Monthly Archives: October 2019

Cremation services in Walnut Creek, CA

What Do You Do After Cremation Services?

Cremation services in Walnut Creek, CA come with a lot of options. From direct to classic cremations, memorial services or funerals, to whether or not you want a fancy cremation casket, there are lots of different ways you can make a cremation unique. You can also make a cremation unique after the actual cremation is over.

There are lots of classic options after cremation including scattering, inurnment, burial, entombment and more. However, you can also get even more eclectic and unique to your loved by doing things like:

  • Create Glass Art – Cremation ashes can be transformed into glass with the help of professional glass blowers. These artists can take small portions of the deceased’s ashes and create glass art in a range of shapes, colors, and sizes. You can display the art at home on your mantel, or somewhere else special.
  • Order A Diamond – While expensive, this memorial will really last forever. Special companies can extract carbon particles from the cremated ashes and grow a real diamond. You can personalize the color, shape or cut to make the diamond even more unique for the deceased.
  • Shoot Off Fireworks – Help your loved one go out with a bang with a fireworks display. Some pyrotechnics companies help you scatter your loved one’s ashes by placing them inside fireworks. These incorporated ashes scatter when the fireworks go off, making for a memorable end to a memorial service.
  • Plant a Tree – Really go green with cremation, and help your deceased loved one continue to give back long after he or she is gone. Buy a biodegradable urn that’s specially made to be buried without any harmful impact on the environment. Plant the Bio Urn with some ashes and seeds inside. The ashes will help nourish the seed until it grows into a beautiful tree people can enjoy for generations to come.
  • Commission Jewelry – Keep your loved one close by placing ashes in cremation or memorial jewelry. People have been placing memories of deceased loved ones in jewelry for centuries. However, modern technology makes it easy to order personalized pieces like lockets, pendants, rings and more filled with small portions of ashes. You can order pre-made pieces online, or have a jewelry maker custom make a piece for you

These are just a few of the many, many options for cremation services. If you need more ideas, think about the deceased and their interests or unique qualities. Take inspiration from them, to make their cremated remains memorial as respectful and special as it can be.

If you want to learn more about what to do with cremains post cremation, or about cremation services in general, Deer Creek Funeral Service would love to answer your questions. We offer a range of Walnut Creek, CA cremation services from 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546. Give us a call today at (510) 317-7890 for more information on what we can do for you.

funeral homes in Walnut Creek, CA

What Do Funeral Homes Actually Do?

When you think about funeral homes in Walnut Creek, CA, you probably just think about flowers, caskets, undertakers and black suits. However, funeral homes in California actually offer a lot more services that what you might imagine.

From organizing funerals themselves and dealing with the more practical aspects death to grief counseling and other helpful things, funeral homes offer a wide range of services aimed at honoring the deceased and helping the bereaved through the difficult time of loss. Some of the most common services are:

  • Funerals – A funeral is a formal event or ceremony about the deceased, typically with religious or cultural leanings. Funerals are time of remembrance and celebration for the deceased, and provide an opportunity for family and friends to grieve together. A funeral usually happens a few days after death in a funeral home, church, or even the deceased’s house. For an event to be a true funeral, it requires the body to be present and intact.
  • Viewings and Visitations – Viewings and visitations are also generally held in tandem with a funeral or memorial as they allow family and friends to visit with and express sympathy for the bereaved. Viewings and visitations help people grieve together in an intimate, less formal setting than funerals, and are usually held at the funeral home, but can sometimes take place in a church, home or other location. Viewings, specifically, have an open casket for final goodbyes and visits, and occur before or during the visitation.
  • Memorial Services – Memorial services are very similar to funerals, except for a few key differences. First, the body does not present or necessarily intact at a memorial service. Since the body is not present, there is no time or scheduling constraints for memorial services, and the body can be cremated beforehand. Memorial services are typically less religious and more informal than funerals, and are hosted in a variety of locations.
  • Committal (or Graveside) Services – While memorials and funerals oftentimes include a graveside service, graveside services can also be performed independently from other funeral and cremation services. When a graveside service is not preceded by a funeral or memorial, it’s called a committal. Committal services are generally very brief, but have some ceremony around lowering the body into the grave and covering it with soil. These services take place at the cemetery, columbarium, mausoleum or wherever the body’s final resting place may be.
  • Other Services Funeral homes also provide a long list of other helpful services including:
      • Transfer of the deceased from the place of death
      • Help notifying relatives, friends and coworkers
      • Filing all permits, certificates, and authorizations
      • Planning special ceremonies or events including Veteran’s services
      • Assistance with social security claims

Not every funeral home offers the same services, so be sure to check with your local options to see if they can provide what you need. For example, Deer Creek Funeral Service is a Walnut Creek, CA funeral home that offers lots of different services from 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546. If you want to learn more, give us a call at (510) 317-7890 today.

cremation service in Dublin, CA

Cremation Services and Burials

Though most people don’t consider burial an option for after a cremation service in Dublin, CA, burials are still one of the most common ways of body disposition. If you’re considering a burial for after your own passing, or for the recent passing of a loved one, use this list of frequently asked burial and cremation service questions for more information.

  • Why is Burial Necessary? While there are many disposition options besides burial, a burial is a wonderful way to remember the deceased in a constructive way. A big part of the human grief process is memorializing the dead, and a permanent burial place serves as a focal point remembering your lost loved one. A permanent resting place also gives the deceased a dignified ending while still allowing his or her memory to live on.
  • Can I Bury Cremated Remains? Yes, you can bury cremated remains. Some burial options for cremated remains include a burial urn in the ground, or above ground in a columbarium.
  • Are There Laws About Burial Timelines? The short answer is no, there are no laws in Pennsylvania requiring a body to be buried within a specific amount of time. However, there are many steps that need to be taken before a burial can take place, so it’s a good idea to get started as soon as you’re able after a death so your loved one can have a dignified cremation service and burial.
  • Is Ground Burial the Only Option? There are several options besides traditional ground burial. These include mausoleums, lawn crypts, and cremation internments like urns and columbarium.
  • Will My Cemetery Close When It Runs Out of Land? Cemeteries do run out of land, but they usually do not close when that happens. They generally remain open for family members to visit graves, and can even have guided tours of historic resting places.
  • What Will Happen to My Loved One’s Grave in the Distant Future? Cemeteries are traditionally thought of as permanent, and the land designation is often in perpetuity. You can visit graves that are more than a hundred year old all over the country. It’s nice to think that your loved one’s grave will still be around and treasured by coming generations.
  • Do I Need A Burial Vault? Burial vaults are the outside container that holds a coffin or casket. Their primary function is to protect the casket and help maintain the grave’s integrity so the surface doesn’t sink in. Most active cemeteries do require burial vaults to keep the cemetery ground intact and safe.

These are just a few of the many questions Dublin, CA residents have about burials and direct cremation services. If you would like to learn more about Dublin, CA cremation services and burials, all you have to do is reach out to Deer Creek Funeral Service. You can visit us at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546, or give us a call at (510) 317-7890 for more information on what we can do for you.

funeral home in Dublin, CA

Make It Meaningful

Losing a loved one is never going to be easy. A lot of people think that speeding through the funeral home in Dublin, CA funeral arrangements will make the process easier and less painful. However, mental health professionals and grief specialists agree that taking the time to plan and execute a meaningful funeral service can help people cope, accept, and eventually move past the loss of a family member or loved one.

Properly planned and executed meaningful funeral services provide an opportunity for families and friends to express feelings, connect with one another, and move towards healing as a unit. But what makes a meaningful funeral?

Read also: Memorial Jewelry For After Cremation Services

Most meaning funerals have an emphasis on the deceased’s relationships. People always say that relationships are the most important part of life, so the best way to have a meaningful funeral service is to have focus on the relationships the deceased had with friends and family. Take a moment to remember special events, fond memories, or everyday moments that embody what made the deceased’s relationships special. Use these memories to enhance your funeral services so they can best honor the deceased.

Meaningful funerals can also include more concrete things like:

  • Memorial Websites – Make the meaningful funeral services accessible to the world with a memorial website. Websites are beautiful and useful. They help connect family, friends and acquaintances online for easy funeral announcements and communication. They also can display the video, obituary, photos and more online so everyone has easy access long after the funeral is over.
  • Tribute Videos – Modern technology offers a unique way to remember the deceased. Take your home videos, photographs and memoires and create an especially unique tribute video. Put in graphics and music for even more personalization.
  • Customized Prints – Order customized prints for the funeral. These prints range from photo collages and blown up portraits to bookmarks, programs, boards and even books. Put special quotes, Bible verses, poems or artwork on the prints. You can also print out the obituary, or even the deceased’s favorite sayings. The prints serve as decoration for the funeral, and can be taken home by hosts and guests as keepsakes.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to plan a funeral that honors the deceased and helps the bereaved grieve. These are just ideas to give you inspiration, as what is meaningful to you about the deceased might be different that what is meaningful to someone else about their lost loved one. You knew the deceased, and you know the best ways to honor his or her life through meaningful funeral services.

Read also: How Will You Customize a Cremation Service?

If you would like more information on how you can plan a meaningful funeral for your lost loved one, or would like to learn more about Dublin, CA funeral homes, Deer Creek Funeral Service is here for you. You can stop by and visit us at 20630 Redwood Rd Castro Valley, CA 94546, or give us a call at (510) 317-7890 to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.