Daniel Szczesniak, Author at US Urns Online

DIY Pet Funeral Guide: How to plan a pet funeral service

July 25, 2023August 8, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

The loss of a pet is deeply affecting. Pets hold a special place in our lives and hearts, and their death creates a gaping hole that causes real, true grief. On top of this, pet owners are responsible for properly and legally disposing of the pet’s body.

So you want to know how to bury or cremate a pet while also allowing you and your family the time and opportunity to grieve the loss of your furry friend. This is where a DIY pet funeral can be helpful.

In many areas there are pet cemeteries or even pet funeral homes that can help you with this, for a fee. If that is not an option in your location or if the full-service option is out of your price range, you will be best served by a DIY pet funeral.

What Grieving People Wish You Knew (Book Review)

July 25, 2023July 11, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

So, do you want to know how to help a grieving friend or family member? While you may never know exactly the right thing to do, this book is the next best thing.

Here’s our book review of What Grieving People Wish You Knew by Nancy Guthrie.

Documents to gather when someone you love has died

What papers do you need when someone dies?

October 31, 2024April 9, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

If you are the spouse or executor of the estate of a person who has passed away, there are many documents you will need to work through. What papers do you actually need?

Most will be financial statements, insurance and membership papers, and legal papers that already exist. These you will need to find. Others you will need to create.

Note that in the digital age, some of these affairs can be arranged completely online using digital documents and accounts. Even so, there will still be many copies and forms you will physically need to handle. Here is the list of papers you need when someone dies.

Ways to Create a Memorial Away from the Cemetery

October 31, 2024March 19, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

The cemetery isn’t the only place you can create a memorial for your loved one. Sure, a headstone is the classic memorial: weighty, substantial, carved with their name and dates.

But what if you want something more than that? Something different, something creative, something that people can see without having to visit a cemetery?

Complete List of What You Can Do With Your Body After Death

Here’s the complete list of everything you can do with your body after you die

January 27, 2025February 5, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

If you’re not already thinking about dying, you should totally consider it.

Well, maybe not the dying part, since that’s inevitable; more specifically, you should think about how you are going to arrange your affairs for when the inevitable comes.

Avoid These 10 Common Funeral Scams

October 31, 2024January 2, 2018 by Daniel Szczesniak

Want to avoid falling prey to the most common funeral scams? Read on.

First, however, we can’t make it clear enough that although the industry has its share of funeral scams and unsavory charlatans, most funeral professionals do what they do because they care about people and will treat you right.

How to Bury a Fish: Family-Friendly Fish Funeral & Proper Disposal

July 25, 2023November 20, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

Your pet fish – the beloved family friend – has gone, quite literally, belly up. What do you do when a pet fish dies? How do you respectfully bury a fish? What does a fish funeral look like, and how do you properly dispose of a dead fish while respecting the emotions of your little ones?

A fish funeral may seem silly to some. But to those families that watch, feed, play with, and take care of their special pet fish, the death of a little friend can be a big deal.

For many children, this can be their first encounter with death. You will want to handle the situation well so that love is shown to all and peace is known in your home.

This means showing respect for the life of your pet, being conscientious of the emotions of others, and at the same time maintaining health and hygiene when burying, cremating, or otherwise disposing of the dead fish.

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Live Streaming Funerals: How to Stream a Memorial Service

July 25, 2023November 6, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

How do you live stream a funeral?

When relatives are spread all over the country (2020 COVID-19 update – or, you know, during a worldwide pandemic) it may not work out for everyone to be present at the funeral.

The next-best thing, for those who can’t be there physically, is to be there through the magic of the internet.

Here’s how to livestream a funeral or memorial service so that all your loved ones can take part.

Everyday Items You Can Use As A Cremation Urn

July 25, 2023August 21, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

You don’t need to buy an urn. In fact, there are plenty of everyday items you probably have in your house that can be used as a cremation urn.

Wood Urns That Fit into a Columbarium Niche

October 31, 2024July 17, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

If you’ve purchased a niche at a columbarium, you will need to find a cremation urn that can go inside. That can be surprisingly hard to do.

But thankfully, we offer a selection of beautiful wood funeral urns designed to fit into a columbarium niche.

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How to Plan a Funeral at Home (& Save Money)

July 25, 2023June 5, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

Are you considering a funeral at home?

It’s not so strange, really. Home funerals have been the norm throughout human history.

Funeral homes and funeral directors are certainly helpful, but if you want to conduct a funeral at your home or on your property, by all means, do it!

We’ll consider the benefits and drawbacks of a funeral at home as you decide if this is what you want to do. Here’s our guide to help you save money and plan a home funeral to honor your loved one.

Let’s dive in.

Tips on doing the deceased’s makeup for a home funeral

July 25, 2023May 29, 2017 by Daniel Szczesniak

If you’re choosing to do a home funeral, you will want to make the deceased look as natural as possible. Here, we detail the basics on how to apply makeup to a dead person, then provide a range of tips doing the deceased’s makeup for a home funeral.

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