Every term you are likely to encounter in Texas funeral or cremation arrangements — written plainly, without jargon. 52 terms. Use the letter index below or Cmd/Ctrl-F to search.
A
Alternative Container
A rigid, combustible container used to hold cremated remains during the cremation process. Texas law requires one for cremation but does not require a full casket. Our basic alternative container is available from $95 and satisfies the legal requirement.
At-Need Arrangements
Funeral arrangements made at the time of death, as opposed to pre-need (arranged in advance). At-need arrangements are typical but emotionally difficult; pre-planning spares families from decisions in crisis.
Autopsy
A medical examination of a body after death to determine cause of death. In Texas, autopsies are ordered by the Medical Examiner in unexpected or unattended deaths and typically do not prevent an open-casket viewing.
B
Biodegradable Urn
An urn made from materials designed to dissolve over days or weeks when placed in water or buried in earth. Commonly used for ocean, lake, or garden committal where the family wants the remains to return to nature.
Burial Vault
An outer container placed around a casket during burial, required by most DFW cemeteries to prevent ground settling. Costs $695 (basic) to $2,500+ (lined). Not required by Texas state law.
C
Casket
A rigid container used for burial or cremation. Texas law does not require a casket for cremation. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must accept any casket a family provides, without a fee.
Casket Rule (FTC)
A section of the FTC Funeral Rule prohibiting funeral homes from refusing, or charging any fee to handle, a casket purchased elsewhere. Vargas-London fully honors this rule.
Cemetery Plot
A designated area in a cemetery for burial. Costs in the DFW metroplex range from $1,800 to $6,500 depending on location and section. The plot purchase is separate from opening-and-closing fees and any required vault.
Certified Death Certificate
An official copy of a death certificate issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Families typically need 6–10 copies for insurance, banks, real estate, and the VA. Costs $20 per copy in Texas.
Chain of Custody
Documented tracking of a loved one's remains from initial transfer through final return, with verified identification at each stage. Vargas-London verifies identification at four stages: transfer, preparation, cremation, and return.
Columbarium
A structure with niches for the placement of urns containing cremated remains. Many DFW cemeteries and churches offer columbarium options as an alternative to home display or burial of an urn.
Cremated Remains
The material remaining after cremation, often called ashes. Texas law considers these remains to be the legal property of the designated next of kin, and they may be retained, buried, scattered, or divided.
Cremation
A process that uses high heat to reduce a body to bone fragments, which are then processed into cremated remains. Now chosen by roughly 60% of Texas families.
Cremation Casket
A combustible wood or fiberboard casket suitable for cremation. Less expensive than a traditional casket but dignified enough for a viewing or service before cremation.
Cremation Permit
A county-issued permit required before cremation can proceed in Texas. Typically issued within 48 hours of death certificate filing.
D
Direct Cremation
Cremation without a viewing, visitation, or ceremony beforehand. The simplest and most affordable option. At Vargas-London, $895 all-inclusive.
Disposition
The final placement of a body or cremated remains — burial, cremation with interment, cremation with scattering, or cremation kept at home. Texas law requires that every death have a lawful disposition.
E
Embalming
A preservation process not required by Texas law but sometimes requested for public viewings. Vargas-London embalms only when the family specifies it; no family is charged for embalming they did not request.
F
Final-Expense Policy
A small life-insurance policy (typically $5,000–$25,000) designed to cover funeral costs. Also called burial insurance. See our side-by-side of final-expense vs. savings and preneed trusts.
Funeral Director
A Texas-licensed professional responsible for conducting arrangements, overseeing operations, and ensuring legal and ethical compliance. Carlos Vargas is Vargas-London's Texas Licensed Funeral Director.
FTC Funeral Rule
A federal regulation, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requiring funeral homes to disclose itemized pricing, accept consumer-provided caskets, and follow specific consumer-protection practices. In force since 1984.
G
General Price List (GPL)
A printed list of every item and service a funeral home offers with its price, required by the FTC Funeral Rule to be provided to any consumer who requests it. Vargas-London publishes its GPL online.
Graveside Service
A brief ceremony conducted at the cemetery plot, typically without a prior visitation or chapel service. Available for both burial and cremation-with-interment.
Green Burial
Interment without embalming, vault, or non-biodegradable casket, at a cemetery certified for natural burial. A growing choice in Texas with low environmental footprint.
H
Hospice
End-of-life care focused on comfort rather than cure. Hospice patients in Texas often pre-plan funerals, and hospice-certified deaths typically move through the funeral process more quickly.
I
Identification Viewing
A brief, private viewing by immediate family to confirm identity before cremation. Provided at no additional charge.
Indigent Burial
County-funded simple burial or cremation for families unable to pay. Dallas and Collin counties both operate indigent-burial programs; Vargas-London works with families who may qualify.
Interment
The act of placing a body or urn in its final resting place (burial, entombment in a mausoleum, or placement in a columbarium niche).
Islamic Burial
Burial following Islamic tradition: ghusl (ritual washing), plain white kafan (shroud), burial within 24 hours where possible, no embalming. Vargas-London regularly coordinates Islamic burials across the DFW metroplex.
J
Jewish Burial
Burial following Jewish tradition: tahara (ritual washing), plain wooden casket, no embalming, shomer watch, burial within 24 hours where possible. Reform congregations also accept cremation.
K
Keepsake Urn
A small urn (3–5 cubic inches) holding a portion of cremated remains, allowing multiple family members to each keep a share. Priced from $30.
M
Medical Examiner
A county official responsible for investigating unexpected, unattended, or suspicious deaths. Adds 24–72 hours to the typical timeline but does not change the family's options. Dallas County and Collin County both maintain full Medical Examiner offices.
Memorial Cremation
Cremation with a memorial service held at our chapel or a venue of the family's choice. At Vargas-London, $2,495 all-inclusive.
Memorial Service
A ceremony celebrating a life, held in the absence of the body (typically after cremation or burial). Can be held at any time, at any location.
N
Next of Kin
The legal relative(s) with authority to make funeral arrangements and sign cremation authorization. Texas law specifies the order: surviving spouse, adult children, parents, siblings, then more distant relatives.
O
Obituary
A published notice of a death, typically including biographical details, surviving family, and service information. See our obituary worksheet for a fill-in template.
Open Casket
A casket displayed with the lid open during visitation or service. Requires embalming or refrigeration, and appropriate preparation of the deceased.
P
Pallbearer
A person who helps carry the casket at a funeral, typically 6 people. Traditionally immediate family, close friends, or work colleagues.
Permit of Disposition
A county-issued permit authorizing burial, cremation, or other final disposition in Texas. Vargas-London files these at no additional charge.
Pre-Need Arrangements
Funeral arrangements made in advance of death. Can be documented without pre-funding (free) or pre-funded through a Texas-regulated funeral trust that locks in today's prices.
Preneed Funeral Trust
A Texas-regulated trust (Texas Finance Code Chapter 154) holding pre-funded funeral payments. Revocable with admin-fee refund; irrevocable contracts are exempt from Medicaid asset calculation.
R
Rental Casket
A dignified outer casket shell with a removable interior liner, used for viewing or service before cremation. Allows a traditional-style service without purchasing a full casket. $895 flat at Vargas-London.
Repatriation
International transfer of remains to or from Texas, typically to the country of the deceased's citizenship or family origin. Vargas-London coordinates through U.S. consulates and partner funeral homes worldwide.
S
Scattering
The distribution of cremated remains in a chosen location — land, water, or a permitted garden. Texas law permits scattering on private property with the owner's permission and in uninhabited public spaces.
Shiva
A seven-day Jewish mourning period observed immediately after burial, during which the family stays home and receives visitors. Vargas-London coordinates funeral logistics to respect shiva timing.
Shomer (Shmira)
The Jewish practice of maintaining a watcher with the body from death until burial, reading psalms. Vargas-London accommodates shomer in our preparation room.
T
Tahara
The Jewish ritual washing and preparation of a body for burial, performed by the Chevra Kadisha (burial society). Vargas-London accommodates tahara at our facility or at area synagogues.
U
Urn
A container used to hold cremated remains. May be wood, metal, ceramic, biodegradable, keepsake-sized, or a jewelry pendant. Vargas-London carries a full range from $30 to $1,500 and transfers family-provided urns at no charge.
V
Veteran Burial Benefits
Federal benefits for honorably discharged veterans: free burial at a national cemetery, $948 burial allowance, free government headstone, burial flag, and military honors. Vargas-London files all VA paperwork at no charge.
Viewing (Visitation)
A gathering, typically the day before or the morning of the funeral, where family and friends can see the deceased and offer condolences. Can be open-casket or closed-casket.
Social Security Death Benefit
A one-time $255 payment to a surviving spouse or dependent child, filed through the Social Security Administration. Not a substantial funeral-cost contributor but should be claimed where eligible.