Many people believe that embalming is a law and is required for any type of funeral or cremation service to take place. This is not true. While embalming is required by the state of Pennsylvania if the family elects to have a public visitation, a private visitation is permitted without embalming. A visitation is generally considered public if you release details about the date and time of the visitation in a newspaper obituary, or invite extended family and friends.
At Beinhauer’s, we believe the experience of seeing a loved one's body helps provide closure for the family and allows survivors to take the next step in the grieving process.
We offer families a private visitation time called a Family Farewell. The Family Farewell is limited to immediate family only and lasts for 30 minutes. Prayers or poems can be read and the family is given an opportunity to say goodbye. The deceased person is washed and dressed in their own clothing, and placed in the casket or approved container in which they will be cremated. This is a best practice because the family can feel comfortable knowing that they’re identified their loved one and that person will never leave our care. After the Family Farewell, the person is cremated on-site at our Dormont facility.