Monthly Archives: March 2020

cremation services in Tacoma, WA

Adding a Personal Touch to Cremation Services in Tacoma, WA

Cremation is an increasingly popular choice for those looking for more freedom in how they memorialize their loved one. Unlike with burial, you can choose to have a fixed memorial or one that can come home with you or be split among the departed’s family. If you’re considering cremation services in Tacoma, WA, read on to discover some of the unique options available after the cremation process.

Traditional Options

Many of our clients go with some of the time-honored choices for honoring their loved one after cremation. For those who choose to bury the urn in a plot or inter it in a family crypt, we offer a wide range of personalized designs to ensure their final resting place brings comfort to those closest to them. For those who choose a classic urn to keep in the home, our catalog features hundreds of designs that can be inscribed or embossed with personalized messages or designs.

Split the Love

A common request among our clients when discussing cremation services is that they want many members of the family to be able to keep a part of the ashes with them. The most common choices for splitting the ashes include personalized vials or pendants that can contain a small sample of the ashes, keeping the deceased close at all times. Another popular choice involves taking a small amount of ashes and forming them into a diamond through intense pressure, a service offered through third-party companies.

Environmentally Friendly Options

Some clients don’t want to keep the ashes around or bury them in the traditional way, but want a long-term memorial. New biodegradable urns come with built-in tree seeds that convert the remains into a sapling that will grow into a full tree that lives for decades. This creates a permanent gathering place for those who loved the departed to remember them, while adding another tree to the environment.

Scattering Urns

Many of our clients choose our basic cremation option because they plan to scatter the ashes themselves and hold a private memorial. For this option, we recommend scattering urns that allow for a more controlled dispersion at a meaningful location. There are no laws governing the dispersion of ashes, so scattering them in any public location should be allowed and many people find it to be a cathartic way to end a memorial.

Personalized Tributes

Cremation ashes are sterile and safe to use in almost any way, so many people choose to use them in ways that remind them of the deceased. Common options include using the ashes in artwork, like mixing them in with paint or using them to craft pottery or write music. For those who are memorializing someone who led an active lifestyle, shooting them out the exhaust of a motorcycle is a popular choice.

If you’re considering cremation services in Tacoma, WA, we can help you create a memorial service that speaks to the life of your loved one. Set up a consultation with Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary at our offices at 220 South 134th Street, Tacoma, WA, 98444; or contact us through our website or by phone at (253) 537-0253.

Tacoma, WA funeral homes

Veterans’ Services at Funeral Homes in Tacoma, WA

Whether a veteran returns home and passes on after a long life, or gives their all on a battlefield to defend their home, they deserve to be remembered for all they gave. When you work with Tacoma, WA funeral homes like Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary, we’ll work with the US military to provide the full honors your loved one has earned as part of our funeral program. Before arranging a military funeral, we’ve provided this guide to everything you need to know about veterans’ services.

Who Is Eligible for Military Honors?

Any military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve are eligible for military honors, as are former military members who did at least one tour of active duty and did not receive a dishonorable discharge. Any former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve after completing a term or being relieved due to injury in the line of duty are eligible as well. Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also eligible.

To prove veteran eligibility and be approved for military honors for your loved one, you’ll need a discharge document which can be attained from the National Personnel Records Center.

What Types of Military Honors Are Available?

Funeral homes can facilitate all types of military honors, including full military honors, 7 person detail, and standard honors team detail. We will meet with military liaisons to bring in the personnel needed to provide a proper military funeral, including gun salutes, the folding and presentation of the American flag to the family, and the playing of Taps by military buglers.

At least one member of the military honors guard will be from the branch of the military the deceased belonged to. The others can be from across the four branches of the US military.

What Special Headstones Are Available for Military Funerals?

The Department of Veterans Affairs produces government-made headstones free of charge for any eligible veteran, and can upgrade the headstone of any veteran who died before November 1st, 1990. They offer headstones in granite, marble, and bronze and the inscriptions contain all relevant information including the deceased’s time of service. The inscription can be customized according to the family’s wishes.

How Do I Get a Burial Flag?

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a free-of-charge United States flag for the burial of any veteran who served honorably in the armed forces. Any veteran who served during wartime or any peacetime veteran who was discharged after June 27th, 1950 is eligible. The flag will be draped over the coffin and then presented to the next of kin or a friend of the deceased who requests it. Some family members donate the flag to the Avenue of Flags flying during holidays at military funerals.

If you’re planning a military funeral for your loved ones, funeral homes in Tacoma, WA can help. Visit Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary at our offices at 220 South 134th Street, Tacoma, WA, 98444; or reach us through our website or by phone at (253) 537-0253.

cremation services in Parkland, WA

Questions to Ask About Cremation Services in Parkland, WA

Many people are choosing cremation as an alternative to burial due to its lower cost and its greater options for paying tribute to the deceased. There is far more to cremation than burning a body, and at Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary we believe that memorializing the departed through cremation should be as meaningful as a traditional funeral. If you’re considering cremation services in Parkland, WA, read on to find the answers to the most commonly asked questions.

How Long Does It Take to Cremate a Body?

The process of cremation involves placing a body in a cremator, a high-powered furnace that can produce flames of up to 1800 degrees fahrenheit. This will break an average-sized human body down fully in only ninety minutes. When the process is complete, nothing will be left but the bone ash, which is placed in a transport urn prior to the memorial.

How Does Aqua-Cremation Compare to Traditional Cremation?

Aqua-cremation, or alkaline hydrolysis, is the process of breaking a body down using an alkaline solution instead of high heat. This has a lower carbon footprint than using a furnace, and the process is as complete as traditional cremation. It takes longer than a cremator, up to four hours, but at the conclusion only sterile bone ash will remain.

Can I Have a Funeral After Cremation?

Yes, at Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary we offer a full menu of funeral options for our clients who choose cremation services. This includes visitation prior to cremation and a customized memorial service on site at our chapel or at the location of your choice.

What If I Want to Plan My Own Memorial Service?

Many of our clients who choose cremation want to scatter the ashes at a meaningful location or have a private memorial service. We offer our basic cremation package which will treat the body with care and return the ashes to you in an urn of your choosing, at which point you can take over.

What Are My Options for the Ashes?

However you want to celebrate your love one, we can make it happen in the post-cremation process. Many of our clients choose to have the ashes interred in a family crypt or grave. We offer a selection of stylish artisan urns for those who want to display them at home, and urns designed for easy scattering. For those who want to divide the remains among those closest to the deceased, we offer vials and jewelry designed to contain small amounts of ashes.

Is It Safe and Legal to Scatter Ashes?

Yes, the cremation process produces sterile bone ash with no health risks, so there are no hazards to scattering the ashes in an open space. There are no legal restrictions on the disposal of ashes, but we recommend checking local government regulations and the ownership of any meaningful area you’ve chosen.

If cremation services in Parkland, WA are right for you and your family, we can help. You can stop in at our main office at 220 South 134th Street, Tacoma, WA, 98444, less than two miles from Parkland, WA, or reach us on our website or by phone at (253) 537-0253.

Parkland, WA funeral homes

Steps for Working with Funeral Homes in Parkland, WA

When a loved one passes away, things move fast and it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of planning a memorial service. Parkland, WA funeral homes can help you take charge of the process and make the key decisions you’ll need to ensure the deceased gets the treatment they deserve. We’ve put together a step-by-step list of everything you need to know when planning a funeral, and how the right funeral homes can help.

Step One – Call the Funeral Home

The sooner the funeral home enters the picture, the better. They can take custody of the body and handle all the paperwork with the state and any involved facilities. At Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary, we pride ourselves on our customer service and believe this difficult time can be easier without all the responsibility falling on your shoulders.

Step Two – Burial or Cremation

The next important decision you’ll have to make is whether you want to have your loved one’s remains interred or cremated. With burial, we’ll help you choose the proper casket, memorial stone or plaque, and burial arrangements. With cremation, where the body is reduced to ashes, we’ll help you arrange a memorial ceremony and your long-term plans for the ashes.

Step Three – Choose Your Funeral Package

The best funeral homes have burial and cremation options for every budget and are ready to work with you to create a memorial suited for your needs and means. We offer a variety of funeral packages with services including visitation and an on-site chapel. If you choose cremation, we offer similar memorial services to celebrate the departed’s life, and we also offer a basic cremation package if you prefer to plan an independent memorial or scattering.

Step Four – Arrange the Effects

Now that the essentials of the funeral are planned, the next step is to choose the decorative elements. This includes critical elements of the funeral including the casket, headstone, or urn, and we offer an extensive catalog of options provided through vendors known for high-quality construction. If you wish to include personal effects like belongings of the deceased, we’re happy to include them in the memorial service.

Step Five – Assemble the Guest List

One of the biggest factors in arranging a funeral is deciding how big you want to make the guest list. We offer packages suitable for both small and large funerals, and we’re happy to work with third-party facilities to make sure a large group of mourners is comfortable at the service. We’ll ask early if you have an idea of the size of funeral you want, but late additions are possible.

Step Six – Arrange Transportation

How the deceased and your guests get to the funeral is a key element of planning the event. Many people choose to have a traditional hearse followed by a procession of cars. If the departed loved classic cars or horses, we can incorporate those into the procession to arrange a personal touch.

We think the personal touch is what makes Weeks’ Dryer Mortuary distinct among Parkland, WA funeral homes. Visit us for a consultation at our main office at 220 South 134th Street, Tacoma, WA, 98444, less than two miles from Parkland, WA, or reach us on our website or by phone at (253) 537-0253.