Until 2016, Michigan law rigidly dictated who could serve as your representative for funeral arrangements. There was a hierarchy of next of kin: Spouse, parent, siblings according to age and so on. But families can be complicated, scattered or non-existent. A new law lets you designate who will handle your funeral and final resting place. […]

The Federal Trade Commission requires funeral homes to provide price information on request. This New York Times article reports on consumer groups who want the rules updated to require prices to be shared online – something we at William Sullivan & Son have done for many years. (Here’s our price information.) The FTC provides good, […]

For many of us, when we think of funeral poems we think “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden in the movie Five Weddings and a Funeral: Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the […]

By Michelle O’Hara It’s hard to think about your own death and even harder to talk about it. In my experience, though, once the conversation begins it brings great satisfaction and sometimes even great joy. As a funeral planning educator at the Sullivan Funeral Home in Utica I advise people in all elements of pre-planning. […]

Planning ahead for a funeral can relieve families of financial and emotional burdens at what can be a terrible time in their lives. Representatives from William Sullivan and Son Funeral Directors will conduct free lunch and learn sessions on this topic on Feb. 27 and March 13. On Feb. 27, Steve Privette, an Edward Jones […]