Burial Guide
Call us
first
206-242-1787, any hour of the day or night. That one call is the whole of what has to happen immediately. We bring your loved one into our care, and everything below follows over the next few days with us beside you. If the death was at home under hospice, the nurse will call us for you.
What to Do When a Death Occurs
Here's what needs to happen, and the order it happens in. You don't have to sort all of it out at once. We go through each step with you. If you're planning ahead and haven't chosen between burial and cremation yet, the Cremation or Burial guide compares the two side by side.
Contact Bonney Watson
Call us at 206-242-1787 (available 24/7). We will arrange to bring your loved one into our care. If the death occurs at home under hospice, the hospice nurse will call us on your behalf.
Gather Important Documents
We'll need the decedent's legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and veteran status. If they have a pre-plan, locate the paperwork. It has most of this information.
Meet with Us
We'll set up a time to meet, usually within a day or two. That's where we go through the type of service, the casket, cemetery property, and the rest of the details.
Select a Service Date
Most burial services take place 5–10 days after death, allowing time for family to travel and for obituary publication. We coordinate with the cemetery, clergy, and any other parties.
Finalize Details
Flowers, music, pallbearers, readings, photo displays, obituary wording: we help with all of it. Take on as much or as little of it as you want to.
If a Pre-Plan Exists
If your loved one pre-planned, most of the decisions are already made. Locate the pre-plan documents and bring them to your arrangement meeting. We'll review the selections and handle everything from there.
Burial vs. Entombment
Traditional Ground Burial
The casket is placed in a grave at the cemetery and sealed with a concrete vault. The grave is marked with a flush granite marker or, in select sections, an upright monument.
- Single or companion (side-by-side) spaces available
- Concrete outer burial container required
- Flush marker in most sections; upright in select areas
- Endowment care included, so the grounds are maintained in perpetuity
- Multiple sections with different settings and pricing
Entombment (Mausoleum)
The casket is placed in a mausoleum crypt, an above-ground structure with individual sealed compartments. An alternative for families who prefer above-ground placement.
- Climate-protected, above-ground resting place
- No outer burial container required
- Engraved granite or bronze faceplate
- Limited availability at Washington Memorial Park
- Single and companion crypts
The vast majority of families at Washington Memorial Park choose traditional ground burial. The cemetery has over 20 sections, each with a different landscape and price range. We can walk you through what's available and help you find the right spot.
Viewing and funeral service. A visitation, then a service at a chapel or church, then a procession to the graveside. This is what most people picture. Families choose it when a lot of people will want to come, or when seeing them one last time matters.
Graveside service. Everything happens at the grave itself. Simpler, shorter, and usually smaller.
Memorial service. A service without the casket present, held whenever suits the family rather than in the first week.
Private family burial. Immediate family only, with no public service. Some families follow it with a gathering later.
Types of Services
Viewing & Funeral Service
A formal viewing (visitation) followed by a funeral service, typically at a chapel or church, and then a procession to the cemetery for graveside committal. This is what most people picture when they think of a funeral. Families choose it when a lot of people will want to come, or when seeing them one last time matters.
- Embalming and preparation for viewing
- Viewing period for family and friends
- Formal funeral service with clergy or celebrant
- Procession to cemetery
- Graveside committal with final prayers
Graveside Service
The service is held at the graveside rather than in a chapel. Often shorter, with the casket present at the grave. No separate viewing or procession. Families choose this when the group is small, or when a full chapel service is more than they want.
- Service held at the cemetery gravesite
- Typically 30–45 minutes
- More intimate gathering
- Clergy, readings, and music as desired
- Casket present at graveside
Memorial Service
A service held after the burial has already taken place. The body is not present. Photos, keepsakes, and stories carry it instead. Can be held anywhere. This is common when family has to travel, or when it takes a while to get everyone in the same place.
- Held after burial is complete
- Body not present, so the focus is on memories
- Can be held at chapel, home, or any venue
- Flexible timing: days, weeks, or months later
- Often called a "celebration of life"
Private Family Burial
A small, private gathering at the graveside with only immediate family. No formal service, no public viewing. Some families follow with a larger memorial at a later date.
- Immediate family only
- Brief graveside gathering
- No formal service required
- Can be followed by a public memorial later
- Most private option
Death Certificates
What to Expect
First Call
You call us (24/7). We arrange transfer of your loved one into our care within hours.
Arrangement Meeting
Meet with us to make selections: service type, casket, cemetery property, and details.
Obituary & Notices
We help draft the obituary and submit to newspapers or online platforms as you wish.
Service Planning
Music, readings, photos, flowers, pallbearers: we help coordinate every element.
Viewing & Service
The viewing and/or funeral service, held at the chapel, church, or graveside as planned.
Procession
A formal procession from chapel to cemetery, with escort and family vehicles.
Graveside Committal
Final prayers and committal at the graveside. The casket is lowered after the family departs.
Marker & Memorialization
After interment, we begin the marker order. Granite markers typically take 10–14 weeks to complete.
Caskets, Vaults & Markers
Caskets
We carry over 200 caskets in metal and wood, from simple and dignified to highly personalized. Prices range from approximately $1,130 to $12,000+.
- Metal caskets: 141 options in 5 price tiers
- Wood caskets: 63 options in 5 price tiers
- View our interactive Metal Casket Guide and Wood Casket Guide
Outer Burial Containers
Washington Memorial Park requires a concrete outer burial container (vault) for all ground burials. This protects the casket and prevents the ground from settling.
- Burial vault: sealed concrete or metal, and the stronger of the two options
- Required by cemetery, not by state law
Every burial also includes a flush granite marker (in most sections). View our interactive Granite Marker Guide for sizes, pricing, stone colors, and photo portrait options.
What comes after this
A burial also involves a casket, an outer burial container, and a marker. We carry over 200 caskets from roughly $1,130 to $12,000, the cemetery requires a concrete outer container for every ground burial, and most sections take a flush granite marker. Each of those has a guide of its own with photographs and prices, and I am glad to send whichever ones you want.
I would rather give you a real number than a guess. Call or email me and I will put an exact quote in writing, with no obligation.
Martice Morrison · (206) 445-9794 · mmorrison@bonneywatson.com
