# Wanted: Advice on Cremation Services **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048 "2017-03-26T01:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/41 "2017-05-26T12:20:46Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Tonight, Wife, as she asks to go on hospice, made me pledge I won’t stand in her way, as I wouldn’t make a dog go thru this. “Norco doesn’t make a dent in my pain.” “And why did you not mention this earlier? I wouldn’t put a dog through this,” to your nurse? Some variation of “I don’t want to be a bother.” It is frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/42 "2017-05-26T20:45:22Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Apparently, despite decades of claims that I knew, or had any crap implanted, I thought some dogs might be talking. Dylan was asking his mom to join him. I was ignoring all, but most I made scientific riggatoni was nonsense. Some day, when you look back on your posts, I hope you realize that having yourself checked medically would be a really, really good idea. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/43 "2017-05-26T20:57:31Z")
More like you should not use voice recognition on a mobile phone to post. Especially not when highly distressed and speaking metaphorically. I think he means that his wife, _in extremis_, is hearing the sound of their deceased pets calling her to join them in Heaven. Poetic and perhaps comforting. Good luck **dropzone**. We’re all here for you. Not a lot of good that can do practically, but maybe it’ll add a smidgen of warmth to a nasty cold day. ---
**Author:** ![CoffinMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@CoffinMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoffinMan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/44 "2017-06-29T21:33:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I have no idea why people think they need lots of them. With the possible exception of life insurance companies, everybody I talked to was happy to accept a photocopy or a fax of the DC. Damn near nobody insisted on an official stamped DC. > > This was in CA and AZ respectively. YMMV. In the State of California where I practice, _all entities entitled to a death certificate are entitled to a original certified copy issued by the County Health Department_, however some of the entities- banks in particular- may return the original and keep a photocopy in their files. Funeral Directors like me will advise against ordering excessive amounts. Many lawyers when asked will instruct a family to order 25 or more certified copies - it makes their job easier, however I feel that it is excessive. When my wife passed unexpected in 2014 I ordered 10 and still have a number of these in my files. So long story short- only order the amount of certifieds that you know you will need. You can, in fact, order more later if needed - it just takes some time to process and be received. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/45 "2017-06-29T23:18:17Z")
I ordered five for my husband’s demise. I still have four of them. Almost everyone seems happy with photocopies these days although I make it clear I can give an original if required. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/46 "2017-06-30T00:42:21Z")
> [@CoffinMan](#): > > In the State of California where I practice, _all entities entitled to a death certificate are entitled to a original certified copy issued by the County Health Department_, however some of the entities- banks in particular- may return the original and keep a photocopy in their files. Funeral Directors like me will advise against ordering excessive amounts. Many lawyers when asked will instruct a family to order 25 or more certified copies - it makes their job easier, however I feel that it is excessive. When my wife passed unexpected in 2014 I ordered 10 and still have a number of these in my files. > > So long story short- only order the amount of certifieds that you know you will need. You can, in fact, order more later if needed - it just takes some time to process and be received. What do you do with those who died overseas and are repatriated? My husband died on board a ship between NZ and Tahiti, French Polynesia. The death certificate is issued by the Mayor’s office in Papeete. While I have the original and one certified copy (photocopied and certified by my solicitor), I have no idea if the originating office in Papeete would provide more “official” copies. Addressing other parts of this thread, I arranged for my husband to be cremated. We also had a funeral service, conducted by a civil celebrant. Neither of us are conventionally religious. I’m an atheist and my husband was basically agnostic. I got the invoice from the funeral director a couple of weeks ago. Total is just under $13000, not including the cremation cost (done by the city and cost $640) or embalming. (Done in Tahiti and included in repatriation costs of approx $8500) Of the total, $5500 was for caterers. My husband never wanted what he called “funeral food” which is a savoury, a sandwich and a sweet (cake). Instead we had four different dishes for what I’d consider a light meal. I was somewhat distracted at the funeral so I don’t have a clear idea of what was served. Among other things, one of the reasons I’m not totally happy with the funeral director. Although we discussed the desire, we never agreed on what would be provided before the funeral. I did ask that 250 people be catered for, and I know we ran out of food because it seems most of the 350 or so people at the service stayed for talk and food after. Professional services by the funeral director ran to $4000. Miscellaneous other such as the celebrant, venue hire, waitress, video presentation, newspaper notices and flowers on the coffin, also just under $4000. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048/47 "2017-06-30T01:14:20Z")
**Moderator Action** Thread closed due to excessive thread bumping. **CoffinMan** , please do not bump every thread that you can find on a topic as you have done here today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wanted-advice-on-cremation-services/783048.md?page=2)