The Urn Review

It can be very sad when your loved one passes away. It doesn’t matter if it’s a grandmother or a long time pet. Deciding on what to do with your loved one is one thing that you don’t want to take lightly. Making it special is important to keep there spirit alive.

One way that you can make their passing memorable is by creating a handcrafted memorial urn. This gives a special touch to where your loved one will be kept. You are able to give it the same originality and personality that once was your loved one. It makes for a great memory of who they are and what they mean to you.

When a pet dies, it inevitably unleashes a lot of strong emotions. Some people feel guilty, others go into denial, and others may experience anger, particularly if their pet died too young. Just about everyone experiences some level of depression. It’s important to remember that these emotions are perfectly natural and part of the grieving process.

Remember not to deny your pain. Being open and honest about your feelings, as well as having a friend or family member to confide in will help immensely. Often, having a funeral will help bring some closure. Whether you decide to bury your pet or have them cremated and put in a wooden pet urn, make the process meaningful to you; it will help in the long run.

It was only recently that I learned the proper term for the building that houses cremation urns: columbarium. I was visiting my cousin in San Francisco and we decided to take a tour of the Neptune Society Columbarium, just north of Golden Gate Park. The building has an incredible history.

The columbarium was built in 1898 by architect Bernard J.S. Cahill as part of the Odd Fellows Cemetery. In 1902 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors prohibited the sale of cemetery lots within the city limits, and in 1910 cremation was also prohibited. The cemetery was moved and the columbarium fell into disrepair, changing many hands over the years. In 1980 the Neptune Society of Northern California bought the property and began restoration. In 1996 the building was added to official landmarks register of San Francisco. You can still see many of the cremation urns, pictures, and decorative pieces that family members left behind.

What is a Spanish windlass and how does it apply to wooden cremation urns? A Spanish windlass is an apparatus that has been around for several centuries. It is used to move heavy weights. Typically, a windlass is a large scale tool that consists of a horizontal cylinder that is rotated by a crank or belt. A cable or rope is wound around winch, pulling a weight attached to the opposite end.

Sometimes a windlass is used to raise the anchor on boats, or raise water from a well. Crossbows from the Late Middle Ages utilized a windlass cocking mechanism. This same mechanism can be scaled down and used for a wooden cremation urn. When adapted as a lock, the great force that is used keeps the lid in place. Having a Spanish windlass on your urn is a bright idea so ashes don’t accidentally spill out.

When choosing wooden urns to contain the ashes of your loved ones, you want to look for urns made from cherry wood. What is it that makes cherry wood so desirable? First of all, cherry wood is considered a hardwood, which means it is incredibly sturdy. For use as an urn this is critical as you do not want the receptacle to deteriorate or decay over time.

Another reason why cherry wooden urns are popular is the color of the wood. Cherry wood is brown with hints of pink and red tones. Cherry wood darkens with age rather than bleaching or displaying a faded look. Decorative carvings and metal accents stand out against the dark wood backdrop, also ideal for wooden urns that will displayed in the home.

When you have just lost a loved one, the last thing you want to deal with is figuring out the finances of a funeral. Unfortunately, if the deceased does not have life insurance to cover the costs of a funeral, then the burden falls on the living. The average funeral starts at approximately $10,000. In this economy, 10K can put a big strain on a family. Cremation, on the other hand, usually starts at $800, a much more manageable price.

You may think that a fancy casket and headstone is the proper way to honor your deceased loved one, but the truth is a handcrafted wood urn is just as respectable. Custom, hand-crafted wooden urns are beautiful and durable. They can even be engraved with words of inspiration or come equipped with a picture frame to put a photo of the deceased. If finances are an issue, cremation is a viable, cost-effective, and respectable option for grieving families.

My neighbor, Sally, had an adorable black poodle named Shadow for many years. Shadow accompanied Sally everywhere around the neighborhood and loved being petted by the neighborhood children. Unfortunately, Shadow had many health problems including painful inoperable tumors that made it difficult for her to walk and breathe. Eventually Shadow had to be put down. Sally was completely distraught and didn’t know what to do with her dog’s body.

I suggested that we speak to her veterinarian about cremating the body. We then selected a beautiful wood cremation urn to place Shadow’s ashes in. The urn had a picture frame where we placed a photo of Shadow. Sally keeps the urn on the mantle of her living room fireplace, so her sweet dog is always near, which is of great comfort to Sally.

Ancient Egyptians and Anglo-Saxon warriors knew the pain of losing a pet, which is why they wanted their companions to join them in the afterlife. It was common practice to have a beloved cat or dog buried alongside its owner or even in the same plot. Today the practice is regaining popularity, with some cemeteries allowing owners to purchase adjacent plots for burial. In case you don’t have the money to buy a plot just for a pet, or if you outlive your pet and want to keep him or her close by, cremation is the preferred choice.

Burial plots are expensive, and though you love your pet, it seems like a waste of money to buy a whole plot for a small animal. Plus, having a pet buried far away makes it more difficult for an owner to visit. Cremation and storage in a sturdy, hand crafted wood cremation urn means that an owner can keep their pet near them always. Should an owner outlive their pet and want to be buried rather than cremated, his or her cremated pet can be placed to rest with the owner at their time of death.

If you’ve ever taken an ancient history course, chances are you’ve studied a burial urn or two (or 20). The reason professors are so interested in death is because of how much information can be gleaned from objects used in funerary rites. How a culture deals with death reveals much about that culture from day to day life, art and culture, and even religious ideals. Burial urns combine all three categories; often they depict religious ideals through art, may contain tools from daily life to aid the deceased in the afterlife, and may even have trace evidence of materials used in the burial process.

Here are a few examples of burial urns throughout history: In the Bavarian tradition, a king’s heart would be placed in an urn upon his death. Anglo-Saxons were also known to cremate their dead on great pyres and keep those ashes in burial urns. Discovery of a burial urn dating from the Bronze Age prompted Sir Thomas Browne to carefully document burial and funerary customs in his book Hydriotaphia or Urn Burial. Use of a funerary or burial urn continues to be a popular way of safe keeping the remains of deceased loved ones.

I believe that all dogs go to heaven, and it’s not just because I watched that cartoon motion picture as a child that told me so. How could our furry and snuggly companions not ascend to a place of eternal light and love? Dogs and cats can be just as loyal – if not more so at times – as any human friend or relative. They are most definitely deserving of the same afterlife pampering and bliss that the good people of this earth receive.

After your four-legged loved one’s body has been laid to rest, how will you ever be able to recall the fond memories you shared? It’s quite simple actually. If you have your pet cremated you can then place their remains in one of the many wood urns now readily available online. Now you’ll be able to proudly display this keepsake with a photo or personal inscription.