Davenport Funeral Home Memorials and Obituaries | We Remember (2024)

FAQs

Can you be buried without being embalmed? ›

A natural burial does not use embalming fluid, a casket, or a burial vault. The deceased is placed directly into the earth. Natural burials allow the deceased to become one with the earth and to give back to nature. Natural burials often don't have typical headstones or memorial benches.

But embalming is entirely unnecessary for any hygienic or legal reasons. In fact, the only time there's a legal requirement to embalm is when someone who has died is being repatriated.

A funeral service, whether traditional or more modern (memorial service or celebration-of-life), has two functions: to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and to bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time.

"I remove your tongue during an autopsy. We need to make sure you didn't bite down on it, make sure you don't have drugs in the back of your throat."

6. Eyes and lips are not sewn or glued shut. During the embalming process, an "eye cap" is placed under each eyelid and over the eyeball.

3-5 days postmortem: as organs continue to decompose, bodily fluids leak from orifices; the skin turns a greenish color. 8-10 days postmortem: the body turns from green to red as blood decomposes and gases accumulate. 2+ weeks postmortem: teeth and nails fall out.

NO. Embalming doesn't remove any organ in the body. Instead, the embalmer replaces the blood with embalming fluid – formaldehyde-based chemicals – through the arteries. For this reason, an embalmed body placed in a casket can last for many years.

Is a body drained before cremation? Draining a body of fluids does not happen before cremation. If a body is embalmed before cremation, the bodily fluids are exchanged (drained, and then replaced) with chemicals during the embalming process. These chemicals are also fluid.

Our understanding of the afterlife and spiritual concerns can also affect our behaviour after a funeral. Some cultural beliefs suggest that going home directly after a funeral might bring bad luck or offend the spirit of the deceased.

Bathing is a basic practice adopted for cleanliness and sanitation. Funeral and cremation sites can become hubs for infectious elements due to the presence of many people, and bathing helps remove these elements.

Why are funerals 3 days after death? ›

Most funerals typically occur within a few days to a week of a death. This is to allow the family and friends of the deceased to plan and gather for the service. It is also because modern embalming methods begin to wear off after about 7 days and may affect the deceased's appearance.

8-10 days postmortem: the body turns from green to red as blood decomposes and gases accumulate. 2+ weeks postmortem: teeth and nails fall out. 1+ month postmortem: the corpse begins to liquefy into a dark sludge.

Can I visit my loved one if they haven't been embalmed? Yes, you can still visit your loved one in the chapel of rest if they haven't been embalmed. However, as embalming delays the process of natural deterioration, your funeral director may advise that you visit your loved one as soon as possible.

But generally, when you work with a funeral home, your loved one will be refrigerated for between eight and 24 hours before embalming. If you don't want to embalm at all, most mortuaries offer short-term refrigeration, which can allow you to delay the funeral for up to two weeks.

There are no state laws against natural burials. However, there are green burial laws to adhere to depending on the location of the burial.