What's New?
Changes at Roland Funeral Service
In 2004, the Rolands were pleased to announce improvements and especially planned activities in celebration of their 85th year of service. Highlights included their opening of the old Roland Family Home as a place to hold grief support meetings. The 107-year-old, two-story Victorian home and five acre grounds are occasionally offered as a place for families who need to come in from out of town and are looking for a quiet place to stay while making arrangements and during funeral services. The home place serves as a refuge of soothing, healing, and encouragement to those we are honored to serve.
Rolands look forward annually to "Evenings of Remembrance," celebrations featuring the lives of loved ones whose families they have served during each previous year. The Rolands like to alternate with various churches hosting the celebrations. They have held these programs for three years, with respective ministers taking part, in the Evangelical Free Church, the First United Methodist Church and the Saint Paul Lutheran Church. Support group attendees have shared with the audiences and vocalists and instrumentalists performed holiday and uplifting music as they honored those who have passed on. In connection with the remembrance programs, the funeral home staff annually decorates a revolving memorial tree commemorating loved ones missed at holidays. The tree has been well received in their holiday programs and in Atlantic's Festival of Trees, as well as displayed in the funeral home through the first of the year.
GriefShare
Roland Funeral Service continues offering Grief Support Services facilitated by Amy Jo. They also offer one-on-one counseling with rural Methodist pastor Dick Krambeck of Atlantic. Counsel and classes are provided at no charge to those interested in grief education and support.
The current study offered to the public is titled GriefShare, which includes workbook devotional lessons titled "A Journey From Mourning to Joy"; DVD segments featuring famous authors, speakers and counselors; and comfortable round table sharing times.
Keepsake Memorial Items
In keeping current with items of remembrance for families and friends of those who have gone on, the staff at Rolands' now adds lovely touches to the services with videos and DVDs created from photos and favorite background music of the celebrated lives. Ian Barrs puts together family histories and special events creating collections that become lasting family treasures to be passed down to each generation. Rolands' also offers jewelry items; decorative urns; veterans flag frames; photo collages; Comfort Cub teddy bears with pocket lockets to contain photos and/or a lock of hair for remembrance; and a number of other specialty items.
Website
Rolands Funeral Home's website archives offer online obituaries with the added feature of "Guest Book Condolences" and "Light a Candle." A loved one's obituary may be placed on the internet website where family and friends afar are now able to go on-line, view a selected obituary and sign the corresponding on-line guest book. Early in January 2008, we launched our redesigned website. While we are pleased with how far we have come, there is still more that we would like to do.
Currently, we are in the process of transferring the information from our old website to our newly redesigned site. As we continue to upgrade and improve our website, please be patient with us.
With over 12,000 funerals to review, it takes a consider amount of time, effort, and expense to make this service available. We are determined to make this valuable service available to our clients and to Atlantic and our surrounding communities.
Luncheons
Another especially well received service is the availability for luncheons to be held in the funeral home facility. Warren and Amy comment, "More families we serve are choosing to have dessert coffees and luncheons in our facility. Reception areas seat well over 100, and our building has a supplied kitchen complete with appliances. Rolands are able to serve folks throughout the chapels, and in the public lounge on the lower level. The staff at Rolands is honored to assist families by ordering catering service foods for lunches and coffees, and welcome the use of the facilities at no charge to their customers. Seating is cushioned, pleasant background music is played, table cloths and candle-light combine to provide a soothing atmosphere. Rolands welcome the use of the kitchen in the case a food committee chooses to bring food ahead to be refrigerated and for preparation.
Completed Register Books
Rolands have also added a gift of photo pages of the funeral floral bouquets with names of the senders printed beneath, casket bearers attending the committals, pictures capturing special moments to be remembered are also added. Also family history and funeral information is now printed on the pages of the register book of choice.
Monuments
To complete the array of full services, Rolands has added the convenience of shopping for grave markers. Amy Jo is glad to help clients choose what best suits their tastes and financial choices. Rolands is equipped with granite samples, photographs of a large variety of stones with many artistic engraving layouts and has access to a local display of monuments.
Prices
Rolands offer reasonably priced services with an expanded spectrum to allow for a wider range of budgets. "Our reflection of the past is one of gratitude and inspiration, Warren and Amy Jo agree, "We work to continue the same dedication of quality and personal service for which Roland Funeral Home has been known throughout the many years.