Cremation Services FAQ

Unlike burial, cremation is irreversible. This requires us to be "extra diligent" in obtaining cremation authorization from the legally identified next-of-kin, as well as those from any necessary agencies (such as the medical examiner). During these 48-72 hours the deceased will be held in a secure, refrigerated environment.

When you enter into a discussion with us about the cost of your loved one's cremation, whether on the phone or in-person, we are legally obligated to share our General Price List, or GPL, with you. We cannot give you a completely accurate quote of the cremation cost until we know specifics, however, our home page lists the cremation prices for our packages that will give you a good idea.

Generally speaking, the answer to this question is “yes”. Please keep in mind that some crematories will not give you this access.

The FTC's Funeral Rule guides funeral directors in the ethical and fair presentation of funeral service options. The purchase of a cremation urn (or a casket, for that matter) from a second or third party source is one of the rights it guarantees. Your funeral director cannot prevent you from, nor can they charge you an extra fee for, the purchase of a third-party cremation urn. And they cannot demand you are present for its delivery to the funeral home.

The word “should” need not be apart of the conversation. Choose the option that feels best for your family and your loved one. Be patient; the right way to handle a loved one’s ashes will surface. You have several options when it comes to what you can do with cremation ashes: 

• It is common for people to scatter ashes outdoors in a special location where they can decompose and be one with nature. Parks and waterways are common places for ash scattering to take place.  
• Storing ashes in an urn 
• At a cemetery, you can enter an urn in a columbarium niche or bury the urn in an underground plot.  
• Instead of storing ashes in an urn, more people are storing small amounts of the ashes in beautiful jewelry.  

Those are just some of the options available to you. There are now newer, more creative things you can do with cremation ashes. For a full discussion on the possibilities, give us a call.

The short answer is "no", but there are exceptions. Let's say you want to have a viewing or visitation. If that's the case, it may be prudent to embalm your loved one, so they look their best for the event; so much so that the funeral home may require that you purchase the service. However, with that said, under the FTC's Funeral Rule, we cannot provide embalming services without your permission, and may not lead you to believe embalming is required by law. In addition, we must provide you with written disclosures related to the embalming of your loved one.

Usually, the actual cremation takes between 2 – 2.5 hours. The body is reduced to about 3-7 pounds of ash. A cool-down period follows, and then the cremated remains are processed for a uniform appearance.

Most crematories use natural or L.P. gas, or in some cases diesel oil.

You would be surprised how often we hear this question! Clothing is optional and so is the type of clothes you wish to wear. Some people might choose to be undressed so as to "go out" the same way they "came in" to the world. In most cases, families choose to have their loved one dressed.