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Planning Ahead About Autopsies Cremation

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about cremation

The use of cremation as part of the funeral process is steadily gaining in acceptance and usage. In western states, cremation is used more often than in the east. In countries such as India and Japan with high population density and a premium on the available land, cremation is the only choice.

It's difficult for survivors to choose cremation if the deceased has not made this choice in advance. There is something about having the body intact and in a given location that gives survivors a continuing sense of connection - a grave site to visit and a place to reflect on the wonderful memories or perhaps to speak to the deceased or offer prayers. Cemetery records are also an excellent source of information for genealogical research. However, reality often suggests or dictates a different solution.

Where a choice is possible, an individual will often choose cremation for purely financial reasons - to ease the burden on the survivors. There are other factors that make cremation a viable choice that are seldom thought of at the time arrangements are being made.

Graveyards Move. Every year, hundreds of acres of cemeteries are dug up and relocated to reclaim the original property. Nature also has its own way. The beautiful site you choose today could become a parking lot or a river bottom as the decades pass.
You Move. Unlike our ancestors who lived, worked and died in the same community for generations, we are a very mobile society. As I sit here composing this article for East Texas Funeral Home, I think of my own father who was buried in Baltimore, MD. We only lived there for 8 years and everyone moved back to North Carolina after his death. There is a certain feeling that we abandoned him in a place that wasn't his home. Now, I can no longer locate his cemetery on current city maps.
Decomposition. What happens to a body in a grave is something thought about much more often than talked about. Embalmed or not, until a body stabilizes with nature, it goes through a long unpleasant process. With cremation, the remains are stabilized with nature immediately and what's left is easily portable.

The Process

After the legally required waiting time has elapsed, the remains may be cremated. The remains are enclosed in a special cremation container or casket and placed in the cremation chamber. The interior is raised to 1600-2000 degrees F. for 1 to 2 hours. The remains of the cremation process are not ashes but bone fragments. These fragments are processed into a small even consistency to facilitate inurnment or scattering. East Texas Funeral Home will provide a brochure with full details for those choosing or considering cremation.

Go to the pricing page and casket selection pages for information on what is or is not required for cremation.

Visit the Internet Resources page for more information via the internet.