I can’t speak to western society as a whole (rather a nebulous concept anyway) but I can talk about Canada as my area of expertise. Similar changes were happening elsewhere in the Anglo world (i.e. Britain and the US) but there were differences (e.g. when changes occurred) and death rituals are culturally specific so I can’t comment on other countries with any authority.

Quick disclaimer before we start: not a lot has been written about death and death rituals in Canada and this is even more true for marginalized communities and minorities. Unfortunately, that means I cannot speak to specific rituals and practices of the many ethnic communities within Canada and can only focus on the experiences of the Anglo-Canadian community (largely white and Christian) which was the majority during the period I’ll be covering (mid-1800s to early 1900s).

Very briefly, what did a “traditional” or community-based funeral of the early/mid-1800s look like? Relatives, friends and neighbours were closely involved in caring for and preparing the dead while the immediate family mourned. The laying out of the body (which included washing and dressing the deceased) and the wake (or visitation) would occur at the home of the deceased (or a relative) while the funeral service was held at the home of the deceased (or a relative) or at a church. A coffin might be provided by a local carpenter, cabinet maker or furniture store. Mourners would accompany the body to the burial ground (a churchyard or a cemetery) for internment then return to the bereaved family’s home for refreshments. This would usually all take place in the space of a few days.

Changes to death practices occurred during the late nineteenth century and at the turn of the twentieth century for several reasons. I’ll outline the three major ones:

1. Queen Victoria’s mourning — In 1861, Prince Albert died, devastating Queen Victoria. After her husband’s death, Queen Victoria was in mourning for the rest of her life (about 40 years). Her mourning was considered dignified and so was admired and mimicked, not just in Britain but in Canada. Victoria’s prolonged mourning heightened the importance of etiquette and elaborate rituals. These changes can’t totally be attributed to Victoria (as some started before Albert’s death) but her prominent mourning certainly helped popularize them.
2. The American Civil War — While embalming (defined as preserving remains by treating them to slow down decomposition) is an ancient practice, chemical embalming was first discovered in 1838 by a French doctor, Jean Gannal. His book was translated into English in 1840 but embalming was not particularly popular due to its expense. It was not until the 1860s, with the American Civil War, that embalming was popularized. It was still expensive and the vast majority of soldiers were not embalmed, but the idea that a loved one’s body could be preserved and sent home for burial was appealing to many. The Civil War made embalming more socially acceptable, even if it didn’t immediately increase rates of embalming.
3. Societal changes around the turn of the century — Urbanization and industrialization had significant affects on how people were able to practice “traditional” death rituals and bolstered the growing funeral industry.

It is important to note that these events didn’t cause rapid transformation but contributed to change over time.

As funerals became more elaborate and mourning etiquette more important, the role of “outsiders” increased. Since funerals “required” more components, people outside the circle of relatives, friends and neighbours were needed to fulfill those services. Some cabinet makers and furniture store owners who had provided coffins expanded into selling other funeral accessories, offering hearses for hire and helping with funeral arrangements. An etiquette book from 1891 and another from 1901, for example, make mention of dealing with an undertaker during funeral preparations. Undertakers began to play more of a role in funerals in the late nineteenth century but funerals were still held in the home or church. While the most elaborate funerals were reserved for those of the middle and upper classes who could afford them, working-class Canadians were also anxious to ensure their loved ones received a “proper” burial and some would go to great expense to honour their dead, even if it meant financial hardship.

As embalming became more popular in the late nineteenth century, families who wanted to preserve their deceased loved one needed to employ an “outsider” with the necessary skillset. Families might want to preserve their loved one to have the body in a ‘beautiful,’ life-like state for viewing and/or to allow more time for extensive funeral arrangements. Undertakers began to take on the role of embalmers, often learning this skill from chemical manufacturer salesmen. Embalming could be done at the home of the deceased or at the undertaker’s establishment. As undertakers learned embalming, they sought to be recognized as professionals. For example, an Embalmers’ Association was formed in Ontario in 1883.

Conditions, particularly in urban areas, caused by industrialization and urbanization around the turn of the century made embalming even more appealing. For example, undertakers argued that preserving bodies was more sanitary, an admittedly valid concern in cities where most people suffered terrible living conditions due to poor sanitation and deficient public health measures. The increased mobility of Canadians at this time also meant that some mourners needed to travel to attend a funeral, meaning that time was needed between death and burial, thereby necessitating embalming.

The burgeoning funeral industry as a whole was also boosted by societal changes due to industrialization and urbanization. Many Canadians travelled away from their home communities to find work (often in urban centres), which led to a decreased feeling of community and meant the bereaved might lack the social circle to help with funeral arrangements. Cramped living quarters for much of the working class meant that many didn’t have the space in their home to host a wake and so needed to find somewhere else.

While the elaborate nature of Victorian funerals was declining in the early twentieth century (and was largely ended by the First World War), the funeral industry and the involvement of professionals remained. Part of the appeal of the funeral industry was its mimicry of “traditional” customs — funeral homes offered a “parlour” for those who didn’t have one, wakes became viewings and undertakers/funeral directors acted as substitutes for friends and relatives. Just as “traditional” funeral rites offered consolation in their familiarity, the funeral industry sought to fulfill that same function by providing familiar, and easy, services to the bereaved.

However, the use of funeral homes wasn’t widespread in the early twentieth century. It wasn’t until the 1920s that funeral homes became the primary location for funeral services, and even then they were still not the sole option. An etiquette book from 1921, for example, still refers to funerals being held at home or at church, with no mention of a funeral home. The use of funeral homes also wasn’t uniform — smaller communities, especially rural ones, were more likely to continue community-based funerals and members of the working class who couldn’t afford the same services as the middle and upper classes might limit their use of professionals or eschew them all together. It wasn't until mid-century that professional funeral homes and services were in widespread use.