Making a Difference, at Last…

First, I  would like to thank  THE NATURAL FUNERAL for giving us the opportunity to  celebrate and honored my daughter's life and  BELIEFS. WHICH WAS "GIVE  EARTH WHAT EARTH GIVES US - GOING BACK WHERE WE COME FROM AND LIVE FOR EVER BECAUSE WE ARE ENERGY AND ENERGY CAN NOT BE DESTROYED". I want to thank Dan the director of THE NATURAL FUNERAL for guiding me throughout the whole proces; Being disoriented, confused and not know what to do he  help me throughout  the whole painful process as my daughter's demise was unexpected. With so much empathy and compassion he explained and suggested options of dates and times of the service and even gave me his personal number in case if I had questions I could reach out to him personally (  I felt like if he was sent by my daughter to guided me throughout this whole painful process) When my son's and I came to the NATURAL FUNERAL they  welcomed us , sat with us, gave us tea and let us shared the the life of my daughter and afterwards we had a moment of silence then they explained to us the process of the service. Jane and Seth were  extremely , Empathetic, Caring and Compassionate - explained the process and  options of the vigil. My family is small, only me and my two sons but we never felt alone they made us feel like family. On the day on the service they helped us to set up everything the way we wanted  ( I have never met such Beautiful, Caring, Compassionate and understanding people) I would like share what was done for daughter's funeral. During this intimate service we were able to wash SANDY my daughter'S body and anointed her with a blend of oils such as lavender and frankincense. Additionally, we were able to set up the chapel in a way that honored her BELIEFS, burning incense and holding a vigil with a plethora of candles, dressing her body in beautiful colorful silks, and spreading flower petals across her body and placing them tenderly in her hair. We got to truly thank her physical body for housing the light and love that My daughter was as a person. I CAN NOT  Thank enough the whole staff from THE NATURAL FUNERAL for all their Compassion and Empathy . FOR EVER GRATEFUL. Natasha, Anthony and Danny

My experience with the Natural Funeral was nothing less then outstanding. During such a difficult time they guided me beautifully through a process I’ve never done before. Their empathetic, compassionate, helpful and understanding staff treated my mother’s ceremony and burial like it was someone from their own family. I truly appreciate the compassion and care you and your team put into your work. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you.

At a terribly sad and difficult time, finding Natural Funeral truly was an answer to our prayers. Our son had spent the better part of his adult life working on behalf of organic approaches to agriculture. As he was coming to the end of his battle with brain cancer it was his wish to be able to return his body to the earth in a way that would be ecological. The option for water cremation was the answer to his wish. Seth, Karen, and Gretchen were supportive in so many ways. They respected our beliefs, our wishes, and our feelings through the planning and in helping us carry out that plan when our son died. We feel blessed to have found them as we have traversed this tragic time in our lives.

The Natural Funeral helped our family create beautiful end-of-life rituals to celebrate the passings of each of our parents. Karen and the other staff led us gracefully through caring for them at home after their deaths. Even family members who were initially reluctant to participate expressed much gratitude for the experience. Thank you!

I am so thankful we found The Natural Funeral. Our experience was beautiful and healing. They were honest and communicative and unconcerned with finances through the entire process. They gave us space and even allowed us to bring our dog to say goodbye. Nicole wrote a beautiful Eulogy, when I didn't have words. And Ray was so human and real and relatable. I appreciated them - I think they are the only reason I made it through. Thabk you Ray. I owe you so much more than I can ever repay. And then there was Becky, we only spoke once, but it was the middle of the night and she listened and was so supportive. Even though I know it was inconvenient for her. She didn't seem to mind a bit.

Such a uniquely warm, comforting and caring experience at a time of unbelievable pain and tragedy. Such an incredibly blessed experience to have had, I can not tell you how grateful I am to have found your business and benefited from your services during this time. The ability to be surrounded by our friends and family and our departed loved one together in such a way…words escape me…I wish that everyone could have such a healing experience in what is an inevitable part of life, but so incredibly hard to plan for. Saying “Thank you” and highly recommending your services feels entirely inadequate. Bless you all, and please accept our deepest gratitude from the entire Stonacek clan.❤️

The Natural Funeral and its staff has been such a blessing for my family. When my cousin Jessica died, the staff helped us through every step and treated us as though we were part of their own family. The Natural Funeral has a knowledgeable and dedicated staff that is full of empathy and love. We are incredibly grateful that they exist.

I came to know about the Natural Funeral in my connection with Willow Farms Contemplative Center in Hygiene when my husband, Bill died on October first, last year. He did not want a funeral but I needed closure and I was put in touch with Seth Vidal who guided me through the process of creating a private ritual in which my sister and I were accompanied by the staff at The Natural Funeral. Bill's body was in their beautiful wood and light filled room. There were candles, water, flowers from my garden and Bill's photo on an altar. We spoke our love to Bill, remembered special times, then washed his body and I read the first poem I wrote for Bill thirty two years before. My sister and I were joined and supported by everyone there. We sang, prayed and as I released Bill's spirit I felt the heaviness lift from my heart. It was such a gift to have exactly the kind of closure that I needed. A goodby must be personal and they made it so for me.

Such a uniquely warm, comforting and caring experience at a time of unbelievable pain and tragedy. Such an incredibly blessed experience to have had, I can not tell you how grateful I am to have found your business and benefited from your services during this time. The ability to be surrounded by our friends and family and our departed loved one together in such a way…words escape me…I wish that everyone could have such a healing experience in what is an inevitable part of life, but so incredibly hard to plan for. Saying “Thank you” and highly recommending your services feels entirely inadequate. Bless you all, and please accept our deepest gratitude from the entire Stonacek clan.❤️

Many people recommended the Natural Funeral to me and I’m so glad they did. It was the right choice for our family. The people, the services, the entire experience was beautiful and meaningful. I highly recommend the Natural Funeral to anyone.

I would give this organization 6 stars if I could! During the most difficult time in my life, The Natural Funeral Home stepped into my home/life and created a space for love, connection & honor- not only for my husband, who had passed, but for my family. They gently guided us through a remarkable process- reverent body care & anointment- this ceremony allowed up to honor our loved one in such a deep and meaningful way. Their support did not stop there. They continued to provide ongoing support in so many areas..... They are a truly wonderful group of human beings making what was one of our most darkest moments a little lighter. Thank you Karen, Iris, Madi and the rest of The Natural Funeral Home team! We will forever be connected.

The most meaningful choice for my dear friend was Water Cremation. She was an avid gardener and had a deep reverence for all living things. To return a part of her to the earth she loved, in support of life, felt correct. Family and friends also shared in taking part of her essence in remembrance. A wonderful experience!

Resoundingly the best choice for our family, very professional caring staff in a welcoming environment unlike any company we've met. Iris was very kind, made multiple helpful suggestions and went out of her way to make the process smoother as we navigated a sudden passing. Everyone we met was straightforward and very informative, no surprises. Uplifting experience at a very difficult time, highly reommended.

My wife had told me that she wanted to be buried in a simple casket in the earth, without embalming. The Natural Funeral gave us a choice of pine or wicker caskets, and when my daughters and I saw the wicker casket we knew it was exactly what their mother would have chosen. After they washed and dressed my wife's body in clothes we provided, we were able to spend 45 minutes covering her in flower petals and placing special objects in her hands and on her body in our own ritual before they transported her body to the cemetery. At the cemetery we carried out our own brief ceremony with assistance from The Natural Funeral staff. They helped make this a loving, tender, and beautiful experience that we greatly appreciated.

Reach out to the Natural Funeral folks if you seek compassionate understanding, support and skillful accommodation for the needs of a dying loved one.

The Natural Funeral provided the most wonderful and calming experience during an especially difficult time for our family. Sophia and Madi went out of their way to assist the family in every step of the process, easing our minds during our time of grieving. When we asked for Green Burial, they worked to help us make the best choice, explaining the whole, natural process. They also coordinated with the cemetary and the originating funeral home for transport from another state during an ice storm! In addition, they assisted with the online and newspaper obituary, which turned out beautifully. Then, when plans suddenly changed, they did not charge for all their extra work, sincerely wishing the best for our family. We could not ask for a more empathetic, caring and excellent crew than the folks at The Natural Funeral. We thank them for their outstanding service to our family.

These are incredibly kind, compassionate and supportive people. Nothing but love towards the way they supported us through the hardest journey we have ever been on.

My father was a doctor and an environmentalist and had clearly expressed his desire to have his remains handled in the most ecologically sensitive way possible. He'd read about The Natural Funeral, and even saved a newspaper clipping from an article about them, but his passing was faster than expected and we hadn't made any formal plans for his disposition. We called them late the evening he died, and Madison, the funeral director we spoke with, clearly and compassionately outlined their services and made arrangements for my dad's body to be picked up from our Denver home. The man and woman who came to pick up the body were professional and respectful, and also genuine and personal. The next day, my mother and brother and I went to The Natural Funeral and sat down with Madison and Ray, they served us tea and cookies, and we talked about our options. They genuinely listened to and engaged with our process of deciding what we wanted, without any hint of upselling. The funeral home in Lafayette is humble, but has a great feeling about it: grounded and real with no facade of faux formality, urns designed by local artists, a lovely little chapel for viewings and ceremonies. We appreciated everything about the visit and felt clear in our hearts that we had made a choice that my father would have deeply appreciated. Right now as I write this, his body is being transformed--with no squandered energy--into compost that will return to the earth in a place or places of our choosing. Dust to dust... just as my father wanted.

These folks at the natural funeral home are wonderful. My husband died in a very traumatic way and we were a total mess because of it. The staff there were so caring and compassionate. They were absolutely amazing in helping us to bury him. I would totally recommend them. The respect and how they honored my husband was so healing. They were so good at following our wishes. Never once did I feel like they didn’t “get” where I was coming from. They definitely “get” cultural sensitivity. They returned my calls even on holidays and in the wee hours of the morning. It was an Amazing experience, even though the experience of his death was traumatic. I don’t know how they managed to do that, but they did.

It still feels like divine intervention that we ended up here in Colorado all the way from St. Louis, MO. There was no plan when my wife and mother to our little girls passed away at the age of 39. I knew she wanted to be cremated. Once I sat with that, I knew immediately that there was no way I was letting some stranger take her away and put her in a furnace all by herself as a part of some modern day assembly line cremation process. So much about that felt incredibly wrong. Lindsay had a very special relationship with everything on this planet. Particularly with all things natural here on Earth, and the moon and stars above. I told some of my closest family and friends shortly after she passed that we needed to figure out how to do this outside. That was the only way to properly honor this beautiful being. We realized very quickly that unfortunately this country doesn't support outdoor cremation for the most part. The only state that does allow for it is Colorado. Within 48 hours of her passing I had connected with the wonderful team at The Natural Funeral. Not only did I want to do an outdoor pyre ceremony, but I also wanted it done on her 40th birthday which gave us barely a week to coordinate everything logistically. They were available around the clock 24 hours a day as we began putting all the pieces together. I don't know if I've ever felt more cared for and supported around such a tender process and experience. In my opinion The Natural Funeral should be the only funeral service provider on this planet. They understand this importance of this rite of passage like no other and truly are only interested in supporting you and your loved one with what ever it is that you need. There is no mold they need you to conform too. We did a full day ceremony from sunrise to sunset with an intimate gathering of family and friends as Lindsay transitioned back to all the sacred elements and returned to the stars. This experience along with watching the birth of our daughters is the most beautiful thing I have witnessed during this lifetime. So much beautiful healing was able to occur over the course of the day during this ceremony. I'm now a full advocate for this process and working towards making this more accessible to other families throughout the country. Our deepest thanks to The Natural Funeral for supporting such a sacred day. Much love and respect to all of your beautiful souls.

I am so grateful to have found the Natural Funeral. I had seen The Natural Funeral logo posted a few months back, loved the image and sound of the name and kept a mental note. When our mother unexpectedly passed away we were asked what funeral home we had selected. Even though I had not done any prior research I said, “The Natural Funeral.” From the moment we walked in the door of this home environment at The Natural Funeral I felt like we had come to honor and create the most beautiful passageway for our mom’s transition, and be preciously held like delicate flower petals by the staff during our process. We shared conversations with Seth and Karen, always with tea, over a timeless period in the living room of love and acceptance. When it was time to view our Mother’s body we realized how attentive their listening was for we were graced with the vision of our mother’s body covered with shawls of the colors she loves, and she was placed in a beautiful candle lit room with essential oils to use for purification. In our process of making decisions there was no pressure, no sales, no time limits, no push to use certain plans, only information presented so we could make our own clear choice. This experience is incomparable to other funeral homes I have experienced where profits take the lead. We chose water cremation because of zero negative impact on the environment, rather, positive impact for being able to use the liquid cremains to bring nutrition to earth’s soil. We were able to create a meaningful ceremony in our own gardens with these deep nutrients. The Natural Funeral is beyond measure in their offerings: willingness to witness; listen without a timed clock; support with events; offer their lending library; offer affordable natural options for burial or cremation; and offer local artists to create memorable pieces bringing more beauty to our memories. Most of all, meaningful and authentic friendships are developed. Thank you with my deepest sincerity to The Natural Funeral.

I could not recommend the services of The Natural Funeral highly enough. Every step of the process with my mom was handled with professionalism, grace, and tenderness. From the pick up and transport from our home in Glenwood Springs, to the special and meaningful laying-in ceremony, to the return of my mom's composted remains, it felt like we were being held and cared for each step of the way. Unlike with other funeral homes, it was apparent that the employees here truly were serving a calling and not just doing a day job. I would recommend the loving human composting services to any and everyone I know. We received my mom's remains back as lush soil that now nourishes wildflowers and trees.

I cannot thank Ray and the owners enough. Going through such a hard time of losing our baby during pregnancy, Ray was so kind and gentle with every phone call keeping us updated and handling all of the backend parts for us. We are forever grateful to Ray, the owners and everyone else here. Thank you for everything you did for us.

The Natural Funeral and everyone there showed us kindness and compassion and grace in the most devastating situation. Being able to honor our loved one in this setting with holistic, natural care means more than I can adequately express. I will be forever grateful for The Natural Funeral.

It is with a heart full of gratitude and appreciation that I write this recommendation for The Natural Funeral. In doing preparation for my wishes upon my death, I discovered The Natural Funeral and the reverent, sustainable ways of disposing of the body. After doing some research and talking with Nicole, a death midwife, I knew this was the option for me. I had intended to visit one day; however, before that happened it turned out I needed their services for my husband. With incredible assistance and guidance from Nicole, my husband’s body was moved on a holiday weekend to rest in the care of Nichole and other staff. We were able to provide a sacred service which respected and incorporated diverse spiritual and religious beliefs of family members in the softly lit chapel, with beautiful music, flowers and special objects which reflected parts of his life. Two other staff were respectfully working in the background that day to make everything as smooth as possible. His body was in quiet repose as long as possible until gently transferred to the water cremation site. Nicole was attentive at each step of the way, from initial to final details. It is rare to feel so deeply respected. I was confident we were in the best of care, so much so that I have documented I wish to be cared for at The Natural Funeral. I have abundant gratitude to have found The Natural Funeral and have been blessed by their reverent and detailed service to care at end of life. I encourage you to speak with them in advance of your family’s need, if at all possible.

I feel deeply grateful for the reverence, sensitivity, and warmth that Karen van Vuuren, Vicki Viddal, and Seth Viddal of The Natural Funeral brought to the passing of my beloved friend, Mary. Mary had the foresight to reach out to The Natural Funeral before her death, and Karen and Seth thoughtfully assisted her in planning the three-day in-home vigil and natural burial that she desired. Knowing that her requests would be honored brought Mary great peace of mind. When the time came, Karen and Vicki prepared Mary for her vigil with beautiful care. Their availability throughout those three days was both comforting and professional, and the same is true on the day of Mary’s burial, when they transported her to the cemetery and laid her to rest. They anticipated any questions or concerns I might have had, gently consulting with and guiding me when the need arose. Madi Larson eased the tasks following Mary’s death, taking care of death certificates and the placement of Mary’s obituary with kindness and efficiency. Too often in our culture this most significant transition is treated impersonally and without close regard for the dying and their loved ones. Those at The Natural Funeral honor the earth, the individual, and all friends and family members with the grace they bring to their work. Their presence was a gift to Mary and to me.

My father was both a friend to and volunteer at The Natural Funeral and he was very passionate about the service and care they provide. When he died at the end of March, the whole team at TNF, and especially Seth and Vicki, treated both my dad and our family with such loving care. It was exactly what he would have wanted for himself and brought our family such peace to know he was in the best of hands. Anyone facing the death of a loved one would be very lucky to do so with TNF by their side.