Questions To Ask When Choosing a Provider

Once a death occurs, typically there is a lot of planning to get done in a very small amount of time. The less time a family has before the day of the services, the sooner the cremation needs to be completed. At many funeral homes, you would have to pay at least $100 more to expedite the cremation.

We will not charge extra for an expedited cremation. 

Once you and your family are ready for us to come and take your loved one into our care, we make it our goal to be there within 1 hour.

The benefit to having cremation on site, is knowing your loved one will not leave the care of the funeral home staff you are working with at any point. The people helping you, are the same people caring for your loved one during a very sacred and important final transition.

Bradshaw was the first funeral home firm in Minnesota to offer Green Cremation. If you choose Simple Traditions and Green Cremation, your loved one will not leave our care from the moment we receive them to the moment we place them back into your arms.

Green Cremation is a gentle, eco-friendly alternative to flame-based cremation and casket burials. It is a quiet process that uses water and potassium hydroxide to reduce the body to it's basic element of bone ash.

We are the first funeral home in Minnesota to offer Green Cremation. As innovators in the funeral industry, we are committed to providing state-of-the-art services that distinguish us from other funeral providers. That's why we are proud to offer a flame-less, eco-friendly and more gentle approach to traditional Cremation.

Many of the new Direct Cremation Companies do not staff their locations regularly and you may often find yourself leaving messages or emails and waiting for your answers.

Jane is our administrative assistant at Simple Traditions and she is in the office Mon. - Fri. ready to assist you and answer any questions or concerns you may have along the way. When Jane is not in the office (nights and weekends), our answering service receives your call and notifies our director on call to reach out to you A.S.A.P.

Moving through your grief alone can be a difficult and dark time, having easy access to grief groups can help you navigate this part of the journey in a more mindful, healthy and rewarding way. Finding a funeral home that offers this service for free is invaluable.

Bradshaw's Grief Resource Center is an exclusive and free service offered to families who call upon Bradshaw and Simple Traditions. Our full-time Grief Counselor is available before a death and after to offer you and your family any support that you may need during the mourning process. This includes: resources, various support groups, and social gatherings and outings. View our CALENDAR to see when our next grief group begins. CALL NOW to RSVP.

Pre-planning your own funeral is a way for people to create and often fund written documentation of their wishes at the funeral home of their choosing before they pass away. This is also a way for people to relieve their families of financial strain or having to play a guessing game when it comes time to arrange a funeral that will honor their deceased loved one in the best way possible. 

We have our own team of Pre-planners who provide this service with us. Call 651-767-9333 to set an appointment.

Along with offering our Pre-planning services, we are also willing to drive to your home for a meeting. Transportation, timing, and illness are some of the things that may play a factor in your ability to come to us, so we are more than happy to come to you.

No one wants to feel like they or their loved one is entering an assembly line of cases for the funeral home they choose. You want each interaction to count, and a familiar face who remembers your name can help give you the experience you deserve at this fragile time.

Bradshaw has cared for Twin Cities' families since 1972, and we plan to continue to meet the need of our community right where they are. Simple Traditions, being an extension of Bradshaw, meets those same standards. We are mindful that our most valuable asset is our reputation and our success has been measured by trust of those families we have served for generations.

There was a time when funeral homes played a bigger part in their community. Finding a funeral home who is family owned and operated can typically bring back that feeling of comfort and belonging you and your family deserve as you navigate this major life event.

Bradshaw and Simple Traditions is family owned which means we are accountable to the families we serve in our community and not some larger conglomerate. We understand the importance of community involvement and the gift of giving back. We are here with you every step of the way.

We are available 24/7 for transfers. There is always a funeral director and small support team available to assist in night time and weekend transfers. Death is not on a 9 to 5 schedule, and neither are we.

Common hidden fees are found in the timing of the initial transfer at many funeral homes. If it is a night time or weekend transfer, it will cost extra for you to have the funeral director come and make the transfer.

At Simple Traditions, we do not charge extra for weekend or night time transfers. We believe timing doesn't matter in this situation and families shouldn't have to pay more based on when they lost their loved one.

Transferring someone who weighs more than average can actually cost more at a lot of Funeral Homes. If more equipment and persons are needed to complete this process, more money is needed as well.

We have chosen not to do this at Simple Traditions. There is no difference in Transfer price when it comes to the weight of the person we are taking into our care.

Planning a funeral is delicate and can take time. Each family facing the responsibility of honoring their loved one, deserves the undivided attention of their arranging funeral director for as long as it takes. 

At Simple Traditions we do not rush our families when we meet with them. We will not "squeeze you in to a time slot". We will sit with you until YOU tell us you feel comfortable with the decisions you've made. From there we will continue to be in touch with you, ready to assist in any changes or adjustments you'd like to make.

We believe there is still always room for warmth, hospitality, and empathy in even the most basic of Funeral Services.

Some Funeral Homes have designated times during the week for when they can meet with you for an arrangement. 

We prefer to have more flexibility when it comes to meeting with our families to make arrangements. We are here to cater to you, and part of that for us is working around your schedule the best we can. Considering how busy things can suddenly get once a death occurs, we want to do everything we can to make things easier for you.

Working with multiple vendors can make your planning process more convoluted. Finding a funeral home that offers facilities to host services can be incredibly helpful, and save you time as well as money. You'll have less arrangement meetings to make time for, and fewer checks to write. 

Simple Traditions provides you with not one, but two locations to choose from if you decide to have services to honor and remember your loved one. You will not have to have another meeting with another group of people to plan the service part, if you don't have the time or would prefer to keep things simple.

Simple Traditions has two beautiful locations in St. Paul to choose from. Whichever you choose, prices will not vary. 

Hospice nurses, emergency room employees, and nursing home employees are some of the best resources for finding out who is the right group to take care of you and your loved one through the funeral process. Anyone who has been caring for your loved one through their last chapter of life is likely someone you can ask for funeral home advice, and we encourage you to do so.