Elizabethtown, OH Cremation Services Help Families through All Aspects of a Cremation
When a loved one dies, having to concentrate on planning a memorial service and handling the details of the body can become overwhelming. Some people feel like they miss out on the grieving process because they have to invest so much time and energy into handling all of the details. This leaves them feeling like they didn't get to properly say goodbye. Whether you have a traditional funeral service or direct cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH, being able to grieve is an important part of the healing process.
It's not uncommon for people to think that cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH are ideal because it's easier and cheaper than a casket burial, but that's not necessarily true. Elizabethtown, OH cremation services can take just as much time to plan and just as much money to invest depending on how you want to remember your loved one. If you just want a simple direct cremation, it won't cost much or take too much time. However, most families want to celebrate the life of the deceased and remember them after death. Elizabethtown, OH cremation services work hard to insure that your loved one's cremation is handled respectfully, professionally, and legally.
Elizabethtown, OH Laws Regarding Cremations
Every state has statutes that dictate how funeral and cremation professionals handle death and burial or cremation. In the state of Elizabethtown, OH, cremation services cannot be performed on a body before 24 hours following death. All of the paperwork from the leading physician and medical examiner must also be completed and turned in before a cremation can take place. In most cases, you won't have to worry about procuring the proper paperwork. The cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH should deal directly with the necessary officials to gather the paperwork and insure that the cremation is handled legally.
In almost every state, the local laws prohibit the cremation of more than one body at a time. Elizabethtown, OH is an exception. In certain special cases, cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH are allowed to cremate two people simultaneously as long as it does not cause any safety hazards. The governing authority of funeral and cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH will determine if a death case is eligible for this service. In most cases, cremations are done individually. There are special urns designed to hold the ashes of loved ones right next to each other, and this is often a good solution for families who want to keep the ashes of loved ones together.
The Cremation Process and Retrieving the Remains
The Elizabethtown, OH cremation services that you use will schedule your loved one's cremation based on the amount of cremations they need to do. Immediate family is able to view the cremation box enter the chamber. This is also an ideal time for final goodbyes and prayers, and many people feel that viewing the cremation casket enter the chamber provides a sense of closure. The cremation process itself will take several hours, depending on the weight of the deceased.
You have 30 days after the cremation to retrieve the remains. If you fail to pick up the ashes within 30 days, the Elizabethtown, OH cremation services will attempt to deliver the ashes to the next of kin through a personal or mail delivery. If ashes are returned undeliverable, the cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH have the legal right to dispose of the ashes per the legal guidelines of the state of Elizabethtown, OH. Unless the cremation was a special case, the crematory will not dispose of the ashes next to any other ashes, per Elizabethtown, OH law.
If you do retrieve the ashes, it's up to you what you'd like to do with them. If you purchased a decorative urn, you could choose to keep them displayed indefinitely as a memorial of your loved one. You may wish to scatter the ashes or separate them amongst close family members. If the ashes are of parents, you and your siblings may each want an urn. Elizabethtown, OH cremation services can provide you with a list of places where you can legally scatter the ashes, too.
Cremains of Veterans
A veteran is anyone who served in a branch of the military. There are special cemeteries dedicated to veterans and their families. Elizabethtown, OH cremation services that end up having unclaimed ashes, will do their best to determine if the deceased was ever a member of the U.S. military. The military will check their databases, and if the deceased is determined to have been a veteran, the military can choose to have the cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH ship them the cremains for a veteran's burial. Not every veteran's ashes will be shipped out. It's ultimately up to the authorizing agent with the military who makes that determination.
Death in the family is always hard. However, cremation services in Elizabethtown, OH work hard to cater to the families and insure that each person receives a proper burial or remembrance.