Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, Author at Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Where Did Funeral Homes Originate?

You likely don’t sit around thinking about funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL very often, but perhaps you saw a movie from the old west times and thought, huh, people used to bury their own—when did that change? There are actually a lot of interesting facts behind funeral homes, where they came from, and how they got to be what they are today.

Funeral homes didn’t start to crop up across the country until after the Civil War ended and much of those businesses grew because of the embalming process. Before the Civil War, people weren’t usually very far from home when they died. The deceased would be placed in the family home, viewed, and then buried. While there were a few ways to put decomposition off, nothing was used very regularly.

In 1865, President Lincoln’s body was embalmed so he could have a nationwide funeral train. At that point, people all over the country accepted and started using the embalming process and funeral homes became the leaders in highlighting that need. The embalming process allowed families to take funeral services outside of their homes. More deceased were transported for their services and neutral settings, like funeral homes, started to become something people wanted. Families could invite others outside of their family and have larger events for their loved ones. Formal cemeteries also became more popular instead of home burials.

Funerals continued to expand across the country in the 1900s and formal training for undertakers became the norm. Instead of being called undertakers, they were changed to morticians or funeral directors. And early in that century, the National Funeral Directors Association was formed to help consumers and professionals come together under certain regulations. There were a lot of other industries that became connected as well such as florists, casket makers, life insurance companies, and more. Funeral home businesses grew by 100% in just 80 years.

Today, there are funeral homes for every major religion and then some. Religious groups often have their own funeral homes or there are some funeral homes that accommodate a lot of different beliefs. Many funeral homes have a variety of disposition options and service choices so wide groups of people can fit into their services. One thing remains the same, however, and that’s the need to mourn and honor someone who has passed away in a unique manner.

The professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help you whenever you have the need for funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL. If you want to plan your own services, come to our facilities at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763 for a tour and we can help you figure out what direction you want to take. If a loved one has passed on, give us a call at (386) 775-2101 and we’ll help you every step of the way from transporting your loved one to their final service arrangements. We want to be by your side during some of the most difficult times in your life.

Making Cremation Services More Environmentally Friendly

There are a number of different reasons why people choose cremation services in Deland, FL over traditional funerals. Perhaps they like the freedom from the traditional timeline so services can be planned at a convenient date and at any pace. Maybe they like the versatile service options that come along with this disposition method. There are also many that appreciate the cost-effectiveness of the procedure. And today, there are more and more people that look to the environment for their answers. Cremation is said to be more environmentally friendly than the alternative so it might be a good option for you to choose if you want to leave a smaller carbon footprint. But even in choosing cremation, there are more things you can do for the environment. Here are a few to consider:

Get A Biodegradable Urn

If you want your ashes to be buried after you are cremated, or even set off for a burial at sea, getting a biodegradable urn can help the environment even further than the cremation alone. These urns break down easier and don’t have a negative impact on the earth. They can protect the ground or water from harmful substances and chemicals and give you a natural sendoff that lessens your carbon footprint.

Choose The Right Cremation Casket

Though you don’t have to have a casket for burial, you may have to have a cremation casket. Some of these casket options can send out fumes and noxious gases when they are burned. Instead, you can opt for non-toxic casket materials that come from renewable resources, like wicker and cardboard. These caskets still get the job done, but they don’t harm the environment as they burn.

Recycle Prior To Cremation

Any metal devices that are within the deceased (such as a pacemaker) will have to be removed before the cremation takes place. You can also have other devices (like plastic items) removed and recycled or simply disposed of so they don’t send up those harmful gases. They can also create ashes that are non-biodegradable, which is not what you want to remain environmentally friendly.

There are many things that make cremation easier on the environment than traditional burial services, but if you want to take things even further, ask the professionals for suggestions. If you are planning your cremation services in Deland, FL in advance, you have time on your side to think through the options. If you are planning for a loved one, you want to do your best to follow their wishes and if they wanted a small carbon footprint, look into the choices available. Contact the experts at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, located at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL with your questions. You can call us at (386) 775-2101 and we’ll talk by phone or set up a time for you to come in and see options and talk over details in person. We look forward to helping you with any cremation needs you might have in the future.

Should You Attend The Visitation Or Funeral At The Funeral Home?

When you are invited to a visitation and/or a funeral at one of the local funeral homes in Deland, FL, you might wonder if you should attend one, the other, or both. There are no right or wrong ways to go here and you have to think about your situation individually and do what is best for you and those around you. Here are some instances that might help you decide where you lie.

Attending The Visitation Only

If you did not know the person who passed away very well, but you want to support their family members, visiting them at the visitation within the funeral home is a nice gesture. You can show your support, offer your condolences, and make an appearance so they know you respect what they are going through. Since you are able to speak with the family there, there’s no huge need to also sit through the funeral. It is also nice to attend the visitation if you have been invited to the services, but for some reason can’t attend the funeral.

Attending The Funeral Only

If you are invited to all services, but the funeral is the only thing that works out time-wise for you, it is okay to attend just that service. You can speak with the family there, leave your name in the guestbook, and perhaps bring a condolence card as well. Sometimes, your appearance at the funeral says more to the family than you can yourself. Just being there means a lot. If you knew the person who passed and you feel the need to mourn, being at the funeral over the visitation is also advantageous for you.

Attending Both Services

If you are very close with the family and want to do anything you can to support them, you might even attend both events. If you are a part of the family or a friend who knew the deceased, you might also feel drawn to all of the services so you can get the closure and final goodbye you need yourself while supporting others who are also grieving. With a plan, you’ll reduce stress for grieving loved ones.

There’s no cut-and-dried answer as to which service you should attend when someone passes on. You have to evaluate your needs, your relationship with them and their family members, and many other things to see where you would best fit in.

If you have questions about service options or you want advice on what you maybe should or should not attend, the funeral homes in Deland, FL can help you on those topics. Contact the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory by visiting with our funeral director at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763, or by calling with your questions at (386) 775-2101. We are experts in helping people create memorable final services for loved ones, but we also want to help those around the grieving by supporting them in the best possible manner in whatever way we can.

Those Who Have Cremation Plans And Those Who Don’t

There are two types of people in this world: people who make final service plans for themselves and people who don’t. Do you have Lake Helen, FL cremation services planned for yourself? Here’s a comparison of those two types of people to show you the advantages of having such services planned out in advance:

The Costs

Those who plan cremation services in advance have a great cost advantage over those who wait and let their family plans things when they pass on. When you plan your own cremation, you have the option of paying in advance as well. The costs are today’s prices and no matter when you use the services in the future, there are no more charges. You can save a significant amount of money by planning ahead. Plus, you relieve your family of those costs and planning burdens. If you don’t plan ahead, the cost can be higher in the future and your family is responsible for it.

Your Wants

Planning your own cremation is a nice final gift for your family. They know just what you would have wanted, plus they don’t have the stress of planning anything themselves. They just call the funeral home that holds your plans and things start in motion from there. They can sit back, gather together, mourn, and support one another. If you don’t make plans, however, your family may have no idea what you would have wanted. It can be overwhelming for them to make plans when they don’t really know what you wanted. Once they make a few choices, they have to go through all the details and add that to-do list to their already high emotions and everything else going on in their life.

Peace Of Mind

You probably sleep fine at night, not really thinking about your death in the future, whenever it may occur. But if you worry about your family, planning your own final services in advance can help you have peace of mind that everything is in place. You know you will get what you want. You know your family won’t have the burden of making plans. And you know the costs are covered. That’s a great way to give you an extra sense of peace in your days. If you don’t plan, on the other hand, you might not really think that far ahead. But if you do, remember that your family may have extra stress and burdens when you pass and you may not get what you really want for final services since they will have to guess.

If you’re ready to plan your own Lake Helen, FL cremation services, contact the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory by calling (386) 775-2101. We can give you a list of options and packages and you can think things over and put your plans into place whenever you are ready. You can visit us in person for further advice at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763.

Make Time To Plan With Funeral Homes

While your life might be busier than ever before, you have priorities. When your child has a soccer game, for example, you do everything you can to be there. You make time for the things in your life that are important to you. One thing you should make time for is planning ahead with Lake Helen, FL funeral homes. It might sound morbid, but one of the facts of life is that someday, you will pass on. Whenever that might happen, it’s nice to have a plan in place for your family so no one has to worry about what you would have wanted or even about making plans at all. They just call the funeral home and the plans operate as you placed them. How can you make time for these plans? Here are a few suggestions.

A Little At A Time

Take a few minutes out of your day to call the funeral home you want to use for your own final services someday. They can send you a list of options, packages, and prices. You can then take a look at the decisions you have to make a little at a time and start slowly. First, you will decide whether you want a funeral or cremation service. Then, you will decide on service details and so on. You can sit down and decide everything at once, or you can take ten minutes out of your day each day and make decisions a little at a time. At that pace, you’ll get farther than you’d think rather quickly and the plans can be put together in short order.

Carve Out An Afternoon

When something is important to you, you make time for it. Plan your work schedule and your family life ahead and carve an afternoon out to visit with funeral home professionals and put some plans together. If you work ahead and cover everything that needs covering, you can get these plans taken care of. There’s nothing more important than caring for your family and this is a huge way to take care of them whenever you pass on in the future.

Have Someone Help

While you get to make the ultimate decisions, it’s nice to have a family member helping you with details. They can look over the options and vet things out a bit so you can figure out what you want faster. If your spouse has more time, ask them to research certain things and update you on the results so you can have the benefits of that research without putting in the time it takes to get the details.

When you are working on pre-plans, there are Lake Helen, FL funeral homes willing to help you work around your time constraints at your convenience. Contact the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory by calling (386) 775-2101 to ask questions or set up a consultation to get details. We’re located at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763 and we want to help you in any way we can.