Saul Funeral Homes Inc. aims to assist community members with many aspects of life. Death just happens to be one of them.
“It’s almost as if we, as a funeral home, wear two hats,” said Kimberly M. Saul-Bowne, a licensed funeral director and co-owner of the firm. “We’re obviously a funeral home, which provides death care services, but we’ve kind of evolved ourselves into a life resource as well. So, as people come full circle, we’re on both ends of the spectrum.”
On one end of the spectrum, the firm offers funeral and cremation services, but they also offer alternatives tailored to the unique personalities and wishes of each individual.
Saul-Bowne said green funerals, also known as natural burials are increasing in popularity. In these services, the deceased are not embalmed, and are buried in biodegradable caskets, with trees or rocks used in lieu of headstones. That approach promotes a more natural return to the earth, and Saul-Bowne said the burials are offered in two local east coast cemeteries.
Saul-Bowne said the firm serves families from all religious backgrounds, and has conducted Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist funerals.
“It’s our obligation and responsibility to know the customs and offer that to them,” Saul-Bowne said, adding that many families from mixed faiths or cultures choose to blend their customs in a ceremony.
For those wishing to have a nonreligious memorial service, or to add another facet to a religious ceremony, the firm employs a certified celebrant. The celebrant goes to the home of the deceased, speaks with the family and looks at pictures. The goal, Saul-Bowne said, is to capture each individual’s passions in a personalized service.
She said that in a recent service, the closing song from The Lawrence Welk Show was played at the end of a service for a woman who was a fan of the show. That personalized the service and gave guests an opportunity to remember the deceased in a lighthearted manner.
“The whole room just erupted into laughter,” said Saul-Bowne. “It was wonderful.”
Saul-Bowne and her brother, W. Scott Saul, are fourth-generation owners of the firm, which operates in four locations, including Glackin / Saul Funeral Home in Hightstown, Saul Memorial Home in Trenton, A.S. Cole Son & Co. in Cranbury, and Saul Colonial Home in Hamilton Square.
It was established in 1899 by their great grandfather, Warren T. Saul, who, as a livery stable owner, kept horses in a barn near the Hamilton Square location. Since horses were used to pull hearses, he became involved in the funeral service trade. Since then, the firm has evolved, adding an aftercare services department. This is where the other end of the spectrum comes into the picture.
Mary Lou Pizzullo, an aftercare coordinator with the firm, said that the aftercare department assists people who are bereaved. Pizzullo said the firm typically follows families for about one year following a funeral of a loved one.
The aftercare services department offers bereavement services to the families, as well as assistance with issues such as life insurance and pension, Pizzullo said.
Deborah Myslinski, who is also an aftercare coordinator with the firm, said it offers support groups that are available to the families they serve as well as to the greater community.
Every year, the firm hosts a candle lighting ceremony in memory of those who have died in the past year. Pizzullo said the event is held in a non-denominational church and is typically attended by more than 800 people. This year’s ceremony is scheduled to take place in September.
Pizzullo said the department offers services that extend far beyond the typical funeral process.
“We just have a wealth of information, resources to help all our families in every avenue, down to cleaning a house,” Pizzullo said. Myslinski said that the firm networks within in the community and encourages feedback from past clients to ensure that they refer families to businesses and professionals that will best fit their needs.
“We don’t really arbitrarily refer anybody to anyone unless we’re very comfortable that their services are excellent, that they’re honest, reputable people,” Myslinski said. “It’s not like going to the yellow pages and just picking a name out.”
Pizzullo said the involvement they have in the lives of these families often leads to long-term bonds.
“There are many that stay very closely connected and find a strong bond to us,” she said. “It almost becomes a friendship, and as their lives move forward, they will just stop in and pay a visit and let us know they’re getting married or if they need additional service.”
Myslinski said the ability to touch the lives of others is what makes her job so rewarding. She said when people ask if working in a funeral home is depressing, she tells them she finds satisfaction in knowing that she’s helped others and made a difference in their lives.
For Saul-Bowne, helping others through the grieving process is a fulfilling experience.
“It’s very rewarding to start out leading a family through this journey, but by the final day, you end up walking side by side with them,” she said.
More information about Saul Funeral Homes is online at saulfuneralhomes.com or available via phone at (609) 587-0170.
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