Cremation Services: An Overview
Cremation has been in practice for thousands of years and has a rich, worldly history. The popularity of cremation has increased significantly in the United States over the past decade, though the concept of cremation is still the same. As a funeral rite, cremation is the process of reducing a body to ashes by fire or intense heat. Modern day cremation practices have been dramatically improved upon and are now extremely efficient.
Contrary to popular belief, cremation does not limit choices. In fact, it actually increases one’s options. One of the main advantages of cremation is the timing as there is no need to rush to have a service. Should you choose this option, Bateman-Allen Funeral Home would handle the initial part of the process for you, and the funeral or memorial service could be scheduled for whatever works best for you and those who would be attending. It could be as soon as 5 days or as long as 1 year or more after the passing of a loved one. Cremation is a process that can be memorialized in many ways, and is always accomplished in a respectful, dignified manner.
With cremation, you can choose to have a service—either public or private—or to skip the service altogether. If you choose to have a service, you may plan for it to take place before or after the cremation process. Services can be elaborate, simple, traditional, modern, or completely customized.
Funerals and memorial ceremonies are trending towards being as unique as the person for whom (and by whom) they are made. Bateman-Allen Funeral Home would be happy to assist you in personalizing any service to assure it has special meaning and appropriately reflects the life of the deceased.
Your choices with cremation are vast. Below you’ll find 3 of the most common options that may best suit you or your family’s needs. You can also relieve your family of the burden of these decisions by preplanning your arrangements in advance of need so that your wishes will be honored (see our Preplanning page for more information). The options described below all include the professional services of our staff, removal and transportation of the deceased into our care, preparation and care of the deceased (excluding embalming), the cremation process, and the ashes returned to you.
The Complete Modern Cremation Service
The Complete Cremation Service would entail a Full-Service Funeral with a visitation, followed by a cremation and committal ceremony. It is just like a Complete Funeral Service, except cremation follows the visitation/viewing instead of the casket being interred at a cemetery. If the deceased is being publicly viewed, then embalming would be required for the viewing. In this case, you would rent the casket for the viewing instead of purchasing it. Following the cremation, the remains can be buried, properly scattered, or returned to the family for safekeeping. Urns are designed to hold the cremated remains. Urns can be made out of basic materials like cardboard or plastic or made out of more protective materials like basic and semi-precious metals, ceramics, woods and fiber glass.
At the Bateman-Allen Funeral Home we guarantee to guide you through whatever option you chose from beginning to end. Please call us at 610-876-5237.
This service can be arranged as an immediate cremation of the body, but is most times followed by a memorial service at the church, funeral home or other location. A Memorial Service is one where the body is not present. If you select an immediate cremation, Bateman-Allen Funeral Home is able to offer the immediate family time to privately view the body as a small group in most cases. Your funeral director can discuss this option further with you if you have an interest. Viewing of the deceased is a very important step for closure in acknowledging that the death has occurred. Having some type of committal service or ceremony upon receipt of the ashes is also beneficial to a healthy recovery following the loss of a loved one.
If there is no desire for a formal visitation or committal service, then direct cremation may be the option for you. With direct cremation, Bateman-Allen Funeral Home assures your loved one is professionally and respectfully cared for during the cremation process. The remains are returned to the family in a container of their choosing.
Memorialization Options for Cremation
Once cremation occurs, there are a variety of ways you may chose to memorialize your loved ones. Some of these include the following
Scattering
Your loved one’s remains may be scattered freely within a specific, natural environment. Please be mindful that scattering is only permitted in certain locations. To assure you are not scattering improperly, you may want to contract with certain providers who offer scattering services, including in the ocean or even amongst the stars. Bateman-Allen Funeral Home can assist you with this option
Cemetery Burial
Your loved one’s remains may be buried at an inground family plot. Urns are able be buried at the head or foot of a grave site at most cemeteries. Some Cemeteries also offer aboveground niches
In-Home Memorialization
If you intend to keep your loved one’s remains at your home, Bateman-Allen Funeral Home has a wide array of urns and keepsakes that are perfect for displaying. Many of these memorialization options can also be personalized. For a detailed look of these items, please contact us directly and we will help you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Individualized Memorialization
In some cases, families also like to memorialize a loved one in an additional, individualized manner. For instance, you may want to inscribe your loved one’s name or special saying on a park bench, tree plaque, or other special memorial.
