Business Feature:Bryan Funeral Services

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Steve Bryan and Edward Torres of Bryan Funeral Services

This article was published in August 19,2012 print edition of The Scuppernong Reminder
A death in the family or a similar tragedy can be hard to handle.

But there are services available for this situation in Tyrrell County.

Bryan Funeral Services began in 1986 when Steven Bryan moved from Garner, located on the south side of Raleigh, to Swan Quarter, and purchased the Owen Funeral Home.

“I came with a commitment to provide the finest in personal service in the community and area,” said Steve Bryan, Founder, President and Funeral Service licensee of Bryan Funeral Service.

Bryan provided some background on his life and work.

“I grew up on a farm and once in Hyde County felt that I was at home. The rural area seemed so comfortable especially after serving in the Triangle area with all its hustle and bustle. As time passed, I began to take an interest in what I could contribute to the community other than within my business. I became involved in the work of the church and serve as Lay Leader at Providence United Methodist Church and our congregation merged with other churches to form one congregation after Hurricane Isabel in 2003. I continued to serve in the new congregation at Soule United Methodist Church. I also was active in the Greater Hyde County Chamber of Commerce and served as president of that organization for two years and as part-time executive director for three or four years.

Edward Torres is also an important part of Bryan Funeral Service. Bryan provided some background on how he came to work with Torres.

“Edward moved to Swan Quarter in the 90’s from Costa Rica and attended high school at Mattamuskeet where he graduated in 1997. After high school he expressed a strong interest in funeral service and then went to Fayetteville Technical Community College where he earned an Associate Degree in Applied Science and later received his certification as Funeral Service Licensee. He worked in Greenville for a few years and then returned to Swan Quarter and became involved in our business in 2007. Today he manages the day to day operations of Bryan Funeral Service. He, his wife Suzanne, and their two children Bianca and Keegan live upstairs in the Swan Quarter funeral home.”

In 2007, after fire had destroyed the long time funeral home facility in Columbia, Bryan Funeral Services was encouraged to consider serving in Tyrrell County and in October, 2007 they opened in a temporary location on U.S. Highway 64 in the former Owens home until they moved into their new building on L.A. Keiser Drive in February, 2009.

“This venture has afforded us an opportunity to serve in a similar way as Tyrrell and Hyde Counties have so much in common. The two of us share in the workload of being in both locations so that one of us can be present in daily in both locations,” said Bryan

Today, Bryan Funeral Services is serving a little more than sixty families annually between the two locations. They provide a full offering of funeral related services including cremation services.

“We have experienced a changing of values and attitude over the past two or three years as  many of those families that we serve have different needs and have different ideas as to what the funeral should be. In order to be available to all in the community, we agree that we are here to “serve” and we try to provide the services that we are requested to provide. Most of the services are held in our chapel or in the church of one’s choice where their membership may be. We feel that the importance of the funeral, with or without the presence of the body, is vitally important for the community of friends and family that mourn a death that comes as a loss to all within the small community where we reside,” said Bryan.

The general process of providing services including the removal from the place of death, preparation of the body for viewing, funeral or cremation services appropriately.

“Many continue to not understand that even though cremation may be a form of disposition does not mean that a viewing and visitation is not possible. We find great strength displayed in the visiting of friends and family as we see the sharing of thoughts and support as extremely important to a family’s closure and healing following a death and we encourage that,” said Bryan.

Funeral services are generally arranged for a time that the family prefers in co-operation with a minister, musicians, and pallbearers. Bryan Funeral Services co-ordinates those services along with the burial in a local cemetery or with the cemetery which is used to provide that service. Bryan Funeral Services is also responsible for certain legal documents like notification of death to the local health department, Social Security, Veteran’s forms, filing of the legal death certificate after the physician or medical examiner has certified the death.

“The important thing to remember is that families pay for the services that they select and require. Several years ago, the Federal Trade Commission adopted rules which we are required to follow that we make clear in a written form the exact services and merchandise selected and agreed upon by the next of kin and the funeral director. This document clearly defines the services, casket, outer burial container, or cremation remains container that may have been selected. It is all for the benefit of the consumer family that we serve and also serves as a means of clear understanding of details before services are provided and completed,” said Bryan.

In addition to the more usual funeral services, Bryan Funeral Services, also operates their own monument and memorial business under the name of Bryan Memorials.

“Many families have found it convenient to select and purchase memorials right here at home in Columbia rather than having to go out of town for that service. We have an agreement with a supplier in Elberton, Georgia where most of the granite used is harvested and accept delivery via their truck, and then we set our own stones, and know exactly that everything is as ordered for our families,” said Bryan

Some families prefer to plan services in advance. This is commonly known as “pre-need,” Bryan Funeral Services sits down with families and allows them the opportunity to express their wishes in advance and relieve their family of the many details that have to be made in a time of great emotion. Advance funding is also offered through trust accounts in local banks or by the use of insurance products that earn interest which accrues to help cover the cost of inflation that may occur over the time period before services are provided. All advance-planning money is invested and the consumers are always protected until Bryan Funeral Services has provided the services and merchandise contracted for.  All of these records and funds are under the statutory governance of the N.C. Board of Funeral Service.

“We continue to accept our responsibility of being a part of the community where we serve and we continually invest our time and support to various community events and activities through the schools, churches, civic clubs, and other agencies that provide services that enhance the quality of life here. We are continually complimented by the community for our services and we take this very seriously, as we try to live our commitment of “doing what we say we’ll do.” We like to know that every family we serve has found it easy to do business with us and we take extra measures to assure that every family will receive the support and direction that families deserve. We are always thankful for the place that other community people take in our organization and all of our staff is committed to being a part of the caring service we provide as a team of professionals,” said Bryan.