Cremation Hysteria!

Here we go again. Everyone is saying: “Just cremate me and sprinkle me in the back yard.” Lack of ignorance and fear creates that phrase.

You know the reason why cremation is getting more and more popular? Because people aren’t pre planning for their death. So when the surviving family members are making arrangements with the funeral director and they hear the price for burial, they freak! No money was put away or nothing was paid in advance, so why should the survivors have to spend a lot of money cleaning up their family member’s mess?

They Shouldn’t so they do it out of anger.

Why, did you know that cremation rates are up nearly 50% nationwide? 50/50 cremation, burial rate. Other reasons? Lack of education, and fear of being buried below ground. Like you’ll know for God’s sake.

Like a funeral director told me not too long ago: “When you’re dead you’re dead, and you’re not coming back.

Think about it before you make the plunge to cremation. Surviving family members want some closure and want to celebrate a life that’s been lived.

We’re Selling Our Cemetery Property

You are? Why? Have you been diagnosed as immortal?

Many people are selling their cemetery property here on funeral digest because they’ve either decided to be cremated or think that they’ll make a decent sale on their property and walk away with some extra cash.

Let’s discuss the cremation issue. First of all you can bury cremated remains in the existing spaces you own. Four cremated remains in one spot. With the memorial located up at the top of the grave. Usually the memorial lists up to four names of the deceased interred in the ground. Families decide on whether they want a vase or no vase.

Cemetery rules and regulations require that cremated remains be buried in a cremation vault to protect the cremains. The vault is usually 2 feet cubed and allows for other items of the deceased to be placed in with the cremated remains (urn). The vault is required so that cemetery officials will be able to easily find them in case a family requests a dis inurnment later on. It could be 20 or 30 years later, so its important that the cremated remains can be found and protected.

That’s pretty much the same reason why cemeteries require a burial vault for casket placement. The vault protects the casket from being crushed by the weight of the dirt, and the vault is the holding device for the casket. That’s so family members can transfer their loved ones anywhere in the world. And transfers are being made every day all over the United States and Canada, from cemetery to cemetery.

Think twice before selling your property, because someday you will need it, plus right now during this horrible economy, you’ll be giving away your property and making little or no profit on it. Actually you’ll be lucky if you can sell it for what you paid for it. And you won’t even be able to sell it for the same retail pricing that the cemetery is listing their property for in the same garden that your property is located in.

I’m Going To Be Cremated

That’s usually the knee jerk reaction someone gives whenever there’s a conversation about funerals.

“I don’t want to deal with all that casket stuff.” “I’m going to be cremated when I die.”

Really? Where are you going to get this done? Did you just really even think about what you said before you opened your mouth?

No, you didn’t. You have no idea what you’re family is in store for on the darkest day of their life. No idea.

Now if you really are going to be cremated when you die, then make your pre arrangements now. Take the burden off of your spouse, your family, and friends.

Pre pay and freeze the price and carry an ID card around in your personal effects that says: “At time of death call this number.”

Then the next time you say: “I’m going to be cremated.” Pull out your card and proudly let everyone know that you HAVE taken care of your final demise, and by doing so HAVE taken the burden off of all family members.

See now? That was soooo easy wasn’t it?

The Truth Behind Cremations!

Have you noticed when you engage in conversation dealing with dying, or you go to a funeral involving a traditional burial, it seems everyone says they’re going to be cremated!

Why? Because quite frankly they have no idea what they’re talking about.

Some fail to remember that in order to be cremated you still need the services of a funeral director and funeral home.

Did you know there are 72 decisions that need to be made on the darkest day of your surviving family member’s lives.

Cremated and scattered is a knee jerk reaction to the entire death process.

That’s what people say when they are defensive about the subject.

We’re talking death here. The loss of a loved one. What about the celebration of a life that’s been lived? What about remembering and wanting to be remembered?

Are people pulling out the “C” word because they have no clue as to what they are talking about? YES!

Think about it. Do you really want someone to come by the house and dispose of a body with no service, no nothing?

Just poof, and erase a life that’s been lived. A life that had meaning.

Cremation is really no different than traditional burial. You can have the same type service and viewing of the body for closure as you would for full body burial.

There are all types of options to consider.

Saying you’re going to be cremated is one thing, but pre planning your cremation and your memorial service and memorialization options is quite another.

Think about what you say before you say it so you won’t come off sounding like a complete idiot.

Ok, so you want to be cremated? Well then make your arrangements and take that burden off your loved ones by pre paying. Now that’s total piece of mind and one of the best damn gifts you can ever give to your family!

Reduce Stress-Preplan Your Funeral or Cremation Today!

Through the years advisers with our company have had the opportunity to help thousands of families make their cremation, funeral, and cemetery arrangements.

You’d be surprised at the number of of families who have not completed any of their arrangements and had to makie gigantic financial and emotional decision in a matter of hours with little or no time to figure out any possible options.

Those who have planned, even just a very short time before being faced with a loss, have embraced the idea of pre planning as the best way to deal with the inevitable.

Thinking ahead can really help you make informed and thoughtful decisions about your funeral arrangements.

It affords you the opportunity to choose specific items you want and need and compare prices offered by different funeral providers in any given marketing area.

We pride ourselves in helping families make the right decisions based on their budgeting goals.

The death of a loved one is stressful. Fortunately, funeral and or cremation pre planning is something is something you can do now to help your family.

These decisions have nothing to do with you, but have everything to do with your family. it’s not about you!

Pre planning can help your family make perfect choices, reduce their decision making, save money, prevent emotional overspending, and gives your family peach of mind by reducing the burden of making the decisions on the darkest day of their life.

Planning ahead helps us celebrate a life well lived.

Pre planning is a gift of love to your family, so just go ahead and get it done.

More Funeral & Cemetery Regulations on Horizon!

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush is proposing federal legislation to strengthen regulation of the country’s cemeteries and funeral homes.

The Chicago Democrat is to unveil the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act during a news conference Monday.

The act would amend the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule. The rule prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the funeral operations industry.

If passed into law, Rush says the act would improve cemetery record-keeping and make funeral contracts more clear for consumers, among other things.

The move comes after allegations surfaced that four workers at a suburban Chicago cemetery dug up bodies and stacked remains in order to resell plots.

All four Burr Oak Cemetery workers have pleaded not guilty.

Funerals Are Always A Difficult Time

Funerals are a difficult time, regardless of your relationship with the deceased. Funerals aren’t what they were a decade ago, however. Increasingly personal and unique, with an increase in non-traditional funeral services, it is oftentimes challenging to determine what is or isn’t appropriate, from how to express grief to funeral etiquette in changing times. There is no right or wrong answer, but the guiding principle should be your concern for the wishes of the family.

Obituaries can often provide useful information about what can be expected at a service, whether flowers are welcome, or donations to a favorite charity. As funerals become more of the personal celebration of a life, so too, do the practices we’ve come to associate so closely with a funeral service. One of the biggest questions asked today is what is appropriate to wear to a funeral. Tradition used to hold that black was the only appropriate color, but that is no longer the case. Funeral attire is still generally a more formal affair, but bright colors are not necessarily out of place at a service. While more conservative dress is still favored most often, funerals that may reflect a favorite hobby or certain lifestyle may find mourners arriving at a funeral home in biker gear, to give but one example. Again, the presiding rule is to respect the wishes of the family and the deceased, and to pay tribute to them in a way that’s fitting.

Funerals are a time for mourning, but they are also a time of celebration, of remembering a life and sharing those connections. It’s natural to grieve, but it’s also natural to smile through those tears and laugh as you exchange stories with family and friends. Beyond extending condolences, don’t be afraid to offer comfort to a grieving family member by relaying a treasured memory or two about their loved one. Sending a card with a note expressing similar sentiments is also a welcome reminder to families that they are not alone in their loss.

While funerals continue to evolve, the core meaning behind them hasn’t changed. They are an opportunity to remember, to show care for both the departed and the survivors, and to come together as a community to pay tribute to a life. Being aware and respectful of the family’s wishes should provide you with all the guidance you need. Just knowing that you’re there and that you care is often more than enough.

Never Underestimate the Value of a Funeral

The value of a meaningful funeral should never be underestimated. Funerals give families and friends an opportunity to come together to celebrate a life, to mourn together and also reflect together as they share memories of a loved one and look back on times spent together. As funeral service offerings become more diverse, sometimes the choices available become overwhelming, or come with questions of their own. One of the rising trends within funeral service is cremation, a practice that is by no means new, but increasingly popular.

People who are making end of life arrangements have a lot of questions, and surveys show that consumers have a lack of information regarding funeral options and planning. There are still a lot of myths surrounding cremation. Cremation is a means of preparing human remains for final disposition. Choosing cremation in no way suggests that a memorial service, or even a traditional funeral service, can’t or shouldn’t take place. Cremation actually provides you with increased flexibility when you make your funeral and ceremony arrangements. You might, for example, choose to have a traditional funeral service before the cremation – in the funeral home, with the body present. This is not an unusual occurrence, and in situations where families are split on the issue, is often a good compromise. There can also be a memorial service at the time of cremation or after the cremation with the urn present; or a committal service at the final disposition of cremated remains. Funeral or memorial services can be held in a place of worship, a funeral home, or a crematory chapel.

What is important to remember is that funerals and memorial services fill an important role for those mourning the death of a loved one. They are often the first step in the healing process, and the rituals involved provide a number of comforts to those who are grieving. Cremation is not an alternative to such a service, but merely a step in the process. There are a wide variety of options available to you and your loved ones as you think about your own needs, and your local funeral home is ready to walk you through every step of the way. Whether it’s a small memorial service or a large funeral, the key is to develop a meaningful celebration of life.

Funerals Without Preachers!

More people are planning their funerals without a traditional religious ceremony. And the inclusion of clergy also has become an option, according to a recent survey about growing secularism in society. As reported in the USA Today, more than one in four U.S. adults (27%) said that when they die, they don’t expect to have a religious service, according to a national survey of 6,000 people conducted at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
      The survey revealed that a growing number of people want to celebrate a loved one’s life at a funeral or memorial service without clergy — sometimes even without God. And that’s giving rise to the new specialty of pastoral-style secular celebrants who deliver unique personalized eulogies without the rituals of institutional religion. Also the Official Catholic Directory shows a 23% drop in the rate of Catholic funerals for parish-identified Catholics from 1988 to 2008.
      John Reed Sr., president of the National Funeral Directors Association, said 50% of Americans today say they don’t belong to a church and don’t see value in a religious funeral. But “they still want ceremony and celebration at the end of life.”

I Want To Sell My Grave Spaces NOW!

We’ve heard this a lot lately. People contact us and want to know how they can sell their property and what the property is worth.

We always ask them if they’ve decided not to die. I mean why would you want to sell property? Need quick cash perhaps?

Did you know that most cemeteries let you place cremated remains in a grave space that was originally purchased for traditional burial? That’s right.

What happens is that people decide to get cremated but have no idea what the process entails.

There still needs to be memorialization. When you scatter your loved one, that’s it. They’re gone. You have nowhere to go and connect with that person.

Ever wonder why people come back to a cemetery to visit loved ones thirty years later? They need a place to connect with their memories. That is why it is so important that they have cemetery property. They look at a bronze marker with a birth date and death date and written tributes.

Think twice before you sprinkle your loved one. Most of the time you will live to regret it!

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