Going Home Cremation Service

You get what you pay for. They were cheap & were recommended by the hospice team that cared for my husband so I met with them the day after he died. The rep talked non-​stop about herself and her health problems but never about the contract. I signed, I paid and was told it would take about a week for the death certificates to clear. I told her the date and time of the funeral and was told that the ashes could be delivered wherever I wanted so I assumed they would be delivered to the church. A week later the rep returns with the death certificates and the ashes. I couldn’t believe it. I called them and complained and all Bev Heckrotte would do was say that I had signed the contract and that it says unless other arrangements are made, the ashes are delivered to your house. I told her that I thought that since you’re dealing with griefstricken people that the rep should point out that ashes would be delivered back to the family unless otherwise directed — which actually I thought I had done. Instead of agreeing with me or apologizing all she would say was that no one had to say that out loud to the customers because it’s in the contract. When I kept insisting that she should take some responsibility for her company’s practices all, she would say, over and over again, was that it was in the contract. And that it was not her responsibility. I wish I’d gone with a different company — one that actually wants to do a good job for its customers. These people are only in it for the money. Once that check clears, that’s it for them.

They were cheap, which is the last good thing I have to say for them.
The people I spoke to on the phone before were polite and courteous. After my loved one died it took nearly two hours to verify they had the body and to have someone call us back. They charged us fees they did not disclose beforehand. Overall they were nonprofessional and made a trying time even more difficult. Price is not everything.

Their services were exemplary.

Very efficient, well run, with staff available – someone always seemed to be there to answer questions, even late at night, a tremendous help when you’re coordinating and making & receiving calls all day. There are a number of things to coordinate, get information on, file, pick up, deliver, etc. and GHC was clear on the steps, helpful in coordinating information and managing the multiple interfaces. A enormous help during a difficult time.

Bev Heckrotte was a shining light of sanity in a time that our family was deeply in grief. We had a terrible experience with local funeral parlors searching for a direct cremation and small memorial service. Bev arrived at 11:30 at night without a single word of complaint as to the hour. She patiently led us through their entire process, answering all of our questions gently and methodically. She is clearly used to people in grief and also was pleased that we were process-​oriented people. We like to know every step of the way.
When we asked Bev how she started in the business she explained that she had a background in medical and hospice work — she had seen how people were treated and knew she could do better. The negative experience we had with the local funeral parlors was not unique. She enrolled in mortuary school and established a direct cremation business for Maryland and Washington, D.C. Her company charges $ 895 for everything, handling all the insane paperwork, and they haven’t raised their prices in almost a decade. (Note — D.C. prices for paperwork are different than MD, and additional copies of death certificates are necessary for banks, trusts, real estate, etc which are additional costs.)
Cremation may not be right for everyone for personal or religious reasons. My family felt that cremation was right for my dad, as he had expressed on many occasions that he did not care what happened to his body and funerals were for the living. We chose to cremate and celebrate his life in his own home. Because cremation is a bureaucratic mess (the Medical Examiner has to release the body as it is considered evidence), the rules are different from state to state, and it takes many days to release the body, often memorial services are done with an empty urn or a simple photo. This means a funeral parlor is charging a premium for a space rental. I can understand using a parlor for a burial, but not for a cremation.
I would wholly endorse Bev and her Going Home Cremation Service for anyone wanting to take charge of their loved one’s cremation. Have them handle the difficult work so you can grieve, and then celebrate the life of your loved one in a way best fitting their life.

Going Home Cremation Service helped me make arrangements for my father, and then for my mother two years later. It was a relief to be able to make one phone call, and know that everything would be taken care of. I was impressed with the professionalism of Beverly and her staff. What a wonderful and indispensable service!