Love, Service, Sustainability

Mary Eleanor Natural Funeral Care

Welcome

If you  were intentionally looking for us or perhaps you may have some general questions about death, dying and funeral care. It could be that you have just stumbled upon us. Whatever has brought you here, or whatever queries or questions you may have, Welcome to Mary Eleanor we trust we can be of service to you.

Death and Dying can be a difficult subject to discuss at the best of times, but when you are thrown into its direct path it can leave you feeling lost, fragile and vulnerable. My hope is that you can find some answers and reassurances in these pages, that help lift the weight and burden of what you are perhaps experiencing. With gentleness and love may you be guided to find the answers you seek, and with  knowledge and freedom, empowered to make meaningful choices and decisions around end of life and funeral care.  We believe that this care, carried out with meaning, can be an integral part of the healing journey.

Grief and bereavement is as unique to the individual as the one you are mourning. So please be gentle with yourself and those around you as you navigate previously uncharted territory.   Our role is to support and guide you through the myriad of choices and options available in a way that honours you, your loved one and our tenants of 

Love, Service and Sustainability.

 Some may want to be quite ‘hands on’ when caring for the deceased, while others may prefer or need others to take a leading hand. Regardless of how much or how little you feel you can engage, we are available 24 hours a day to support, and guide you. 

We do all this, with joy and gratitude because, just like Mary Eleanor, we know our heart is always in the right place.

Love Sandra

  • "I cannot recommend Sandra and staff highly enough for their kind and caring support. Their premises feel more like home than a business"

    Maree

  • “Sandra and Lynne are by far the most considerate lovable human beings I've met. Im glad to know the Tassie community has you to fall upon in times of need”

    Bryn

  • “I cannot thank Sandra enough for her compassion and extensive efforts to help us send off my beautiful mother. We are eternally grateful for her efforts and feel incredibly blessed to have met such a beautiful person with such a big heart.”

    Sean

  • "Mary Eleanor took care of everything, including helping us navigate the practicalities of hospitals, crematoriums and so on. Most of all, we appreciated the personal and empathetic approach they took towards everything, and all for a very very reasonable cost."

    Adam

  • "Sandra and her team are absolutely amazing . The time they spend learning about the departed with such care and concern is beautiful."

    Andrea

Our Tenets

  • I love ice cream. I love to dance. I certainly love to talk. And of course, I love my family. We say it often enough, but it how can it be described?

    For some, it is just a matter of being.

    My Grandmother, Mary Eleanor was love. After the painful loss of her mother at a tender age, she was left behind in an orphanage by her father. She didn’t come from love. Yet her gentleness, her patience and her acceptance of everybody made you feel special, and made her all the more extraordinary. She put no conditions on her love. She just gave it.

    Mary Eleanor Funeral Care honours her by gently empowering our guests and their families as they navigate the unfamiliar paths of grief. We walk alongside, offering strength and solace while cherishing the life of those who are lost, and the earth we return them to.

  • We don’t offer a formula or dictate what things should look like. Instead, we understand that bereavement is a unique experience. Responsibility is thrown at you. There are things to do and decisions to be made. Those around you may be feeling helpless and vulnerable, not knowing what to do. You may be feeling overwhelmed but want to do what’s right.

    Our role is not just to uphold you in the wake of your loss. We also hold that space open for you to take a breath, to think and feel, giving you the opportunity to create something personal, affordable and unforgettable.

    Conventional funerals can be very expensive. Our pricing does not prohibit those who need us – we work from the heart for people, and encourage you to do the same. By using personal places such as community halls, backyards or gardens, not only do we assist in cutting down travel time but can also cost a fraction of large funeral venues. Picking and sharing flowers is another thoughtful yet simple example of love and service in action.

    It is important to us that you can look back on the choices and decisions you made and feel warmth and gratitude. We listen when families tell us ‘I would like to do this but am not sure if I can’. If it is possible, we can try to make it so

  • Our commitment to sustainability is not just a borrowed slogan.

    Generally speaking there are 3 considerations when thinking sustainability - Social, Economic and Environment, or People, Planet, Profit. Each of these are interwoven and to focus on one is to focus on all, when assisting families.

    For example if we use a bioboard cardboard coffin, this has less of an impact on the environment than many other coffin choices. A bioboard coffin cost significantly less than other coffins making it affordable for all. AND they can be taken home personalised, painted and decorated, by family, friends and community. Wow! Who knew such as simple choice can have such an impact, with so many benefits.

    Consider also how self-catering, or celebrating a life within local community could benefit the three pillars of sustainability… the thoughts and possibilities are varied, and endless… with overall outcomes being good for your bereavement, your community and the environment…

    We only use nature’s essential oils such as clove, and the beautiful Australian natives lemon myrtle and tea tree, instead of chemical alternatives when caring for those who come into our care. We also use ‘Aurum comp’ a divine cream, combining gold frankincense and myrhh, for all things protection and transition, sources from local southern Tasmanian pharmacy.

“Our hands are warm and secure, ready to help create something for you and your loved one that is real and memorable.”

— Sandra Bamford. Founder and Holistic Funeral Director

FAQs

  • Death is a part of life, and so its only natural that in death those who loved them should be involved and engaged in their care. Being involved in after death care and funeral arrangements gives the grieving a sense of control and belonging. They are not passive bystanders watching events unfold before them, but active participants during the journey.

    Natural care also focuses on the physical. There is no use of harsh chemicals in after death care. Instead we use a combination of essential oils such as frankincense, myrhh and clove oils. We also do not carry out, what we feel to be invasive procedures, instead allowing the body to find its own state of repose.

    Natural care is also about respecting our environment by adhering to the principles of sustainability as much as possible.

  • At the time immediately leading up to death and thereafter, the holding of a vigil can be a very powerful tool. Vigil is the idea of holding a space where the dying is supported to move through the process of leaving (or excarnating) from the physical body. It can be likened to travelling alongside someone on a very important journey, rather than sending them off alone. Depending on Belief systems this can be a quick or gradual process taking several days. Candles, mementos, prayers, blessings and sacred texts can be of great assistance in holding vigil space. Gentle massage of hands and feet can also be a deeply soothing and honouring experience. What is of greatest importance though is that the dying knows they are not alone and those travelling alongside them are wishing them well as they approach and cross the threshold of life.

  • No, there are many ways in which a life can be honoured without holding a formal funeral service. A formal funeral service is something that many of us have grown up to expect when someone close has died. Honouring the life of someone who has died can take on many forms and descriptions. A no service no attendance ‘bare essentials’ direct cremation with a personalised memorial service is becoming increasingly popular. Not only can this be more cost effective, it enables far greater input from family and friends over what this life honouring experience might look like.

  • Easy answer is NO you dont really. As long as you are following the requirements of the 'Burials and Cremation Act 2019' and its associated regulations, there is no need for a funeral director. In reality it is significantly easier to engage a supportive funeral home, such as Mary Eleanor, who will assist you to hold space following the death of the loved on. This enables you to focus on your grief rather than administrative requirements.

  • For many years, and for a variety of reasons we have handed over complete care, funeral planning and execution of services over to funeral homes. On the whole, they have carried out their tasks very well. Not unlike other specialist companies, a funeral company has limited competition allowing them to charge accordingly.

    At Mary Eleanor we believe that the more families wish to be involved, the better it is not only for their bereavement journey but also their 'hip pocket' so to speak. The major costs involved in a funeral are

    -Professional fees charged by funeral home

    -Disbursements (costs incurred such as cremation or burial fees, flowers, venue hire, newspaper notices etc)

    -Coffins

    By paying what we believe to be a fair price for our services, the price paid by our families is often significantly less than larger more commercially based funeral homes.

  • For some the idea of strangers caring for their deceased is just not an option. With the right funeral provider to support you there is nothing to say you can’t keep your loved one at home until it is time for internment or cremation. It was not an uncommon practice only a few generations ago, and is still widely accepted in many cultures and countries today. At Mary Eleanor, we are very supportive of your desire to undertake your own care and are happy to explore this possibility with you.

  • If it is a totally unexpected death, you should call the police or ambulance, and not move the body unless its injurious to public safety.

    If the deceased was under palliative care immediately prior to their death then notify the treating doctor or call an ambulance.

    Generally speaking, a body can not be removed from their place of death without a clear chain of paperwork stating who is/has signed off on the death certificate. Once this is in place you can then call your funeral provider.

  • As much as you need and is practicable. Although in Tasmania after 30 days significant explanations may be required.

  • Yes, you can with the understanding that the other funeral home may have already incurred some costs such as transportation which may need to be paid.

  • This is a hugely personal question, but under the right circumstances our experience says that it can be helpful for an individuals grief and bereavement process. In viewing, the death becomes somehow more real and the grief of such a loss can become more real. Some are very clear that they do not wish to see their beloved following death as they wish those final memories to be their last. For others who perhaps weren’t able to see the deceased prior to death, a viewing may be their only opportunity to say a final goodbye. Viewing can also assure the grieving that their loved one is now at peace.

  • As a part of our professional fees and service we obtain the information required to register the death with Births Deaths and Marriages (BDM).

    This needs to be done within 7 days of service. We will also order a death certificate on your behalf which can be returned to you in a variety or ways depending on urgency of need.

    A Death Certificate can also be ordered through Service Tasmania by filling out application form and paying prescribed fee.

Get in touch.