Cremation Service Information

Cremation Information

The popularity of cremation in the United States has been on a steady rise for the past 50 years. As the popularity grows, we receive more and more questions about cremation. Many people are still confused about cremation, and we often hear misconceptions about cremation. This section of our website is committed to teaching you all about cremation. The pages below have been written by our cremation professionals in hopes that families can improve their education about cremation and feel more empowered when making end-of-life decisions. Often people struggle to decide if cremation is right for them or their loved one. The starting point to this decision is to first understand and become informed with the facts of cremation. 




Why Choose Cremation?

Certainly, choosing cremation is a big decision, based on any number of factors: religious or spiritual beliefs, ecological awareness, and/or finances are some of the reasons for choosing cremation. However, we believe finances do not need to be the primary reason for the cremation of your loved one. If you are considering cremation because of finances alone, we encourage you to talk with us. Let us explore with you other affordable options for burial. Whether you choose burial or cremation, our service options provide you different ways to experience the healing process through a meaningful ceremony. Family and friends can gather to comfort one another and complete the cycle of life.


You'll find on this page: What is Cremation, The Cremation Process & Our Affordable Cremation Options

What is Cremation

First, here is a clear, simple definition of cremation: 


Cremation is a method of body disposal that acts as an alternative to burial. Cremation reduces a body to ash by exposing it to very high temperatures within a large furnace. Many people simply think cremation involves setting the body on fire and letting it burn. However, the overall cremation process is much more technical in nature and done with complete care.


Maybe you are wondering how the cremation process works.  If so, you're not alone. On this page we offer a deeper look into the steps of cremation and how does it work. 

Learn About Cremation Planning

How Does Cremation Work?

The cremation process is not done at our funeral home. We will transport your loved one to a crematory licensed by the State of Texas. The crematory will complete the cremation process and we will transport the ashes back to our funeral home. The information below is provided by The Cremation Association of North America.

Steps in The Cremation Process (Descriptive Language) 

1.

Crematory staff will confirm the identity of the deceased by checking all paperwork. A cremation number or other identification (id) will be assigned. This number/id is often stamped onto a stainless steel disc, but may also be in the form of a barcode. The id/number is recorded on a cremation log. The stainless disc remains with the remains throughout their entire time at the cremation facility.

2.

When it is time for the cremation of the deceased, they will be removed from the storage unit and their identification will be confirmed using paperwork and the stainless disc. The container will be taken to the cremator unit and placed on a table in front of the cremator door. 

3.

The deceased will be placed in a cremation container. The minimum requirement for a cremation container is that it be completely enclosed, rigid, leak resistant, and combustible. You may select a cardboard or particle board container, rental casket, a wooden casket, or even a highly polished casket, provided it is combustible and non-toxic. Metal caskets cannot be cremated.

4.

The door of the cremator will be opened, and the container will be placed inside the primary chamber. Usually this is performed manually with the aid of cardboard rollers or mechanically with a rolling conveyor loader. The stainless disc with number/id will be placed inside the cremator with the remains.

5.

The door will be closed and the cremation monitored carefully until it is completed. This is accomplished by heating the body, which contains between 65% and 85% water by weight, to a temperature high enough to facilitate the combustion process. Laws for required temperatures vary by state, but the cremation process usually occurs between 1400 and 1600 degrees F. The process can take anywhere from 30 minutes, as in the case of a stillborn, to over two hours depending on the body size and stored heat in the chamber.

6.

When the cremation process is complete, the door will be opened and identification checked again against paperwork and the stainless disc. The bone fragments that remain, now called cremated remains, will be carefully swept out of the cremator into a cooling tray, allowed to cool and taken to a processor.

7.

The processor is a machine that uses blades to pulverize the bone fragments until the remains are less than 1/8” in size.

8.

The cremated remains are then transferred to a strong plastic bag and placed in either an urn or temporary container if the family has not selected an urn yet. Identification is checked again and the stainless disc is placed in the container with the remains. The urn and its box are labeled with identifying paperwork and checked again before being stored for the family’s retrieval.

Affordable Cremation Service Options

When you choose cremation for yourself or a loved one, you have many options in commemorating. The type of service and cremation memorialization items, such as urns and keepsake jewelry, can all be customized to suit your needs.


  • Traditional Cremation Services.  These are much like a traditional funeral. The body of your loved one is placed in a specially-selected cremation casket and is the focal point of the service. A visitation can take place prior to the funeral service and is completed with the cremation, rather than a traditional burial. Once the cremation has occurred, the cremated remains are returned to your family. You can then decide to scatter, bury, or retain the cremated remains in an urn.

 

  • A Memorial Cremation Service.  Schedules are more complicated than in the past. Sometimes, to have a service that is inclusive of everyone wanting to attend, requires flexibility in the timing of a service. This can be done with a memorial cremation service.  Our team can help you plan a fitting memorial cremation service with or without the cremation urn present, at our facility or in a place of your choosing.

 

  • Celebration Of Life Cremation Service . Many families today want a cremation service that celebrates the life of their loved one. This can be done by bringing more of the personality and lifestyle of the deceased into the arrangements. By displaying photographs or staging the event around a favorite pastime, a celebration of life cremation service can become more personal and meaningful. Our team can help you plan a celebration of life cremation service with or without a casket or cremation urn present, at our facility or at a place of your choosing.

 

  • Direct Cremation.  Direct cremation is also known as direct disposal. It involves completion of all required paperwork, and the transportation of the deceased from the hospital, home, nursing facility, or coroner's office to the crematory to complete the cremation process.

 

Some Questions For When We Meet

Once the cremation over burial decision has been made, and the cremation service option is chosen, there are some additional things you will want to consider.

 

  • Is there a special set of clothes (such as a military uniform or favorite dress) your loved one would appreciate the thought of wearing? We can discuss various ideas about jewelry or other valuable personal items.

 

  • Are there any keepsake items you'd like to include in their cremation casket? Perhaps there's a special memento, such as a treasured photograph or letter. Some families suggest family members write cards, notes or letters to their loved one, and place them in the casket prior to the cremation.

 

  • Would you want to be present at your loved one's cremation? Because we know how healing it can be to take part in an act of "letting go", we can discuss with you the options to attend the cremation at the crematory. In the Frequently Asked Questions about Cremations section, we discuss this subject further.

 

  • What will you keep the cremated remains or ashes in after the cremation or the service? Many families are unaware that they can purchase a cremation urn to hold the ashes and place the urn in a special place, such as the family home. We offer a large selection of urns that will help memorialize your loved one.
  • Many people want their cremated remains (or "ashes") to be scattered in a personally meaningful place, or simply just kept at home. However, more and more people are finding that a designated place in a cemetery is a lasting alternative to help bring healing and lasting remembrance. Cremation cemetery options include in-ground urn burial, mausoleum entombment, cremation niches, cremation benches and pedestals, columbaria and scattering gardens. Another alternative are "green cemeteries", or an environmentally-pristine cemetery. There are a lot of options, and we can help you walk through the process of making your choices accustomed to your desired needs.

 

Is it Time to Speak with Us About Cremation?

Perhaps the decision for cremation is an easy one for you. But if it is not, keep the factors and questions we outlined above in mind as you go through the pages below. We provide reliable cremation information that will debunk myths and make you better informed. 


If you want to talk to a cremation expert instead, please contact us today. We can answer questions over the phone and by email. 


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