It’s About Life

Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Home introduces “Life Story” services for families.

Have you ever lost a loved one and then realized you didn’t know that person as well as you wished you had? Maybe you knew your loved one’s birthday and his or her place of birth, but did you really know everything about that person and what defined his or her life?

    One of the most stressful times in our lives is the death of a loved one. For over 42 years, Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Service and Crematory has been assisting the Rogers County area with the difficult decisions to be made when a loved one dies.

    For Jim and Cindy Smith, owners and operators, funerals are about celebrating the deceased one’s life. Although MMS has been offering photos on DVD for the past eight years, the funeral home wanted to take it a step further by preserving family history.

    “Everyone has stories to share,” says Jim. “However, we don’t always know their stories. For example, grandpa may have come to Oklahoma in a covered wagon and the younger ­generation never realized the hardships he faced.” Cindy adds, “Life Story videos capture a ­person’s life. They tell a story. They preserve a memory. They touch your heart.”

    How does one create a Life Story video? According to Jim, when someone comes in to ­pre-arrange his or her funeral, “We will not only talk about what they want for their services, but we will interview them about their life, asking them what they would like to share with their loved ones. We will be taping the interview but discretely enough that they won’t focus on the fact that they are being taped. The beauty of this is that they can open up and share a part of themselves that can be preserved forever.”

    While many may choose not to show it at the deceased one’s services, the free keepsake will still be treasured by generations to follow. “Many times we say we are going to preserve our ­stories,” says Cindy, “but we ­never seem to get around to it. We can help families get that done when they pre-arrange their services with us. We all face the inevitable. We are all going to die someday, and memories are the one thing we leave behind that will continue to go on ­living.”

    While pre-arranging a ­funeral is not always something we consider or even want to do, Jim points out the benefits. “When someone passes away, their loved ones are experiencing a variety of emotions, from grief to anger. You usually only have three days to plan the services, and many decisions must be made. While we can help with those decisions, there are so many options that it can ­sometimes be overwhelming. By pre-arranging your services, you relieve your loved ones of that burden. Cindy and I have both pre-arranged our funerals.”

    MMS, the oldest funeral home in the county, has ­continued to offer more options for individuals and families, including many that are free, to assist people in their end-of-life decisions. MMS also owns and operates the only crematory in the county.

    Another resource provided at MMS is through Frank Friedemann, director of family services. Friedemann helps ­families navigate the paperwork following a loved one’s death, including insurance policies, Social Security information, death certificates and any other issues that someone might have to deal with after a death. These services will help you get ­organized and are provided at no additional charge.

    “We will help you through the whole process from start to finish,” Jim adds. When you ­ pre-arrange services, it ­alleviates some of the confusion associated with this time in all of our lives. And, by preserving memories on video, loved ones are given a glimpse of your life. 

For more information, contact

Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Services & Crematory

(918) 341-2487

www.mmsfuneralhomes.com