FEDERAL RULE
(click for gov site)

It is against Federal Law for a funeral home to refuse a casket purchased elsewhere. Any funeral home that refuses to accept a casket from a family is subject to a fine of $10,000 per incident from the Federal Trade Commission. They would also be subject to any civil damages resulting from any complaint filed by the family for emotional distress for refusing to accept the casket, refusing to perform the funeral service or charging the family anything extra because they exercised their right to comparison shop.

CHANGES TOWARD CREMATION

The construction of the first crematory in the United States was in 1876 in Pennsylvania. Between 1876 and 1900 cremations represented less than 1% of deaths.
Today, 23 percent of the deaths in the United States result in cremation, and by the year 2010, it is predicated that 42 percent of Americans will choose cremation.
Research from the Cremation Association of North America highlights 8 trends that contribute to the increase in cremation:

1. Increasing life expectancy.
2. Increasing migration to retirement locations.
3. Diminishing regional differences.
4. Changing origins of immigrants.
5. Rising educational level.
6. Cremation is becoming more acceptable as a normal form of preparation for final disposition.
7. Less ties to tradition.
8. Environmental considerations.

Some states are very liberal in their attitudes towards scattering. After the necessary paperwork is filed with the county, in the state of Colorado, it's legal to bury a loved one in a pine box in the back yard or scatter his cremains from the top of a Fourteener, as long as the property owner allows it.

URN SIZE & PURPOSES

Cremation Urns can be used to hold ashes for interring, either in a cemetery niche or at home, scattering or both. The minimum urn size should be no less than 200 cubic inches. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) has determined that 200 cubic inches is the standard size. All of our standard urns exceed that requirement. Our Companion Urns (double), hold up to 600 cubic inches, well above CANA's standards. To measure for sizing: One cubic inch equals one pound of body weight.

Mementos, such as a lock of hair, a letter, a small piece of clothing, a baseball, jewelry, or wedding rings, can be placed in the urn as a memoriam of remembrance for your loved one. If ashes are scattered, a permanent place of remembrance can still be made either at home at a cemetery.

Keepsakes and keepsake jewelry urns are to keep a very small amount of cremains "as a keepsake". Some keepsakes can accommodate a lock of hair or letter, rings. etc. Often, children of a parent who has passed may want a keepsake, also spouses, friends and parent's of a deceased child.

PREARRANGEMENTS

Often time’s people wish to prearrange their funeral, so their family doesn't have to make difficult decisions during their time of grief. This is also possible when considering cremation.

Prepaying allows you to eliminate another worry for your survivors. If you are interested in prearrangement, please discuss it with your family first and then contact your local funeral home about preplanning and funding options.

WHAT IS CREMATION?

The dictionary defines cremation as a process of incinerating the body of a dead person. It has also been defined as a rapid rate of oxidation accelerated by intense heat.
Before the cremation process takes place, certain medical devices and/or implants must be removed from the body. These many include pacemakers, prosthesis, mechanical and radioactive devices materials, or other implants. Not removing these items could cause damage to the cremation chamber or to crematory personnel.
Today, bodies to be cremated are placed in cardboard or wooden containers. Embalming prior to cremation is not necessary and it is against the law for a consumer to be told that the body must be embalmed first in the United States.
Depending on state and local laws, there may be a waiting period of up to 48 hours from the time of death before the human remains may be cremated. Many state laws require a waiting period of 24 hours.
The casket or container and the body are placed into the cremation chamber and consumed by the intense heat and flames. The temperature ranges between 1400 and 2100 degrees Fahrenheit.
All soft tissue are vaporized, and the skeletal body framework is reduced to bone fragments and particles. The bone particles removed from the chamber vary in size and shape and may be mechanically processed, or ground down, to reduce them to a manageable consistency for placement into an urn.
The time required for cremation to be completed may vary depending upon the weight and the size of the person. Generally cremation takes 2 to 4 hours, with a cooling period of an additional 2 to 5 hours.
Cremated remains normally weigh between four and eight pounds. This can vary depending on the individual. The cremated remains will be placed in an urn or cremated remains container that you provide.You can request that the ashes be put into a few small urn containers for family members, or a single large urn or even a portion in a dissolving urns and some in an urn, which can be interned.

TYPES OF TRIBUTES

A funeral is so much more than a way to say goodbye; it’s an opportunity to celebrate the life of someone lost.
Today, a funeral can be as unique as the individual who is being honored. From simple touches like displaying personal photographs to events created around a favorite pastime, funerals can reflect any aspect of a person’s life and personality.

Here are questions to help you personalize a service:

SERVICE CHOICES

Many believe that if you choose cremation, you are limited to a very simple service or no service at all. The fact is, cremation in no way prevents family and friends from participating in the traditions, ceremonies, or rituals of a funeral service.
Again, like earth burial or entombment, there are many options: cremation with public or private viewing only, cremation with viewing and a service, cremation with a memorial service and no viewing, or cremation with no ceremonies.
Personalize your services to suit family traditions or customs. When people realize these choices are available, the majority selects some type of ceremony, viewing, etc.
Ceremonies and viewings are intended to help survivors by providing an opportunity to acknowledge the loss and by offering a sense of closure. They provide a time for loved ones to release their feelings and share their grief, so the healing process may begin.
Cremation can take place after a viewing, ceremony, gathering, or other elements of a funeral service.
It has been proven, that taking part in the process of arranging and attending funeral ceremonies can be therapeutic.
Again, you have several options. Some prefer to keep the cremated remains in their personal possession. Others feel that it is more appropriate to put the cremated remains in a formal or permanent location. It is common to bury the urn just as you would bury a casket. This allows families to remain together in a burial plot regardless of each family member's choice of preparation for final disposition. The burial site offers a permanent place for loved ones to visit and reflect on the life of the deceased. Burial can also be in an urn garden or private crypt.
A columbarium (mausoleum niche), either indoors or outdoors, can provide a permanent place for the family to visit. The columbarium niche is marked with a nameplate listing dates of birth and death. A choice may also be to keep the urn at home.
Scattering is also an option. Cremated remains are often spread over a lake, river, ocean, mountain, field or scattering garden. Water scattering can include a biodegradable urn, which is also included in the scattering.
Funeral directors should be aware of local customs, laws, rules and regulations. And when thinking of future generations you may decide to scatter a portion and inter a portion at a place of memorial.
As people develop new traditions and rituals, it is important to understand that there are choices and options available.
So, be sure to consider all of your options before making your decision.

WHAT ARE GREEN BURIALS?

In the UK a green burial is now the norm. The body is laid in a wood casket, shroud or cardboard box, and buried in a nature preserve or other area specifically set aside area for burials.

Here a natural marker is allowed, not a marble headstone, but a tree, rocks or plants native to the area. Embalming is not allowed, as this natural area is free from any chemicals.

In the states the first two areas available for green burials, called "Memorial Nature Preserves" in South Carolina and Florida. See: www.memorialecosystems.com
are becoming more available as people see a nature burial, is a natural thing.

The newest to join the first two green cemeteries is in Texas, outside of Houston. See the Ethician Family Cemetery website for more information see: www.ashestoashes.org