Page 22 - Bereavement Guide Book

CREMATION FAQs

Is casket needed for cremation? more than one cremationat a time, and the
vast majority of crematories can only cremate
No, a casket is not required. Most states one body at a time, it is next to impossible to
requirean alternative container constructed of receive the incorrect remains.
wood or cardboard, however, in some states
no container is required. What can be done with the cre-

mated remains?
Is embalming required prior to
cremation? While laws vary state by state, for the most
part remains can be buried in a cemetery lot
No. In fact, it is against the law for a funeral or a cremation garden, interred in a colum-
home to tell you otherwise. barium, kept at home or scattered.

Can the family witness the cre- What do cremated remains look
mation? like?

Yes, they can; some cremation providers will Cremated remains resemble coarse sand
alow family members to be present when the and are whitish to light grey in colour. The
body is placed in the cremation chamber. remains of an average sized adult usually
Some religious groups even include this as weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.
part of their funeral custom.
Are all the cremated remains
Can an urn be brought into returned?
church? With the exception of minute and microscop-

Nearly all Protestant Churches allow for the ic particles, which are impossible to remove
urn to be present during the memorial servic- from the cremation chamber and processing
es. Most Catholic Churches also allow the machine, all of the cremated remains are
remains to be present during the Memorial given back to the family.
Mass. It is encouraged that cremated remains
be a part of a funeral as it provides a focal Do I need an urn?
point for the service.
An urn is not required by law. However an
How can I be sure I receive the urnmay be desired if there is to be a memori-
correct remains? alservice or if the remains are to be interred
in acemetery. If an urn is not purchased or
All reputable cremation providers have provided by the family, the cremated remains
developed rigorous sets of operating policies will be returned in a temporary container.
and procedures in order to maximize the lev-
el of service and minimize the potential for
human error. Since it is illegal to perform

Page 21 | Peace and Tranquility Funeral Home