Burial 101: The Basics | Scanlin Cremation and Burial | Tacoma WA Provider of Cremation and Burials
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Burial 101: The Basics

How To Plan A Burial After A Death Has Occured

  1. If your loved one is in a hospital, hospice facility, a nursing home, or is already at the medical examiners, the staff there will coordinate with us. The only thing you need to do is tell them we are the funeral home of choice. If your loved one has passed away somewhere else, call the proper authorities and they will let you know when to call us. If you are unsure, go ahead and call us and we'll help you anywhere along in the process.
  2. When you are ready to get started you can click Make Arrangements and select the burial option.
  3. Go through the steps and select all the options that apply. If you have any questions you can call 24/7 and ask for a Funeral Director.
  4. We will call you after we review your selections and have a conversation on what the next steps look like.
  5. If you plan to have a Graveside Service, tell your Funeral Director the preferred day(s) and rank your preference of a) morning, b) noon, or c) afternoon.  Let us schedule your preferred date and time with the cemetery on your behalf. We are fairly flexible but cemeteries have a more rigid schedule.
  6. Let us take care of everything else. Once everything is scheduled we will go over your expectations for the day of the service. We encourage you to make this event as unique, personal, custom, traditional or non traditional as you like. We are well prepared to make all your expectations come true.

Caskets

We have presented a small selection of caskets to choose from. In some circumstances there are small variations that make the difference. Without oversimplifying it to much, there are a few things you need to know before making a casket selection.

  • Most of our caskets are available usually within 1-2 business days.
  • Gasket and Non-Gasket: Gasketed Caskets seal, while non-gasketed do not.
  • Gauge of Steel: The lower the gauge number the thicker the metal in the casket.
  • Wood Caskets generally do not seal unless otherwise stated.
  • Caskets are not one size fits all. If your loved one was heavier or taller then the average person please let us know prior to selecting a casket so we can better guide you.
  • If you do not see a casket you like please let us know what you want and we will find it for you.
  • Feel free to let us know if you want something placed with your loved one (wine,bowling ball,photo)
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Outer Burial Container

The Outer Burial Container is something usually handled/purchased at the cemetery. However, some cemeteries (usually smaller ones) prefer the Funeral Home to take on the responsibility of this part of the process. To better understand what this does for your loved one and the grave-site your family has selected, there are two main categories available.

  • A Grave-liner is a concrete box, does not seal, and is porous having minute spaces or holes through which liquid or air may pass. 
  • A Vault offers a basic level of protection by creating a seal and not being Porous. 

The purpose of these is to keep the ground level at the cemetery, as cemetery staff has to use very heavy machinery to work within cemetery. It also assists with long term maintenance. Please don't hesitate to ask the Funeral Director regarding the differences in these offerings.

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