Article Photos

DAVENPORT - When an avid area hunter died, Quad-City funeral home owner Steve Pressly received an unusual request.

He remembers the man's family asking to bring in several taxidermied deer heads to be displayed at the visitation.

Pressly allowed them to do so, of course.

"Things have changed," said Pressly, the owner and president of Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Homes. "Sometimes you shake your head, but it's kind of fun sometimes."

If a funeral can be fun, well, Pressly encourages families to try. He said that's what people seem to be looking for in funeral services nowadays: something that is deeply personal and incorporates special touches that directly reflect how their loved ones lived.

The days of the somber, clergy-led, traditional funeral service are fading, he and several others at Quad-City area funeral businesses say.

Instead, area families are following the national trend of asking for more personalized services, incorporating into them everything from music and attire to mementos and eulogies. Even in this tough economy, many people still are paying attention to - and paying for - such special touches, according to the National Funeral Association.

Like what? Well, some are buying into sports-themed caskets and urns, and the release of doves, balloons and butterflies. But the ideas can be even more elaborate, and more expensive.

A company called Celebrate Life, based in Lakeside, Calif., will turn cremated remains into part of a private, personalized fireworks display. Another company, Eternal Reefs, will incorporate a person's ashes into a manmade reef to help support ocean life.

If a space-related sendoff is desired, remains can be launched into Earth's orbit for $5,300 or to the moon for $12,500 by going online at celestis.com, according to the National Funeral Home Web site.

But other options don't cost as much and might even be free. For instance, a lot of caskets now are surrounded by memorabilia of the person's life, such as photos, trophies or artwork, which family and friends bring from home.

At Orr's Mortuary in Rock Island, more services include a variety of nontraditional music, often brought in on CDs or even via satellite. The tradition of hiring a vocalist to sing in person at the funeral is not as popular as it once was, funeral home owner and founder Tyrone Orr said.

"Also, we're starting to see the clothing being a little different," he said. "It's not your traditional full dress, suit and tie. It's starting to be what they wore all the time."

For example, if Grandpa always wore overalls, that's what the family is burying him in, Orr said. People attending the services also are dressing more casually.

More families are bringing in photos, asking to have them added to video tributes set to music, which can be played at visitation and the funeral service.

Even the procession of vehicles to the cemetery can be personalized. Funeral home directors talk about those that purposely take routes to pass by someone's favorite restaurant, their workplace or a location that represents their interests in some other way.

One funeral home official mentioned that when an area bus driver died, his family made sure a bus was part of the procession. Another time, when a mail carrier died, several mail trucks were included as a tribute.

For those interested in horses or bygone eras, Orr's is beginning to offer a horse-drawn wagon that carries the casket.

And what if your loved one was into motorcycles? A new Davenport business called Highway to Heaven is available to give motorcycle enthusiasts a fitting sendoff.

Doug Stephenson began the business in March, offering to wear "full leathers" as his Harley-Davidson pulls a hearse - made entirely of handcrafted wood - behind him. Outfitted with burgundy curtains that line the glass case, his hearse "celebrates the free spirit," the 47-year-old self-described biker and Patriot Guard rider said.

"It's just something a little different to celebrate the way they lived their life," he said. "It's more of a happy memory than a sad passing."

Hank Runge said his objective as manager of the Runge Mortuary and Crematory in Davenport is "to create a little more meaningful service for the family."

"We provide everything we're aware of or able to. We're pretty open to about anything," he said. "It just makes a better memory. I don't know how else to put that."

In fact, Runge's was the backdrop when Davenport Alderman Bill Boom gave an emotional sendoff to his partner of 31 years, James "Jimmy" Dickerson, who died last week.

The funeral began with a prayer and a few moments of silence.

Suddenly, over the funeral home's sound system could be heard the booming dance version of Cher's hit song "Believe." Boom said he saw people immediately respond, laughing and bouncing to the beat.

That set the tone for Dickerson's tribute, which drew about 400 people, he said.

The services included some of Dickerson's other favorite songs, photo displays and tables set up with a sampling of his most prized possessions. They displayed a special flag the couple flew when they had a wild boat party, funny drinking glasses and even a red dress and high heels that Dickerson liked to wear.

"If you knew Jimmy and knew our friends, you'd understand that it was so much a celebration of his life," Boom said. "This was his final party, and we approached it from that aspect. As far as we were concerned, he was in the casket holding court with all of his friends.

"He wouldn't have wanted to have something that was somber and tearful."