Shopping for Cremation
Cremation vs. Funeral
Understanding the differences (minor differences in service options)
A funeral service celebrates the life of the deceased as well as provides healing for those who remain. It can be as simple or elaborate as desired. Cremation is an alternative form of disposition as opposed to burial. All the same services are offered with cremation services that are offered with a traditional burial. Cremation is the method of choice for a growing number of families in the United States. It can be very meaningful and a beautiful form of caring for the body of a loved one. Cremation is not second rate, or an easier form of burial and done to avoid hassle or to save time. Cremation is not an inferior alternative in any way. The family who chooses this form of care should never feel any sense of not doing the best nor caring as much for a loved one.
Which is more acceptable?
There is no right or wrong way to go when selecting services with cremation vs. services with traditional burial. Each family and individual have unique needs dependent upon their own lifestyle and beliefs. What is most important is to honor a loved one’s life. By having a simple service or an elaborate one, you are giving your family the chance to honor your life as well bring healing to those that remain. Without this opportunity to finalize their relationship with the deceased, it may extend the grief process even longer.
Which is better?
There is no right or wrong choice here. You have to do what you feel is best for yourself and more importantly, your family. Always consider the ramifications your choices will have on your family when selecting the type of service you want. No matter what choice is made, it is most important to allow your family and friends the opportunity to have closure.
What are the cost differences?
The cost for a natural farewell is equivalent to that of a minimal burial. Our service offerings start at $995 and go up. On average, if you have a traditional funeral with earth burial vs. a traditional funeral with cremation, the cost difference is usually $700 to $1200 less for the cremation. It is not as significant as many people believe it to be. It all depends on the type of services you and your family desire.
Introduction to cremation merchandise -
There are many types of cremation products available. We offer urns, keepsake urns, cremation caskets, cremation rental caskets, keepsake jewelry and many other personalization and memorialization products. We keep adding new products all the time and take great pride in offering our families many choices.
Buying a funeral vs. buying a cremation
Legal requirements -
The Iowa Law requires that the body be embalmed, buried or cremated within 48 hours after death. In other words, you have 48 hours to decide upon what to do with the human remains. If no decision is made within that time frame, the funeral home has no choice but to embalm the body to allow for more time.
Traveling with remains -
Most airlines have adopted the following rules and regulations. Passengers are allowed to carry a crematory container as part of their carry-on luggage, but the container must pass through the X-ray machine. If the container is made of a material that generates an opaque image and prevents the security screener from clearly being able to see what is inside, then the container cannot be allowed through the security checkpoint. Out of respect to the deceased and their family and friends, under no circumstances will a screener open the container even if the passenger requests this be done. Documentation from the funeral home is not sufficient to carry a crematory container through security and onto a plane without screening. You may also transport the urn as checked baggage provided that it is successfully screened. The urn is screened for explosive materials/devices using a variety of techniques; if cleared, it will be permitted as checked baggage only. Some airlines do not allow cremated remains as checked baggage so please check with your air carrier before attempting to transport a crematory container in checked baggage. Crematory containers are made from many different types of materials, all with varying thickness. At present, we cannot state for certain whether your particular crematory container can successfully pass through an X-ray machine. However, we suggest that you purchase a permanent crematory container made of a lighter weight material such as wood or plastic that can be successfully X-rayed.
Legal considerations of scattering -
First, the remains of a cremated body are not "ashes," as the term is commonly understood. The remains are bone fragments that, if not mechanically reduced, can be too large to scatter. They do not immediately dissolve when scattered. They normally cannot be disbursed and blown away. Unfortunately, the movies and the media have misused the term "ashes" for many years, not realizing the problems it causes survivors who attempt to scatter remains in the manner often depicted. Second, while it is permissible in most states to scatter cremated remains, there are legal requirements. No state law allows them to be scattered on private property without the consent of the property owner. Many national and state parks have permit requirements and, sometimes location limitations for the scattering of those remains. Several years ago, representatives of a national park and the leader of an Indian tribe contacted an industry association to complain about illegal scattering of remains on the tribes sacred burial grounds, which were located within the park. Most cemeteries also have rules and regulations that must be observed. Third, adding an additional memorial for the cremated remains of a second spouse on the cemetery plot where the first spouse is buried has legal implications. When burial spaces are originally acquired, there is an expectation that a surviving spouse will be buried there in an appropriate manner. If a companion memorial was purchased and installed when the first spouse died, changing the arrangements may require the legal consent of all survivors. In addition, most cemeteries have regulations dealing with burial of cremated remains with human remains and the appropriate types of memorials. Finally when separating cremated remains as a keepsake, it is important to make sure that everybody agrees with the plan. The individuals who have the legal right to authorize a cremation usually have the right to determine the disposition of remains. Also any individual who takes a portion of those remains should be cautioned to treat them with respect. Unfortunately, there have been incidents where cremated remains have been disposed of in the same manner as garbage.