Call the mortuary you have chosen. Spangler Mortuaries responds at any time, day or night. Whenever possible, Jim Spangler personally receives calls after business hours. If you have a Minister, Priest, Rabbi, Mullah, Lama or other Religious Leader, he or she should be called as soon possible.

There is a wide selection of funeral services available, consequently there is a wide range of possible charges. We will do as much or as little as you wish. The specific choice of casket or cremation receptacle is also a factor in determining the final cost of the arrangement. We feel obligated to provide a fitting tribute regardless of a family's financial means and no one has ever been refused services because of financial circumstances.

Our pricing is separated into three areas:

1. Professional Services. Facilities and Equipment; By law, all funeral homes must provide a General Price Sheet to anyone requesting information regarding prices for services offered. Each service must be itemized but may also be combined into packages or types of services most commonly requested (i.e. Full Service, Graveside, Memorial Service)
2. The Casket & Other Related Merchandise (i.e. urns, shipping liners etc.).
3. Cash Accommodations (these include gratuity to the clergy, copies of the death certificate, flowers, paid obituary notices in the newspaper, airline and cemetery charges, etc.)

A funeral gives the community a chance to offer its support and to share with the immediate family of the deceased. Studies reveal that a holding private funeral, or not holding gathering of any kind, prevents relatives, friends, associates and acquaintances from saying goodbye and bringing comfort to those who remain.

A list we would consider essential would include; a service fee for the consultation and counseling, staff for the completion and filing of the required documents and forms, transportation of the Deceased to the mortuary facility, technical preparation or alternative care, dressing, placement in the casket, cosmetology, transportation to the cemetery by hearse or alternate transportation. Other services that might be included would consist of the use of chapel for visitation, viewing or service, staff and auto equipment to handle floral arrangements, memorial book, acknowledgment cards, prayer cards or memorial folders, contacting and coordinating with the clergy of your choice, arranging for the music or musicians, placing obituary notices in the local papers, assistance with Veterans and Social Security benefits and insurance assistance. If the Deceased is to be sent to a distant point for burial or inurnment we will make all the necessary travel arrangements. We can also coordinate arrangements for the funeral, inurnment or memorial services at the final destination.

Every funeral should be unique. A funeral should reflect the individuality of the person who has died. Their loves, hobbies, favorite things, and any other personality traits that made that person extraordinary should be included in some fashion. For instance, any music played during gatherings and visitations should be appropriate for that person. Very few people listen to organ music in their leisure time, so consequently the background music played should reflect their favorite style (i.e. classical, jazz, big band, country, etc.). Another unique and personal approach to a funeral can be found in the printed material usually available at a funeral. Remember that every person is different, so we can print items that celebrate a life. They often include color photographs, collages, favorite poems or prayers, orders of worship, family remembrances or tributes. The Spangler family and staff takes great pride in helping families create a meaningful and personal funeral that celebrates the life of someone loved and cherished.

The funeral experience is generally considered to benefit those who survive. All the effort and detail we place in a funeral ultimately will return to us in the piece of mind of knowing that we experienced the personality and uniqueness of that person. A person may be simple, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have character traits, favorite things, or joys in their lives that make them special and one of a kind. By making funerals more personal we not only pay tribute to their individuality, but we are celebrating their life. Making funerals more personal doesn’t necessarily mean making them more expensive. Most opportunities for personalization are present in the most inexpensive services.

Usually a religious minister. If the family does not belong to a religious organization or have a preference, we can recommend or help contact a clergy for you. If appropriate, fraternal or military organizations are prepared to take part in the service or to assume the entire responsibility. The decision is purely personal.

There is usually little difference in cost since there is additional labor, transportation and equipment involved in a church service.

This will vary according to religious traditions, but the average service in a church or mortuary chapel is about one-half hour.

Yes, we have a newly appointed reception room in our Mountain View mortuary and we can provide simple refreshments, assist with contacting caterers or you may bring your own food.

Yes, Spangler Mortuaries owns a crematory in Sunnyvale and a witnessed cremation can be arranged. Owning a cremation facility enables us to work quickly to ensure families keep with their faith tradition for a timely cremation after death.

Yes, we are honored to support these rituals.

Authorities agree that it is not only correct to permit a child to go to a funeral, but from approximately the age of seven, the youngster should be encouraged to attend. Most children need to participate with their family in saying goodbye to the Deceased as well as to express, in their own way, love and devotion. To deny them this experience, even if it is meant to "protect" them, is to deny them a significant and meaningful life experience that may have important consequences towards their emotional development. If the child is unwilling, however, they should never be forced to attend a service or made to feel guilty because they "let the family down". In any event, children should not be spared the knowledge of death.

No. The decision rests entirely with the family. Some processions are now being eliminated because of traffic conditions and regulations regarding escort services. In some cases only family and invited friends attend the committal. In the situation of cremations, services are usually concluded at the church or chapel and then we proceed to the crematory.

Although not required by law, some type of outer receptacle, commonly termed a casket, is required by the cemeteries in this area to ensure proper handling of the Deceased. In the case of immediate cremation, a casket is normally not used but the Deceased must be placed in some type of receptacle for cremation.

Except in certain situations, such as shipping across state lines or shipment by common carrier, embalming is not required by law. If a sealed casket is used for the service without viewing then embalming is not required.

Any person may make his or her own funeral arrangements or make arrangements for a family member. The process would be to meet with a funeral director who will record and file these instructions, or simply by making their instructions known to their attorney or next of kin. This is usually known as a pre-need arrangement. Most people find that making a pre-need arrangement makes things easier on survivors by making clear the wishes of the Deceased. Pre-need arrangements, with all the desired details and information recorded, limits the details a family must handle during its time of loss. Pre-need trusts and payment plan burial insurance is also available for those who wish to limit the financial burden on those who survive.

Ideally, this information should be mailed or brought in to Spangler Mortuaries so that it will be permanently filed and immediately available. As an alternative, the instructions may be filed with your attorney or be kept among your easily accessed personal papers. A bank safety deposit box is not advisable, as it often remains unopened until after the funeral service.

Authorities on etiquette agree that a proper acknowledgment for a floral offering, mass card, or donation to charity in memoriam is a personal note. In instances where the number of such acknowledgments would cause difficulty in the writing of personal notes, acknowledgment cards, personally signed, are quite acceptable.

All notes of condolence should be answered personally, and a note of appreciation should also be written to the clergy, to each of the pallbearers, and to anyone else who has been helpful in some way. An honorarium to the clergy may be made through the funeral director, and included in our bill for services. Often, the honorarium is sent directly by the family together with a note of appreciation for the clergy's comfort and help.