Entry tags:
Death and taxes
You may ask, why oh glorious mortician do we care about the folks that work in a funeral home. They are just there to make money aren't they? The vultures! They prey on those in grief and make them spend money that could spend better elsewhere....
*clears throat*
I want to make sure that those in the back can hear me as well. Funerals homes are there to make money, they are a business. And like any business they must charge to pay for goods and services, their employees, rent, upkeep, vehicles.....And then there are those in the industry that are there to MAKE MONEY!, and they are the ones you want to avoid. Capiche?
But, I hear you ask, why is it so expensive for funerals/cremation/green burials? That my friends, is a really long and rambling post. Lets start with some definitions, okay?
Funeral Service - also called a memorial service, life tribute, funeral mass... they are all similar in that there is a service of some nature, religious or not, that talks about the deceased, and offers some form of comfort, even if it is just sharing time with others that are grieving.
Cremation - the reduction of the human remains to particulate matter, often called ashes (a misnomer, its particulate bone fragments) via fire and coming very soon to WA state, water. Most funeral homes now offer a witnessed cremation, which means that you are allowed into the area with the retort (cremation machine) and can see your loved one entering it. This can provide a measure of comfort to families and friends.
Green Burial - A fairly new concept for anyone not of Jewish or Muslim faith. Basically the decedent is buried without embalming in a casket of wood (unfinished), a cotton or linen shroud, or nothing at all. Every cemetery has a Jewish/Muslim section where green burials happen. You will likely will have to have a vault placed over, to allow grounds upkeep, but that and the cost of the ground itself is your major costs.
So, now that we have some definitions, lets look into the costs and why its often sticker shock at the funeral home, okay?
A funeral service can be reasonably priced depending on what you are doing. Caskets cost money, some funeral homes have rentals so all you pay for in them is the insert. Dressing and casketing is time consuming and physically taxing. Imaging wrestling a recalcitrant 2 year old into a winter snow suit, now multiply that by 100 and you have what it is to dress a decedent. It is exhausting.
Most churches offer the use of facilities for a nominal fee, and the payment to the clergy for their time. If you have a casket, you will have to have the funeral home transport it to and from the funeral service. This is the LAW in Washington State. Your state may have other requirements.
They have to pay for a driver, usually a licensed director and possibly one to upwards of six assistants to direct the service. They deserve to be paid for their time and the use of the car, be it a minivan or a coach.
Do you want to have police escort the decedent from the funeral service to the cemetery? That also costs money, the escorts have to be paid for literally risking their lives to halt traffic so that your deceased loved one can go from point A to point B without stopping. None of this is inexpensive.
Cremations are reasonably inexpensive, depending on the weight of the decedent (yes, it does really matter, this is coming from a plus sized individual). A witnessed cremation adds some to the cost, as most crematories have to close down all other aspects of the business for you to witness. But services with cremated remains can be free. Meet at a park or local bar and raise a toast to your cremated loved one. Or you can have a service with the cremated remains, just as you can with a whole body at a church. Its really only limited by your imagination.
Green Burials and green cemeteries are springing up all over the place. Depending on the type of green cemetery it is, it can be standard costs to VERY EXPENSIVE. Basically a green cemetery places decedent directly into the ground, no casket required, and allow the decedent to decompose naturally into the soil. This requires that each decedent basically takes the space of what in a traditional cemetery would be three burial spots to allow for the decomposition to not impact the environment around it including water tables. This can be very pricey for the cost of the land. As stated above, most cemeteries have a Muslim or Jewish section where a natural/green style burial can take place.
The best thing to do is to shop around and pre-plan. Really and truly. Every funeral home is required by law to provide you with a General Price List at asking. This can help to alleviate the sticker shock when it comes to death. Do not be afraid to talk to funeral homes and cemeteries about the costs and what they entail. Be proactive and you will be happier.
So, as I said above, this is a long and rambling post, BUT, if you have questions you want to ask, I am a fully licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Washington State and will happily answer your questions.
*clears throat*
I want to make sure that those in the back can hear me as well. Funerals homes are there to make money, they are a business. And like any business they must charge to pay for goods and services, their employees, rent, upkeep, vehicles.....And then there are those in the industry that are there to MAKE MONEY!, and they are the ones you want to avoid. Capiche?
But, I hear you ask, why is it so expensive for funerals/cremation/green burials? That my friends, is a really long and rambling post. Lets start with some definitions, okay?
Funeral Service - also called a memorial service, life tribute, funeral mass... they are all similar in that there is a service of some nature, religious or not, that talks about the deceased, and offers some form of comfort, even if it is just sharing time with others that are grieving.
Cremation - the reduction of the human remains to particulate matter, often called ashes (a misnomer, its particulate bone fragments) via fire and coming very soon to WA state, water. Most funeral homes now offer a witnessed cremation, which means that you are allowed into the area with the retort (cremation machine) and can see your loved one entering it. This can provide a measure of comfort to families and friends.
Green Burial - A fairly new concept for anyone not of Jewish or Muslim faith. Basically the decedent is buried without embalming in a casket of wood (unfinished), a cotton or linen shroud, or nothing at all. Every cemetery has a Jewish/Muslim section where green burials happen. You will likely will have to have a vault placed over, to allow grounds upkeep, but that and the cost of the ground itself is your major costs.
So, now that we have some definitions, lets look into the costs and why its often sticker shock at the funeral home, okay?
A funeral service can be reasonably priced depending on what you are doing. Caskets cost money, some funeral homes have rentals so all you pay for in them is the insert. Dressing and casketing is time consuming and physically taxing. Imaging wrestling a recalcitrant 2 year old into a winter snow suit, now multiply that by 100 and you have what it is to dress a decedent. It is exhausting.
Most churches offer the use of facilities for a nominal fee, and the payment to the clergy for their time. If you have a casket, you will have to have the funeral home transport it to and from the funeral service. This is the LAW in Washington State. Your state may have other requirements.
They have to pay for a driver, usually a licensed director and possibly one to upwards of six assistants to direct the service. They deserve to be paid for their time and the use of the car, be it a minivan or a coach.
Do you want to have police escort the decedent from the funeral service to the cemetery? That also costs money, the escorts have to be paid for literally risking their lives to halt traffic so that your deceased loved one can go from point A to point B without stopping. None of this is inexpensive.
Cremations are reasonably inexpensive, depending on the weight of the decedent (yes, it does really matter, this is coming from a plus sized individual). A witnessed cremation adds some to the cost, as most crematories have to close down all other aspects of the business for you to witness. But services with cremated remains can be free. Meet at a park or local bar and raise a toast to your cremated loved one. Or you can have a service with the cremated remains, just as you can with a whole body at a church. Its really only limited by your imagination.
Green Burials and green cemeteries are springing up all over the place. Depending on the type of green cemetery it is, it can be standard costs to VERY EXPENSIVE. Basically a green cemetery places decedent directly into the ground, no casket required, and allow the decedent to decompose naturally into the soil. This requires that each decedent basically takes the space of what in a traditional cemetery would be three burial spots to allow for the decomposition to not impact the environment around it including water tables. This can be very pricey for the cost of the land. As stated above, most cemeteries have a Muslim or Jewish section where a natural/green style burial can take place.
The best thing to do is to shop around and pre-plan. Really and truly. Every funeral home is required by law to provide you with a General Price List at asking. This can help to alleviate the sticker shock when it comes to death. Do not be afraid to talk to funeral homes and cemeteries about the costs and what they entail. Be proactive and you will be happier.
So, as I said above, this is a long and rambling post, BUT, if you have questions you want to ask, I am a fully licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Washington State and will happily answer your questions.
