What would a corpse look like at a funeral if the person didn't die in one piece?

Question

For examples, person lost a limb, got decapitated, body got blown up in half, head splattered, or something that gory. Not that I'm a psychopath or anything. It just makes me wonder after seeing some disturbing gory pictures online before. How do they prepare such a corpse for a funeral?

Answer 1

it would be a closed casket

Answer 2

Bodies that can be made to look presentable will be prepared as best as possible. I have been to funerals of people who lost body parts and the funeral home was very creative in how they presented the body. There is always the option of a closed casket also, if the body is too badly damaged. Sometimes the body is cremated before the service and only an urn is present. Also, sometimes the funeral home will prepare the body as best as possible and only the family views it. With the technology and cosmetics we have today, many ugly things can be made to look at least presentable.

Answer 3

I have a friend that is a mortitation he told me that it would be a closed casket if repairs could not be made. If a open casket is requested they have ways to do some repairs. if its an arm or leg it can be sewed back on and covered with clothing. In the case of the head it can be sewed and glued back on a lot of make up applied and either clothing to cover but normally makeup will do the job. I attended a funeral that she was decapitated she has some bruising but that was all you could see when they had finished working on her. It is amazing what they can do.

Answer 4

In most cases they can fix the body up to make it look "normal". They are wearing clothes in the casket, so usually a limb (or the head) can be placed in the correct position and then an article of clothing can hide the division. My friend shot himself in the head with a .40 and the bullet exited (exploded?) through his temple. I couldn't believe they were going to have an open casket. But the mortician used something and patched up the hole, and then put makeup over it. Of course you could tell that it wasn't natural, but it was better than a gaping hole into his head.

Answer 5

If the poor person had lost his head,then the coffin would be closed and no one would see.If any limbs were missing or if the person had died from any other, when viewing body a cloth would be draped across the neck line,covering the body and only half the coffin would be open.In England unless it is requested the lid of the coffin at funerals are closed.Does this help you ?

Answer 6

Morticians are able to stitch parts together and stuff them, just like taxidermists do. Only they have the advantage of being able to conceal their work with clothing, and it's generally formal clothing, which covers a lot of the body.

In very gory cases, they suggest to the family that they not have an open casket. Most families abide by this suggestion.

Answer 7

usually have a closed casket in those situations, but if the family wants an open casket the funeral home does the best they can. As long as the head isn't to messed up then its not that hard.

Answer 8

In the case of my father in law, who died in a plane crash, they had a closed casket. That is usually the case when there has been severe disfigurement. The funeral director even advises family members not to view the corpse, for it would make a disturbing last visual memory of their loved one.

Answer 9

I have a friend who's hubby is a funeral director so I've seen some of this up close and there is only so much that they can do with a body. If it is severely damaged, it is normal to have a closed casket for the funeral. It's almost impossible to enbalm a body with a lot of damage as the fluid would run out as soon as they pump it in. Pumping the blood out and the fluid in is pretty rough to watch. They cut into the large veins and stick a hose in. The thing that struck me most was how little dignity there is for the deceased person but I guess at that point they couldn't care less. There are talanted morticians and those who aren't so if is like a bullet hole or something, they can fill it in and use make up so it really can't be seen but the person looks wierd with all that makeup pasted on. I really kind of wished I'd never seen the process when my own mother died but I knew what made her who she was had left that body and it really didn't matter what happened to it. What really grossed me out was at a meeting I was at once. The "entertainment" was a lady from the hospital trying to sign us up to be organ donors. She told all about how they check to verify that the person is brain dead and then told us that when they harvest eyes, skin or organs, they have to sedate the dead person because if they don't, when they stick the blade in, the body would come right up off the table. Yes, like sit up! Now, if your brain is dead how can you feel pain??? I am signed up to be a donor myself but I don't know if I could allow them to do it to a loved one. Just the thought that they might be feeling someone cutting them up grosses me out. Now, I'll close with my favorite mortuary joke.
A lady's husband passed away and she was getting his clothes out to be buried in and thought that he had been such a kind and loving husband that he really deserved a new suit of clothes to be laid out in. She put the old clothes back and went to the mall and bought him a very expensive suit, shirt, tie, the works and dropped them off at the mortuary on her way home. They told her that they would have him dressed right away and the viewing could be anytime that evening and he'd be in room # 2. She went back that evening, thinking how nice he'd look in his new clothes and went into room 2 and was totally shocked. There lay her husband but he was dressed in an old thread bare suit, the shirt had a wrinkled collar and there were spots on the old and out of style tie. She was so upset, and went marching into the office ready to really ream them. As she started to tell them that they had someone's old cruddy clothes on her husband the funeral director jumped up and told her not to worry at all, he remembered her bringing his new clothes and it was an honest mistake as they had to dress two bodies that afternoon. After getting her settled down with a cup of coffee, he assured her that they were so so sorry and would get it straigtened out before anyone else would come in and see him that way, as a matter of fact they could take care of it right then. He then opened the door between his office and the enbalming area and yelled, "Hey Jake, switch the heads on 1 and 2." LOLOLOL

Answer 10

I think if the family still REALLY wanted to have an open casket they can do their best frankenstein work. The body is usually in a suit anyway so unless they had major facial trauma it would be all good.

Answer 11

They close the lid, and the mortician will instruct your family to put a happy picture of the relative on top of the lid for the service.