Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Working Ahead With Funeral Homes

Are you one of those people that like to work ahead? In school, you got assignments done the day they were assigned instead of the night before they were due. Now that you’re in the working world, you look ahead to projects that are upcoming and start working on the details. If you like to look into the future, there’s one thing you can predict for sure…eventually, you are going to pass away. While it’s sad to think about that, it’s one of those facts of life that can’t be avoided. But working ahead with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL can help you feel at ease about that part of your future. Here are a few things pre-planning can do.

Give You And Your Family Peace Of Mind

When you think ahead to the end of your life, you want nothing more than to take care of your family, right? One way you can do that is by planning your own final services ahead of time. They won’t have to wonder what you might have wanted and instead, they don’t have to make plans at all. It gives them more time to spend together, supporting one another, as your plans take action as soon as they call the funeral home.

Relief Of Financial Burdens

While it’s not a necessity, you can also pay for your final services in advance when you work with a funeral home in the planning process. This is an even bigger gift for family members because not only do they not have to plan, but they also don’t have to pay. That can help them grieve and mourn, as they should, while not adding extra burdens to their plate.

Get What You Want

As you think about your final plans, you may know exactly what you want for those services. Planning ahead is a way for you to get just what you want without worrying family members about organizing the details. You can organize everything yourself and they’ll all be in place. You can have a traditional burial or cremation service with all the unique details you want to have in place. And no one has to worry that anything was left out because you organized it all yourself.

These are a few reasons to put the planner in you to work in looking ahead with funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL. If you like to plan ahead, this is one event you will definitely want to look into. Talk to the representatives at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory by calling (386) 775-2101 and we can help you figure out the details. We’ll make sure you don’t leave anything important out by going over the packages and options with you until you have everything set up just right. You can visit us in person at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763 and we can show you around our facilities at that time. You can also check out our website at Baldaufffuneralhome.com to get more information about our services.

Ideas for After the Cremation Service

You may already know that cremation services in Daytona Beach, FL offer a lot of advantages over a traditional burial. You get the services you need at a budget-friendly price and there are flexible options for services and timelines after that. You even get to choose what happens to the ashes once the person is cremated. Once you’ve made other decisions and you have to go about figuring out what to do once the cremation services are over, it’s nice to look over the options to see what suits you or your family best. Here are a few options to consider:

Scattering

Probably the most popular way to honor someone after the cremation is to scatter their ashes somewhere special. You can scatter them over land, into the air, over water, on private property, or anywhere else. If you’ve never scattered ashes before, you might have a particular picture in mind, but there are actually many different ways to scatter ashes.

Casting means just tossing the ashes into the wind. You will want to check the wind direction so you don’t end up throwing anything into anyone’s face, which can be very unpleasant. You can cast alone or have others join you in the efforts.

Water scattering is when you scatter the ashes into a body of water. You may need local authority permission for this, and you will also want a biodegradable urn that won’t hurt the natural elements. You could also get an urn that sinks into the body of water and can deteriorate from there. Support from friends and family may not help relieve the amount of sadness and grief you feel.

Raking means pouring the ashes over loose soil, like in a garden or under a tree, and raking them into the earth. There might be local ordinances for this in certain locations so check into the rules before you perform this method in the wrong place.

Ringing ceremonies are more ritualistic, and you would form a ring with the ashes around a tree, a home, a property, or anywhere else.

And trenching is like burying, but with less depth. You dig a small hole for the ashes and cover them. You could do this in the family yard, or even near the ocean where the ashes could be taken out into the sea by the tide later.

These are just a few of the scattering options that you might consider if that’s the direction you want to take. When you need help with the process or deciding between options, local cremation service providers in Daytona Beach, FL can help you with everything you need. Contact the specialists at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory for answers to any questions you have. We’re located at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763 and we’re compassionate individuals who truly want to help. You can call us with questions if you want to start that way at (386) 775-2101. And we can set you up with a consultation to figure out more of the details when you’re ready. We want to help you honor your loved one however you see fit.

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.