Losing a loved one is one of the most painful issues in life. The bereaved family members have to gather strength and start planning for the burial even before coming to terms with the demise of their loved one.
The funeral home visit, calling family, friends, and making plans for the burial can be a stressful and devastating experience during and after the burial. People have opted for in-ground burials for many years because of religious beliefs, family values, and other personal reasons.
However, times are rapidly changing as families seem to lose members too often. Planning for burials can be tiresome and emotionally draining. If you’re considering alternative interment options, then cremation services Washington is especially for you.
What is Cremation?
When a loved one dies, the death is reported and the necessary documents filled to allow the family to dispose of the body. The family can take the body to a funeral home or a crematorium.
What Happens in a Crematorium?
The body is prepared and placed in a simple container and then put in the cremation chamber. Here, it is subjected to an intense temperature where most organic matter vaporizes. The crematorium then incinerates the bones and is later reduced to fragments.
Once the fragments cool down, they’re ground into finer content using a cremator. Once this process is complete, the family is presented with the cremains in an urn.
Where to Find a Crematorium
Most funeral homes have an in-house crematorium. A crematorium may, however, be a separate facility within the funeral home.
The cremation chamber requires a very extreme temperature to vaporize the body matter completely. While propane gas may be used in some crematoriums, many have modernized equipment that is electrically operated.
What to Expect in a Crematorium
If the family members want to follow the process, they view the procedure through a window into the crematorium. The family members can also choose the type of container they wish to put the cremains. Most crematoriums have a retail area for the sale of urns and other receptacles.
Other Burial Rituals
- Identification of the deceased- A family member is required to positively identify the body of their loved one and then sign documents. Identification ensures that the correct body is presented for cremation.
- The funeral service– the family may decide to have a memorial service before cremation occurs when the body is still intact. Others may choose to hold one after cremation.
- Family traditions- The family has an opportunity to take the cremains for scattering at a location with attached meaning to the departed soul or loved ones. In a nutshell, after the cremation, the family can conduct other rituals they desire to accord the departed member.
Other Things to Consider
A close family member can talk to the cremation staff about any unique clothes or assets the deceased would have wished to wear upon their disposition, such as a military uniform, jewelry, or other items.
If family members have written send-off notes, letters, cards, they can present them for cremation together with the casket.
Cremation is a convenient way of disposing of the body of a departed soul. It can include all burial rites or not, depending on the family’s requests and desires.
