Cremation FAQs

You have many options to choose from for the final placement of cremated remains. Some examples of these include scattering, in-ground burial, above-ground entombment, and cremation niche interment. You also have options such as scattering some of the cremated remains and burying the rest, keeping the urn containing the cremated remains in your home, or dividing up the cremated remains among several of your family members. Keepsake options like cremation jewelry offer an appealing way to feel close to your loved one.

Cremation is a clean, ecologically sound process, in which a body is reduced to its basic elements. A casket or container holding the deceased is placed into the cremation chamber, where the temperature between 1500 and 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. A couple of hours later, the remains are carefully removed from the chamber and processed into what's known as "cremated remains".

Cremated remains are often referred to as "ashes", but in fact they are made of pulverized bone fragments. This is because all traces of organic, carbon-based matter are removed during the cremation process, leaving behind only bone and small amounts of salts and minerals. Because all organic material and bodily fluids evaporate, what remains does not present any sort of hazard to people or to the environment

Just as each person is unique, their cremated remains are also unique. The amount of certain elements changes from person to person, creating an elemental signature that's as distinctive as a fingerprint.

A cremation niche is a compartment designed to hold one or more urns containing cremated remains. Cremation niches are often inside of columbaria, which are buildings or structures that can be located indoors or outdoors, and which often house many cremation niches.

Cremation memorialization helps loved ones pay tribute to a life that was lived. There are many different forms of cremation memorialization, from burial of the remains with a monument marking the spot, to placing an urn in a cremation niche, and there are even memorial keepsakes and jewelry. In fact, there are so many unique ways to memorialize someone after cremation that you're sure to find one that honors the life that was lived.