Cremation Services

Cremation is a step in the preparation of the deceased for memorialization. Only one cremation takes place at a time. Caskets or containers used for the cremation must be made of wood or other combustible materials. Prior to cremation, casket handles and other exterior fittings are removed. Under no circumstances will any member of the crematorium staff open the casket or the container. The casket is placed in a cremation chamber where through the process of heat and evaporation, the body is reduced to fragments of bones in 2 – 3 hours. When this part of the process is complete, crematorium staff carefully remove all recoverable cremated remains from the chamber. Any remaining metal particles are removed with a magnet or by hand. The fragments of human bones are then mechanically pulverized into minute particles and placed in a container.

Cremation is not a disposition, but rather a method of preparing the remains for memorialization. They are still human remains and should be placed in a dedicated location such as a Columbarium Niche, an Urn Garden or a Grave. Scattering the cremated remains in one of our Scattering Gardens is also an option. Mount Pleasant and Oakland Cemeteries accommodate burials year round.

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