When my grandmother passed away, I was astonished to learn that I had been named the executor of her estate. After splitting up her belongings amongst my aunts and uncles, I turned my attention to planning her funeral. I didn't know where to start. Fortunately, I was able to find an excellent funeral home that understood how to help people plan beautiful memorial services. It was amazing to go through the process of planning the music, the speakers, and even the set-up of the room. This blog is all about planning gorgeous memorial services for the people that you love so that you aren't left grappling with difficult decisions.
Chances are pretty good you will hear several terms you do not understand or have never heard before when you are planning a cremation, burial, and/or funeral for a loved one. While it is not really a topic people want to know more about, it is a good idea to understand what it is the funeral director is saying to you. Here are some key terms you may come in contact with and what they mean.
Burial Terminology
Grave Liner: A grave liner is also commonly referred to as a vault. It is a box that is usually made of metal or concrete that the casket goes inside of. The purpose of the grave liner is to protect the ground around the casket from collapsing.
Direct Burial: A direct burial is the process of immediately disposing of the remains of an individual without having a visitation or formal service of any kind. This process is also commonly known as an immediate burial (or cremation depending on the wishes of the deceased).
Interment: Interment means to bury a body.
Mausoleum: A mausoleum is a building located inside of a cemetery. The purpose of this building is to hold the remains of an individual without burying them in the ground.
Cremation Terminology
Crematory: A crematory is the name of the furnace that cremates the body. The building that holds the furnace is also referred to as a crematory.
Urn: An urn is the container that holds the remains of an individual after they have been cremated. It is extremely common for the remains of an individual to be split up into several urns so family members can put them on display in their homes.
Columbarium: A columbarium is either a wall or a building with places to hold the remains of a deceased individual after they have been cremated. If the columbarium is a wall instead of an entire building, it is common to find them inside of a mausoleum.
Niche: A niche is the name of the spaces within the columbarium where the cremated remains are stored.
Inurnment: Inurnment is a term used to refer to the action of placing the cremated remains in the urn and then the placing of the urn in the niche in the columbarium.
Scattering: Scattering is the process of distributing or sprinkling the ashes of the deceased individual in a specific place or places.
As you can see, there are a lot of terms involved in the process of laying a loved one to rest. Hopefully this guide can make it a little easier to understand some of them. For more information about the process or how to plan a service, contact a local funeral home.
Share10 February 2016
