Cremation Services

Overview of Cremation Services

The number of young people choosing cremation has increased significantly in the past few years, yet cremation carries a long tradition and remains largely unchanged. What is done before or after the cremation is up to the survivors, or up to you.

Contrary to what some people believe, Cremation does not limit choices, but in fact, increases ones options. It is a process which is performed in a respectful and dignified manner and can be memorialized in many ways.

Plan your Tribute

Choosing cremation neither elimanates nor does it require a funeral service. Traditional or contemporary services are often planned before or after the cremation process. A funeral service followed by cremation may be similar to a funeral service followed by a ground burial. They can elaborate or simple, and traditional or non-traditional.

Here are some common examples of cremation services chosen most often by the families we serve. These services can be held over multiple days, or can be accomplished on the same day if desired. We can tailor any of these option to meet your individual needs.

Traditional viewing or visitation hours (with body present), followed by cremation
Cremation followed by memorial visitation (without body) at the funeral home
Cremation followed by a memorial service or life celebration at your church, our chapel or reception center
Private family goodbye, followed by cremation
Cremation followed by burial
Simple cremation with no ceremony

What to Do With the Cremated Remains

Cremation allows families many choices for memorializing a loved one. Some families choose to keep the cremated remains with them at home, inter them in a cemetery, or to scatter the remains over land or water. Our staff can assist you with the following memorialization options, among others, for cremated remains:

Outdoor Niches: The cremated remains may be safely held in an above ground columbarium niches. They are typically located within a mausoleum or chapel.

Urn Garden: Many cemeteries have areas designated specifically for the interment of cremated remains.

Family Plot: If you already own a burial plot or have space in a family plot, you may choose to inter the urn there.

Scattering: Your loved one’s remains may be scattered in a meaningful location that can be appreciated by future generations. There are also certain services which offer scattering among the sea or the stars.

Traditional Burial: In ground burial on a family plot or in special cremation areas of the cemetery.

Personalized Memorialization: Inscribe your family member’s name and a special saying on a tree plaque, park bench or other special memorial. We also have custom, unique urns and keepsakes, perfect for displaying inside your home.

Personalizing Your Experience Memorable Tribute Services

Our expert staff is here to help you plan a truly memorable Celebration of Life for your loved one. Whether you are planning a burial or cremation, we encourage you to consider our Tribute Services. These offerings will forever personalize your service.

Memory Tables and Memory Collages

Remember your loved one with a memory table display. You can include significant items from your loved one’s life, including a bicycle, golf clubs, gardening tools, hunting and fishing gear, a musical instrument, a motorcycle helmet or jacket, knitting or sewing equipment…the possibilities are endless. Display special photos, certificates, achievement awards and other significant items in a customized memory collage.

Personalized Music

You are not limited to traditional funeral music during your loved one’s service. Customize the visitation or service with your loved one’s favorite tunes. We are happy to help your family compile special music selections to play during the services from a CD or iPod. We also have an organ available in our chapel for traditional music.

Certified Celebrant

A Celebrant is a professional who is trained and certified to meet the needs of families during their time of loss. This expert can help your family create a personalized tribute service to celebrate your loved one’s unique life. You may choose to use a Celebrant alone or in conjunction with clergy. If you want an uplifting service that pays tribute to your loved one’s life or if you are not affiliated with a church, a Celebrant service may be the perfect option.

Bagpiper

The bagpipe provides a solemn, powerful song, making it the ideal instrument for funerals and memorials. For hundreds of years, people far and wide have bid farewell to their dearly departed with the music of the pipes. We can help you commemorate a loved one with this noble music tribute.

Pallbearers

Friends, relatives, church members or business associates may serve as pallbearers. If the family would prefer, we can provide some or all pallbearers for your loved one’s service. Each pallbearer will wear a special Lily or flag pin, making them easily identifiable.

Military Honors

We can help you honor your military member with a flag ceremony, color guard, trumpeter or even a final gun salute. We work with all branches of the military and can make all the proper arrangements easily and efficiently.

Reception

We can coordinate and arrange an off-site reception at any venue of your choosing. Whether it be a restaurant, banquet center or golf club, this gives your family and friends an opportunity to gather and reminisce after your loved one’s service.

Choosing a Cemetery

Even with cremation, a green burial can take place in nearly any cemetery that allows eco-friendly methods of burial. Our firm offers several options that can help you ensure that your final resting place is both environmentally-friendly and honorable. Typically, cemeteries offering green burials follow these guidelines:

Offer exclusive green burial sections
Prohibit the use of urn vaults
Dig graves by hand rather than using heavy equipment
Often plant trees or shrubs in lieu of headstones
Offer designated scattering areas

FAQs

Can cremation really be earth-friendly?

Cremation uses far fewer resources than almost any other disposition option but it does have an environmental impact. Cremation requires the burning of fossil fuels, and some older cremation facilities can use significantly more energy compared to newer ones. Even though the cremation process uses significant resources, earth-friendly cremation options can make the process more earth-friendly.

Resources

Below are resources that can help you make informed decisions about earth-friendly services. Please call one of our directors or email us for more information anytime.