This is just to double check for believability. I'll try and keep it brief. Situation: Expected death, at home, no foul play. Discovered early Saturday morning by partner. American rules apply. Story wise, I'd prefer the funeral at Thursday, five days later, including a Sunday. Would you accept that, if you read it in a real book? Google doesn't give me a singular answer, but one site says in America the funeral is typically within a week after death.
Yes, it works. The only issue might be religion. Some religions such as Jewish want the funeral pretty much right away while others can be more patient. I'm sure there are other religions with similar restrictions.
When my grandfather passed away (same circumstances you described... Died at home in his bed... Grandma found him in the morning).... We had his funeral service 8 days later. My other grandfather, his was a whole 12 days after his passing. Mainly because he didnt have a funeral plan or anything like that, so my dad and his brothers struggled with getting all of that together, money wise and decision wise. My mom's father was military, so it was all planned out.
Depends how "jazzed" the family is about the funeral. If they plan a big sendoff, it'll usually be on a weekend so the most people can attend. If it's a small, intimate gathering, they'll wait until the important family members can get into town. If it's no big deal, they'll intern the body however and perhaps have a remembrance service at a later convenient date with no wake or funeral. I've seen them all... it really depends on who's taking responsibility for the show. And who's willing to pay for it. A traditional funeral costs about as much as a car if you plan to check all the boxes: wake, mass, burial, reception, flowers, etc. Some people put money aside for that. Others just croak and whomever is leftover figures it out on the fly.
Yes, that's entirely believable. The only thing I'd watch out for is whether any close family members live across the country or something and aren't able to make it until the weekend.
Alright, thanks everyone. The religion issue won't come up and extended family, meh. I'll make 'em get there on time.
It can easily take that long to plan everything and pull it all together. So, totally believable. @Homer Potvin -- It's crazy how much a death costs, right? I rather someone I love have a new car than I have a pretty box to decay in underground. Not to be too morbid, but I've already planned out what I want to happen after I die and it won't cost anyone anything. I'm donating my entire body to science. I've already made my wishes known and signed some papers. I think most people just put off planning or thinking about their deaths (especially if they aren't that old) which can leave loved ones to scramble planning and paying for funeral services and such.
Yes and no. For some people the pageantry is extremely important. Growing up Italian, Rhode Island, and Roman Catholic (in that order) the funeral procedure is almost a matter of pride. How big was the wake? How many days did it take? How many people showed up? How many flowers did you buy? Which funeral home did you use? Did you have the big room or the side room? How prominent was the obituary? Which church? Which priest? Which cemetary? How big was the headstone? Which restaurant held the reception? Courses or buffet? Open bar or cash? And watch out if two prominent local figures have services on the same day. You want to see competition? Better say a Novina. Jews on the other hand have the body in the ground within 24 hours, I believe. Whether the family has arrived from out of state or not. I wouldn't mind a funeral pyre myself. Embalm me with whiskey and flick cigarettes at me until I catch.
All that, man, my death would cost more money than I've ever had in my bank account. I have been to funerals that went all out and I've been to others where hardly anyone showed up. I just think the biggest party I ever go to should be while I'm alive. I get that religion does play a role, but I still think it's a pretty big waste of money. For me, there's more comfort in the idea that my death might save others or help with medical advances somehow. But I'll join you for some whiskey and cigarettes in the afterlife.
On my dad's side, both were cremated. We went down south to spend time with the rest of my dad's side of the family, and my aunt came out from Colorado. It was a month or so after. That was what they both had wanted. My father wants to be cremated, doesn't want a funeral. He just wants his ashes spread in a place that is very important to him. With my grandfather on my mom's side, I believe the funeral was held a week after. He had most of the necessary things planned and taken care of in advance, although I think there were still some minor things that needed to be sorted out among my mom and her brothers. I don't remember the specifics unfortunately. My great grandfather on my mom's side, when he passed, he was a WWII veteran. So his burial was different from the norm. I couldn't have been older than two or three, but I still remember the honor guard firing their three volleys. That was also held within a week after his passing. So I would say within a week is pretty standard and believable. 8-10 days is not uncommon either.
Hear, hear. Though I read once that most people wind up as crash test dummies. Either way, as long as they play the right music at the going away party, I don't give a hoot. And for anyone keeping track—I wrote the funeral. It was within the week, had some fun with music and all but one lived happily ever after. Had to rush it a little near the end because I wanted to keep it within one 'chapter', but it's adequate enough for a first draft.
