Tips For Maintaining A Memorial Garden Posted on May 22, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When you go with cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for a loved one’s final services, it’s an honorable thing to do for them. Once that process is complete, you can do whatever you want for them. Many families have a memorial service, for example. You might want to honor your loved one in other ways, too, like by creating a memorial garden. If you did just that, you will want to maintain that memorial garden as the years go by. Here are a few things you will want to do. Remove Leaves in The Fall The leaves are going to fall in the autumn and you are going to want to enjoy the colors, but also remove the leaves from the memorial garden area. You can blow them out of the garden, rake, or gather them in bunches and put them into bags for disposal. Leaves often make good mulch, so you could crunch them up and use them as plant coverage over the winter months, too. Protect Plants In The Winter Some plants are meant to die out in the winter and you will simply replace them when the spring comes around. Other plants might need to be dug up and stored over the winter. And then, there are plants that will come back on their own in the spring. However, the Iowa winters can be harsh and you might need to protect the plants that are more sensitive to the snow, frost, and cold temperatures. That might mean covering certain plants with insulated cones, placing mulch on top of the plants, or simply covering the area with a cloth and stamping it down. The plants can flourish the next season when treated right in the winter. Add New Life In The Summer During the summer months, you might want to add a little color and new life to the memorial garden. Add some beautiful annual flowers around the edges, surrounding the memorial bench, or in other areas of the garden. If you have bushes or other things that have died out, remove and replace them. Summer is prime planting time and a great time to make changes to the garden as a whole. Prune In The Spring In the springtime, it’s a good time to take notice of what winter did to the memorial garden. You will want to prune back dead branches, replace flowers that need replacing, and perhaps add some new things. This is a good time to plant seeds that can grow into the summer months as well. If you have created a memorial garden for your loved one after their cremation services in West Des Moines, IA, you are going to want to keep that garden looking nice as the years go by. It can be a great way to honor them in an ongoing way. Gardens can be a lot of work, though, and you can ask family, friends, and others to help you maintain things if you need the help.
Do You Need To Ship Cremated Remains? Posted on May 15, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one passes on, you want nothing but the best for them and that might mean moving towards cremation services in Urbandale, IA. Cremation is an honorable way to go and it allows you to have options that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Cremated remains, for example, are very portable. You can take them wherever you want to go in a car, you can travel with them by plane, and you can even ship them. Here are some reasons you might need to ship cremated remains. The Next Of Kin Lives Elsewhere Perhaps you took care of a loved one’s cremation services, but that persons next of kin actually lives in another area and they can’t make it to your region to pick their loved one up. You can certainly ship the remains to their next of kin so that person can have a memorial, figure out the final resting place, and so on. You Want To Distribute Them To Other Family While you were in charge of the cremation services, you might want your loved one’s remains to rest among other family members. You can split their remains up into mini-urns and then mail them to the proper family members. Each person can display the remains in a place of honor, scatter them, bury them, or do something else with them that they feel that person would appreciate. Shipping the remains can help you cut down on your own travel while you get your loved one where they need to go. Someone You Know Lives Somewhere Special For A Scattering You want your loved one to have a final resting place in the ocean, or perhaps atop or near the mountains that they loved. But you live nowhere near those places and have no plans of traveling to them any time soon. If you know someone in those places, you can send your loved one to them and have them scatter the ashes in that final resting place. They can have you on a video chat to be part of the service or send you pictures of the process. Your loved one will ge the final resting place you wanted for them. You Want To Send Them Ahead To Your New Location If you are going to move, you might want to ship your loved one remains since the hustle and bustle of moving can be a lot. You want your loved one’s remains to be safe and secure the whole time and it’s important to ensure that they get where you are going without being disturbed. When you are going about getting cremation services in Urbandale, IA for a loved one, you will want to take your time figuring out what else you want to do for them once that process is complete. You could ship their remains for a variety of different reasons. Get details from the cremation provider or perhaps the mailing professionals. That will help you to get your loved one where you want them to go.
Reasons To Journal When Grieving Posted on April 10, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one of yours passes on and you have cremation services in Des Moines, IA for them, you might want to take up journaling as a way to help yourself through the grieving process. Here are a few reasons you might feel that journaling will work well for you, or, at the very least, is worth a try. -To Give Yourself A Safe Place To Vent You are going to be talking to family and friends a lot, and perhaps venting your emotions to them quite a bit. But you might also want to have a safe place to vent other things that you can’t bring yourself to say out loud. You might want to complain about the burdens you are under right now, talk about how angry you are at the situation, and other such things. The journal is a safe place where you can let it all out. -To Record What You Are Going Through Grief is hard and it’s going to take whatever path it wants to take. As you journal, you are recording what you are going through, and that can help you to understand what stage of grief you are in, perhaps show you how things are going, and simply give you something you can look back on when you want to remember memories of your loved one that you recorded in writing. -To Allow You To Look Back And See Progress It’s never easy to grieve and you are going to go through good times and bad times as you chart your path to a new normal. But you are going to progress, even if you can’t see the progression upfront. Look back through your journal, perhaps, and see the progress you have made. You might recognize that when you first learned your loved one passed on, you couldn’t sleep at night and now, you are getting a full eight hours in on a regular basis. When grieving was at its worst, you couldn’t go an hour without crying and now, those crying bouts are reduced to a few per day. Seeing the progress can help you motivate yourself to continue down your path to healing. -To Help You Cope On The Bad Days When the rough days come, and they will, having your journal can help you to get through them. You can look back at how things were and the progress you made. You can read through memories you recorded of your loved one. You can write out what you are feeling and wonder why you feel like you are going backwards down the wrong path again. You can cope when you have something to turn to and the journal can give you just that. When you are grieving, the professionals that helped with your loved one’s cremation services in Des Moines, IA are there for you, no matter how much time has passed. They have resources that can help you, like counselor suggestions, grief support group times and locations, and other such things
Unique Things To Do To Celebrate Life After Cremation Posted on April 3, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one passes on, and you have cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for them, you might put off their memorial for a bit so you have time to process things and plan out something special. Everyone wants their loved one’s services to be unique and one way to make it so is to have a celebration of life. You can celebrate a life well lived in a variety of unique ways. Here are some of the special things you can do that can help you to celebrate that special life. Shoot Fireworks With Remains Fireworks shows can be very special and impressive. They can be a nice way to cap off a life celebration, and your loved one’s life. While you can get and shoot off fireworks of any kind, you can also have your loved one’s remains included in the fireworks. You can shoot their remains up into the air as you celebrate them. It’s a nice way to give them a resting place and allow them to go out with a bang, so to speak. Fly Kites With Messages If there are going to be a lot of kids at the celebration, you are going to want activities that they will enjoy. Get some kites, perhaps, and allow them to color them. Others can write messages on them and then, the kites can be flown throughout the celebration. It can feel like letting go of that person as the messages to up and float around in the sky. Lots of kites flying together can also be a beautiful sight to see. Launch Lanterns And Goodbyes When the celebration goes into the waning sunlight hours, lighting lanterns and launching them into the sky in honor of your loved one can be nice, too. You can write messages, memories, and well wishes on the lanterns for your loved one before casting them out, too. Have a Potluck Meal Your family members and friends likely want to know what they can do for the services, and you want include as many of them as you can. Ask them to bring a dish to share at the celebration and you can have a nice, potluck meal. You can assign dishes, or certain areas, or you can leave it up to chance. If you end up with all desserts, so be it, right? The potluck can be a nice way to feed everyone and it’s also a great way to include more people in the planning. Plant Seeds Together One nice way to honor your loved one is to allow everyone in attendance to plant some seeds for that person. You might clear out a garden area and have some people plant flowers while others plant vegetables or herbs. As the garden grows, it will remind you of your loved one, but also the love of your family and friends who took a hand in planting things. As you think about celebrations after cremation services in West Des Moines, IA, there are lots of options to consider.
How Can You Thank Your Cremation Provider? Posted on March 27, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes Cremation providers do what they do as a service to the community. They don’t expect anyone to thank them for providing cremation services in Urbandale, IA. They know that their services are necessary and that everyone receiving them is grateful for those services and the care their loved one receives. However, if you got a cremation provider that went above and beyond for you, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to them later and thanking them for their part in caring for their loved one. Here are a few things you might want to do. A Nice Card/Letter You may be sending cards and letters to a lot of different people who have helped you with your loved one’s final services. You can send a card to the cremation provider at the same time, if you see it fit to do so. They will appreciate the gesture and be touched that you thought highly enough of their services to reach out to them after the fact. Recommendations To Others One of the biggest ways you can thank a cremation provider is be recommending their services to other people. When someone in your life has to plan final services for a loved one, recommend the provider you used and let your friend know what they did for you and how much you appreciated their services. If you hear that someone you know wants to pre-plan their services, you can also tell them about your experiences with a certain provider. Word of mouth is the best advertising and the best way to say thank you to a provider. Reviews Online It will only take a few minutes, but leaving a review online can be a huge way to let someone know you appreciate their services. When you chose a cremation provider, you might read the reviews to see if that provider is a good fit for you. Leaving your own review about your experiences will help that provider to garner more business in the future and that’s a huge way to thank them for how they treated your loved one. Prompt Payment Cremation providers give you a service and that service has a cost to it. Paying them promptly and on the agreed upon schedule is a great way to show them you appreciate their services. They can spend more time caring for other people and less time chasing down debts. An In-Person Thank You If you really want to let the cremation provider know how much you appreciate the services they gave to your loved one and the way they treated the rest of your family, you might stop by their facilities and tell them thank you in person. You can take a card signed by your family or just stop by and let them know what you liked about their services. When you have cremation services in Urbandale, IA, the provider is not expecting anything from you by way of a thank you. But if you want to thank them, there are lots of ways you can do just that.
Being A Companion To The Bereaved Posted on March 20, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes There are lots of things you can do for someone that has lost a loved one. When they have cremation services in Des Moines, IA for that person, for example, you can be there for them in many different ways. Your time and presence can be of utmost importance to someone who is going through the worst of times. Here are a few things you can do to be a companion to that person who is grieving. Be Their Shoulder To Cry On You want your friend to know they can come to you at any time and vent to you. Be their shoulder to cry on and it can mean the most to them. They know you are there with a hug and a kind word at any time. Your shoulder is open for business with no judgement and you can offer it to them and it means a lot. Accompany Them To The Funeral Home For Support When your friend is planning funeral home services, it’s important that they have someone along with them any time they visit that location. They might often have family to go with them, and that’s great. But if there are times when they need to stop by and do something with the professionals, and they don’t already have family going with them, make sure they know you are there to accompany them. You can be a second set of eyes and ears, or you can just be there to support them if they break down with emotions. Aid In Errands/Arrangements There are lots of things your friend might have to do around the services they are having for their loved one. They are also grieving and going through a hard time. They might have a lot on their plate and you can help to fill things in by offering to run errands for them, take care of small parts of the arrangements, or fill in other ways that are necessary. It can be a real relief to them to have a go-to person to take care of some of these things. Feed Them At Home When your friend is grieving, and trying to plan things out, you are going to want to make sure they care for themselves as well. Make sure they have nutritious food and that they are eating on a regular basis. That can help them to have the energy they need to get through this hard time. Attend The Services They Arrange Once the final services are arranged, you should attend those services to support your friend. Whether you knew their loved one or not, being there for the services to back them up can mean a lot. Show Up After The Services For Further Support After services are complete, your friend will still be grieving through the cremation services in Des Moines, IA. Be there for them through those hard days when others may have moved past the immediacy of the services. Emotions are still going to be high.
Details On Biodegradable Urns For Cremated Remains Posted on February 27, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes Once you decide on cremation services in Des Moines, IA for a loved one, you will need to figure out what you will do with their remains. There’s no timeline on their final resting place, but you are going to want to decide what kind of container you will use for their remains in the meantime. You could take the simple container that the provider will give you as a part of any package, for example. Or, you can get an urn of your choosing. One of the urn options is a biodegradable urn. Here are some details on that option. What Are Biodegradable Urns? Biodegradable urns are urns that break down naturally, either in the earth, in the water, or both. You can utilize these urns if you want your loved one to have an eco-friendly service. They are gentle and friendly to the environment no matter what you do with them. They also cost less, so you can save on the budget in that area as well. When Can They Be Used? Biodegradable urns have certain functions and there are times when you might want one, and times when you might not. For example, if you are going to keep your loved one in your home, a biodegradable urn is not going to be ideal. These urns break down and they would not be a good idea for a long-term placement in your home. On the other hand, if you are going to bury your loved one, either in the cemetery or in a home garden or another location, a biodegradable urn is a great fit. It will break down under the earth in a natural way. You can also utilize one of these natural urns if you go for a water burial. You can cast the urn into the water and it will sink and break down, again, in a natural manner, dissipating your loved one’s remains into the water. Where Can You Find Them? Most cremation providers have one or more biodegradable urns on the market. You can ask them about that option and for what reasons you might use such an urn. You can also buy an urn from any other vendor, if you so choose to do so. Perhaps you want an urn that has seeds in it that you can plant in your garden. You might be able to get certain seed urns from another vendor and the funeral home and cremation provider will use it without question. They simply want you to get what you want to honor your loved one, no matter what that might end up being. When you are looking into biodegradable urns, there are plentiful options. You will want to look into the materials and consider the purposes you have for the urn. You will also want to think about what you want for your loved one, and what they would have wanted. The professionals that help you with the cremation services in Des Moines, IA can help you with the urn as well.
Questions About Cremation Services Posted on January 23, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When you have to choose a final service option for your loved one, the two main options are funerals and cremation services in Des Moines, IA. If you want to find out the details about cremation before you decide, and you should, the providers are there to help you with the answers. Don’t ever feel afraid about asking questions. You want to figure out what’s best for your family and you need information to do that. Here are a few things to ask and consider as you move forward with the decision-making process. What Are The Service Options? With cremation, you probably know that your loved one’s remains would be turned from their form into an ash-like form. But there are a lot of options for services that go around that. You might, for example, have full cremation. You can have a funeral and visitation service first, then you can have the cremation done. Or, you can go with direct cremation, which has no final services beforehand. The cremation happens first and then, you can have any kind of service you want after that. There are almost endless options available for cremation services. What Costs Are Involved? Cremation services have much lower costs involved than a funeral home service. It’s nice to know that there are far fewer products and services necessary so the overall costs are going to be lower to begin with. Once you see the package prices, you can add whatever you want to those if your budget will allow for it. What Do Packages Include? Cremation packages include everything you have to have for a final service. They are basic, but they meet all of your loved one’s needs from start to finish. When you look at the packages, they are always going to include transportation so your loved one can be moved from the place of their death to the funeral home’s facilities. They will also include interim care, the cremation process, and help with paperwork. Finally, all packages will include a simple container for your loved one’s remains. While you can add anything you want to the cremation package, it’s nice to know that when you get the package, your loved one has what they need. What Can Be Done With Remains? Once you have the cremation done, there are lots of options for what you can do with their remains. You are able to bury them, scatter them, keep them, or do any number of other things. One thing that is nice about cremation is that there’s no timeline included. You can have the cremation done and do whatever you want with the remains at any time in the future. Some families do something right away and others wait until they have time to work through the options. What Urn Options Are There? While cremation packages include simple containers, these are little more than a cardboard box. You can get an urn for your loved one instead, if you choose to do so. Cremation services in Des Moines, IA allow for a variety of options.
Benefits Of Ash Scattering Posted on January 2, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes If you decide on cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for a loved one, there are many things you can do for them once that method is completed. You can have a memorial service at any time, for example, and you can do a number of different things with their ashes. Ash scattering services are very popular today and they come with a lot of benefits. Before you make any decisions, here are some reasons to consider this option. Give Your Loved One A Special Resting Place Any resting place you choose for your loved one is going to feel like a special place because they are there. If you want to lay them to rest somewhere outside the cemetery, having an ash scattering somewhere, like their favorite park, family ground, or other such locations, can really make those spots feel special. Any time you visit that place in the future, you are going to think of them and that can be very valuable to you. Prevent Family From Keeping The Remains While family members can keep the remains of your loved one for as long as they want, it can be a responsibility as well. Perhaps several family members want to keep them. You can split them into several urns and that can help. But you might not want them to be in several locations, but rather in one. Or, you might be worried that their urn will be disturbed in a family home. You would try to keep them safe, but you just never know. Scattering the ashes will help you to prevent anything from happening to them in your home and it might help to keep them together in one location. Give Family A Place To Visit Scattering is different than burial and your loved one isn’t really in that place any longer. But when you choose a special location for the scattering, it’s always going to be a special spot for you and other family members. When you want to think of your loved one, that’s where you will go. You might even have a memorial there in the future to think of them again. Save Money On The Resting Place Cemetery burials are going to cost, while not as much as a funeral, they will still cost more than other options. Keeping your loved one at home means getting a nice urn. When you scatter ashes, you can use the simple container the provider gives you and not have any other costs associated with the process. That can be a nice way to suit your budget. When you are trying to figure out what you want to do for your loved one, first concentrate on their immediate needs. Ensure that they get the cremation services in West Des Moines, IA they have to have and then, you can worry about the other options later. You might have a memorial service, for example, or you could have an ash scattering—or both. There’s no timeline on those decisions and you can make them when you are ready.
Concerns Some Have About Cremation Services Posted on December 26, 2022 by ilesfuneralhomes If you have to make decisions for a loved one who has passed on, or if you are trying to figure out what you want to do for yourself in the future, it’s smart to consider cremation services in Urbandale, IA as well as funeral home options. If you have any concerns about cremation, or you know people in your family who do, ask questions and get to the bottom of those concerns so you can get everything worked out and move forward from there. Here are a few concerns some people have. Can You Have A Funeral First? Some people believe that you can either have a funeral or a cremation, but not both. That’s not the case at all. Cremation services allow you to do whatever you want. You can have a full funeral and visitation service first and then follow those up with cremation services. Or, you can have cremation in a direct manner and after that, you can have a memorial service that feels like a funeral with many of the same traditions in place. Cremation allows you the freedom to do whatever you want on any timeline you want to do it on. What Are Memorials Like? If you feel like direct cremation might be a good option for your situation, you may want to know more about memorial services. What are they like? The truth is, they are whatever you make of them. If you want to do something traditional in a funeral home or church, you can. If you want to do something casual like a picnic in a park, you can. If you want to celebrate your loved one’s life, you can. Do whatever feels best for your loved one’s personality and the rest of your family. Is Your Religion Okay With it? This has been a hurdle over the years, but most major religions are now completely fine with cremation services. Some even promote the option as their method of choice. There are a few hold outs, so if you want to be absolutely sure, you should talk to your faith leaders and go ahead from there. But cremation is an honorable option and is accepted by most religions. How Much Will It Cost? Cremation services are going to cost less than the other methods. The more simple and straightforward you keep it, the less it will cost. It’s nice to know that any cremation package will include everything you need for the process. You can add whatever you want, but the package itself will cover the needs. These package prices will give you a good idea as to what things are going to cost. What Can You Do With the Cremains? Like memorial services, there’s no timeline on the final resting place process and cremation services in Urbandale, IA allow you to do whatever you want. You can keep the remains, bury them in a cemetery, bury them in a garden at home, scatter them, or do a variety of any other things.
