Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Cremation Options

In recent years, cremation has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional burial. It is a great misconception that at the time of death, there are only two options: immediate cremation or traditional burial. However, just like burial or entombment, cremation is merely the method of final disposition. In fact, there are many options available to families who desire cremation. We offer a wide range of options to our families with prices among the lowest in the area.

Traditional Cremation Service

This service is very similar to a traditional funeral with the body being taken to the crematory after the service rather than cemetery. Families may elect to rent a casket or to purchase a specially designed combustible cremation casket that is suitable for public viewing. This service includes one day of calling hours with a funeral the next day at our funeral home our another location, such as a church.

Cremation Memorial Service

This service is akin to a traditional funeral except that the body is not present. It can take place at virtually any location, from the funeral home, a church or cemetery, to a park or even a private residence. In addition, the service needn't be immediately after the death, which allows family time to gather or the opportunity to hold the service on a date that was important to the deceased, such as a birthday or anniversary. In this instance, the cremation has already taken place, and the urn can be placed on a table and surrounded by photos and memorabilia symbolic of the deceased. We have a large array of tables and stands to help you display treasured memories as well as audio/visual equipment such as digital photo frames, a state-of-the-art sound system, and plasma televisions.

Direct or Immediate Cremation

In this instance, cremation is conducted without ceremony. We require an identification viewing to be conducted by a member of the family or an authorized party to positively verify the identity of the deceased prior to cremation. The identification viewing is conducted at the funeral home where all of the necessary paperwork is also signed.

Following all of the above services, the cremated remains are returned to the family in a sturdy ABS plastic container which meets most cemetery requirements for burial purposes. However, there are numerous other options available to our families:

Burial or Inurnment

The cremains may be buried in a cemetery, either in their own grave, or on top of the grave of another loved one. (Some cemeteries may charge you for the "right of second interment.") They may also be placed in a mausoleum crypt or a niche in a columbarium.

Placement in an Urn

We offer a wide range of urns to our families. We offer fine urns in marble, wood, bronze, granite, and other materials. In addition to standard urns, we offer keepsake urns, which are smaller versions that allow families to split up the ashes among family and friends.

Scattering

As far as the law is concerned, cremation is considered the final disposition of the body, so the ashes can be scattered virtually anywhere. Turner's offers special biodegradable urns that are specially designed for these purposes. Many state lands, such as state parks and lakes, have restrictions against the scattering of cremated remains, so it is recommended that you contact the property owner before taking any possibly illegal actions.

Cremation Jewelry

We offer Madelyn Keepsake Pendants, beautiful pieces of jewelry with a small capsule that can hold a small amount of cremated remains or a lock of hair.

Life Gems

Turner's is a LifeGem Partner Funeral Home. LifeGem takes a portion of your loved one's cremains and reduces it to it's basic carbon content, and with the addition of extreme heat and pressure, forms it into real diamonds which can be placed into a variety of settings.

Eternal Reefs

All or some of your loved one's cremated remains are mixed with concrete and molded into special forms that are submerged in the ocean to provide marine life with a place to live and to give new coral a place to grow. After many years, the forms create a thriving coral reef teeming with spectacular marine life.

Memorial Spaceflights

A small portion of cremated remains are attached to a rocket's payload and launched into orbit around Earth. Beginning in 2010, they will begin offering lunar burial where the cremains are launched onto the moon.