A Guide to Cremation Services

When you choose cremation services in Boones Mill, VA for your loved one who has died, you may not exactly understand how the process works, especially if you’re more familiar with the traditional funeral burial that, until two or three decades ago, was the standard final disposition for a deceased loved one.

This guide will summarize the things you need to know about cremation services.

First, what exactly is cremation? Cremation is the process that applies heat and pressure to the body until all that is left are bones (cremation remains). Cremation takes place in a crematorium. The entire process takes about two to three hours.

After the cremation remains cool down, any fragments of metal that may still be intact are removed. Then the bones are finally pulverized and are either placed in a cremation container or the urn that has been selected. The cremation container or urn is then given to the family of the deceased.

There will be that you will need to provide to the funeral director and there will be decisions around the cremation that you will need to make.

The documents that you will need to take to the funeral home with you include your loved one’s:

• Birth certificate
  
• Social Security card
  
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
  
• Divorce decree (if applicable)
  
• Military discharge orders (Form DD-214) if you want military honors

The funeral home will make all the arrangements for the cremation including getting the completed death certificate and getting the cremation permit, but you will need to authorize the cremation by signing a cremation authorization form.

The decisions that you will have to make will determine how quickly the cremation is done. You can opt to have a funeral service before your loved one is cremated, or you can opt to have a memorial service or a celebration of life after your loved one is cremated.

If you choose to have a funeral service before your loved one is cremated, then you can choose to have the body of your loved one present (in a casket) or not present at the service. If you choose to have a memorial service or celebration of life after your loved one is cremated, their body will be cremated within 24-48 hours after the funeral home receives it.

If you are choosing an urn for your loved one’s cremated remains and you intend to bury them, the funeral director will help you pick out an urn that is specifically designed for outdoor use (urns are also available for just keeping indoors). 

When you decide to bury your loved one’s cremation remains, you have several options to choose from. One of these options is to have your loved one’s urn buried in a cemetery. Many people choose this when they want to bury spouses or other family members near each other in the same cemetery.

If you choose to have your loved one’s urn buried in a cemetery, then you will need to have a vault to bury the urn in (your funeral director will help with this). Burial vaults for both caskets and urns are required in most cemeteries.

Burial vaults protect the caskets or the urns from damage that can occur when heavy machinery goes through the cemetery, and it will keep the ground from sinking around the actual gravesite.

You can also choose to have your loved one’s urn store in a columbarium. A columbarium is a structure that has niches in which urns can be store. Your loved one’s niche will be sealed with a grave marker that is created according to your specifications.

For additional information about cremation services in Boones Mill, VA, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Conner-Bowman Funeral Home & Crematory can assist you.