Making Arrangements
Whether you are pre-planning for yourself or faced with arranging at the time of a loved one’s death, there are a number of decisions to make about how to manage and honor this difficult but inevitable step in life’s journey.
Most people have established opinions about what they want – or do not want – to happen when they pass away. The very best way to ensure these preferences are followed is to make arrangements in advance with a licensed professional Funeral Director. Another option is to share these ideas with a spouse or other trusted family member. But, even if neither of these has been done, the experienced and reputable staff at Hooper & Weaver can guide you through the options to coordinate arrangements that reflects your family’s heritage, faith and budget.
Working with a Funeral Director
An important decision in making arrangement is choice of a Funeral Director. As a trusted and active member of the Nevada County community since 1940, Hooper & Weaver has a reputation for service delivered with compassion and integrity. Today, Hooper & Weaver continues this tradition of leadership by offering a comprehensive range of options that reflect the changing face of funeral customs in the US.
Regardless of the manner, location or extenuating circumstance of a death, everyone has the right to use the mortuary of their choice. This includes coroner’s cases or deaths that take place far from home. Hooper & Weaver can arrange for necessary transport and support you every step of the way. We respectfully invite you to reach out and discuss your needs with one of our professional staff.
Handling of Remains
Another major choice you’ll make is between casket burial and cremation. While casket burial was once the custom, especially in some religious faiths, cremation has emerged as the prevailing trend and continues to grow in popularity. Hooper & Weaver offers the region’s only on-site crematory, ensuring that the deceased stays under the watchful care of our professional staff until disposition.
Preparation of the deceased’s body is another consideration, whether casket burial or cremation is chosen. The deceased can proceed directly to the crematory or can be simply prepared for a brief viewing beforehand. Some families wish to hold a formal viewing or open-casket funeral, in which case embalming is required. Dressing, cosmetology and hairstyling give loved ones a chance to view the deceased as they appeared in life, an important part of the farewell and grieving process for many families.
Choice of a burial container is another part of this step, with options ranging from simple eco-friendly shrouds or fiberboard cremation caskets to caskets crafted of the finest hardwoods or burnished metals in a wide range of styles, colors and pricing.
Funeral and Memorial Services
Preceding casket burial, funeral services might be held in the mortuary chapel, family house of worship, graveside or other location. Hooper & Weaver can help coordinate every step in any of these options, from timing to location to flowers to commemorative books and leaflets – and more.
Even the most traditional ceremony can be personalized by including readings, songs, poems or video presentations. Personal possessions such as photos, memorabilia, hobbies, crafts and the like can be tastefully arranged around the casket to commemorate the unique person being honored.
Graveside services can offer a brief closing to traditional funerals, or a simpler alternative for family and friends to gather in reflection at the deceased’s final resting place.
Following cremation, there are any number of forms a memorial event might take. From a backyard potluck to a formal chapel ceremony, family and friends may gather to honor, reminisce and pay respect. Hooper & Weaver is here to offer ideas and support to help make this occasion meaningful and personal.
Final Disposition
Determining the final resting place for the deceased is also a very important decision that needs to be made. Casket interment can be arranged in any one of five cemeteries owned and maintained by Hooper & Weaver. Options include single or double plots in peaceful tree-shaded lawns or placement in prestigious elevated crypts.
Cremated remains may be released to the family for display in any number of beautiful containers. Or, to provide a focal point to visit and reflect, they may be interred in a cemetery’s ground plot, wall niche or family columbarium. Some families prefer scattering the remains, which can be done at sea, on personal or public land (with appropriate permission) or in our beautiful scattering garden.
Hooper & Weaver is also the only local mortuary to be certified by the National Green Burial Council for eco-friendly practices. Our Funeral Directors can recommend options throughout the process that will respect both the deceased and their love for the local environment.
Permanent Tributes
To accompany any of the options outlined above, families have many options available to establish a lasting memorial to their loved one. Traditional grave markers or nameplates provide a way to identify the deceased and their time on earth. A handsome columbarium can accommodate multiple sets of cremated remains, with space for floral tributes, photos and even family genealogy. Other options include memorial benches, commemorative tree planting, statuary or jewelry. Any of these and more can be recommended and coordinated by the expert professional staff at Hooper & Weaver.