SERVICES

A cremation is a process that uses intense heat for a long period to turn the remains of the deceased person into ashes. Before the cremation process, your loved one is clothed following your requests, and other clothes and garments are carefully folded and placed next to your loved one. Medical devices such as pacemakers are separated and removed from the remains.

A crematorium or crematory is the venue where the cremation process occurs. The deceased person is first placed in refrigerated storage until it is time for the cremation. Then, your loved one is placed in the cremation chamber, where the exposure to intense heat results in burnt remains. These remains go through a pulverization process and are finally delivered to you. There are different options for urns and containers.

Burnt remains are the result of the first part of the process of cremation. Exposure to intense heat is not enough to turn a deceased person into ashes. After medical devices and pieces of metal (e.g. hinges, screws and prostheses) are removed, the small amounts of bone remaining are taken and placed in a machine that turns them into ashes by the pulverization process.

A cremation viewing or witnessing is a small, intimate memorial service that takes place before the cremation process. The service can be led by a funeral director or a religious leader, and once the witnesses are in the area for viewing, the deceased one is placed in a casket or container and taken to the crematory chamber, in a closed machine. The cremation process takes over four hours and most crematoriums do not allow people to witness the entire process.

The ashes of your loved one are presented to you in a container of choice. There are different options for a permanent resting place: a crypt, niche, grave or kept container at home. You may keep the ashes or scatter them over "uninhabited public land, over a public waterway or sea, or on the private property of a consenting owner."