Planning Funeral Home Services
Do you know how to choose a funeral home and arrange all funeral services for your eventual passing or if you recently lost a loved one? Keep reading for helpful tips.
No matter if you’re pre-planning for your own funeral or planning after a recent loss of a loved one, it’s helpful to know what steps you need to take to make all the necessary arrangements at a funeral home in Davenport, IA. Use these steps and tips to help guide you through the process.
Start by choosing which funeral services you want. There are a few different types of funerals and cremations, and the first step is to choose which one you want. The two main types of cremation you can choose from are traditional cremation and direct cremation. Traditional cremation involves a funeral before the cremation, while direct cremation happens before any type of service. You can also choose various funeral services, such as traditional funerals with burials, viewings, wakes and many more.
Next, get a death certificate. You will have to furnish a death certificate in order for any funeral home to process the body. If you don’t already have one, some funeral homes may help you get one for an extra charge. Be sure to get extra copies, as you will need a death certificate copy for many stops along the way. If you need copies after you’ve already submitted the original, contact your local county records office. You will also need to choose and purchase a casket for the body. This is true even if you choose a direct cremation, as you will still need a cremation casket for the body to be cremated in.
Don’t forget to complete the necessary forms. Before a body can be embalmed or buried it needs to be held and examined by the county coroner or medical examiner. The examiner must fill out and sign an authorization form showing information including:
- Date of birth
- Pacemakers or other implants
- Infectious diseases
- Time, place and cause of death
You will also need to arrange transportation for the body. Most funeral homes provide transportation for the body from the place of death, medical office or storage to the crematorium or funeral home. In some cases, the family must arrange separate transportation.
Finally, come up with post-funeral plans. The remains will be returned to you after the cremation or funeral, and you must make plans for what to do with them. Some common options are burying or interring bodies, and scattering, displaying or storing cremains. Scattering is very common, and is when loved ones, friends or family scatter the remains in a special place, or even into water. Others choose to bury or inter remains in the ground, a mausoleum, or a columbarium.
Trimble Funeral Home & Crematory is here to help if you want or need more assistance with arranging funeral services or choosing the best Davenport, IA funeral home for you and your needs. We offer a wide range of funeral services and have years of industry experience. Please stop by and visit us or give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.
