Funeral Issues

Burial

It's your decision

Disposition is the term used by the funeral profession to describe the final handling of the deceased's remains.

Although your initial decision for the disposition of the body is between burial and cremation, there are several variations on each.

Whichever choice you make, the body will eventually return to its natural elements.

If the body is buried...
1. It can be interred (earth burial).
2. It can be entombed in a crypt within a mausoleum (above-ground burial).
3. It can be buried at sea.

Cremation

Decomposition of the body in the earth (after burial) is the slow oxidation of the body tissues.

Cremation, on the other hand, provides rapid oxidation.

No casket is legally required for cremation, just a simple container, which is strong enough to hold the body. This could be a box of rough boards, pressboard, or heavy cardboard.

Some crematories accept metal caskets; most require the container to be combustible.

Embalming

Embalming and or some type of preservation, has been recorded in history as far back as the Egyptians. Back in those days, only the wealthy were embalmed or mummified, as it was known then. And history has shown that the Egyptian mummies were well preserved for thousands of years. Over the years the procedure has changed many times to what we now know as modern day embalming.

Why Do We Embalm?

We use embalming today for two primary reasons--to allow adequate time between death and burial to observe social customs such as visitations and funeral services, and to prevent the spread of infection. Cosmetic work is often used for aesthetic reasons.

 Embalming is primarily done to disinfect and preserve the remains. Disinfection is important for all who have to handle the remains, and for the public safety of our communities. In the years gone by, deaths due to Typhoid Fever, Malaria and other highly contagious diseases, put funeral directors and others who came into contact with the remains at a very high risk of contracting the same disease. Secondly, it has been a tradition to have a period of visitation of the remains. This is known as the wake or calling hours. Friends and family gather to view the remains and pay tribute to a family member or friend that has died. We gather to console the family on their loss, and to express sympathy to them. Without embalming, most remains become un-viewable within a short time. There are constant changes going on chemically and physically within the remains that change the looks and other qualities that we are accustomed to seeing. Embalming acts as a hindrance to this, and gives us the time needed to pay respect and express our sympathies.

Meaningful Services

A funeral is so much more than a way to say goodbye; it's an opportunity to celebrate the life of someone special.

Today, a funeral can be as unique as the individual who is being honored. From simple touches like displaying personal photographs to events created around a favorite pastime, funerals can reflect any aspect of a person's life and personality.

Following are questions you can use to help you decide how to personalize a service:
  • What did the person like to do?
  • What was the person like as an individual?
  • What was the person like as a professional?
  • Was the person spiritual?
  • Was the person proud of their heritage?
For additional ideas on personalizing a funeral, please contact your funeral director.
  • What did the person like to do?

    Often people have hobbies that become more than just a casual pastime. Their activity could have been as much a part of who they were as their smile. Why not showcase that important part of their life during the funeral?


    Incorporating a hobby can be as simple as:

    • Displaying items used for their hobby; e.g. sports equipment, gardening tools, or collections.
    • Personalizing the casket or urn with a symbol of their hobby.
    • Displaying trophies or awards they won.
    • Creating a picture board or presentation featuring pictures of them engaged in their hobby.
    • Having someone speak about the person's passion for the hobby.

    By adding these or other personal touches to a funeral, the service becomes a reflection of the person's life and personality.

  • What was the person like as an individual?

    One way to enhance a funeral is by bringing a piece of the person's personality to life. Consider what made that person special, what made them who they were? Then find ways to link their individuality to traditional aspects of a funeral service.


    As an example, an avid cowboy or cowgirl may want to ride off into the sunset one last time. Tasteful ways to honor their wish include: 

    • Using a covered wagon rather than a hearse
    • Having their saddle and riding equipment displayed
    • Playing western music
    • Having their horse walk in the procession
    • Having a barbecue after the service

    Other themes you may want to consider:

    • Military honors for a member of the armed forces
    • Tailgate party for a sports enthusiast
    • Harley-Davidson rally for the Harley owner
  • What was the person like as a professional?

    Many people take great pride in their career. Perhaps they dedicated a lifetime to a profession that transformed into more than just a job. If this holds true for your loved one, you may want to consider ways to include their professional life into their funeral service.


    Following are two examples of how you could incorporate a profession into a service:


    For a teacher:

    • Have the choir or band from the school perform during the visitation or service.
    • Encourage students to write essays about the person, which could be displayed.
    • Invite a past student to speak at the service.

    For a fire person/police officer:

    • Incorporate any honors or traditions that their department has established.
    • Use fire trucks or police vehicles in the procession.
    • Have bagpipers play at the visitation or service.
    • Display their uniform and equipment.
  • Was the person spiritual?

    Through organized religion or personal beliefs, most people have some sense of spirituality in their life. Often those values are from the very core of who the person was in life. Therefore, you may feel it is important to incorporate the individual's sense of spirituality into their funeral service.


    Following are ideas on how to incorporate spirituality into a funeral service:

    • Hold the service at the person's parish or religious facility.
    • Have someone read excerpts from a key religious publication (i.e. Bible, Koran, etc.).
    • Decorate the funeral home with symbols of the person's faith.
    • Have the person's cremated remains scattered at a place of spiritual significance to them.
    • Read a prayer that touches on their key beliefs.
    • Include sacred music from the religion in the service.

Memorial Services

A memorial service is a service without the body present and can vary in ceremony and procedures according to the community and religious affiliations. Some families prefer public visitations followed by a private or graveside service with a memorial service later at the church or funeral home.

Because the body is not present at the memorial, disposition may take place either before or after the service. You can hold a memorial service instead of a funeral, or in addition to it. For instance, you might have a funeral in the town where the person lived and died, and a memorial service later in the town where he/she grew up.

Visitation

A viewing means to have an open casket.

A visitation is when the body is laid out in the casket (which may be open or closed) before the service so that mourners may come to "visit."

A visitation offers a chance for people to "pay their final respects" to the dead person.

Just as important, the visitation can be a time for mourners to meet and console each other in a more informal setting than at the funeral.

You can schedule a visitation for as little as half an hour on the day of the service, or it can last for several days before the service.

The visitation can be restricted to just close friends and family, or be open to the public. You can even have a combination of private and public hours.

Is there a special ceremony?

As part of the visitation, you can arrange a formal ceremony, an informal ceremony, or none at all. The formal ceremony might be a brief service with the saying of the rosary (for Catholics) or prayers for the dead led by a mourner or member of the clergy.

The term wake is sometimes used to describe the reception after the funeral or memorial service.

Traditionally, though, a wake means the friends and family keeping watch by the body before it is safely buried