Over the years Rodman Funeral Service Directors have learned practically
all there is to know about cremation. To help guide your understanding of
cremation and the related options, we have prepared a list of answers to some of
the most commonly asked questions about cremation.
What Is Cremation?
What Services Are Available With Cremation?
Is A Casket Needed For Cremation?
Is Embalming Required Prior To Cremation?
Can The Body Be Viewed Without Embalming?
Is Cremation Accepted By All Religions?
Can An Urn Be Brought Into Church?
What Can Be Done With The Cremated Remains?
Are There Any Laws Governing Cremation?
Do People Choose Cremation Only To Save Money?
Don't Most Funeral Homes Have A Crematory?
How Can I Be Sure I Receive The Correct Remains?
How Long Does The Actual Cremation Take?
What Happens After The Cremation is Complete?
Can Two Cremations Be Performed At Once?
What Do The Cremated Remains Look Like?
Are All The Cremated Remains Returned?
Am I Required to Purchase an Urn?
Are There Any Special Benefits For Veterans?
Is There Any Assistance For Families On Welfare?
How Much Does Cremation Cost?
What Is Cremation?
To begin with, it is probably easier to describe what cremation isn't.
Cremation is not final disposition of the remains, nor is it a type of
funeral service. Rather, it is a process of reducing the human body to
bone fragments using intense heat and flame.
What Services Are Available With Cremation?
Any traditional
funeral service with the body present can precede the cremation. Alternatively,
a memorial service can take place after the cremation has been completed.
Is A Casket Needed For Cremation?
No, a casket
is not required for cremation. All that
is required by OSHA is a rigid, leak-proof container which is cremated
with
the body. Other cremation containers are available for purchase as well.
The only time a casket is required is when the family chooses a public service
with the body present prior to cremation. For these occasions we offer a
selection of inexpensive cremation caskets as well as economical rental
caskets.
Is Embalming Required Prior To Cremation?
No. The only
time embalming is required is if the family chooses a public service with an
open casket prior to cremation.
Can The Body Be Viewed Without Embalming?
Yes, immediate family members may briefly view
the deceased prior to cremation in our private viewing room. The deceased is
first washed and prepared for viewing. Alternatively, the deceased may be
viewed at our crematory without any preparation. As long as the viewing is
concluded prior to the 24 hour state-mandated waiting period, no additional
refrigeration charges would be incurred.
Is Cremation Accepted By All Religions?
Today
most religions allow
cremation except for Orthodox Jewish, Islamic, Eastern Orthodox and a few Fundamentalist
Christian faiths. The Catholic Church accepts cremation as long as
it is not chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teachings. Some people
believe that cremation is against the teachings of the Bible, but according
to Billy Graham, a famous Biblical scholar, "what occurs to the body after death
has no bearing on the soul's resurrection. The body that rises is not made of
the same substances as the one that was buried, or cremated, but is immortal and
incorruptible."
Can An Urn Be Brought Into Church?
Nearly all Protestant Churches
allow for the urn to be present during
the
memorial service. In fact, if the family is planning on a memorial service,
we encourage the cremated remains be present as it provides a focal point for the
service. However, to be certain it is best to consult with the clergy.
What Can Be Done With The Cremated Remains?
There are
many options. Remains can be buried in a cemetery lot or cremation garden, inurned
in a columbarium, kept at home, or scattered. We also offer scattering service at sea and
our staff will be happy to discuss these options with you and make any arrangements.
Are There Any Laws Governing Cremation?
Cremation
regulations vary from state-to-state.
In Ohio, there are several laws which the consumer should be aware.
First, there is a 24 hour waiting period from the
time of death until the cremation can take place.
Second, the deceased must be cremated in a suitable OSHA required cremation container.
Third, a cremation authorization form must be signed by the individual legally authorized to make
the cremation arrangements.
Fourth, a death certificate must be signed by a certifying physician.
For a complete list of applicable State laws, refer to Ohio Revised Code Section
4717.21- 30 or ask for a copy of our Cremation Authorization Form.
Do People Choose Cremation Only To Save Money?
While some
people select cremation for economy, many choose this option for other reasons.
The simplicity and dignity of cremation, environmental concerns, and the
flexibility cremation affords in ceremony planning and final disposition all add
to its increasing popularity.
Don't Most Funeral Homes Have A Crematory?
Most
funeral homes subcontract this delicate procedure out to a third party provider
in another town where the funeral home has little or no control over the
crematory's operating procedures. Often, the family may incur additional
transportation expenses and needless delay. By contrast, we own our cremation
equipment which is operated by our fully licensed and highly trained staff. Our
cremation equipment is state-of-the-art and equals or exceeds every state and
local operating standard and requirement.
How Can I Be Sure I Receive The Correct Remains?
We
have developed the most rigorous set of operating policies and procedures in
order to maximize our level of service and minimize the potential for human
error. Positive identification of the deceased is assured throughout each stage
of the cremation process.
We only allow licensed professionals to operate our cremation equipment.
None of these safeguards are required by law.
How Long Does The Actual Cremation Take?
It depends on the weight of the
individual. For an average size adult, cremation takes from two to three hours
at normal operating
temperature between 1,500 degrees
F to 2,000 degrees F. Then there is an additional 45 min. to an
hour cool down time before the operator can gain access to the
cremation chamber.
What Happens After The Cremation is Complete?
All organic bone fragments, which are very brittle, as
well as non-consumed metal items are "swept" to the back of the cremation chamber
using compressed air and into a stainless steel cooling pan. All non-consumed
items, like metal from clothing, artificial joints, and bridge work, are
separated from the cremated remains. This separation is accomplished through visual inspection
as well as using a strong magnet for smaller and minute metallic objects.
Items such as dental gold and silver are non-recoverable. Remaining bone
fragments are then processed in a machine to a consistent size and placed into a
temporary or permanent urn, selected by the family.
Can Two Cremations Be Performed At Once?
No, cremation chambers are not of
sufficient size to accommodate more than one. Thus it would be not be possible to conduct multiple cremations
simultaneously. Companion urns are available after cremation to accommodate more than one
set of cremated remains.
What Do The Cremated Remains Look Like?
Cremated remains resemble
coarse sand and are whitish to light gray in color. The remains of an average
size adult usually weigh between four to six pounds.
Are All The Cremated Remains Returned?
With the exception of
minute and microscopic particles, which are impossible to remove from the
cremation chamber and processing machine, all of the cremated remains are given
back to the family.
Am I Required to Purchase an Urn?
An urn is not required
by law. However, an urn may be desired if there is to be a memorial
service or required if the remains are to be interred in a cemetery. If an
urn is not purchased through us, or provided by the family, the cremated
remains will be returned in a temporary container provided by the
crematory.
Are There Any Special Benefits For Veterans?
We have a special program for
veteran's who pass away in a VA hospital, or a VA contracted health care
facility. There is a VA cash benefit that can be applied as partial payment for
our cremation services. Please refer to our vets
benefits
section of this site for more detail.
Is There Any Assistance For Families On Welfare?
City and town welfare
departments may provide benefits for
deceased residents who are indigent, or whose families cannot pay for their funerals. Currently
the State of Ohio does NOT provide assistance. We will check with your
local city or town welfare office to see what
funds are available (Ohio Revised Code Section 5101.521).
How Much Does Cremation Cost?
This is a hard question to answer.
With a Cremation Service there are so many options. It can be as reasonable as
$915.00 with no opportunity for memorialization to as much as $10,000.00 for a
send off to the heavens by way of the next Shuttle launch.
