Category Archives: Cremation Services

Common American Cremation Traditions

Historians believe funeral and cremation traditions date as far back as 60,000 BC, but our modern traditions are very different from the ones back then. How have our traditions changed, and what are the most common traditions around death and cremation services in Penn Township, PA?

Here are the most common modern funeral and cremation traditions in America:

Funerals – A traditional funeral usually consists of a viewing or visitation followed by a funeral service that includes readings, prayers, and eulogies and is concluded with the body being buried or entombed. What Americans think most of when they think of funerals is the general somber feeling combined with black attire, religious moments, and burial at a cemetery. However, these days, funerals and other services like memorials can be almost anything.
Viewings and Visitations – A visitation is when the family of the bereaved makes themselves available for other family, friends, coworkers, and anyone who’d like to come so these people can express their condolences for the passing. Similarly, a viewing is when the bereaved can gather to view the body and express condolences. Viewings are often held at the funeral home, but can also be held in other locations.
Reception – Funeral services are traditionally followed by a reception or wake at which the bereaved can receive support and comfort from the funeral attendees. Receptions, help the bereaved’s community get together and honor the family. These gatherings can be held almost anywhere, from banquet halls and restaurants to churches, homes, or even parks. The bereaved generally invite all the funeral attendees, but some open it up to the general public or keep it more intimate with only close family and friends.
Burial – A burial is a form of final disposition in which a body is buried in a hole in the ground. Also known as internment, burial is one of the longest-standing death traditions in the United States. Burial first became popular as a way to keep animals away from a body and to protect the living from the smell of the decaying body. However, it quickly transformed into a way to show respect for the dead and a way for the bereaved to be able to visit the deceased to continue to pay their respects. Interestingly, the “six feet deep” rule is just a myth. There is no nationwide law regarding grave depth, as necessary depth depends on soil type, method of burial, and other factors. The most common depth requirement is 36 inches.

This is far from a comprehensive list of American funeral traditions. Others include pallbearers, open caskets, embalming, sending flowers, funeral processions, wearing black, and more. You are allowed to choose all, some, or none of these traditions to celebrate the life of your lost loved one. We are here to help if you want to learn more about traditions surrounding the death of Penn Township, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information on our services or how we can help in your time of loss or preplanning.

What Can We Learn from Other Countries’ Death Traditions?

Our traditions for death, funerals, and cremation services in North Versailles, PA are not the same as those from around the world, but that doesn’t make these other traditions bad or wrong, just different.

In fact, there’s a lot we can learn from these other traditions! What do you think we can learn from them? How can they inspire you as you preplan for your passing or deal with the loss of a loved one?

Here are some customs around death and loss that are different from ours, but no less meaningful or beautiful. In India, most people believe in rebirth until eventual removal from rebirth into nirvana. To help the deceased escape rebirth and enter nirvana, the bereaved scatter the deceased’s ashes in a holy place, such as Varanasi.

In Germany, cemeteries are almost exclusively operated by churches and the state, which means there aren’t that many available for burial at any given time. That’s why most cemetery plots are rented for twenty to thirty years. At the end of the rental term, the plot is used for another body. In the Philippines, the Tinguian people dress their dead in the finest possible clothes and then sit them up in chairs with lit cigarettes for weeks at a time. In Jewish culture, the dead are not left alone between the time of death and the burial. The Chevra Kadisha is a group of people, usually amassed from the local communities and synagogues, who wash and shroud the bodies and then sit with them until burial. Traditionally, women will sit with deceased women and men with men.

In Kiribati, an island in the Pacific, the local tribes display the cleaned and polished skulls of their loved ones in their homes, but only after the bodies are left out in the house for up to 12 days, buried, and then dug up again for skull removal. Iranian people believe that dead bodies defile everything they touch, including the ground and fire. That’s why some sects raise bodies into the sky on towers for the vultures to pick clean. The believers clean bodies with bull urine and cut off the clothing with tools, and then place them on the Towers of Silence. In aboriginal Australia, the indigenous people believe the spirit of a recently deceased person will go back to the land before it can be reborn into a new human body. After somebody dies, the community holds a smoking ceremony at the deceased’s home in which the attendees use smoke to drive the spirit from the body so it can begin its next journey. Afterward, the body is placed on a platform, covered with leaves, and left to return to the earth in its own time.

These are just a few of the many unique death traditions and rituals people practice around the world. We are here to help if you want to learn more about our rituals and traditions at North Versailles, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information.

What Are Committals?

Committal service is a graveside service in which you commit the body to the ground, or bury the body, but can you have both committal services and cremation services in Monroeville, PA?

Committal services are generally the final goodbye for the family before the deceased is buried. The origin of the phrase “committal” in this context is thought to have been derived from a burial sermon in the Book of Common Prayer that states, “We, therefore, commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.” As the ritual is usually brief, about 15 to 20 minutes, many families choose to have a committal right after the funeral service, but you can have a committal without a funeral or memorial.

What does all this mean? Yes! You can have a committal service for cremated remains.

Committing your lost loved one to the earth or another burial location is a wonderful way to say goodbye. You can commit the cremated ashes to the ground in a burial urn, or have them inurned in a columbarium niche. In fact, cremation committals often look and feel almost exactly the same as a service for a full body. The urn is often set on a table before the commitment, and some families choose to decorate the table with flowers, photos, and memorabilia. Ready to plan a committal?

Here are tips. First, pick a burial site. Does your family have a plot with other family members? If so, call the office and reserve a plot for the deceased. If not, do some research and choose a cemetery in which you’d like your loved one to be buried. You can often buy a plot directly from the cemetery or from an individual. You also need to connect with the cemetery sexton. The cemetery sexton is the person in charge of running the cemetery’s day-to-day operations.

As such, he will take care of the details for the commitment ceremony like making sure the grave is dug and prepared, bringing the casket or urn to the grave and placed on a lowering device, and getting the surrounding area ready for the service with chairs and other decorations. Choose a flow for the service. You must find an officiant to run the committal, whether that means your pastor or priest or even a family member, friend, or other loved one. Once you gave an officiant, work with them to choose what you want to service to include, such as readings, prayers, eulogies, or a sermon.

If you don’t want a formal service, that’s ok. You can just have attendees say a few short words about the deceased. Finally, keep an eye on the weather. As committals are usually outdoors, the weather plays a big role. Be sure to plan for heat, snow, rain, or wind.

Do you want to learn more about committals? Call or visit us today if you want more tips on committals or information on Monroeville, PA cremation services.

How to Create a Legacy You Can Be Proud Of

Leaving a legacy can mean two things. First, a legacy can be money or property left to someone in a will. Second, a legacy can also mean the outlook, values, or training that you pass on to other people in your family and beyond. Leaving a legacy might seem overwhelming, but it’s really as simple as living the way you want to be remembered. No matter which type of legacy you’re referring to, it can be said that a legacy is always creating something valuable in your life that can be passed on to others after your death. You can leave one, either, or both kinds of legacies to help people remember and honor you after you’re gone. What will your legacy be after your death and cremation service in Penn Township, PA?

Here are some specific tips for crafting and leaving your legacy. Think about what matters most to you. Where do you spend your time and money? Those are the things you treasure most, and are most likely going to be what you’re remembered for. For example, if you spend most of your time at work, you’ll be remembered as a hard worker. write a legacy statement. Think about what you want to be written on your tombstone. Consider how you want to be remembered, and then live that way.

You can also be your best before you work on others and share memories. It will be pretty hard to pass on some idealistic torch if you don’t live that way yourself. You can write down what you want your legacy to be to help guide your actions. Consider what you’ll be remembered for, what characteristics or skills you want to pass down, what traditions you want your family to continue, and a main belief or worldview you’d like to pass on. Then, plan for how you’ll accomplish what you wrote in your statement.

Work on living your beliefs and ideals. That way, others will be inspired by the example you set and might then choose to live that way as well. The stories you tell reflect your values and make others smile. Tell stories from your life, your family’s lives, and others you remember to make happy memories, reflect your values, and put smiles on people’s faces. Consider what others want. You might think that spending all your time at work to provide for your family might be what they want, but it also might not be. Perhaps your children or family would rather have more quality time with you than new toys or a fancy car. Take time to understand what would really make others happy and encourage them. If you don’t know, just ask! Finally, why not give your time to the people you care about? Work, hobbies, and social events can make us busy, maybe even too busy to spend time with those we care about most. Show your loved ones that they’re priorities for you by making them priorities in your schedule.

We are here to help if you want more legacy tips or information on Penn Township, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today to learn more.

Companion Cremation Urns

Companion urns are large containers that hold the remains of two people after their cremation services in North Versailles, PA. Do you love someone so much that you don’t want to be apart from them, even after the cremation service? A companion urn might be the answer.

Often intended for a husband and wife or other partners, these urns generally have two separate compartments or one open area large enough for both sets of cremated remains. Companion urns also have double the capacity of standard adult urns. Standard adult urns usually have a capacity of 200 cubic inches, while companion urns have a 350-400 cubic inch capacity to hold the cremated remains of two people.

Companion urns also come in many different materials. You can find companion urns in almost any material, from metal and granite to wood, glass, ceramic, marble, and more. In order to narrow down your options, consider how the urn will be used. For example, do you want it to be buried? Choose a durable material like stone, granite, or marble if you want it to last, or wood or another biodegradable material if you want it to decay naturally.

Wondering if your companion urn will be large enough? Assume that 1 pound of a person’s body weight will leave about 1 cubic inch of cremated remains. So, for example, if someone who weighs 200 pounds wants to be buried with a 150-pound person, they need a 350 cubic-inch companion urn. You can personalize companion urns even if one or both of the people are still living. Pre-planning for your eventual passing can also include personalizing your future companion urn. Try inscriptions with a personal sentiment, important dates, or even a special message from you to your loved ones. Companion urns come in two standard shapes.

Are you into saving the environment? Biodegradable companion urns can be released into the ocean. Biodegradable companion urns are eco-friendly vessels that allow you to bury or scatter the remains out in nature. They are made from natural materials that will decompose over time, returning your loved one’s remains to the earth. There are two standard companion urn shapes: vase-style, rounded, and box-shaped, rectangular. The vase-style, rounded urns are often ceramic as they are made on a potter’s wheel, while the rectangular urns are often made from metal, stone, or wood as square-cornered construction is easier with those materials.

Want to be sure generations to come know who is in the urn? Add a photograph! You can personalize a companion urn with individual photos of who is inside or, even better, a photo of the two people together. Try a photo-etched stone or granite urn that has the picture carved directly into the urn’s surface. You can also look into photo frame urns that allow you to change out the picture as often as you’d like.

We are here to help if you’re interested in learning more about companion urns or other North Versailles, PA cremation services. Simply call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

How to Support to Someone in Grief

If someone you know and loves recently lost someone, you probably want to help them however you can. But how can you help them? Losing a loved one and going through their memorial and cremation service in Monroeville, PA is never easy. Use these 10 simple ways to express sympathy to inspire your actions:

Gift Flowers – While sending flowers after a funeral or memorial might feel stereotypical, it’s tradition for a reason. Flowers are a lovely, simple way to show the bereaved you care and are thinking of them in their time of loss.
Provide Condolences – Even saying something as simple as, “My condolences” or “I’m sorry for your loss” can go a long way towards helping someone feel supported and not as alone in their grief.
Join the Service – Attending the funeral or memorial service will show the bereaved that you care enough to take time of out of your busy schedule to show up for them. If you can’t make it, be sure to send a card or note, or at least make a phone call to express your sadness at missing the event.
Cook a Meal – Simple, easy, and straightforward, bringing a meal helps meet the bereaved’s physical and emotional needs. Cook something comforting like soup, casserole, or pasta, or try something the deceased loved.
Pray – While not everyone believes in a higher power, knowing that someone cares enough to pray for you always feels good.
Just Be Present – Oftentimes, the best thing you can do for a grieving person is to just be with them. Sit with them at home, bring coffee or baked goods, call, text, or simply listen to them talk. Don’t try to fix the grief or offer advice. Instead, listen, acknowledge, and be there for them however they need. Your presence alone can be a genuine comfort during this difficult time.
Offer Understanding – Grief can feel impossible, leading some people to seek company, others to find alone time, and yet others to lash out. Be patient and understanding with the bereaved and don’t be offended.
Offer Help – When offering assistance, be specific. The bereaved won’t take you up on a general “let me know how I can help.” But they will most likely accept specific help. For example, offer to watch the kids, mow the lawn, or bring groceries.
Acknowledge the Loss – You might go back to life as usual after the funeral, but the bereaved won’t. Remember, your friend will still mourn long after the funeral is over. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge the loss and talk about the deceased. Ask how they’re doing, share a memory of their loved one with them, and let them know you miss him or her, too. This will mean a lot.
Send a Sympathy Gift – If you can’t be there in person to support the bereaved, try sending gifts like practical items or memorial keepsakes.

For more information on grieving or Monroeville, PA cremation services, pay us a visit or give us a call today. After all, these are just a few of the many ways you can help someone going through a loss.

Remembering Without a Traditional Service

Sometimes people don’t want a big “goodbye” after they’re gone, and that’s OK. But without a service or memorial, it can be tough for their friends, family, and other loved ones to honor and celebrate their life. How can you honor a lost loved one if they don’t want a memorial after a cremation service in Penn Township, PA?

There are many ways to get closure after death beyond a traditional funeral or service. No matter how you may feel about a loved one who does not want a funeral, it is important to honor their last wishes. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to traditional funerals and memorial services. Here are some ideas for what you can do to honor your lost loved one or the passing of a friend without a service:

Write an Obituary – Obituaries are traditions for a reason, as they provide the chance to remember the deceased, honor their life and accomplishments, and help the bereaved grieve.
Build a Slideshow – Slideshows about the deceased’s life are common at funerals and memorials, but you can still make one even if there won’t be a service. Feature lots of pictures, videos, and memories. You can even include your lost loved one’s favorite music.
Send Flowers – Sending flowers is a thoughtful, traditional way of remembering the deceased and giving their loved one’s support.
Send Food – This thoughtful gesture of support helps the bereaved grieve without having to worry about cooking or ordering food. Be sure to check with the family about dietary restrictions or needs before sending food. Aside from homemade food, you can also use meal delivery apps to send takeout or even send credits so they can order their own meals at their leisure.
Get Creative – There are many ways to remember and honor a lost loved one through the creative arts. If you like drawing or painting, draw or paint a portrait of your lost loved one or of an item or image that reminds you of them. If you like to write, write a poem, short story, or even a letter about the deceased.
Post a Tribute – Social media, from Facebook to Instagram, offers wonderful opportunities to honor the deceased without a service or memorial. Write a tribute post about the deceased and the impact they had on your life, or simply post some of your favorite photos of the deceased.
Create a Memory Book – Using pictures, notes, drawings, or clippings, build a memory book of the deceased. This book will help you remember the good time with your lost loved one and will serve as a reminder of their life for future generations.
Dedicate a Tree – Not only will dedicating a tree help replant and forest and provide homes to forest animals but it will also honor and remember the deceased for generations to come.

With a little thoughtful planning, you and your family can figure out what will work best. We are here to help if you want more ideas on mourning in unique ways or information on Penn Township, PA cremation services.

Become a Tree After Cremation Services

Instead of a standard burial or scattering, become a tree when you die! Are you interested in becoming a tree after your death and cremation service in North Versailles, PA? Cremation tree kits are easy, eco-friendly, and beautiful ways to plant trees from a loved one’s remains while honoring and celebrating your lost loved one’s life for generations to come.

This internment option is when cremated remains are buried with tree seeds, and the remains nourish and sustain the tree as it grows. Cremation tree urns are biodegradable urns designed to hold cremains, fertilizer, and tree seeds. They also come with pH-neutralizing agents and fertilizers to help the cremains nourish the tree seed as it grows and flourishes into a free. When planted in the ground with cremains, cremation tree urns incorporate the cremains into the tree’s nourishment, turning your lost loved one’s remains into part of the tree, like a living memorial.

There are many different types of trees you can plant with a cremation tree urn, including Ponderosa Pine Tree, Quaking Aspen, Sugar Maple, Tulip Poplar, Blue Spruce, Deodara Cedar, Dogwood, Eastern Red Bud, Flowering Cherry, Ginkgo Biloba, Jacaranda, Japanese Maple, Mexican Fan Palm, Oak, and Palo Verde.

If you’re interested in planting a cremation tree with your lost loved ones cremated remains, keep in mind that each cremation tree kit will come with complete, specific instructions. However, here’s a basic rundown of the process. Before you plant, look up the best type of environment for the tree, including sun exposure, water needs, and soil type, as you want to ensure that you set the tree up for success. After all, you want your lost loved one’s tree to be big and beautiful for generations to come. Then, prepare the urn by removing the plastic wrap and locating the lower vessel for the cremains and the cap, which contains the nutrients for the tree. To prep the urn for planting, soak the seed packet as instructed, then place the wood pulp bag into the lower vessel along with no more than 1-1/4 cup of ashes, leaving enough room to fold it over and get the cap on.

To plant the urn, place the cap or lid over the lower vessel, dig a six- to the seven-inch-deep hole, and place the run upright into the hole so the lower vessel touches the bottom. Replace the soil so there’s no more than one inch of dirt covering the urn. Next, simply follow the watering directions for the tree type to ensure it will grow big, strong, and beautiful. It’s important to note that cremated remains don’t “expire”, so you can use your loved one’s cremains to plant a tree at any time, even years after their passing. However, after placing the cremains into the urn, you should plant the tree as soon as possible to ensure the seeds germinate and grow properly.

Do you want more tips on cremation trees or North Versailles, PA cremation services? We are here to help by offering expert services and information. Call or visit us today for more information on what we can do for you.

The “Why” of Organ Donation

Every day, at least twenty people in the United States alone die due to a lack of organ donations. Tissue and organ donation has wide-reaching benefits, as those who need skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, heart valves, and more often have no other options. While organ donation is a great choice for before cremation services in Monroeville, PA it’s not necessary right for everyone. Should you donate your organs or not?

There are many reasons to donate your organs, including:

Save Lives – It’s a fact that organ donation saves lives. Depending on your donation preferences, your organs can save up to eight different people if you choose to donate your heart, intestines, pancreas, liver, two lungs, and two kidneys. If you choose to donate tissue, eyes, and other parts, your donation can improve and save the lives of even more people.
Find Meaning – Death is scary, but choosing to donate your organs will ensure there’s meaning in your death.
Move the List – The organ donation list has over 107,000 people! By donating, you are moving the list so those people can get the help they need and so there’s more room on the list for new people that need help.
Advance Science – Whole body donation to research is how most medical and scientific advancements are made. Your body can be used to study and treat diseases, development new medical procedures, and educate future generations of healthcare providers.

Here are some common reasons to not to donate to help guide your choice, like religion. Many religions forbid organ donation, oftentimes because they believe the body needs to be whole in order to reunite with the soul in the afterlife. The most common religions that discourage organ donation include Native Americans, Shintoists, Confucians, Roma Gypsies, and some Orthodox Jews. There are also personal beliefs. Some feel that organ donation doesn’t save lives, but instead that it only puts off the inevitable. Organ donation is your choice, so this belief is well within your right. Certain diseases or conditions including HIV, heart or kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes make organ donation unsafe for the donor and the recipient, and other people choose not to donate because of distrust.

Many people don’t want to donate their organs because they’re worried that medical professionals won’t work as hard to save their life so the doctors can harvest their organs. They don’t trust that doctors or hospitals will look out for their best interests. Also, others don’t want to donate because they don’t have any control over the recipient. In most cases, organ donors have no control over who will receive their organs or tissues. Instead, organs go to the next person on the list, no matter the donor’s preferences. Whether any or all of these reasons apply to you, or you’re not comfortable donating for another reason, you don’t have to do it. Simply make sure your family and loved ones are aware of and understand your feelings.

Organ, tissue, and body donation is a personal choice. No one can decide for you, and no choice is wrong. We are here to help if you want to learn more about body donation or Monroeville, PA cremation services.

Did You Know? Cremation Service Urn Facts

Is the first time you’ve ever thought about cremation urns right before or after a cremation service in Penn Township, PA? Here is a list of things you should know about cremation urns to help you get ready for the death of a loved one or to prepare for your own passing.

You can pre-purchase urns. If you’re planning for your own eventual passing, you can prepurchase a cremation urn. This way, you’ll not only ensure that you get the urn that you want but you will also take one thing off your loved one’s to-do list. Simply store your urn in a box until its needed.
You don’t have to buy a cremation urn from a funeral home or cremation provider. While its often very convenient to get a cremation urn from your provider, you don’t have to. You can buy an urn online, at a store, or wherever you can find one. You can also make an urn or use the one that comes free with the cremation.
You can rent an urn for a service. If you only want to have an urn for a funeral or memorial service, you can rent one. This is a great way to save money if you’d rather use the expensive, fancy urn for the service but want to scatter, bury, or otherwise inter the ashes afterward. Most funeral homes or cremation providers have a selection of urns you can rent, so check with your provider.
Capacity is important. While you should check an urn’s exterior measurements to see if it will suit your needs, you also need to check its capacity to make sure it will fit the cremains. Many urns have decorative edges or accents, making exterior dimensions useless when it comes to determining the urn’s interior size. Always double check an urn’s interior dimensions before you make a purchase.
A Cremation urn is just a container. An urn can be whatever kind of container you want or need it to be. As long as the container can hold the cremated remains, it counts as a cremation urn.
The funeral home will transfer the remains for you. Since funeral homes are required to use a cremation container of your choosing, they will transfer the cremated remains into that container for you.
Use exterior measurements for placement. Do check an urn’s exterior measurements to make sure that it will fit in the place of your choosing. For example, if you want to house the urn in a columbarium niche, make sure it fits the niche’s dimensions. Or, if you want to keep the urn on your mantle, ensure it’s not too wide or too tall to fit safely

We are here to help you, as there are a lot of things to think about when you’re planning a Penn Township, PA cremation service. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.

East Pittsburgh

Meaningful...Affordable

Turtle Creek / Monroeville

BLOG