Helpful Funeral Home Lingo

Sometimes funeral homes can be confusing, especially when it comes to all the all the terminology and lingo. Use this list of important funeral home terminology and lingo to be better prepared in the event of the loss of a loved one, or to better plan for your eventual passing and funeral in a funeral home in Watsontown, PA.  

• Bereaved: The deceased’s loved ones or immediate family.  
• Burial Certificate: A legal document authorizing burial. The same documents apply to cremations, and it made by your local government.  
• Death Certificate: A document proving the cause of death, generally issued by the deceased’s doctor.  
• Columbarium: A wall with niches or holes in which cremation urns are housed.  

• Committal Service: A service in which the body is buried or interred.  
• Cremains: Another word for cremated remains.  
• Crematory: The furnace in which bodies are cremated. It can also refer to the building that houses the furnace.  
• Death Notice: An article or newspaper section announcing someone’s death and providing funeral or memorial details.  
• Embalm: Preserving a dead body by running preservative fluids through the arteries and veins.  

• Eulogy: A speech praising, remembering and celebrating the deceased’s life.  
• Exhume: Digging up the remains of someone who was already buried.  
• Flower Car: The car or vehicle used to transport the flowers from the church and/or cemetery to the funeral home.  
• Funeral Director: The man or woman who works with the bereaved to plan and execute a funeral service and all accompanying details. Generally, funeral directors maintain or run funeral homes.  
• Funeral Spray: A floral tribute traditionally given to the bereaved at a funeral.  

• Grave Liner: A wooden, metal or concrete casing that holds the casket in the ground. Grave liners help prevent the ground around the grave from sinking for safety and help keep the grass above the grave level as the earth settles for aesthetics.  
• Pallbearers: Family, friends, or religious members that help carry the casket.  
• Memorial Service: A service held to honor the deceased when the body is not present.  
• Mortuary: Another word for a funeral home.  
• Obituary: A death notice in a newspaper or on a website that gives a small biography of the deceased and often includes a photo.  

• Plot: A piece of land, usually owned by an individual or a family, that’s reserved for two or more graves.  
• Reposing Room: A room in a funeral home that stores the body until the burial or funeral.  
• Vault: Almost synonymous with grave liner, but vaults tend to be more expensive. Vaults are usually made of wood, metal or concrete. 
• Viewing: The time at which friends, family or funeral goers can view the casket.  

The more you prepare now, the easier your experience in a Watsontown, PA funeral home will be. Dale Ranck Cremation & Funeral Care is here to help if you want more information. We offer a wide range of services designed to help you through your time of loss. Give us a call or pay us a visit today to learn more.