By Jason Green

Special to the Advertiser

Ellison Memorial Funeral Home in Clanton will host a special Christmas service this Friday at 6 p.m.

The service is for the families whom the facility has served throughout the previous year.

The evening’s event is designed to encourage families continuing to deal with the aftermath of a loved one’s passing.

Funeral Home owner J. Aaron Ellison indicated the memorial service was planned so families dealing with the loss of a loved one could have a special time of remembrance and celebration with others going through the same emotions and difficulties.

“The holiday season, specifically Christmas, can be difficult for a lot of people,” Ellison said. “It becomes far more difficult when you add the loss of a loved one to all the other things that can go on in life that add stress to this time of year. We want to give the families we served this year a chance to come together to remember and celebrate the life of their loved one as a way for our staff to continue to minister to them after the funeral service has passed.”

The event will consist of a service featuring local ministers leading prayer and delivering words of encouragement, a candlelight remembrance service, special music, a message from Ellison and the presentation of memorial ornaments by funeral home manager Shane Ogle.

There will be catered light refreshments in the funeral home’s Rose Parlor following the service.

“We make it clear to all our employees that what we do is a ministry,” Ogle said. “This is a way for us to continue helping families through their grieving process long after the funeral service has ended. We’ve been pleased with the response we’ve received so far. It’s been received as something very encouraging and appreciated, which is what we’d hoped for.”

Ellison Memorial Funeral Home is located at 1709 Lay Dam Road in Clanton. For more information or to RSVP, contact Ogle at (205) 280-4600.