Be An Informed Consumer

What you need to know when purchasing funeral services?

Howe-Peterson offers our trademark Experience of Family 100% satisfaction guarantee. Purchasing a burial or cremation service is one of the most expensive investments we make in our lifetime. Like purchasing a home or a car, you wouldn't call around and just go with the lowest price you could find. Your purchase does need to fit your available funds, but what you get for those dollars can make a huge difference depending on where you go. Some things to consider:

What if we are not satisfied with your services?

100% satisfaction guarantee with all of our services. We monitor surveys and follow up with our families to make sure that we are providing you with distinctive and unparalleled exceptional service.

Can we tour the facility?

You should always tour the facility before you commit to services there. Just because a relative had services somewhere 10 years ago does not mean the business has been maintained at that same level or that they are still open. Howe-Peterson boasts well-maintained equipment, facilities and vehicles. For your convenience we have three locations to serve you, the Dearborn Location on Michigan Avenue, the Taylor Location on Telegraph and the Lincoln Park Location on Fort St.

When we visit the funeral home will the doors be unlocked? Or do we need to call and set up an appointment so that someone can meet us there?

The regular business hours at Howe-Peterson are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If we are serving families, we are open in the evenings as well. We are available 365 days per year. Note: If we are not serving families on key holidays, we will not be open, however, staff can always be reached via telephone 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Information on current funeral services, prearranging, pricing and grief support can be found here on the website in the Plan Ahead tab, the Immediate Needs tab and the Hope & Healing tab.

Who will provide support during the visitation and service?

Will there be staff present or just a sign with an arrow pointing to the general direction of the event space? Our staff is highly trained and dedicated to providing hands-on support and attention to every detail throughout the memorialization process; part of the Howe-Peterson Way is to "Stand, Greet & Escort" your family and friends to the proper event space.

Many people benefit from grief support after the funeral. Does the funeral home have a program?

Howe-Peterson has one of the most complete grief support programs in the state of Michigan. We have ongoing groups that meet weekly and a survivors of suicide group that meets twice per month. We could not offer so many groups and individualized attention without the expertise of Danielle Sienkiewicz, our Grief Support Coordinator. Our website is an excellent resource as well, our Hope & Healing tab contains a library of articles by Dr. Alan Wolfelt PhD, an internationally noted author, educator, and grief counselor, and is an excellent guide to other grief resources.

Who performs the care of the deceased? Is the embalming outsourced? Who prepares the make-up and hair?

You will have peace of mind knowing that a professional licensed funeral director who is an employee of Howe-Peterson will do the embalming of your loved one. Our directors are there through every step of the care we provide including dressing, cosmetics, hairdressing (by a licensed hairdresser), and casketing the decedent for the final presentation for visitation, services, and/or ceremonies.

If you choose direct/immediate burial or cremation what type of care will your loved one receive?

Our Signature Care prepares your loved one for identification. This service includes bathing, shampooing of hair, shaving and dressing the decedent in clothing you provide. You are also allowed a brief private family identification period of private viewing time, there is no charge for this. Our signature care is part of what we do in caring for every decedent, please be aware that this is not typical of all funeral homes.

Who performs the cremation?

Howe-Peterson uses a crematory exclusively contracted to Howe-Peterson. One of our nationally certified crematory operators will be with your loved one throughout the cremation process. This includes transferring to and from the crematory.

May we witness/participate in the actual cremation?

Yes you may, we offer the opportunity to witness the ceremonial cremation experience. We retain complete control at the crematory.

What type of container is used?

At Howe-Peterson there is a wide range of containers available. Our most basic construction is fiberboard which is a sturdier shell construction than regular cardboard and includes a pillow and interior. There are other options ranging from wood composite to veneers and hardwood.

What happens after the cremation?

At Howe-Peterson you will be notified when the cremated remains of your loved one have been returned to the funeral home from the crematory. We will schedule a time with you for the Urn Receiving Ceremony at the funeral home. When you arrive, we will present the cremated remains with a small ceremony and give you a moment to reflect in private.

Much has been said about using embalming fluid and how it contains formaldehyde. Howe-Peterson has not used that type of fluid for years, we use non-formaldehyde embalming fluid.

We have upgraded approximately 650 incandescent light bulbs and CFL light bulbs to LED lights. This may seem like a small thing, but the benefit is a reduction in electrical consumption of approximately 75% on exterior and interior building lighting; we offer to print on recycled paper; as we replace vehicles we are replacing them with vehicles that can run on E85; Howe-Peterson recycles paper; we utilize programmable thermostats in all of our buildings; we always strive for our buildings to be eco-friendly; we offer engineered wood caskets (97% of a tree can be utilized in making engineered wood caskets, while only 36% can be utilized in making solid hardwood caskets. Every attempt is made to make eco-friendly decisions when we are faced with building and equipment updates.