Burial outfit for the deceased

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Haven’t seen Dignity in my hometown yet but what I have seen is several of the local independent homes (about four) merged and are operating as one company now. Two people from the original name homes are running the business and they bought out two or three other people who had died or left the business. They make a point of stating on their website that they’re fully locally owned. I’ll likely be using them in the near future for a close family friend who has no relatives but pre-needed her funeral some years ago at one of the places they bought out. I have already called to make sure they still have her file and everything, which they do.

There was another chain of funeral homes run by my high school classmate’s dad which they took us to in high school to show us what a funeral home was like and what you would see and have to pick out when someone died. I think there were several sons in that family and one of them is running one of the funeral homes, another one was sold off and the family is now more active in running the local ambulance services business.
 
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From my reading, the UK funeral industry laws are, shall we say less than desirable?
 
A generation ago the local co-op was the place to go for everything. Each village/town/area in Scotland had its own independent Co-operative Society, affiliated to the National organisation (in Scotland SCWS - Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society). They supplied everything from dried baby milk to funerals and everyone knew who they were dealing with. When my Dad died, it was just a matter of phoning ‘Tom’ who then took care of everything. These days the Co-op is just another brand. Incidentally, most Catholics here are buried in a simple white garment with perhaps a cross or sacred heart emblem on it. (This I know since I just called our local Undertaker, who was very amused when I told him the reason for my question). He said that it is becoming more popular to have people buried in their own clothes - he has even had requests for people to be buried in their favourite football team strips. (The only thing I was asked about my dad was did I want his false teeth or should he have them in. lol)
 
Here in Canada, where the co-operative movement is strong, there are a about 50 funeral co-operatives. They are set up in the same way that the Co-op grocery store of which I’m a Board member is set up. I think Fr. Jimmy Thomkins and Fr. Moses Coady would approve.
 
Have stood guard at many wake services and most often tux and social baldric were what the deceased SK was wearing. Often the family donated back to the assembly the regalia so as to provide another to use it. Swords often stayed with the family, with few exceptions.
Now with the new uniform I suppose that will be my final dress.
 
TheLittleLady said:
From my reading, the UK funeral industry laws are, shall we say less than desirable?
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This is so ironic given that a Mitford sister was responsible for muckraking the US funeral industry in “The American Way of Death”. Although she had become an American citizen before she wrote it.

I believe I was taught in my Death and Dying class in school that her book had a big influence on curbing some of the worst abuses in the US funeral industry.
 
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It is also important to realize that some clothing cannot be put on someone after they die without cutting the garment. If that bothers you, you also need to talk to the funeral home about what sorts of garments they can leave intact when they use it to dress someone who has died. Many people also gain or lose a lot of weight prior to death, which is also worth factoring in, if the person has very definite wishes about what is and is not wanted.

I think I’m going for a kimono; that could be put onto a bronze statue without cutting it. I think dress clothes that are cut up the back are weird, but maybe that is just me.
CoffeeFanatic said:
Most states don’t require the use of a funeral home. Embalming is not usually required either unless you’re transporting the deceased across state lines or a certain amount of time passes between death and the funeral and burial. You don’t even have to use a casket. A cardboard box can suffice…
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It pays to know what the local laws are before funeral planning.
The Funeral Consumer’s Alliance is also a good resource: https://funerals.org/
 
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I wonder if that’s the same as SCI (Service Corporation International) in the U.S.? They call their funeral homes the Dignity network.
My Mom worked as a bookkeeper for a local, family-owned place when it was bought by SCI. She & the other ladies came to say SCI stood for “Secure Cash Immediately.”
 
Actually from my talk with funeral directors, it is rare to have to cut clothes in order to dress a corpse. That is a last resort.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Actually from my talk with funeral directors, it is rare to have to cut clothes in order to dress a corpse. That is a last resort
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This has been my experience as well. Never had a garment cut in order to dress the person.

Note, remember to ask for the jewelry before they close the casket! We almost forgot with my mom. She did forget with my dad, and so didn’t get his wedding ring 😦
 
Well sure. We just wanted to give some of her jewelry to her grandkids; my daughter got her rosary, my nephew got her wedding ring (hopefully to recycle 🙂 )
 
Many funeral directors here in the US will allow the family to come and help dress their loved one if they wish to.
 
YES. Talk about it, everyone, young or old, make sure your family and friends know exactly what you want.

Our loss was easier because there was zero doubt about what would happen.

We knew: no embalming, no viewing (unless family members wished a private viewing at the funeral home, no one did), direct cremation, vigil Rosary and Mass of Christian Burial, where the interment would be. There was simply no question.
 
How pricey is it to get a simple cremation over there? Granted, Catholics have to have some sort of interment which drives up the cost, but I’m assuming most of the UK folks are not Catholic and it’s a matter of getting somebody cremated and then the ashes either in an urn or scattered somewhere. In the US, this is relatively cheap and it’s what most people I know who have little money and are not Catholics end up doing.
 
Prices seem comparable to US prices in dollars. I know the pound is worth a little more than the dollar usually so it’s a bit higher, but the last US cremation bill I saw was in the 1500 range and likely included a few “extras”.
 
Pre-planning is a must. Get as much done before as possible (including payment).
 
I remember my grandmother showed me the dress she wanted along with the accessories several years before she passed. She even showed me where to find it in her closet. She wore it as life went on, to weddings and events. After all it was her favorite outfit. My mom was aware and it was what was worn when the time came.

I think I’ll be doing the same let my kids know what I should be wearing. No jewelry is going with me.
 
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