Monthly Archives: March 2022

cremation services near College Park, MD

Things to Remember When Choosing a Funeral Home

Choosing a funeral home is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Whether you are seeking cremation services near College Park, MD, or you want to plan a traditional funeral and burial, taking the time to research your options is always recommended.

Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for more details about anything that is causing you confusion. For instance, when it comes to pricing, make sure that you’re as informed as possible on every service you’ll be paying for. This will help you ensure that you aren’t paying for any unexpected costs or fees, and will leave you feeling satisfied with how the services will proceed. Feel free to request a pricing sheet that lays out all the options for services and what they cost. This can make planning for a funeral much easier, particularly if you need to stick to a certain budget.

Research the Funeral Home and Director. Make sure you choose one that is licensed and has a good standing in the community. Ask your friends and family if they have any recommendations, and do some research online by reading reviews. Similar to choosing a lawyer or doctor, you want to feel confident in your choice of the funeral director. This decision will impact the way your loved one’s memorial service will go, and should not be taken lightly.

Plan Ahead of Time. There are many ways to make pre-arrangements for a funeral, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one. It may seem like a daunting process, but you will be grateful later on that all the decisions have already been made. Making those snap decisions during a time of need is stressful, and can lead to tension and strife between family and friends. Making the preparations ahead of time will allow you or your loved ones to properly grieve together in a less stressful environment. It also allows you to pay ahead or set up a payment schedule, relieving the financial burden from close family members as well. Any reputable funeral home will be able to walk you through this process and help you make the arrangements you need.

Invest in a Meaningful Ceremony. Having a funeral that is meaningful and personal can go a long way toward helping with the grieving process. Make sure that the funeral home you select offers the options you want when it comes to a memorial service. If you want a video to be playing in the background, or particular music to be featured, ask your funeral director what is possible when it comes to customization. Everyone is different and will be remembered differently, and a quality funeral home will accommodate each unique situation.

funeral home near College Park, MDAt Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A., we can help you plan a funeral, and we provide everything from cremation services near College Park, MD, to a veteran’s memorial, and more. Our reputation is excellent, and our years in the industry mean that you will have a dignified and respectful experience. Please give us a call or contact us online to make pre-arrangements, or if you are in immediate need of assistance. We will do everything we can to help you through this difficult time.

funeral home near College Park, MD

Etiquette to Keep in Mind at a Funeral Home

When someone you care about passes away, it can be difficult to know what or what not to say to those who were closest to them. When going to a funeral home near College Park, MD, we often want to offer encouragement and sympathy, but finding the right words is not always easy. It’s always good to offer your condolences to the family and even share a memory of their loved one. Letting the family know how their loved one positively impacted your life can be incredibly comforting during their time of need. On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to downplay or minimize their loss. It is also not appropriate to bring up the cause of death unless they have mentioned it first.

Deciding what to wear to a funeral doesn’t need to be a difficult task. It’s a good idea to wear subtle, neutral, or dark clothing that doesn’t draw too much attention. Men will often wear a suit, and women often will don a suit or a dress. The basic idea is to keep it simple and conservative, so that attention can be focused on remembering the deceased.

When you go to a visitation prior to the funeral, there is often a line leading up to the casket, flanked by family members of the departed. It can easily become emotional to greet those closest to the person who has passed but try to keep the line moving. If you want to further continue your conversation, you may step to the side or wait until later on when they aren’t occupied as such. It’s also important when attending a funeral to arrive on time. Being late can cause a distraction, and may take attention away from the funeral or memorial service. Close family and friends generally sit in the first couple rows of seats, with acquaintances and more distant family being seated in the middle or towards the back.

If you are close to the family, it may be appreciated to offer help with childcare, cooking, or any other needs that they may have during this difficult time. If you aren’t particularly close to them, the best time to visit and reach them will be at the visitation or funeral. You may also offer to make a meal afterward, as keeping everyone fed during a time of grieving is not always an easy task. If you’d like to send flowers as a gesture of sympathy, they may be sent either to the funeral home or to the home of the family directly.

funeral home near College Park, MDThese are some of the most important things to remember when attending a visitation or funeral. Helping the family through this difficult time can be done either with gestures of service or by giving them space and time to grieve. Use your best judgment to determine what you should do, and when you attend a funeral home near College Park, MD, keep these suggestions in mind. If you want to know more, or you need help planning a funeral, contact us at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. We can help you and your family get through your time of need.

cremation services near Adelphi, MD

Why Cremation Services are Gaining Popularity

More and more people are choosing to be cremated as opposed to traditional burial. One of the main reasons is the lower cost. Direct cremation can be thousands of dollars cheaper than a traditional burial. You don’t have to pay for embalming, a casket, or a burial plot. You can still hold a traditional funeral or memorial service, and you can even have an interment ceremony at the cemetery. With the costs of funerals on the rise, finding cremation services near Adelphi, MD, can save you and your family a lot of money.

With the rise in awareness of the environmental impact, cremation has come to be seen as a “greener” option compared to burial. There is no doubt that it does have a lower environmental impact. A traditional burial requires a plot of land, and due to the chemicals used in embalming, can actually become harmful to the earth. A casket often consists of hard and non-biodegradable materials that will remain on the earth for many generations to come. With cremation, you can have the cremains interred at a cemetery, taking up much less space than a full burial plot. You can also find biodegradable urns that may be buried inland or in deep water, which will quickly break down and become part of the earth again. For people who are environmentally conscious, cremation may be the best option.

Another benefit of cremation is the many options that are available for memorialization. Take, for example, the traditional urn. The materials that are used to make urns are endless, from simple wooden boxes, to cast bronze sculptures, to ceramic vases, and so much more. These are a great way to preserve your loved one’s remains in a way that reflects their personality in life. You can also get memorial jewelry, which contains a small vessel that can hold ashes. When there are many family members and friends who would like to carry a part of the departed with them, jewelry is a great option. There are so many more creative and customizable options as well, including solidified remains, gems made from ashes, and even tattoo ink infused with cremains. These all provide unique and meaningful ways to remember and honor your loved one.

cremation services near Adelphi, MDCremation is becoming a more popular option, and it’s likely to remain that way for many years to come. Seeking cremation services near Adelphi, MD is as simple as visiting our Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. website and contacting us for more information. Our experienced staff will meet with you to discuss your options and pricing. We will make sure that you feel well-informed and able to make the right decision during your time of need. Whether you are looking for cremation services or want to explore the idea of a traditional burial, our funeral home can help you out. Please give us a call anytime, whether you’re looking to make pre-arrangements, or if you’re in immediate need. We will do everything we can to make sure that your loved one’s wishes are fulfilled while treating you and your family with respect and care.

funeral homes near Adelphi, MD

What You Need to Know About Making Pre-Arrangements

When you’re looking for funeral homes near Adelphi, MD, to make pre-arrangements, there are a few details you’ll want to keep in mind. Making pre-arrangements is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your family. It allows you to pay ahead of time, locking in current rates before they have a chance to rise with inflation. It also takes that financial burden off your family, so that they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay for funeral expenses after you pass. Additionally, it allows you to make all the decisions about how you want your funeral to proceed, which is important for many people. When you begin the process of making pre-arrangements, there will be a few details that you should come prepared with.

Personal Information

This may seem obvious, but you’ll need to provide personal details about yourself, where you live, where you were born, and more. Some of the less obvious information you will need to provide is details about your parents, your spouse, and other immediate family members. This would include dates of birth, date of marriage, your mother’s maiden name, and other similar information. This will provide essential information to your funeral home when the time comes to write an obituary and documents for a memorial service.

Work History and Military Record

You’ll need to give details about your work and education history, as well as if you have a military record. Where you went to school, where you worked throughout your life, and details about what branch of the military you served in, as well as any wars you fought in, will all be necessary information.

Funeral and Disposition Requests

A major part of making pre-arrangements is determining details about your funeral. You can choose where you’d like it to be held, your religious denomination, your place of worship, and who you want to be in charge of making arrangements with. You will also provide details about what cemetery you will be buried in, which plot is yours, or whether you’d prefer cremation. Additionally, you can provide the location of your last will and testament, if you have one.

funeral homes near Adelphi, MDMemorial Requests and Donations to Charity

If you would like to have a donation fund set up in your name, you can provide the name of the charity that you would like to contribute to. You can also provide any other details about your memorial service that is important to you. For instance, you may have particular music you wish to be played or even a certain tone and mood that you want to be established.

When you make pre-arrangements at a funeral home near Adelphi, MD, all these details must be provided. At Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A., we have an online form that makes it easy to set all your preferences for your funeral and burial. You can also set up a payment schedule that will allow you to take care of some of the financial aspects. Please give us a call or visit our website to complete your pre-arrangements today.