Monthly Archives: October 2020

cremations in North Versailles, PA

Interesting Cremation Service Laws

Though cremation laws can vary from state to state, there are several basic ideas and rules that apply to almost every location. Just like any other product or service, there are many laws surrounding cremations in North Versailles, PA designed to help protect consumers and the public. It’s important to learn about these laws so you can be better prepared to make any cremation decisions around your eventual death, or the loss of a loved one.

The most common laws include, but aren’t limited to:

  1. Cremation Costs – Crematories are obligated to provide clear and concise descriptions of all services included each cremation price, as people who gave recently suffered a loss might be more susceptible to bad business practices.
  2. Authorization – In most states the next-of-kin, or “authorizing agent,” can authorize cremation. The authorizing agent must complete, sign and submit an authorization form before the cremation can take place.
  3. Cremation Provider Licenses – All cremation providers are licensed and certified, as there are specific rules and regulations in place to protect consumers and ensure safe handling of the deceased.
  4. Casket Requirements – Caskets are not required by law for cremations, but most states have laws stating that a rigid container must be provided for the cremation. These containers only have to be combustible and strong enough to support a body when being placed into the cremation chamber.
  5. Permits – You are required by law to have a cremation permit. Once the death certificate is completed and the cremation authorization is filed, the county will issue a cremation permit. Cremation permits cost anywhere from $10 to $40 depending on the county.
  6. Cremation Viewing – Families viewing the cremation is not regulated by law, and therefore varies from crematory to crematory. Confirm with your chosen provider as its not guarantees.
  7. Cremation Consumer Protections – There are lots of laws protecting cremation consumers, from laws prohibiting crematories and funeral homes making false statements about body guarantees or cremation merchandise purchasing. If you want more information, check with your local or state government.
  8. Remain Handling – Laws about what you can and cannot do with cremated remain can vary greatly from state to state. However, most have similar general ideas like they cannot commingle cremated remains unless by deceased’s request or only scatter with appropriate authorization.
  9. Body Transportation from State to State – If the body is transported over a period of 24 hours or more after the death, embalming may be required. There are airline funeral shipping businesses that also have specific regulations and rules such as the purchase and use of a designated aircraft mortuary-shipping container.

cremations in North Versailles, PATo learn more about cremation laws in Pennsylvania or about North Versailles, PA cremation services, just get in touch with Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. You can visit us or give us a call to learn more about what we can do for you and your loved ones when it comes to cremation services.

funeral homes in North Versailles, PA

Funeral Home Terminology

There are some important terms you should be familiar with to better navigate funeral homes in North Versailles, PA whether you’re dealing with a recent loss of a friend or family member or are getting a head start on planning for your own eventual passing.

Some of the most important terms to know are:

  • Viewing: The time at which friends, family or funeral goers can view the casket. Death Notice: An article or newspaper section announcing someone’s death and providing funeral or memorial details.
  • Embalm: Preserving a dead body by running preservative fluids through the arteries and veins.
  • Bereaved: The deceased’s loved ones or immediate family.
  • Columbarium: A wall with niches or holes in which cremation urns are housed.
  • Flower Car: The car or vehicle used to transport the flowers from the church and/or cemetery to the funeral home.
  • Funeral Director: The man or woman who works with the bereaved to plan and execute a funeral service and all accompanying details. Generally, funeral directors maintain or run funeral homes.
  • Committal Service: A service in which the body is buried or interred.
  • Cremains: Another word for cremated remains.
  • Burial Certificate: A legal document authorizing burial. The same documents apply to cremations, and it made by your local government.
  • Death Certificate: A document proving the cause of death, generally issued by the deceased’s doctor.
  • Crematory: The furnace in which bodies are cremated. It can also refer to the building that houses the furnace.
  • Eulogy: A speech praising, remembering and celebrating the deceased’s life.
  • Mortuary: Another word for a funeral home.
  • Memorial Service: A service held to honor the deceased when the body is not present.
  • Reposing Room: A room in a funeral home that stores the body until the burial or funeral.
  • Obituary: A death notice in a newspaper or on a website that gives a small biography of the deceased and often includes a photo.
  • Plot: A piece of land, usually owned by an individual or a family, that’s reserved for two or more graves.
  • Exhume: Digging up the remains of someone who was already buried.
  • Funeral Spray: A floral tribute traditionally given to the bereaved at a funeral.
  • Grave Liner: A wooden, metal or concrete casing that holds the casket in the ground. Grave liners help prevent the ground around the grave from sinking for safety and help keep the grass above the grave level as the earth settles for aesthetics.
  • Pallbearers: Family, friends, or religious members that help carry the casket.
  • Vault: Almost synonymous with grave liner, but vaults tend to be more expensive. Vaults are usually made of wood, metal or concrete.

funeral homes in North Versailles, PA

Do you want more information on important funeral terms such as these, or on our North Versailles, PA funeral home services? Reach out to Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. You can pay us a visit or give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss and grief or if you want to get a jump start on planning.

cremation services in Monroeville, PA

Planning Memorial Services

Memorial services are for both the living and the dead, as they help honor the deceased while providing a healthy and constructive place for the living to grieve. An ideal service helps you and your loved ones mourn the loss while bringing together those that cared for the deceased to everyone can pay tribute. Choosing cremation services in Monroeville, PA actually gives you a lot of flexibility to plan a unique, meaningful and respectful memorial or service for your lost loved one.

Cremations make it simple to make sure your deceased loved one’s service is just as special as he or she was. However, it can be overwhelming to plan a memorial service for after a cremation, especially when you’re grieving a loss. Use these tips to help you plan a memorial service for your lost loved one after a cremation:

  • Flexible Timing – One nice thing about cremation services as opposed to burials and funerals is that you don’t have a deadline or specific timeline. With a burial, you need to have the funeral service within a few days of death because of decomposition. With a cremation service, however, you have as much time as you want since the body is already broken down. You can easily plan memorial services at later dates to allow people to come from out of town, or to have it be on an important or meaningful day.
  • cremation services in Monroeville, PAGet Creative – Once you’ve chosen a day, you can start planning the specifics. There are practically zero restrictions on what services should or need to be, so feel free to get creative. Think about the deceased and what he liked, stood for, or is most remembered for and expand on that. Have a theme party, make video tributes, scatter ashes in a ceremony, or even do things the deceased liked to do. For example, if the deceased loved golf, have a golf themed cremation service. You can order a golf ball urn for the ashes, and have guests take turns at a driving range. If the deceased really loved one specific park, hold the service in the park and scatter his ashes there (with a proper permit.)
  • Get Help if Needed – While planning memorial services can be bittersweet or even exciting, they also happen during a time of loss and can bring up stressful feelings. You might need help with the planning, and that’s OK. Ask for help from other family members or loved ones or hire professionals. Find a funeral home nearby that has experience with memorial services to help you plan your event with compassion and attention.

If you want more help planning a service or a cremation, contact Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. We have years of experience with Monroeville, PA cremation services, and would love to help you in your time of need. Visit us or give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you. The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to memorial services after a cremation.

funeral homes in Monroeville, PA

Veterans and Funeral Homes

Serving in the armed forces is an incredible personal sacrifice, and our veterans deserve our gratitude in any way we can give it. One way we show our thanks is through veteran’s funeral services gifted after death. Many funeral homes in Monroeville, PA and beyond offer a range of veteran’s services.

Who is eligible for veteran’s services at funeral homes? The United States has laws that provide eligible veterans with military funeral services honors as no cost if the family requests. Military funeral service honors are given to members of the United States Armed Forces that consist of the Marines, Army, National Guard, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. The individual must also have died in active duty or Selective Reserve, completed at least one term of enlistment or initial obligated service in the Selective Reserve, and were not dishonorably discharged, or served on active duty, or in the Selected Reserve, and were not dishonorably discharged.

What are the honors that our brave veterans are eligible to receive? Some of these honors include:

  1. Flag Folding and Presentation: All eligible veterans will have at least 2 Armed Forces members serving as an honor guard during the funeral service. At least one of these guards will be from the deceased’s service branch, and this guard will present a traditionally folded American flag to the next of kin or designated person.
  2. “Taps”– “Taps” is a bugle song long associated with military and patriotic funerals. Though live bugle performances are rarely seen these days, military funeral honors require that a high-quality recording of the song be played at any eligible funeral services if no live bugle is available.
  3. funeral homes in Monroeville, PAFlag Burials – Another veteran’s funeral service funeral homes offer is a flag burial. A flag is provided at no cost to the family to drape the casket or accompany the urn of the deceased. The flag will be folded and presented to eligible family members including the next of kin or requested friends. Family members may donate their flags to national cemeteries with Avenue of Flags so the flag can be flown on patriotic holidays to honor the deceased.
  4. Headstones – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can also furnish a headstone at no cost. These veteran’s headstones are available for any veteran regardless of date of death. The headstones are available in bronze, marble and granite in various styles to match existing headstones in the place of burial. This same service is available for cremated remains in the form of niche markers for columbarium. While the headstone itself is free of charge, the family is in charge of all installation fees.

Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. is here to help if you want to learn more about veteran’s funeral services at funeral homes. We have years of Monroeville, PA funeral home experience, and would love to use that experience to help you navigate a veteran funeral. Please give us a call today for more information about what we can do for you in your time of loss.