Deciding Between Burial and Cremation in Bowling Green, MO
The main decision you may have to make when planning a funeral for a loved one is whether to cremate or bury the body. In some situations, the deceased hasn't declared what to do upon death, and it's left up to the surviving family to make the decision. Bowling Green, MO funeral homes can help you by explaining your options and detailing the benefits and disadvantages to both choices.
Cremation is a fairly new way to dispose of a body, with the actual existence of a crematory not existing until the late 1800's. This means that people have been professionally cremating bodies for only a little over 100 years. Although there are records of bodies being burned at sea, there were no official places to have a body cremated until the 19th century. All funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO now have the capability of performing cremations or arranging for cremations.
Tradition dictated that bodies were buried. Centuries old burials had the body simply wrapped in gauze or other material before being laid directly into the ground. It wasn't until later that people started placing bodies into caskets before burial. Now funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO see an equal number of burials and cremations each year, and every family has different reasons for choosing one over the other.
Burial Choices through Bowling Green, MO Funeral Homes
If your loved one did not draw up a will that dictated the terms of what to do after death, it's up to you to sift through the various funeral choices and choose the best one. Funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO have brochures to help you understand the different options available to you. Bowling Green, MO funeral homes may even be able to work with the local cemetery to help you purchase an ideal grave plot. When it comes to burial you can choose between a traditional casket burial, a green burial, or having the body stored in a mausoleum. You will also need to choose a tombstone or other grave marker.
Many funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO deal with traditional casket burials. It still seems to be the most popular option for families who don't want cremation. There are a number of different caskets available to suit all price ranges. If you want a green burial, which involves using environmentally friendly materials to create the casket and handle the funeral process, you will need to choose a biodegradable box for burial. Bowling Green, MO funeral homes can work directly with a green cemetery to arrange transportation of the body, if necessary.
You may not want an in the ground burial, so your choices are to put the casket into a vault or a mausoleum. The casket is slid into a space, or placed in a large concrete vault, instead of being placed into the ground. Funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO can show you the choices of vaults or help you arrange for available space in a mausoleum. The last choice you'll need to make for a burial is the choice of tombstone or grave marker. The choice of grave markers is as vast as the choice of caskets. You can choose a vertical grave marker, a flat, horizontal grave marker, or a statue. There are grave markers made of stone, concrete, and marble. If you work with funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO to plan a green burial, then the grave marker will be a tree, shrub, or other natural landmark.
Cremation Choices through Bowling Green, MO Funeral Homes
There are not as many choices to make when it comes to cremation. The biggest decision will be deciding whether or not to cremate. Bowling Green, MO funeral homes handle cremations either on site or by contracting out with an off-site crematory. The main choices you'll need to make are whether or not you want to have a funeral service before the cremation, how you will store the ashes, and where you will sprinkle the ashes.
If you're worried about the environment, Bowling Green, MO funeral homes can speak with a green cemetery about the options they have for sprinkling ashes. Some green cemeteries sell cremation plots. Families can sprinkle the remains of numerous loved ones on the plot, helping to keep the family together and creating one spot of memorial for visiting friends and family members. There may even be an option to cremate the body and have the ashes buried with someone who died previously. Funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO are experienced with successive burials in the same plot, so speak with the funeral director if you'd like to have the ashes buried in an existing grave plot.
Seeking Counseling for Your Decision
Some families struggle with the decision to bury or cremate. It may stem from religious beliefs, personal beliefs, or wanting to do the right thing by the deceased. Bowling Green, MO funeral homes often have at least one staff member who specializes in grief counseling and funeral counseling. He or she should be able to sit down with you and help you plan out a funeral service that will make you feel comfortable and insure that you're doing what the deceased would have wanted. Funeral homes in Bowling Green, MO work hard to provide exactly what you need, so don't be afraid to ask for counseling or extra personal attention to insure that you're making the right decision.