The Cremation Process

 The Cremation Process

Cremation has been a part of the human death experience for a very long time. If you would like to understand more about the cremation process we invite you to read this section. We'll also take a look at cremation options that will help you with your decision.

The Flame Cremation Process

Traditional cremation is the process of reducing a body at very high temperatures until it is nothing but brittle, calcified bones. These are then 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.

Author Michelle Kim, in How Cremation Works, 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 anywhere from 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.

Our 5-Step Cremation Service Process

1) Start Planning Online or Give Us a Call

You can start planning your cremation service with our by using our online pre-arrangement tool.

2) Making the Cremation Agreement Official

When you are ready to finalize the cremation plan, we will put your wishes on record and keep it in our database until death occurs.

3) Removal from the Place of Death

Upon death, we will remove the body from the place of death. After all paperwork has been completed and the medical examiner has given approval, the body is transported to the crematory.

4) Funeral Ceremony

If you have chosen to have some type of ceremony before the cremation takes place, we will begin and execute those plans accordingly.

5) Cremation

We transfer the body to the crematorium, and the operators take care of the cremation process. The body is placed in the cremation chambers and the process usually takes 2-3 hours.

Learn How to Plan a Cremation Service

Cremation Costs Are Only One Reason

The average cost of cremation is typically one-third of the cost of a traditional burial. While it's true that cost is a big factor for many families, it's important to remember that cremation is only one part of providing meaningful end-of-life care for a loved one. 

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, in fact—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 goes on to tell 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. While the cremation process can occur almost immediately (once all the proper paperwork is complete), the decisions required in planning a meaningful memorial for a loved one can be made 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 ground water but many still question the amount of atmospheric pollution created by the cremation process.
Sources:
  1. Wikipedia, "Cremation"
  2. Mathisen, Tyler, "Cremation is the Hottest Trend in the Funeral Industry"
Share by: