Viewing – Some individuals do not like the idea of being viewed by friends after death inside a casket.

Claustrophobic – The idea of being buried awakes deep-seeded fears in many people.

Less Traditional – While family and religious traditions are still very important to people, there is a general trend to create unique celebrations, and cremations offer more flexibility.

Environmental Concerns – Traditional burial takes up space in the earth and involves the chemicals from embalming. Cremation is considered more “green” and eco-friendly. Cremains can also be part of the base of a memorial tree.

To be near a loved one – Burial spaces in cemeteries can be limited or unavailable. A cremation urn can be placed at the foot of an existing burial plot or added with a casket in a mausoleum.

Multiple scattering sites – Cremation allows for the ashes to be scattered in multiple places that were important during the person’s life.

Flexibility – Cremations allows for more flexibility in planning a memorial service and does not have to be completed within a few days of death.

Distant Family Members – If immediate family members are remote, cremation allows the deceased family member to be cremated where the death occurred and then shipped to the remote family. The shipping of cremains is much cheaper, and with today’s electronic technology, the remote family does not have to travel to the location of death.

Sharing of Ashes – Jewelry and personal keepsakes have become very popular with families. Cremations allow for the sharing of the ashes – from jewelry to small keepsakes, to even being blown into glass decorative items.

Urns may be buried at the head or foot of a grave site on a family plot.

“old traditions with new innovations”

Before funeral homes consisted of very large buildings, wakes were held in the deceased home. The funeral home would prepare the body and place it in a casket for a layout in the parlor of the family’s home. Extended family and friends would gather for a time of grieving. Due to the limited technology with body preservation, flowers were brought into the home and placed around the casket for the aroma. This is where the tradition of sending flowers to a funeral originated.

The wake was and still is a very important part of the grieving process. As funeral homes became much larger, the tradition of layout at the family home moved to the parlor at the funeral home. Funeral homes began adding chapels, transporting bodies, and growing larger, which created more cost to families.

Today, Church Funeral Services and Crematory still recognizes the importance of the grieving process and works to reduce financial burdens of burials services. Our options allow families to return to tradition by offering what we call sacred moments. This is a special time that allows extended family and friends to once again gather at the loved one’s home to remember the deceased. However, modern homes do not necessarily have parlors as in days of old, but we have performed family layouts on front or back porches, patios, carports and even barns.

This three-hour sacred moment layout can be followed by a direct burial, traditional funeral or simple cremation. Speak to one of our funeral directors to discuss all the options available and how we can create sacred moments for you and your family during your time of loss.