Okay, first of all. let me just say this is all Cynthia's fault! She had to go and review…read morecemeteries, I would never have thought to do this... Anyhow, I was driving through a retail shopping complex in Gainesville, VA today called the "Virginia Gateway Shopping Center," and I note that there is this big fenced in grassy area right in front of part of the retail complex. I can see that it has a sign on it - so I get out and look - it's a cemetery! The name is "The Shirley Cemetery." The sign had the following text on it: "This small family cemetery is the final resting place of Richard O. (1802-1857) and Susan (1813-1880) Shirley and possibly several of their six children. Richard Shirley was a farmer and tavern keeper who owned approximately 400 acres of land near Gainesville on the Warrenton Turnpike, modern day Route 29." I looked it up on the 'net and found that there is an entry for it in the Historical Marker Database: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=2168

Monica was awesome! She was pleasant and very patient with helping us. They delivered what we…read moreordered all the way to Stafford Memorial.

We are very pleased with the headstone created for our family. We wanted to replicate a family…read moreheadstone located in a cemetery in another state and we were concerned that this was not possible. Libby McNeil was very informative during our initial and later conversations. Rick Burroughs was very patient in answering all of our questions and offered excellent advice regarding dimensions and lettering style and spacing. He even printed out multiple templates so we could see exactly how everything would look. He alleviated our concerns and we trusted that we would get exactly what we asked and paid for. We visited Kline twice to discuss details and they were very generous with their time and did not rush us. We are extremely pleased with the end result and the job was completed within the stated timeframe.

When my mother was put into Comfort Care, I had researched cremation services and pretty much knew…read morewhat I wanted before I interviewed (in person) four crematories/funeral homes. Two of them failed to disclose all their fees until I asked additional questions (based on my research), one of them was double the price of the other three, and the fourth one was Direct Cremation Services. I met with a gentleman named Kip, who didn't try to upsell me, and gave me a package that met my requests. The costs were significantly lower than the other three places. He assured me that Direct Cremation Services would take care of everything, and explained both the logistical process and the paperwork/payment process. When my mother passed away, on a weekend, Kip returned my (notification) call, emailed me the link to take care of the documents, and immediately send his team out to transport my mother's remains. He told me the paperwork could wait until Monday. Thereafter, everything went as promised, and I picked up my mother's "cremains" yesterday. An unbelievably smooth process during a difficult time. I can't recommend this place enough.

I chose Direct Cremation because of all of the positive reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was…read morevery different from what I read. Having never been through the experience of managing the passing of a loved one, I didn't know what to expect. I arranged for DC to provide services. A few days later I bunch of emails with tasks assigned out of the blue. I called to ask about them and was directed to my funeral director who told me those were optional. A couple days later I got a contract and a payment link. Again, I called to question and let the director know we wanted to have an urn for the ashes and that I needed everything shipped to me. Shortly after, I got a new contract and a new payment link. Days passed and I called again to get status. Still waiting. A few days later, I called again. Should be done by end of week. See a pattern? No contacts by DC. Every call was made by me. The end of the week came and I finally got a call. My loved one was ready to be picked up. Wait, what? I paid for shipping. " Oh yeah, that's what I meant". Really?? Anyway, the company provided the service I paid for but communication was non existent. I don't think I ever got a "sorry for your loss" from our funeral director. Given the industry the operate in, I would have expected a little more.

I have used the services of Eastern Memorials twice now and can say, with no doubt, how…read moreprofessionally they guided me and how grateful I am to have had such perfection in the outcome of their products. Mary Andraous, the manager and graphic designer, outdid herself and I felt a kinship with her immediately - such a wonderful personality and artist! She even went so far as to give me a tour of the inner workings of the huge facility. Communications with Janie Pham for the business end and placements were also excellent. All of the staff was so accommodating and I extend a big Thank You!

The staff at Eastern, in particular Sarah Walter, helped me through the many options available for…read moreour family marker at Rock Creek Cemetery. They have a well-equipped showroom and design and material samples. Sarah made the process comfortable and painless. The memorial is just perfect, down to the installation at the gravesite. I would recommend Eastern without hesitation.

This is a well hidden trail, but for the parking lot at the entrance. There are markers at the…read morehead and intersections for the yellow and blue trails. The yellow allows horses. The trails are long and wind around each other... It can get confusing. It is easy to pass private horse farms and wonder if you are on the trail or someone's private drive. I became lost at one point (it was getting near 5PM when the sun is not as bright and forest gets darker) and stopped to listen for where the traffic was to get to the parking lot. It was a close call since I had gone on a trail that I thought I entered the park on. There are random people on the trails, but some some know how to get to the lot themselves. The Pittsylvania ruins are unkept and hard to see the foundations stones. There is a Carter family cemetery. Random deer stand and watch you as you pass through. Careful, as the trails are mucky in spots, but easily avoided. There are ticks! So try to keep your doggy out of the grass, but check anyway as these ticks come in all sizes even pin-head sized! I picked at least 70 off of my pup and two from myself! This is a nice getaway trail to walk, just in need of attention and better marking.

The trail OK. It can be confusing at times and easy to get lost in. Also there are definitely ticks…read morepresent here so beware!

During one of the most difficult times in our lives, everyone at Baker-Post Funeral Home treated…read moreour family with such kindness, compassion, and respect. They handled every detail with professionalism while making us feel cared for every step of the way. They honored my mom beautifully, and the funeral service was exactly what we hoped it would be. Their attention to detail, patience, and genuine concern helped make a very emotional day a little easier for our family. We are deeply grateful for everything they did and would highly recommend Baker-Post Funeral Home to anyone in need of caring and compassionate funeral services. Thank you for helping us give our mom the beautiful farewell she deserved. The service and pricing were great! Darlene Hull

WARNING about this business. It's one of the worst services I have experienced. My dad died few…read moredays ago and was sent to this funeral home, sadly. Went to see my dad and to my shock his body was shown at a table, covered in an old blanket, his hair tangled, his body wet from the fridge that if you love your family members it will cut you deep to witness. The tall guy the owner is the slimiest, the most UN-COMPASSIONATE human beings I have come across. When asked why didn't you clean my dads face at least, he answered by saying I didn't pay for that and raised his voice, threatening me that he will call police to remove me from there, while all I did was asking a question. He even made a remark about me not speaking good English and how I have to learn English before I talk to him. If you have an accent don't go to that racist guy. There was another older "gentleman " if I can call him that, I said can I talk to you about this since the taller empty vessel there was agitated, and the other employee said no I'm not talking to you. PLEASE, if you love your family members don't take them to this funeral place. I will make it my mission to warn as many people as I can to stay way from this family business. I may even go across the street with a sign to warn poor people, especially foreigners, to stay way. Don't get fooled by the smiles these are cold, narcissistic people with no compassion for the dead or alive. I owed this to my dad and this is the beginning of saving some other souls going through same as I am.

Our family friend recommended this funeral home and we travel from Hampton due to death of family…read moremember and we appreciate everything they did to help us and guided us to go through this process of healing and give us a chance to make it happen and not add anymore pain or suffering. Definitely recommend this funeral home and they are open to helping you with finding the best option that will fit for you and your loved ones

Ames Funeral Home. Best.Funeral Home.Ever. My family & I were so very blessed to experience Ames…read moreFuneral Home's outstanding experience, superb compassion, commendable expertise, and exemplary "Gold Standard Quality" shortly after the unexpected death of our dear father. Ames Funeral Home is a family owned business and you are treated as family when you walk through the door. Ames Funeral Home is a "One Stop Funeral Home" where Mr. Ames & his family calmly, gently, & patiently guide you through the entire funeral process, intrinsically comfort you, & truly share in your sorrow & grief. They speak with you in laymen's terms and they gently guide you through their decades of wisdom, experience that is woven into their souls. The beautiful way they handled providing the necessary instructions & actions to us that we needed to take was beyond anything I had ever encountered in my entire life. Our dad lived a lifetime of service (attending church and helping everyone). When we attended the 1st viewing, we were all astonished! He actually looked his very best & his happiest - dressed as an usher in his church with white gloves, holding his Bible! It was as if the Ames Family personally knew him very well! Our father was also a veteran and Ames Funeral Home was able to quickly arrange an absolutely impeccable military funeral at Quantico National Cemetery. They have handled every aspect of all types of funeral services for several decades. Therefore, all processes are streamlined, which makes you & your family feel supported throughout, without adding additional distress to you when you are grieving. In all honesty, in your darkest journey from the beginning to end, you really feel that they treat you as they would want to be treated in the same situation. Even their website offers comfort & acknowledgement - that they really "see you" in your grief and pain. I have attended several funerals in the past, that were good, but Mr. Ames and his family are light years above the rest. If there comes a time in your life where you need funeral services for a loved one, please don't hesitate to call Ames Funeral Home. It will be one of the very best decisions you or your loved ones will ever make in life. As for me & my family, choosing Ames Funeral Home made all of the difference in the world. They are "Top Notched"'and always go above and beyond the rest.

Where as the Manassas National Park Visitors Center is focused on the First Battle of Manassas,…read morethis building is dedicated to Second Manassas (aka, Second Battle of Bull Run). Like the main visitors center, Brawner Farm has a terrain map with lights that depict the flow of the battle, but is much smaller. There are also numerous hiking trails in the area, with various historical plaques where the action occurred. The battle is hard to imagine. While the plaques try to explain things, the thick forest conceals the main avenues of the Confederate advance (just as it did during the battle). Unless you watch the show in the farm house, you are unlikely to understand the disposition of forces any more than poor General Pope did (which is why he was beaten back).

Don't miss a stop at this spot when visiting the battlefield. Tucked away North of 29 on Pageland…read moreLane (just a short drive up off of 29) to the right. There is limited parking here but if you snag a spot you will be close to nice quiet trails. Very scenic. There is a bathroom in the parking lot here. A kick walk on a cement path abutted by nature will bring you to the Brawner Farm House. Inside, you will find a park volunteer to provide information and displays about the Second Battle of Manassas. If you go further on the trails be aware that the area has ticks and copperhead snakes. Be prepared.