Monthly Archives: January 2019

cremation services in Yardley, PA

All About Cremation Services

Though cremation services in Yardley, PA have become more popular in recent years, cremations have actually been around for thousands of years. If you’re considering cremation for a deceased loved one, or for your own eventual disposition, read on to learn more.   

The cremation process itself can be broken down to three main parts: body preparation, actual cremation, and processing the ashes.   

There are a lot of steps that need to take place before a body is cremated. These steps are the body preparation. First, a funeral director needs to obtain a cremation authorization document, usually signed by the closest surviving family member. The funeral director then goes through a series of checks to ensure proper body identification to prevent ashes from ending up in the wrong place.   

The body then goes through more checks and processing to remove any items that the family doesn’t want cremated with the body, or things that cannot be cremated, such as jewelry, artificial limbs or pacemakers. Once prepared, the body is put inside a cremation casket. A metal identification tag that won’t burn or melt is also placed inside the casket to help with identification. The body goes through another check, and then is ready for the cremation itself.   

A cremation chamber is usually built from fire resistant bricks and special masonry compounds specifically made to stand up to extremely high temperatures. The chamber is pre-heated, and the cremation casket with the body inside is placed in the chamber.    

Cremation chambers reach over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit from burners fueled by propane or natural gas. It takes around 2 to 3 hours for a body to be reduced to bone fragments and ash, but the cremation time can vary depending on factors like the body size, cremation casket material, or even the percentage of body fat to lean muscle.   

After the incineration, the bone fragment remains are left to cool for about 30 minutes. The remains are then processed and checked again to ensure proper identification and to double check for any remaining medical debris. Next, the bone fragments are put through a processor that grinds them down into a fine ash. This final ash is what is returned to the family for funeral services or interment.   

There are many different things the bereaved can do with their loved one’s cremated ashes. Options include:  

  • Casting, or tossing the cremated remains into the wind.  
  • Raking, a process in which the ashes are pored over loose earth and raked into the soil.  
  • Trenching, or burying the ashes in a shallow grave.  Sometimes performed on a beach so the ashes are eventually carried out to sea by the tide.  
  • Water scattering, or simply scattering the ashes into a body of water.  

Do you have more questions about Yardley, PA cremation services? J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, located at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, can help. Call (215) 295-7725 for more information.  

funeral homes in Langhorne, PA

How to Choose The Right Funeral Home

It may feel like there are millions of funeral homes in Langhorne, PA and the rest of the country. With all these choices, how are you supposed to choose the right one for you and your loved ones? Use these tips to help you find the ideal funeral home that matches your funeral plans, ideas, and price range.   

Take the following factors into consideration when choosing a funeral home:  

  • Location – Sometimes the right funeral home isn’t necessarily in your hometown, as funerals often take place in special locations where the deceased wants to be buried or where other family members live.  
  • Services – Make sure the funeral home you choose offers the services you, your family, and the deceased want. Look into services from burial options like cremation, traditional burial, or green burial to different technologies like online obituaries, digital guest books or live streaming.  
  • Prices – Funeral home prices vary greatly, and price should be a factor in your decision.  
  • Independent vs. Corporate- These days, a corporation owns over 20% of funeral homes. Corporate funeral homes generally charge 30% to 40% more for the same funeral services or accessories than privately owned homes, but they can sometimes provide more options than private homes. Veteran Services – If your deceased loved one served, that should be recognized in a special way. Check that the funeral homes you’re looking at offer veteran services if necessary.  
  • Cultural and Religious Needs – Make sure the funeral home you choose is able to provide you with your cultural and religious funeral needs.  

It will never feel like the right time to start looking for a funeral home, but you can save time, stress and even money later on if you start looking now before you need to. Preplanning which funeral home you want will help make sure you aren’t stuck with the easiest or most accessible funeral home when the time comes. You can start preplanning and choosing a funeral home by looking at:  

  • Price Comparisons – Every funeral home is required by law to have a general list of prices for their offered products and services. As a potential client you have the right to ask for copies of these lists to get a good idea of their prices and how they compare to one another.  
  • Services Fees – What is included and what is not included in services fees varies greatly from funeral home to funeral home, so double check each option’s fees.  
  • Adding Funeral Costs to Insurance – Be sure the funeral home you choose can be added to the funeral insurance on your current life insurance policy to help save your family money after you’re gone.  

If you’re looking for a Langhorne, PA funeral home, your search might be a bit easier because of J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel in Morrisville PA. Located at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, we offer a range of cremation and funeral services. Give us a call today at (215) 295-7725.  

cremation in Levittown, PA

Cremations and Preplanning 

Death is hard enough without having to plan for a cremation in Levittown, PA. While its never fun to think about your own passing, preplanning for your cremation can not only make sure your wishes are followed but can also relieve your family and loved ones of the stress of dealing with the details after you’re gone.   

Preplanning a cremation is a lot easier than you might think, and can be broken down into a few simple steps. The first step is to decide where you want to be cremated. Look into funeral homes and crematories in the area, making sure to investigate pricing and services offered. Once you decide on a location, you then have to consider what kind of cremation you want. Options include:  

  • Traditional setting with a funeral service before the cremation, generally with the casket present  
  • Memorial service after the cremation, typically similar in structure to a funeral but the urn or a photo takes place of the casket 
  • Internment ceremony in which the ashes are interred or scattered after the cremation 

Next, think about the smaller details from what kind of urn you want, where you want to be buried or scattered, or if you want to go in a different direction all together. There are many options for the ashes after cremation such as:  

  • Internment at a cemetery or family plot  
  • Scattering in a special place, over water, or even in the air. There are ash scattering restrictions that vary by state and county 
  • Kept in an urn by family or friends 

It’s important to remember that the preplanning process isn’t something you should do on your own. Communicate with your family, friends and other loved ones, as the more everyone knows about the process, the easier it will be. In fact, your loved ones can also help you make some difficult decisions such as where the cremation will be and what kind of memorial. In talking about these decisions with loved ones, be sure to document what you decide, either in your will or with the crematorium or funeral home you have selected. This is very important to make sure your exact wishes are followed after you’re gone, as confusion or mistakes are fairly common in times of grief.   

The final step is to think about how you will pay for your cremation. Take care to contact your life insurance company. Even though they won’t begin funding before death, it’s a good idea to make sure they understand your plans. Explain your insurance coverage to your family so they understand how your insurance will cover the services. If you are planning on providing the funding yourself, make a specific plan and put it in place. Make sure everyone involved understands who is covering what and what kind of budget you have.   

Do you need help arranging cremation services in Levittown, PA? Contact J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel by visiting 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or calling (215) 295-7725.  

funeral home in Yardley, PA

How to Behave in a Funeral Home

It’s hard to be aware of the accepted behaviors in common social situations, but even more difficult to be up to date on etiquette on more uncommon situations like funerals. If you’re unsure of how to act at a funeral home in Yardley, PA, the following tips can help.

What to do:

  • Offer Your Sympathies: It’s almost always appropriate to offer sympathy to the deceased’s friends and family. Oftentimes a simple “I’m sorry for your loss” is all you need. Feel free to offer your own personalized condolences as long as they are respectful and come from the heart.
  • Reach Out Afterwards: Don’t be afraid to reach out to the family after the funeral, as a phone call or card can go a long way in comforting them in their difficult time.
  • Find out the Gift Preferences: Its tradition to bring some sort of gift for the deceased or the family. Usually flowers are the best choice, but sometimes the family requests charitable donations in lieu of flowers. Don’t forget to include a note or a signature so the knows who the gift is from.
  • Express Your Emotions: Its ok to laugh and cry at a funeral home. The deceased’s life was filled with emotion, so it makes sense for his or her funeral to be too.
  • Sign the Guest Book: The guest book may seem silly, but it can be an important way for the family to look back and enjoy who came to honor their lost loved one.
  • Inquire About the Dress Code: Black is the classic funeral color, but sometimes the event or the family calls for a different look. If you’re unable to discover the family’s wishes, dress conservatively and avoid bright colors.
  • Turn off Your Phone: Turn your phone to silent, and never check your messages during the funeral service.

What not to do:

  • Hang Around too Long: Don’t feel like you have to stick around the funeral home for too long. Sometimes a quick condolence is enough.
  • Bring Overactive Children: Loud or disturbing children have no place in a funeral home. It’s all right to bring the kids if they are able to be quiet and respectful. If they can’t, or if there’s a chance they might act out, be sure to leave them with a sitter.
  • Avoid the Family or Receiving Line: Never skip the receiving line, even if it’s long. A quick hug, hello, or “sorry for your loss” goes a long way with a grieving family.

It’s important that you are up to date on what personal, religious or cultural considerations you need to make for the deceased’s family and friends when at a funeral home. If you would like more information on etiquette, or about Yardley, PA funeral homes in general, please reach out to J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. You can visit us at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or give us a call at (215) 295-7725 to learn more.

funeral homes in Newtown, PA

What Do Funeral Homes Actually Do?

When you think about funeral homes in Newtown, PA, you probably just think about classic funerals with flowers and caskets. However, funeral homes in Pennsylvania and all around the world actually offer a wide range of services aimed at honoring the deceased and helping the bereaved through the difficult time of loss. Many funeral homes offer services such as:  

  • Funerals  – A funeral is a formal event or ceremony about the deceased, typically with religious or cultural leanings. Funerals are mostly used to remember and celebrate a death, and to allow 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. Most funerals have reading, hymns, sermons, eulogies or speeches throughout the ceremony. 
  • Memorial Services – Memorial services are very similar to funerals, except for a few key differences. Fist, the body does not have to be present 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. 
  • 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 funeral hosts. Viewings and visitations help people grieve together in an intimate, less formal setting. Visitations are events in which family, friends, acquaintances and more can stop by to express sympathy and grief with the immediate family of the deceased. They are usually held at the funeral home, but can sometimes take place in a church, home or other location. Viewings are when the deceased’s casket is open for final goodbyes and visits. They occur before or during the visitation.  
  • 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.   

J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, located at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, offers many different Newtown, PA funeral home services. Please give us a call at (215) 295-7725 for more information.