Elk Funeral & Cremation Service

11/18/2025

Hey everyone!
We wanted to give you a peek into something we have been thinking about.

With as much as we loved doing the coat drive last year, we just do not feel like enough people reached out to TAKE all the donations we were so graciously given.

So this year, we have a little bit of a different plan.

We wanted to share some information about a local women's clothing closet for those in need called Mary's Closet, owned by Carl and Phil Crowder at 2188 Greenbrier St, Charleston, West Virginia. Information about the hours and days open for the closet can be found on Carl Crowder's page weekly.

In addition to this, we will be taking donations to the Herbert Hoover Clothing Closet of new socks and gently used gloves, coats/jackets, and toboggans/beanies.

For any of the above items in sizes for kids k-5 we will take them to Pinch Elementary.

We chose these places because they are the schools that our apprentice went to!

11/18/2025

George Walter Belcher Jr., 87, of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, passed away on September 6, 2025. George was born on October 1, 1937, to the late Ethel Francis Burger and George Walter Belcher Sr. in Charleston, West Virginia.

George served in the United States Marine Corps and was a barber in Charleston, West Virginia.

Per his wishes, George was cremated and will be inurned in the Donnel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery.

Elk Funeral & Cremation Service is honored to be assisting George's family at this time.

View George Belcher Jr.'s obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

11/14/2025

Fun Funeral Fact Friday!!

Here are some facts you may not have known about caskets!

Did you know caskets used to be more shaped like a person and positioned upright? While today they are more rectangular in shape because in the 19th century, it was considered more elegant.
Did you know caskets used to be reserved for the wealthy and elite until the 19th century, when mass production made them more accessible?
Did you know that today, caskets have so many options for what you can do with them? From picking your material (wood vs metal vs fiberglass), picking your interior lining, and even customizations (such as wraps with photos or themes, custom paint, engravings, or adding keepsake drawers).

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day from all of us here at Elk. No matter what branch or where you served, your service has helped keep us free.

Thank you to all veterans; you have made many sacrifices through the years to keep your friends, families, and even strangers safe and free. We appreciate everything you have sacrificed for our country!

11/07/2025

Fun Funeral Fact Friday!!

Have you heard of the burial mounds?
(living in WV, we’re sure you have, but here’s a refresher!)

Burial mounds are artificial hills of earth and stone built over the remains of the dead.
Burial mounds were a characteristic of Native American culture in East-Central North America around 1,000 BCE to 700 BCE. The most numerous mounds are found in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. These are typically large, conical or elliptical, and surrounded by creative earthworks.
It was believed that the ones who built the mounds were a distinctive group of people who were more culturally advanced than historic Native American tribes. Some later mounds are called effigy mounds and were built into the shapes of animals and other objects.

11/06/2025

Pamela Sue Shaffer, 67, of Charleston, West Virginia, passed away on November 2, 2025. Pamela was born on January 22, 1958, in Wellston, Ohio, to the late Harry Edward and Clara Faye Shaffer.

Pamela is also preceded in death by her sister Barbara Shaffer and her great-grandson Phaelen Martin.

She is survived by her daughters, Natusha Medley and Natalie Terry, both of Charleston, West Virginia; brother, Gary Shaffer of Culloden, West Virginia; grandchildren, Nasyia Shaffer-Tatum, Na’Jah Shaffer-Tatum, Narassa Medley, and Javier Jaxson Chic; and great-grandchildren Em’Marie Martin, O’Mariah Martin, and Nai’Lani Staples.

Per Pamela’s wishes, she was cremated, and no services are planned at this time.

Elk Funeral & Cremation Service is honored to be assisting Pamela’s family at this time.

View Pamela Shaffer's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween and Fun Funeral Fact Friday!!

This week, we decided to give you a treat rather than a trick and give you some fun facts about Halloween!

Did you know there is an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, which is believed to be the precursor to Halloween?
They believed the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest at this time and allowed for the spirits of ancestors to visit the mortal world. The festival of Samhain was about honoring the deceased and was basically a large annual memorial or funerary event.

Keeping with Celtic traditions, did you know that Carving Jack-O-Lanterns was a Celtic practice?
This began with carving turnips and placing lights inside them to guide the spirits back to their homes during the night of Samhain.

Lastly, for Samhain traditions, the "Dumb Supper"
This was a Celtic tradition of preparing a meal and eating it in complete silence. They would have an extra place at the table set for the spirits of their ancestors and loved ones to join them.

Did you know wearing costumes on Halloween was originally for protection?
It was believed that people would put on costumes and masks to disguise themselves as malevolent spirits to avoid being recognized and even harmed by any potentially harmful spirits who had crossed over from the spirit world during this time.

Did you know the American tradition of trick-or-treating stems from the British tradition of "souling"?
This was when the poor citizens would go door-to-door asking for "soul cakes" in return for promising to pray for the family's dead relatives; these prayers were believed to help any souls in purgatory ascend more quickly.

Did you know that in Medieval art and literature, skeletons were used as a reminder of mortality?
Now, just a common Halloween decoration, Skeletons used to be a visual and oral motif known as memento mori or "remember, you must die," a reminder of the transience of life and the inevitability of death.

Have a safe and happy Halloween, and for those who will be out during trick or treat, please stay safe, warm, and as dry as possible!

10/29/2025

Thank you to everyone who came by and saw us and got candy! We had so much fun even though we had to move the trunk or treat inside because of the rain! We hope to see everyone and more next year!!

10/27/2025

As you know, here at Elk, we love to learn about and celebrate other cultures. Today, we wanted to highlight the first day of Día de los Mu***os (Day of the Dead), which is when the spirits of pets who have passed on come back to visit homes.

In Mexico, they will set up an ofrenda (typically with a picture of them and their favorite treat and/or toys) and talk about their pets by name, sharing memories, and making sure they are remembered.

This celebration of the pet(s) takes place the evening/night of October 27, and the spirits of the pet(s) are believed to visit their homes in the very early hours of October 28.

Let's take a moment to remember our pets who have passed away, and if you would like, feel free to share photos of your pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge and their name (and maybe your favorite memory if you're feeling up to it) so we can all celebrate and remember them. 🩷💜

If you would like more information on this for the other traditions and days recognized, please feel free to visit this website! https://latinarepublic.com/2022/10/26/dia-de-los-muertos/

10/24/2025

Hey guys! At our other location we are competing in the city’s scarecrow decoration contest and we would love it if you would go and vote for our scarecrow following the directions on our original post!

10/24/2025

Fun Funeral Fact Friday!!
Have you heard of the Scandinavian tradition of Viking Ship Burials?

The Scandinavian tradition of Viking ship burials was a funerary practice reserved for high-status individuals, where a body was placed in a ship with grave goods and then either buried under a mound or, less commonly, cremated. These burials symbolized the deceased's power, wealth, and their journey to the afterlife, with the ship representing a vessel for this final voyage.
Ship burials were extravagant rituals reserved for high-ranking individuals like chieftains, warriors, and other members of the elite. The ship was seen as a means of transportation to the afterlife. In addition to the deceased, the ship was filled with grave goods, such as weapons, tools, furniture, textiles, and sacrificed animals like horses and oxen, which were meant to aid them in the next world. The specific contents of the grave goods could vary depending on the region, influenced by local cultures and beliefs. For example, some burials in the Viking diaspora integrated Christian iconography, such as crosses.
The most common method involved placing the ship with the body and goods inside a burial mound, which was then covered with earth. In some cases, the ship and its contents, including the body, would be set on fire as a funeral pyre before the remains were buried.
Archaeological evidence, such as the famous Oseberg and Gokstad ship burials in Norway, provides valuable insight into this practice. These findings reveal the rich nature of these burials and the high status of the individuals interred within them.

10/17/2025

Fun Funeral Fact Friday!!
Have you heard of the Scandinavian and Siberian traditions of Tree Burials?

While both ancient Scandinavian and Siberian traditions incorporated tree burials, the practices differed significantly. In both cultures, the rituals reflected a deep connection to nature and beliefs in the soul's journey after death.

In ancient Scandinavia, archaeological evidence points to a practice of burying the dead in coffins made from hollowed-out tree trunks. This practice is part of a broader set of pre-Christian burial customs that were highly varied.
Bronze Age oak coffins: In what is now Denmark and northern Germany, numerous Bronze Age burial mounds dating back more than 3,000 years have yielded oak coffins. One notable find was a teenage girl buried in a hollowed-out oak trunk around 1370 B.C. at Egtved, Denmark. Her body was preserved and buried with grave goods like clothing and bronze ornaments.
Symbolism of the tree: The use of trees, particularly the durable oak, in these burials suggests a symbolic connection to the life-and-death cycle. For Germanic peoples, who also practiced this custom, the oak was a sacred tree.
Alternative burials: The practice coexisted with other Norse burial traditions, such as cremation on pyres and burial in ships or mounds, and was likely reserved for certain individuals. Modern Scandinavians continue this connection to nature with the rise of modern "green burials," including forest burials, though the rituals have changed.

In Siberia, tree burials were a practical and spiritual tradition practiced by various groups, particularly for shamans or during certain seasons.
Above-ground burial: Due to the difficulty of digging graves in the permafrost, some Siberian peoples, such as the Samoyeds, Ostyaks, and Voguls, historically practiced above-ground tree burials.
Platforms in trees: The deceased would be placed on special platforms constructed high up in trees. This method kept the body safe from scavenging animals like bears and wolverines.
Wooden coffins in kurgans: While less of a "tree burial," another Siberian tradition involved placing the dead in wooden chambers made from hollowed-out larch trunks, which were then buried under earthen mounds called kurgans. The famous "Ice Maiden" of the Pazyryk culture was buried in such a coffin around the 5th century B.C..
Shamanic significance: For shamans, tree rituals held deep symbolic meaning related to death and spiritual initiation. Some shamanic initiation rituals involved a symbolic "death" on an animal skin stretched between trees, representing a journey into the spiritual world.