Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Thoughts To Have When Purchasing An Urn

When you have decided that you want to have cremation services in Lake Helen, FL for yourself in the future, there are other decisions to make as you plan ahead. You might want to work with a funeral home, for example, and choose a cremation package. Once you choose a package, that’s all you have to have for the process. Everything you need is included. You can also pay for the package in advance so your family has another thing off their minds when you pass on in the future. But there are also things you can add to that package if you so choose. The most popular product to add is an urn. As you move forward with making that purchase, here are some things to think about.

What Budget Do You Have For The Purchase?

Once you have chosen a cremation package, you know how much that costs. If you are paying for it, perhaps you have a budget in mind for the urn or anything else you want to line up in advance. It’s important to have a range for the purchase do you don’t go way above what you wanted to spend just because you saw something that looked nice. Let the professionals know what budget you have in mind and they will show you things only in that range.

What Functions Does The Urn Have To Fulfill?

This is also important to think through. If the urn is being used for direct cremation and then you want to have yourself buried, perhaps it doesn’t have to be very expensive. On the other hand, if your urn is going to hold your remains, be displayed at a memorial service, and then be held in a family member’s homes for many years to come, you want something nice and something durable. Talk about the functions you have in mind for the urn in order to let the professionals guide you in the right direction for options that will suit those needs.

What Stands Out To You?

It’s nice to choose your own urn because then your family doesn’t have to make those decisions plus, they will know the urn is something you appreciate. As you look at choices, what stands out to you? Do you like a certain material? A certain color? What do you want to be engraved on the urn, if anything? This product is something that will mean a lot to your family and you will want it to suit your style and personality so they will remember you every time they see it.

It can be hard to find the right urn for your cremation services in Lake Helen, FL because no one really likes to think of their own mortality, but the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help you through the process on a step by step basis. Let us know what you want and we will help you find it, whether that means buying from us or another vendor.

Have You Heard These Things About Cemeteries?

When you work with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL, you will quickly get over any misconceptions you had about those locations and the people who work within them. However, you might still have certain things in mind regarding cemeteries. It’s best to get over those things because you will have to work with a cemetery as well if you are burying your loved one after a funeral service. Here are some of the things you might have heard about cemeteries, or simply believe yourself because of the movies you have seen.

Cemeteries Are Sad, Depressing Places

While cemeteries represent sadness, in many ways, because they deal with death, they can also be very serene, peaceful places. They are places you go to remember and honor someone and there’s nothing sad about that. You are able to place your loved one in a safe location that gives them the restful final resting place they need. Feeling the breeze blow and the sun on your skin can be nice when you visit. That’s not sad or depressing at all.

Cemeteries Are Getting Full

While there are some cemeteries that are short on space, there are plenty of cemeteries in the area with plenty of plots available. If you don’t want to take up more space than you have to, cremation is always an option. Cremation plots are much smaller (and cost less, too) and are something that helps save space.

Embalming Is Required For Burial

Actually, it is the law that funeral homes do not require embalming. It is a good service if you are going to have a visitation and funeral, but it is not required, especially if you are going for direct burial without services beforehand. If it’s not needed for the services you have to have, there’s no reason to go through that process and the extra expense.

You Must Buy Caskets From The Cemetery

When you are working with a funeral home, they are going to have casket and urn options available. Cemeteries also have those products available, most of the time. You don’t have to worry about what vendor you use and you should never feel forced into buying from any particular location. You are the client and you get to choose the product you want to use for your loved one. The funeral home or cemetery should be helping in aiding you to find what you need, whatever that might be, and wherever you might find it, even if it’s not with them.

When you work with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL, especially if it’s for the first time, and you have questions about cemeteries in the area, please, simply ask. The professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory completely understand that not everyone is prolific in the cemetery world and not everyone has had the occasion to plan final services. Whenever you have questions, we are here to answer them and support you through this hard time in your life.

Dividing Possessions After Funeral Home Services

When someone in your family passes on and you find yourself in charge of their final services, you will want to work closely with the professionals at funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL to make sure your family gets what they need and to get your loved one into caring hands. The grieving process is just that, a process. And part of your duties, after the final services are complete, are likely going to include dividing up your loved one’s possessions. That’s a very hard task to take on. Here are a few tips to help you through it.

-Take Your Time

Unless there is an urgent reason to clear out their house, apartment, or living space, take things slow. Don’t rush into the process if you aren’t ready. If you have to get their things out of a nursing home facility, for example, pack everything up and move it to storage until you have the time, and the emotional ability, to go through things at a slower pace. There’s no race and you don’t want to make decisions you’ll regret later.

-Think Hard Before Donating

Donating your loved one’s items is a wonderful thing to do. You can ensure that people who need certain items have access to them. It’s a nice way to honor your loved one, even. But you want to make sure you, and others in your family, are sure that they don’t want certain things before you donate them. You don’t want to donate anything with a large amount of sentimental value, for example. If you aren’t attached to a certain item, someone else in your family might be so it’s best to check around and let everyone have their choices before you make donations.

-Make Copies Of Old Pictures

One of the most precious possessions many people have is pictures. IF your loved one has photos that are so old there are no negatives for them, lots of people might want them. With today’s technology on your side, you can have copies made or you can scan them into a computer and give everyone a thumb drive with those copies on it. You will be able to preserve the memories and give everyone who wants them a part of your loved one’s history in picture form.

There are plenty of other tips you might want to keep in mind when you are breaking apart your loved one’s possessions and trying to distribute them. While funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL can’t make any decisions for you, we are certainly here to give you advice and suggestions and we will also support you through the process, even after the final services are complete and behind you. Contact Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory when you need final services for a family member and you can ensure that they are in good hands. You can also contact us for grief resources later and we also have plenty of contacts to help you with donations and other such things.

Giving Your Loved One A Burial At Sea

Living in Orlando gives you easy access to the ocean. When a family member who loved the water passes on, you might feel good about having cremation services in Lake Helen, FL for them so you can then scatter their ashes in the ocean. If you have never followed through with this process before, there are some things you will need to know.

Contact The Coast Guard

If you aren’t sure about the laws and regulations, you can always contact the coast guard and ask. But you need to know that it is not allowed to scatter your loved one from the beach or any location where they might possibly come into contact with other people. You can scatter them in the ocean, but you need to do so from a boat a certain length away from the shore. You can charter a boat, rent one, use one you have, borrow one, and so on. The coast guard can give you the details on any other rules you need to know.

Stock The Boat

Once you have a boat ready and a day is chosen, you will want to stock the boat with the necessary items. You might be just going for a quick trip out to scatter your loved one and back. But it’s still wise to have some items on hand. Pack whatever for everyone and perhaps a few snacks. You could take some motion sickness medication in case anyone is bothered by the rocking motion. And a general first aid kit is always a good idea.

Think Through The Ceremony

You don’t want to get out in the boat with the ashes and your close family and realize you have nothing else in mind. Think about the ceremony you want to have. Do you want everyone to share a memory? Is there a poem you would like to read or a song you would like to play? Is everyone going to scatter a little ash or is one person going to do the job alone while others watch? It’s important to form the ceremony in your mind so you can ensure that you get in everything you want to do when the time comes.

There are lots of other places you can lay your loved one to rest, but if you choose an ocean scattering, the professionals can help you get things set up and thought through. When you get cremation services in Lake Helen, FL from Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, we are here for much more than just the cremation process itself. We can give you advice on scatterings, hold memorial services for you, offer advice and suggestions for anything along the way and much more. You can even come back to us in the future if you or a loved one needs grief resources of some kind. We’re here for whatever kind of support you need and we will always offer out compassion no matter what your circumstances might be including.

Spreading Funeral Home Plans Among Family

There’s no such thing as a good time to hold a final service for a loved one. It’s going to be hard no matter when death occurs. And you might find yourself in charge of working with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL to get the final services lined up. Just because you are the point person, though, doesn’t mean you have to do all of the work. You are grieving and you have people in your life who are ready and willing to help. Here are a few ways you can spread the funeral home plans out among other family members.

Let Someone Take Over The Memorial Table/Video

When you arrange a final service, whether it’s a funeral or memorial service, you will often have a memorial table and perhaps also a video of music and pictures that play before or even during the service. This is an integral part of the service that will make things very special and personalized. But it takes time to put together and you might not have the time you want to put into the project. Let another family member take it on. You can give them any pictures you want to be included or any instructions you have and let them take it from there.

Allow Another To Plan The Reception

The reception is an important part of the day, but it often gets put off for plans that are more important. Just because it might not be the pivotal part of the day doesn’t mean you want to ignore it. But you might not have time for it, either. Another family member will have time and they would likely be honored to take the project on for the rest of the family. Again, if you have any ideas or thoughts about the reception, let them know. Otherwise, let them take that part of the day, organize it, and run with their own plans.

Have Someone Help With Side Issues

Just because you are planning a final service for a loved one doesn’t mean the rest of your life has stopped moving forward. You might need help clearing your plate so you have more time to dedicate to the final plans. Have a family member drive your kids to and from school and practices. Ask someone to mow your grass, run your errands, or do other little things around your house and life that will free you up for what you need to concentrate on right now.

If you have to plan final services for a loved one with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL, the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to relieve you of as many of the burdens as possible. But you might also want help from your loved ones. Breaking up the responsibilities can really help you have the time you need to grieve and move forward while you are getting the plans you want for your loved one into place. It can also be a real honor for other family members to be included in that way.