Marble Cremation Urn | Michelangelo’s Hand of God

This one-of-a-kind marble cremation urn is made from either black, white, or green marble and features the famous Hand of God scene from Michelangelo’s Sistene Chapel paintings. The marble urn is a durable and beautiful way to memorialize your loved one.

Hand of God Black Marble Urn

Hand of God Green Marble Urn

Hand of God White Marble Urn

Hand of God Marble Cremation Urn – $499.00

Choose the marble color (black, white, or green), Hand of God plaque finish (bronze or pewter), and plaque with name and dates (additional $40.00). Readers of this blog post may use the following coupon code for $60.00 off the listed price:

sistene60

Cremation urn coupon code valid until 12/31/2010. Free ground shipping with all urn purchases over $130.00 at UrnsNW.com.

Photo Cremation Urn | Engraved Photo Urns

Laser-engraving a photo onto the wood of a beautiful cremation urn will make a stunning tribute to your loved one. We are proud to offer several varieties of engraved photo urns for your consideration.

Vision Engraved Photo Cremation Urn

The Vision Engraved Photo Cremation Urn is a masterpiece of technology and craftmanship. Made from solid walnut with a maple insert upon which the photograph and personalized name and dates are laser-engraved, this unique cremation urn is a wonderful memorial to your loved one. Exceptionally priced at $369.00.

Photo Engraved Cremation Urn

Our Photo Engraved Cremation Urn is another marvellous work of art. Made from solid maple, this photo urn is available in an upright vertical design, as shown, or in a shorter and wider horizontal shape. Choose your design based on the shape or desired placement of the photograph. Personalized text engraving is included on this urn. This custom cremation urn is a bargain at $349.00.

More photo engraved cremation urns are in development and will soon be available on our website, UrnsNW.com. We also offer a variety of cremation urns that hold an actual photograph in a frame built into the urn; see here.

Urn Customization | Urn Personalization

At Urns Northwest, we offer several ways you can customize the cremation urn of your choice.

First, nearly all of our wood urns can be customized with personalized laser engraving, for information such as name (or names, for our companion urns), dates, quotes, Bible verses, a line or two from a poem, and personal inscriptions:

Second, most of our hardwood funeral urns are available in a variety of wood types or wood finish, including oak, walnut, cherry, natural cherry, maple, white maple, rosewood, and others.
Wood Type for Cremation Urns

Third, we offer many cremation urn appliques which affix to a flat surface on the urn. These beautiful and varied appliques are sold and shipped separately, so you can even purchase one for an urn you already own!

We are always ready to assist you via phone or email with any and all questions about our cremation urns and our urn customization.

Unique Urns for Interesting Individuals | The Regular (#3)

If your loved one was always 15 minutes early, with clock set ahead 3 minutes, liked the daily routine of coffee, paper, breakfast, lunchbox and out the door at 7:39, and always knew if it was a leap year, a beautiful and fitting way to honor their life is through a gorgeous, stately and attractive Clock Urn from Urns Northwest.

Autumn Leaves Clock Urn

$349.00

Ambassador Clock Urn – Rustic

$389.00

Astoria Clock Urn – Hummingbird

$389.00

Castlewood Clock Urn

$399.00

These and many more clock cremation urns are available at UrnsNW.com. These usually take about 3 business days to produce, so please contact us if you need rush shipping. Regular ground shipping is free on these gorgeous cremation urn clocks. Use the following coupon code for $15.00 off the purchase of any clock urn through 12/15/2010:

uuiiticktock

Baseball Cremation Urn

With Major League Baseball’s 2010 Postseason upon us, here is a fitting cremation urn memorial to the lifetime baseball fan:

Baseball Cremation Urn – $210.00
Laser-engraved personalization on home plate or sides – $40.00

Use this coupon code for 5% off the Baseball Cremation Urn through 11/30/2010

urnbb5%

All orders over $130.00 at UrnsNW.com qualify for free ground shipping.

Trucker Cremation Urn | Unique Cremation Urn

If you’re looking for the perfect cremation urn for a truck driver, our newest addition to the Urns Northwest product line may be the perfect memorial for your loved one.

Trucker Riding Home Cremation Urn

The Trucker Cremation Urn features an incredibly detailed semi-truck driving through the countryside, passing an idyllic farmhouse on an old country road, with the moon setting in the distance. A beautiful and fitting memorial for your big-rig driving loved one.

If this is the perfect cremation urn for your loved one, enter the following coupon code at checkout when purchasing the Trucker Riding Home Cremation Urn for $15.00 off our already-low-price of $365.00:

bigrigurn$15

Coupon code for cremation urn is valid until 12/1/2010. We offer free shipping on all orders over $130.00.

On Writing a Eulogy

Tips on writing a eulogy:

Make if brief. Anywhere from three to ten minutes is the normal length, though it’s a good idea to consult beforehand with the family or officiating clergyman. If a number of speakers are lined up, you might be told to keep it shorter. (Remember: a single typewritten, double-spaced page takes roughly a minute to read aloud.)
Keep it personal. A eulogy is not the same as an obituary – that is, it’s not meant to be a biography of the departed or a summary of his or her achievements. It’s a personal, sincerely felt tribute that captures something true about the subject, something that made him or her so special to you.
Be specific. Don’t just generalize about what a wonderful, witty, loving person the departed was; recall a particular anecdote that captures his or her personality. It a eulogy delivered for his malapropism-prone grandfather, for example, writer Garry Schaeffer recalled the time that – while dining together at a Spanish restaurant – the old man ordered the “Gestapo soup.”
Don’t be overly glum. As Schaeffer’s example indicates, it’s perfectly appropriate to inject some humor into a eulogy. Indeed, in a fine Esquire magazine piece, “How to Give a Eulogy,” writer Tom Chiarella flatly declares, “You must make them laugh. Laughs are a pivot point in a funeral. They are your responsibility. The best laughs come by forcing people not to idealize the dead.” At the same time, it’s important to remember that you are not there to perform a stand-up routine or deliver a roast.
Be honest – up to a point. Telling the truth about a person is important, but you want to emphasize the positive. A funeral service is no place for brutal honesty. It’s one thing to elicit warm churckles from the audience by describing the departed’s lovable quirks. But feelings are raw at these times, and you’ll want to avoid anything that smacks of criticism. Likewise, a eulogy is not an occasion for you to offer a tearful confession or a belated apology for some wrong you committed against the deceased. Remember: this is not about you.
Let your feelings show. It’s okay to choke up or shed a few tears while recalling the deceased. But you don’t want to get carried away in a tide of emotion. That’s why it’s important to rehearse your eulogy before you deliver it.

– Harold Schechter, The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End

Here’s a few more tips from Eulogyspeech.net; a pretty good article from About.com; a couple of examples from HubPages.

Eagle Cremation Urn

Eagle Urn

The gorgeous Eagle Urn in solid oak. A wonderful tribute to your loved one at $365.00

An incredibly detailed cremation urn featuring an eagle laser-cut from genuine hardwoods. The scene is of an eagle swooping down towards the ground with a beautiful backdrop of tall trees and mountains. The perfect memorial for the hunter, hiker, outdoorsman, or nature lover. Available in oak, as shown, or walnut.

Just one of many in our lovely Wildlife Cremation Urns series.

Discount Cremation Urns

Here at Urns Northwest, we have a small selection of quality cremation urns that have reduced prices for various reasons, mostly due to cancelled orders and discontinued product lines. While many of the urns we carry need to be built by our craftsmen before shipping, these discount funeral urns are not only value-priced but can be shipped out immediately, which can be of great benefit when time is of the essence.

Discount Golf Cremation Urn and Memory Chest

$369.00 $299.00

Discount Cremation Urn | Jesus Shepherd Companion Urn

$369.00 $309.00

Arrowstar Discount Bronze Cremation Urn

$149.00 $99.00

Bookshelf Discount Urn in Cherry

$89.00 $69.00

Check out all of our Discount Cremation Urns, and while you’re at it browse our very affordable Budget Cremation Urns selection.

How to Write a Condolence Letter

Tips on a lost art, from Leonard M. Zunin and Hilary Stanton Zunin:

Acknowledge the loss. Assuming that you didn’t hear the news from the person you’re writing to, you should begin by explaining how you learned about the death and expressing your dismay. (“I was heartbroken when I heard from Bill last night about your father’s death.”)
Convey your sympathy. In sincere, straightforward language, offer your sympathy and emotional support. (“No words can adequately express my sadness, but I want you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.”)
Mention the special qualities of the deceased. If you knew the deceased well, describe the traits you most admired in him or her. (“Your father was not only an exceptionally generous and warmhearted man but one of the happiest I’ve ever known. He never seemed to lose his capacity to enjoy the small, simple pleasures of life.”)
Recall a specific memory of the deceased. If possible, relate an anecdote that evokes the special qualities of the person. (“I remember walking through the town park just a few months ago and seeing him in the playground with his granddaughter Suzie. They were together on the seesaw and, from the look on their faces, it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the seven-year-old girl or her seventy-year-old grandpa.”)
Remind the bereaved of his or her own personal strengths. The death of a loved one can render a person so emotionally fragile, so profoundly insecure, that a few reassuring words, bolstering the bereaved’s sense of self-worth, can be very important. (“From personal experience, I know how hard it is to lose a father. But I also know that, like your father, you are a person of great inner strength and resilience and that these qualities will help see you through this difficult time.”)
Offer assistance. People in the early stages of grief can always use a little help dealing with the daily demands of life – cooking, cleaning, errand running, and so on. If you are ready and willing to assist in specific ways, say so. Generalized offers – “If I can help out in any way, let me know” – are much less effective and tend to ring a little hollow. (“As someone who cares deeply about you and your family, I hope you’ll allow me to help out in the coming weeks. I’ll call in a few days to see if there’s anything I can do.”)
End with a thoughtful phrase. Instead of a conventional sign-off – “sincerely,” “best wishes,” “yours truly,” “warmly,” or the like – conclude with a final, heartfelt phrase. (“You know you have my deepest sympathy and my friendship always.”)