Understanding Different Types of Cremations

When you’re considering Beltsville, MD cremations, it’s important to know that you have different cremation options that allow you to have control over how your death is handled.  

One choice that determines up front whether you’re cremated is what you want done with your body when you die. If you decide to donate your body for medical or scientific research, your final remains will be cremated.   

This is not true for organ donors. Organ donors have the choice between cremation and burial. Surgeons will simply harvest your organs and, if you want a traditional burial, they will sew your body back up for transport to the funeral home and their final preparations of your body.  

One of the misperceptions about cremation is that no funeral service can be held. Therefore, it’s important to know about cremations options that are available.  

In direct cremations, there is no funeral service. The body is transported to the funeral home, put into a combustible container, and cremated. The funeral home will collect the ashes and return them to the family.  

The family can choose what to do with the ashes from cremations. They can scatter them in the deceased person’s favorite place. They can scatter them at a gravesite (this happens often with spouses). Or they can keep them, either in a decorative urn or in jewelry that they wear.  

Direct cremations are also usually followed by a memorial service. This can be a week after death or two years after death, but it enables family members to plan for a memorial event and for attendees to be able to have the time to make arrangements to be there.  

If you want to have a funeral service before cremation, you can either purchase or rent a casket for the viewing and funeral service. If you decide to purchase a casket, make sure that the casket is fully-combustible so that it can be used for the cremation. A wide range of cremation caskets for every budget are available for purchase online. If you choose to rent a casket, the funeral home will provide the rental casket as part of their funeral services.  

You can have a traditional viewing, followed by a funeral service. Once the funeral service is done, the deceased person’s remains will be cremated and the ashes will be returned to the family to dispose of as they wish.  

Cremations are typically cheaper than burials because the materials used for cremation caskets are less expensive, and many of the costs associated with a burial – the grave site in a cemetery, digging the grave, transportation to the grave, and burial in the grave – are eliminated in cremations. Many people consider cremations to be more environmentally-friendly, as well, so about half of deaths in the United States are now followed by cremations instead of burials.  

You may not need to make a decision today about options for cremation, but it’s never too early to make plans for the future and make sure that your family knows how you want your remains to be handled.  

If you want to learn more about Beltsville, MD cremations, one of our knowledgeable staff members at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. can help you and answer any questions you may have about the process. You can also visit us at our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705. We are available any time for immediate assistance, so contact us today at (301) 937-1707.