the funeral director will gather information to transport your loved one to the funeral home.

The funeral director may ask you several questions, including whether your loved one made any pre-arrangements. Also, schedule a date and time to make a arrangements and will let you know what you should bring with you. For support, you may reach out to:

• Family members and friends
• Clergy or other spiritual advisors  

Those Important Questions

If there is no plan in place, there are several other questions that you may need to have answered regarding the death of your loved one:

• Is embalming required?
• Do I need to purchase a casket?
• What about cemetery arrangements?
• Does the family have to engage the services of a minister?
• What type of service should we have?

By contacting our staff, we'll be able to help answer your questions and assist in making the appropriate plans. Please reach us at (713) 747-4220.

However, as beforementioned, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are addressed is making pre-arrangements. This is simply outlining your wishes in written details and having the financial arrangements prepaid (paid in advanced).   Please contact one of our staff at (713) 747-4220 to learn more about pre-arrangement.

What to Expect When You Arrive at A Community Funeral Home

First, the funeral arranger will provide you with our General  Price List and Facts About Funerals pamphlet. Then, discuss and guide you through the entire arrangement process, explaining how we can create a memorable personal celebration of your loved one's life epitome. That is why your ideas are extremely valuable to reflect on your loved one’s life.

This process may include:

• Preparing and filing the official death certificate
• Scheduling the location, date and time of services or      events
• Selecting a casket, urn or other items
• Preparing an obituary notice
• Scheduling vehicles
• Selecting pallbearers

You may also sign necessary authorizations or make arrangements to have them signed by the appropriate family member(s).

Please bring any photos, favorite songs, or memorabilia so you and our professional funeral arranger can better discuss how your loved one is to be memorialized. Having these items and knowing their favorite song(s), favorite gathering place, or  favorite activity, will help us create a realistic, fitting, and beautiful memorial service that will be remembered for a life time!

Our professionally trained and skilled funeral arrangers will assist you in planning a loving tribute that captures the beauty of your loved one whose life is being honored. 

To learn more about personalizing the service, please read the Honoring Life section of this Web site. The knowledgeable funeral arranger will discuss personalization during your arrangement conference.

• Full legal name- Home address
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Father's name
• Mother's maiden name
• Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214)
• Recent Photograph
• Highest education
• Occupation
• Place of burial (if applicable)
• Clothing
• Clergy name and phone number
• Survivors (name and relationship)
• Insurance policies (if applicable)

A staff member of A Community Funeral Home will be honored to explain all of the options available to you.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO DO IT?

What happens after you die?  Theological doctrines aside, many people are unaware of Texas law concerning who is responsible for a decedent’s remains after he or she dies.  Most people are aware that after a loved one dies, his or her estate needs to be administered, usually by means of probate in a Texas court.  However, before probate occurs, dealing with the funeral and more immediate concerns need to be addressed.

Under Section 711.002 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, the following persons (in the order indicated) have the right to control the disposition of a decedent:

• The person designated in a written instrument signed by the decedent;
  
• The decedent’s surviving spouse;
  
• Any one of the decedent’s surviving adult children;
  
• Either of the decedent’s surviving parents;
  
• Any one of the decedent’s surviving siblings;
  
• Any adult person in the next degree of kinship in the order named by law to inherit the estate of the decedent
  

The most common scenario for a married couple in Texas is that the surviving spouse will be responsible for ensuring that the deceased spouse’s body is cremated or buried, depending on the decedent’s wishes?  But what if the decedent and his spouse never addressed the issue?  Or worse yet, what if this was a second marriage for the decedent and he or she wanted to be buried next to his or her first spouse, and the surviving spouse is unaware of these intentions or does not wish to follow them?

To address the concerns people may have about the disposition of remains, the Texas statute provides that a person may designate in writing who will be responsible for disposing of his or her remains, and that written instrument will control over the other people listed above.  The instructions may also state how you want your remains disposed of (e.g., burial or cremation).  This document concerning disposition of remains can be useful in a number of circumstances.  As an estate planning attorney in Houston, Texas, I have had more than one instance where relatives disagreed as to whether a deceased parent should be buried or cremated.  Each child claimed to know what the deceased parent wishes were, but there was no documentation of those desires.  Understandably, the funeral home is reluctant to take any action until it ca be assured that it will have no liability for whatever actions it takes.  In one case, this resulted in a deceased mother’s remains being located in a funeral home’s facility for over two weeks before the family could agree on what to do.  A written directive in this case would have avoided this situation altogether.

While the statue prescribes a written form for designating who will be responsible for a decedent’s remains, there are other ways to assure that your body will be dealt with according to your wishes after you die, and those wishes may be followed immediately and without regard to whether a probate proceeding is ever filed.  For example, in Texas you can leave written instructions in your will, or you may have a pre-paid funeral contract that controls the disposition of your remains.

A funeral service is a special time for family and friends to comfort one another, begin to find healing and celebrate a life. Whether you choose burial or cremation, you can hold a gathering to honor your loved one. We are happy to provide a more traditional ceremony or something completely unique. Many cultures and religions have special traditions and we will do our best to accommodate your requests. This is a moment for you and your family and we are honored to help you in any way that we can.

Just like a funeral service, a memorial service is a time to remember your loved one. This can be held shortly after death or weeks later, with or without your loved one physically present. What’s important is that it creates a time and a place for family and friends to gather together and support one another, share memories and pay their respects. We can hold a memorial service at our funeral home, the final resting place, your home or other venue.

A casket burial is a service with many options you can choose from. We can provide you with a wide range of options to help you make a selection specific to your needs; a visitation, viewing or wake with a closed or open casket; a funeral service at our funeral home, church or private home and a graveside service at a cemetery. You can choose whether you’d like a public or private service or a combination. It is entirely up to you how you wish to pay your respects. 

Cremation can be a very personal and deeply meaningful way to remember your loved one. At A Community Funeral Home, we offer a variety of cremation services. You have the option of having the ashes placed in a small, attractive urn to take with you as a memorable keepsake. Or perhaps your loved one wished to have their ashes scattered along their favorite hiking trail. Whatever special way you have in mind to pay tribute, we can help make it a beautiful occasion.

Our cremation services vary in scale from low-key to more elaborate, according to the family’s wishes. We offer dignity with affordability, and a large variety of urn and memorial options. People often confuse not having traditional burial as not having a funeral. Even if a family chooses cremation over traditional burial, they can still have a meaningful memorial service.

 Although many people are choosing to cremate, that doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice the traditional elements of a burial. Let us help you create a memorial onsite—because it’s helpful for many families to have a physical marker of remains. We can provide a range of flowers and décor accessories so you can best reflect your loved one at a service and beyond. 

PRE-ARRANGEMENTS  

When it comes to your final arrangements, shouldn't you make the decisions? The arrangements you make will reflect your exact wishes and desires. Pre-arranging your own service will help to ease the burden on your loved ones.  It will also alleviate any questions, problems or differences, which can occur among family members.

Pre-payment will give you peace of mind and protect your family. When you plan ahead you know that your wishes will be fulfilled.

Arrangements can be made in the comfort of your own home or in the funeral home.

A HELPFUL GUIDE

When someone you know passes away, your first instinct is to offer encouragement, help, and support to those affected — but you may not be sure what to say or do. It's okay to feel this way.

Does it matter what I wear? Can I bring the children? What should I say to the family of the deceased? When should I visit? Golden Gate Funeral Home offers guidance on the proper etiquette of visitations and funerals, so you'll feel more comfortable and prepared for attending services.

What to say

It can be difficult to know what to say to the family of the deceased to express your sympathy. To begin, offer your condolences to the family. If you are comfortable, share a memory of the deceased. In this difficult time, sharing the joy of the deceased’s life can help comfort the bereaved. For example, “I was so sorry to hear of Mary’s passing.  She was always such a wonderful friend to me."

What to wear

When attending a memorial service or funeral, dress in dark and subdued colors, such as dark blues, grays, browns, and black. Be sure to dress simply and conservatively. Men are encouraged to wear a jacket and tie paired with dress shoes, while women should choose either a dress or a suit. Any jewelry should be subtle and traditional.

Arriving

When attending a funeral or a service, do your best to be on time. Try to enter the facility as quietly as possible. If there are no ushers present, remember that the first few rows of seats are usually for the immediate family and close friends. Acquaintances should appropriately seat themselves in the middle or towards the rear.

When to visit

Immediately upon learning of a death, it is appropriate for family and close friends to go to the home of the bereaved to offer sympathy and support. This can be a very overwhelming time for a family. Offering to assist with child care, food preparation, receiving visitors, or service preparations can provide immense comfort during this difficult process.

The funeral home is the best place to visit the family to offer your condolences, as they are prepared for visitors at these services.

Flowers

Sending flowers is a wonderful way to express your sympathy to the family of the deceased, and can bring comfort in a difficult time. Flowers are a meaningful gift that can be enjoyed during and after the funeral service.

Floral arrangements and plants can be sent to the funeral home to be present at services, or sent to the home of the family directly.

What not to say

Try not to give comments that minimize the loss, such as "It's probably for the best, because he was suffering too much," or "I've been in your shoes myself."  These will not provide comfort to the bereaved

Wait for the family to discuss the cause of death. Do not bring it up yourself.

Keep the line moving

Visitations can be very emotional, especially when speaking with the family of the deceased. If there is a line to speak with the bereaved and view the casket, be conscious of keeping the line moving. After passing through the line, be sure to stand to the side to continue conversation, or allow the family member to continue to greet guests. The family will often be more available to speak following the conclusion of the service.

Mobile phone use

Smart phones should be turned off or silenced completely during the service. Checking your phone is noticeable and is a distraction to those who are trying to pay their respects. If you must return a message or receive a call, exit the service quietly.

Children

Allowing a child to attend a memorial or funeral service can help them say goodbye to a friend or loved one. It is important to not force a child to go, but instead encourage them to share in this tribute with the rest of the family. Before attending, help prepare them by explaining what they might see at the service.

Gifts

This can be a very draining time for a family. The gift of food is a kind gesture that the family will deeply appreciate and help alleviate the stress of funeral planning and mourning.

Remembering children in the family is a thoughtful gesture, as this is often a difficult time for them as well. A small gift like a stuffed animal or a book is best.

Time is precious. Helping with household tasks ease the family's burden. Caring for pets, driving children to school, running errands, or helping around the house are wonderful ways to help the family.

 $995.00
Professional Services Of
Funeral Directors
Coroner Authorizations
Care Of Remains
Alternative Cremation Container
Transport To Crematory
Crematory Fees
Temporary Urn

(Does not include death certificates, press notice, urn, ceremonies, removal from place of death, or any other cash advances. Overweight bodies will incur additional charges)