Traditional, Cremation & Green Burial
We offer a number of affordable traditional, cremation & green burial service options in Schuylkill County, Pa. They range from: simple burials where only a member of our staff oversees the interment; simple graveside services led by a minister or celebrant; and a traditional funeral service followed by burial. Each can be tailored to meet the needs and expectations of today's price-conscious families.
Understanding Burial Services
We have the deepest respect for this traditional practice. If you are interested in learning more about the burial services we offer, please review the following information. Should you have questions about anything, please call us.
There are many things to consider when deciding whether to bury a recently-deceased loved one, or when selecting burial during funeral pre-planning. One of the first decisions you'll need to make involves choosing both the cemetery and the specific place of burial within its grounds. You'll then need to select a casket and possibly a burial vault, as many modern cemeteries require their use. At some point, and this does not have to take place right away, the decision becomes one of selecting the headstone or marker and writing the inscription. A member of our professional staff will be available should you wish to have assistance in making each of these decisions.
Green & All Natural Burial Services
As more and more people become concerned about the effects on the environment of traditional burial and cremation services, the consideration of a green funeral is becoming increasingly popular. A green funeral is an alternative to traditional burial or cremation because it is an environmentally friendly option . The thought behind a green funeral is to keep the process and products as natural as possible. The type of funeral service should naturally reflect an individual’s character, their way of life, beliefs and ideals.
Green Casket & Urn Selection
Green funerals include a casket or urn that is completely 100% biodegradable. Absolutely no plastic or metal is incorporated in the caskets or urn during their production. They are free of any stains, varnishes, oils, or animal products and only biodegradable, non-toxic glue is used. The wood used for the casket or urn should also be from sustainable, local forests.
Eco Friendly & All Natural Preparation
Aside from the casket, the body must be prepared in an environmentally friendly fashion as well. This typically means that there is no embalming and no chemicals used, including cosmetics. Although, if embalming is requested by the family, a less-toxic embalming fluid may be used at our funeral homes in Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven and Cressona, Pa.
What is Green Burial
Green burial is a way of caring for local Schuylkill County families with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.
Green Cemeteries in Pennsylvania
A conservation cemetery provides a sustainable and fulfilling solution for people seeking to leave a legacy of care and respect for the environment. The burial process supports and restores nature instead of destroying it.
Click the link below for a list of cemeteries and burial grounds that have been reported to provide natural burial options, including conservation preserves, natural burial grounds, hybrid cemeteries that allow some space for burial without a vault, and even a handful of known municipal cemeteries that simply do not require vaults that do not intentionally identify themselves as green.
How to Plan a Burial Committal Service
Burial Committal services in one form or another have been a part of human communities for millennia. If you scan our history, it really doesn't matter "when" or "where" you look, burial practices can be found. Graveside services can be seen in hundreds of Hollywood films and television productions; some are uplifting, others are humorous; and some merely attempt to convey the emotional weight carried by the characters involved. Because of these cinematic efforts, most are familiar with the appearance and traditional ceremonial format of a burial service. But when it comes time to make arrangements for a graveside service on behalf of a deceased family member, it can be challenging to turn what is only vaguely familiar into a truly meaningful, deeply personal event. This graveside service planning guide outlines the major steps involved and identifies the primary "talking points" when meeting with the funeral director. If you have questions about what you read here, please call us. A member of our staff is available, ready with the answers you need.
Traditional Burial Options
Geschwindt Stabingas Ebling Funeral Home & On-site Crematory and Ebling Stabingas Funeral Home will help you find the perfect resting place for your loved one. We invite you to visit our expansive selection room, where we display caskets for you to choose from. We offer a large selection of caskets and vaults in various price ranges, and can also customize caskets with family photos, poems, scriptures, or an emblem from a branch of military service.
We work with all of the cemeteries in our area, and can help you arrange above-ground entombment, personal or family mausoleums, top-quality bronze monuments, or personalized headstones.
Cremation Burial Options
Despite common misconceptions, you also have several memorial options available to you when you choose cremation with Klee. We have decorative urns, keepsakes, and memorial jewelry available in our selection room for you to view. We can also coordinate with local cemeteries if your desire is final placement in a mausoleum or cremation niche.
If your wish is to scatter your loved one’s ashes in a meaningful location, we offer both traditional and creative options. We can also provide you with information on any related Pennsylvania health or legal restrictions on scattering.
Contact our caring staff, and they can help you understand your options.
Selection of Cemetery & Burial Property
Before we get too far into the subject, we should mention that a family member may have already chosen and purchased a burial plot or mausoleum crypt. It's also very possible a distant relative purchased a large section in a local cemetery intended for the future burial of family members. In either of those situations, you'll need to obtain the documents necessary to prove ownership of burial rights and then bring them to the initial meeting with the funeral director.
What if there is no such pre-plan in place? Then you will need to locate a cemetery and select the burial property on your own. And while we know today's consumers are smart and have access to more information about products and services than ever before, we also know that the purchase of cemetery property isn't a commonly-made transaction. For that reason, we offer the following information:
- Unlike when you purchase a house (where the structure and the land are yours to do with as you like); when you buy a cemetery property, such as a burial plot, mausoleum crypt or columbarium niche; you are merely buying the right to inter (or bury) an individual (or individuals) in that location. The property you now have the rights over remains the property (and the responsibility) of the cemetery administration.
- A stated portion of the money you pay for these interment rights will be contributed to an irrevocable fund used in the on-going care of the cemetery grounds.
- The burial, as well as any future commemorative visits you make to the location will be subject to the specific by-laws as written by the cemetery administration.
- Just like when you buy a house, the cost of burial property rights range widely in price, depending on the exact location of the plot, crypt or niche. If you have time, you can certainly find resale "deals" on cemetery property; but if you're not shopping far in advance of need, this may not be of help to you.
There are other costs involved with the burial of a loved one, such as the fees charged by the cemetery for the "opening and closing" of the site, the headstone or grave marker and its installation, and the purchase of a casket and burial vault.
Because we have strong working relationships with local cemetery administrators, we want to help you with this part of the process. Simply call us to get started.
Choosing A Burial Casket & Vault
You'll typically read that the casket is the single most expensive purchase you'll need to make during this time. And while we can't really disagree with that statement, we will tell you that the purchase doesn't have to cost you more than you can afford. We have a wide selection of affordable caskets and burial vaults to choose from, and will work closely with you to keep the cost of your loved one's graveside service within your family's budget.
The cost of a casket aside, the type of casket you select will be based largely on personal preference. Would you prefer a casket of fine hardwood or metal? There are caskets of walnut, cherry, maple, oak, pine and other species of wood. Metal caskets come in varying thicknesses and a wide array of finishes. We don't want you to guess what's best for your situation; instead we'd like you to turn to us for assistance. We've got the experience to guide you in the selection of the most appropriate casket and vault for your needs. Call us, or stop by our office.
Planning the Details of a Graveside Service
The details really depend on your motives and emotional needs. If simplicity is your primary focus, then the burial service we design could look very different from one which is guided by religious doctrine.
And while you could think of your loved one's graveside service as a modified version of a typical funeral, with a member of the clergy leading attendees in standard hymns or prayers; we'd rather you let go of your expectations. That way, we can come to the planning process with no limitations to our creativity. Together we'll determine the best date and time for the burial service, and select the most meaningful readings, songs and activities to be featured in their service.
We'll discuss who you would like to lead the event; it could be your funeral director, a member of the clergy, a celebrant, family member, or close friend. Certainly, the selection of the cemetery and burial plot are practical decisions; but planning the service format is where the heart can take over. Your funeral director will sit with you for as long as it takes to bring love and memories into the event. He or she will explore your loved one's life with you to find the essence of who they were, all in the effort to craft a fitting graveside service.
Are You Ready To Talk About Burial Services?
We're ready to listen. In fact, that's what we do best: we not only hear the words, we understand the feelings and the familial dynamics behind them. When you contact us for assistance in making the necessary arrangements for a graveside service, you'll discover the value of having an experienced ally committed to serving your family as you would wish to be served.
