At the Funeral Parlour

Sunday, March 6, 2010.

We went to find out information about what the options are for dealing with a body when someone has died. What will be done with the body is key to what the survivors have to go through. The deceased can decide earlier, if he/she has the fortitude to think about it and do some research. Some survivors need more emotional closure than others. A viewing can be arranged, in deceased person’s home or at the parlour, as an option. Embalming ensures the body will be manageable for days, rather than just hours. In any case, when someone passes, notify the hospice nurse, or call 911 to notify the police and they will take it from there. An autopsy is done after an untended death, or dearth from a questionable cause. Autopsy may be omitted if the deceased was recently under a doctor’s care. Every funeral home must publish a list of their charges, but prices can vary, so survivors should “shop around” first. Generally on the West Coast cremation/burial choice is about 50/50.

• Cremation (about $500) is considered final disposition, cremates can be put into a crypt, a plot, on a shelf or scattered any place with permission of property owner. Funeral home provides a simple white box, but urns or other containers may be purchased by survivors or others.
• Burial, embalmed or not, requires a box. Cardboard imitation coffin or plywood box costs about $350, could be decorated, but it has to be strong enough with four handles to carry the deceased. Embalming is not required, but without that the body needs to be buried within a couple of days, can only be out of refrigeration for a few hours. Coffins generally cost $1200 and up, with $10,000 at the upper end. A grave line or vault can be weather proof or not, another cemetery charge plus the cost of the plot.
• Green burial, wrapped in a shroud, not embalmed, a special cemetery plot is required, as there is no grave liner so the ground will sink as the body decomposes, creating landscaping problems at the cemetery.
• Burial at sea, wrapped in a canvass, weighted, a certain distance out.
• Donate body to OHSU, survivors get cremates. No charge to estate.
• Donate to Oregon Tissue Bank, survivors get the body back soon enough to have a service. No charge to estate.
• Donate body to Biogift, and they sell all the parts, survivors get nothing.

Services: Official members of a church are usually entitled to services, but should expect to pay an honorarium to the presiding minister, musicians, altar servers, etc. Anyone can arrange a service at the Funeral Home and local ministers will oblige.

Wake: Can be arranged as desired, before or after the funeral.

Memorials: various photo layouts, videos, stream feed at time of service to distant relatives

Waud’s Funeral Parlour provides a list of 87 Things that must be done by the Survivor!

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