Cremation Information
What is Cremation?
Part of making funeral arrangements for a loved one involves choosing between burial of the body or cremation. Indeed, this is a big decision based on many factors. Religious or spiritual beliefs, finances, or ecological awareness are some of the reasons we've heard for choosing cremation. Before making a choice, you need to know precisely what you're considering. You can learn the basics below; however, if the content here raises additional questions, please call us. One of our cremation specialists will address any of your inquiries or concerns.
One of the most common questions we hear is, "what is cremation?". The Cremation Association of North America describes cremation as "The mechanical and/or thermal or other dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments". Below, we offer a deeper look at the most common cremation process, which uses extreme heat.
Why Choose Cremation?
Cremation Costs are Only One Reason
Given the religious, ethnic, and regional diversity among us, there are many other reasons for the dramatic rise in the number of cremations performed each year. According to Tyler Mathisen of NBC, one of those reasons "is the softening of the Catholic church's views of the practice. For centuries—until 1963 the church outlawed it. The church's laws still express a preference for burial. But the outright ban is a thing of the past."
He then tells readers that the decline in nuclear families is another reason. "As more Americans live far from hometowns and parents, and as family burial plots have waned in popularity and accessibility, millions have turned to cremation as a practical and cost-effective way to care for a loved one's remains."
Cremation also allows a family the flexibility they may need in planning and preparing for a memorial service, celebration of life, or a scattering ceremony. The cremation process can occur almost immediately after completing all the proper paperwork. However, you can make the decisions required to plan a meaningful memorial service for a loved one in a relaxed, rational way.
You can also be sure that concern for the environment ranks high among many who choose cremation. Casketed and embalmed remains take up cemetery space and can pollute the groundwater. However, many still question the amount of atmospheric pollution created by the cremation.
How Cremation Works
The Flame Cremation Process
The traditional cremation process involves reducing a body at very high temperatures until it is brittle, calcified bones. These then get processed into what we commonly call ashes. Returned to the family in a temporary urn (or a more personal urn selected by the family), these ashes can be kept, buried, or scattered. Some families even choose to place a loved one's cremated remains in a hand-crafted piece of cremation art.
In How Cremation Works, Author Michelle Kim details the cremation process: "In modern crematories, the body is stored in a cool, temperature-controlled room until it's approved for cremation. The body is prepared by removing pacemakers, prostheses and silicone implants. The body is then put into a container or casket made out of flammable materials such as plywood, pine or cardboard."
The container is placed in the retort or cremating chamber. It takes two to three hours to reduce an average adult to ash. When the cremated remains are cooled, they are processed to a uniformly-sized pebble-like substance and placed in an urn. The funeral director then returns the cremated remains to the family.
We're Ready to Talk About How Cremation Works
We want you to know that no matter your reasons for choosing cremation, we're here to help you explore your options. When you're ready, call us to set an appointment or simply drop by our office. You can also send us an email via our online contact us form.
After reading the following information on cremation, if you're confident that it's the right decision for your loved one, we encourage you to review our cremation options. We can work with you to tailor one of our options to meet your family's unique needs.
- What is Cremation, Cremation Association of North America
- Mathisen, Tyler, "Cremation is the Hottest Trend in the Funeral Industry"
