Funeral services move online

As more people become increasingly comfortable buying products and paying bills online, funeral home companies have been adapting their services.

Stewart Baxter Funeral and Memorial Services, with locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion and Mount Vernon, uses software from Texas-based Passare that enables families to log on to make funeral arrangements at any time, said Jacob Wittrock, owner and funeral director.

'The public part is what we call the online collaboration center,” Wittrock said. 'What this allows families to do is communicate with us via the Internet to provide us with information that we're going to need to help them with the funeral-arrangement process.”

On the site, families can share their preferences for services and submit information about the person who has died. The family can also receive updates in real time from the funeral home.

'This would be a lot of the information we would need to complete the legal paperwork, but also information that we're going to use to help start writing the obituary with the family,” Wittrock said. '...

This allows them to start sharing that data with us before they come in for the in person arrangement meeting.”

'The consumer nowadays, because of the whole Amazon effect, really looks to want to do things online, that's where their comfort level is,” said Mike Olinger, a manager and funeral director at Murdoch Funeral Homes and Cremation Service. 'We've moved heavily toward doing a lot of electronic transmission, especially through emailing.”

Brad Kurtz, funeral director at Cedar Memorial, said the funeral home has the capability for customers to gather information through its website about elements involved in planning a funeral. The site lists facilities and information about its funeral directors and their connections to the community.

Families can enter in biographical information in details about the deceased individual, Kurtz said. However, the arrangement conference where the financial portion is discussed takes place in person.

The funeral home also offers ways for families to submit information and photos online.

'We certainly hear quite often how much easier it is for people being out of state,” Kurtz said. 'While we certainly are embracing the use of technology, we always try to have that personal touch when working with each family.”