Whether you’re speaking at a memorial service, or at a funeral in a cemetery in Huntersville, NC, it may seem like an impossible task to write a eulogy for someone you know and love after they’ve passed away. You can use these tips to help make your eulogy writing easier:

• Keep it Short – Although it seems tough to cram a whole life into a few minutes, the eulogy should not be longer than 5 minutes. Focus on the main parts of the deceased’s life and be sure to write your speech down so you don’t stray off topic.
• Say Personal Things – Focus on the good and positive things in the deceased’s life, and don’t be afraid to add a bit of mild humor to keep things light. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to add a few personal stories or memories.
• Mention Biographical Information – While you can structure the eulogy with stories and moments, it’s easier to frame it as a short biography. Include details like place of birth, marriage, children and other big milestones to keep the story linear and easy to follow. Though these details may seem trivial, they are an important part of every eulogy.
• Remain Optimistic – Although cremations and memorials are somber, you should still remain focused on the person’s life and not their death. Avoid talking about negative moments or things that might cast a poor light on him or her, as the purpose of the eulogy is to honor the deceased.
• Be Organized – Write your eulogy before the service. That way, everything you are going to say is planned out, so you don’t have to worry in the moment. Print it out on a paper so you’re not messing with a phone or tablet.
• Delivery is Important – You don’t have to be a professional actor or public speaker but be aware of your delivery. Try to use a light conversational tone and look up from the paper every few sentences to connect with the rest of the people at the service.
• Add in Details – Don’t forget to add details like your name and your relationship to the deceased. You should also be sure to thank everyone for coming and mention why everyone is gathered.
• End On a Good Note – End your eulogy on a good note, like a fond memory or the impact the deceased had on your life. You can also finish by saying a final goodbye or mentioning that this is exactly the way the person would want things to be. You never want to leave the funeral attendees feeling more upset than when they arrived.

Giving a eulogy doesn’t have to be stressful if you are prepared. Use these tips to make sure you’re as prepared as possible to honor your lost loved one through the eulogy.

Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden is here for you if you want more tips on eulogies, or want to learn more about Huntersville, NC cemeteries. Please pay us a visit or give us a call for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss.

Losing a pet is never easy. However, just like how funerals and burials can make the loss of a loved one a bit easier, burial services for pets can help ease the pain. Luckily, there are many cemeteries in Charlotte, NC that offer various types of services for pets.

Planning pet burials, funerals and cremations starts with deciding how you want to send your friend to his final resting place. Pet cremation is one great way to memorialize your pet. You can scatter the ashes somewhere special after the cremation or keep them in a pet cremation urn.

Pet burials are another common and more traditional option. You can bury your pet in the comfort of your own yard, or in a special cemetery dedicated to pet burial. You can also plan a pet funeral or memorial service to go along with the body disposition. You can hold the service at your home, where you plan to scatter the ashes, in a funeral home, or in the pet cemetery.

Be sure to choose a location that allows you to express your grief in a healthy way and sets you up to properly begin the healing process. Also, be sure to get any necessary permissions or permits before you host a ceremony in a public space, especially if you plan to bury the pet or scatter the ashes. Just like a traditional service for a deceased person, a pet funeral or memorial is an honorable way to memorialize your pet’s life and say goodbye in a constructive way.

There are many different ways you can celebrate your pet in a memorial. For example, you can invite friends and family members who were a part of your pet’s life or understand how important he was to you. Gather around the grave or ashes and share pet memories or stories. You may also choose to play music, read poems or share feelings. You can ask attendants to help eulogize, say prayers, or just talk about how your lost pet made them feel. Bring along special stationary, cards or paper on which people can write down their feelings or thoughts. This way you can hold onto these ideas and memories to go through later on when you miss your pet.

Also, just like traditional burial services for humans, most pet funeral and memorial services can benefit from some sort of visual representation of the deceased. You can craft a small tribute or viewing in the memory of your pet by decorating a table with memories of your lost pet like tags, collars, favorite toys or photos. If you chose to cremate the body, you may also choose to display the urn for the viewing.

Losing a pet is painful, but a burial service can help ease the pain. Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden is here to help if you want to learn more about pet funeral or cremation services, or have questions about Charlotte, NC cemeteries in general. You can visit us or give us a call at for more information.

You aren’t limited to displaying or housing your loved ones remains in an indoor urn after a cremation. In fact, there are hundreds of options when it comes to body disposition post cremation at cemeteries in Matthews, NC.

From scattering and water burials, to inurnment in a columbarium and more, you can get as creative as you want for your loved one’s post-cremation final resting place. One option is burial, inurnment or display outdoors. You can easily house your loved ones cremated remains in an urn above or below ground outside. If you decide to go this route, however, you do need to choose an urn that specifically made for outdoor use. These outdoor urns are designed to remain intact and even beautiful even after long years of outdoor exposure to dirt, dust, rain, snow and more.

When shopping for an outdoor urn, you first need to decide if the urn will stay above ground, or be buried below ground, as there are both above and below ground urns.

Many cemeteries have a columbarium. Columbarium are spaces, rooms or buildings designed to hold and display cremation urns. They have numerous individual niches carved into the walls for this purpose. If you’re planning on inurning your loved one’s cremated remains outdoors but above ground, it will most likely be in a columbarium. When choosing an above ground outdoor urn, a metal urn is best. Bronze, brass, pewter, and stainless steel are great choices, although almost any urn designed for human remains will most likely work. However, it’s important to keep in mind that unless the outer wall of the columbarium is made of glass, you probably won’t be able see the urn once it’s been placed. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about decoration too much. You can choose ceramic or glass, but these urns are not ideal for outdoor use as they are more vulnerable to cracking.

You can also choose to bury your loved one’s cremated remains. Like traditional full body burial, burying cremated remains allows you to have a defined place where family and friends can go to remember the lost loved one. In some cases, many families already own a burial plot, and want to use this land even if the deceased is cremated.

Most cemeteries require an urn vault when burying cremated remains. The vault is typically sealed to keep out moisture and other elements of nature. Since the vault will bear the brunt of the natural exposure, any kind of urn will do. If you don’t have to have an urn vault, you need to choose an urn that is durable. Strong urns from metal, composites or resins are ideal. A cremation urn made from wood, ceramic, or glass would most likely to lose its integrity over time, leaving the deceased’s remains exposed.

Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden is a Matthews, NC cemetery. We have years of experience and can give you more information on outdoor cremation urns and more. Please call or visit us today.

If you’ve chosen cremation for your or a recently lost loved one’s body disposition, you also have to decide what you want to do with the cremated remains. There are plenty of options for cremated remains at cemeteries in Huntersville, NC.

There are many post-cremation options at cemeteries because you can easily have a burial and a cremation. In fact, many people have both as you can easily bury or entomb cremated remains. This option helps you stay more on track with traditional burials and funerals while also using cremation services. There are a few options for burial or entombment after cremation including:

1. Crypt or Mausoleum: Go more religious or familial with a crypt or mausoleum. These options are usually preferred by Roman Catholics but can get pretty expensive.
2. Family Plot: The most traditional burial for cremation remains is in the family plot or cemetery. Burial in the family plot is an easy way to use cremation services while still enjoying classic burial and funeral traditions.
3. Columbarium: Columbarium are spaces specifically dedicated to housing and interring cremated remains Most often found in churches, there are also a few freestanding columbarium options as well as those attached to cemeteries.
4. Memorial Object: A non-traditional burial method for cremated remains is in a special memorial object like a bench, grave marker, rock or even in a tree. This method and special objects help loved ones memorialize and celebrate their lost in more personalized ways.

There are other post-cremation options besides burial. The most commonway to inter cremated remains is by scattering. The options for scattering are almost limitless, but some widespread choices are:

• Casting: Casting ashes simply means tossing the cremated remains on the wind, usually in a special location. Be sure to check the wind direction to avoid uncomfortable moments.
• Raking: Raking ashes happens when a family member or loved one by pours the ashes over loose soil and rakes them to combine the two. Local ordinances and laws generally prevent raking at any old spot, so make sure to check with the authorities before raking in a public garden or park.
• Water Scattering: You can also scatter ashes into any body of water, again with permission from the local authorities. Another version of water scattering is to sink a water-soluble urn into the lake, river or ocean.
• Ringing: Ringing involves more of a ceremony than other post-cremation choices. It involves forming a ring around an object like a house, tree or other special thing with the ashes, almost to compound the idea that the deceased is always with you and protecting you.

Contact Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden to learn more about your options for after cremation at the cemetery. No matter what you choose, we are here to help you with all your Huntersville, NC cemetery needs. Please stop by and visit us or give us a call for more information about what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.