Our Legacy of Franklin Lakes Funeral Homes & Funeral Services

For many of the families living in Bergen, Morris and Passaic Counties, the Vander Plaat name has become synonymous with excellence in funeral services. Today, Jim and Nicholas Vander Plaat, and the administrative support staff of Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home, one of the top Franklin Lakes Funeral Homes, carry on the family's rich legacy of care.

For three generations, the VanderPlaat Vermeulen Memorial Home in Franklin Lakes, has been dedicated to serving families whenever their needs arise. As a family owned and operated home, we understand the importance of family, love and trust. Our commitment is to you and, ultimately, to your loved one. We will serve you with the utmost respect and compassion giving our full attention to the many issues you need to face and address at this difficult time.

Certainly, when asked to recommend Franklin Lakes funeral homes, residents of commonly respond "Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home". That's because three generations of our family have dedicated the sum of their compassionate natures, professional knowledge and years of experience in funeral services to the final care of the people living not only in Franklin Lakes, but also in the surrounding communities found in Bergen, Passaic, Hawthorne, and Morris Counties.

Let Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Be Your Choice of Franklin Lakes Funeral Homes for your funeral services needs

As a family-owned and operated funeral home, we understand the importance of family, love and trust. Our commitment is to you and, ultimately, to your loved one.

We will serve you with the utmost respect and compassion giving our full attention to the many issues you need to face and address at this difficult time.

Our knowledgeable staff is prepared to respond to your needs quickly and competently at any time, day or night. Of course, they have been trained to skillfully meet the highest standards in every aspect of funeral service. But more importantly, each possesses a natural compassion and genuine desire to listen, and to help you at this most sensitive time in your life. You can be assured that we will attend to every detail of service for your loved one. While your loved one is under our care, you are part of our family.

Regardless of the day of the week or the hour, we are here for you. Each member of the Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home staff–licensed funeral directors and the non-licensed support team–stands ready to serve you and care for your loved one with the dignity and respect deserved. We thank you for trusting us with the arrangements for your loved one.

Do you know how many Franklin Lakes funeral homes there are to choose from? When you’re faced with making funeral arrangements on behalf of a deceased family member, how can you easily decide between them?

All you need do is turn to your neighbors, friends, and acquaintances; many of whom will tell you–when faced with the death of a loved one– they turned to us, fourth- and fifth-generation funeral directors Jim Vander Plaat and his son Nicholas, the Licensed Staff of Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home.

They’ll let you know you’re sure to benefit from our very high standards of funeral service professionalism.

Your Loyal Allies: Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home Franklin Lakes

We’ll be honest: when making arrangements on behalf of a deceased family member, there will be quite a few decisions which must be made. Our commitment to you and your family is simply to be your allies throughout the time we spend together, in service of your loved one.

Winston Churchill who, besides being Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (not just once, but twice) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 once said, “There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.” While he was specifically speaking of the nations which were allies to the British in World War II; we can all understand what he meant on a more personal level. An ally is someone you can trust with your whole heart; you know he or she will do anything you need to support and protect your best interests. The truth of it is: you know an ally when you have one.

Being an ally is about:

listening
continual education
stepping out of the spotlight
avoiding the trap of “know-it-all” thinking

Part of listening involves asking the necessary questions about your loved one; many of which help us to complete the vital statistics form used in completing the necessary paperwork. But there may also be questions which cannot be answered without thoughtful reflection and conversation.

These are open-ended questions, intended to bring our collective attention to how you would like to pay tribute to the character, personality, achievements and legacy of your loved one. These decisions have less to do with facts and figures–the quantities of a life–and more to do with the qualities of both the deceased as well as the relationships they once shared with their survivors.

This is where the heart takes over the conversation. As your allies, we promise:

Our thought-provoking questions, once answered, will lead us to the best, most meaningful and affordable, funeral service options for your family’s situation. Together we’ll review our selection of related merchandise, including caskets, urns, and floral tributes.
To commit to the accurate and thorough completion of all required forms and authorizations; and should you need assistance with securing life insurance, veterans’ benefits, or social security claims.
If you ask us to assist you in writing your loved one’s obituary, we will do our utmost to provide readers with an accurate, memorable snapshot of their life and achievements. Should you wish it published in print media, we will also act as liaison with related publishers to ensure its timely publication.
A member of our staff will, with your approval, enter your loved one’s details to develop a personalized online memorial. This mini-website, called a Book of Memories™, is hosted within our funeral home website, is a permanent place for your community to come together in mutual support and remembrance.
On the day of your loved ones service, our staff will warmly greet your guests, act as congenial hosts and event facilitators, and offer emotional or social support when and where it is needed.
Once your loved one’s funeral arrangements are agreed upon, we will attend to all the integral details so your loved one’s funeral, memorial service, or Franklin Lakes cremation service is the memorable event you intended it to be. It won’t matter if the service is held in our funeral home or another location; our attention-to-detail ensures its success.
Supervise the printing of personalized memorial folders, prayer cards, bookmarks to be used at the service and any related stationary products you may want (such as “thank you” cards).
Compile a collection of favorite family photographs into a video tribute which will be shown at your loved one’s service; then gifted to you and your family at the event’s conclusion. Upon request, we will make additional copies for family or friends who desire this special memento.
If your arrangement plan involves the use of a hearse or limousines, we will take the necessary steps to ensure the highest quality means of transportation.
We will support you and your family during bereavement by making it easy to obtain educational materials, including books, pamphlets, and DVDs. We can also make referrals to local grief counselors.

When a family member’s death requires you to step into what can be a very uncomfortable role as the funeral service “decision-maker”; both the licensed and non-licensed staff of Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home wants you to know you have no stronger, more loyal or more caring allies than us. We can provide you with:

Funerals and memorial services ranging from what people describe as “traditional” to “out-of-the-ordinary”
Simple graveside ceremonies
Cremation services including direct cremation, cremation funeral services and cremation memorial services
Military funerals and memorial services
Pre-Arrangement consultations

Of all the Franklin Lakes funeral homes, we sincerely hope you reach out to Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home; after all, everyone here is pledged to serve your family with utmost care and unrivaled attention. Learn more about the funeral services we offer and call us at 201-891-4770 to experience what we mean firsthand.

Regardless of the day or the hour, we are here for you. Our knowledgeable staff is prepared to respond to your needs quickly and competently at any time. They are trained to the highest standards in every aspect of funeral service, regardless if you are looking for a custom, traditional, or simple funeral service. But more importantly, they possess a natural compassion and genuine desire to listen and to help you at this most sensitive time in your life. You can be assured that we will attend to every detail of service for your loved one. While your loved one is under our care, you are part of our family.

A High Quality & Simple Funeral Service Families Trust

We are here for you. At this most difficult time, we stand ready to serve you and care for your loved one with the dignity and respect deserved. We thank you for trusting us with the arrangements for your loved one.

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