Cremation

Cremation Choices

If the body is cremated:

1. The remains can be stored by the family
2. You may take the remains in the simple cardboard box supplied by the crematory and distribute ("scatter") them over the land or water.
3. The remains can be placed in a niche within a columbarium.
4. The remains can be buried in the ground in a regular plot or in a smaller cremation plot.
5. The remains can be entombed in a crypt within a mausoleum.
    

Why people choose cremation

• In the United States, in 1972, only five percent chose cremation. That number had quintupled by 1999, with over 25% choosing cremation.
• The Cremation Association of North America predicts that by 2010, that figure will rise to 36%.
• In Canada, the rate is already over 42%; in Great Britain, 71%; and over 98% in Japan.
• Those who choose cremation (for themselves or others) often hold the belief that it is better to honor the memory of the person, not the dead body.
   

Here are some other reasons you might choose cremation:

• Cremation is traditional in your family, religious group, or geographical area
• You prefer the body to be returned quickly and cleanly to the elements (Many people believe that a cremated body becomes one with nature more quickly.)
• You have environmental concerns
  • Perhaps you are worried about the use of valuable land for cemetery space, or believe it is wrong to fill the ground with materials that won't erode ... metal coffins and concrete vaults.
• You want to keep the costs down
  • Selecting cremation does not mean, however, that you will have an inexpensive funeral.
  • You might still choose an expensive casket and/or a viewing, and/or decide to have the cremated remains buried in the ground or placed in a columbarium.
     

Decisions you must make if you choose cremation

• Who will do the cremation (a funeral home or a firm that specializes in direct cremation)
• Whether to use an urn or container
• What to do with the remains
• What type of service, if any, you would like to honor your loved one.

Services Choices with Cremation are:

• Cremation with a traditional funeral which includes visitation and services at the funeral home or alternate location with the cremation following
• Private family viewing followed by religious or contemporary services and cremation
• Private family viewing followed by cremation and memorial services
• Direct cremation with no services