After cremation, funeral homes in Shelby Charter Township, MI, often deliver the cremated remains to the family of the deceased. You may get the ashes delivered to you in an urn that you bought with the funeral home, or in a simple cardboard box. You can then bury, scatter, or do what you feel needs to be done with the ashes. Here is what to do with cremated remains.
Add The Remains To An Existing Grave
You can add the ashes to the existing grave of a spouse or other family member. It is not illegal to dig into an old grave to bury an urn but there are guidelines you have to stick to. You can only dig from 6 to 12 inches into an old grave, which means that you cannot place the urn on the casket in the grave. Before you begin the process, you must talk to the cemetery and get their permission. But you need to get experienced grave diggers that will avoid disturbing the old grave to prevent any damage to the grave and the remains of the person buried there. To avoid delays, carry the cremation certificate with you when you go to the cemetery.
Bury The Urn In A Cemetery
Many people would rather bury the ashes of their loved ones rather than keep them at home or scatter them. Just like it is for caskets, you have to buy a parcel of land to bury an urn. Most of the time the urn is buried 3 feet deep. This is deeper than when you bury it in an old grave. You can have a traditional funeral with viewing or visitation and then cremation instead of a burial. Funeral homes can provide a casket that you can hire for a significantly lower cost to be used for the viewing.
How To Keep The Remains At Home
Keeping the ashes of a loved one at home is a way to remember your loved one after the memorial. It may also be a cultural practice. Depending on your culture or preference you can keep the ashes in a decorative urn or in an artsy but simple urn. The urn can be made of wood, metal, marble, ceramics, or other material. Another way to keep the ash is to have small amounts added into a piece of custom-made jewelry such as a locket or pendant. But jewelry can only hold small amounts of the ashes, which means you will need to either create a special memorial garden in your backyard to bury the remaining ashes, or even scatter them in a place that was meaningful to your loved one.
It is important to make sure that the ashes are kept, buried, or scattered in a safe and respectful place. Our funeral home doesn’t just offer you quality cremation services in Shelby Charter Township, MI but can also help you and your family members make an informed decision on what to do with your loved one’s ashes.
You should also consider the materials the urn is made of. Traditional urns are usually made of brass, but you can also find urns made of wood, marble, and other types of metals. Marble urns have a stately appearance, while wood urns offer a warm and natural feel. If you’re looking for something more unique, you can also find urns made of glass or ceramics. For burials, urns made of cultured marble are a good choice because they don’t require a vault for protection and are durable. There are also many other types of urns available, including multicolored urns and more. You can ask the funeral director to place the ashes in an urn of your choosing after a cremation or have them deliver them in a cardboard box if you want to scatter them.
After locating or obtaining the DD 214 form which verifies your loved one’s military service, you can then start looking for a suitable cemetery for burial. Most active duty service members, veterans, and reservists can be buried in a VA National Cemetery. If the state has a veteran cemetery, you may be able to bury your loved one there but you must meet specific requirements. For instance, state VA cemeteries often require that the deceased must have been a resident. People who are eligible to bury in state VA cemeteries may get benefits such as a grave site, a burial flag, a headstone or marker, and so on.
Most of the time there will be instructions from the manufacturer on how to clean the burial vault. You will find that the requirements for cleaning a concrete vault differ from those of cleaning a metal vault. Only use a broom or a brush when removing debris or dirt from the surface of a concrete vault. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you want to use a pressure washer because using it carelessly could damage the vault and leave the casket vulnerable. Take extra care not to damage the engravings on the carapace of the vault. Metallic vaults just need to be wiped clean with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in soapy water. Make sure you wipe away all the soap residue from the metal surface.