Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

turtle urn

Bronze Urns, When Only the Best Will Do

“His office looked like an Egyptian tomb”. That’s how one of our customers who was buying an urn for her husband described his style. He was intrigued by the history and mystery of the ancients and had a collection of relics and reproductions.  Her choice to honor him was the Bronze Griffin Cremation Urn, a gold sarcophagus style with twin guardian griffins in bas relief surrounding the box as a symbol of protection. Such a beautiful style and a timeless design.

bronze griffin cremation urn for ashes

Bronze Sea Turtle Urn

Another customer recently sent us photos of the turtle urn she bought for her departed sister. She chose the bronze turtle urn and surrounded the sculpture with sea shells and flowers at the memorial service. After the funeral she placed the urn in a lighted curio cabinet for display. Read about another turtle urn customer here.

Last Wishes & Funeral Home to the Stars

A recent widower in New York chose the beautiful Belle Fleurs Bronze Urn for his wife. Rich patina finish, trimmed in roses and topped with a gold dove finial.

belle bronze cremation urn for ashes

She wanted her services handled at corporately owned Frank E. Campbell, funeral home of the stars. Incredibly expensive, this gentleman said that preparation, private viewing, limo to the crematory, and cremation, which he stayed and watched, was around $11,000. No memorial service was held. She wanted the best, and he got it for her.

Bronze Veterans Memorial Honors War Hero

Another customer wanted something special for her brother who served tours in Vietnam and Korea. She chose the helmet and boots military memorial.

bronze army cremation urn

Since this urn was not able to engraved on the surface, we did personalized dog tags that told the story of his military service and tours of Vietnam.

This was the first bronze urn that was to be buried. Even more surprising, was that the cemetery in California did not require a burial vault.

Firefighter Helmet Urn

The firefighter helmet urn has been a popular style with families and can be embossed with name, rank, and department. We are working on one right now for a family in California.

decorative bronze cremation urns for ashes

Our premium bronze line is for discriminating customers who want a top of the line memorial. These are handcrafted using ancient techniques, painstakingly created by artisans that care about your loved one.

All American Turtle Urn

One of our customers called at 6 AM this morning, before business hours in fact. We don’t usually answer the phone at that hour, but I had just sat down at my desk with a cup of coffee. It’s tax time and this particular client is also trying to settle an estate. She needed a sales receipt from a transaction when she bought a turtle urn for her sister back in October.

We chatted while the computer woke up and I could verify the purchase. I asked her what they did with her sister’s urn, “Oh, it’s so beautiful,” she told me. “I’ve got it in a lighted display case at my house. I wish you could have seen what we did at her memorial, we used shells and flowers, it looked so good. ” I remembered this customer because not only did she buy one of my favorites, the turtle, she also works for for the Department of Justice.

Her sister’s estate is complicated because not only is Maryland probate involved, but there’s property in Virginia that has to be handled. Her sister’s illness was so sudden that there was no time to discuss her affairs and handling the estate has become a full time job in addition to the one she already has.

where to buy cremation urn

Stories like this make me proud that we are able to assist families and help them create the perfect memorial to honor their dear ones. We had another customer who bought a bronze cremation urn for her husband when he died while on vacation in Idaho. His children, who are grown, chose the turtle urn because they felt the qualities of patience, perseverance, and strength that were the personality traits of their father that were symbolized by this ancient creature.

Some Eastern cultures believe that the turtle shell is the symbol of heaven and earth united. The top of the turtle is heaven and the square on the bottom of the shell is earth. American Indians saw the turtle as the image of land and water.

The bronze sculpture that our artists create here in the USA is quality art for someone who wants not only a premium memorial, but a decorative presentation in the home. If smaller scale tribute is more to your liking, there’s always jewelry like the turtle urn pendant that can be worn on a chain or as a charm on a bracelet.

The days are snowy and cold now, but we anxiously await the warming of the season and days of dodging turtles on the road as they start their slow journey in the spring.

Where to buy cremation urns