When mom passed away after a brief illness, our family gathered to grieve and to prepare for her memorial service.  We came from all parts of the country. While we were all born and raised in Southern California, life and job commitments took some of us to other locations. My brother was a Navy lifer and ended up settling in Virginia. My sister graduated school in Chicago, opened a small business, got married and settled in the suburbs. I stayed behind in California to pursue a career in the movie industry.

Knowing that her children were living in different parts of the country, mom wanted to make sure we would all be able to remember her in our own ways where we now lived.  She wisely planned her memorial ahead of time and purchased an outdoor niche for her cremated remains, but also made provisions for each of us. She selected an urn with accompanying keepsakes so we could have a way to keep her memory close by and have her remains at locations near to us.

These keepsakes were beautiful, artistic creations that have become family heirlooms for each of us. And most importantly, they made her wishes of having her remains placed in different locations possible.

Another challenge we faced was the fact that some of mom’s sisters and extended family were not able to travel for the funeral for various reasons ranging from COVID-19 precautions to their own physical limitations. Forest Lawn offered us the option of streaming the service online so that everyone could join us virtually and share in our celebration of mom’s life and our love for her.

If you have a similar situation with family in different locations, then online streaming is something to consider. If you are considering cremation as an option, Forest Lawn offers a wide variety of urns with keepsakes that are both artistically appealing and also reflect your lifestyle and interests. Call us at 1-888-204-3131 and we can answer any questions you may have.