While funerals are a large procession now and have intricate detailing and arrangements, it wasn’t always this way. In ancient times, you would find that funerals were either very small or significantly large, depending on the culture that you came from. As such, you’ll see that the area or period that you lived in would highly impact what type of funeral you had. Now, we have a funeral home in Urbandale, IA to help, which truly makes all the difference.

It Used To Be Common To Share A Coffin

In the past few centuries, a funeral would be different because if you needed a coffin, you might have to share one. If your family could not afford one for yourself, this was an issue you would face. If this were the case, you would be brought from your home to the churchyard in a community coffin, and if you needed to be buried in a coffin afterward, it might have been one that was already used by someone else. The other scenario is that your body would have been put in with someone else who was family. Many believed this was a loving gesture, showing that humans have always tended to care for each other.

Medieval Farm Techniques Created Our Cemeteries

Another thing you’ll be able to see in today’s times that we can thank the past for is the cemetery burials. These burials are placed in alignment with a medieval furrow or ridge. This means that a cemetery is established upon the troughs and peaks in our landscape because of the medieval farming or plowing they used to do daily. Many people are incredibly surprised by this fact because they don’t think that a system from centuries ago would be able to stand the test of time and help the methods that we use today.

They Would Send Off Their Loved Ones In A Different Way

Back then, many people had a belief system different from the one we have now. In particular, mourners turned over a picture of their loved one or covered the mirror, believing that that would help them pass on to the next life more easily. Other cultures adopted the method that you couldn’t cry when someone was about to pass because it was believed that the soul would hear it and be unable to find its way. That would turn out to be the most difficult thing to endure because keeping their tears at bay was incredibly difficult. However, because this is what they believed, they would force themselves to wait.

Everyone Thinks Differently

Everyone thinks differently when it comes to funerals, and the choice will ultimately come down to what you feel you need to have with your or your family. This is where talking to the funeral home can genuinely come in handy. Because of their expertise, you know about being sure that you have a funeral home in Urbandale, IA director that can genuinely help you accomplish what you need to while being caring and supportive at the same time.

Everyone seems to want to know the inner workings of a funeral home in West Des Moines, IA, and we have some interesting tidbits you might enjoy. While many think the funeral home director is someone who has a fascination with death, you’d be wrong. They have a passion for life and helping the people left behind. Curious about the things they see daily? Keep reading our list below!

The Body Is Not Moving

Many myths surround the body and what it does after death. As such, you’ll see that many people wonder about hair and fingernails as well as other issues. You’ll find that the nails and hair do not grow after death. This is a completely false myth. In addition to this, the body does not sit up or do anything else when you’re deceased is brought to the home.

They Are Not Frozen

Another myth is that bodies are stored like frozen vegetables, and that’s not true either. The body will go through an embalming process, meaning they don’t need to be kept on ice. However, if you don’t decide to embalm, that changes the game as the body decomposes faster.

Embalming Isn’t Always Required

Embalming is only required when people are going to visit the body. This means that you have chosen to hold a viewing where people can touch the body. You don’t want disease or biohazards to occur, so the body is embalmed so you can be safe. This way, you get to see your loved one before they’re buried.

Mourners Used To Stop The Clocks

One tradition that is different from today is that the funeral mourners used to stop the clocks at a funeral or when someone passed away. They believed it would stop bad luck and symbolize the loved one’s passing. People would also cover mirrors or ensure that every portrait of the deceased was turned over.

We’re All Roommates

During the medieval period, churches had community coffins. These were used to transport people to the churchyard from home. For a minute, your body could lay where hundreds had before you. Let’s hope everyone was placed in the coffins after they were cleaned.

We Don’t Know Everything About The Past Yet

For almost a century or more, no one knew what ancient Britain used to do for their funerals. There were many theories over time, but the evidence was practically invisible. Human remains were in places like Yorkshire but couldn’t be found anywhere else. Talk about a mystery.

What Do You Think About Funerals?

Now that you’ve seen the trends of the past and what people used to do, what do you think about funerals? We’ve also shown some modern additions to showcase how things have changed in recent years. You can see that the embalming process is more involved, and we bet you’re relieved that the body doesn’t sit up like you thought, right? Instead, you can know the facts from fiction and be prepared when you have to plan your funeral and questions to ask the funeral home director in West Des Moines, IA.

There are lots of reasons to pre-plan final services with a Funeral home in West Des Moines, IA, and more people recognize that today than ever before. If you’ve ever thought about making plans, you might know some of the benefits of planning ahead. It just makes sense. It’s a good thing for your peace of mind and final wishes and it’s a great thing for your family and relieving them of future burdens, too. While you might understand that, you still put off planning things. Why is that? Here are a few reasons you won’t want to put off pre-planning if it is something you feel you want to do.

1-You Never Know When You Will Die

Even if you are young and healthy, you can’t predict the date and time of your death. You just can’t. You hope that you live to be 100 and that you are perfectly healthy until then, but you just don’t know what will happen next year, or even tomorrow. Since you never know when you are going to die, it’s safest to put your pre-planning ideas into action sooner rather than later. You want to have those plans in place as soon as you can so they can take action whenever you need them. Hopefully, you won’t need them for decades, but even if you need them in a few years, they will be there when necessary.

2-Health Isn’t Always Guaranteed

You feel like you hardly get colds and COVID either skipped you entirely or was completely mild when you had it. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have something lurking in you, just waiting to come you. More people are getting cancer today than ever before, for example, and it’s not always something you can predict. Even if you are healthy now, you may not be next year. And it can be a lot easier to make your pre-plans when you have health on your side and are able to think clearly about every decision you have to make.

3-Your Family Has No Idea What You Want

Not every family talks about what they want for their final services. It’s an awkward topic and you probably don’t really want to bring it up, right? No one does, but it’s something that might be important to your family someday. It’s nice to let them know what you want and, likewise, you can ask them what they want. If you’ve never talked about it before, that’s all the more reason not to put off pre-planning. Once the plans are in place, you can hand them over to your family and they know just which company to call when the time comes.

There’s really no right or wrong time to call the funeral home in West Des Moines, IA to make final service plans, but you can wait too long and if it’s too late, there’s nothing you can do. Instead, don’t delay but rather get those plans into place soon so you and your family don’t have to worry.

When you have to contact a Funeral home in Des Moines, IA, you are either planning ahead for yourself, or making plans for a loved one who has passed on. When you look over the options, you might feel overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and know that there are simple ways to make plans for your loved one. IT’s okay to take a beat and slow things down. Here are a few ways to simplify the process so you can feel confident about the options while getting things in order efficiently.

Understand The Options

One of the first things the funeral home is going to need to know is whether you want cremation or a funeral for your loved one. If you don’t completely understand the difference between the options, the decision could be made a lot easier by getting a thorough explanation. Even if you think you know what you want, understanding the options and relating them to your loved one and your exact situation can make you feel just right about what you choose. Once you understand what you can have in either direction, you can move ahead.

Choose A Package And Go From There

You are going to want to take care of your loved one’s needs, first and foremost. That can be done through choosing a package, either for cremation or a funeral. Once that package is in place, you can rest assured that your loved one’s needs will be met. You can add anything you want to the package, but it is usually easiest to start with a package and go from there. Once the package is there, you can take a little time with the other options.

Consider Other Options

There are a lot of different things you can do once you have the package in place. If you decide on cremation, you don’t have to decide on anything outside of the cremation package you got. You can put those things off, if you want, or move forward right away. With funerals, you have other decisions to make, but you still have a lot of options to consider to include or leave out.

Making final service plans for a loved one is never easy since it means you are mourning for that special person. But the funeral in Des Moines, IA is available to help you streamline the process and make it as easy as possible. Using their professional help can allow you to relax as you know their guidance is not going to steer you wrong. They know what has to be done and they won’t let you leave anything out along the way. You can trust that they have planned these things many times before and they will support whatever you decide to do for your loved one. They won’t make decisions for you, but they have plenty of suggestions and ideas as well as options to help you get what you want and need for that special person in your life that passed one.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s part of human nature. But while some mistakes are small, like wearing shorts when it’s really too cold outside, others are things you will regret long term, like not choosing the right services with a funeral home in Urbandale, IA for a loved one when they pass on. No one wants to make mistakes on a loved one’s services and the professionals will help you to avoid those big mistakes that cause regret and further grief later on. Here are some of the mistakes people have made and how you can avoid them yourself.

Using The Wrong Funeral Home

The very first decision you will need to make is which funeral home you will use for your loved one’s services, and it’s a huge choice to make. While you might feel pressure to choose fast, because your loved one has needs that have to be addressed, you do deserve to spend some time researching and reviewing the options so you can get the professionals you need for this process. The funeral home you use can make or break the rest of the process before you so choose with great care.

Avoiding The Budget

When you buy a house, or a car, you have a budget in mind. You know what you can afford and you look in that price range and not beyond. While funerals aren’t as big of an investment, you still need to know what you can afford to spend on the process. If you don’t put a budget into place, you might end up buying certain products and services based on your emotions, because you want nothing but the best for your loved one, and then, once the bottom line adds up, you realize you can’t afford everything you wanted. Having a budget, and letting the professionals know what it is, really is the way to go.

Not Taking Time With Choices

While there is a timeline on things when you are putting together funeral services, you still can take time with the decisions you have to make. You don’t have to choose the casket in five minutes, but rather you can look over options, talk to family, and even sleep on the choice for a night to ensure you are making the right decision. Even little choices are going to add up to be a big deal and you deserve to be certain about each one you choose for your loved one.

There are plenty of mistakes that could be made, both large and small, and you are going to want to feel confident in all of the choices you make. Ask yourself what your loved one would have wanted and do your best to make choices in that way. Keep in mind that you really are doing your best with the situation you are in. The professionals at the funeral home in Urbandale, IA are there to help you with he options you have to consider.

Funeral homes in Des Moines, IA are there to help people who are going through a hard time after the death of a family member. It is their goal to take care of the needs of someone who has passed on, but also to support the family. They will also help those who are supporting the bereaved with ideas and suggestions. If you know someone in your life who is going through a hard time, you can contact the professionals for ideas of things you might send to the grieving to let them know you care.

Choosing The Gift

The most popular thing to send someone who is grieving is a flower arrangement or plant. Flowers are nice in the background of a funeral service as they can help decorate the space and remind the family of the people who love and support them. A plant is a nice option because the family can take it home (or you can send it directly to their home) and they can care for it and remember their loved one as well as the way you supported them during this hard time.

For funeral homes and cremation services, flowers and plants are the most popular grieving gift. They make a nice gift because they can help the family to decorate the service. Plants are nice because they last and your friend can take the plant you sent home to remember your support, and their loved one. On a less positive note, however, they will likely be receiving flowers from almost everyone who attends the funeral. If you want your gift to stand out and not be generic perhaps it is better to bring flowers accompanied by something else.

If you aren’t as close to the family, but still want to show their support, you could just send a sympathy card, which is always a nice gesture. You don’t have to say a lot, just be sincere. Let them know you are sorry for their loss and have been thinking of them and they will appreciate it. Another thing people often do is put some money or a check in the card. The family can use that for the funeral if they need the funds in that way. Otherwise, people often create a memorial fund and donate the money to a charity of their choice.

Offer Your Support

Whether you send a gift or not, another thing you can do is offer your support before, during, or after the final services. You could offer to help serve at the reception after the services or you could even do something like invite your friend out for coffee so they can vent their emotions. If you want other ideas for ways to help, or gifts to send, you can contact funeral home in Des Moines, IA at any time for information. These professionals want to see people surround the bereaved in any way they can to help support them with love and care.

Your heart goes out to friends who have lost a loved one. You want them to know you are thinking of them and that you are sorry for their loss. The professionals at funeral homes in Urbandale, IA have plenty of suggestions for gifts you can send that will tell your friend just that. If you have any questions or need more ideas, feel free to call the experts for specific ideas or other options at any time. In the meantime, here are popular options to consider.

Flowers

Flowers are the most common sympathy gift and they are always a nice gesture. They can be used to decorate the background of the service and they are also something family can take home with them to remember the services, and you. There are a variety of types and colors that mean different things so you can send just the right message.

Gift Cards

You want your friend to have what they need to get through this hard time and sending them a gift card to a grocery store or restaurant can help them to get out and meet their needs when the time comes. You could also send a card to a massage parlor or somewhere else that can give them a treat and help them to relax.

A Meal

Many people like to take a meal to the bereaved, and that’s a nice gesture as well. They might not be feeding themselves very well and they may not feel up to cooking. Plus, they may have other family members around and that means more meals are needed. Try to make something that they can freeze in meal-sized packages. Place them in containers that they don’t have to return to make it easier on them as well.

Groceries

Your friend might not feel like getting out all that often, but they still need certain staples within their home. Deliver groceries to them like milk, eggs, bread, lunch meats, and so on. You can also call them and ask what they need before you go to the store for yourself so you can pick up specifics they might have in mind.

Memorial Donation

You could also make a donation to a charity, locally or nationally, to honor the person who passed on. Ask the family where they want money sent, check the obituary for details, or call the funeral home for suggestions. You can also just send money to the family in a sympathy card and they can choose where to donate the funds.

When you hear that someone you know has lost a loved one, you likely want to support them with your sympathies. There are many different things you can do to let the family know they are thinking of them. Funeral homes in Urbandale, IA have plenty of options and ideas available. Call them for specific suggestions or even more popular items that people send to those who are going through a hard time after this kind of loss.