Mountain View Funeral Home proudly serves veterans and presents honorable and dignified arrangements to area families.

"Memorials are extremely important and the basis of human existence of how we mourn our dead," said Rich Snyder, sales manager at Mountain View. "It's how we mark a person's existence, whether they are placed there or not."

Veterans qualify for discount services as well. "We are the only ones in the area with the American Hero program. When someone signs up, they receive fifteen percent off all arrangements and ten percent off when they're passed away," said Snyder. "Those fallen in the line of service receive no charge for burial space or the funeral. They also receive their memorial marker at fifty percent off but most of the time the community will step up and take care of the difference," he said.

It is important to plan ahead when planning future arrangements. Mountain View provides these four reasons why veterans need to plan ahead.

Peace of mind - When you plan ahead, you prevent the emotional and financial stress that can occur if your family is forced to plan on your behalf at their time of loss.

A loving gesture - For your family it has been estimated that a typical funeral involves over 90 decisions. When these decisions are left until the time of death, family members may be left trying to guess what their loved one would have wanted. Even simple decisions can be difficult during a  time of great emotional stress. When you plan ahead, you take this burden from your family.

Protection against higher costs - When you plan ahead and make your choices clear, you also protect your family from emotional overspending, which can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a funeral. And when you formalize your choices in a contract with your service provider now, you lock in prices at today's rates, protecting your plan from inflationary cost increases.

A plan that reflects your personal wishes - When you plan ahead, you can take the time to consult with your family and put together a thoughtful plan that perfectly reflects your taste, personality and budget, as well as your family's need to celebrate your life. We would be happy to meet with you and review your options in a free, no-obligation consultation.

Mountain View Funeral Home, Memorial Park and Crematory strive to provide healing experiences to the community. Two locations serve the community in Lakewood, the Mountain View Funeral Home and Crematory and Memorial Park. For Mountain View, it's about honoring the memories of your loved ones and it's apparent when you see the stunning grounds encompassing a veterans memorial, chapels, Garden of Devotion, Garden of Hope, Garden of Memory, Heather Pool, Pagoda, the valley, their upper grounds, and their Valley Rose Urn Garden.

Construction is now underway for Mount Rainier Memorial Garden and Mausoleum - a stunning new cremation estate garden development in one of the most beautiful memorial parks in Tacoma.

Mountain View will be hosting their Joint Services Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Mountain View Memorial Park. "There will be hot dogs, soda and chips. It's not a somber event, but a celebration of life to those who served and gave their life for us and a great way to continue the culture of honoring soldiers," said Snyder.

They will also be celebrating 100 years of service to the community from Sept. 26-27.

Events will include guided tours of the historic property that will be offered hourly throughout the weekend, followed by a stop at the Celebration of Life Center for a gift bag and free refreshments. The center will feature images of Tacoma from the early 1900s through to the 1950s, and you'll have the opportunity to bid on a photograph through the silent auction. All proceeds will be donated to the Lakewood Historical Society. To celebrate their 100th birthday, they're giving away $100 dinner cards. Be one of the first 100 people to prearrange your funeral, cremation and/or cemetery space at Mountain View before Oct. 15 and you'll receive a $100 gift card for Burs Restaurant.

For more information about Mountain View Memorial, contact Rich Snyder at 253.584.0252.