Monthly Archives: May 2019

funeral homes in Newtown, PA

6 Things You Might Not Know About Funeral Homes

The average person doesn’t think much about funeral homes in Newtown, PA until they’re forced to plan or attend a funeral. While this is understandable, its not helpful when you’re suddenly facing a loss and have to plan a funeral. Use this list of 6 unknown funeral home facts to help you be better prepared.

  1. You Cannot Authorize Your Own Funeral – While you can preplan and prepay for your funeral, you cannot sign the final authorization for your own burial or cremation because of the Right to Control law. This law, except in situations where a funeral agent is designated, outlines a specific family hierarchy that shows who has the right to authorize the funeral of a recently deceased person.
  2. You Can Have a Funeral Wherever and Whenever – Funerals don’t have to be held in funeral homes anymore. In fact, they can take whatever shape you feel best reflect the deceased’s and your family’s wishes. From a religious mass in a church for immediate family to memorial service in a funeral home six months later for out-of-town guest, the sky is the limit as long as it falls under the law.
  3. Coffins and Caskets Are Two Different Things – Coffins and caskets are different things. Coffins have six sides and are shaped like a hexagon to go along with the lines of a human body, meaning tapered at the head and foot with a wider construction at the shoulder. A casket, on the other hand, is rectangular with four sides adjoined at right angles.
  4. You Can Choose a Funeral and Cremation – Funerals and cremations are not mutually exclusive. You can have a viewing with an open casket before a cremation, or can host a funeral or memorial service with the cremains or even a commemorative video anytime after the cremation. Some people have services with an urn on display rather than a casket.
  5. Embalming is Optional – Embalming is not always required by law. You can choose to skip embalming or be embalmed with eco-friendly preservatives. You always have the right to choose a body disposition method that does not require embalming if you don’t want to be embalmed. However, some funeral homes may require embalming depending on public viewings of the body and similar services.
  6. You Can Compare Prices – Prices actually vary from one funeral home to another, and you have the right to call and ask what prices are in order to compare. Funeral homes must provide you with a General Price List that outlines their prices when asked as per California state law. Always do your research to make sure you’re getting a good deal, and don’t be afraid to ask for a price list as per your rights.

These are only 6 out of many unknown funeral facts. J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, located at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, can give you a lot more necessary information about funerals and Newtown, PA funeral homes. Call us today at (215) 295-7725.

cremation services in Bristol, PA

Common Cremation Service Laws

If you’re considering choosing cremation services in Bristol, PA for your eventual body disposition or for the recent death of a loved one, it a good idea to familiarize yourself with cremation information and legislature. Though cremation laws can vary from state to state, there are several basic ideas and rules that apply to almost every cremation all around the country. Some of the most common laws are:

  1. Authorization – In most states the next-of-kin, or “authorizing agent,” can authorize cremation. The authorizing agent must complete, sign and submit an authorization form before the cremation can take place.
  2. Permits – You are required by law to have a cremation permit. Once the death certificate is completed and the cremation authorization is filed, the county will issue a cremation permit. Cremation permits cost anywhere from $10 to $40 depending on the county.
  3. Cremation Provider Licenses – All cremation providers are licensed and certified, as there are specific rules and regulations in place to protect consumers and ensure safe handling of the deceased.
  4. Casket Requirements – Caskets are not required by law for cremations, but most states have laws stating that a rigid container must be provided for the cremation. These containers only have to be combustible and strong enough to support a body when being placed into the cremation chamber.
  5. Cremation Viewing – Families viewing the cremation is not regulated by law, and therefore varies from crematory to crematory. Confirm with your chosen provider as its not guarantees.
  6. Remain Handling – Laws about what you can and cannot do with cremated remain can vary greatly from state to state. However, most have similar general ideas like you cannot commingle cremated remains unless by deceased’s request, and you can only scatter cremated remains with appropriate authorization from the local authorities.
  7. Cremation Costs – Crematories are obligated to provide clear and concise descriptions of all services included each cremation price, as people who gave recently suffered a loss might be more susceptible to bad business practices. Cremations range in cost depending on the service and merchandise.
  8. Body Transportation From State to State – If the body is transported over a period of 24 hours or more after the death, embalming may be required. There are airline funeral shipping businesses that also have specific regulations and rules such as the purchase and use of a designated aircraft mortuary-shipping container.
  9. Cremation Consumer Protections – There are lots of laws protecting cremation consumers, from laws prohibiting crematories and funeral homes making false statements about body guarantees or cremation merchandise purchasing. If you want more information, check with your local or state government.

If you have more questions about common cremation laws, or want to learn more about laws and Bristol, PA cremation services, J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel is here to help. You can pay us a visit at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or give us a call at (215) 295-7725 to learn more about what we can do for you.

funeral homes in Penndel, PA

All About Obituaries

From non-traditional services like cremations to classic funerals in funeral homes in Penndel, PA, most people still have to write an obituary for their deceased loved one. Learn more about what obituaries are and how to write them to be more prepared.

Obituaries are a traditional way to let family and friends publically celebrate the life of the deceased, and announce the death in a compassionate manner. To be better prepared to write an obituary for your lost loved one, here are the common parts of obituaries:

  • The announcement of Death – Obituaries usually start with basic information such as the name, age, and place of residence of the deceased. This is followed by the death announcement, including the time and place of death. Most people choose to use a softer word or term that “death,” such as “passed away”, “died”, “went to be with the Lord” etc. Many people are unsure whether or not to list the cause of death in the obituary. At the end of the day, the cause of death is only the family’s business and does not need to be shared unless the immediate family chooses. However, if the death was sudden and unexpected, listing the cause of death in the public obituary might field questions and repetitions at the funeral.
  • Biographical Sketch – The key word in this portion is “sketch.” Many people are tempted to write a full account of the deceased’s life. While some people may find that interesting or helpful, the obituary is only meant to detail the most important aspects of his life. Some key pieces to include are the date and place of birth, parent’s names including mother’s maiden name, date and place of marriage, birth name of spouse, education, work, and military service. Feel free to list events chronologically, or to take a more creative approach. Don’t forget to mention specific important relationships and the effect the deceased had on people’s lives. For example, did he have a great sense of humor? Did he always make time for the kids? Was he an exceptional host, golfer, singer?
  • Family – As the saying goes, the funeral is for the living. The same can be said for the obituary, so a key element is listing the surviving family members and loved ones. Take care to not forget anyone, but don’t feel the need to list every single member of the extended family.
  • Service Times – While tradition varies on this element, most obituaries include funeral information so people can attend if they choose. List the essentials: time, full date and place of service along with the name of the officiate; time, full date and place of burial or interment if applicable; and finally, time, full date and place of visitation.
  • Special Messages – Most people choose to include a special thank you or message at the end. This may also include a prayer or poem.
  • Photos – Include a photo. While this adds to the cost, it is a lovely way to remind people of their connection to the deceased.

For more obituary or Penndel, PA funeral home information, contact J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. You can visit us at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, or call (215) 295-7725.

cremation services in Yardley, PA

The Benefits of Preplanning Cremation Services

No one wants to think about his or her own death. However, preplanning for your eventual cremation services in Yardley, PA has a lot of benefits, and these benefits often outweigh the discomfort of thinking about your own death.

Preplanning for your cremation can help both you and your loved ones in many different ways. The benefits of preplanning cremation services include:

  • Easing Your Family’s Burden: Let your family know exactly what you want for your cremation so they don’t have to guess what to do after you’re gone, or spend time making painful decisions when they should be grieving with loved ones.
  • Making Sure Your Wishes Are Met: Make sure you get the exact cremation and memorial service you want by taking care of the details and clearly laying them out for your friends and family. This way they won’t be able to argue or disagree.
  • Creating a Meaningful Service: Memorial services are an important part of the grieving process, but your loved ones might miss out on the important benefits if they are too busy planning the event. Preplan so they don’t have to.
  • Maintaining Self-Reliance: Taking charge of your memorial services and cremation allows you to maintain control and independence when you might otherwise lose them. This is good for your mental health at the end of your life, and gives you more self-reliance.
  • Financial Responsibility: You can plan for how to cover the cremation costs in advance to make it easier for your family’s bank accounts and stress levels. Look into cremation insurance or funeral trusts to help ensure financial ease for your cremation and service. However, you should not prepay for a cremation.

There are a lot of details that go into a cremation, but it’s easy to take care of the majority of them in advance. Some of the choices you can make ahead of time for your cremation include:

  • Choose what to do with your remains, from burial and scattering to more non-traditional methods of body disposal like a biodegradable urn or water internment.
  • Pick out your memorial theme, like military, religious, or non-traditional.
  • Decide between a funeral home or crematory for your cremation and service.
  • Detail memorial or funeral specifications like preferred music, desired readings, special decorations and video displays.
  • Choose your final resting place. There are a ton of options, but the main ones include: a family plot or mausoleum, columbarium, or cremation urn.

If you want to learn more about why it’s important to preplan your cremation, or how to go about preplanning your cremation services, contact J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel. Located at 41 W Trenton Ave Morrisville, PA 19067, J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel has years of experience with Yardley, PA cremation services, and can help you make important preplanning decisions. Give us a call today at (215) 295-7725 for more information about what we can do for you and your cremation services.