 | Bob Phifer
Cochran Mortuary President, and his wife Terri Cochran Phifer have proudly served Wichita families since 1980. The company has been family owned and operated since 1928, spanning five generations. You may contact Bob at (316) 262-4422. |
Final Arrangements
2003-06-01 10:13:00
Funeral & burial customs
ANSWER: Funeral customs, the burial of the dead, throughout the ages, may have varied greatly, but with one exception. Almost universally the funeral process was one performed with sanctity, dignity and reverence. The body was in some manner specially prepared for burial or cremation, that is, it was usually cleansed, dressed or adorned, anointed or blessed. Likewise the accompanying rites were either spiritual or religious, even in prehistoric times. Almost without exception the actual places of "burial" were considered and looked upon as special or sacred. Look to the "Andes Mummies" found recently high in the mountains of Peru. These dead were lovingly placed in a remote location, dressed in ceremonial attire, surrounded by precious trappings of normal life, items such as jewelry, pottery, dolls and figurines and the like. The 'mummification process" was probably the result of environmental factors rather than embalming, but it is assumed the body was topically anointed in some manner. Even in cultures where cremation is the primary method of final disposition, the body of the deceased is, prior to cremation, lovingly cared for and prepared for the funeral process. The cremated body is placed or scattered in a holy or sacred occasion, the Ganges River, a temple or necropolis for example. In American history, prior to the Civil War, the funeral process was very much a family task. In early rural America, the women in the family generally prepared the body for burial, bathed and dressed, while the men prepared a coffin or container to house the deceased and prepared the grave site. The grave was almost always in an accessible section of their homestead, "set aside" for a family cemetery. In cities and towns, "undertakers" could be found. They, however, were normally cabinet or furniture makers who were asked by the family to "undertake" the task of building a coffin. The body continued to be in the home under the care of the family until burial. Cemeteries were generally on the outskirts of the city or town usually at a location of higher elevation (Boot Hill, Dodge City, KS or Highland Cemetery, Wichita, KS) or on church property. As time went by, it is easy to understand how most modern funeral homes or mortuaries where started by the town furniture maker. The Civil War brought with it a new dimension to the funeral. There became a need and desire for families to return their deceased husbands, fathers, sons and brothers home for proper funeral and burial rites. The art and practice of embalming began being perfected. The primary purpose then as now for embalming is not however, for the long term preservation of the body, but rather a process of sanitation, which provided a period of time for transportation and funeral arrangements to be performed, Thus the health and safety of the public was and is the primary goal, with short-term preservation being a result. With the perfection of the embalming process the "modem funeral" began to evolve. Funeral "homes or parlors" came into being, replacing the custom of the deceased staying at home "laid out in the parlor" for wakes and visitations. Because of embalming, It was now possible to allow extended family and friends time, within reason, to travel to the funeral ceremony. It was now possible for the funeral to become more of a community endeavor. The funeral today continues to evolve. There are no longer many family cemeteries. Most are now municipally or corporately operated and are on perpetually dedicated ground. The continuing acceptance of cremation offers different, more non-traditional methods of memorialization and disposition of the cremated body. Regardless, today just as in ages past, at the death of a loved one or friend, we as humans feel the need to mourn, share and recognize a life lived in an appropriate and dignified manner. "The funeral helps confirm the reality and finality of death, provides a climate for mourning and the expression of grief, allows the sorrows of one to become the sorrows of many. It is one of the few times love is given and not expected in return, is a vehicle for the community to pay its respects, encourages the affirmation of religious faith and Is a declaration that a life has been lived as well as a sociological statement that a death has occurred," From "The Funeral From Ancient Egypt to Present Day America"
