| 95 Offering a ‘uniquely Southland’ service T T Kim Newth Above, the Invercargill funeral director team, from left, Ross, Darrin, Rachael, Wilson, Bridget, Bevan, and Hamish. Below, the Mortuary Services team, from left, Deanne, David, Nicky, and Abby. FDANZ - J Fraser & Sons COMMUNITY Over many decades, J Fraser and Sons has helped grieving families to arrange suitable farewells for their loved ones in a respectful way that is often described as ‘uniquely Southland’. It has been a challenging two years since the emergence of COVID-19, but the local service commitment offered by J Fraser and Sons remains as strong as ever. J Fraser and Sons Ltd is Invercargill and Southland’s longest established family owned and operated funeral home and monumental masons. Scottish stonemason John Fraser first began trading in Invercargill in 1878. His legacy has flourished through the years and through the generations. At the helm today is John’s great-grandson Wilson Fraser. “The same family values still guide how we operate today,” says Wilson, who leads an experienced and friendly team of caring local people. Facilities include a well-appointed viewing room and lounge, a catering lounge, a spacious air- conditioned chapel equipped with full AV and live streaming capability, office and family rooms, and modern embalming and dressing rooms. Ceremonial funeral vehicles are available for services and J Fraser and Sons can also arrange headstones and memorials. Another small funeral home in Winton, north of Invercargill, has been added in recent years to cater to families in the wider Southland district. Flexibility has always been a hallmark of how J Fraser and Sons operate. As Wilson observes, people’s plans can change very rapidly in today’s Covid environment. Many families have had to rethink how to farewell a loved one because of close family members being caught up in lockdowns or because of they are overseas and unable to return home. “Many choose to do the essentials now but then have a memorial service at a later date, when they can bring everyone together. Others have chosen to have the deceased person prepared and kept in our care for a long time,” says Wilson. Through the lockdowns and other restrictions over the past few years, technology has played a vital role in keeping people connected in times of loss. “It is great to be able to say to someone who cannot attend in person that we are able to send a link so they can still be a part of the service.” Yet, as he observes, most people still prefer to be physically present with loved ones when grieving. Thankfully, the traffic light alert system does acknowledge that and sets out some clear rules on attendance. J Fraser and Sons has published a guideline to these rules on their website. “The process is working pretty well.” All cleaning and hygiene protocols are strictly observed, and physical distancing is practiced between funeral home staff and visitors. J Fraser and Sons is a member of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) and Wilson says the association has been extremely helpful in communicating the rules and acting as an advocate for the industry. “My perception is the funeral profession generally is keeping up with the present circumstance better than was the case last year or the year before.” He observes that low Covid case numbers this summer have paved the way to a few larger services as people have started to feel a little safer. www.sonosound.co.nz • 03 214 4084 • info@sonosound.co.nz • 20 Spey St, Invercargill 9810 Sono Sound Systems are very proud to add our professional touch to your loved ones final farewell. We specialise in the building of photo presentations, operation of in house systems through to full setups, zoom interactions through to full livestreaming services either indoors or out in open spaces.
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