Cremation is the second most common form of final disposition in North America. During the cremation process, intense heat is used to reduce human remains into small bone fragments. This takes place in a chamber known as a cremation retort. After cremation, these bone fragments are further reduced to a fine powdery form. These are referred to as the cremated remains, the cremated body, ashes, or simply cremains. The cremains are then returned to the family in a plastic or cardboard container.
There are many different services to choose from that can be combined with cremation. A traditional funeral, this service includes a public viewing of the loved one in a casket. A religious or secular service is conducted at a church or the funeral home and the loved one is taken to the crematory after the service. A memorial service, this is usually held days or weeks after the loved one is cremated. The ashes may or may not be present depending on your wishes. A direct disposition with no services, the family chooses to have the loved one transferred from the place of death directly to the crematory. With no funeral or memorial service conducted.
The next of kin has legal authority to decide what to do with the cremains. They can place the cremains in a decorative urn and kept by the family. The urn can be interred in a grave in a cemetery or be placed in a special building or in a garden area. The next of kin may choose to divide the cremains among family members using smaller urns called mini or sharing urns. Or you can choose to spread or scatter the cremains in a garden, body of water, or a special place that had meaning to their loved one. Before scattering the family should check with the us or local authority to find out if there is any ordinance regulating where you can or can not scatter the ashes.
Please browse the following selections to find the urn that meets your needs. |