Thank you from Calumet Park Cemetery and Funeral Chapel

I woke up today…which is a plus.  I have a job  I love, a comfortable home, a great family and my health is good.  I realized how thankful someone should be with so much going for him, so I wanted to tell everyone, “thank you”.

To all of the families who let Calumet Park serve your cemetery and funeral needs, you are appreciated.  We know there are other choices of cemeteries and funeral homes, and we thank you for choosing Calumet Park.

The entire staff dedicates each day to making such a tough time for you go as smoothly as possible.  It may only be two words, but I wanted to thank the funeral home staff led by Sherry Williams, the grounds crew led by Tim McClure and Tom Music, the office staff led by Misti Ferkull and accounting lead by Dianne Correll.

A special thanks to the family service department as they face each day knowing that the people they meet will be grieving, and they go about their business in a professional and caring way.

Patriot Guard at funeral service for veteran at Calumet Park Cemetery

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Interesting…where on earth are we all headed after the death of Common Sense?

Subject: FWD: OBITUARY PRINTED IN THE LONDON TIMES

An Obituary printed in the London Times…..Absolutely Brilliant!!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: – Knowing when to come in out of the rain; – Why the early bird gets the worm; – Life isn’t always fair; – and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I’m A Victim Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Order your markers and monuments now to be installed before Memorial Weekend…

It may be snowy and cold, but we are not that far away from Spring.  Think back on Christmas…wasn’t that long ago, was it?  About the same amount of time into the future and we will being enjoying sunny days again, with a little warmth as a bonus.  If you want to make sure your special person’s memorial is in place by Memorial Day, you will need to get it ordered soon.

Call now to set up a private meeting with one of our Family Service Counselors who will help you design just the right tribute….769-8803.

And remember, the new veteran columbarium will be dedicated on Memorial Weekend.  It will be an octogon shaped feature with a carved in granite statue on top and will have a very special place in our Veterans Section.  Such a feature is filled with niches for cremains for the discriminating individual who prefers cremation followed by permanent placement in a garden of honor.

Call now to find out about the pre-construction savings.

Superbowl won by the Giants…so what?

How does any God-fearing person post a story on a blog in this way?

Sports events seem to have taken over much of our lives.  If it is not the Superbowl, then its the World Series or the Kentucky Derby or whatever sport turns you on.  Every sport has its special day.  It is being reported that over 100 million people tuned in the watch a bunch of huge men pound the you know what out of each other for an evening in Indianapolis.

More avocados are

New Veteran Columbarium with cremation niches coming soon…

A dedication will take place over Memorial Weekend for the new veterans’ columbarium. A columbarium is a bank of niches for permanent placement of cremations. There is currently such a feature at Calumet Park Cemetery. Look for the tall, white needle, or obelisk that rises out of the top of the columbarium. The new veteran columbarium will be similar but with a statue of a veteran on bended knee and a cross instead of the obelisk. Click on the drawings below to enlarge the images.

Call now to reserve your space. We currently have a total of $500 savings that includes our normal veteran discount and an additional $225 as a pre-construction savings. You can prearrange with 10% down with no interest. The artists reditions shown will be done in granite and there may be minor changes, but the overall effect will be as shown.

The idea of having a place of honor for those veterans and their families who prefer cremation came from discussions with some of the local American Legion Commanders. The suggestion to have a place dedicated to the memory of these individuals has prompted Calumet Park Cemetery to make the investment in this one of a kind memorial. It will now be up to the many veterans who call Lake and Porter county “home” to support Calumet Park Cemetery’s goal of meeting the needs of our entire region.
Call 219-769-8803 or check out our website calumetparkcemetery.com

Calumet Park Cemetery is runner-up in ACE award for 2011…

Calumet Park Cemetery in Merrillville, Indiana was recently honored by American Cemetery magazine as a runner-up in their ACE award. The ACE award, or American Cemetery Excellence Award, is a national award that recognizes cemeteries that make a difference to the families they serve and in the communities they are located. Calumet Park “stood out for their performance, professionalism, innovative approach and beauty…constantly looking for new ways to improve operations day to day and long term. The ability to maintain a consistently high level of service and commitment to their families and communities…a credit to the profession.” (excerpt from the award issue of American Cemetery magazine)

The winner of the first place award is Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn/Queens, New York. Cypress Hills was founded in 1848, has over 300,00 burials and is the final resting place for many historical and public people.

CLICK ON ARTICLE SHOWN FOR FULL SIZE, EASY TO READ PRINTED PAGE FROM AWARDS’S ARTICLE

Happy New Year to all…

2012: Wow, it seems like we just rang in 2011. Can you believe that Y2K was 12 years ago? It is a sign of getting older when you can remember what you were doing back then but can’t remember what you got for Christmas this year, and from whom?

So, its a new year…so what? For some, life will go on unchanged unless something outside themselves pushes and shoves…illness, or accident…job loss or lottery win. For others, the new year will trigger a desire to wipe the slate clean and start again. Perhaps weight loss is a goal. What better time to start than with a clean calendar in front of you? Or, stop smoking or start caring a little more about someone or something besides yourself?

It is a new year. The possibilities are endless. Pick something that is important to you and do it for 21 days. The people that study such things claim it takes just that much time to develop a new habit. I have found that it takes 21 consecutive days, so if you fall, get up…dust yourself off…and start another 21 days.

Time tends to pass so quickly, and before you know it, I will be saying happy new year to the year 2013. How many new and good habits will you have developed during the next 364 days? It is truly up to you, you know. You get to decide to be a certain weight, or to do your job a certain way, or to help others. I have a couple of habits that I would like to replace with new and healthier ones that will make me a better person. I will let you know on December 31, 2012 how it went.

Until then, happy and healthy new year to you all, and I hope love and peace fill your life this year.

Unto the world, a child was born…

Happy holidays and remember to wish a happy birthday to the Lord Jesus. The gift of life is far greater than all the paper wrapped presents under your tree.

Cremation options from Calumet Park Cemetery and Funeral Chapel, Merrillville, IN

CPC Cremation Choices  Reduce to 50% size to see one page at a time.

Many people come to a funeral home and tell a funeral director that all they want is a basic cremation.  Quite often, what they perceive a direct cremation to be and what it actually consists of is miles apart.  Open the attachment and you will be able to review the new educational tool that Calumet Park Funeral Directors and Family Service Counselors will be using with families starting January 1, 2012.

It is hoped that this approach will help families understand their options and make it easier to make good choices for their foray into cremation.  There is more to it than meets the eye, or in this case, more than meets the word “cremation”.

If you have questions, call 219-769-8803 (cemetery) or 219-736-5840  (funeral home) and our expert staff will be happy to answer any of your questions, including how to prearrange and pre-pay your funeral and cemetery needs.