FALL 2012

Dear Friends and NeighborsWhen a loved one dies, it’s so important to honor the life that was lived and reflect on happy times. Many funeral customs we use today date back to the beginning of civiliza-tion, proving their value in beginning the grieving process.

In this journal, we offer advice on how to care for your aging loved one, and determine when is the right time to take away the car keys.

As well as show your love for them even after they’re gone. Whether it’s planning the perfect tribute, volunteering for related charities, or finding out what benefits he or she might have been entitled to as a U.S. Veteran.

Your friends at Walker Brothers Funeral Home

15 West Ave in Spencerport 21 South Main St in Churchville

585-352-1500 www.walkerbrothersfh.com

AnnualHolidayMemorial ServiceOur annual holiday memorial service will be held 6:30PM on Tuesday, December 4th at Spencerport United Methodist Church, 30 Amity Street. Call us at 352-1500 for more information.

Coming in January

Walker Brothers website redesign: visit www.walkerbrothersfh.com

When is The Right Time to Take Away the Keys? I can still hear my mother saying, “Driving is a privilege”. Driving is a part of life in America, which makes telling your parents they are no longer fit for this independence extremely upsetting. Your parents probably taught you how to drive and gave you your first car; taking away their last seems cruel. However, at a certain age, you have to decide what is safest for them and their community. Everyone ages differently, so there is no concrete age when a person should stop driv-ing. Nevertheless, certain deficiencies develop with age and it’s important to examine your loved ones for:

-Sensitivity to Light causing glare from oncoming traffic at night and on sunny days. -Decreasing Depth Perception making parking and turning difficult. -Lack of Flexibility in the neck obscuring the peripheral vision.-Inability to Focus resulting in misjudgment of speed and distances.

Assess your loved one’s driving skills by going for a ride. Don’t critique them like a driving instructor, but if he or she shows signs

of the problems above, suggest they:-Wear Glare-Reduction Sunglasses for nighttime and sunny driving. -Keep Extra Space between their car and others. -Stay off Freeways and Don’t Merge or Make Left-Hand Turns. -Drive with a Passenger to help with decision-making. -Add Small Blind-Spot Mirrors on side mirrors.-Get a Seat Cushion at an auto store, if they can’t see over the dashboard.-Get their eyes examined.-Take a driver refresher course to reduce the insurance premium.-Apply for a graduated license that prohibits nighttime driving. Some insurance companies offer discounts for graduated licenses.

Fortunately, a lot of older drivers limit them-selves by not driving at night or on freeways, but there may come a time when you have to step in and take the keys.

FAQ’s on Veteran Benefits U.S. Veterans have bravely fought for our country; therefore, they deserve only the best. The government gives veterans certain bene-fits, but many people don’t know what they are entitled to and how to go about getting them.

Most veterans know they can be buried in one of the 131 national cemeteries with avail-able space. This includes opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, gravestone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memo-rial Certificate given to the Veteran’s family at the burial. In order to prepare, presenting your discharge papers are a very important part of establishing your eligibility. However, many people want to be buried

FAQ’s on Veteran Benefits ~ cont.close to their family and friends in their hometown in private cemeteries. We do everything we can to offer the most benefits and special treatments to veterans. The gov-ernment provides the headstone or marker, and military men and women will honor the veteran with a burial flag and Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some veterans are even entitled to burial allowances, meaning partial reimbursements of an eligible Veteran’s burial and funeral costs. We can help you through all of these steps and find out exactly what you are entitled to. We work with Veterans often, and know the pro-cess well. For more information you can go to

http://www.va.gov, or call our funeral home at any time.  We would like to publicly thank Barbara Marhatta & the American Legion, Ferris Goodrich Post for their assistance with our Stockings for Soldiers initiative. This effort has paid many dividends!!

Younger Population Discussing Funerals Differently Using Social Media Younger populations now use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks to reach out to family and friends. It’s a tool for them to discuss the loss of a loved one, and to notify friends and family about final arrange-ments. Although it may seem strange to post such personal and tragic news on the Internet, for the younger generations it’s the easiest and most efficient way for them to reach family and friends. Social media allows friends to reach out to loved ones and family the second they see a post. Friends and family can post pictures and memories on their loved one’s Facebook page, and write supportive personal messages. The family can create a memory page that can re-mind friends and family of birthdays, when the one-year anniversary of the death occurs, and updates about the family. The family can post pictures of the service and even post ways for friends and family to donate to a related charity

or worthy cause. Social media is changing the way we communicate in every way, so it makes sense it has trickled into the way we handle the loss of a loved one. Our funeral home offers a Facebook page to celebrate life and offer suggestions for healing…Whether you want us to post obituaries online in memory of your loved one or mention on Facebook, there are many ways social media can help us to remember and pay respects. Visit our facebook page by typing in Walker Brothers Funeral in the Facebook search bar.