This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates-Boylston Publications,and is being shared with permission. Visit www.americancemetery.com to subscribe.

The cremation rate has doubledover the last 15 years, and projec-tions are for that growth to continue.2016 was officially the year when theU.S. cremation rate topped 50percent. This was an anticipatedmilestone we knew was coming, butyet in the minds of many funeralprofessionals was equally dreaded.According to a 2015 Funeral and

Memorial Information Councilstudy, the percentage of people whoreported that they were “definitely”or “somewhat likely” to choosecremation as an option more thandoubled since 1990 – from 31percent to 65 percent. Clearly,cremation is becoming the newtradition, so it behooves us to focuson the best way to help cremationfamilies by providing an array ofmemorial and service options. Families still need guidance when

they call on us. We need to remindourselves the majority of familiesembrace the idea of commemorationfor their loved ones. It is our obligationas funeral professionals to offer themthe guidance, expertise and respectthey deserve. Therefore, the notion ofequating cremation with less servicemust be eliminated from our mindset. The question becomes, how can we

accomplish the task of providingvalue and meaning to cremationfamilies? Truth be told, most of thetime they don’t know what they wantuntil given options. We must be activeinquirers, not order takers. We mustfirst listen and then provide choices in

service, product and personalization.In other words, we must educatefamilies on cremation options andhelp them create an experience.One of the first decisions a family

needs to make is the final resting placeof the cremated remains. Dependingon the choice, the funeral professionalcan guide the family as to specificservice and product options.

Permanent PlacementIf the family chooses a permanent

resting place such as a cemetery orcolumbarium niche, there are severalservice options available. Manyfamilies prefer a meaningful committalceremony at the graveside or niche tohelp commemorate their loved one’slife. This can be simple or elaborate,

religious or secular, private or open tothe community. Whatever the familychooses, this creates an environmentfor family and friends to share specialconnections and memories during theservice. What is important is thefamily feels the experience creates alasting impression of remembrance.

Graveside CommittalGraveside committal can be made

more personal with a memory tablehighlighting life artifacts that reflectlife hobbies and interests. An urnlovingly selected by the family alongwith an urn vault displaying a specialimage or personal photo becomes afocal point of the service. For a finaltouch, the urn vault can serve as amemory capsule forever holding

Cremation Column[insights and trends]

Providing More Options to Cremation FamiliesWe are all aware that cremation has been rapidly growing over the past several years.

A memory table filled with life artifacts can make a graveside committal servicemore personal and is a good place for displaying the urn and vault.(Photo credit: Wilbert Funeral Services Inc.)

By Mike Devaney

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mementos alongside the urn placedby family and friends.

Columbarium CommittalA similar memory table display can

be used for a committal service at acolumbarium niche. As family andfriends express their final goodbyes,the committal concludes with the urnplaced into the niche. Many times, itis important for the family to directlyplace the urn in the niche if possible.

Balloon ReleaseWhether proceeding graveside or

to a columbarium committal,families can choose unique finalcelebrations such as balloon or dovereleases that give the participants anopportunity to bid farewell in asymbolic and uplifting way.

Home PlacementMany times, families are not sure

where the cremated remains willultimately be placed. They maychoose to take the cremated remainshome to display in a prominent partof the house. While this gives comfortto have their loved one close to them,they should understand that this maynot necessarily be a permanentsolution as custody of the crematedremains may change over time.Prior to the family taking their loved

one’s cremated remains home, theyshould be given various options forholding a meaningful memorial serviceat a place of their choosing. Whetherthe service takes place at the funeralhome or another public setting, it isimportant to listen to the family’swishes and help them create a person-alized tribute honoring their loved one.Consider guiding the family to

create a focal point for the service.Choosing an urn creates a lastingvessel to hold cremated remains andprovides family and friends a pointof reference to remember thedeceased person. Don’t just displayurns on a wall, but show the

relationship of how mementos,jewelry, keepsakes, urn vaults andother accessories can add value to theoverall purchase decision. Do notassume families know these areavailable if you don’t feature them.Give them an opportunity not only toview urns and keepsake products, butto touch them as well. This can elicitfeelings of emotion and memory forindividual family members. Give thema variety of visual and tactile referencesto help guide their choices. Engravingadds another personalized touch withtext, special verses or images.

Memorial Service with ClearVaultIn addition to selecting an urn,

another unique display option for thefamily to consider is the ClearVaultacrylic urn vault. The ClearVaultprovides a stunning way to showcasean urn while providing completeprotection as well when the decision ismade for permanent placement in acemetery. It can be engraved withpersonal information and an imageproviding an additional way to honorthe loved one. The clear acrylic alsomakes for a beautiful memory capsuledisplaying special items surroundingthe urn, making an extremely person-alized and meaningful centerpieceduring services. This option is trulyunique as it allows for home displaywhile the family considers the locationfor permanent placement.

ScatteringWhile scattering is a popular

practice, it comes with the caveat thatit is irreversible. Many times, familiesare not thinking about the long-termconsequences, especially consideringthe use of land and water may changeover time. This is not to discouragescattering as a form of memorial-ization, but it is important for thefuneral professional to guide thefamily as to all the ramifications.

Jewelry and MementosThe funeral director may suggest

that a portion of the crematedremains be scattered and the restplaced in mementos or memorialjewelry as permanent keepsakes. Thisway there will always be a tangiblereminder of the loved one for familymembers to touch and keep close.These are just a few examples of

options available to present tocremation families. The key for thefuneral professional is to first be anactive listener as to a family’s wishes.After finding out where they prefer thepermanent placement of the crematedremains, guide them by providingvarious service options that create ameaningful and personal experience inremembrance of their loved one. Always look for ways to do more

for your cremation families. You arenot promoting cremation per se, butrather promoting service and value. •

This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates-Boylston Publications,and is being shared with permission. Visit www.americancemetery.com to subscribe.

Families still need guidance when they call on us.We need to remind ourselves the majority offamilies embrace the idea of commemoration fortheir loved ones. It is our obligation as funeralprofessionals to offer them the guidance, expertiseand respect they deserve.

VIEWPOINT

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