Monthly Archives: February 2020

cremation services in Renton, WA

How to Personalize Cremation Services in Renton, WA

If you’ve chosen cremation as an alternative to burial for your loved one or your future plans, we believe that cremation services can be as meaningful and personal as traditional burial. As Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, we offer cremation services in Renton, WA that serve as the first step to you building your personal memorial. In this article, we’ll look at some of the unique ways you can celebrate a loved one’s life after cremation.

Cremation and Burial

If you or your family have a plot or family crypt, it’s possible to stay together even if you choose cremation. Once the remains are cremated and placed in a transport urn, they can be placed in a burial plot or family crypt next to other family members. This is a cost-effective and space-effective alternative that allows for all the amenities of a funeral without the purchase of a full casket and larger burial plot.

The Centerpiece Urn

The most common option for a resting place for cremation ashes is in a decorative urn. You’ll receive a sturdy transport urn after cremation before the memorial service, but we offer a wide assortment of decorative urns for permanent use. After the ashes are transferred into the urn, they make a striking centerpiece for a living room that always keeps the departed close in mind. For those who want a personal touch on the urn, we can arrange for a signature or inscription before delivery.

Split the Love

With large families or circles of friends, it’s common for people to decide to keep the cremation ashes with more than one person. A simple option is to divide the ashes into small urns to be taken home, but other options are available including small vials that can be carried around with each person, or lockets that can be worn as jewelry while holding a pinch of the ashes.

A unique option is to have a portion of the ashes made into a diamond through a third-party gem company. This creates a beautiful piece of jewelry that will provide a permanent and near-indestructible connection to the departed.

Scattering and Incorporation

For those who don’t want to keep the ashes at home, a popular choice is to scatter them at a meaningful location. Cremation ashes are sterile and safe to scatter, and there are no regulations on distributing them so scattering can be done at any public location. Private locations may be possible by consent of the property owner, and we can provide scattering urns for easy and safe disposal.

A creative option is to incorporate the ashes into something meaningful to the departed. Ashes have been mixed into paint or ink to write music, or blown out the exhaust of a motorcycle. There are no limits, and our staff can consult on how to set up your personalized tribute.

If you’re considering cremation services in Renton, WA, we can help you design a personal memorial. Set up a consultation at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, only a 20-minute drive from Renton, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

funeral homes in Renton, WA

Pre-Planning Services With Funeral Homes in Renton, WA

Do you know the type of funeral or memorial service you want after the end? It’s a question we all think about, and when you work with funeral homes in Renton, WA we’re happy to help you pre-plan. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, our experienced funeral director and staff are happy to explore the options with you to create the memorial that speaks to your life. Give your loved one the gift of a pre-planned celebration of life when you answer these simple questions.

Burial or Cremation?

The first question you’ll have to answer when preplanning your funeral is whether you want a traditional burial or if you prefer cremation. The advantage of burial is that your family will always have a fixed memorial location to gather. Cremation gives more flexibility to your family how they want to celebrate your life, including creative options like scattering the ashes or incorporating them into jewelry.

Both burial and cremation can be accompanied by traditional or unconventional funeral services held on-site at our chapel or at a location of your choice. We also offer direct cremation options for families that want to arrange their own memorial service.

Memorial Plans

If you want to arrange a memorial service or funeral through our funeral homes, we offer packages to customize the size and features. Whether you’re opting for burial or cremation, you’ll get the professional services of our staff to help arrange the service. This is especially important for pre-planned services, because our staff will have the plans on hand and will be able to take charge of carrying out your wishes with the input of your family members.

Visitation Plans

Both our burial and cremation plans allow for visitation for the closest family before the ceremony. The body is prepared and those involved in the service can spend some private time with the departed before the larger ceremony for the extended family and friends. If you want visitation as part of your memorial service, you can arrange the length and guest list as part of our pre-planning services.

Decision Proxies

When you pre-plan your funeral with us, we’ll make every effort to carry out your wishes to your exact specification. If any changes are necessary, such as a selected casket or urn not being available due to the time that’s passed, we’ll consult with your chosen proxy to find the closest alternative. The selection of your proxy is a key part of pre-planning and should be the family member or close friend you trust most to work with us to expedite your plans.

If you have any special requests, such as decorations or objects that have special meaning to you, we’re happy to incorporate them into the service. You can leave a note with those requests with both us and your chosen proxy.

Pre-planning with funeral homes in Renton, WA can give you and your family peace of mind that your wishes are being carried out. Visit us at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, only a 20-minute drive from Renton, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

cremation services in Seattle, WA

Arranging Cremation Services in Seattle, WA

Cremation is gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional funerals because it’s a cost-effective option that gives the family of the departed more freedom on how to memorialize their loved one. If you’re considering cremation services in Seattle, WA, the staff at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory believes they should offer the same level of personalized attention as our funerals. Read on to learn how we can help you arrange cremation services combined with a perfect celebration of life.

How Is Cremation Performed?

After we take custody of the body, our staff of experienced crematory workers will prep the body for cremation. We offer visitation for those who want to pay tribute before the cremation process. The body is then placed in a cremator, a powerful oven that heats up to 1800 degrees fahrenheit and reduces the body down to sterile bone ash for easy storage in an urn or for scattering.

What is Aquamation?

Aquamation, or water cremation, is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cremation services that uses an alkaline solution to speed up the body’s decay. It takes longer than a traditional cremation, but the process can be accomplished in one day and results in the same bone ash at a fraction of the carbon footprint.

Funeral Services and Cremation

Our full-service cremation services package includes the services of our funeral director and staff and all the amenities of care for the remains you would get with a funeral. This includes a funeral service in our chapel or the staff and equipment you’ll need to put on a memorial service at a separate location. We also offer the option to witness the cremation for an additional fee, along with our fleet of limousines and a funeral coach for a procession.

For those who want a more modest service, we offer lower-cost options that don’t include visitation or have a smaller memorial service rather than a full funeral. Many of our clients wish to scatter the ashes or have a private memorial at home, so we offer a low-cost basic cremation option for those who want to receive the ashes immediately after cremation.

Cremation Vessels

After cremation, you’ll receive the ashes in a transport vessel before they’re placed in their final resting place. Some clients choose to have the ashes interred in a grave or family crypt, which we can arrange with local cemeteries. A common choice is an artistic urn which will serve as a centerpiece at home, and we offer a wide range of styles. For those who would like the ashes divided so many family members can keep the remains close, we offer a selection of jewelry and vials, along with transport urns for those who want to scatter the ashes.

If cremation services in Seattle, WA are right for memorializing your loved one, we can handle the process from beginning to end. Set up a consultation with Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

Seattle, WA funeral homes

Options for Working with Funeral Homes in Seattle, Washington

If your family has recently experienced the death of a loved one, you don’t need to go through this difficult time alone. When planning a funeral and memorial service, working with funeral homes in Seattle, Washington can make it easier to put together a memorial that speaks to the life of the departed and gives comfort to those who love them. Let us take you through the funeral, burial, and cremation options we offer at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory.

Our Funeral Director

The funeral director is the point of contact for working with a funeral home, and we pride ourselves on professional and prompt service. We offer 24-7 service so we can handle emergencies that pop up any time of the day or year. When we get your call, we’ll arrange an interview, and we’ll handle all the paperwork and taking custody of the body so you can concentrate on saying goodbye in a manner that feels right.

Burial Services

We’re a full-service funeral home and we believe that your experience should be as comprehensive and stress-free as possible. When we get your call, we’ll take custody of the body and obtain the death certificate. Our skilled team of morticians will prepare the body for burial, with options for embalming or refrigeration per your preference and budget.

We offer packages that include on-site burial and funeral services, options for visitation, and direct burial packages for those who want an affordable burial and to hold a private memorial.

Funeral Packages

For our funeral services, we offer an on-site chapel capable of hosting a sizable memorial, and our funeral packages offer a deep discount for those who purchase their casket or cremation container through our facility. We also offer a la carte services for those who have pre-purchased a burial vessel, and we are happy to accommodate outside caskets or urns.

For those who don’t want a full funeral, we offer graveside services that will prepare the body and allow for a small memorial at the gravesite. Both services come with the use of our funeral coach as a hearse, which can be the center of a funeral procession.

Cremation Options

For those who have opted for cremation as an alternative to traditional burial, we offer a wide variety of cremation vessels so you can take your loved one’s remains home for a private memorial. If you want to host a memorial service after cremation, our cremation packages allow for a customized farewell with an equivalent guest list. We also offer direct cremation services for clients who want to host a private memorial or scatter the ashes at a meaningful location.

If you’re looking at Seattle, WA funeral homes to help you put together a funeral and memorial for your loved one, the first step is to set up a consultation. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.