Smithsburg, MD

Those in Smithsburg, Maryland who have recently lost a loved one to death are offered our deepest condolences and are invited to use the compassionate, affordable and high-quality end-of-life services available at Black’s Funeral Homes. They have courteous and respectful staff members who are experts in their field. They provide viewings, funerals, burials, cremations, memorial services, funeral pre-planning services and both domestic and international mortuary shipping.

For those who elect to have a traditional visitation and funeral, the funeral professionals of Black’s Funeral Homes offer two packages: the Full Monte Burial Package and the Same Day Saver Burial Package. Both are divided into Silver, Gold and Platinum packages. They contain similar services, such as the basic services of the funeral director and staff, embalming, cosmetology, dressing and casketing. They also both share the same memorial merchandise, such as a register book, 100 memorial cards, a memorial blanket and memorial DVD. The Full Monte has the use of staff for an evening viewing and next-day funeral. The Same Day Saver includes the use of staff for a 2-hour viewing and a same day funeral. The Graveside Burial Package provides the same options in terms of memorial products, but excludes a viewing, funeral, embalming and cosmetology. The staff is utilized for a graveside service only. A discount is applied to packages when the casket is purchased from Black’s Funeral Homes. A package can be built to meet your needs and budget.

For burials, the funeral directors of Black’s Funeral Homes have working relationships with local cemeteries and can assist the family in selecting a cemetery, burial plot, casket and vault. They also help the family to pick a monument or grave marker, and assist in arranging its engraving and placement.

Cremation services allow room for many options. The family may choose to have a graveside service where family and friends come together at the burial of the cremated remains and pay tribute to the loved one by reciting memorial prayers, reading meaningful excerpts, singing hymns or through other means. The cremated remains may be interred in the family plot, a memorial site, a columbarium niche, an urn garden or another place. The cremains may be placed in several different urns and given to family members separated by distance. A scattering ceremony is another alternative, and you can spread your loved one’s ashes over land, water, a cemetery or memorial garden. Black’s Funeral Homes also feature exclusive offerings such as Eternal Reefs and Celestis Memorial Space Flights. These two unconventional methods of final disposition memorialize your loved one in truly special ways. The funeral directors of Black’s Funeral Homes are also authorized representatives of LifeGem and Memory Glass. A LifeGem captures the beauty and uniqueness of your loved one’s life as it is a certified, high-quality, one-of-a-kind diamond made from his or her ashes. This diamond is available in colorless, red, green, blue and yellow and will serve as a permanent memorial. Memory Glass suspends your loved one’s ashes in a solid glass sculpture or piece of keepsake jewelry.

Black’s Funeral Homes offer two packages that include a viewing and funeral before the cremation. They also have two packages for families who prefer to hold a memorial service in honor of their loved one. In the fifth pre-set package, they arrange for direct cremations which lack any viewing (other than for purposes of identification prior to cremation, as is required by Maryland law) or any ceremony. The direct cremation package comes with or without an alternative container, which will be needed for the cremation. All these packages are less expensive when the cremation casket or cremation container is purchased from the funeral home. As with burials, a cremation package can be designed around your needs and financial constraints.

Choices from the above services and goods can be specified if you decide to pre-plan your final arrangements. Pre-planning allows you to decide exactly how your funeral will look, feel and cost, reflecting your tastes, lifestyle, passions and desired budget. This will avoid disagreements among your family as to how to commemorate you after you pass on or how to deal with your remains. Pre-funding your funeral protects your loved ones from being forced to pay for your end-of-life arrangements. This is a most compassionate final gift that they will appreciate.

Mortuary shipping can be a complicated process, especially when another country is involved. The funeral directors of Black’s Funeral Homes specialize in both domestic and international funeral shipping, and will arrange to transport your loved one to another state or to another country. They also accommodate incoming shipment. They handle all the necessary preparations, flight arrangements, paperwork and translations. They use their expertise and global contacts within consulates and embassies to ensure that your loved one is transported with dignity and as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.