Common
Questions
Traditional Burial • Mausoleum
Entombment • Cremation
Traditional
Burial
Is There a Time Limit After a Death for a Person to be
Buried?
States have different laws; some limit the maximum time before final disposition.
Things that must be considered: securing official permits and authorizations,
notifying friends and family, preparation of the burial site and religious requirements.
Your funeral director will be well-versed on the regulations.
What About Embalming -- is it Required?
No. Embalming is a matter of choice, not required. Your decision will be influenced
by several factors: 1. length of time between death and burial; 2. to enhance
the deceased's appearance in an open casket for public viewing or private viewing
by family members; 3. transportation of the body by plane or train.
What Are "Opening and Closing Fees?"
Fees for "Opening and Closing" cover the cost of many separate services
performed by cemetery personnel. They include administering and permanent record
keeping -- we determine ownership, obtain permission and complete all other
necessary documents, enter the interment details in the interment register,
and maintain all legal files. The fees also include actually opening and closing
the grave -- we locate and lay out the boundaries of the grave, excavate and
fill the space. We also install and remove the lowering devise, place and remove
artificial grass and cocoa-matting at the grave site, level, tamp, re-grade
and seed the grave site, and level and re-seed it if the earth settles.
What is a Burial Vault?
A burial vault is the outside container into which the casket itself is placed.
It is designed to protect the casket and keep the grave surface from sinking
in. Burial vaults vary -- they can be built of one or more of these materials:
concrete, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, bronze, plastic and fiberglass.
Glen Eden requires the use of a burial vault.
May I Make the Necessary Arrangements in Advance?
Yes. You can make all arrangements in advance. Planning ahead lets you consider
the options you prefer. As an informed consumer, you can make the decisions
about your funeral, your cemetery arrangements and the kind of memorial you
want. They will be meaningful decisions that will give you peace of mind, knowing
that you have relieved your loved ones of the emotional and financial burden
of having to make decisions at a time of mourning. It's also a wise economic
choice, because you purchase at today's prices, free from future inflationary
pressures.
When I Buy a Grave, Do I Receive a Certificate of Ownership?
Yes, although this is sometimes a misunderstood issue. You are really purchasing
the right to be buried in that space, not the real estate itself - that remains
the property and responsibility of the cemetery.
What is Endowment Care?
Endowment care income -- a portion of the purchase price contributed to a special
fund -- provides for regular care and maintenance of the cemetery, which can
include mowing, regrading, planting and maintaining trees, water supply system
maintenance, roads, drainage and more. The minimum amount that can be contributed
to the endowment care fund is usually legally mandated.
Mausoleum
Entombment
Why
Choose a Mausoleum?
Mausoleums were once exclusively for the wealthy and famous. In fact, the first
mausoleum, built and named for Mausolo, a beloved minor monarch who would otherwise
have been forgotten, was one of the original Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World.
In addition to prestige,
dignity and serenity, the other advantages of above-ground burial -- a clean,
dry and ventilated entombment-- are now well within the reach of families of
all faiths.
What Makes Mausoleum Entombment the Wise Financial Choice?
Above ground burial compares favorably with the cost of in-ground burial by
eliminating the need for lots, vaults, monuments and memorials. In one indoor,
above-ground space, the crypt is sealed and the casket is protected from the
elements.
Glen Eden offers substantial preplanning discounts, as well as low down payments,
making the choice of mausoleum entombment even more affordable.
How Will I Feel, Visiting a Mausoleum?
The atmosphere of a mausoleum is reverent, peaceful and inspiring. Consider
Glen Eden's recent addition of our new Chapel Mausoleum: it features a crypt
wall depicting a beautiful bronze bas-relief outdoor Michigan scene, skylights,
beautiful stained glass, and the finest marble and granite.
When Can Friends and Family Visit Mausoleum Crypts?
All year-round, in any weather, you can pay homage to the memory of departed
loved ones in a beautiful, indoor, inspirational setting.
Is Embalming Necessary When Selecting a Crypt?
The rules and regulations of Glen Eden require embalming when selecting above-ground
entombment.
Cremation
What
is Cremation?
Cremation involves placing the deceased in a special chamber in a building called
a crematorium and incinerating the body at high temperatures for several hours
until it is reduced to a fine white powder. These remains are commonly called
cremated remains. Because of its simplicity, dignity and affordability, cremation
is the most popular option to the traditional funeral and burial.
How Prevalent
is it?
Cremation has seen a steady rise in acceptance in the US over the past four
decades among people of all backgrounds and faiths. In 1960 cremation accounted
for less than 4% of American final arrangements, but today the rate is over
25%. By the year 2010 cremation will account for 40% of arrangements.
Do I Need a
Casket if I'm Being Cremated?
With cremation, neither a casket nor embalming is generally required. However,
you can always choose to be embalmed, and have a casket, full service and viewing
hours. Cremation can be performed without a service or done before or after
a funeral service. Cremated remains may be scattered, kept at home, buried in
a cemetery, or kept in a columbarium, a structure containing niches into which
urns are placed.
Why is Cremation
Becoming More Popular?
One factor is our increased mobility. Many retirees who don't feel a strong
attachment to Florida would just as soon reside in an easy-to-ship, easy-to-store
urn back in Michigan. Or perhaps they'd like to be both places at once. And
the options go far beyond that - from having cremated remains encased in molten
glass objects d'art to crafting them into jewelry. Some people are even having
their cremated remains launched into space. Literally, the sky's the limit.
What is a Cenotaph
Plaque?
Cenotaph plaques memorialize loved ones whose remains are in a Glen Eden congregational
crypt or outside of Glen Eden. Whether your cremated remains rest adjacent to
the cenotaph plaque in a congregational crypt or are far away, the cenotaph
provides friends and family a place close to home where they can visit to honor
your life. Indoor cenotaphs, cast in bronze, feature your choice of an outdoor
Michigan scene or an inspirational Christian Message along with an inscription.
Outdoor cenotaphs are featured around the majestic flagpole in our Memorial
Park Boulevard.
What Cremation
Options does Glen Eden Offer?
Glen Eden offers a wide range of plans and locations for the inurnment of cremated
remains. Constructed of the finest materials with bronze, glass or marble fronts,
niche spaces provide an enduring memorial. The garden niches offer memorialization
in a peaceful outdoor setting.
Should I Plan
My Cremation in Advance?
Planning now lets you make choices you're comfortable with, and protects your
family from unnecessary burdens. You also take advantage of substantial pre-planning
discounts and protect your family from future price increases, while conserving
their insurance benefits. There are no hidden costs. Your loved ones pay no
additional charges at the time of loss or any time thereafter.