Collin County Living Well Magazine Fall 2014 | Page 27

Top 5 Myths of Funeral Service

F

By Rick Allen
or many years, the funeral industry has been
veiled in a cloak of mystery and even fear about
the entire process. People
have had fears about the funeral industry for a couple of primary reasons.
First, the experience itself is something
most people will only be responsible for
dealing with once or possibly twice in
their lifetime, so there is no familiarity
of the process. All of us are a little leery
about the unknown, so just not knowing
what to expect causes anxiety. Second,
the public perception about funerals is
that they are extremely expensive. This
can be true, depending on the choices
a family makes regarding the type of
funeral service, merchandise selected
and whether or not cemetery property
has been secured in the past or if that
too is a required expense at the time.
So, let’s explore the top five myths
about funerals and see if we can clear
up some of the confusion or misinformation that exists on the subject.

1.

Embalming is required – Every state has their own rule regarding embalming. In Texas, as in most
states, the requirement for embalming
is left up to the funeral home. Typically, if a body is going to be viewed
or present at a public service or visitation, embalming will be required by
the funeral home. This is necessary
for public health purposes and a body
that has been properly embalmed and
prepared for viewing presents a better memory picture for those seeking
closure in dealing with their grief. If
cremation is your choice, and no one
will need to see the deceased once

they have been brought into the care of
the funeral home, embalming is
not necessary.

2.

Cremation is cheaper than
burial – In a nutshell, yes. This is
true because you eliminate the need
for cemetery property in most cases.
However, if you have a traditional
funeral service followed by cremation the cost will be the same. The
difference, or savings, lies in the fact
that the need for cemetery property
is eliminated. Most funeral homes
offer a ceremonial (or rental) casket
for those who desire a traditional funeral but also want cremation. The
absolute cheapest way to dispose of a
deceased individual’s body is by direct
cremation. With this option, there is no
viewing and no service at all. Additionally, only a minimal container (usually
constructed of cardboard) is all that is
required to hold the body.

3.

Only one person can be buried in a single grave space – Most cemeteries are now offering what is referred to as a second rite of interment.
For a fee, usually a percentage of the
cost of the grave space, a second interment can be made. If a burial has been
made in the past, the second interment
may be limited to only cremains. If it
is designated prior to the first burial
being made, up to two persons can be
buried in a single space. Some cemeteries have special sections set out
for this and the grave liner is already
in place prior to either burial being
made. These types of spaces are called
lawn crypts.

4.

You must have a vault if you
choose to bury – This requirement
may or may not exist. The cemetery
can decide if they require any type of
outer burial container. If the cemetery
requires such, its primary function is
to keep the grave level by providing a
foundation for which the dirt replaced
in the grave after burial rests on. Typically, these are simply a concrete box
and do not provide a dry resting place
for the casket. If that is important to
you, a protective vault should be chosen and this will meet any minimum
requirement of the cemetery.

5.

Funerals must be paid for
in full up front – M