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funeral homes in College Park, MD

What Is the Role of a Mortician

Morticians play an important role in providing death care services. They use their interpersonal, scientific, and business skills to communicate with deceased people’s family members and loved ones, plan services based on their requests, and prepare the body for funeral proceedings. This article will greatly assist you if you are looking for funeral homes in College Park, MD that provide compassionate care to people in difficult situations.

What Exactly Does a Mortician Do

A mortician oversees all aspects of funerals for the deceased and their loved ones. While their responsibilities vary depending on the size of the funeral home, they frequently include embalming and making preparations for the deceased person for private viewing before or during the funeral, offering assistance and guidance about funeral service options to the deceased person’s friends and relatives, assisting individuals in pre-planning their funeral arrangements, organizing the funeral and memorial services, and arranging for burial or cremation based on the deceased person’s or the family’s wishes.

A mortician’s common job duties today also include assisting the family in deciding between cremation and burial, if not already indicated by the deceased; assisting the family in selecting the casket or urn for the deceased; making preparations for obituary notices to announce the death; timetabling for the wake, funeral, and burial; organizing pallbearers and clergy for religious rites; preparing for cremation, or arranging for the opening and closing of the grave with the cemetery; embalming the body for viewing; ensuring that the services provided meet the wishes of the person who died; offering to counsel the bereaved family and friends; providing transportation for the bereaved and the deceased; organizing the retrieval and transportation of the body out of state or out of the country, or simply from the hospital; filing death certificates and other legal papers; and transcribing death certificates and other legal documents.

Mortician Abilities

Compassion

Morticians must be compassionate as they deal with loved ones and family members who cope with the passing of a dearly departed one.

Interpersonal skills

Morticians use tact, patience, and a soothing demeanor to assist people in making plans for those who are nearing the end of their lives or have recently passed away.

Technical skills

Morticians’ technical skills enable them to embalm and perform restorative techniques that honor the deceased by complementing their clothing and cosmetics.

Verbal communication skills

When conducting funeral services, morticians must communicate confidently and respectfully.

Objectivity

Because death traditions differ from culture to culture and family to family, morticians use objective practices to respect the deceased’s and their loved ones’ wishes without passing judgment.

Time management

funeral homes in College Park, MDMorticians must prioritize tasks such as burial and cremation and ensure they provide services to multiple clients efficiently and competently.

Morticians who work at funeral homes in College Park, MD spend the majority of their time preparing the deceased and conducting funeral services. They also travel to places of worship, private homes, cemeteries, and other memorial or burial sites to conduct funeral services for the deceased. Long shifts are common during the week and on weekends, as services are frequently performed in the evenings and on weekends. Morticians also have on-call hours during which they are available to help clients who need it. For more information about the best morticians in the area, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately.

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Popular Funeral Sympathy Plants

It is customary to send sympathy plants to express your sorrow and support during this difficult time when someone you know dies or suffers loss. Many people prefer a florist to choose the plants for them, but you can make the plants you send more personal by learning about their meaning. The funeral homes in Adelphi, MD can assist you with this.

Why Are Sympathy Plants Used at Funerals

The practice of sending sympathy plants and displaying plants at funerals has a long history, most likely dating back to around 80,000 years ago in Iraq. A male Neanderthal was discovered in the Shanidar caves, surrounded by the remains of various wildflowers, including pollen deposits and flower fragments. Dr. Solecki, the excavation director, determined that the flowers were placed on the burial site after further examination of the soil samples.

Since then, flowers and other plants have played a role in funeral practices worldwide. One theory for why this tradition began is that flowers’ pungent and pleasant odor masks the odor of rot and decay from a body.

Popular Sympathy Plants

Roses

Not only are they beautiful and widely adored, but you can also personalize your message to the deceased based on the color of the rose you send.

Lilies

The lily, known as the peace lily, is the most popular sympathy plant. Many people nowadays send lilies to funerals because they know it is a tradition.

Orchids

Orchids, above all, represent love, so you can’t go wrong with this lovely plant to express your feelings for the departed or their loved ones. Orchids last longer than the other flowers on this list, so the orchid is recommended to give a sympathy plant that will last after the service.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are popular plants to send as sympathy gifts, though they have different meanings worldwide. In the United States, they are commonly regarded as fall flowers that represent happiness and well-being. Chrysanthemums are associated with death and mourning in other parts of the world, such as Belgium, Japan, and Austria.

Violets

Violets are often thought to represent everlasting love, remembrance, and innocence, making them appropriate for a sympathy plant.

Hyacinths

Hyacinths, particularly purple hyacinths, represent sorrow, so if you are particularly saddened by the loss and want to express your feelings, these flowers may be an excellent choice.

Carnations

Carnations are lovely flowers that are appropriate for a sympathy arrangement for anyone.

Palm plants

Palm plants are thought to represent protection, so if you want to comfort and protect a grieving loved one, a palm plant can be the ideal sympathy plant.

Oak trees

Because of their steady and consistent growth, oak trees are often revered as symbols of strength and resistance, making them uplifting symbols of life continuing after loss.

Dogwood trees

These trees represent rebirth and resurrection.

funeral homes in Adelphi, MDWe have already discussed why sympathy plants are used at funerals, so you can better understand how this tradition came to be. If you want to learn more about this, don’t hesitate to look into funeral homes in Adelphi, MD, as our team is eager to discuss it. Come see us or call us right away.

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Creating Memorial Slideshows

Memorial slideshows have grown in popularity over the years because they are an excellent way to remember a loved one. Slideshows can be used to illustrate life, personality, and hobbies by including surprising, special, and personal details in addition to the typical personal photos. These specifics allow you to share with viewers everything that you believe makes your loved one unique. The funeral homes in College Park, MD can assist you with this.

Creating a funeral slideshow entails going through a lifetime’s worth of photos and mementos. This is frequently a good way to work through grief. It’s also a fun activity to do with your family. Going through old family photos can be a cathartic experience for everyone, as well as a bonding experience for family and friends, full of both laughter and tears.

Slideshows are much more than a collection of images. When properly organized and presented, they can tell the story of a person’s life and personality, their experiences, and the world around them. The slideshow can be designed to be a tribute as well as a wonderful way to share your special memories.

Putting Up Your Memorial Slideshow

The slideshow can be shown in two ways during the funeral or memorial service. The slideshow could be shown during a ceremony, complete with music and dubbing. A slideshow can also be shown at a memorial service or reception. The slideshow will be only part of the display at a memorial reception, and there should probably be no music or dubbing because people are often socializing.

Selecting Software for Memorial Slideshows

A slideshow can be shown by projecting it from a computer or by displaying it on a digital photo frame. First, decide on the software to be used. There are numerous options, some of which are free and some of which must be purchased. There are numerous options available if you use a computer. Google Slides in Google Docs is the most basic and free slideshow option. You can use Google Photos to upload images and create an online slideshow. While it is free and simple, it has fewer features than most slideshow software. Music cannot be easily added, and transitions are limited. You can also download the slideshow as a PowerPoint presentation, but if you don’t have PowerPoint, the slideshow works best when presented through Google Docs.

Gathering Photos for a Memorial Slideshow

Plan on six to eight photos per minute when gathering photos for a funeral slideshow. 60 to 80 photos would be required for a ten-minute slideshow. When going through old photos, try to gather photos of your loved one as a baby, child, or young person. Collect photos that depict relationships, such as spouses, dating, friends, and even pets. Consider graduation, jobs, children, memberships, hobbies, the armed forces, volunteer work, special vacations, and more.

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When you have everything ready to go for the slideshow, import the photos into your slideshow software. Remember to include who is in the photo, where it was taken, when it was taken, and what occasion it was taken for. The more information you provide, the more viewers will enjoy learning about your loved one. I hope this information assists you in creating a beautiful, memorable memorial slideshow for your special loved one. These slideshows can help creators not only work through their grief, but they can also be cathartic for viewers as you, your family, and your community share memories. For more information, contact the funeral homes in College Park, MD.

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Eulogy for a Close Friend

It’s terrifying not to see your best friend again; it fills your mind with anguish and sorrow. After experiencing a sudden loss, writing a eulogy for a friend’s sudden death is extremely difficult. Finding words to describe your feelings during a time like this is difficult. However, it is also critical to share their impact on the community and us.  How do you write a eulogy for your closest friend? Let the funeral homes in Adelphi, MD assist you in comprehending what an obituary is and how you can compose a heartfelt eulogy for a friend.

You can pay a heartfelt tribute to a friend at a funeral by preparing an obituary or a eulogy for them. You may include little memories that surfaced while growing up together and reminiscing about the life you two shared.

What Exactly Is an Obituary

Almost everyone has heard the phrase obituary at some point in their lives. It could be in the tiny side articles of the daily newspaper, radio announcements, or television broadcasts. It’s a method of conveying to the world through your words on paper that your cherished one has passed on to the afterlife.

What Exactly Is a Eulogy

In layman’s terms, a eulogy is a life sketch or tribute speech read at a loved one’s funeral. It can also be expressed in the form of a song or a poem, or it can be presented in the form of symbolic items placed on or near the coffin, such as something the beloved deceased has enjoyed or treasured, such as their favorite flowers, hockey stick or toys, or other similar items.

Reading a few short eulogy examples for a friend will give you a good idea of what to say or write.

An obituary is not the same thing as a eulogy, which is typically delivered at a funeral or memorial service. An obituary is a piece of writing, whereas a eulogy is a speech delivered at a loved one’s memorial service. Choosing a speaker is an important part of funeral planning.

A well-written obituary can be a good place to start for the person delivering the eulogy at your friend’s funeral or memorial service. You can also use it as part of the death notice or the memorial service program.

Creating a Eulogy for a Friend

Many people wonder how to write a eulogy for a friend. Examining numerous obituaries written by families and friends reveals that an excellent funeral tribute to a friend tells the stories of the beloved one’s life in their tone, using their language, thinking, perspectives, and similar.

funeral homes in Adelphi, MDIt’s always a good idea to have at least two people, including one family member, proofread your obituary for spelling, grammar, and factual errors. If something incorrect is published, family members may be upset.

The goal of putting together a eulogy is to reconcile glimpses of the beloved one we lost and to pay tribute to a friend at a funeral. Death is a natural and unavoidable part of life. All that remains are the memories of the person who lived, which we cherish through the glimpses of the world we shared with them. Thus, writing a farewell funeral speech for a friend is critical for preserving the essence of the deceased in the words of their loved ones. The funeral homes in Adelphi, MD provide a wonderful way to honor the life of a loved one. People close to them will be able to reminisce about their lives for generations to come. Call or visit us right away.

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How do the Funeral Director and Staff Help You?

It’s common to feel lost after a person you love has passed away. You may not know what direction to turn, or what to do first. With all the grief you are feeling, the thought of planning a funeral is the last thing on your mind. When you speak to your funeral home near College Park, MD, the funeral director and staff there will do as much as possible to help you through this difficult time. Here are some of the ways that they make this process a little bit easier for you and your family.

One of the most daunting parts about dealing with the death of a loved one is all the documentation and paperwork that is involved. It can feel intimidating trying to complete it all, and you might be worried that you have forgotten something important. Fortunately, the funeral home staff have lots of experience in dealing with these matters. They will help you obtain the necessary documents, help you fill them out if necessary, and they will make sure that they are sent to the right places. That way, you can have fewer worries about these types of logistics.

Planning and carrying out funeral services are one of the major tasks of the funeral director and staff. They will sit with you and your family to discuss your wishes for your loved one’s final arrangements. This will include the location of the services, what kind of merchandise will be necessary, whether you want to have a viewing beforehand, and more. Once they have established everything that you want to proceed with for the services, they will take action to make it all happen. You won’t have to worry about making any plans or phone calls beyond that. This will allow you and your family to spend more time together, processing your loss.

funeral home near College Park, MDIn addition to making all the arrangements beforehand, the funeral director will also be present while the services take place. They will ensure that everything goes according to plan, and if there are any issues, they can be addressed immediately. That way you can focus your energy on honoring the memory of your loved one. Additionally, they will be available after everything has concluded, in case you need extra help or resources. Many people find themselves seeking counseling or support groups to help them deal with their grief. The funeral home has many resources that they can connect you with to help you cope with your loss in any way possible.

By hiring the services of the funeral home near College Park, MD, you will be hiring the services of an experienced funeral director and staff. Their duty is to help you and your family through this difficult time, making it as easy as possible for you under the circumstances. Then, you and your family will be better able to focus on supporting each other, helping each other learn how to cope with your loss and grief, and honoring the memory of your loved one.

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What to Do if You Lose a Loved One that Lived Alone

 

Having a loved one pass away is never easy. In addition to all the difficult decisions and tasks you must undertake after their passing, you are grieving the loss of a person who you loved. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD can help you with all the logistics and planning when it comes to documents and funeral planning. However, if your loved one lived at their home alone, you may have a few extra things to consider.

If the person had any pets, you or another family member will need to make sure that they are being properly taken care of. Whether this means going to their house several times a day to let them out to feed and water them or taking them with you to stay in your home, something will need to be done. You may choose to keep them as your own, or you might start looking for a loving new home for them. Either way, they cannot be neglected in the event of their owner’s passing.

Another thing to address is any kind of trash or perishables that may still be in their home. You will want to clean out their refrigerator, take out their trash, and take care of any other items that can go bad and cause issues. That way, you don’t walk into a surprising mess or smell that is even more difficult to clean up. With everything else you have on your plate, this is a simple problem that you can easily avoid.

Make sure to collect their mail regularly, as well. Most people will continue to receive important mail and bills until all the paperwork is final. These do still need to be paid and taken care of. You can collect their mail at their home, or you can have it all forwarded to your address to make things easier on you. Another reason to take care of this is that when a person’s mailbox begins to accumulate mail, it is a signal that no one is home or has been for some time. This can encourage illegal activities like people breaking in to steal, squat, or vandalize. Those are definitely things that you want to avoid happening to your loved one’s home.

funeral home near Adelphi, MDThese are a few of the most important things you will need to consider after your loved one has passed away. At some point, you will also need to figure out what you plan to do with their home. You may want another family member to live there, you might want to simply keep it for a while, or you may choose to put it up for sale. While your funeral home near Adelphi, MD is there to help you with making all the arrangements for your loved one’s funeral and burial, these are some things that you and your family will have to address on your own. Having a little guidance beforehand can help ensure that you don’t forget anything important in those difficult days after their passing.

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What to Look for in a Funeral Home

If you don’t already have an established and trusted funeral home near College Park, MD but you are in need of one, there are some things you should consider. Choosing a place to hold your or your loved one’s final services is not something that should be taken lightly. It’s important to find a business that will treat you and your family with care, honesty, dignity, and respect. These are some questions you should ask and research you might want to do when you’re faced with finding a funeral home.

First of all, find out what kind of experience they have. Experience is important when dealing with such sensitive subjects as planning funerals and cremation services. Along with this, you can also find out if the business is locally owned, or part of a larger conglomerate. Locally owned funeral homes are often the better option, and there are several reasons why. When a funeral home is owned by someone within the community, they often have a better feel for what kind of services are needed there. They can deliver quality customer care and service because they know many of the people they are helping personally. You can trust that they are invested in helping to take care of this important part of the community’s needs.

One thing you should definitely ask about is their pricing and levels of services. You want to make sure that they are up-front and clear about what they have to offer, and what everything will cost. Ask about a pricing sheet or details that are easy to understand. That way, when you are putting together your loved one’s arrangements, there will be no surprise fees or expenses. The costs can quickly add up when you’re planning a funeral and burial, so you want to be sure that you’ve agreed to everything you’re paying for.

funeral home near College Park, MDSomething that you should probably do when hiring a business for any type of service is to look into their reviews and testimonials. Many funeral homes will list testimonials from past clients and customers, and these will give you an idea of what kind of service to expect. You can also search for the name of the funeral home in your search bar and look for other reviews available online. If there are any issues or red flags that you should be aware of, this could be a good way to learn about them. Additionally, if they are well-established in your community, you can ask around family and friends to see if any of them have had experiences using that funeral home.

These are some of the basic things to keep in mind when you’re faced with finding a funeral home. This is likely a difficult and emotional time for you and your family, and you want to find a place that will respect your family’s wishes and needs. By doing some of this due diligence in finding a funeral home near College Park, MD, you can give yourself more peace of mind that you’ll have a positive and respectful experience in laying your loved one to rest.

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How to Prepare for Preplanning Your Own Final Arrangements

Even if you hadn’t given it much thought in the past, eventually you will probably start considering what you want your own final arrangements to be like. There are several different aspects you will need to think about and make decisions for, and your funeral home near Adelphi, MD can help you put everything into writing. They will make sure that all your bases are covered so that your wishes are certain to be upheld when the time arrives.

You will need to consider what kind of services you actually want. Many people want a traditional funeral, either for personal or religious reasons. However, there are some other alternatives. For instance, you may want your family to hold a memorial service in your honor after your disposition has taken place. This could be because you want them to have the freedom to plan at a time that is more convenient, or perhaps a memorial makes more sense for your desired location. Many people want their families to hold a celebration of life, rather than a funeral or memorial service. These are typically meant to be more celebratory in nature, as the name suggests. They are often held after a person has enjoyed a long and meaningful life, which is deserving of celebration.

Disposition is the next item you will need to decide on. Your main choices are going to be either burial or cremation services. Traditional burial is a very common choice for many people, especially if there is a family plot where they wish to be buried. However, you will need to also consider the costs that are associated with burial. Cremation services are typically going to be less expensive than traditional funerals. Cremation also allows for many other options when it comes to how the person’s remains should be handled and memorialized, including scattering and interment.

An important option to think about when preplanning is the ability to pay ahead. This is something that many people take advantage of for a number of reasons. When you set up a pre-payment plan, you are able to lock in the current rates for funeral services. Over time, the rates will inevitably rise due to inflation. By paying ahead, you can save money in the long run. Additionally, funeral services are often very financially demanding for the family of the person who has passed on. By paying some or all of your expenses ahead of time, you can remove this financial burden from your family’s shoulders.funeral home near Adelphi, MD

If you’re at the stage in your life where you are ready to write your will, or you are simply making arrangements for how your assets and belongings will be handled after you are gone, you may want to consider preplanning as well. This is the perfect time to take care of all of these things, and it will give you peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be known and upheld. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD, can help you take care of everything, and they will keep your pre-arrangements safe until the time that they become necessary.

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Planning an Eco-Friendly Funeral and Burial

Part of living in the modern world is understanding that our influences on the planet are not insignificant. Many people are coming to the conclusion that making more eco-friendly choices in life is the responsible thing to do. This can be something as simple as taking reusable bags to the grocery store, or it could go as far as planning your own final arrangements in a more eco-friendly way. Your funeral home near College Park, MD can help you make these types of arrangements if it’s something that is important to you.

If you are putting together your own final arrangements or those of a loved one, you might be wondering how you can do it in a way that is better for the environment. One way to do this is by opting for a “green burial”. A green burial can mean many different things, and you don’t have to go to the most extreme route to improve your ecological footprint. One of the simplest ways to make burial more eco-friendly is by choosing a casket that is made of natural, untreated materials. Many traditional caskets are made from materials that have been treated with chemicals that extend their life significantly. For one thing, these chemicals can be extremely toxic to the soil. Additionally, it means that the caskets will sit beneath the soil without returning to a natural state for a much longer period of time.

If you want to go a step further, you can search out a cemetery that allows for burials without a concrete vault. Most cemeteries require a concrete vault to be placed in each burial site so that the soil does not collapse over time. However, these vaults inhibit the natural process of returning the body back to the environment. Some cemeteries even allow for the use of natural grave markers, as opposed to traditional headstones. These can be anything from a decorative tree or bush, to a patch of native perennial wildflowers. If your loved one was passionate about plants and nature in general, this could be a very meaningful and beautiful way to mark their place of rest.

funeral home near College Park, MDAnother way to create a greener burial is by skipping the practice of embalming. Many traditional funerals are preceded by a viewing, which requires preserving techniques that allow the person’s remains to last longer than they naturally would. Many of the chemicals used in these methods are toxic to the environment, and after burial, they are introduced to the soil. By foregoing this step, you can avoid contributing to this type of harm.

These are just a few ways that you can create a more eco-friendly funeral and burial for yourself or a loved one. Regardless of whether you choose to do all or just one of these items, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re making a more responsible decision for the planet. Taking care of our planet for future generations is becoming more and more important every day. Your funeral home near College Park, MD, can help you to plan an eco-friendly funeral and burial, and you can feel more at peace as a result.

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Making Your Loved One’s Obituary a Meaningful Tribute

Some obituaries are very simple and straightforward. They may only mention the most basic information about the person who has passed away. There is nothing wrong with this style of an obituary, but many people want to write their loved one a tribute that is more personal and memorable. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD can give you advice on some of the things you can include, and they can help you with publishing it as well.

You might typically think of an obituary as a way of informing the community of a person’s death, as well as a way to communicate the details of their services. This is a primary function of an obituary, and thus at least these basic details should be included. Their name, dates of birth and death, and any surviving family members (or those who preceded them in death) may be mentioned. Additionally, if their funeral services will be open to the public, you can mention details of when and where the funeral and burial will take place. That way, if there are any people in the community who want to attend, they will know how to do so.

While this is one of the main purposes of writing and publishing an obituary, it can serve many other functions as well. For instance, a published obituary remains a part of the public record for generations to come. It can provide future generations with information about their family’s past. It can also be a meaningful tribute to that person’s memory, which can be shared with many different people all at the same time.

With this in mind, you can begin to imagine what other things might be included in a person’s obituary. Take some time to think about their passions, hobbies, and how they chose to spend their time. Did they love gardening, or were they talented cooks? Perhaps they traveled across the world, or maybe they were an accomplished athlete. Maybe they simply dedicated their time to their family. Many people spend a lot of time contributing to their community, either by volunteering, coaching, teaching, or participating in a social club. These are all important things that you can mention. If they spent a portion of their life serving our country in the military, you will likely want to include details about that, as well. Whatever made them into the person they were, is worth including.

funeral home near Adelphi, MDThese are a few ideas to get you started on writing a personal and meaningful obituary for your loved one. While it can be a difficult and emotional process, it can also be cathartic in some ways. You will never regret putting together a written memorial to your loved one, which will stand the test of time. Future generations can learn more about their family’s past thanks to what you write. If you need assistance in finding out how and where to publish the obituary, simply ask your funeral home near Adelphi, MD. They can connect you with the right resources to get it all taken care of. Then, you can find peace in knowing that you have paid tribute to your loved one’s memory in this way.