It can be frustrating when you are the person dealing with all the practical responsibilities of a death. And then you find the death certificate is missing. That is a major death certificate issue . The death of a family member can be…

The word autopsy comes from the Greek word autopsia. It means ‘to see with one’s own eyes’. In laymen’s terms it’s a post-mortem examination to discover the cause of death, or the extent of the disease. Autopsies have been performed over centuries of…

Somerset Maugham may well have said that dying is a dreary affair and that we shouldn’t have anything to with it, but the truth is, not one of us can escape death. The funeral undertaker, who is also known as a funeral director…

What is a funeral home exactly? Funeral homes play an important role in providing a range of useful and meaningful funeral services which remove a whole lot of stress from those in mourning. Licensed funeral directors are well acquainted with all the services,…

Nobody sets ou to build a career in embalming the bodies of dead people. Preserving human remains to keep decomposition at bay is not something people relish. However, somebody has to do the job. Indeed, theree are mortuary science training programmes. Here students…

People are coming up with all kinds of ideas to make death a more light-hearted occurrence. Usually it is a grey, sombre event. When it comes to being cremated in a crematorium new ideas are emerging. People are coming up with  ideas to…

In most Western countries, death is becoming a celebrated event.  And even though the world is getting smaller, there are still many different ways that people dispose of dead bodies. There are several ways to put a person’s mortal remains to rest –…

Graveyards are becoming more costly because space is running out, not only in South Africa but all over the world. In New York, graveyards have all but run out of space in Manhattan. And outer borough properties are now charging exorbitant amounts. In…

Catholics believe that death signals the end of this earthly life. It signals instead an entry into eternity and Roman Catholic funeral customs reflect this view. The immediate family bears a heavy burden of sorrow. And the priest and parishioners provide a lot…

Cremation isn’t anything new, and the practice dates back thousands of years according to archaeological records. The ashes of your loved one isn’t ash as we know it from a fire – that soft grey powdery stuff. Instead, it is a rather a…