Regarding funerals:
Dear friends & families,
May I extend to you my sincerest condolences for the loss of your loved one & I look forward to being of service to you & your family. I’d like to introduce myself, as a Chaplain, I've been officiating Military Memorial Services at Riverside National Cemetery, Miramar National Cemetery, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery & many local Southern California Cemeteries since 2006. Plus, I worked for the VA at the local National Cemetery for 8 years. And, on a side note, I have also been officiating weddings since 2006. I'm available to conduct Memorial Services for those who are in need of a Chaplain, providing a service that is personalized to reflect the personality & lifestyle of the deceased. I serve all military branches and all religious beliefs, plus civilians and their families. High profile services are also a specialty I am requested for. Officiating Memorial Services is my primary function, but the spiritual support of the bereaved is my utmost concern. I also offer house blessings & cleansings, & Celebration of Life services. I can be your Emcee at your event or a Keynote Speaker. I’ve had the pleasure to work with many Southern California Mortuaries, and I would be honored to serve the families in your care. I am available to assist families in the preparation of Memorials and with the protocol of the Riverside National Cemetery and the Honor Guard Detail. When I worked for the National, one of my jobs was to oversee the volunteers there so I know all of them. So, you are in good hands. Riverside National Cemetery is the largest & busiest National Cemetery in the United States & services are on a strict timeline. I have structured my services to include the basic elements of a Memorial Service within the time allotted & I do my best to honor your loved one. I extend you my sincerest condolences and pray the lord comforts you with his peace.
My wife also is Clergy, in fact, she is the only female Minister who identifies as a Reverend in Southern California serving Riverside National Cemetery & LA National Cemetery. She also covers Miramar National Cemetery & Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery when I am already booked there. You can hire me or my wife Reverend Erica. (see letter below). We are both first come, first serve. Thanks for reading and God Bless.
Chaplain Joe Andersen, USN Ret
(951) 757-5875 (phone/text)
JosephAndersen@verizon.net (email)
newest website: www.SoCalClergy.com
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Dear Families & Friends,
Let me introduce myself. I am Chaplain Joe's wife of 28 years & counting. At several of my husband commands, I was also the Navy Ombudsman (liaison between the commands & the families). I also served at Activities Coordinator who planned events for the spouses & children at those commands. Having been a military spouse myself all those years, I thrive at being the best choice for your clergy needs. I am a Minister, but I prefer to identify as a Reverend. I am here to serve your family at your Veteran or Spouse committal service at Riverside National Cemetery or LA National. I also know all the staff at Riverside National Cemetery as my husband worked there for many years after retiring from the Navy in 2010. I know their procedures as well. I also can cover Miramar National or Fort Rosecrans National when my husband can't. I can also do your loved one's service at a private Cemetery. I will give your Military loved one a proper "God & Country" service that I know they deserve and/or create the perfect spouse service. And I am the only female clergy in the area. If you are seeking an Officiant for a wedding, you won't be disappointed hiring myself or my husband Chaplain Joe. Please check our amazing reviews/testimonials to see why we are your best fit for your Clergy needs and you can see our newest website with so much info on it at www.SoCalClergy.com - I look forward in hearing from you.
Reverend Erica Andersen
(951) 757-5875 to schedule a service with me, my cell is: (951) 757-5232
EricaAndersen@frontier.com
newest website: www.SoCalClergy.com
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**THE IMPORTANCE OF A EULOGY**
A Eulogy is an expression of praise given in memory of someone who has died, which is usually delivered at a funeral or memorial service. It's an opportunity to record, celebrate & bring that person to life for just one more time, and it is a tremendous gift to the grieving family. The most effective Eulogies share memories of the deceased giving you insight & information about somebody’s life, that maybe you weren’t aware of.
***Please submit to me your loved ones Eulogy in the form of an email (or attach a Microsoft Word document, I also can use a PDF). I will need a short Eulogy (2-3 paragraphs) of your loved one emailed to me at JosephAndersen@verizon.net at least 24 hours before the day of the service at: Please write this in 3rd person because this IS something I SHARE during the service. And, your loved one isn’t my family. Please don’t use “I”, say Mom or Dad was…. Please include where they were born, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, etc. Tell me where they went to school, when they joined the military, where went they met their spouse, what jobs they held after the military. Where they moved to and when the children were born. Maybe a favorite movie, food, hobby, sports teams, funny thing that always happened or something that they always said. Everyone would love to hear something that makes them laugh not cry. And, sadly when your loved one went to heaven to be with (other family who have passed).
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Regarding Weddings:
Hello & congratulations on your upcoming wedding! *My name
is Chaplain Joe Andersen. I have been officiating weddings throughout
Southern California for more than 15 years. If you are searching for the
perfect officiant for your wedding, I would be honored to meet with you &
help you put together the perfect ceremony for your special day!
About Chaplain Joe *As
a non-denominational Christian minister, I have had the honor of marrying
loving couples throughout the Southern California area for more than 15 years.
Although Christian in faith, I understand that everyone comes from different
backgrounds and different faiths. Because of this, I officiate weddings in all
styles, religious or non-religious. Whatever your faith we can work together to
find you the perfect ceremony. I served 20 years in the United States Navy,
then continue to serve Southern California doing weddings and funerals after I
retired.
My
wife and I settled in Lake Elsinore in 2003 and we absolutely love it here! In
our free time we like to try new restaurants in the IE and take rides on our Harley
Davidson motorcycle with our fur children “Sir Benjamin Waffles & Madame
Presley Pancakes” in the sidecar. You can often find the 4 of us riding around
the local area exploring. My wife is also a Minister and can provide services as well.
What
makes me different from all of the other officiants? *I have learned over the
years that the ceremony really does set the tone for the rest of the day.
My goal is to create a ceremony that is a total reflection of you both - your
personalities, values, and beliefs. I always conduct a personal interview with
the couples I work with to make sure I have the background I need to create a very
unique and memorable ceremony. While this seems like something every
officiant would do, you would be surprised to find that it's not always the
case. Some officiants will simply offer you a selection of pre-written
templates and ask you to choose the one you like best. Then they simply
swap in your names. I am a Veteran and also want to offer the best Military ceremonies
one can offer. I like to offer my couples many different opportunities like the
share of wine, sharing of sand which is especially nice if you are combining families
with children who all participate together, gender reveals, and many other extras that no other officiant
offers. Plus if you are a fan of "Elvis", I can do your wedding dressed like him.
Do you officiate same sex ceremonies?*Yes, I do! My personal
belief is that love is just as strong and meaningful whether between
opposite-sex couples or same-sex couples, and everyone should be afforded the
same rights and privileges of marriage. And I am happy that the State of
California agrees!
Can we
choose a non-religious ceremony? *Yes! Your
wedding ceremony should be centered around your love for each other & your
own personal set of beliefs. We can tailor a ceremony for you that is beautiful
and meaningful, whether religious or non.
We come
from different religious backgrounds. Do you have experience with interfaith
wedding ceremonies? *I have been asked this very
question many times in the past, and the answer is yes! I will work with
you both to create a ceremony that encompasses both of your beliefs and blends
the entire ceremony together as one beautiful reflection of you both.
Can we
read the ceremony first? *Of course! Some couples
prefer to go into the ceremony not having seen the entire ceremony, while
others like to read through it entirely to be sure it is exactly the way they
pictured it. The choice is yours!
Should
we bring you the marriage license before the wedding date? *While it is best to
complete the marriage license before the ceremony, you may want to get with
your photographer to decide if you want formal pictures of me signing your
marriage license on the day of the wedding. If so, it has been my experience
that it is better to take care of this before the ceremony, as you are going to
be very busy after I pronounce you husband and wife!
Officiant
Service/What you’ll get.
–A formal
details meeting with you both to learn more about you and discuss your ideas
for the ceremony. This meeting is typically about 1 hour & can be done face-to-face or via Zoom/Video Messenger/FaceTime for out-of-town couples.
–Close cooperation with
your vendors (photographers, DJ, wedding coordinator, etc.) I will
coordinate at
least 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony so that they all know
exactly what is going to happen during the ceremony, and when.
–Professionally
officiate your wedding– What about the rehearsal? It is my
belief that being at your rehearsal is just as beneficial to me as it is to
you, and so I always try to be at every rehearsal.
Discounts
I do offer discounts for
the following: *Active Duty Military & Active Reserve AND Weddings taking place Monday through Thursday (holidays excluded)
Officiant fees range from $400-$800* depending on the circumstances. Additional travel
fees will apply for weddings taking place more than 25 miles from zip code 92530.
*
holiday rates apply for certain major holidays.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve your families during this very special time in your lives. As you can see in my ratings, I have helped many couples come together in holy matrimony. I can serve in San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego and Orange County.
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HELPFUL LINKS AND
INFORMATION
(626) 826-0381 calls/text
Recommended FLORIST/FLOWERS-Van
Buren Florist
(Must call/do not order online & mention Chaplain Joe for FREE delivery & set up at the shelter on all flowers)
Daily Burial Schedule to
confirm your service.
