Embalming your own relatives

[Jdeere562]

Just read this AM that our local funeral home lost their own Mother. Her Daughter runs the funeral business now and embalmed her own Mother.
Funeral is next Monday

My Nephew passed about 6-7 years ago. His Wife is an embalmer and did her own husband, then pushed him into the crematory afterwards.
They were always some strange ducks anyway. She used the burnable casket. Had sticky pads and pens. We were all encouraged to write sticky notes and put them on the body or casket. His own Brother's note stuck out to me. "To the nicest ass that I ever knew"

When the funeral was over, we were all giving bottles of bubbles to blow in the air outside the funeral home.

I don't think I was ever meant to be in the funeral business.

Anyone else have strange tales like this?

 

[dadto2]

Why embalm a body then immediately cremate it? That seems like a waste of time and resources.

 

[4WD]

Why embalm a body then immediately cremate it? That seems like a waste of time and resources.

They do it with lighter fluid

 

[Jdeere562]

Why embalm a body then immediately cremate it? That seems like a waste of time and resources.

Guess they wanted an open casket funeral.
Think Iowa law states a body kept more than 24 hours, must be embalmed, buried or cremated.

Plus most bodies do not look very good after death, without embalming and make up.

 

[4WD]

Just read this AM that our local funeral home lost their own Mother. Her Daughter runs the funeral business now and embalmed her own Mother.
Funeral is next Monday

My Nephew passed about 6-7 years ago. His Wife is an embalmer and did her own husband, then pushed him into the crematory afterwards.
They were always some strange ducks anyway. She used the burnable casket. Had sticky pads and pens. We were all encouraged to write sticky notes and put them on the body or casket. His own Brother's note stuck out to me. "To the nicest ass that I ever knew"

When the funeral was over, we were all giving bottles of bubbles to blow in the air outside the funeral home.

I don't think I was ever meant to be in the funeral business.

Anyone else have strange tales like this?

I do have a friend in Canada that wanted to witness the cremation of his wife. They asked him if he wanted to press the button.
He did - regrets that and regrets wanting to watch …

 

[02SE]

I am NOT in the Mortuary business. I can imagine that If I were, I would absolutely want to handle the remains of loved ones, to make sure it is done with the utmost respect.

 

[IndyIan]

I do have a friend in Canada that wanted to witness the cremation of his wife. They asked him if he wanted to press the button.
He did - regrets that and wanting to watch …

yikes! I wonder if he's ever seen some bad stuff before? I've had my ol'yeller moments with pets and animals on the farm and I'm certainly not going to watch a loved one get cremated...

 

[TCL]

They do it with lighter fluid

Naaa come on..they were getting rid of old used motor oil!

 

[dadto2]

Guess they wanted an open casket funeral.
Think Iowa law states a body kept more than 24 hours, must be embalmed, buried or cremated.

Plus most bodies do not look very good after death, without embalming and make up.

That makes sense. I read it as "straight from embalming to the crematory".

 

[4WD]

yikes! I wonder if he's ever seen some bad stuff before? I've had my ol'yeller moments with pets and animals on the farm and I'm certainly not going to watch a loved one get cremated...

I don’t know what he was thinking … Won’t see me do that …

 

[4WD]

Naaa come on..they were getting rid of old used motor oil!

They certainly do feed used oil to incinerators overseas …

 

[Leo99]

Anything dead kind of freaks me out. A bird died on my front porch yesterday and I had to dispose of it. I don't go too near the body at open gasket funerals. I keep my distance. A lot of funeral people inherited the business from their parent. I can't imagine wanting to deal with mourning people all the time.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I can think of no worse punishment than making my relatives embalm me.

 

[Jdeere562]

I have known a few funeral directors over my years. All nice people.

But they seemed to be a notch or two off in the head...

But who wouldn't be, dealing with the crap that they do for a living. They have to break bones if rigor has set in. Glue eyes and staple mouths shut. Install AV plugs to keep fluids from seeping out. Not to mention accident and autopsy bodies. I could never sleep at night.

 

[John105]

What if there were “foul play” among relatives it would seem that DIY could potentially mask something that happened

 

[Pew]

Just read this AM that our local funeral home lost their own Mother. Her Daughter runs the funeral business now and embalmed her own Mother.
Funeral is next Monday

My Nephew passed about 6-7 years ago. His Wife is an embalmer and did her own husband, then pushed him into the crematory afterwards.
They were always some strange ducks anyway. She used the burnable casket. Had sticky pads and pens. We were all encouraged to write sticky notes and put them on the body or casket. His own Brother's note stuck out to me. "To the nicest ass that I ever knew"

When the funeral was over, we were all giving bottles of bubbles to blow in the air outside the funeral home.

I don't think I was ever meant to be in the funeral business.

Anyone else have strange tales like this?

Probably strange to some folks, in my culture when a respected elder passes away the traditional funeral is a multi-day event.
Overnight is a procession where the music person has a bamboo organ pipe half 'dancing' and half walking around. When he dips, everyone that is on their knees also bows.

 

[ecotourist]

One of my medical school classmates worked outside of class time in a mortuary. I wouldn't have wanted that job.

He came to a college Halloween party dressed as a body in a (mobile) casket. I think you would have to call that gallows humour.

 

[Pablo]

 

[facility1]

I have dug graves along with burial functions and entombment tasks also sold/ set and designed cemetery markers/monuments, approaching the family is something that can be difficult at the time of need . embalming bodies,,,,,well no its gruesome to say the least, but is a art in its profession,I have known a few morticians, and they were great guys.

 

[Lubener]

Why embalm a body then immediately cremate it? That seems like a waste of time and resources.

The body is embalmed if there is a viewing which could add 1-2 days before cremation takes place.